Display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9830839-B2
Application number	US-201414183888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2014
Priority date	Jun 20, 2013
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a display panel, a variable member to vary a shape of the display panel, the variable member including at least a first part and a second part that are discontiguous, and a drive unit to provide energy required to vary a separation distance between the first part and the second part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display apparatus comprising:
a display module including a flexible display panel and a support member supporting the display panel;
a variable member to vary a shape of the display panel, the variable member including at least a first part and a second part that are discontinuous;
a drive unit to provide energy required to vary a separation distance between the first part and the second part so that the shape of the display panel is varied, the drive unit including a first moving member configured to linearly move in a left-and-right direction and a second moving member configured to linearly move in the left-and-right direction,
wherein the first part is coupled to the first moving member and the second part is coupled to the second moving member;
guide members ( 374 ) to guide movement of the first moving member and the second moving member; and
guide members ( 28 ) movably supporting the first part and the second part by contacting a rear surface of the first and the second parts, the guide members ( 28 ) secured to the support member,
wherein inner ends which face each other, of the first and second parts are connected to the moving member;
outer ends which are the opposite ends of the respective inner ends of the first and second parts are secured to the display module:
each of the guide members ( 28 ) comprises of an upper portion spaced apart from the support member and contacting the rear surface;
the distance between the variable member and the display module increases going towards the center of the display module; and
a height of a space between upper portions of the guide members and the support member increases going towards the center.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drive unit is located between the first part and the second part to vary the separation distance between the first part and the second part using mechanical energy.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the drive unit includes:
a rotation drive member to supply rotational energy; and
a lead screw member having screw-threads to change the rotational energy into linear movement energy;
wherein the moving member moves on the lead screw member, thereby varying the separation distance between the first part and the second part.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a rotating axis of the rotation drive member intersects with a longitudinal direction of the variable member.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a gear member to change the direction of a rotating axis of the rotational energy of the rotation drive member to a longitudinal direction of the variable member.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the gear member includes a bevel gear or a worm gear.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first moving member is located at a first portion of the lead screw member and the second moving member is located at a second portion of the lead screw member.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a rotating axis of the rotation drive member intersects with a longitudinal direction of the variable member,
wherein the display apparatus further includes a gear member to change the direction of a rotating axis of the rotation drive member, and
wherein the lead screw member is located in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the variable member and the gear member interacting with the lead screw member.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein screw-threads formed at a first portion of the lead screw member and screw-threads formed at a second portion of the lead screw member opposite to the first portion have opposite screwing directions.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a first bracket located at one side of the moving member and a second bracket located at the other side of the moving member,
wherein the moving member moves between the first bracket and the second bracket.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein one or more drive members are provided.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the support member is located at a rear surface of the display panel and the variable member is located at the rear surface of the support member.

13. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the guide members ( 28 ) comprises of an upper portion spaced apart from the support member, and a lateral portion downwardly bent from the upper portion and secured to the support member.

14. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein increasing the separation distance between the first part and the second part causes bending of the first part and the second part such that a central portion of the first part and a central portion of the second part protrude rearward from the display module.

15. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the guide members ( 28 ) comprises of an upper portion spaced apart from the support member, and a pair of lateral portion secured to the support member.

16. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first part and the second part are movable leftward or rightward while being supported by the guide members.

17. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between the variable member and the support member increases going toward the center from the edge of the display module.

18. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the guide members ( 28 ) prevent a distance between portion of the variable member supported by the guide members ( 28 ) and the support member from increasing.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc
• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Song Hyeoncheol
• Lee Ahreum
• Lee Kyueung
• Kim Jinsu
• Choi Inwan

Classifications

• H04N5/64

  Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers (furniture aspects {of television cabinets} A47B81/06) · CPC title

• G09F9/301 Primary

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

• G06F1/1601

  Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays (constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64) · CPC title

• G09F9/00 Primary

  Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements (in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00) · CPC title