Foldable display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10440817-B2
Application number	US-201715468002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2017
Priority date	Jan 19, 2015
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A foldable display is disclosed. In one aspect, the foldable display includes a display panel including: a plurality of flat regions and a folding region interposed between the flat regions. Each of the flat regions includes a fixed region and a semi-fixed region interposed between the fixed region and the folding region. The foldable display also includes a plurality of substrates respectively attached to the flat regions and a plurality of fixed adhesive members respectively interposed between the fixed regions and the substrates. The fixed adhesive members respectively attach the substrates to the fixed regions. The foldable display further includes a plurality of semi-fixed adhesive members respectively interposed between the semi-fixed regions and the substrates. The semi-fixed adhesive members are configured to respectively attach/detach the semi-fixed adhesive regions to/from the substrates based on the degree to which the display panel is folded.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable display, comprising:
a display panel, comprising:
a plurality of flat regions, and
a folding region interposed between the flat regions, wherein each of the flat regions comprises:
a fixed region, and
a semi-fixed region interposed between the fixed region and the folding region;

a plurality of substrates respectively attached to the flat regions; and
a plurality of semi-fixed adhesive members respectively interposed between the semi-fixed regions and the substrates, wherein the semi-fixed adhesive members are configured to respectively attach/detach the semi-fixed adhesive regions to/from the substrates based on the degree to which the display panel is folded.

2. The foldable display of claim 1 , wherein:
when the display panel is in an unfolded configuration, the semi-fixed regions are respectively attached to the substrates by means of the semi-fixed adhesive members, and
when the display panel is in a folded configuration, at least a portion of each of the semi-fixed regions is respectively detached from the corresponding substrate.

3. The foldable display of claim 2 , wherein when the display panel is in the folded configuration, each of the semi-fixed adhesive members is attached to the corresponding substrate and is detached from the corresponding semi-fixed region.

4. The foldable display of claim 2 , wherein when the display panel is in the folded configuration, each of the semi-fixed adhesive members is attached to the corresponding semi-fixed region and is detached from the corresponding substrate.

5. The foldable display of claim 4 , wherein when the display panel is in the folded configuration, outer surfaces of the flat regions face each other.

6. The foldable display of claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of each of the semi-fixed adhesive members is detached from the corresponding substrate when a folding angle defined by the substrates is less than an attachment angle.

7. The foldable display of claim 6 , wherein when the folding angle is less than the attachment angle, a stress applied to the display panel is greater than a stress limit at which a crack is formed in the display panel.

8. The foldable display of claim 1 , wherein each of the semi-fixed adhesive member is formed of a silicon-based adhesive material.

9. A foldable display, comprising:
a display panel, comprising:
a plurality of flat regions, and
a folding region interposed between the flat regions, wherein the display panel has a first flexibility, and wherein each of the flat regions comprises:
a fixed region, and
a semi-fixed region interposed between the fixed region and the folding region;

a plurality of substrates respectively attached to the flat regions; and
a plurality of stress relief portions respectively interposed between the semi-fixed regions and the substrates, wherein each of the stress relief regions has a second flexibility that is less than the first flexibility.

10. The foldable display of claim 9 , wherein each of the substrates comprises a groove recessed toward a lower surface of the substrate to correspond to the corresponding semi-fixed region, and wherein the stress relief portion is arranged in the groove.

11. The foldable display of claim 10 , wherein a first distance from the lower surface of each of the substrate opposite the display panel to a lower surface of the corresponding fixed region, is substantially equal to a distance from a lower surface of each of the substrates to a lower surface of the corresponding semi-fixed region.

12. A foldable display, comprising:
a display panel, comprising:
a plurality of flat regions, and
a folding region interposed between the flat regions, wherein the display panel has a first flexibility, and wherein each of the flat regions comprises:
a fixed region, and
a semi-fixed region interposed between the fixed region and the folding region;

a plurality of substrates respectively attached to the flat regions;
a plurality of stress relief portions respectively interposed between the semi-fixed regions and the substrates, wherein each of the stress relief regions has a second flexibility that is less than the first flexibility; and
a plurality of auxiliary adhesive members, each comprising:
an upper auxiliary adhesive member interposed between the corresponding stress relief portions and the corresponding semi-fixed region, wherein the upper auxiliary adhesive member attaches the corresponding stress relief portion to the corresponding semi-fixed region; and
a lower auxiliary adhesive member interposed between the corresponding stress relief portions and the corresponding substrate, wherein the lower auxiliary adhesive member attaches the corresponding stress relief portion to the corresponding substrate.

13. The foldable display of claim 12 , wherein each of the substrates comprises a groove recessed toward a lower surface of the substrate to correspond to the corresponding semi-fixed region, and wherein the stress relief portion is arranged in the groove.

14. The foldable display of claim 13 , wherein a first distance from the lower surface of each of the substrate opposite the display panel to a lower surface of the corresponding fixed region is substantially equal to a distance from a lower surface of each of the substrates to a lower surface of the corresponding semi-fixed region.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Jinhwan
• Kim Taewoong
• Park Boik
• Seo Taean

Classifications

• G06F1/1652

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

• H05K5/0017

  with operator interface units · CPC title

• G09F9/301 Primary

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

• G06F1/1641 Primary

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

• H05K1/028 Primary

  Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence) · CPC title