Flexible display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10074824-B2
Application number	US-201715717728-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A flexible display device is disclosed. The flexible display device includes a flexible display panel and a back cover disposed on a back surface of the flexible display panel and having a plurality of opening patterns provided in the third region. The plurality of opening patterns include opening patterns arranged in odd-numbered columns along the first direction and opening patterns arranged in even-numbered columns along the first direction. Each of the opening patterns includes a first portion having a width becoming smaller in a second direction intersecting with the first direction as the first portion progresses along the first direction and a second portion extending from the first portion and having a width becoming greater in the second direction as the second portion progresses along the first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible display device having a first region, a second region, and a third region defined between the first region and the second region and bendable with respect to a center axis extending along a first direction on the third region, comprising:
a flexible display panel; and
a back cover disposed on a non-displaying side of the flexible display panel and having a plurality of opening patterns provided in the third region,
wherein the plurality of opening patterns include:
a plurality of first opening patterns arranged in odd-numbered columns along the first direction; and
a plurality of second opening patterns arranged in even-numbered columns along the first direction,
wherein each of the opening patterns includes:
a first portion having a width becoming smaller in a second direction as the first portion progresses along the first direction and the second direction vertically intersecting the first direction; and
a second portion extending from the first portion and having a width becoming greater in the second direction as the second portion progresses along the first direction,
wherein the first portion of the first opening patterns adjacent to the second portion of the second opening patterns along the second direction, and
wherein the second portion of the first opening patterns arranged in the odd-numbered columns adjacent to the first portion of the second opening patterns.

2. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the first opening patterns and the second opening patterns partially overlap each other with respect to at least one reference line extending in parallel along the first direction.

3. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second opening patterns have a symmetrical shape with respect to a first center line crossing a center of the first and second opening patterns along the first direction.

4. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second opening patterns have a symmetrical shape with respect to a second center line crossing a center of the first and second opening patterns along the second direction.

5. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the width of the first portion and the width of the second portion vary non-linearly along the first direction.

6. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the first and second opening patterns has a trapezoidal shape.

7. The flexible display device of claim 1 , further comprising a step compensation layer filling the first and second opening patterns.

8. The flexible display device of claim 7 , wherein the step compensation layer covers a front surface of the back cover.

9. The flexible display device of claim 7 , wherein the step compensation layer includes a multi-layer in which layers with different modulus are stacked.

10. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein an edge of at least one of upper and lower ends of the first and second opening patterns is chamfered to have a curved shape.

11. A flexible display device having a first region, a second region and a third region defined between the first region and the second region, and bendable with respect to a center axis extending along a first direction at the third region, comprising:
a bendable flexible display panel; and
a bendable back cover disposed on a non-displaying side of the flexible display panel and having a plurality of first opening patterns in odd-numbered columns along the first direction, and a plurality of second opening patterns in even-numbered columns along the first direction at the third region,
wherein the first and second opening patterns have first and second portions, each opening pattern has a contour having a shortest width at a location where the first and second portions meet to minimize tensile stress on the third region with regard to repetitive bending actions.

12. The flexible display device of claim 11 , wherein the first portion has a width becoming smaller in a second direction as the first portion progresses along the first direction and the second direction vertically intersecting the first direction, and the second portion extends from the second portion and having a width becoming greater in the second direction as the second portion progresses along the first direction,
wherein the first portion of the first opening patterns adjacent to the second portion of the second opening patterns along the second direction, and the second portion of the first opening patterns arranged in the odd-numbered columns adjacent to the first portion of the second opening patterns.

13. The flexible display device of claim 12 , wherein the first and second opening patterns partially overlap each other with respect to at least one reference line extending in parallel along the first direction.

14. The flexible display device of claim 12 , wherein the first and second opening patterns have a symmetrical shape with respect to a first center line crossing a center of the first and second opening patterns along the first direction.

15. The flexible display device of claim 12 , wherein the first and second opening patterns have a symmetrical shape with respect to a second center line crossing a center of the first and second opening patterns along the second direction.

16. The flexible display device of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the width of the first portion and the width of the second portion vary non-linearly along the first direction.

17. The flexible display device of claim 12 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the first and second opening patterns has a trapezoidal shape.

18. The flexible display device of claim 12 , further comprising a step compensation layer filling the first and second opening patterns.

19. The flexible display device of claim 18 , wherein the step compensation layer covers a front surface of the back cover.

20. The flexible display device of claim 18 , wherein the step compensation layer includes a multi-layer in which layers with different modulus are stacked.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Han Mijin
• Lee Seunghee
• Kim Daeyun

Classifications

• H05K5/03

  Covers · CPC title

• G06F1/1677

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• G06F1/1652

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G06F1/3265

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