Foldable display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9947883-B2
Application number	US-201615295713-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2016
Priority date	Nov 13, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A foldable display apparatus includes: a first flexible panel and a second flexible panel, the first and second flexible panels being separate from each other; a first case supporting the first flexible panel and a second case supporting the second flexible panel; and a link member foldably connecting the first and second cases, and adjacent boundary regions of the first and second flexible panels are curved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable display apparatus comprising:
a first flexible panel and a second flexible panel, the first and second flexible panels being separate from each other, each of the first and second flexible panels comprising a display region on which an image is displayed and a non-display region outside the display region;
a first case supporting the first flexible panel and a second case supporting the second flexible panel; and
a link member foldably connecting the first and second cases,
wherein adjacent boundary regions of the first and second flexible panels are curved,
wherein each of the first and second cases comprises a rounded portion at the adjacent boundary regions of the first and second flexible panels, the curved boundary regions of the first and second flexible panels being respectively coupled to the rounded portions of the first and second cases, and
wherein the display regions are on a front side, which is a viewing direction, of the rounded portions of the first and second cases, and the non-display regions are on a rear side of the rounded portions of the first and second cases with respect to a nearest point between the first and second flexible panels, ends of the non-display regions on the rounded portions of the first and second cases being farther from each other than portions of the non-display regions on the rounded portions that are adjacent the display regions.

2. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein rear surfaces of the first and second flexible panels are respectively coupled to the first and second cases.

3. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a bending angle of the display region of the curved region of one of the first and second flexible panels is greater than about 90 degrees.

4. The foldable display apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a total bending angle of the display region and the non-display region in the curved region of one of the first and second flexible panels is less than about 180 degrees.

5. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, when viewed from the front side, the display regions of the curved regions of the first and second flexible panels are visible and the non-display regions thereof are not visible.

6. The foldable display apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the non-display regions on the curved regions of the first and second flexible panels comprise corrugated wrinkle patterns.

7. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein adhesive films are respectively arranged between the first flexible panel and the first case and between the second flexible panel and the second case.

8. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to drive the first and second flexible panels to display an image.

9. The foldable display apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to drive the first and second flexible panels to together display a continuous image.

10. The foldable display apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to drive the first and second flexible panels to display separate images.

11. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second cases are configured to be folded such that the first and second flexible panels face each other.

12. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second cases respectively comprise first and second combining grooves at which the first and second flexible panels are coupled to the first and second cases.

13. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second flexible panels comprise organic light-emitting devices.

14. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, when the foldable display apparatus is unfolded, the adjacent boundary regions of the first and second flexible panels are spaced from each other by a gap.

15. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, when the foldable display apparatus is unfolded, the first and second flexible panels contact each other at the adjacent boundary regions.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Jinhwan
• Seo Taean
• Kim Taewoong
• Park Boik
• Park Juchan
• Seol Younggug

Classifications

• Y02E10/549

  Organic PV cells · CPC title

• G06F1/1641

  the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G06F1/1616

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title

• H01L51/0097 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic