Rollable display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9900977-B2
Application number	US-201514799047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2015
Priority date	Dec 3, 2014
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A rollable display device including a flexible display panel; a housing inside which the flexible display panel is rolled and accommodated; a first flexural member in the housing, the first flexural member contacting a first surface of the flexible display panel to bend the first surface; a second flexural member in the housing and spaced apart from the first flexural member in a first direction, the second flexural member contacting a second surface of the flexible display panel to bend the second surface; a reel core in the housing and the flexible display panel is rollable around a reel core.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rollable display device, comprising:
a flexible display panel that displays an image, the flexible display panel including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;
a housing inside which the flexible display panel is rolled and accommodated;
a first flexural member in the housing, the first flexural member contacting the first surface of the flexible display panel to bend the first surface;
a second flexural member in the housing and spaced apart from the first flexural member in a first direction, the second flexural member contacting the second surface of the flexible display panel to bend the second surface; and
a reel core in the housing and spaced apart from the first flexural member in the first direction such that the second flexural member is between the reel core and the first flexural member, wherein the flexible display panel is rollable around the reel core,
wherein:
each of the first and second flexural members has a substantially elliptical cylindrical shape that is elongated in a second direction, the second direction being substantially orthogonal to the first direction,
a cross section of each of the first and second flexural members taken along a direction substantially parallel to the first direction has a substantially elliptical shape,
the cross section of the first flexural member has a first long axis, and
the cross section of the second flexural member has a second long axis, the first long axis having a length smaller than a length of the second long axis.

2. The rollable display device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
first rollers coupled with the first flexural member, the first rollers being spaced apart from each other in a direction of the first long axis of the first flexural member; and
second rollers coupled with the second flexural member, the second rollers being spaced apart from each other in a direction of the second long axis of the second flexural member.

3. The rollable display device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the first flexural member is rotatable with respect to a rotational axis at a center of the first long axis, and
the second flexural member is rotatable with respect to a rotational axis at a center of the second long axis.

4. The rollable display device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a distance between the center of the first long axis and the center of the second long axis is greater than a sum of a half of the length of the first long axis and a half of the length of the second long axis.

5. The rollable display device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second flexural members are rotatable such that the first and second long axes are substantially parallel to the first direction when the flexible display panel is exposed to the outside of the housing.

6. The rollable display device as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising:
a first restoring member coupled with the first flexural member, the first restoring member having an elasticity to rotate the first flexural member; and
a second restoring member coupled with the second flexural member, the second restoring member having an elasticity to rotate the second flexural member,
wherein the first and second flexural members are rotatable by the first and second restoring members rotate in response to the elasticity of the first and second restoring members such that the first and second long axes of the first and second flexural members are arranged substantially parallel to a third direction that is substantially orthogonal to the first and second directions when the flexible display panel is accommodated the housing.

7. The rollable display device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first and second flexural members are rotatable in different directions.

8. The rollable display device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the housing includes an opening therethrough to expose the flexible display panel to the outside thereof, and
the first flexural member, the second flexural member, and the reel core are sequentially arranged in a direction extending inwardly from the opening.

9. The rollable display device as claimed in 8 , further comprising a connection part connecting the flexible display panel to the reel core, wherein the image is not displayed in the connection part.

10. The rollable display device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the connection part is inside the housing when the flexible display panel is completely exposed at the outside of the housing.

11. A rollable display device, comprising:
a flexible display panel that displays an image, the flexible display panel including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;
a housing inside which the flexible display panel is rolled and accommodated;
a first flexural member in the housing, the first flexural member contacting the first surface of the flexible display panel to bend the first surface;
a second flexural member in the housing and spaced apart from the first flexural member in a first direction, the second flexural member contacting the second surface of the flexible display panel to bend the second surface; and
a reel core in the housing and spaced apart from the first flexural member in the first direction such that the second flexural member is between the reel core and the first flexural member, wherein the flexible display panel is rollable around the reel core,
wherein:
each of the first and second flexural members has a substantially elliptical cylindrical shape that is elongated in a second direction, the second direction being substantially orthogonal to the first direction,
a cross section of each of the first and second flexural members taken along a direction substantially parallel to the first direction has a substantially elliptical shape,
the cross section of the first flexural member has a first long axis, and
the cross section of the second flexural member has a second long axis, and

wherein:
the first flexural member is rotatable about a rotational axis that is at a first end of the first long axis, and
the second flexural member is rotatable about a rotational axis that is at a second end of the second long axis.

12. The rollable display device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first long axis has a length that is the same as a length of the second long axis.

13. The rollable display device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein a distance between the first end of the first flexural member and the second end of the second flexural member is greater than the length of the first long axis.

14. The rollable display device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first and second flexural members are rotatable in different directions.

15. The rollable display device as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising a first roller and a second roller, wherein:
the first flexural member includes a third end spaced apart from the first end in a first long axis direction,
the second flexural member includes a fourth end spaced apart from the second end in a second long axis direction,
the first roller is disposed at the third end and is coupled with the first flexural member, and
the second roller is disposed at the fourth end and is coupled with the second flexural member.

16. A rollable display device, comprising:
a flexible display panel that displays an image, the flexible display panel including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;
a housing accommodating the flexible display panel, the housing including an opening therethrough; and
a reel

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jusuck
• Kim Youn Joon
• Baek Kyunghyun
• Shin Yoonjee
• Lee Sangjo
• Lee Junghun
• Choi Kyungmin

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H05K1/028 Primary

  Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G09F9/301

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

• G06F1/16

  Constructional details or arrangements · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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