Display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12103284-B2
Application number	US-202117315323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2021
Priority date	Sep 2, 2020
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

A display device includes a display panel that is bent so that at least a portion of the display panel overlaps another portion of the display panel; and a spacer surrounded by the display panel and that includes a flat portion and a bent portion connected to the flat portion, where an upper surface of the bent portion has a first curvature and a lower surface of the bent portion has a second curvature that differs from the first curvature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device, comprising:
a display panel that is bent wherein at least a portion of the display panel overlaps another portion of the display panel; and
a spacer surrounded by the display panel and that includes a flat portion and a bent portion connected to the flat portion,
wherein an upper surface of the bent portion is curved with a first curvature forming a curved upper surface and a lower surface of the bent portion is curved with a second curvature that differs from the first curvature, forming a curved lower surface, wherein the curved upper surface overlaps the curved lower surface in a thickness direction of the spacer,
wherein the display device further comprises:
a first adhesive layer disposed on an upper surface of the spacer; and
a second adhesive layer disposed on a lower surface of the spacer,
wherein the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer have different thicknesses.

2. The display device of claim 1 ,
wherein the display panel includes a main region, a bent region that extends from one side of the main region and is bent in a thickness direction, and a sub region which extends from one side of the bent region,
wherein the main region includes a flat region and a curved region that extends from one side of the flat region, and
wherein the flat portion of the spacer overlaps the flat region of the main region, and the bent portion of the spacer overlaps the curved region of the main region.

3. The display device of claim 2 ,
wherein the sub region is inverted with respect to the bent region and is attached onto a rear surface of the main region, and
the sub region includes a flat region that overlaps the flat region of the main region and a curved region that extends from the flat region of the sub region and overlaps the curved region of the main region,
wherein the flat portion of the spacer is disposed between the flat region of the main region and the flat region of the sub region, and the bent portion of the spacer is disposed between the curved region of the main region and the curved region of the sub region.

4. The display device of claim 3 , wherein a curvature of the curved region of the main region is greater than a curvature of the curved region of the sub region.

5. The display device of claim 2 , wherein the bent portion of the spacer includes an upper surface that faces the main region and a lower surface that faces the sub region.

6. The display device of claim 5 , wherein a first curvature of the upper surface of the bent portion of the spacer is greater than a second curvature of the lower surface of the bent portion of the spacer.

7. The display device of claim 6 , further comprising a window member that covers the display panel and that includes a flat region and a curved region connected to the flat region,
wherein a center of curvature of the first curvature of the upper surface of the bent portion of the spacer is the same as that of a curvature of the curved region of the window member.

8. The display device of claim 6 , wherein a radius of curvature of the second curvature ranges from 1 . 5 times to 2 times a radius of curvature of the first curvature.

9. The display device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the bent portion of the spacer is greater than or equal to a thickness of the flat portion of the spacer.

10. The display device of claim 9 , wherein the thickness of the bent portion of the spacer increases in a direction away from a side of the bent portion connected to the flat portion of the spacer and toward an end portion of the spacer.

11. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the bent portion of the spacer forms a predetermined angle with the flat portion of the spacer.

12. The display device of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined angle ranges from about 20° to 45°.

13. The display device of claim 1 , wherein
an end portion of the bent portion of the spacer is surrounded by a bent region of the display panel, and
the end portion of the bent portion is spaced apart from the bent region of the display panel.

14. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first support member attached onto the first adhesive layer; and
a second support member attached onto the second adhesive layer.

15. The display device of claim 14 , wherein the first support member and the second support member have different thicknesses.

16. The display device of claim 15 , wherein a thickness of the first support member is greater than a thickness of the second support member.

17. The display device of claim 14 , wherein the first support member and the second support member each include polyethylene terephthalate.

18. The display device of claim 14 , wherein the first support member and the second support member each have a repulsive force of 3.65 MPa or less.

19. The display device of claim 1 , wherein each of a flat region and a curved region of a main region of the display panel includes a display region in which an image is displayed.

20. A display device, comprising:
a driving substrate;
a display panel that is bent wherein a portion of one side of the display panel to which the driving substrate is attached overlaps another portion of the display panel;
a window member that covers the display panel and that includes a flat region and a curved region connected to the flat region; and
a spacer that is surrounded by the display panel and is bent so that at least a portion has a curvature that corresponds to a curvature of the curved region of the window member,
wherein an upper surface of the bent portion is curved with a first curvature forming a curved upper surface and a lower surface of the bent portion is curved with a second curvature that differs from the first curvature, forming a curved lower surface, wherein the curved upper surface overlaps the curved lower surface in a thickness direction of the spacer,
wherein the display device further comprises:
a first adhesive layer disposed on an upper surface of the spacer; and
a second adhesive layer disposed on an lower surface of the spacer,
wherein the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer have different thicknesses.

21. The display device of claim 20 , wherein the spacer includes a flat portion that overlaps the flat region of window member and a bent portion that overlaps the curved region of the window member.

22. The display device of claim 20 , further comprising:
a first support member attached onto the first adhesive layer; and
a second support member attached onto the second adhesive layer.

23. A display device, comprising:
a display panel that includes a main region, a bent region that extends from one side of the main region and is bent in a thickness direction, and a sub region which extends from one side of the bent region, wherein the main region includes a flat region and a curved region that extends from one side of the flat region; and
a spacer that is surrounded by the display panel and is bent so that at least a portion has a curvature that corresponds to a curvature of the curved region of the main region of the display panel,
wherein an upper surface of the bent portion is curved with a first curvature forming a curved upper surface and a lower surface of the bent portion is curved with a second curvature that differs from the first curvature, forming a curved lower surface, wherein the curved upper surface overlaps the curved lower surfa

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Dong Eun
• Ryu Do Hyung
• Park Hyun Sang

Classifications

• H10K59/873

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• B32B2457/20

  Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays · CPC title

• B32B27/08

  of synthetic resin · CPC title

• B32B3/085 Primary

  spaced apart pieces on the surface of a layer · CPC title

• H10K77/111 Primary

  Flexible substrates · CPC title