Display panel and display device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12439800-B2
Application number	US-202017030223-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2020
Priority date	Mar 5, 2020
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A display panel including a main display area and a component area having an auxiliary display area and a transmission area, a substrate, a plurality of main display elements arranged on the substrate in the main display area, and a plurality of main pixel circuits respectively connected to the main display elements, a plurality of auxiliary display elements arranged on the substrate in the auxiliary display area, and a plurality of auxiliary pixel circuits respectively connected to the auxiliary display elements, and an optical functional layer including a polarization area corresponding to the main display area and the auxiliary display area, and a non-polarization area corresponding to the transmission area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display panel, comprising:
a main display area and a component area, the component area including an auxiliary display area and a transmission area;
a substrate;
a plurality of main display elements arranged on the substrate in the main display area, and a plurality of main pixel circuits respectively connected to the main display elements;
a plurality of auxiliary display elements arranged on the substrate in the auxiliary display area, and a plurality of auxiliary pixel circuits respectively connected to the auxiliary display elements;
an encapsulation member disposed on the main display elements and the auxiliary display elements;
an optical clear adhesive layer disposed between an optical functional layer and the encapsulation member; and
the optical functional layer disposed on the optical clear adhesive layer, and including a polarization area corresponding to the main display area and the auxiliary display area, and a non-polarization area corresponding to the transmission area,
wherein the optical functional layer continuously extends from the main display area to the auxiliary display area,
wherein a lower surface of the non-polarization area is in direct contact with the optical clear adhesive layer at the transmission area where none of the plurality of main display elements and the plurality of auxiliary display elements are located in a plan view,
wherein the component area overlaps with the polarization area and the non-polarization area,
wherein the polarization area comprises a plurality of polarization areas and the non-polarization area comprises a plurality of non-polarization areas, the plurality of polarization areas and the plurality of non-polarization areas being alternately located along a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction in the component area, and
wherein each of the plurality of polarization areas has a region overlapping with an entirety of at least two of the plurality of auxiliary display elements adjacent to each other in the first direction, and the region has a length in the first direction that is less than or equal to that of an adjacent non-polarization area adjacent thereto in the second direction from among the plurality of non-polarization areas.

2. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein, in the component area, the non-polarization area surrounds at least some portions of the auxiliary display area.

3. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the non-polarization area has a greater light transmittance than the polarization area.

4. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the optical functional layer is substantially flat throughout the non-polarization area and the polarization area.

5. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the optical functional layer in the polarization area comprises a material different from the optical functional layer in the non-polarization area.

6. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising an opposite electrode commonly included in the main display elements and the auxiliary display elements,
wherein the opposite electrode includes a through hole corresponding to the transmission area.

7. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein:
the substrate comprises a first base layer, a first inorganic barrier layer, a second base layer, and a second inorganic barrier layer sequentially stacked one over another;
the second inorganic barrier layer includes a first opening corresponding to the transmission area, and the second base layer includes a second opening overlapping the first opening; and
the substrate further includes a groove formed by the first opening, the second opening, and an upper surface of the first inorganic barrier layer.

8. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the optical functional layer comprises a polarization layer and a retardation layer.

9. A display device comprising:
a display panel having a main display area and a component area, the component area including an auxiliary display area and a transmission area;
a cover window disposed on the display panel; and
a component disposed under the display panel to correspond to the component area,
wherein the display panel comprises:
a substrate;
a plurality of main display elements arranged on the substrate to correspond to the main display area, and a plurality of main pixel circuits respectively connected to the main display elements;
a plurality of auxiliary display elements arranged on the substrate to correspond to the auxiliary display area, and a plurality of auxiliary pixel circuits respectively connected to the auxiliary display elements;
an encapsulation member disposed on the main display elements and the auxiliary display elements;
an optical clear adhesive layer disposed between an optical functional layer and the encapsulation member; and
the optical functional layer disposed on the optical clear adhesive layer, and including a polarization area corresponding to the main display area and the auxiliary display area, and a non-polarization area corresponding to the transmission area,

wherein the optical functional layer continuously extends from the main display area to the auxiliary display area,
wherein a lower surface of the non-polarization area is in direct contact with the optical clear adhesive layer at the transmission area where none of the plurality of main display elements and the plurality of auxiliary display elements are located in a plan view,
wherein the component area overlaps with the polarization area and the non-polarization area,
wherein the polarization area comprises a plurality of polarization areas and the non-polarization area comprises a plurality of non-polarization areas, the plurality of polarization areas and the plurality of non-polarization areas being alternately located along a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction in the component area, and
wherein each of the plurality of polarization areas has a region overlapping with an entirety of at least two of the plurality of auxiliary display elements adjacent to each other in the first direction, and the region has a length in the first direction that is less than or equal to that of an adjacent non-polarization area adjacent thereto in the second direction from among the plurality of non-polarization areas.

10. The display device of claim 9 , further comprising an additional optical clear adhesive layer disposed between the optical functional layer and the cover window.

11. The display device of claim 9 , wherein, in the component area, the non-polarization area surrounds at least some portions of the auxiliary display area.

12. The display device of claim 9 , wherein the component overlaps at least some portions of the auxiliary display area.

13. The display device of claim 9 , wherein the non-polarization area has a greater light transmittance than the polarization area.

14. The display device of claim 9 , wherein an upper surface of the optical functional layer is substantially flat throughout the non-polarization area and the polarization area.

15. The display device of claim 9 , wherein the optical functional layer in the polarization area comprises a material different from the optical functional layer in the non-polarization area.

16. The display device of claim 9 , wherein the optical functional layer comprises a polarization layer and a retardation layer.

17. The display device of claim 9 ,
wherein the auxiliary display elements comprise an opposite electrode including a through hole that corresponds to

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Beon Beonghun
• Jung Woosuk
• Kim Minha
• Kim Sunhwa
• Yeon Jeseon
• Lee Kwanhee
• Lee Dukjin

Classifications

• H10K50/8426

  Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants · CPC title

• H10K50/844

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K59/00

  Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element covered by group H10K50/00 · CPC title

• H10K59/12

  Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays · CPC title

• H10K50/85 Primary

  Arrangements for extracting light from the devices · CPC title