Display panel bend reinforcement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11889647-B2
Application number	US-202016997665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2020
Priority date	Aug 19, 2020
Publication date	Jan 30, 2024
Grant date	Jan 30, 2024

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing that defines an aperture, and a display assembly positioned in the aperture. The display assembly can include a display layer having a first portion, and a second portion bending at least partially below the first portion. The first portion and the second portion can define a bend volume, and a potting material can be disposed in the bend volume, such that the potting material contacts the first portion and the second portion. An internal enclosure can be contoured to the display assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing at least partially defining an aperture and an internal volume;
a display assembly positioned in the aperture, the display assembly comprising:
a display layer including pixels, the display layer comprising a first portion, a bend portion, and a second portion disposed at least partially below the first portion;
the bend portion and a plane extending between the first portion and the second portion at least partially defining a bend volume;
a potting material disposed in the bend volume and contacting a surface of the bend portion;
a display integrated circuit positioned directly on the second portion of the display layer;
a supportive material surrounding and contacting the display integrated circuit; and
a flexible circuit electrically coupled to the display layer; and

an enclosure disposed in the internal volume adjacent to the display assembly, the enclosure having a shape corresponding to a shape of the display assembly.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the potting material comprises a curable polymer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the potting material has a modulus of about 150 megapascals to about 300 megapascals.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the display assembly comprises a strain-neutralization layer; and
a portion of the display layer is positioned between the strain-neutralization layer and the potting material.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the strain-neutralization layer comprises an epoxy.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the potting material comprises an ultraviolet light curable material.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the potting material comprises a moisture curable material.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the potting material conforms to a surface of the bend portion.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display layer and the potting material define a gap.

10. An electronic device comprising:
a housing defining an aperture;
a display assembly positioned in the aperture, the display assembly comprising:
a display layer comprising:
a plurality of pixels;
a first portion;
a bend portion; and
a tail portion; and

a display integrated circuit directly positioned on the tail portion; and

a supportive material contacting and conforming to a perimeter of the display integrated circuit and structurally supporting the display integrated circuit on the tail portion.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the display assembly further comprises a stiffener plate positioned in-plane with the display integrated circuit.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the stiffener plate has a thickness of about 50 microns to about 90 microns.

13. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the supportive material comprises a potting compound.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the display assembly further comprises:
an internal enclosure; and
a foam positioned between the display integrated circuit and the internal enclosure.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the foam is positioned between the first portion and the tail portion.

16. A display assembly, comprising:
a display layer comprising:
an active area including a plurality of illuminable pixels;
a tail portion; and
a bend portion connecting the active area and the tail portion, the bend portion defining a first curved surface and a second curved surface opposite the first curved surface;

a potting material disposed on the first curved surface;
a strain-neutralization layer overlaying at least a portion of the second curved surface;
a display integrated circuit positioned directly on the tail portion;
a stiffener plate positioned in-plane with the display integrated circuit; and
a supportive material positioned between the stiffener plate and the display integrated circuit.

17. The display assembly of claim 16 , wherein the potting material is adhered to the display layer.

18. The display assembly of claim 16 , wherein the display layer comprises polyimide.

19. The display assembly of claim 16 , wherein the tail portion is disposed below the active area.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Ahmed Izhar Z
• Baker John J
• Wu Bulong
• Jarvis Daniel W
• Fournier Douglas G
• Bates Eric W
• Dong Hao
• Gueble Isabel S
• Law Jason C
• Xu Jingjing
• Burnham Kikue S
• Leutheuser Paul U
• Trabia Sarah
• Cohen Sawyer I
• Yang Shaorui
• Qin Shaowei
• Avachat Siddharth
• Zhang Yaocheng
• Wang Ying-Chih
• Zhang Zhen
• Pope Benjamin R

Classifications

• H05K5/064 Primary

  sealed by potting, e.g. waterproof resin poured in a rigid casing · CPC title

• G06F1/1626 Primary

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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

• H05K1/028

  Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K3/284

  for encapsulating mounted components (H05K1/185 takes precedence) · CPC title