Display assembly/manufacturing hardware (granted).
A display system achieving a screen finish using vacuum suction. The system includes an optical element with an exterior surface, and an optical film is positioned over the exterior surface. The optical film is formed of a flexible optical material such as an anti-reflective material. The display system includes a retention frame supporting the optical element and retaining outer edges of the optical film against the exterior surface. The display system includes a vacuum unit in fluidic communication with a gap between the inner side of the optical film and the exterior surface of the optical element. The vacuum unit operates to pump gas out of the gap to draw a vacuum on the gap and may be operated on an ongoing basis to retain this vacuum. The optical element may be a video monitor, with the exterior surface being the display screen.
BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Description (1) The present description relates, in general, to electronic display devices including those using monitors (such as liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors, organic light emitting diode (OLED) TVs, and so on) to provide digital still or video content to an audience, people passing by a display, and other viewers/observers. More particularly, the description relates to a display assembly or system configured to more effectively and efficiently apply, and retain in place, an optical film such as an anti-reflective film to an optical element, e.g., to an exterior surface of a screen of a monitor or similar display device. 2. Relevant Background (2) There is a growing demand for new and exciting designs for optical systems used to display still and video content to audiences located in very dark theaters or rooms or that may be in higher light settings such as outdoors. These optical systems often may use display technologies such as LCDs, OLED TVs, or other display devices to present video content in a wide variety of settings. Typically, it is desirable to generate a picture of the highest quality for a particular application (or its lighting levels, types of lighting that may change over time, and so on), and it may also be desirable to provide the display device such that its monitor or monitor screen is not readily apparent to the observer (e.g., to have the displayed content appear to be visible through a window or viewing port). In o
1. A display system with a selectable screen finish, comprising: an optical element with an exterior surface; an optical film positioned over the exterior surface and formed of a sheet of flexible optical material; a retention frame supporting the optical element and retaining outer edges of the optical film against the exterior surface with an inner side of the optical film facing the exterior surface; and a vacuum unit in fluidic communication with a gap between the inner side of the optical film and the exterior surface of the optical element, wherein the vacuum unit operates to pump gas out of the gap to draw a vacuum on the gap, and wherein the vacuum unit is first operated to draw the vacuum on the gap such that vacuum suction pulls the inner side of the optical film into contact with the exterior surface in a substantially uniform and continuous manner across the exterior surface and wherein the vacuum unit is second operated on an ongoing basis to retain the vacuum on the gap. ||
11. A display system with a changeable screen finish, comprising: a video monitor with a display screen; a sheet of flexible optical material with an inner side facing and extending over a surface of the display screen; an interface gap between the inner side of the sheet of flexible optical material and the surface of the display screen; and a vacuum pump with an intake coupled to the interface gap, wherein the vacuum pump is operated to pump air from the interface gap to initially achieve and then retain a vacuum on the interface gap during operations of the display system. ||
16. A display system with a selectable screen finish, comprising: an optical element with an exterior surface; a film positioned over the exterior surface; a retention frame supporting the optical element and retaining outer edges of the optical film against the exterior surface with an inner side of the film facing the exterior surface; and a vacuum unit coupled with a gap between the inner side of the film and the exterior surface of the optical element, wherein the vacuum unit operates to pump gas out of the gap to draw a vacuum on the gap, wherein the retention frame comprises a port providing a fluid passageway to the gap, wherein the vacuum unit includes an intake coupled to the port in the retention frame, wherein the retention frame further comprises at least three additional ports spaced apart from the port and each providing a fluid passageway to the gap, and wherein the intake of the vacuum unit is coupled to the at least three additional ports. ||
20. A display system with a selectable screen finish, comprising: an optical element with an exterior surface; an optical film positioned over the exterior surface and formed of a sheet of flexible optical material; a retention frame supporting the optical element and retaining outer edges of the optical film against the exterior surface with an inner side of the optical film facing the exterior surface; and a vacuum unit in fluidic communication with a gap between the inner side of the optical film and the exterior surface of the optical element, wherein the vacuum unit operates to pump gas out of the gap to draw a vacuum on the gap, wherein the retention frame includes a rear retention member and a front retention member, wherein the optical element and the optical film are sandwiched between the rear and front retention members, wherein the retention frame further comprises a sealing member formed of resilient material that is positioned between inner side of the optical film proximate adjacent the outer edges and the exterior surface of the optical element, and wherein the sealing member is compressed from an at rest state to block flow of gas into the gap from the surrounding environment. ||
24. A display system with a selectable screen finish, comprising: an optical element with an exterior surface; a film positioned over the exterior surface; a retention frame supporting the optical element and retaining outer edges of the optical film against the exterior surface with an inner side of the film facing the exterior surface; and a vacuum unit coupled with a gap between the inner side of the film and the exterior surface of the optical element, wherein the vacuum unit operates to pump gas out of the gap to draw a vacuum on the gap, wherein the retention frame comprises a port providing a fluid passageway to the gap, wherein the vacuum unit includes an intake coupled to the port in the retention frame, wherein the vacuum unit is operated on an ongoing basis to retain the vacuum on the gap, and wherein the retention frame further comprises a plurality of elongated guards applying an additional retention force to an outer side of the film opposite the inner side along and adjacent to the outer edges retained by the retention frame, whereby when the vacuum unit is not operating to provide the vacuum on the gap the elongated guards force the inner side of the film against the exterior surface of the optical element to retain the selectable screen finish.