Self-healing flexible electrophoretic displays

• US 10,241,377 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Ming, Hou, Weihsin, Menon, Anoop, Sprague, Robert Arthur, Marason, Eric Gifford, Hua, Yuyan, Cheng, Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US15/707,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20190086760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0086 Positioning aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0093 Means for protecting the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133331 Cover glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1218 with a particular composition or structure of the substrate

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for self-healing flexible electrophoretic displays and related devices. In one embodiment, an example flexible electrophoretic display may include a flexible plastic thin film transistor (TFT) backplane having a first width, an electrophoretic layer coupled to the flexible plastic TFT backplane, an electrode layer coupled to the electrophoretic layer, an integrated circuit disposed on the flexible plastic TFT backplane, and a protective sheet having a second width that is greater than or equal to the first width.

Claims

1. A self-healing display stack for use with an electronic reader device, the self-healing display stack comprising:

a flexible electrophoretic display (EPD) layer comprising;

a hot melt protective sheet layer comprising a polymer substrate layer and an optically clear adhesive layer;

an electrode layer coupled to the hot melt protective sheet layer;

a microcapsule layer coupled to the electrode layer, wherein the electrode layer is configured to apply a voltage to the microcapsule layer;

a flexible polyimide thin film transistor (TFT) layer coupled to the microcapsule layer; and

a back protective sheet coupled to the polyimide TFT layer, the back protective sheet configured to support the EPD layer;

a first acrylic adhesive layer coupled to the EPD layer;

a light guide coupled to the first acrylic adhesive layer;

a second acrylic adhesive layer disposed on the light guide;

a touch sensor layer coupled to the second acrylic adhesive layer;

a third acrylic adhesive layer disposed on the touch sensor layer; and

a self-healing plastic cover lens having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface comprising anti-glare surface features, wherein the self-healing plastic cover lens comprises a synthetic polyurethane polymer, and wherein the third acrylic adhesive layer is in contact with the second surface.

2. The self-healing display stack of claim 1, wherein the self-healing plastic cover lens comprises a plastic layer and a first material layer having an index of refraction between about 1 and about 1.28, and wherein the second surface is formed by the first material layer, the self-healing display stack further comprising:

a first number of white ink layers in a stacked configuration disposed about a perimeter of the second surface, each layer of the first number of white ink layers having a first width; and

a second number of black ink layers in a stacked configuration disposed vertically adjacent to the first number of white ink layers, each layer of the first number of black ink layers having a second width that is less than the first width, wherein the second number is less than the first number.

3. The self-healing display stack of claim 1, further comprising:

an integrated circuit disposed on the flexible polyimide TFT layer laterally adjacent to the EPD layer;

a first rigid sealant material disposed on a first portion of the flexible polyimide TFT layer along a first side of the integrated circuit, the first rigid sealant material configured to support the integrated circuit;

a second rigid sealant material disposed on a second portion of the flexible polyimide TFT layer along a second side of the integrated circuit opposite the first side; and

a black tape layer disposed between the integrated circuit and the hot melt protective sheet layer.

4. The self-healing display stack of claim 1, wherein the self-healing plastic cover lens comprises:

a rigid plastic substrate; and

a synthetic polyurethane polymer layer disposed on the rigid plastic substrate.

5. A self-healing display stack comprising:

a light guide configured to direct light from one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs);

a self-healing plastic cover lens comprising a synthetic polymer and having a first surface comprising anti-glare features; and

a flexible electrophoretic display (EPD) comprising;

a flexible plastic thin film transistor (TFT) backplane having a first width;

an electrophoretic layer coupled to the flexible plastic TFT backplane;

an electrode layer coupled to the electrophoretic layer;

an integrated circuit disposed on the flexible plastic TFT backplane; and

a first protective sheet having a second width that is greater than or equal to the first width.

6. The display stack of claim 5, wherein the first protective sheet is a hot melt protective sheet having a thickness of equal to or less than 50 microns, wherein the hot melt protective sheet and the electrode layer together conform to the integrated circuit.

7. The display stack of claim 5, wherein the integrated circuit is disposed adjacent to the electrophoretic layer, the display stack further comprising:

a light blocking material layer positioned between the integrated circuit and the first protective sheet.

8. The display stack of claim 5, wherein the integrated circuit is disposed adjacent to the electrophoretic layer, the display stack further comprising:

a light blocking material layer disposed on the first protective sheet and aligned with the integrated circuit.

9. The display stack of claim 5, further comprising:

a touch sensor flexible printed circuit (FPC) at least partially disposed between the plastic cover lens and the light guide;

an LED FPC disposed at least partially between the light guide and the flexible EPD; and

an EPD FPC disposed vertically adjacent to the LED FPC.

10. The display stack of claim 5, further comprising:

a rigid sealant material disposed on a portion of the flexible plastic TFT backplane along at least one edge surface of the integrated circuit;

wherein the flexible plastic TFT backplane comprises a polyimide material.

11. The display stack of claim 5, wherein the plastic cover lens extends over the integrated circuit and the flexible plastic TFT backplane.

12. The display stack of claim 5, further comprising:

a second protective sheet coupled to the flexible plastic TFT backplane; and

a rigid sealant material disposed on a portion of the second protective sheet adjacent to at least one edge of the flexible plastic TFT backplane.

13. A device comprising:

a housing; and

a self-healing display stack adhered to the housing, the self-healing display stack comprising;

a flexible plastic thin film transistor (TFT) backplane having a first width;

an integrated circuit disposed on the flexible plastic TFT backplane;

an electrophoretic layer coupled to the flexible TFT backplane;

an electrode layer coupled to the electrophoretic layer;

a light guide;

a self-healing plastic cover lens comprising an ultraviolet light blocking material and a synthetic polymer, the self-healing plastic cover lens having a first surface comprising anti-glare features; and

a first protective sheet having a second width that is greater than or equal to the first width.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first protective sheet is a hot melt protective sheet having a thickness of equal to or less than 50 microns, wherein the hot melt protective sheet and the electrode layer together conform to the integrated circuit.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the plastic cover lens comprises:

a plastic substrate.

16. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

a second protective sheet coupled to the flexible plastic TFT backplane; and

a rigid sealant material disposed on a portion of the second protective sheet adjacent to at least one edge of the flexible plastic TFT backplane.

17. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

a rigid sealant material disposed on a portion of the flexible plastic TFT backplane along at least one edge surface of the integrated circuit.

18. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

a touch sensor layer integrated into the light guide.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the plastic cover lens comprises a first coating layer having an index of refraction between about 1.0 and about 1.28, an adhesive layer, and a plastic layer, the device further comprising:

a first number of white material layers in a stacked configuration disposed about a perimeter of the plastic layer or the first coating layer, the respective white material layers having a first width; and

a second number of black material layers in a stacked configuration disposed adjacent to the white material layers, the respective black material layers having a second width.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein the plastic cover lens comprises:

an anti-glare coating disposed on a first plastic layer;

a first number of white material layers in a stacked configuration disposed about a perimeter of the first plastic layer, the respective white material layers having a first width;

a second number of black material layers in a stacked configuration disposed adjacent to the white material layers, the respective black material layers having a second width;

a planarization coating disposed on the plastic layer between the white material layers and the black material layers;

an optically clear adhesive layer adjacent to the planarization coating; and

a second plastic layer coupled to the optically clear adhesive layer.