Display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9301389-B2
Application number	US-201314132168-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2013
Priority date	May 14, 2013
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a flexible display panel configured to display an image, and a bending control portion including a plurality of blocks on a rear side of the display panel, the plurality of blocks being connected to each other and rotated toward the display panel at a predetermined angle, wherein first side surfaces of the blocks are spaced part from each other at a first distance, first side surfaces of the blocks being adjacent to front surfaces of the blocks facing the display panel, wherein second side surfaces of the blocks are adjacent to each other and substantially parallel to each other, the second side surfaces of the blocks being adjacent to rear surfaces of the blocks opposite the front surfaces of the blocks, and wherein the blocks are rotatable toward the display panel with respect to a border therebetween, such that the first distance decreases.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display apparatus, comprising:
a flexible display panel configured to display an image; and
a bending control portion including a plurality of blocks on a rear side of the display panel, the plurality of blocks being connected to each other via pin units and rotated toward the display panel at a predetermined angle,
wherein first side surfaces of the blocks are spaced part from each other at a first distance, first side surfaces of the blocks being adjacent to front surfaces of the blocks facing the display panel,
wherein second side surfaces of the blocks are adjacent to each other and substantially parallel to each other, the second side surfaces of the blocks being adjacent to rear surfaces of the blocks opposite the front surfaces of the blocks,
wherein the blocks are rotatable toward the display panel around the pin units with respect to a border therebetween, such that the first distance decreases,
wherein the plurality of blocks includes:
a first block connected to a center portion of the display panel,
a plurality of second blocks disposed at a first side of the first block and arranged in a first direction, and
a plurality of third blocks disposed at a second side of the first block and arranged in the first direction to be symmetrical with the second blocks, and

wherein the bending control portion further includes a first and a second block driving units at an upper and at a lower portions of the rear surface of the first block and rotating the first block, the second blocks and the third blocks.

2. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the display panel is extended in the first direction to have long sides in the first direction and short sides in a second direction substantially vertical to the first direction, each of the blocks being extended in the second direction to have long sides in the second direction and short sides in the first direction, and the blocks' area being arranged in the first direction.

3. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the bending control portion further comprises:
a plurality of first pulley units at upper and lower surfaces of the first block and the second blocks;
a plurality of second pulley units at upper and lower surfaces of the first block and the third blocks;
a plurality of first wire fixing units at the upper and lower surfaces of a last second block, which is positioned at an outermost position in the first side, among the second blocks;
a plurality of second wire fixing units at the upper and lower surfaces of a last third block, which is positioned at an outermost position in the second side, among the third blocks;
a plurality of first wires disposed at the upper and lower portions of the first block and the second blocks, each connected to a corresponding first wire fixing unit of the first wire fixing units, and connected to a first side of the first and second block driving units via the first pulley unit; and
a plurality of second wires disposed at the upper and lower portions of the first block and the third blocks, each connected to a corresponding second wire fixing unit of the second wire fixing units, and connected to a second side of the first and second block driving units via the second pulley unit.

4. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first pulley units include:
a plurality of first first pulley units disposed adjacent to a rear surface of the first block and second sub-blocks having the second blocks, except for the last second block, and disposed at a first side of upper and lower surfaces of the first block and the second sub-blocks; and
a plurality of first second pulley units disposed adjacent to a front surface of the second blocks and disposed at a second side of the upper and lower surfaces of the second blocks, the second pulley units including:
a plurality of second first pulley units disposed adjacent to a rear surface of the first block and third sub-blocks configured to include the third blocks, except for the last third block, and disposed at a second side of upper and lower surfaces of the first block and the third sub-blocks, and
a plurality of second second pulley units disposed adjacent to a front surface of the third blocks and at a first side of the upper and lower surfaces of the third blocks.

5. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein:
a predetermined area of the upper portion of the first block driving unit is disposed at a position higher than an upper boundary surface of the first block,
a predetermined area of the lower portion of the second block driving unit is disposed at a position lower than a lower boundary surface of the first block,
the first wire fixing units are disposed to the rear surface of the last second block and disposed at the first side of the upper and lower surfaces of the last second block, and
the second wire fixing units are disposed to the rear surface of the last third block and disposed at the second side of the upper and lower surfaces of the last third block.

6. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein:
the first block driving unit includes a first motor unit disposed at the first side thereof and a second motor unit disposed at the second side thereof and rotated in an opposite direction to the first motor unit,
the second block driving unit includes a third motor unit disposed at the first side thereof and a fourth motor unit disposed at the second side thereof and rotated in an opposite direction to the third motor unit, and
the first motor unit is rotated in a same direction as the third motor unit, and the second motor unit is rotated in a same direction as the fourth motor unit.

7. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein:
a first end of each of the first wires is connected to a second side of a corresponding first wire fixing unit of the first wire fixing units, a second end of each of the first wires being connected to the first and third motor units, the first wires being disposed on side surfaces of the first first pulley units adjacent to the rear surface of the second sub-blocks and on side surfaces of the first second pulley units adjacent to the front surface of the second blocks, and
one end of each of the second wires is connected to the second and fourth motor units, the other end of each of the second wires being connected to a first side of a corresponding second wire fixing unit of the second wire fixing units, and the second wires being disposed on side surfaces of the second first pulley units adjacent to the rear surface of the third sub-blocks and on side surfaces of the second second pulley units adjacent to the front surface of the third blocks.

8. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second pulley units has a cylindrical shape, a diameter of an outer circumference surface of a center portion of each of the first and second pulley units being smaller than a diameter of an outer circumference surface of upper and lower sides of each of the first and second pulley units, and the first and second wires being on the outer circumference surface of the center portion of the first and second pulley units.

9. The display apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein each of the second sub-blocks includes:
a first extension portion having a first width in a third direction substantially vertical to the first and second direction and a first length in the first direction;
a second extension portion connected to a first side of the first extension portion and having a second length smaller than the first length in the first direction;
a first protrusion portion having a third extension portion connected to a

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yeo Gilhwan
• Lee Jeongho

Classifications

• H05K2201/2009

  Reinforced areas, e.g. for a specific part of a flexible printed circuit · CPC title

• H05K1/0281 Primary

  Reinforcement details thereof · CPC title

• G02F1/133305

  Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film · CPC title

• G09F9/00 Primary

  Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements (in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00) · CPC title