Foldable display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10558242-B2
Application number	US-201816224260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2018
Priority date	Dec 27, 2017
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

A foldable display device that enables convenient and easy coupling of a display panel to a housing is provided. The foldable display device includes a mounting member provided at a location between a lower plate and the housing and is capable of realizing a slim bezel design by eliminating coupling portions protruding from both ends of the lower plate and by improving the coupling structure between the lower plate and the housing using the mounting member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable display device comprising:
a display panel configured to be bent elastically;
a lower plate coupled to a bottom surface of the display panel;
a housing disposed under a bottom surface of the lower plate to accommodate the display panel and the lower plate, the housing being configured to be folded or unfolded at a folding area thereof so that an active area of the display panel is bent within the housing; and
a mounting member coupled to the bottom surface of the lower plate at a position corresponding to a position of the folding area of the housing.

2. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises:
a first plate for supporting a portion of the bottom surface of the display panel;
a second plate for supporting a remaining portion of the bottom surface of the display panel; and
a folding member disposed between the first plate and second plate so as to fold or unfold the display panel at the folding area,
wherein the folding member comprises at least one fastening hole formed in a top surface thereof so as to insert the mounting member thereinto.

3. The foldable display device according to claim 2 , wherein the mounting member comprises:
a fastening plate formed in a plate shape, the fastening plate being interposed between the lower plate and the folding member; and
at least one insertion piece extending integrally from the fastening plate so as to be inserted into and fixed into the at least one fastening hole.

4. The foldable display device according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one insertion piece comprises a locking hole formed therein so as to allow a fastener to be fastened thereinto in order to prevent the at least one insertion piece from being separated from the at least one fastening hole.

5. The foldable display device according to claim 3 , wherein the fastening plate is formed to have a size equivalent to the folding area of the folding member, and is folded in a direction in which the folding member is folded in accordance with an operation of folding the folding member.

6. The foldable display device according to claim 3 , wherein the lower plate has a predetermined hole pattern, and
wherein the fastening plate has a hole pattern corresponding to the predetermined hole pattern in the lower plate.

7. The foldable display device according to claim 6 , wherein the predetermined hole pattern in the lower plate is formed such that holes are formed to be greater in number or smaller in size per local union in a folding area of the lower plate corresponding to the folding member than another area of the lower plate.

8. The foldable display device according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one fastening hole and the at least one insertion piece respectively include a plurality of fastening holes and a plurality of insertion pieces.

9. The foldable display device according to claim 3 , further comprising a skin layer provided between the display panel and the lower plate.

10. The foldable display device according to claim 9 , wherein the skin layer is formed of any one of polyurethane (PU), silicon, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or a rubber-based material.

11. The foldable display device according to claim 9 , wherein the skin layer is attached to the lower plate by an adhesive.

12. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the lower plate is configured as a thin plate which is formed of a metal.

13. The foldable display device according to claim 12 , wherein the lower plate is configured to dissipate heat from a heat emission portion.

14. The foldable display device according to claim 6 , wherein a density of the predetermined hole pattern of the lower plate corresponding to the folding area of the folding member is greater than a density of the predetermined hole pattern of holes in other areas of the lower plate.

15. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting member has a hole pattern of holes formed over an entire surface of the mounting member.

16. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting member is configured as a thin plate that is formed of a metal.

17. The foldable display device according to claim 2 , wherein a size of the first plate is equal to a size of the second plate.

18. The foldable display device according to claim 2 , wherein the folding member is formed in a center of the housing.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jun-Hyung
• Lee Han-Ul

Classifications

• 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

• G06F1/1681

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

• G06F1/1616

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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