Flexible display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021111357-A1
Application number	US-201716498488-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2017
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Apr 15, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a flexible display device in which an average thickness of a layered body, a touch panel, and a polarizing plate in a bending region is thinner than an average thickness of the layered body, the touch panel, and the polarizing plate in a region other than the bending region.

First claim

1 . A flexible display device comprising:
a layered body including a flexible substrate and a plurality of electro-optical elements provided on a surface on one side of the flexible substrate; and a protection layer as a top layer configured to cover the layered body, wherein, when a plurality of layers including the layered body being a lower layer below the protection layer as well as the protection layer are bent to align two end portions opposing each other, a portion formed in a non-planar manner on a side opposing the two end portions is a bending region, and in at least one layer of the plurality of layers, an opening or a recessed and protruding portion is formed in at least a portion of the bending region of the at least one layer of the plurality of layers.

2 . The flexible display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of layers include the layered body, a touch panel, and a polarizing plate, and at least one of the layered body, the touch panel, and the polarizing plate includes an opening or a recessed and protruding portion formed in at least a portion of the bending region.

3 . The flexible display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein at least one of the layered body, the touch panel, and the polarizing plate is split by one opening formed in at least a portion of the bending region.

4 . The flexible display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein at least one of the layered body, the touch panel, and the polarizing plate includes one opening formed in at least a portion of the bending region.

5 . The flexible display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein at least one of the layered body, the touch panel, and the polarizing plate includes a plurality of openings formed, in at least a portion of the bending region, in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction orthogonal to each of the two end portions opposing each other.

6 . The flexible display device according to claim 3 ,
wherein a length of the one opening in a first direction orthogonal to each of the two end portions opposing each other is a length along the bending region of the at least one layer of the plurality of layers of the bending region when bent to align the two end portions opposing each other.

7 . The flexible display device according claim 5 ,
wherein a length of each of the plurality of openings in the first direction is a length along the bending region of the at least one layer of the plurality of layers of the bending region when bent to align the two end portions opposing each other.

8 . The flexible display device according to claim 3 ,
wherein a length of the one opening in a first direction orthogonal to each of the two end portions opposing each other is ½×3.14×2r or less, where r is a radius of curvature of the at least one layer of the plurality of layers of the bending region when bent to align the two end portions opposing each other.

9 . The flexible display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the touch panel is included in the layered body including the plurality of electro-optical elements.

10 . The flexible display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the touch panel is formed directly on the layered body including the plurality of electro-optical elements.

11 . The flexible display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the touch panel is formed integrally with the polarizing plate.

12 . The flexible display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the recessed and protruding portion is formed in at least a portion of the bending region of the polarizing plate.

13 . The flexible display device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the polarizing plate has a layered structure, one side of the polarizing plate is an adhesive layer, and the other side of the polarizing plate opposite to the one side of the polarizing plate is a protection film, and the recessed and protruding portion is formed in at least a portion of the bending region of the protection film.

14 . The flexible display device according to claim 13 ,
wherein the recessed and protruding portion is linearly formed in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction orthogonal to each of the two end portions opposing each other.

15 . The flexible display device according to claim 13 ,
wherein a thickness of a protruding portion from a recessed portion in the recessed and protruding portion of the protection film is thinner than half a thickness of the protection film.

16 . The flexible display device according to claim 13 ,
wherein the recessed and protruding portion of the protection film is formed into any one of a triangular shape, a rectangular shape, or a round shape.

17 . The flexible display device according to claim 13 ,
wherein the recessed portion of the recessed and protruding portion is formed into a dot-like shape.

18 . The flexible display device according to claim 17 ,
wherein a thickness of a protruding portion from a recessed portion in the recessed and protruding portion is thinner than half a thickness of the protection film.

19 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . The flexible display device according to claim 12 ,
wherein a length of the recessed and protruding portion in a first direction orthogonal to each of the two end portions opposing each other is ½×3.14×2r or less, where r is a radius of curvature of the polarizing plate in the bending region when bent to align the two end portions opposing each other.

22 . A flexible display device comprising:
a layered body including a flexible substrate and an electro-optical element provided on a surface on one side of the flexible substrate; and a protection layer as a top layer configured to cover the layered body, wherein, when a plurality of layers including the layered body being a lower layer below the protection layer as well as the protection layer are bent to align two end portions opposing each other, a portion formed in a non-planar manner on a side opposing the two end portions is a bending region, an opening is formed in at least a portion of the bending region of at least one of the plurality of layers, and a gel material is formed in the opening.

23 - 25 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Kawaguchi Tsuyoshi
• Araki Ryoh
• Nakano Taketoshi

Classifications

• H10K59/8792

  comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. black layers · CPC title

• H10K59/873

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K59/12

  Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays · CPC title

• H10K77/111

  Flexible substrates · CPC title

• H10K59/40 Primary

  OLEDs integrated with touch screens · CPC title