Rollable display device, method of manufacturing the same, and flexible display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9730318-B2
Application number	US-201514701442-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 22, 2014
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A rollable display device includes a flexible display panel, a housing, a grip part, and a connection part. The flexible display panel is configured to display an image. The flexible display panel is rolled and kept inside the housing. The grip part extends the flexible display panel from the housing to expose the flexible display panel to the outside of the housing. The connection part is between the flexible display panel and the grip part to connect the flexible display panel and the grip part. The connection part is not configured to display the image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rollable display device comprising:
a flexible display panel configured to display an image;
a housing defining a flat opening and configured to contain the flexible display panel when the flexible display panel is rolled;
a grip part configured to extend the flexible display panel from the housing upon application of an external force to expose the flexible display panel to an outside of the housing; and
a connection part between the flexible display panel and the grip part connecting the flexible display panel and the grip part, wherein the connection part is not capable of displaying the image,
wherein a first direction is an extensible direction of the flexible display panel, a second direction is a thickness direction of the flexible display panel, and a third direction is a direction perpendicular to each of the first and second directions, and
wherein a width of the connection part in the third direction and a width of the flexible display panel in the third direction are the same.

2. The rollable display device of claim 1 ,
wherein the flexible display panel is spaced from the grip part in a first direction and the flexible display panel comprises:
a base substrate; and
an image display part on the base substrate and configured to display the image.

3. The rollable display device of claim 2 , wherein the connection part comprises a connection film connected to at least a portion of the base substrate and the image display part.

4. The rollable display device of claim 3 , wherein the connection film has a thickness equal to a sum of a thickness of the base substrate and a thickness of the image display part.

5. The rollable display device of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the base substrate and the connection film comprises at least one of polycarbonate (PC), polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polysulfone (PSF), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), triacetylcellulose (TAC), cycloolefin polymer (COP), and cycloolefin copolymer (COC).

6. The rollable display device of claim 2 , wherein the connection part comprises a connection base substrate extending from the base substrate in the first direction.

7. The rollable display device of claim 2 , wherein the flexible display panel further comprises a polarization film on the image display part and the connection part comprises a connection polarization film extending from the polarization film in the first direction.

8. The rollable display device of claim 7 , wherein the flexible display panel further comprises an upper protective film on the polarization film and the connection part further comprises a connection upper protective film on the connection polarization film, the connection upper protective film extending from the upper protective film in the first direction.

9. The rollable display device of claim 2 , wherein the flexible display panel further comprises a lower protective film under the base substrate and the connection part comprises a connection lower protective film extending from the lower protective film in the first direction.

10. The rollable display device of claim 1 ,
wherein the grip part comprises:
an upper grip part on the connection part and overlapped with at least a portion of the connection part; and
a lower grip part under the connection part and overlapped with at least a portion of the connection part.

11. The rollable display device of claim 10 , wherein the grip part further comprises a side surface grip part that covers one side surface of the connection part and is connected to the upper grip part and the lower grip part.

12. The rollable display device of claim 10 , further comprising a fixing screw,
wherein the fixing screw connects the upper grip part and the lower grip part and fixes the upper grip part to the lower grip part.

13. The rollable display device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the connection part is different from a thickness of the flexible display panel.

14. The rollable display device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the connection part is less than a thickness of the flexible display panel.

15. The rollable display device of claim 1 , wherein a number of layers included in the connection part is less than a number of layers included in the flexible display panel.

16. A method of manufacturing a rollable display device comprising:
preparing a flexible display panel and a connection part connected to the flexible display panel, wherein the flexible display panel is configured to display an image and the connection part is not capable of displaying the image;
connecting the flexible display panel to a housing; and
connecting the connection part to a grip part.

17. The method of claim 16 ,
wherein the preparing of the flexible display panel and the connection part comprises:
preparing a base substrate; and
disposing an image display part on the base substrate, wherein the image display part is configured to display the image.

18. The method of claim 17 ,
wherein the preparing of the flexible display panel and the connection part comprises:
preparing a connection film; and
attaching the connection film to the base substrate and the image display part.

19. The method of claim 17 ,
wherein the preparing of the base substrate comprises preparing a base substrate and a connection base substrate extending from the base substrate in a first direction,
the connecting of the connection part and the grip part comprises connecting the connection base substrate to the grip part,
the flexible display panel comprises the base substrate and the image display part, and
the connection part comprises the connection base substrate.

20. The method of claim 17 ,
wherein the preparing of the flexible display panel and the connection part further comprises:
preparing a polarization film and a connection polarization film extending from the polarization film in a first direction; and
disposing the polarization film on the image display part,
wherein the connecting of the connection part to the grip part comprises connecting the connection polarization film to the grip part,
the flexible display panel comprises the base substrate, the image display part, and the polarization film, and
the connection part comprises the connection polarization film.

21. The method of claim 20 ,
wherein the preparing of the flexible display panel and the connection part further comprises:
preparing an upper protective film and a connection upper protective film extending from the upper protective film in a first direction; and
disposing the upper protective film on the polarization film,
wherein the connecting of the connection part to the grip part comprises connecting the connection upper protective film to the grip part, and
wherein the flexible display panel comprises the base substrate, the image display part, the polarization film, and the upper protective film, and the connection part comprises the connection polarization film and the connection upper protective film.

22. The method of claim 17 ,
wherein the preparing of the flexible display panel and the connection part further comprises:
preparing a lower protective film and a connection lower protective film extending from the lower protective film in a first direction; and
disposing the base substrate on the lower protective film,
wherein the connecting of the connection part to the grip part comprises connecting the connection

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Kyungmin
• Kim Youn Joon
• Lee Sangjo
• Lee Junghun
• Lee Jusuck

Classifications

• G06F1/1652

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

• G02F2201/50

  Protective arrangements · CPC title

• G09F9/301 Primary

  flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED · CPC title

• H05K2201/10128

  Display · CPC title

• H05K5/0217

  Mechanical details of casings (covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03) · CPC title