Flexible display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9836088-B2
Application number	US-201615091519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2016
Priority date	Jul 23, 2015
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A flexible display device includes: a flexible display module; a first support member below the flexible display module, the first support member including a plurality of first blocks that are arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction; and a second support member including a plurality of second blocks that are arranged to correspond to the plurality of first blocks and arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction, and each of the plurality of second blocks overlaps a corresponding first block of the plurality of first blocks in a first configuration, and the second support member is movable in the first direction between a second configuration, in which a second block of the plurality of second blocks overlaps two adjacent first blocks of the plurality of first blocks, and the first configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible display device comprising:
a flexible display module;
a first support member below the flexible display module, the first support member comprising a plurality of first blocks that are arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction; and
a second support member comprising a plurality of second blocks that are arranged to correspond to the plurality of first blocks and arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction,
wherein each of the plurality of second blocks overlaps a single corresponding first block of the plurality of first blocks in a direction perpendicular to the first direction in a first configuration,
wherein each of the plurality of second blocks is movable relative to the corresponding first block in the first direction between a second configuration, in which a second block of the plurality of second blocks overlaps two adjacent first blocks of the plurality of first blocks in the direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the first configuration, and
wherein the second support member is accommodated in the first support member.

2. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display module is bendable or rollable in one direction in the first configuration and fixed in a flat shape in the second configuration.

3. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first blocks and each of the plurality of second blocks has a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

4. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein a length of each of the plurality of first blocks in the first direction is the same as that of a corresponding second block of the plurality of second blocks in the first direction.

5. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein a length of a second block of the plurality of second blocks in the first direction is greater than that of a corresponding first block of the plurality of first blocks in the first direction.

6. The flexible display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an auxiliary block adjacent to a first block of the plurality of first blocks in the first direction; and
an elastic member in the auxiliary block to provide a force to a second block of the plurality of second blocks in the first direction.

7. The flexible display device of claim 6 , wherein the elastic member comprises a spring.

8. The flexible display device of claim 6 , wherein the force provided to the second block of the plurality of second blocks by the elastic member in the first configuration is less than that provided to the second block of the plurality of second blocks by the elastic member in the second configuration.

9. The flexible display device of claim 8 ,
wherein an opening is defined in a first block of the plurality of first blocks in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction,
wherein the flexible display device further comprises a fixing member coupled to a second block of the plurality of second blocks and configured to move in the second direction, and
wherein the fixing member is coupled to the opening in the second configuration.

10. The flexible display device of claim 1 , further comprising a roller having a cylindrical or polygonal pillar shape.

11. The flexible display device of claim 10 , further comprising a housing accommodating the roller and having a slit through which the flexible display module is configured to be inserted and withdrawn.

12. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display module comprises a display panel, a touch panel on the display panel, and a window member on the touch panel.

13. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein a first block of the plurality of first blocks is connected to an adjacent first block of the plurality of first blocks by a hinge.

14. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein a second block of the plurality of second blocks is movable relative to a corresponding first block of the plurality of first blocks by a moving distance of about half of a length of the corresponding first block.

15. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein a length in the first direction of an outermost first block of the plurality of first blocks is less than a length in the first direction of a corresponding outermost second block of the plurality of second blocks.

16. A flexible display device comprising:
a flexible display module;
a first support member below the flexible display module, the first support member comprising a plurality of first blocks that are arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction; and
a second support member comprising a plurality of second blocks that are arranged to correspond to the plurality of first blocks and arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction,
wherein each of the plurality of second blocks overlaps a corresponding first block of the plurality of first blocks in a first configuration, and
wherein the second support member is movable in the first direction between a second configuration, in which a second block of the plurality of second blocks overlaps two adjacent first blocks of the plurality of first blocks, and the first configuration,
wherein each of the plurality of first blocks has a rectangular parallelepiped shape having an empty inner space,
wherein first and second openings in which the second member is configured to pass are defined on two sidewalls, which face each other in the first direction, of six sidewalls constituting each of the plurality of first blocks,
wherein the flexible display device further comprises a separation prevention member which protrudes from each of the plurality of second blocks in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, and
wherein the separation prevention member is configured to prevent each of the plurality of second blocks from being separated from a corresponding first block of the plurality of first blocks by the first opening.

17. The flexible display device of claim 16 , further comprising an elastic member between one of the plurality of second blocks and the corresponding first block.

18. The flexible display device of claim 17 , wherein the elastic member is a spring that is arranged between the sidewall in which the second opening is defined and the separation prevention member.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Kyungmin
• Kim Younjoon
• Lee Jangdoo
• Lee Junghun
• Jang Mi
• Jung Taehyeog

Classifications

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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