Foldable display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10164208-B2
Application number	US-201715855806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2017
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a foldable display device capable of preventing distortion of a folding part of a display screen due to deformation of the folding part. The foldable display device includes a display panel including a folding part and non-folding parts, and a back cover attached to the rear surface of the display panel via an adhesive layer, wherein the back cover includes folding patterns and open patterns, both of which are disposed at the folding part, and unevenness compensation patterns disposed on areas of a surface of the back cover contacting the adhesive layer, the areas of the surface of the back cover corresponding to the non-folding parts. The unevenness compensation patterns may be a plurality of open patterns, which are fully formed through the back cover, or may be a plurality of grooves, which are not fully formed through the back cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable display device comprising:
a display panel including a folding part and a non-folding part; and
a back cover on a rear surface of the display panel, attached via an adhesive layer, and including a back cover folding part corresponding to the folding part and a flat part corresponding to the non-folding part;
wherein the back cover folding part includes a plurality of folding patterns and a plurality of first open patterns, and the flat part includes a plate contacting the adhesive layer and a plurality of unevenness compensation patterns formed in the plate to compensate for a thickness difference between the folding part and the non-folding part.

2. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of unevenness compensation patterns includes a plurality of second open patterns, which are fully formed through the back cover.

3. The foldable display device according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of unevenness compensation patterns is disposed to be parallel to a folding axis where the folding part is folded.

4. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of unevenness compensation patterns includes a plurality of grooves contacting the adhesive layer.

5. The foldable display device according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of unevenness compensation patterns is disposed to be parallel to a folding axis where the folding part is folded.

6. The foldable display device according to claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of unevenness compensation patterns has the same length as a width of the display panel in a direction of the folding axis.

7. The foldable display device according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of grooves is at least partially filled with the adhesive layer.

8. The foldable display device according to claim 4 , wherein each of plurality of the unevenness compensation patterns has a height different from a height of each of the first open patterns.

9. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of folding patterns includes a plurality of bar-shaped patterns disposed to be parallel to a folding axis where the folding part is folded, and
wherein the plurality of first open patterns is disposed to be parallel with the plurality of folding patterns, and is disposed between the plurality of folding patterns.

10. The foldable display device according to claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of folding patterns and the plurality of first open patterns has the same length as a width of the display panel in a direction of the folding axis.

11. The foldable display device according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of folding patterns is connected to an adjacent folding pattern via a connecting pattern (CP).

12. The foldable display device according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first open patterns is connected to an adjacent open pattern via a connecting open pattern (C).

13. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first open patterns has a diamond shape, a circular shape, a rectangular shape or a net shape.

14. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of unevenness compensation patterns has a diamond shape, a circular shape, a rectangular shape or a net shape.

15. A foldable display device comprising:
a display panel including a folding part and a non-folding part; and
a back cover attached to a non-image displaying surface of the display panel through an adhesive layer and including a back cover folding part corresponding to the folding part and a back cover flat part corresponding to the non-folding part;
wherein the back cover folding part includes a plurality of folding patterns and a plurality of first open patterns, and the back cover flat part includes a plate contacting the adhesive layer and a plurality of unevenness compensation patterns disposed in the plate,
wherein the adhesive layer is at least partially filled in the plurality of first open patterns and a plurality of second open patterns of the plurality of unevenness compensation patterns.

16. The foldable display device according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of second open patterns is fully formed through the back cover.

17. The foldable display device according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of unevenness compensation patterns is disposed to be parallel with a folding axis where the folding part is folded.

18. The foldable display device according to claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of unevenness compensation patterns has the same length as a width of the display panel in a direction of the folding axis.

19. The foldable display device according to claim 15 , wherein each of plurality of the unevenness compensation patterns has a height different from a height of each of the first open patterns.

20. The foldable display device according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of folding patterns includes a plurality of bar-shaped patterns disposed to be parallel with a folding axis where the folding part is folded.

21. The foldable display device according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of first open patterns is disposed to be parallel with the plurality of folding patterns and between the plurality of folding patterns.

22. The foldable display device according to claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of folding patterns and the plurality of first open patterns have the same length as a width of the display panel in a direction of the folding axis.

23. The foldable display device according to claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of folding patterns is connected to an adjacent folding pattern through a connecting pattern (CP).

24. The foldable display device according to claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first open patterns is connected to an adjacent open pattern through a connecting open pattern (C).

25. The foldable display device according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of first open patterns has a diamond shape, a circular shape, a rectangular shape or a net shape.

26. The foldable display device according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of unevenness compensation patterns has a diamond shape, a circular shape, a rectangular shape or a net shape.

27. A foldable display device comprising:
a display panel including a folding part and a non-folding part; and
a back cover folding part including a plurality of folding patterns and a plurality of first open patterns;
a back cover flat part including a plate and a plurality of unevenness compensation patterns disposed in the plate, wherein the plurality of unevenness compensation patterns includes a plurality of second open patterns;
a back cover constituted of the back cover folding part and the back cover flat part; and
an adhesive layer between the display panel and the back cover,
wherein the adhesive layer is at least partially filled in the plurality of first open patterns and the plurality of second open patterns to compensate for a thickness difference between the folding part and the non-folding part in a folding state.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Seung Kyu
• Park Joo Hye
• Myung Noh Jin
• Lee Wan Soo

Classifications

• B32B3/30

  characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. {hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs (apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26)} · CPC title

• B32B7/12

  using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties · CPC title

• B32B2457/206

  Organic displays, e.g. OLED · CPC title

• B32B2307/732

  Dimensional properties · CPC title

• B32B3/266 Primary

  characterised by an apertured layer, the apertures going through the whole thickness of the layer, e.g. expanded metal, perforated layer, slit layer regular cells B32B3/12 · CPC title