Foldable display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9983424-B2
Application number	US-201615175702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2016
Priority date	Jun 8, 2015
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A foldable display device comprises a display panel; and a backplate on a surface of the display panel, the backplate including a folding region and unfolding regions at both sides of the folding region, the backplate including at least two opening patterns in the folding region that are different from each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable display device, comprising:
a display panel;
a cover window on a first side of the display panel;
a touch panel between the cover window and the display panel; and
a backplate on a second surface, which is opposite to the first surface, of the display panel, the backplate including a folding region and unfolding regions at both sides of the folding region, the backplate including at least two opening patterns of holes being spaced apart from each other in the folding region.

2. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two opening patterns include at least one first pattern at a (2n−1)th row and at least two second patterns at a (2n)th row, and each of the at least one first pattern corresponds to a space between adjacent two of the at least two second patterns, and wherein n is a positive integer.

3. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two opening patterns include at least one first pattern at a (2n−1)th row and at least one second pattern at a (2n)th row, and the at least one first pattern corresponds to the at least one second pattern, and wherein n is a positive integer.

4. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two opening patterns include a first pattern at a (2n−1)th row and at least two second patterns at a (2n)th row, and a distance between adjacent the at least two second patterns in the (2n)th row is equal to or smaller than a length of each of the at least two second patterns in the (2n)th row, and wherein n is a positive integer.

5. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two opening patterns have one of a rectangular shape, a diamond shape and an oval-like shape having a constant minor axis length.

6. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein a side of the backplate in the folding region is discontinuous.

7. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein display panel includes a flexible substrate, and the backplate has a Young's modulus value larger than the flexible substrate.

8. The foldable display device according to 1 , further comprising a step compensation layer covering the folding region on at least one side of the backplate.

9. The foldable display device according to claim 8 , wherein the step compensation layer has a Young's modulus value smaller than the backplate.

10. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the backplate includes a concave portion in the folding region to have a first thickness in the folding region and a second thickness, which is larger than the first thickness, in the unfolding regions.

11. The foldable display device according to claim 10 , further comprising a step compensation layer attached on a surface of the backplate where the concave portion is formed.

12. The foldable display device according to claim 10 , wherein the display panel includes a plurality of pixel regions, and an edge of the concave portion corresponds to a boundary of adjacent pixel regions.

13. The foldable display device according to claim 10 , wherein the display panel is an organic emitting diode panel, and an edge of the concave portion corresponds to a bank covering an edge of a first electrode of an organic emitting diode.

14. The foldable display device according to claim 10 , wherein the step compensation layer forms a flat surface with the backplate.

15. The foldable display device according to claim 10 , wherein the concave portion is formed at an outer surface of the backplate, and the foldable display device is configured to be folded toward the display panel.

16. The foldable display device according to claim 10 , wherein the concave portion is formed at an inner surface of the backplate, and the foldable display device is configured to be folded toward the backplate.

17. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the folding region is divided into an edge portion and a center portion, and wherein the opening patterns in the edge portion are arranged with a first distance, and the opening patterns in the center portion are arranged with a second distance being smaller than the first distance.

18. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between adjacent opening patterns is gradually decreased from an edge of the folding region to a center of the folding region.

19. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the folding region is divided into an edge portion and a center portion, and wherein the opening pattern in the edge portion has a first width, and the opening pattern in the center portion has a second width being larger than the first width.

20. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein a size of the opening pattern is gradually increased from an edge of the folding region to a center of the folding region.

21. A foldable display device, comprising:
a display panel;
a backplate on a surface of the display panel, the backplate including a folding region and unfolding regions at both sides of the folding region, the backplate including at least two opening patterns being spaced apart from each other in the folding region and a concave portion in the folding region; and
a step compensation layer on at least one side of the backplate,
wherein the at least two opening patterns and the concave portion are filled with the step compensation layer.

22. The foldable display device according to claim 21 , wherein the step compensation layer has a Young's modulus value smaller than the backplate.

23. The foldable display device according to claim 21 , wherein the display panel includes a plurality of pixel regions, and an edge of the concave portion corresponds to a boundary of adjacent pixel regions.

24. The foldable display device according to claim 21 , wherein the display panel is an organic emitting diode panel, and an edge of the concave portion corresponds to a bank covering an edge of a first electrode of an organic emitting diode.

25. The foldable display device according to claim 21 , wherein the step compensation layer forms a flat surface with the backplate.

26. The foldable display device according to claim 21 , wherein the concave portion is formed at an outer surface of the backplate, and the foldable display device is configured to be folded toward the display panel.

27. The foldable display device according to claim 21 , wherein the concave portion is formed at an inner surface of the backplate, and the foldable display device is configured to be folded toward the backplate.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Tae-Woo
• Chae Gee-Sung
• Park Joo-Hye
• Myung Noh-Jin
• Lee Seung-Hee
• Shin Sang-Hak
• Kwak Tae-Hyeong

Classifications

• G09F9/301 Primary

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

• G02F1/133308

  Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels · CPC title

• G02F1/1368

  in which the switching element is a three-electrode device {(G02F1/136277 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• Y02E10/549

  Organic PV cells · CPC title

• G02F1/133305 Primary

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