Foldable display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12035610-B2
Application number	US-202117493340-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2021
Priority date	Jan 4, 2021
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

A foldable display device includes a flexible display module and a first plate. The flexible display module includes a foldable area and the non-foldable area. The foldable area includes a first area, a second area spaced apart from the first area and disposed in at least two sides of the first area, and a third area disposed between the first area and the second area. The non-foldable area is disposed in at least two sides of the foldable area. The first plate is disposed under the flexible display module. The first plate includes a plurality of grooves overlapping the second area and penetrating the first plate. The first plate overlapping the third area does not include grooves.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable display device comprising:
a flexible display module comprising:
a foldable area comprising:
a first area;
a second area spaced apart from the first area and disposed in at least two sides of the first area; and
a third area disposed between the first area and the second area; and

a non-foldable area disposed in at least two sides of the foldable area; and

a first plate disposed under the flexible display module, wherein
the first plate comprises a plurality of grooves overlapping the second area and penetrating the first plate,
the first plate overlapping the first area does not comprise grooves, and
the first plate overlapping the third area does not comprise grooves.

2. The foldable display device of claim 1 , wherein in case that the flexible display module is folded,
the flexible display module has a first curvature radius in the first area, and has a second curvature radius in the second area, and
the second curvature radius is greater than the first curvature radius.

3. The foldable display device of claim 1 , wherein in case that the flexible display module is folded,
a curvature center of the flexible display module in the second area is disposed on a non-display surface of the flexible display module, and
a curvature center of the flexible display module in the first area is disposed on a display surface of the flexible display module.

4. The foldable display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a protection layer disposed under the first plate and overlapping the second area.

5. The foldable display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second plate disposed under the first plate and overlapping each of the non-foldable area and the third area.

6. The foldable display device of claim 5 , wherein a rigidity of the second plate is greater than a rigidity of the first plate.

7. A foldable display device comprising:
a flexible display module comprising:
a foldable area comprising:
a first area;
a second area spaced apart from the first area and disposed in at least two sides of the first area; and
a third area disposed between the first area and the second area; and

a non-foldable area disposed in at least two sides of the foldable area; and

a first plate disposed under the flexible display module, wherein
the first plate comprises a plurality of grooves overlapping the second area and not penetrating the first plate,
the first plate overlapping the first area does not comprise grooves, and
the first plate overlapping the third area does not comprise grooves.

8. The foldable display device of claim 7 , wherein in case that the foldable display device is folded,
the flexible display module has a first curvature radius in the first area and has a second curvature radius in the second area, and
the second curvature radius is greater than the first curvature radius.

9. The foldable display device of claim 7 , wherein a thickness of each of the plurality of grooves not penetrating the first plate compared to a thickness of the first plate is about 40% or greater and about 60% or less.

10. The foldable display device of claim 7 , further comprising:
a second plate disposed under the first plate and overlapping each of the non-foldable area and the third area.

11. The foldable display device of claim 10 , wherein a rigidity of the second plate is greater than a rigidity of the first plate.

12. A foldable display device comprising:
a flexible display module comprising:
a foldable area comprising:
a first area; a second area spaced apart from the first area and disposed in at least two sides of the first area; and
a third area disposed between the first area and the second area; and

a non-foldable area disposed in at least two sides of the foldable area; and

a first plate disposed under the flexible display module, wherein
a thickness of the first plate overlapping the second area is less than a thickness of the first plate overlapping the non-foldable area, and
the first plate overlapping the third area does not comprise grooves.

13. The foldable display device of claim 12 , wherein in case that the flexible display module is folded,
the flexible display module has a first curvature radius in the first area, and has a second curvature radius in the second area, and
the second curvature radius is greater than the first curvature radius.

14. The foldable display device of claim 12 , the thickness of the first plate overlapping the second area compared to the thickness of the first plate overlapping the non-foldable area is about 50% or greater.

15. The foldable display device of claim 12 , wherein the first plate further comprises a plurality of grooves overlapping the second area and penetrating the first plate.

16. The foldable display device of claim 15 , further comprising:
a protection layer disposed under the first plate and overlapping the second area.

17. The foldable display device of claim 12 , wherein the first plate further comprises a plurality of grooves overlapping the second area and not penetrating the first plate.

18. The foldable display device of claim 17 , wherein a thickness of each of the plurality of grooves not penetrating the first plate compared to the thickness of the first plate overlapping the second area is about 40% or greater and about 60% or less.

19. The foldable display device of claim 12 , further comprising a second plate disposed under the first plate and overlapping each of the non-foldable area and the third area.

20. The foldable display device of claim 19 , wherein a rigidity of the second plate is greater than a rigidity of the first plate.

21. The flexible display module of claim 7 , wherein a thickness of the first plate overlapping the second area is less than a thickness of the first plate overlapping the non-foldable area.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jinhyoung
• Park Changmin
• Park Jaechun

Classifications

• H10K59/873 Primary

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K59/12

  Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays · CPC title

• H10K77/111 Primary

  Flexible substrates · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• H10K2102/311

  Flexible OLED · CPC title