Electronic device including flexible display panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11201195-B2
Application number	US-201816052734-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2018
Priority date	Aug 2, 2017
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

An electronic device includes a first lead, a second lead, a touch sensitive display panel including a screen area and an extended area that extends from the screen area, and a control circuit. The touch sensitive display panel includes a flexible substrate, a thin film transistor (TFT) layer including a plurality of light-emitting elements, an insulation layer in which a via-hole is formed, and a touch sensor. The first lead is formed on the TFT layer in the screen area and the extended area and connects the control circuit and the plurality of light-emitting elements. The second lead is formed on the insulation layer in the screen area and on the TFT layer in the extended area, and extends from the screen area to the extended area through the via-hole formed in the insulation layer and connects the control circuit and the touch sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first lead;
a second lead;
a touch sensitive display panel including a screen area and an extended area that extends from the screen area; and
a control circuit electrically connected to the touch sensitive display panel through the first lead and the second lead,
wherein the touch sensitive display panel includes:
a flexible substrate having a first portion corresponding to the screen area and a second portion corresponding to the extended area;
a thin film transistor (TFT) layer formed on the flexible substrate and including a plurality of light-emitting elements;
an insulation layer that is disposed on the TFT layer and in which a via-hole is formed; and
a touch sensor disposed on the insulation layer,

wherein the first lead is formed on the TFT layer in the screen area and the extended area and connects the control circuit and the plurality of light-emitting elements,
wherein the second lead is formed on the insulation layer in the screen area and on the TFT layer in the extended area and extends from the screen area to the extended area through the via-hole formed in the insulation layer, the second lead connecting the control circuit and the touch sensor,
wherein the extended area includes a bent area,
wherein the first lead and the second lead do not overlap each other in the bent area when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the bent area of the touch sensitive display panel, and
wherein a portion of the insulation layer in the screen area includes a thin film encapsulation (TFE).

2. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein at least a section of the bent area is bent toward a rear surface of the touch sensitive display panel.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first lead and the second lead are electrically isolated from each other.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate includes polyimide (PI).

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit includes a display driver IC and a touch sensor IC,
wherein the first lead connects the display driver IC and the plurality of light-emitting elements, and
wherein the second lead connects the touch sensor IC and the touch sensor.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the extended area includes a planar area, and
wherein the display driver IC is disposed on the flexible substrate corresponding to the planar area.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light-emitting elements include organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

8. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first lead and the second lead are arranged in a zigzag pattern in the bent area.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first lead and the second lead are split into a specified number of leads in the bent area.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first lead and the second lead are arranged to have a thickness and a width above a specified range in the bent area.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first lead and the second lead are obliquely arranged in the bent area.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first lead and the second lead are arranged in a wave pattern in the bent area.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the touch sensitive display panel further includes a second insulation layer distinguished from the insulation layer,
wherein the extended area includes a bent area, and
wherein the second insulation layer is formed on the insulation layer in the bent area.

14. A touch sensitive display panel comprising:
a flexible substrate having a first portion and a second portion corresponding to a screen area and an extended area of the touch sensitive display panel, respectively, wherein the extended area that extends from the screen area;
a thin film transistor (TFT) layer formed on the flexible substrate and including a plurality of light-emitting elements;
an insulation layer that is disposed on the TFT layer and in which a via-hole is formed; and
a touch sensor disposed on the insulation layer,
wherein the plurality of light-emitting elements are connected to at least one control circuit through a first lead formed on the TFT layer in the screen area and the extended area,
wherein the touch sensor is connected to the at least one control circuit through a second lead,
wherein the second lead is formed on the insulation layer in the screen area and on the TFT layer in the extended area and extends from the screen area to the extended area through the via-hole,
wherein the extended area includes a bent area,
wherein the first lead and the second lead do not overlap each other in the bent area when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the bent area of the touch sensitive display panel, and
wherein the first lead and the second lead are formed on a same layer in the bent area.

15. The touch sensitive display panel of claim 14 ,
wherein at least a section of the bent area is bent toward a rear surface of the touch sensitive display panel.

16. The touch sensitive display panel of claim 14 , wherein the flexible substrate includes polyimide (PI).

17. The touch sensitive display panel of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of light-emitting elements include organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

18. The touch sensitive display panel of claim 14 , wherein a portion of the insulation layer in the screen area includes a thin film encapsulation (TFE).

19. The touch sensitive display panel of claim 14 , further comprising:
a second insulation layer distinguished from the insulation layer,
wherein the second insulation layer is formed on the insulation layer in the bent area.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hong Sung Won
• Kim Yong Hwan
• Kim Eui Jin
• Kim Hak Yeol
• Park Jong Dae
• Oh Woo Young
• Yun Su Jin
• Kim Kwang Tai
• Byeon Hyung Sup
• Cheong Su Cheol

Classifications

• H10K59/873

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K59/40

  OLEDs integrated with touch screens · CPC title

• G06F3/0412 Primary

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• 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

• G06F3/04164

  Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads · CPC title