Foldable display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9572272-B2
Application number	US-201414584764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2014
Priority date	Mar 5, 2014
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A foldable display apparatus for minimizing stress applied to a bending area of a display panel. The foldable display apparatus can include a display panel configured to include a display area which includes a first display area, a second display area, and a bending area which is defined between the first and second display areas, a housing configured to include a first housing member, which supports a first area of the display panel corresponding to the first display area, and a second housing member which supports a second area of the display panel corresponding to the second display area, and a hinge part connected between the first and second housing members, and configured to enable the display panel to be folded or unfolded with respect to the bending area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable display apparatus comprising:
a display panel configured to include a display area which includes a first display area, a second display area, and a bending area which is defined between the first and second display areas;
a housing configured to include a first housing member, which supports a first area of the display panel corresponding to the first display area, and a second housing member which supports a second area of the display panel corresponding to the second display area; and
a hinge part connected between the first and second housing members, and configured to enable the display panel to be folded or unfolded with respect to the bending area,
wherein the hinge part comprises a curvature guide member configured to guide the bending area to be bent at a predetermined curvature through a rotation motion,
wherein the curvature guide member comprises a pair of curvature guide side walls provided at the first housing member, and configured to perform the rotation motion according to a rotation of the first housing member, and each of the pair of curvature guide side walls comprises a rounding part provided to have a certain curvature, and configured to guide the bending area to be bent at the predetermined curvature, and
wherein the hinge part further comprises a planarizing member configured to perform a sliding motion between a supporting position, which overlaps the bending area, and an avoiding position, which does not overlap the bending area, according to a rotation motion of the curvature guide member.

2. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the planarizing member supports the bending area at the supporting position to planarize the bending area.

3. The foldable display apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the planarizing member comprises a planarizing plate with a rectangular shape having a long side and a short side, and is coupled to a top of the planarizing member adjacent to the bending area.

4. The foldable display apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the planarizing plate is configured to slide along with a sliding motion of the planarizing member which interoperates with a rotation of the curvature guide member, and performs a supporting operation of supporting the bending area while the display panel is unfolded or an avoiding operation that does not obstruct bending of the bending area while the display panel is folded.

5. The foldable display apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the planarizing plate protrudes to a certain height from the planarizing member, and when the display panel is unfolded, the planarizing plate is inserted between the first and second housing members.

6. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hinge part further comprises:
a rotation shaft member configured to rotatably connect each of the pair of curvature guide side walls to one side of the planarizing member; and
a sliding guide member configured to guide a sliding motion of the planarizing member.

7. The foldable display apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the planarizing member comprises:
a sliding body configured to support the bending area at the supporting position; and
a pair of side wall links provided at the sliding body, respectively connected to the pair of curvature guide side walls through the rotation shaft member, and configured to perform a sliding motion according to a rotation motion of each of the pair of curvature guide side walls.

8. The foldable display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the planarizing member further comprises a planarizing plate coupled to the sliding body, inserted between the first and second housing members, and configured to support the bending area at the supporting position.

9. The foldable display apparatus of claim 8 , wherein,
the second housing member comprises a housing plate configured to support the second area of the display panel, and
a side of the planarizing plate and a side of the housing plate, which face each other, are rounded at a certain curvature.

10. The foldable display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the sliding guide member comprises:
a guide rail provided at one of the side wall links and the second housing member, and configured to guide a sliding path of the planarizing member; and
a sliding pin provided at the other side wall link of the side wall links and the second housing member, and coupled to the guide rail for sliding the guide rail.

11. The foldable display apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the guide rail is inclined in a length direction with a certain slope.

12. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of curvature guide side walls comprises an extension part including a stepped part, and the stepped part is provided in a stepped shape from a top of each of the pair of curvature guide side walls and the rounded part, respectively.

13. The foldable display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the stepped part is configured to provide a space between the top of each of the pair of curvature guide side walls and the stepped part that allows a corner of the extension part to not contact the bending area while the display panel is folded.

14. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pair of curvature guide side walls is provided as one body with the first housing member.

15. A foldable display apparatus comprising:
a display panel configured to include a display area which includes a first display area, a second display area, and a bending area which is defined between the first and second display areas;
a housing configured to include a first housing member, which supports a first area of the display panel corresponding to the first display area, and a second housing member which supports a second area of the display panel corresponding to the second display area; and
a hinge part connected between the first and second housing members, and configured to enable the display panel to be folded or unfolded with respect to the bending area,
wherein the hinge part comprises a curvature guide member configured to guide the bending area to be bent at a predetermined curvature through a rotation motion, and
wherein the hinge part further comprises a planarizing member configured to perform a sliding motion between a supporting position, which overlaps the bending area, and an avoiding position, which does not overlap the bending area, according to a rotation motion of the curvature guide member.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Dal Jae

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F1/1641

  the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K2201/2009

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

• G06F1/1616

  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

• H05K2201/10128

  Display · CPC title