Flexible display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016364044-A1
Application number	US-201615045993-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 10, 2015
Publication date	Dec 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flexible display device including a display panel and a touch panel, and the touch panel includes touch sensors and signal lines. A signal line crossing a folding axis of the signal lines includes a first part and a signal pattern and the signal pattern includes a connection line substantially in parallel with the folding axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A flexible display device comprising:
a foldable area configured to be foldable about a folding axis, and a non-foldable area; a display panel configured to display an image; and a touch panel disposed on the display panel, wherein the touch panel comprises:
touch sensors; and
signal lines respectively connected to ends of the touch sensors,
wherein at least one of the signal lines crossing the folding axis comprises:
a first part connected to one end of a corresponding touch sensor of the touch sensors; and
at least one signal pattern connected to the first part and disposed on the foldable area, and
wherein the signal pattern comprises:
sub-lines connected to the first part; and
a connection line substantially parallel to the folding axis and connecting the sub- lines to each other.

2 . The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein each of the sub-lines has a shape having at least one bent portion.

3 . The flexible display device of claim 2 , wherein the sub-lines are symmetrical to each other about an axis that is an extending direction of at least one of the signal lines.

4 . The flexible display device of claim 3 , wherein the sub-lines comprise a first sub-line and a second sub-line, which are connected to each other, and the first and second sub-lines are connected to each other and form a rhombus shape.

5 . The flexible display device of claim 3 , wherein a range of an acute angle formed by at least one of the sub-lines and the connection line is in a range from about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees.

6 . The flexible display device of claim 3 , wherein the connection line is connected to a bent point of each of the sub-lines.

7 . The flexible display device of claim 6 , wherein the signal pattern further comprises a sub-connection line connecting the sub-lines to each other, the sub-connection line being spaced apart from the connection line at a predetermined interval and in parallel with the connection line.

8 . The flexible display device of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of the signal patterns, the plurality of signal patterns being arranged in an extending direction of the signal line.

9 . The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the touch sensors comprise:
first touch sensors; and second touch sensors crossing and insulated from the first touch sensors,
wherein the signal lines comprise:
first signal lines connected to the first touch sensors; and
second signal lines connected to the second touch sensors, and

wherein some of the second signal lines comprise the first part and the signal pattern.

10 . The flexible display device of claim 9 , wherein the first touch sensors comprise:
first sensor patterns arranged in a first direction; and first connection patterns connecting two adjacent first sensor patterns to each other from among the first sensor patterns, and
wherein the second touch sensors comprise:
second sensor patterns arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction; and
second connection patterns connecting two adjacent second sensor patterns to each other from among the second sensor patterns.

11 . The flexible display device of claim 10 , wherein the first sensor patterns and the first connection patterns are integrated with each other, the second sensor patterns and the second connection patterns are integrated with each other, and the first and second touch sensors are disposed on layers different from each other.

12 . The flexible display device of claim 10 , wherein the first sensor patterns and the first connection patterns have mesh shapes and the second sensor patterns and the second connection patterns have mesh shapes.

13 . The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the display panel comprises:
a first base member; a circuit layer disposed on one surface of the first base member; an organic light emitting device layer disposed on the circuit layer; and an encapsulation layer configured to seal the organic light emitting device layer.

14 . The flexible display device of claim 13 , wherein the touch panel further comprises a second base member disposed on the encapsulation layer, and the touch sensors and the signal lines are disposed on the second base member.

15 . A flexible display device comprising:
a foldable area configured to be foldable about a folding axis extending in a direction, and a non-foldable area; a display panel configured to display an image; and a touch panel disposed on the display panel, wherein the touch panel comprises:
first touch sensors and second touch sensors; and
first signal lines and second signal lines respectively connected to ends of the first and second touch sensors,
wherein each of the first and second signal lines comprises:
a first part connected to a corresponding touch sensor; and
at least one signal pattern connected to the first part and disposed on the foldable area,
wherein the signal pattern comprises:
sub-lines connected to the first part; and
a connection line substantially parallel to the folding axis and connecting the sub-lines to each other, and
wherein each of the first and second sub-lines crosses the folding axis.

16 . The flexible display device of claim 15 , wherein each of the first and second signal lines comprises a plurality of signal patterns arranged in an extending direction of the first and second signal lines.

17 . The flexible display device of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of signal patterns of the first signal line and the plurality of signal patterns of the second signal line are alternately arranged to be engaged with each other.

18 . The flexible display device of claim 16 , wherein corresponding signal patterns from among the plurality of signal patterns of the first signal line and the plurality of signal patterns of the second signal line are disposed on the same line.

19 . A flexible display device comprising:
a foldable area configured to be foldable about a folding axis, and a non-foldable area; a display panel configured to display an image; and a touch panel disposed on the display panel, wherein the touch panel comprises:
touch sensors; and
signal lines respectively connected to one ends of the touch sensors,
wherein at least one signal line crossing the folding axis of the signal lines comprises:
a first part connected to one end of a corresponding touch sensor from among the touch sensors; and
at least one signal pattern connected to the first part and disposed on the foldable area,
wherein the signal pattern comprises:
a polygonal line connected to the first part; and
a connection line connecting one side and the other side of the polygonal line to each other and forming an angle of in a range of about 30 degrees or less with the folding axis.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Kyungseop
• Park Sungkyun
• Choi Sangkyu
• Han Sangyoun

Classifications

• H10K77/111

  Flexible substrates · CPC title

• G06F3/0445 Primary

  using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer · CPC title

• G06F2203/04112

  Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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