Display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9830840-B2
Application number	US-201514807109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2015
Priority date	Jul 31, 2014
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A display device that is suitable for increasing in size is provided. A display device that is suitable for space saving is provided. A foldable display device is provided. A structure in which a plurality of supporting members each having a belt-like shape are arranged at intervals on a rear surface of a flexible display panel fixed by a fixing portion is employed. One of the plurality of supporting members, which is positioned farthest from the fixing portion, is connected to a cord, and the cord is rolled up by a roll-up mechanism at an end portion of the cord toward the fixing portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising:
a display panel;
a fixing portion;
a plurality of supporting members;
a cord; and
a roll-up mechanism,
wherein the display panel is flexible,
wherein the fixing portion is configured to support part of the display panel,
wherein the plurality of supporting members each have a belt-like shape and are arranged on a rear surface of the display panel at intervals,
wherein each of the plurality of supporting members is placed in a direction substantially parallel to the fixing portion,
wherein the cord is connected to one of the plurality of supporting members that is the farthest from the fixing portion,
wherein the roll-up mechanism is configured to roll up the cord,
wherein the display panel has a first state where a display surface is flat and a second state where the display surface is folded, and
wherein the display device is configured to change a distance between the fixing portion and the supporting member that is the farthest from the fixing portion with the roll-up mechanism so that a state of the display panel is changed to the first state, the second state, or a state between the first state and the second state.

2. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the smallest curvature radius of a curved portion of the display panel in the second state is greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 50 mm.

3. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a cushioning material is provided between the supporting member and the display panel, and
wherein the cushioning material has elasticity and a width of the cushioning material is larger than that of the supporting member in a short-side direction.

4. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a thickness of the supporting member is greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 30 mm.

5. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a distance between the two adjacent supporting members in the first state is larger than each of the widths of the two adjacent supporting members in the short-side direction.

6. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein an angle formed by the short-side direction of the supporting member and a displacement direction of the supporting member in the second state is greater than or equal to 10° and less than 90°.

7. The display device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an adjusting mechanism which adjusts the angle formed by the short-side direction of the supporting member and the displacement direction of the supporting member.

8. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fixing portion comprises a circuit electrically connected to the display panel.

9. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fixing portion comprises at least one of an antenna, a wireless receiver, a wireless transmitter, a battery, an arithmetic device, and a memory device.

Assignees

• Semiconductor Energy Lab

Inventors

• Yoshizumi Kensuke

Classifications

• G06F1/1652

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

• G09F9/301 Primary

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

• G09F9/35

  being liquid crystals (G09F9/302 takes precedence; liquid crystal materials C09K19/00; {liquid crystal panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell per se G02F1/13}) · CPC title