Method for manufacturing electronic products, related arrangement and product

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an electronic product, including obtaining a flexible, optically substantially transparent or translucent, substrate sheet, printing, by an additive printed electronics process, a plurality of electrical conductors on the substrate sheet, printing or disposing, a plurality of electronic components including optoelectronic light emissive components on the substrate sheet, at least some of the printed conductors being configured to provide electrical current thereto, providing at least one graphic on the substrate sheet, the at least one graphic configured to enable outcoupling of light, and attaching a flexible, optically substantially transparent, lightguide sheet to the substrate sheet to establish a multi-layer structure, the light emitted by the light emissive components being received by the lightguide sheet, propagating therewithin, and then being at least partly emitted to the environment through the at least one graphic.

1 . A method for manufacturing an electronic product, comprising:
 obtaining a flexible, optically substantially transparent or translucent, substrate sheet;   printing, by an additive printed electronics process, a plurality of electrical conductors on the substrate sheet;   printing or disposing a plurality of electronic components including optoelectronic light emissive components on the substrate sheet, at least some of the printed conductors being configured to provide electrical current thereto; and   providing at least one graphic on the substrate sheet, the at least one graphic configured to enable outcoupling of light; and   attaching a flexible, optically substantially transparent, lightguide sheet to the substrate sheet to establish a multi-layer structure, the light emitted by the light emissive components being received by the lightguide sheet, propagating therewithin, and then being at least partly emitted to the environment through the at least one graphic.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one graphic is provided on the substrate sheet by printing. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one graphic is provided on the substrate sheet by in-mold labeling. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one graphic is composed of a material having a refractive index enabling outcoupling of light from the lightguide sheet at the location of the at least one graphic. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one graphic is further configured to enable outcoupling of the light at a desired angle relative to the lightguide sheet. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein at least one portion of the at least one graphic is illuminated by the outcoupling of the light. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the graphics are optically transparent or translucent. 
     
     
         8 . A manufacturing system for an electronic product or device, the manufacturing system comprising:
 equipment configured to:
 print, by an additive printed electronics process, a plurality of electrical conductors on a flexible, optically substantially transparent or translucent substrate sheet according to a predefined layout, 
 provide a plurality of electronic components including optoelectronic light emissive components on the substrate sheet according to the predefined layout, at least some of the printed conductors being configured to provide electrical current thereto, 
 provide at least one graphic on the substrate sheet, the at least one graphic configured to enable outcoupling of light, and 
 attach a flexible, optically substantially transparent, pre-prepared lightguide sheet with the substrate sheet to establish a functional multi-layer laminate structure in which the light emitted by the light emissive components is received by the lightguide sheet, propagating therewithin, and then being at least partly emitted to the environment through the at least one graphic. 
   
     
     
         9 . The manufacturing system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one graphic is provided on the substrate sheet by printing. 
     
     
         10 . The manufacturing system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one graphic is provided on the substrate sheet by in-mold labeling. 
     
     
         11 . The manufacturing system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one graphic is composed of a material having a refractive index enabling outcoupling of light from the lightguide sheet at the location of the at least one graphic. 
     
     
         12 . The manufacturing system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one graphic is further configured to enable outcoupling of the light at a desired angle relative to the lightguide sheet. 
     
     
         13 . The manufacturing system of  claim 12 , wherein at least one portion of the at least one graphic is illuminated by the outcoupling of the light. 
     
     
         14 . The manufacturing system of  claim 8 , wherein the graphics are optically transparent or translucent. 
     
     
         15 . An electronic system comprising:
 an optically functional multi-layer structure incorporating:
 a flexible, optically substantially transparent or translucent, substrate sheet, provided with a plurality of electrical conductors and at least one graphic thereon, the at least one graphic configured to enable outcoupling of light, 
 a plurality of electronic components including optoelectronic light emissive components arranged on the substrate sheet, at least some of the printed conductors being configured to provide electrical current thereto, and 
 a flexible, optically substantially transparent, pre-prepared lightguide sheet attached to the substrate sheet and configured such that the light emitted by the light emissive components is received by the lightguide sheet, propagating therewithin, and being at least partly emitted to the environment through the at least one graphic; and 
   additive printed electronics equipment configured to print the electrical conductors on the flexible, optically substantially transparent or translucent, substrate sheet.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one graphic is provided on the substrate sheet by printing. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one graphic is provided on the substrate sheet by in-mold labeling. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one graphic is composed of material having a refractive index enabling outcoupling of light from the lightguide sheet at the location of the at least one graphic. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one graphic is further configured to enable outcoupling of the light at a desired angle relative to the lightguide sheet. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein at least one portion of the at least one graphic is illuminated by the outcoupling of the light.