Window panel for a display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9354476-B2
Application number	US-201314134493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2013
Priority date	Aug 7, 2013
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A window panel includes a first rigid part including a rigid material, a second rigid part including the rigid material, and a base substrate interposed between the first and second rigid parts and including a folding part configured to be folded by an external force. The folding part includes a first area and a second area, which are alternately arranged on a plane surface of the base substrate substantially perpendicular to a thickness direction of the base substrate. The first area includes the rigid material, and at least a portion of the second area includes a soft material. Thus, the rigidity of the window panel is maintained by the rigid material and the flexibility of the window panel is improved by the soft material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A window panel comprising:
at least one base substrate comprising:
a first rigid part that includes a rigid material,
a second rigid part that includes the rigid material; and
a folding part interposed between the first and second rigid parts and configured to be folded by an external force,

wherein the folding part comprises:
a first area comprising the rigid material, and
a second area, wherein at least a portion of the second area comprises a material softer than the rigid material

wherein the first and second areas are alternately arranged on a plane surface of the folding part substantially perpendicular to a thickness direction of the base substrate.

2. The window panel of claim 1 , wherein the first and second rigid parts are arranged in a first direction, and the first and second areas are extended in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and alternately arranged in the first direction.

3. The window panel of claim 2 , wherein the folding part comprises a hole formed through the base substrate corresponding to the second area wherein the hole is filled with the soft material.

4. The window panel of claim 2 , wherein the folding part comprises a recess formed by partially recessing the base substrate corresponding to the second area and wherein the recess is filled with the soft material.

5. The window panel of claim 1 , further comprising at least one soft layer disposed on the base substrate and comprising the soft material.

6. The window panel of claim 5 , wherein the at least one base substrate and the at least one soft layer are alternately stacked.

7. The window panel of claim 6 , further comprising a flexible cover film disposed on the soft layer, wherein the flexible cover film has a rigidity greater than a rigidity of the soft layer.

8. The window panel of claim 1 , wherein the soft material comprises a silica ball.

9. The window panel of claim 1 , wherein the soft material has a refractive index substantially similar to a refractive index of the rigid material.

10. The window panel of claim 1 , wherein the soft material comprises a polymer resin.

11. The window panel of claim 1 , wherein the rigid material comprises a glass or a rigid resin film.

12. A display apparatus comprising:
a display panel that displays an image; and
a window panel disposed on the display panel to protect the display panel, the window panel comprising:
a base substrate comprising a first rigid part including a rigid material, a second rigid part including the rigid material, and a folding part interposed between the first and second rigid parts and configured to be folded by an external force, wherein the folding part comprises a first area and a second area alternately arranged on a plane surface of the folding part substantially perpendicular to a thickness direction of the base substrate, the first area comprising the rigid material, and at least a portion of the second area comprising a soft material.

13. The display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first and second rigid parts are arranged in a first direction, the first and second areas are extended in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and alternately arranged in the first direction.

14. The display apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the folding part comprises a hole formed through the base substrate corresponding to the second area and wherein the hole is filled with the soft material.

15. The display apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the folding part comprises a recess formed by partially recessing the base substrate corresponding to the second area and wherein the recess is filled with the soft material.

16. A method of manufacturing a window panel, comprising:
disposing a base substrate comprising a rigid material and a mother substrate, the base substrate comprising a first rigid part, a second rigid part, and a folding part disposed between the first and second rigid parts and configured to be folded by an external force;
etching at least a portion of the base substrate in a second area on a plane surface substantially perpendicular to a thickness direction of the base substrate;
filling the etched at least portion of the second area with a soft material having a flexibility; and
separating the mother substrate from the base substrate.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising distributing silica balls in the soft material.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing the soft material on the base substrate to form a soft layer on the base substrate.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising forming a cover film on the soft layer, wherein the cover film has a flexibility and a rigidity greater than a rigidity of the soft material.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Han Soyeon
• Kim Kyu Young
• Min Gui-Nam
• Lee Kyu-Taek
• Lee Jongin
• Han Kyung Woo

Classifications

• G06F1/1652

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

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• Y10T428/24479

  including variation in thickness · CPC title

• G06F1/1616 Primary

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title

• Y10T428/24273

  including aperture · CPC title