Display device including curve control assembly and display panel curvable thereby

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9983428-B2
Application number	US-201715493253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2017
Priority date	May 2, 2016
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A display device includes a display panel, a backlight assembly, a back cover and a curve control assembly. The back cover has a curved shape and faces the display panel with the backlight assembly therebetween to cover a back surface of the backlight assembly. The curve control assembly is between the backlight assembly and the back cover to adjust a curved degree of the display panel. The curve control assembly includes a first rail, a second rail, and a rolling unit. The first rail is coupled to the back surface of the backlight assembly, and the second rail is coupled to the back cover to face the first rail. The rolling unit is commonly connected to each of the first rail and the second rail and is movable along the first and second rails to move the display panel in directions toward and away from the back cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising:
a display panel which generates and displays an image with light;
a backlight assembly which is coupled to the display panel and provides the light to the display panel;
a back cover which faces the display panel with the backlight assembly interposed therebetween, the back cover having a curved shape and covers a back surface of the backlight assembly; and
a curve control assembly which is disposed between the backlight assembly and the back cover and adjusts a curved degree of the display panel,
wherein the curve control assembly comprises:
a first rail coupled to the back surface of the backlight assembly;
a second rail coupled to the back cover to face the first rail; and
a rolling unit disposed between the back cover and the backlight assembly and commonly connected to each of the first rail and the second rail, the rolling unit movable along the first rail and the second rail to move the display panel in directions toward and away from the back cover.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the second rail is fixed on an inner surface of the back cover to have a curved shape corresponding to the curved shape of the back cover.

3. The display device of claim 2 , wherein the backlight assembly comprises:
a backlight unit which generates and emits the light to the display panel; and
a receiving member which receives the backlight unit and includes a back surface as the back surface of the backlight assembly,
wherein the first rail is fixed on the back surface of the receiving member.

4. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the rolling unit comprises:
a body;
a first roller which is disposed at a first side portion of the body to be movable along the first rail; and
a second roller which is disposed at a second side portion of the body opposite to the first side portion thereof, the second roller being movable along the second rail.

5. The display device of claim 4 , wherein
the first and second rollers each includes a shaft which defines a rotation axis thereof,
a first rail groove is defined lengthwise in a length extension direction of the first rail,
a second rail groove is defined lengthwise in a length extension direction of the second rail in,
the shaft of the first roller which defines the rotation axis of the first roller is received in the first rail groove, and
the shaft of the second roller which defines the rotation axis of the second roller is received in the second rail groove.

6. The display device of claim 3 , wherein the curve control assembly further comprises:
a rotation driving unit which generates a rotational force; and
a linear driving unit coupled to the rotation driving unit and the rolling unit,
wherein the linear driving unit linearly moves the rolling unit along the first rail and the second rail by using the rotational force provided from the rotation driving unit.

7. The display device of claim 6 , wherein the rotation driving unit comprises:
a motor which generates the rotational force;
a main shaft which is coupled to the motor and receives the rotational force from the motor;
an auxiliary shaft which intersects the main shaft and is coupled to the linear driving unit at the rolling unit; and
a gear portion which is commonly coupled to the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft and transmits the rotational force to the auxiliary shaft from the main shaft.

8. The display device of claim 7 , wherein
the first and second rails are each lengthwise extended in a first direction,
the back cover is curved along the first direction and includes a middle portion thereof disposed along the first direction, first and second side end portions opposite to each other along the first direction with respect to the middle portion, and top and bottom end portions opposing each other in a second direction crossing the first direction, and
the rolling unit is provided in plurality and comprises:
a first rolling unit which is adjacent to the top end portion of the back cover and disposed between the middle portion and the first side end portion of the back cover;
a second rolling unit which is adjacent to the top end portion of the back cover and disposed between the middle portion of the back cover and the second side end portion of the back cover;
a third rolling unit which is adjacent to the bottom end portion of the back cover and disposed between the middle portion and the first side end portion of the back cover; and
a fourth rolling unit which is adjacent to the bottom end portion of the back cover and disposed between the middle portion and the second side portion of the back cover.

9. The display device of claim 8 , wherein a length of the main shaft extends in the second direction between the first and second rolling units and between the third and fourth rolling units.

10. The display device of claim 8 , wherein
the display panel moved in the direction away from the back cover defines a radius of curvature of the display panel, and
the first and third rolling units disposed closer to the first side end portion than to the middle portion of the back cover and the second and fourth rolling units disposed closer to the second side end portion than to the middle portion of the back cover decreases the radius of curvature of the display panel.

11. The display device of claim 8 , wherein
the display panel moved in the direction away from the back cover defines a curved shape of the display panel, and
with the second rail having the curved shape corresponding to the curved shape of the back cover, the first and third rolling units disposed closer to the first side end portion than to the middle portion of the back cover and the second and fourth rolling units disposed closer to the second side end portion than to the middle portion of the back cover forms the curved shape of the display panel corresponding to the curved shape of the back cover.

12. The display device of claim 8 , wherein
the display panel moved in the direction away from the back cover defines a radius of curvature of the display panel, and
the first and third rolling units disposed closer to the middle portion than to the first side end portion of the back cover and the second and fourth rolling units disposed closer to the middle portion than to the second side portion of the back cover increases the radius of curvature of the display panel.

13. The display device of claim 8 , wherein
the display panel moved in the direction toward the back cover defines a flat shape of the display panel, and
with the second rail having the curved shape corresponding to the curved shape of the back cover, the first and third rolling units disposed closer to the middle portion than to the first side portion of the back cover and the second and fourth rolling units disposed closer to the middle portion than to the second side portion of the back cover forms the flat shape of the display panel.

14. The display device of claim 1 , wherein
a space is defined between the back cover and the backlight assembly and in which the curve control assembly is disposed,
an end of the second rail which is coupled to the back cover exposes a portion of the back cover at a side portion thereof,
further comprising:
a guide member disposed at the exposed portion of the back cover, and
a blinding plate which connects the guide member at the side portion of the back cover to the backlight assembly and covers the space between the back cover and the backlight assembly, the blinding plate slidably disposed relative to the guide member at the side portion of the cover

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Im Dong-Sung
• Park Jeongjin
• Lee Je-Yun

Classifications

• G09F13/0413

  Frames or casing structures therefor · CPC title

• G02F1/133308 Primary

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

• G09F2013/0481

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02F2001/133314

  Physics · mapped topic

• G09F13/0481

  Signs, boards or panels having a curved shape · CPC title