Liquid crystal flat panel display with an integral heater of predeterminable capacity

Abstract

A flat panel liquid crystal display has a front plate and a rear plate with a layer of liquid crystal material maintained in a cavity between them. A thin film transistor array layer is disposed in the cavity, as is an integral heater with a grid of intersecting sets of horizontal and vertical conductors. The heating capacity of the heater is predeterminably set by selectively interrupting continuity of at least some of the intersecting conductors. In some embodiments, the discontinuities occur in only one set of the intersecting conductors.

1 . A heater assembly for a liquid crystal display (LCD) having front and rear plates with a layer of liquid crystal material and a thin film transistor (TFT) layer disposed between the plates, the heater assembly comprising:
 a heater grid comprising a set of horizontal conductors and a set of vertical conductors in intersecting relationship, the heater grid interposed between the front and rear plates; and   a plurality of discontinuities dispersed throughout at least a portion of the heater grid.   
     
     
         2 . The heater assembly of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an insulating dielectric layer atop the heater grid. 
 
     
     
         3 . The heater assembly of  claim 1  wherein:
 the discontinuities are placed around a periphery of the display. 
 
     
     
         4 . A flat panel liquid crystal display (LCD) comprising:
 a front plate;   a rear plate;   a layer of liquid crystals maintained in a cavity between the front and rear plates;   a thin film transistor (TFT) array layer disposed in the cavity; and   a heater grid comprising a set of horizontal conductors and a set of vertical conductors in intersecting relationship, the heater grid interposed between the front and rear plates; and   a plurality of discontinuities dispersed throughout at least a portion of the heater grid.   
     
     
         5 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the heater grid is integral to the TFT array layer.   
     
     
         6 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the heater grid is patterned onto the TFT array layer.   
     
     
         7 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the TFT array layer comprises pixel capacitors, and   a passivation layer overcoats the horizontal and vertical conductors to isolate the heater grid electrically from the pixel capacitors.   
     
     
         8 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the TFT array layer comprises pixel capacitors, and   a passivation layer overcoats the horizontal and vertical conductors to isolate the heater grid electrically from the pixel capacitors.   
     
     
         9 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 an insulating dielectric which overcoats the heater grid.   
     
     
         10 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 an insulating dielectric which overcoats the heater grid.   
     
     
         11 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the heater grid is adapted to provide a greater heat output around a periphery of said display.   
     
     
         12 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the intersecting conductors have an areal density around the periphery that is higher than in a central portion of the display.   
     
     
         13 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the selective continuity interruptions have an areal density around the periphery that is higher than in a central portion of the display.   
     
     
         14 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the heater grid is adapted to provide a greater heat output around a periphery of said display.   
     
     
         15 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the intersecting conductors have an areal density around the periphery that is higher than in a central portion of the display.   
     
     
         16 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the selective continuity interruptions have an areal density around the periphery that is higher than in a central portion of the display.   
     
     
         17 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the heating capacity is predeterminably set by selectively interrupting continuity of only one of the two sets of intersecting conductors.   
     
     
         18 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the TFT array layer comprises first and second sets of perpendicularly arranged leads; and   the horizontal and vertical intersecting conductors are arranged to run parallel to the corresponding set of TFT array layer leads.   
     
     
         19 . The flat panel LCD of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the heating capacity is predeterminably set by selectively interrupting continuity of only one of the two sets of intersecting conductors.   
     
     
         20 . A flat panel liquid crystal display (LCD) comprising:
 a front plate;   a rear plate;   a layer of liquid crystals maintained in a cavity between the front and rear plates;   a thin film transistor (TFT) array layer comprising a first and a second set of perpendicularly arranged leads disposed in the cavity; and   a heater grid comprising a set of horizontal conductors and a set of vertical conductors in intersecting relationship, the heater interposed between the front and rear plates, the heater patterned onto the TFT array layer such that the horizontal and vertical conductors are arranged to run parallel to the corresponding set of TFT array layer leads;   a discontinuity on at least one of the intersecting conductors.