Electronic devices with flexible displays having fastened bent edges

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9256250-B2
Application number	US-201414247124-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2014
Priority date	Apr 20, 2012
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with a display having a flexible substrate with fastened bent edges. The flexible substrate may have an active region that includes an array of light-emitting elements such as organic light-emitting diodes. The flexible substrate may also have inactive regions that lie outside of the active region. The bent edges may include portions of the inactive regions and portions of the active region. The bent edges may be wrapped to conform to the shape of an internal support structure. The bent edges may be fastened to the support structure with fastening members that attach a housing member or an internal clamp to the support structure. The bent edges may be secured between the housing member or the internal clamp and the support structure. The fastening members may be engaged in openings in the support structure and may pass through or alongside the bent edges.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
an organic light-emitting diode display having an array of display pixels formed on a display substrate; and
a mandrel having an edge, wherein a portion of the display substrate is wrapped around the edge of the mandrel.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display substrate includes an active area in which the array of display pixels is formed and wherein the display substrate is curved in the active area.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the display substrate has a convex surface and wherein the array of display pixels is formed on the convex surface.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the portion of the display substrate that is wrapped around the edge of the mandrel extends behind the active area of the display substrate.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein a portion of the mandrel is interposed between the active area of the display substrate and the portion of the display substrate that extends behind the active area of the display substrate.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 2 further comprising a glass cover layer having a curved surface.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the edge of the mandrel has a curved surface and wherein the display substrate bends around the curved surface.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display substrate comprises a flexible sheet of polymer.

9. An electronic device, comprising:
a display having a flexible substrate and an array of display pixels formed on a first portion of the flexible substrate;
a support structure having a rounded edge, wherein a second portion of the flexible substrate curves around the rounded edge; and
a housing in which the display and the support structure are mounted.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the support structure comprises opposing upper and lower surfaces, wherein the rounded edge joins the upper and lower surfaces, wherein the first portion of the flexible substrate is adjacent to the upper surface and wherein the second portion of the flexible substrate is adjacent to the lower surface.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the array of display pixels comprises an array of organic light-emitting diode pixels.

12. The electronic device 9 wherein the flexible substrate comprises a flexible sheet of polymer.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the first portion of the flexible substrate on which the array of display pixels is formed is curved.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the support structure comprises metal.

15. An electronic device, comprising:
a flexible display having a bent edge portion;
a curved transparent cover layer through which the flexible display emits light; and
a mandrel having opposing upper and lower surfaces joined by a rounded edge, wherein the bent edge portion of the flexible display bends around the rounded edge from the upper surface to the lower surface of the mandrel.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the flexible display comprises a flexible organic light-emitting diode display having an array of organic light-emitting diode pixels.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the bent edge portion comprises conductive routing lines for routing display signals to the array of organic light-emitting diode pixels.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the array of organic light-emitting diode pixels is formed on a non-planar portion of the flexible display.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 15 further comprising an adhesive interposed between the flexible display and the mandrel.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Raff John
• Myers Scott A
• Stringer Christopher

Classifications

• G06F1/1637 Primary

  Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing · CPC title

• Y10T29/49002

  Electrical device making · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• H04L1/00

  Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received {(correcting synchronisation H04L7/00)} · CPC title

• G06F1/1601 Primary

  Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays (constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64) · CPC title