Rollable display device and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9743537-B2
Application number	US-201514746719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Jan 13, 2015
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A rollable display device includes a flexible display panel, a housing, and a guide part. The flexible display panel is configured to display an image. The housing is configured to house the flexible display panel when the flexible display panel is rolled inside the housing. The guide part is provided at an edge portion of the flexible display panel. When the flexible display panel is rolled inside the housing, the flexible display panel includes a plurality of display panel layers, the display panel layers being spaced apart from each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rollable display device comprising:
a flexible display panel configured to display an image;
a housing that houses the flexible display panel when the flexible display panel is rolled; and
a guide part at an edge portion of the flexible display panel, the edge portion comprising:
a lower surface edge portion at a lower surface of the flexible display panel; and
an upper surface edge portion at an upper surface of the flexible display panel,

wherein the guide part comprises:
a lower surface guide part overlapped with the lower surface edge portion; and
an upper surface guide part overlapped with the upper surface edge portion and the lower surface guide part,

wherein when the flexible display panel is rolled inside the housing, a roll of the flexible display panel that is formed comprises a plurality of display panel layers, the plurality of display panel layers being spaced apart from each other,
wherein the lower surface edge portion comprises:
a first lower surface edge portion;
a second lower surface edge portion spaced apart from the first lower surface edge portion;
a third lower surface edge portion connected to the first and second lower surface edge portions; and
a fourth lower surface edge portion spaced apart from the third lower surface edge portion and connected to the first and second lower surface edge portions, and

wherein the upper surface edge portion comprises:
a first upper surface edge portion;
a second upper surface edge portion spaced apart from the first upper surface edge portion;
a third upper surface edge portion connected to the first and second upper surface edge portions; and
a fourth upper surface edge portion spaced apart from the third upper surface edge portion and connected to the first and second upper surface edge portions,

wherein the lower surface guide part comprises:
a first lower surface guide part overlapped with the first lower surface edge portion; and
a second lower surface guide part overlapped with the second lower surface edge portion, and

wherein the upper surface guide part comprises:
a first upper surface guide part overlapped with the first upper surface edge portion and the first lower surface guide part; and
a second upper surface guide part overlapped with the second upper surface edge portion and the second lower surface guide part.

2. The rollable display device of claim 1 , wherein when the flexible display panel is rolled inside the housing, a roll of the guide part that is formed comprises a plurality of guide part layers, the plurality of guide part layers contacting each other.

3. The rollable display device of claim 1 , wherein the guide part further comprises a side surface guide part connecting the lower surface guide part and the upper surface guide part and covering a side surface of the flexible display panel.

4. The rollable display device of claim 3 , wherein the side surface guide part comprises:
a lower side surface guide part connected to the lower surface guide part; and
an upper side surface guide part connected to the upper surface guide part.

5. The rollable display device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display panel comprises:
a first flexible display panel inside the housing; and
a second flexible display panel connected to the first flexible display panel and exposable to an outside of the housing,
wherein the first lower surface edge portion comprises:
a first sub-lower surface edge portion of a lower surface of the first flexible display panel; and
a fifth sub-lower surface edge portion of a lower surface of the second flexible display panel,

wherein the second lower surface edge portion comprises:
a second sub-lower surface edge portion of the lower surface of the first flexible display panel; and
a sixth sub-lower surface edge portion of the lower surface of the second flexible display panel,

wherein the first upper surface edge portion comprises:
a first sub-upper surface edge portion of an upper surface of the first flexible display panel; and
a fifth sub-upper surface edge portion of an upper surface of the second flexible display panel, and

wherein the second upper surface edge portion comprises:
a second sub-upper surface edge portion of the upper surface of the first flexible display panel; and
a sixth sub-upper surface edge portion of the upper surface of the second flexible display panel.

6. The rollable display device of claim 5 , wherein the first lower surface guide part comprises:
a first sub-lower surface guide part overlapped with the first sub-lower surface edge portion; and
a third lower surface guide part overlapped with the fifth sub-lower surface edge portion,
wherein the second lower surface guide part comprises:
a second sub-lower surface guide part overlapped with the second sub-lower surface edge portion; and
a fourth lower surface guide part overlapped with the sixth sub-lower surface edge portion.

7. The rollable display device of claim 6 ,
wherein the first upper surface guide part comprises:
a first sub-upper surface guide part overlapped with the first sub-upper surface edge portion; and
a third upper surface guide part overlapped with the fifth sub-upper surface edge portion and the third lower surface guide part, and
wherein the second upper surface guide part comprises:
a second sub-upper surface guide part overlapped with the second sub-upper surface edge portion; and
a fourth upper surface guide part overlapped with the sixth sub-upper surface edge portion and the fourth lower surface guide part.

8. The rollable display device of claim 7 ,
wherein the first sub-lower surface guide part, the second sub-lower surface guide part, the first sub-upper surface guide part, and the second sub-upper surface guide part disposed at an inside the housing, and
the third sub-lower surface guide part, the fourth sub-lower surface guide part, the third sub-upper surface guide part, and the fourth sub-upper surface guide part disposed at an outside of the housing.

9. The rollable display device of claim 1 , further comprising a grip part connected to the flexible display panel.

10. The rollable display device of claim 9 , wherein the grip part comprises:
an upper grip part on the flexible display panel and overlapped with at least a portion of the flexible display panel; and
a lower grip part under the flexible display panel and overlapped with at least a portion of the flexible display panel.

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

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

13. A method of manufacturing a rollable display device, comprising:
preparing a flexible display panel;
providing a guide part at an edge portion of the flexible display panel; and
connecting the flexible display panel to a housing,
wherein the flexible display panel is configured to be rolled inside the housing, and when the flexible display panel is rolled inside the housing, a roll of the flexible display panel that is formed comprises a plurality of display panel layers, the plurality of display panel layers being spaced apart from each other by the guide part,
wherein the edge portion comprises:
a lower surface edge portion at a lower surface of the flexible display panel; and
an upper surface edge portion at an upper surface of the

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Younjoon
• Lee Sangjo
• Lee Junghun
• Lee Jusuck
• Jang Mi
• Choi Kyungmin

Classifications

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• H05K13/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components · CPC title

• H05K5/0017 Primary

  with operator interface units · CPC title

• H05K5/02

  Details · CPC title

• G09F11/02

  the display elements being secured to rotating members, e.g. drums, spindles · CPC title