Foldable display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11119534-B2
Application number	US-201715827742-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Nov 30, 2016
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed is a foldable display device in which a display panel and a cover plate are combined within a case. when the display panel and the case are being folded in one direction, the cover plate is slidably transferred within the case so as to correspond to a deformed length of the case.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable display device comprising:
a display panel comprising an upper surface having a display area for displaying images and a non-display area surrounding the display area, a lower surface opposite to the upper surface, and a side surface between the upper surface and the bottom surface;
a cover plate fixed to the display panel, the cover plate comprising:
a top cover portion covering at least a part of the non-display area of the upper surface of the display panel,
a bottom cover portion covering at least a part of the lower surface of the display panel, and
a side cover portion covering at least a part of the side surface of the display panel, the side cover portion between the top cover portion and the bottom cover portion;

a case contacting an outer surface of the cover plate so that the cover plate and the display panel are slidably transferable within the case, the case comprising a side case portion, wherein the side cover portion of the cover plate faces the side case portion of the case;
a restoring unit interposed between the side cover portion of the cover plate and the side case portion of the case and applying tensile force between the side cover portion of the cover plate and the side case portion of the case to pull the cover plate towards the case; and
a finishing member interposed between the top cover portion of the cover plate and the case,
wherein the finishing member is configured to prevent the cover plate from being damaged when the cover plate is slidably transferred on the case, and shields a space between the cover plate and the case.

2. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein one section of the cover plate is fixed to the case in a sliding direction of the cover plate, and another section of the cover plate is slidably transferrable within the case.

3. The foldable display device according to claim 2 , wherein the restoring unit includes:
a first magnetic material provided on the outer surface of the side cover portion of the cover plate; and
a second magnetic material provided on an inner surface of the side case portion of the case so as to be opposite to the first magnetic material.

4. The foldable display device according to claim 2 , wherein the restoring unit includes:
a first magnetic material provided on the bottom cover portion of the cover plate; and
a second magnetic material provided on an inner upper surface of the case so as to be opposite to the first magnetic material.

5. The foldable display device according to claim 2 , wherein the restoring unit includes at least one elastic spring provided with one end connected to the side cover portion of the cover plate and with another end connected to the side case portion of the case so as to restore the slidably transferred cover plate on the case.

6. The foldable display device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a guide member protruding from one of an outer surface of the side cover portion of the cover plate and an inner surface of the side case portion of the case; and
a guide rail provided on the other of the outer surface of the side cover portion of the cover plate and the inner surface of the side case portion of the case so that the guide member is inserted into the guide rail.

7. The foldable display device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a guide member protruding from one of a bottom surface of the bottom cover portion of the cover plate and an inner upper surface of the case; and
a guide rail provided on the other of the bottom surface of the bottom cover portion of the cover plate and the inner upper surface of the case so that the guide member is inserted into the guide rail.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Dai-Yun
• Jeon Seung-O
• Yun Young-Joon
• Lee Shin-Suk

Classifications

• G06F2203/04102

  Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G06F1/1675

  Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts · CPC title

• G09F9/301 Primary

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

• G06F1/16

  Constructional details or arrangements · CPC title