Display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10244641-B2
Application number	US-201715649134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2017
Priority date	Jul 13, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A display device includes a display panel including a bending area that is bendable along an axis extending in a first direction, and a panel support portion that supports the display panel in the bending area. The panel support portion includes a plurality of joint members, a plurality of rotational angle limiting members, and a plurality of connecting members. The joint members are sequentially arranged and support the display panel. Each joint member is rotatable about two rotation axes. The rotational angle limiting members are coupled to the joint members and limit rotational angles of the joint members. Each connecting member is coupled to a pair of the rotational angle limiting members disposed at a pair of adjacent joint members. The rotational angle limiting members included in the pair of rotational angle limiting members contact each other and are fixed to an inner portion of the corresponding connecting member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device, comprising:
a display panel comprising a bending area that is bendable along an axis extending in a first direction; and
a panel support portion that supports the display panel in the bending area,
wherein the panel support portion comprises:
a plurality of joint members that support the display panel, wherein the joint members are sequentially arranged, and each joint member is rotatable about two rotation axes;
a plurality of rotational angle limiting members coupled to the plurality of joint members, wherein the rotational angle limiting members limit rotational angles of the joint members; and
a plurality of connecting members, wherein each connecting member is coupled to a pair of the rotational angle limiting members disposed at a pair of adjacent joint members, wherein the rotational angle limiting members included in the pair of the rotational angle limiting members directly contact each other and are fixed to an inner portion of the corresponding connecting member.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein
the pair of adjacent joint members comprises a first joint member and a second joint member, and
the first joint member comprises:
a first surface facing the display panel; and
a second surface and a third surface that respectively contact opposite end portions of the first surface and face each other along the first direction,
wherein the first surface and the second surface form a first angle, the first surface and the third surface form a second angle, and each of the first angle and the second angle is an acute angle.

3. The display device of claim 2 , wherein
the first angle and the second angle are about equal to each other.

4. The display device of claim 2 , wherein
the second joint member comprises:
a fourth surface facing the display panel; and
a fifth surface and a sixth surface that respectively contact opposite end portions of the fourth surface and face each other along the first direction,
wherein the fifth surface faces the third surface of the first joint member,
the fourth surface and the fifth surface form a third angle and the fourth surface and the sixth surface form a fourth angle, and
each of the third angle and the fourth angle is an acute angle.

5. The display device of claim 4 , wherein
the third angle and the fourth angle are about equal to each other.

6. The display device of claim 4 , wherein
the plurality of rotational angle limiting members comprises a first rotational angle limiting member and a second rotational angle limiting member respectively coupled to one end portion of each of the first joint member and the second joint member,
the first rotational angle limiting member is disposed at a first rotation axis located at a portion where the first surface and the third surface meet, and
the second rotational angle limiting member is disposed at a second rotation axis located at a portion where the fourth surface and the fifth surface meet.

7. The display device of claim 6 , wherein
each of cross-sections of the first rotational angle limiting member and the second rotational angle limiting member that are substantially perpendicular to the first direction has a fan shape comprising an arc portion, a first radius portion connected to a first end of the are portion, and a second radius portion connected to a second end of the arc portion and the first radius portion.

8. The display device of claim 7 , wherein
the first radius portion of the first rotational angle limiting member extends substantially perpendicular to the first surface,
the second radius portion of the first rotational angle limiting member extends substantially in a same direction as the third surface, and
the arc portion of the first rotational angle limiting member is convex toward the second surface.

9. The display device of claim 8 , wherein
the first rotation axis is located at a portion where the first radius portion and the second radius portion of the first rotational angle limiting member meet.

10. The display device of claim 9 , wherein
the first radius portion of the second rotational angle limiting member faces the first radius portion of the first rotational angle limiting member, and
the second radius portion of the second rotational angle limiting member faces the second radius portion of the first rotational angle limiting member.

11. The display device of claim 10 , wherein
the first radius portion of the second rotational angle limiting member extends substantially perpendicular to the fourth surface,
the second radius portion of the second rotational angle limiting member extends substantially in a same direction as the fifth surface, and
the arc portion of the second rotational angle limiting member is convex toward the sixth surface.

12. The display device of claim 11 , wherein
the second rotation axis is located at a portion where the first radius portion of the second rotational angle limiting member and the second radius portion of the second rotational angle limiting member meet.

13. The display device of claim 11 , wherein
the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis overlap each other.

14. The display device of claim 13 , wherein
each of the plurality of connecting members has a ring shape.

15. The display device of claim 14 , wherein
an inner circumferential surface of one of the connecting members contacts the arc portion of the first rotational angle limiting member and the arc portion of the second rotational angle limiting member.

16. The display device of claim 7 , wherein
the first radius portion of the first rotational angle limiting member and the first surface form an acute angle,
the second radius portion of the first rotational angle limiting member extends substantially perpendicular to the first surface, and
the arc portion of the first rotational angle limiting member is convex toward the second surface.

17. The display device of claim 16 , wherein
the first rotation axis is located at a portion where the first radius portion of the first rotational angle limiting member and the second radius portion of the first rotational angle limiting member meet.

18. The display device of claim 17 , wherein
the first radius portion of the second rotational angle limiting member faces the first radius portion of the first rotational angle limiting member, and
the second radius portion of the second rotational angle limiting member faces the second radius portion of the first rotational angle limiting member.

19. The display device of claim 18 , wherein
the first radius portion of the second rotational angle limiting member and the fourth surface form an acute angle,
the second radius portion of the second rotational angle limiting member extends substantially perpendicular to the fourth surface, and
the arc portion of the second rotational angle limiting member is convex toward the sixth surface.

20. The display device of claim 19 , wherein
the second rotation axis is located at a portion where the first radius portion of the second rotational angle limiting member and the second radius portion of the second rotational angle limiting member meet.

21. A display device, comprising:
a display panel comprising a bending area that is bendable along an axis extending in a first direction; and
a pane support portion that supports the display panel in the bending area,
wherein the panel support portion comprises:
a plurality of

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seo Jeong Eun
• Kim Kyoung Tae
• Park Hye-Ryoung
• Lee Young Jin

Classifications

• G09F9/301 Primary

  flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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

• G06F1/1641

  the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K5/0217

  Mechanical details of casings (covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03) · CPC title

• G02F1/133305 Primary

  Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film · CPC title