Flexible display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9971380-B2
Application number	US-201715403726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2017
Priority date	Jan 11, 2016
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A flexible display apparatus includes a display panel that is bendable or foldable about at least one bending axis, a support unit having a first surface positioned adjacent to the display panel, a second surface positioned opposite to the first surface, and a plurality of uneven portions disposed on the second surface, a window unit disposed opposite to the support unit so that the display panel is disposed between the window unit and the support unit, and a fixing unit disposed adjacent an edge of the support unit and on a surface of the support unit that extends from the second surface, wherein a shape of the fixing unit is complementary to a shape of an uneven portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible display apparatus, comprising:
a display panel that is bendable or foldable about at least one bending axis;
a support unit that includes a first surface positioned adjacent to the display panel, a second surface positioned opposite to the first surface, and a plurality of uneven portions disposed on the second surface;
a window unit disposed opposite to the support unit wherein the display panel is disposed between the window unit and the support unit; and
a fixing unit disposed adjacent to an edge of the support unit and on the second surface of the support unit such that the fixing unit extends from the second surface, wherein a shape of the fixing unit is complementary to a shape of an uneven portion of the plurality of uneven portions.

2. The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of uneven portions are separated from each other and disposed along a direction substantially perpendicular to that of the at least one bending axis.

3. The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of uneven portions has a same shape.

4. The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, when the display panel is bent or folded, the support unit and the window unit are bent or folded to correspond to the display panel.

5. The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, when the display panel is bent or folded, the fixing unit is inserted into or receives one of the plurality of uneven portions.

6. The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the at least one bending axis and the fixing unit is the same as a distance between the bending axis and one of the plurality of uneven portions.

7. The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of bending axes, wherein
the respective bending axes are parallel to each other.

8. The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the display panel is convex toward the window unit, when bent or folded.

9. The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display panel displays an image viewable through the window unit.

10. The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the support unit includes a bent portion which extends toward the window unit; and
at least a portion of the fixing unit overlaps the bent portion.

11. The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the window unit includes a bent portion which extends toward the support unit; and
at least a portion of the fixing unit overlaps the bent portion.

12. A flexible display apparatus, comprising:
a bendable support unit;
a bendable window unit disposed opposite to the support unit, wherein the support unit includes a first surface positioned facing the window unit, a second surface positioned opposite to the first surface, and a plurality of uneven portions disposed on the second surface, wherein each of the plurality of uneven portions has a same shape; and
a fixing unit disposed adjacent to an edge of the support unit and on the second surface of the support unit such that the fixing unit extends from the second surface, wherein a shape of the fixing unit is complementary to a shape of an uneven portion of the plurality of uneven portions, and wherein when the display apparatus is bent or folded, the fixing unit is inserted into or receives one of the plurality of uneven portions.

13. The flexible display apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a display panel disposed between the window unit and the support unit that is bendable or foldable about at least one bending axis.

14. The flexible display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of uneven portions are separated from each other and disposed along a direction substantially perpendicular to that of the at least one bending axis, and extend in a direction parallel to the at least one bending axis.

15. The flexible display apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of parallel bending axes, wherein each of the plurality of bending axes is halfway between the fixing unit and one of the plurality of uneven portions.

16. The flexible display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of uneven portions is a groove with a concave shape which is recessed inward from the second surface toward the first surface, and the fixing unit is a ridge with a convex shape that protrudes outward from second surface, wherein, when the display apparatus is bent or folded, the fixing unit inserts into one of the plurality of uneven portions.

17. The flexible display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of uneven portions is a ridge with a convex shape which protrudes outward from the second surface, and the fixing unit is a groove with a concave shape that is recessed inward from second surface toward the first surface, wherein, when the display apparatus is bent or folded, the fixing unit receives one of the plurality of uneven portions.

18. The flexible display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the support unit includes a bent portion which extends toward the window unit; and
at least a portion of the fixing unit overlaps the bent portion.

19. The flexible display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the window unit includes a bent portion which extends toward the support unit; and
at least a portion of the fixing unit overlaps the bent portion.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Beomgyu
• Lee Jongsoo

Classifications

• H01L51/5237

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L2251/5338

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G02F1/133305

  Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film · CPC title

• H05K1/028

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

• H01L27/3244

  Electricity · mapped topic