Flexible display apparatus having a rollable display panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016120022-A1
Application number	US-201514676193-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2015
Priority date	Oct 23, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flexible display apparatus having a rollable display panel includes a case having an opening portion formed therein, a first roller rotatably provided inside the case, a display portion provided on the first roller to be wound around the first roller or released from the first roller, and a rotatable guide portion provided inside the case to guide the display portion by radially bending the display portion at least one time during a movement of the display portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A display apparatus comprising:
a case having an opening portion formed therein; a first roller rotatably provided inside the case; a display portion provided on the first roller to be wound around the first roller or released from the first roller; and a rotatable guide portion provided inside the case to guide the display portion by radially bending the display portion at least one time during a movement of the display portion.

2 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a handle portion that is connected to an end portion of the display portion and opens and closes the opening portion of the case.

3 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second roller that is provided inside the case to be adjacent to the opening portion and supports the display portion when the display portion is drawn from or inserted into the case.

4 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display portion comprises:
a dummy portion that is connected to the first roller and is wound around or released from the first roller; and a panel portion that is connected to the dummy portion and is guided by the rotatable guide portion to be drawn from or inserted into the case.

5 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable guide portion comprises a guide gear portion that is partially inserted into the display portion to guide the display portion during the movement of the display portion.

6 . The display apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the guide gear portion comprises:
a first gear that is arranged at a lateral side of the display portion; a rotary shaft connected to the first gear; and a second gear that is arranged at an opposite lateral side of the display portion and is provided on the rotary shaft to face the first gear.

7 . The display apparatus of claim 6 , wherein an insertion groove or insertion hole into which at least one gear tooth of the first gear or the second gear is inserted is formed at at least one of the lateral sides of the display portion.

8 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable guide portion is provided in plurality and the plurality of rotatable guide portions are arranged to be separated from each other and to be misaligned with respect to each other in a lengthwise direction of the case.

9 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable guide portion is provided in a multiple number and the rotatable guide portions radially bend the display portion to be parallel to a lengthwise direction of the case.

10 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable guide portion is provided in a multiple number and each of the rotatable guide portions comprises:
a first rotatable guide portion that radially bends the display portion; and a second guide portion that is arranged at a more inner position in the case than the first rotatable guide portion with respect to a traveling direction of the display portion and radially bends the display portion.

11 . The display apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first rotatable guide portion and the second rotatable guide portion are arranged at different heights inside the case.

12 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable guide portion is provided in a multiple number and each rotatable guide portion is arranged at each corner of the case and radially bends the display portion along a path adjacent an inner surface of the case.

13 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable guide portion comprises a guide roller portion that contacts the display portion and guides the display portion during the movement of the display portion.

14 . The display apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the guide roller portion comprises:
a first guide roller portion that contacts one surface of the display portion; and a second guide roller portion that is arranged adjacent the first guide roller portion and contacts an opposite surface of the display portion.

15 . The display apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the guide roller portion comprises:
a first guide roller that is arranged at a lateral side of the display portion; a rotary shaft that is connected at one end to the first guide roller; and a second guide roller that is arranged at an opposite lateral side of the display portion and is connected at an opposite end the rotary shaft to face the first guide roller.

16 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display portion is flexible.

17 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an elastic portion that is provided on the first roller to provide a restoration force to the first roller when the display portion is released.

18 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a support portion that is provided to be capable of being inserted in or drawn from the case and supports a part of the display portion when the display portion is drawn from the case.

19 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display portion comprises:
a substrate; a display unit that is formed on the substrate; a thin film encapsulation layer formed on the display unit; and a protection film that is provided on at least one of a rear surface of the substrate and an upper surface of the thin film encapsulation layer.

20 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first roller comprises:
a roller body portion; and an insulating portion that is provided on an outer surface of the roller body portion and is formed of an insulating material.

21 . A display apparatus comprising:
a case having an opening formed in one side thereof; a first roller rotatably provided inside the case; a flexible display portion having a dummy portion to be wound around the first roller during retraction of the display portion or released from the first roller during extraction of a panel portion of the display portion; and a rotatable guide portion provided inside the case to guide the display portion by radially bending the display portion at least twice during a movement of the display portion.

22 . The display apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising a handle portion adjacent to and closing the opening in the case while the panel portion is inside the case, the handle being connected to an end portion of the panel portion and used to draw the panel portion outside the case.

23 . The display apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the rotatable guide portion comprises:
a first guide gear portion that radially bends the display portion in a first direction; and a second guide gear portion that radially bends the display portion in a second direction different from the first direction.

24 . The display apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the first guide gear portion is disposed in a lower portion of the case and the second guide gear portion is arranged in an upper portion of the case, the first guide gear portion being disposed closer to the opening than the second guide gear portion.

25 . The display apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the rotatable guide portion comprises:
a first guide roller that radially bends the display portion in a first direction; and a second guide roller that radially bends the display portion in a second direction different from the first direction.

26 . The display apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the first guide roller is disposed in a upper portion o

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Junghun
• Kim Younjoon
• Baek Kyunghyun
• Lee Sangjo
• Lee Jangdoo
• Lee Jusuck
• Choi Kyungmin

Classifications

• H04M1/0268 Primary

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• H05K1/028 Primary

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

• H05K5/0017

  with operator interface units · CPC title

• H05K5/0217

  Mechanical details of casings (covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03) · CPC title