Planar Systems, Inc.

Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Mark S Kruskopf

Henry Anthony Wehrli, Iii

William A Barrow

David Leksell

Norman J Phillips

Kunmith Ping

A construction for an electroluminescent display device comprises an electroluminescent element stack having an outer edge and including a light emitting electroluminescent panel, an electronic circuit board, and a connector electrically coupling the electronic circuit board to the electroluminescent panel. A frame member of generally U-shaped cross-section fits over and compresses the electroluminescent element stack along the outer edge. Additionally, a method of constructing an electroluminescent display device comprises the steps of forming an electroluminescent element stack having a light emitting panel, an electronic circuit board and a connector coupling the electronic circuit board to the electroluminescent panel. The electroluminescent element stack is formed to have an outer edge. A frame member is formed to have generally U-shaped cross-section and resilient arms. The frame member is fitted onto the outer edge of the electroluminescent element stack so as to compress the electroluminescent element stack together. The frame member may be formed by extrusion. The connector may be an elastomeric connector.

Simplified mechanical package for EL displays

A construction for a TFEL panel includes a solid encapsulating layer for the active area of a TFEL panel that has a hardness that does not exceed 40 duromeers (Shore A). A gel material is spread over the active area and cured to the desired degree of hardness. At this degree of hardness the panel retains its self-healing characteristics and the panel's durability is much improved over designs using oil-filled cavitites.

Solid seal for thin film electroluminescent display panels

A thin film electroluminescent (TFEL) edge emitter module and packaging assembly is composed of a TFEL edge emitter module including an electroluminescent (EL) stack having a linear array of spaced-apart pixels with light-emitting front edges, an enclosure defining a sealed cavity which encloses at least a portion of the EL stack so as to sealably enclose the array of pixels in a contaminant-free environment, a thermally expansive and contractive liquid substantially filling the sealed cavity, and a cavity capacity expansion and contraction mechanism disposed in the enclosure in communication with the cavity and the liquid therein. In response to thermal expansion of the volume of the liquid filling the cavity, the capacity expansion and contraction mechanism is operable to change from a first condition toward a second condition and thereby increase the liquid-holding capacity of the enclosure cavity. Further, in response to thermal contraction of the volume of the liquid, the mechanism is operable to change from the second condition back toward the first condition and thereby decrease the liquid-holding capacity of the enclosure cavity. In such manner, the enclosure cavity liquid-holding capacity is continually maintained substantially equivalent to the enclosed volume of liquid filling the cavity.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Mark S Kruskopf