Display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9304539-B2
Application number	US-201414459804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2014
Priority date	Jan 2, 2014
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a display panel to display an image, and a variable member to vary a shape of the display panel such that the display panel transforms from at least a first state to a second state, the display panel is bent in the second state. At least one portion of the display panel has a different curvature than another portion of the display panel in the second state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display apparatus comprising:
a display panel to display an image; and
a variable member to vary a shape of the display panel such that the display panel transforms from at least a first state to a second state, the display panel is bent in the second state,
wherein at least one portion of the display panel has a different curvature than another portion of the display panel in the second state, the display panel is bent in the second state such that a cross section of the display panel perpendicular to a first direction, the first direction corresponding to a vertical height direction of the display panel, has a curvature, and
wherein, if an area including a center of the display panel and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction is a first row, and an area including the center of the display panel and extending in the first direction is a first column, and
if, in the second state, a difference of curvatures between a center portion and an edge portion of the display panel in the first row is a first difference, and a difference of curvatures between a center portion and an edge portion of the display panel in the first column is a second difference,
the first difference is greater than the second difference.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the curvature of the display panel in the second state is less, at an edge portion, than that at a center portion in a second direction that crosses the first direction.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the curvature of the display panel in the second state is gradually reduced with increasing distance from the center portion or decreasing distance to the edge portion in the second direction.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display panel is bent in the second state such that a cross section of the display panel in the first direction has a curvature, and the curvature is, at an edge portion, equal to or greater than that at a center portion in the first direction.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the curvature of the display panel in the second state is gradually increased with increasing distance from the center portion or decreasing distance to the edge portion in the first direction.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display panel is bent in the second state such that a cross section thereof perpendicular to a first direction has a curvature, and
wherein, if the display panel is divided into a plurality of virtual areas in the second state, at least two virtual areas have different curvatures.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the virtual areas include a first row including a center of the display panel and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction to include an edge portion of the display panel,
a first column crossing a center portion of the first row in the first direction and a second column crossing the edge portion of the first row in the first direction, and
wherein, a curvature of the first column is greater than a curvature of the second column.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the virtual areas include at least one third column in the first direction located between the first column and the second column, and
wherein, a curvature of the at least one third column is less than the curvature of the first column and greater than the curvature of the second column.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the at least one third column includes a plurality of third columns, and
wherein curvatures of the respective third columns are gradually reduced with increasing distance from the first column or decreasing distance to the second column.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the virtual areas include a second row that does not include a center of the display panel and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction to include an edge portion of the display panel,
a first column crossing a center portion of the second row in the first direction and a second column crossing the edge portion of the second row in the first direction, and
wherein, a curvature of the first column is greater than a curvature of the second column.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the virtual areas include a first row including a center of the display panel and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a second row including an edge of the display panel and extending in the second direction,
wherein a first column crosses each of the first row and the second row and includes the center of the display panel and a second column crosses each of the first row and the second row and includes the edge of the display panel in the second direction, and
wherein a curvature of a portion of the first column crossing the second row is equal to or greater than a curvature of a portion of the first column crossing the first row.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein a curvature of a portion of the second column crossing the second row is equal to or greater than a curvature of a portion of the second column crossing the first row.

13. The display apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the virtual areas include a first row including a center of the display panel and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a second row including an edge of the display panel and extending in the second direction,
wherein a first column crosses each of the first row and the second row and includes the center of the display panel and a second column crosses each of the first row and the second row and includes the edge of the display panel in the second direction, and
wherein, if a difference of curvatures between the first column and the second column crossing the first row is a first difference and a difference of curvatures between the first row and the second row crossing the first column is a second difference, the first difference is greater than the second difference.

14. The display apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the variable member extends lengthwise in a second direction crossing the first direction, and
wherein the variable member is bent in the second state with a curvature.

15. The display apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein a curvature of a center portion of the variable member is greater than a curvature of an edge portion of the variable member in the second state.

16. The display apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the first state is a planar state of the display panel, and
wherein, in the first state of the display panel, the variable member tilted towards the display panel such that a distance between the variable member and the display panel is less, at an edge portion of the variable member, than that at a center portion of the variable member in the second direction.

17. The display apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display apparatus further comprises a support member provided between the display panel and the variable member to support the display panel,
wherein the variable member includes a first part and a second part spaced apart from each other by a distance, and
wherein the display apparatus further comprises a guide member provided on each of the first and second parts, the guide member serving to movably secure the variable member to the support member.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Song Hyuncheol
• Lee Kyueung
• Choi Inwan
• Kim Jinsu

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G09F19/02

  incorporating moving display members · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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

• G02F1/133305

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