Display Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11837118-B2
Application number	US-202016780705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2020
Priority date	May 31, 2019
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

In a display device including a display panel, the display device includes: an active region; a plurality of hole areas at least partially surrounded by the active region; and a folding line extending in one direction, wherein each of the hole areas includes at least one hole, and wherein the holes of each hole area are arranged in an extending direction of the folding line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising:
an active region;
a plurality of holes at least partially surrounded by the active region;
a folding line extending in a first direction;
a display panel;
a metal plate disposed below the display panel, the metal plate including a first metal plate and a second metal plate spaced apart from the first metal plate;
an optical element at a location that overlaps a hole from among the plurality of holes in a folded position of the display device,
wherein in a folded position, the hole includes a first side of an inner wall and a second side of the inner wall that are angled toward a same direction;
wherein each of the holes are arranged in the first direction; and
wherein each of the holes penetrates the display panel and the metal plate.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein each of the holes is located at a uniform distance from the folding line.

3. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is parallel to one edge of the display device.

4. The display device of claim 3 , wherein a first distance between the one edge and each of the holes is smaller than a second distance between the folding line and each of the holes.

5. The display device of claim 4 , wherein the first distance is 10 millimeters (mm) or less, a separation distance between the holes is 6 mm or more, and a diameter of each hole is 4.0 mm or less.

6. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a polarizing member on one surface of the display panel,
wherein the hole passes through the display panel and the polarizing member.

7. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a polymer film layer on the other surface of the display panel,
wherein the hole passes through the display panel and the polymer film layer.

8. The display device of claim 7 , further comprising:
a metal plate on the other surface of the polymer film layer,
wherein the hole further passes through the metal plate.

9. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of hole areas at least partially surrounded by the active region,
wherein each of the plurality of hole areas includes at least one hole, and
wherein the hole areas correspond to a non-active region.

10. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
the optical element including a light receiving portion overlapping an inside of the hole.

11. The display device of claim 10 , wherein the display device includes a first unfolding area on a first side of the folding line and a second unfolding area on a second side of the folding line,
wherein the first side of the inner wall of the hole is arranged toward one edge of the first unfolding area and the second side of the inner wall of the hole is arranged toward the folding line, and
wherein a third distance between the light receiving portion and the first inner wall of the hole is larger than a fourth distance between the light receiving portion and the second inner wall of the hole.

12. The display device of claim 11 , wherein the display device is configured to be out-folded with respect to the folding line.

13. The display device of claim 1 , wherein in a folded state, the first side of the inner wall of the hole is inclined with respect to a thickness direction.

14. The display device of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the holes overlaps a virtual line extending in the first direction.

15. The display device of claim 1 ,
wherein the optical element is biased toward the folding line relative to a center of the hole in an unfolded state of the display device.

16. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a window member disposed on the display panel, the window member including a window substrate and a print layer disposed on a surface of the window substrate;
wherein the metal plate includes inner side surfaces defining each of the holes,
wherein in an unfolded state, a portion of the inner side surfaces of the metal plate and the print layer overlap each other, and
wherein in a folded state, the portion of the inner side surfaces of the metal plate and the print layer do not overlap each other.

17. A foldable display device including a display panel, a metal plate disposed below the display panel and an optical member, the foldable display device comprising:
a folding line extending in one direction;
a first unfolding area on a first side of the folding line;
a second unfolding area on a second side of the folding line;
a through hole in the first unfolding area,
wherein the through hole is inside an active region of the foldable display device,
wherein a first distance between one edge of the first unfolding area and the through hole is smaller than a second distance between the folding line and the through hole,
wherein the first distance is 10 millimeters (mm) or less,
wherein a diameter of the through hole is 4.0 mm or less, and
wherein the optical member is at a location that overlaps the through hole in a folded position of the display device,
wherein in a folded position, the through hole includes a first side of an inner wall and a second side of the inner wall that are angled toward a same direction, and
wherein the through hole penetrates the display panel and the metal plate.

18. The foldable display device of claim 17 , wherein the through hole is provided plurally, and a separation distance between the plurality of through holes is 6 mm or more.

19. The foldable display device of claim 17 , wherein the through hole is provided plurally, and the plurality of through holes are arranged along an extending direction of the folding line.

20. The foldable display device of claim 19 , wherein the one edge of the first unfolding area extends along the extending direction of the folding line.

21. The foldable display device of claim 17 , wherein in a folded state, the inner wall of the through hole is inclined with respect to a thickness direction.

22. The foldable display device of claim 17 , further comprising:
the optical member including a light receiving portion overlapping an inside of the through hole.

23. The foldable display device of claim 22 , wherein the first side of the inner wall of the through hole is arranged toward one edge of the first unfolding area and the second side of the inner wall of the through hole is arranged toward the folding line, and
wherein a third distance between the light receiving portion and the first inner wall of the through hole is larger than a fourth distance between the light receiving portion and the second inner wall of the through hole.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Dong Jin
• Seo Dong Woo
• Shin Jai Ku
• Choi Sung Chul

Classifications

• G09F9/301 Primary

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

• G02F1/133305

  Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title