Supporting frame for flexible display and flexible display apparatus comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10345858-B2
Application number	US-201615218800-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2016
Priority date	Aug 31, 2015
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A supporting frame for a flexible display panel includes a bending member and a plurality of supporting members. The bending member supports a bendable area of the flexible display panel and is configured to be bent. The plurality of supporting members support non-bendable display areas of the flexible display panel, and each connect to a plurality of connecting surfaces of the bending member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A supporting frame for a flexible display panel comprising:
a bending member supporting a bendable area of the flexible display panel, the bending member configured to be bent; and
a plurality of supporting members supporting non-bendable display areas of the flexible display panel, each of the plurality of supporting members connecting to a plurality of connecting surfaces of the bending member,
wherein the bending member includes a body and a plurality of outer protrusions that each horizontally extend away from the body in opposite directions, each of the plurality of outer protrusions including a first connecting surface and a second connecting surface;
wherein each of the plurality of supporting members includes a base plate and an inner protrusion that is in contact with a corresponding one of the plurality of outer protrusions, the inner protrusion of each of the plurality of supporting members including a first connecting surface that is in contact with a corresponding first connecting surface of the outer protrusions, and a second connecting surface that is in contact with a corresponding second connecting surface of the outer protrusions, and
wherein the outer protrusions each include a roughness pattern that increases a surface area of the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface of the outer protrusions, and the inner protrusions each include a roughness pattern that increases a surface area of the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface of the inner protrusions.

2. The supporting frame for the flexible display panel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of outer protrusions of the bending member include:
a first outer protrusion that horizontally extends from the body of the bending member in a first direction;
a second outer protrusion that horizontally extends from the bending member in a second direction opposite the first direction; and
wherein the plurality of supporting members include:
a first supporting member supporting a first non-bendable display area of the flexible display panel, the first supporting member including an inner protrusion that horizontally extends towards the first outer protrusion of the bending member; and
a second supporting member supporting a second non-bendable display area of the flexible display panel, the second supporting member including an inner protrusion that horizontally extends towards the second outer protrusion of the bending member.

3. The supporting frame for the flexible display panel of claim 1 , wherein the first connecting surface of each of the plurality of outer protrusions and the first connecting surface of each of the plurality of inner protrusions has one or more rounded corners.

4. The supporting frame for the flexible display panel of claim 3 , wherein a corner of the inner protrusion of the first supporting member that is in contact with the first outer protrusion of the bending member and a corner of the inner protrusion of the second supporting member that is in contact with the second outer protrusion of the bending member are rounded corners.

5. The supporting frame for the flexible display panel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of supporting members are more rigid than the bending member.

6. A supporting frame for a flexible display panel comprising:
a bending member supporting a bendable area of the flexible display panel, the bending member configured to be bent;
a plurality of supporting members supporting non-bendable display areas of the flexible display panel, each of the plurality of supporting members connecting to a plurality of connecting surfaces of the bending member; and
a plurality of cylindrical bosses protruding from a lower surface of the supporting frame.

7. The supporting frame for the flexible display panel of claim 1 , wherein a lower surface of the bending member is coplanar to a lower surface of each of the plurality of supporting members.

8. The supporting frame for the flexible display panel of claim 1 , wherein a portion of a lower surface of the body of the bending member is inset from lower surfaces of the plurality of supporting members and lower surfaces of the plurality of outer protrusions of the bending member.

9. The supporting frame for the flexible display panel of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the bending member directly supporting the bendable portion of the flexible display comprises a first material, and a second portion of the bending member below the first portion comprises a second material that is less rigid than the first material.

10. The supporting frame for the flexible display panel of claim 1 , wherein the bending member further includes a length compensation pattern on an opposite side of the bending member from a side that is in contact with the bendable portion of the flexible display panel.

11. The supporting frame for the flexible display panel of claim 10 , wherein the length compensation pattern has a plurality of slits in the bending member that increase or decrease in width as the bending member is bent.

12. The supporting frame for the flexible display panel of claim 10 , wherein the bending member has a body between the plurality of outer protrusions, and wherein a length of the length compensation pattern is at least 30% of a length of the body and less than 180% of the length of the body.

13. The supporting frame for the flexible display panel of claim 1 , wherein the bending member is bent around a bending line passing through the bending member.

14. A flexible display apparatus, comprising:
a flexible display panel comprising a non-bendable area and a bendable area;
a supporting frame, comprising:
a bending member supporting the bendable area of the flexible display panel, the bending member configured to be bent; and
a plurality of supporting members supporting the non-bendable area of the flexible display panel, each of the plurality of supporting members connecting to a plurality of connecting surfaces of the bending member;
a back cover attached to a back of the supporting frame; and
a front cover configured to couple to the back cover to enclose the flexible display panel and the supporting frame,
wherein the bending member includes a body and a plurality of outer protrusions that each horizontally extend away from the body in opposite directions, each of the plurality of outer protrusions including a first connecting surface and a second connecting surface; and
wherein each of the plurality of supporting members includes a base plate and an inner protrusion that is in contact with a corresponding one of the plurality of outer protrusions, the inner protrusion of each of the plurality of supporting members including a first connecting surface that is in contact with a corresponding first connecting surface of the outer protrusions, and a second connecting surface that is in contact with a corresponding second connecting surface of the outer protrusions, and
wherein the outer protrusions each include a roughness pattern that increases a surface area of the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface of the outer protrusions, and the inner protrusions each include a roughness pattern that increases a surface area of the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface of the inner protrusions.

15. The flexible display apparatus of claim 14 :
wherein the back cover comprises:
a plurality of housings each coupled to one of the plurality of supporting members; and
a hinge connecting together two of the plurality of housings, the hinge comprising a plurality of hing

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Han Mijin
• Kim Taewoo
• Kim Junhyung

Classifications

• G09F9/301

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

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• G06F1/1641

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

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G09F9/00 Primary

  Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements (in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00) · CPC title