Flexible display device including multi-layer window member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9645613-B2
Application number	US-201514640119-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2015
Priority date	Mar 18, 2014
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

A flexible display device includes a flexible display panel and a window member. The flexible display panel includes a folding area, and a peripheral area disposed adjacent to the folding area. The window member includes a first base layer on the flexible display panel, and a second base layer having a substantially same modulus as that of the first base layer. A first thickness portion of the second base layer, which overlaps the folding area, has a thickness smaller than a thickness of a second thickness portion of the second base layer, which overlaps the peripheral area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible display device comprising:
a flexible display panel comprising a folding area in which a folding axis is defined, and a peripheral area adjacent to the folding area; and
a window member on a surface of the flexible display panel and overlapping the folding area and the peripheral area, the window member comprising:
a first base layer on the flexible display panel; and
a second base layer on the first base layer and having a same elastic modulus as the first base layer,
wherein a first thickness portion of the second base layer, which overlaps the folding area, has a thickness smaller than a thickness of a second thickness portion of the second base layer, which is different from the first thickness portion and overlaps the peripheral area.

2. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the window member has a substantially uniform thickness.

3. The flexible display device of claim 2 , wherein the thickness of the window member is in a range from about 20 micrometers to about 300 micrometers.

4. The flexible display device of claim 2 , wherein the window member comprises a flat outer surface defined by a surface of the second base layer.

5. The flexible display device of claim 2 , wherein a first thickness portion of the first base layer, which corresponds to the first thickness portion of the second base layer, has a thickness greater than a thickness of a second thickness portion of the first base layer, which is different from the first thickness portion thereof and corresponds to the second thickness portion of the second base layer.

6. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second base layers comprise a substantially same material.

7. The flexible display device of claim 6 , wherein a first thickness portion of the first base layer, which overlaps the first thickness portion of the second base layer, has a thickness corresponding to about 80% to about 120% of the thickness of the first thickness portion of the second base layer.

8. The flexible display device of claim 7 , wherein a second thickness portion of the first base layer, which overlaps the second thickness portion of the second base layer, has a thickness equal to or smaller than about 40% of the thickness of the second thickness portion of the second base layer.

9. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein a width in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the folding axis and a thickness direction, of the first thickness portion of the second base layer, is equal to or smaller than a width in the first direction of the folding area.

10. The flexible display device of claim 9 , wherein the first thickness portion of the second base layer has a uniform thickness.

11. The flexible display device of claim 9 , wherein the first thickness portion of the second base layer has a peak position in a cross-section, taken along the first direction.

12. The flexible display device of claim 9 , wherein
the first thickness portion of the second base layer comprises:
a center portion, and
boundary portions arranged adjacent to the center portion in the first direction,
wherein a thickness of the center portion is greater than the thicknesses of the boundary portions.

13. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the window member further comprises an optically transparent adhesive resin layer between the first base layer and the second base layer and attaching the first and second base layers to each other.

14. The flexible display device of claim 13 , wherein the optically transparent adhesive resin layer has an elastic modulus equal to or smaller than about 1 megapascal.

15. The flexible display device of claim 1 , further comprising a touch screen and a polarizing plate between the surface of the flexible display panel and the window member.

16. A flexible display device comprising:
a flexible display panel comprising a folding area, and a peripheral area adjacent to the folding area; and
a window member on a surface of the flexible display panel and overlapping the folding area and the peripheral area, comprising a plurality of base layers having a substantially same elastic modulus,
wherein a first thickness portion of an outer base layer farthest away from the flexible display panel among the plurality of base layers, which overlaps the folding area, has a thickness smaller than a thickness of a second thickness portion of the outer base layer, which overlaps the peripheral area.

17. The flexible display device of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of base layers comprises a substantially same material.

18. The flexible display device of claim 17 , wherein a first thickness portion of each base layer except for the outer base layer among the plurality of base layers, which overlaps the first thickness portion of the outer base layer, has a thickness corresponding to about 80% to about 120% of the thickness of the first thickness portion of the outer base layer.

19. The flexible display device of claim 18 , wherein a sum of thicknesses of second thickness portions of base layers except for the outer base layer among the plurality of base layers, which overlap the peripheral area, is equal to or smaller than about 40% of the thickness of the second thickness portion of the outer base layer.

20. The flexible display device of claim 19 , wherein the window member has a substantially uniform thickness and comprises a flat outer surface defined by a surface of the outer base layer.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nam Seungwook
• Kim Kyu Young
• Kim Ahyoung
• Min Gui-Nam
• Lee Kyu-Taek
• Jeong Yong Cheol
• Han Soyeon

Classifications

• B32B7/12

  using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties · CPC title

• B32B2307/51

  Elastic · CPC title

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title

• B32B2457/20

  Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays · CPC title

• Y10T428/24488

  Differential nonuniformity at margin · CPC title