Flexible display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11152580-B2
Application number	US-201716498488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2017
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

Provided is a flexible display device in which an average thickness of a layered body, a touch panel, and a polarizing plate in a bending region is thinner than an average thickness of the layered body, the touch panel, and the polarizing plate in a region other than the bending region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flexible display device comprising:
a layered body including a flexible substrate and a plurality of electro-optical elements provided on a surface on one side of the flexible substrate; and
a protection layer as a top layer configured to cover the layered body, wherein
the layered body includes a first electrode, an organic insulating film covering an edge of the first electrode, an EL layer including a light-emitting layer provided in a layer above the first electrode, and a second electrode provided in a layer above the EL layer,
when a plurality of layers including the layered body in a lower layer below the protection layer and the protection layer are bent to align two end portions opposing each other, a portion defined in a non-planar manner on a side opposing the two end portions is a bending region,
the plurality of layers include the layered body, a touch panel, and a polarizing plate,
in the polarizing plate, an opening or a recessed and protruding portion is provided in at least a portion of the bending region of the polarizing plate, and
an entirety of the opening or the recessed and protruding portion in the polarizing plate overlaps the organic insulating film in a plan view.

2. The flexible display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the polarizing plate is split by the opening formed in at least the portion of the bending region.

3. The flexible display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein a length of the opening in a first direction orthogonal to each of the two end portions opposing each other is a length along the bending region of the polarizing plate of the bending region when bent to align the two end portions opposing each other.

4. The flexible display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein a length of the one opening in a first direction orthogonal to each of the two end portions opposing each other is ½×3.14×2r or less, where r is a radius of curvature of the polarizing plate of the bending region when bent to align the two end portions opposing each other.

5. The flexible display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the polarizing plate includes the opening formed in at least a portion of the bending region.

6. The flexible display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the polarizing plate includes additional openings formed, in at least the portion of the bending region, in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction orthogonal to each of the two end portions opposing each other.

7. The flexible display device according claim 6 ,
wherein a length of each of the additional openings in the first direction is a length along the bending region of the polarizing plate of the bending region when bent to align the two end portions opposing each other.

8. The flexible display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the touch panel is included in the layered body including the plurality of electro-optical elements.

9. The flexible display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the touch panel is formed directly on the layered body including the plurality of electro-optical elements.

10. The flexible display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the touch panel is formed integrally with the polarizing plate.

11. The flexible display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the recessed and protruding portion is formed in at least a portion of the bending region of the polarizing plate.

12. The flexible display device according to claim 11 ,
wherein a length of the recessed and protruding portion in a first direction orthogonal to each of the two end portions opposing each other is ½×3.14×2r or less, where r is a radius of curvature of the polarizing plate in the bending region when bent to align the two end portions opposing each other.

13. The flexible display device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the polarizing plate has a layered structure,
one side of the polarizing plate is an adhesive layer, and the other side of the polarizing plate opposite to the one side of the polarizing plate is a protection film, and
the recessed and protruding portion is formed in at least a portion of the bending region of the protection film.

14. The flexible display device according to claim 13 ,
wherein the recessed and protruding portion is linearly formed in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction orthogonal to each of the two end portions opposing each other.

15. The flexible display device according to claim 13 ,
wherein a thickness of a protruding portion from a recessed portion in the recessed and protruding portion of the protection film is thinner than half a thickness of the protection film.

16. The flexible display device according to claim 13 ,
wherein the recessed and protruding portion of the protection film is formed into any one of a triangular shape, a rectangular shape, or a round shape.

17. The flexible display device according to claim 13 ,
wherein the recessed portion of the recessed and protruding portion is formed into a dot-like shape.

18. The flexible display device according to claim 17 ,
wherein a thickness of a protruding portion from a recessed portion in the recessed and protruding portion is thinner than half a thickness of the protection film.

19. A flexible display device comprising:
a layered body including a flexible substrate and an electro-optical element provided on a surface on one side of the flexible substrate; and
a protection layer as a top layer configured to cover the layered body, wherein
the layered body includes a first electrode, an organic insulating file covering an edge of the first electrode, an EL layer including a light-emitting layer provided in a layer above the first electrode, and a second electrode provided in a layer above the EL layer,
when a plurality of layers including the layered body in a lower layer below the protection layer and the protection layer are bent to align two end portions opposing each other, a portion defined in a non-planar manner on a side opposing the two end portions is a bending region,
the plurality of layers include the layered body, a touch panel, and a polarizing plate,
an opening is defined in at least a portion of the bending region of the polarizing plate,
a gel material is provided in the opening, and
an entirety of the opening in the polarizing plate overlaps the organic insulating film in a plan view.

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Kawaguchi Tsuyoshi
• Araki Ryoh
• Nakano Taketoshi

Classifications

• H10K59/8792

  comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. black layers · CPC title

• H10K59/873

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K59/12

  Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays · CPC title

• H10K77/111

  Flexible substrates · CPC title

• H10K59/40 Primary

  OLEDs integrated with touch screens · CPC title