Flexible display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11327616-B2
Application number	US-202017007204-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2020
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A flexible display device including a display panel providing a base surface and a touch screen disposed on the base surface. The display panel may include a plurality of light emitting areas and a non-light emitting area disposed adjacent to the light emitting areas. A plurality of touch electrodes and a plurality of insulating layers of the touch screen may have a mesh shape through which openings corresponding to the plurality of light emitting areas are defined. Accordingly, a flexibility of the flexible display device is improved, and the touch electrode is prevented from being cracked.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible display device, comprising:
a display panel providing a base surface and comprising a plurality of light emitting areas and a non-light emitting area disposed adjacent to the plurality of light emitting areas;
a plurality of conductive patterns disposed on the base surface;
a first insulating layer disposed on the base surface and comprising a plurality of first openings defined to correspond to the plurality of light emitting areas;
a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer and comprising a plurality of second openings defined to correspond to the plurality of light emitting areas.

2. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of conductive patterns have a mesh shape through which a plurality of openings is defined.

3. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive patterns comprise a plurality of first touch electrodes extending in a first direction and arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, and each of the plurality of first touch electrodes comprises a plurality of touch openings defined therein, and
a plurality of second touch electrodes extending in the second direction and arranged in the first direction, and each of the plurality of second touch electrodes comprises a plurality of touch openings defined therein.

4. The flexible display device claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of first touch electrodes comprise a plurality of first sensing parts arranged in the first direction and a plurality of first connecting parts each disposed between two first sensing parts adjacent to each other among the plurality of first sensing parts,
wherein each of the plurality of second touch electrodes comprise a plurality of second sensing parts disposed adjacent to the plurality of first sensing parts and a plurality of second connecting parts disposed between two second sensing parts adjacent to each other in the second direction among the plurality of second sensing parts, and
wherein one of the plurality of first sensing parts and the plurality of second sensing parts is disposed on a layer different from a layer on which the plurality of first sensing parts and the plurality of second sensing parts are disposed.

5. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the display panel comprises:
a base substrate;
a circuit layer disposed on the base substrate;
an organic light emitting device layer disposed on the circuit layer; and
a thin film encapsulation layer encapsulating the organic light emitting device layer.

6. The flexible display device of claim 5 , wherein the thin film encapsulation layer provides the base surface.

7. The flexible display device of claim 6 , wherein the thin film encapsulation layer comprises:
a lower inorganic thin film layer configured to contact with the organic light emitting device layer;
a plurality of organic thin film layers disposed on the lower inorganic thin film layer; and
a plurality of upper inorganic thin film layers alternately stacked with the organic thin film layers.

8. The flexible display device of claim 7 , wherein the lower inorganic thin film layer comprises at least a lithium fluoride layer.

9. The flexible display device of claim 7 , wherein a thin film layer disposed at an uppermost position among the organic thin film layers and the upper inorganic thin film layers alternately stacked with the organic thin film layers comprise third openings or grooves defined to correspond to the plurality of first openings.

10. The flexible display device of claim 6 , wherein the thin film encapsulation layer comprises at least two inorganic thin film layers and an inorganic thin film layer disposed between the two inorganic thin film layers.

11. The flexible display device of claim 5 , wherein the display panel further comprises a buffer layer disposed on the thin film encapsulation layer and providing the base surface.

12. The flexible display device of claim 11 , wherein the buffer layer comprises a plurality of third openings or grooves defined to correspond to the plurality of first openings.

13. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive patterns comprise:
a plurality of first touch electrodes comprising a plurality of touch openings defined to correspond to the plurality of first openings;
a plurality of first auxiliary electrodes spaced apart from the plurality of first touch electrodes,
a plurality of second touch electrodes crossing the plurality of first touch electrodes, comprising a plurality of touch openings defined to correspond to the plurality of first openings, each of the plurality of second touch electrodes being electrically connected to a corresponding first auxiliary electrode of the plurality of first auxiliary electrodes; and
a plurality of second auxiliary electrodes, each being electrically connected to a corresponding first touch electrode among the plurality of first touch electrodes.

14. The flexible display device of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of first touch electrodes comprises a plurality of first sensing parts overlapped with corresponding second auxiliary electrodes among the plurality of second auxiliary electrodes and a plurality of first connecting parts each connecting two first sensing parts adjacent to each other among the plurality of first sensing parts, and each of the plurality of second touch electrodes comprise a plurality of second sensing parts overlapped with corresponding first auxiliary electrodes among the plurality of first auxiliary electrodes and a plurality of second connecting parts each connecting two second sensing parts adjacent to each other among the plurality of second sensing parts.

15. The flexible display device of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of first auxiliary electrodes has a mesh shape, and each of the plurality of second auxiliary electrodes has a mesh shape.

16. The flexible display device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of color filters each being disposed inside a corresponding first opening among the plurality of first openings.

17. The flexible display device of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of color filters extends inside the corresponding second opening among the plurality of second openings.

18. The flexible display device of claim 16 , wherein each of the first and second insulating layers is a black matrix.

19. The flexible display device of claim 16 , wherein the second insulating layer is overlapped with the plurality of color filters.

20. The flexible display device of claim 16 , further comprising a black matrix layer disposed on the second insulating layer and comprising a plurality of transmitting openings defined to correspond to the plurality of light emitting areas.

21. A flexible display device, comprising:
a display panel providing a base surface and comprising a plurality of light emitting areas and a non-light emitting area disposed adjacent to the plurality of light emitting areas;
a plurality of first conductive patterns disposed on the base surface;
a first black matrix disposed on the base surface, covering the first conductive patterns, and comprising a plurality of first openings defined to correspond to the plurality of light emitting areas; and
a plurality of color filters each being disposed inside a corresponding first opening among the plurality of first openings.

22. The flexible display devi

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Dohyun
• Im Choongyoul
• Jang Mi
• Lee Minjung
• Jang Hyoungwook
• Kim Kyuyoung
• Kim Mugyeom
• Lee Dongki
• Lee Junghun
• Lee Jangdoo

Classifications

• H10K50/865

  comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. light-blocking layers · CPC title

• H10K50/8445

  multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers · CPC title

• H10K59/8792

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

• H10K59/8731

  multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers · CPC title

• G06F2203/04112

  Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material · CPC title