Display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12174666-B2
Application number	US-202217836172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2022
Priority date	Sep 23, 2021
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

A display device includes a housing, a display module, a support film, and a frame. The display module is accommodated in the housing in a first state and unrolled from the housing to a first direction in a second state. The support film is accommodated in the housing in the first state and unrolled from the housing to the first direction in the second state to support the display module. The frame shrinks to a first shape in the first state and expands to a second shape in the second state in a way such that the frame applies a tensile stress to the support film in the second state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising:
a housing;
a display module accommodated in the housing in a first state and unrolled from the housing to a first direction in a second state;
a support film accommodated in the housing in the first state and unrolled from the housing to the first direction in the second state to support the display module; and
a frame shrinking to a first shape in the first state and expanding to a second shape in the second state,
wherein the support film comprises:
a first film; and
a second film spaced apart from the first film with the frame interposed directly therebetween and disposed farther from the display module than the first film is,

wherein the frame is configured to move between and independent of the first film and the second film.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the tensile stress is applied in the first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction.

3. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises:
a first support frame disposed in the housing in the second state and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction;
a second support frame disposed outside the housing in the second state and spaced apart from the first support frame in the first direction;
a first arm connecting a first side of the first support frame to a first side of the second support frame; and
a second arm connecting a second side of the first support frame to a second side of the second support frame, and
a distance in the first direction between the first support frame and the second support frame increases by the first arm and the second arm when the first state is changed from the first state to the second state.

4. The display device of claim 3 , wherein
each of the first arm and the second arm comprises first to n-th joint units, and
joint units adjacent to each other among the first to n-th joint units are rotatably coupled to each other,
wherein n is a natural number equal to or greater than 2.

5. The display device of claim 4 , wherein
an internal angle defined by an (i+1)-th joint unit and an (i+2)-th joint unit among the first to n-th joint units is greater than about 180 degrees in the first state, and
an internal angle defined by an i-th joint unit and the (i+1)-th joint unit among the first to n-th joint units is smaller than about 180 degrees in the first state,
wherein i is a natural number equal to or greater than 1 and equal to or less than n−2.

6. The display device of claim 4 , wherein each of the first to n-th joint units is aligned parallel to the first direction in the second state.

7. The display device of claim 3 , wherein
each of the first arm and the second arm comprises first to n-th joint units, and
an i-th joint unit among the first to n-th joint units is coupled to an (i−1)-th joint unit among the first to n-th joint units, to be movable in the first direction in the second state,
wherein n is a natural number equal to or greater than 2, and i is a natural number equal to or greater than 2 and equal to or less than n.

8. The display device of claim 7 , wherein
a first slit is defined in the first support frame,
a first joint unit is coupled to the first slit to be movable,
a second slit is defined in the second support frame, and
the n-th joint unit is coupled to the second slit to be movable.

9. The display device of claim 8 , wherein
the first slit extends in a first crossing direction crossing the first direction and the second direction,
the second slit extends in a second crossing direction crossing the first direction, the second direction and the first crossing direction, and
a distance between the first slit and the second slit decreases as a distance from a center of the first support frame increases.

10. The display device of claim 3 , wherein an edge area of the first film and an edge area of the second film, which are disposed outside the second support frame in the first direction, are coupled to each other in the first state and the second state.

11. The display device of claim 3 , wherein
a first edge area of the first film and a first edge area of the second film, which are disposed outside the first arm in the second direction, are separated from each other in the first state and are coupled to each other in the second state, and
a second edge area of the first film and a second edge area of the second film, which are disposed outside the second arm in the second direction, are separated from each other in the first state and are coupled to each other in the second state.

12. The display device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a first coupling structure disposed in the first edge area of the first film and a second coupling structure disposed in the first edge area of the second film,
wherein the first coupling structure and the second coupling structure are separated from each other in the first state and are coupled to each other in the second state.

13. The display device of claim 12 , wherein the first coupling structure and the second coupling structure are separated from each other by the first support frame when a state of the support film is changed from the second state to the first state.

14. The display device of claim 13 , wherein
a length in the second direction of the first support frame is greater than a length in the second direction of the first film, and
the first support frame is installed in the housing.

15. The display device of claim 3 , wherein
a first edge area of the first film and a first edge area of the second film, which are adjacent to the second support frame in the first direction, are coupled to each other in the first state and the second state,
a second edge area of the first film and a second edge area of the second film, which are disposed outside the first arm in the second direction, are coupled to each other in the first state and the second state, and
a third edge area of the first film and a third edge area of the second film, which are disposed outside the second arm in the second direction, are coupled to each other in the first state and the second state.

16. The display device of claim 15 , further comprising:
a third support frame which fixes the first support frame to the housing,
wherein a cutting line is defined in the second film to be aligned with the third support frame,
the second film comprises a first area and a second area arranged with the cutting line interposed therebetween in the second direction, and
the first area and the second area are separated from each other in the first state and coupled to each other in the second state.

17. The display device of claim 16 , further comprising:
a first coupling structure disposed in the first area and a second coupling structure disposed in the second area,
wherein the first coupling structure and the second coupling structure are separated from each other in the first state and are coupled to each other in the second state.

18. The display device of claim 17 , wherein the first coupling structure and the second coupling structure are separated from each other by the third support frame when a state of the second film is changed from the second state to the first state.

19. The display device of claim 17 , further comprising:
a third support frame to fix the first support frame to the housing,
wherein an opening area is defined in the second film, and
the third support frame is disposed in the opening area.

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Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ahn Jaeho
• Kim Beomjin
• Kim Taewoong
• Choi Jin Hwan

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F1/1675

  Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts · CPC title

• G06F1/1656

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G06F1/1624

  with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display · CPC title