Flexible display device

• US 10,606,399 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Sik, You, Young Min, Choi, Dong Suk
• Primary Examiner(s): Harris, Dorothy
• Application Number:
  US14/981,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

A flexible display device according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a substrate; a touch panel on the substrate; a window layer on the touch panel; a flexible printed circuit (FPC) attached to an outer side of the window layer at a non-display area and comprising a driver integrated circuit (IC) configured to transfer a driving voltage to the touch panel and the substrate; a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) attached to the FPC and configured to transfer a driving signal to the driver IC; and a bridge electrode at an outer side of the window layer at the non-display area and connecting the touch panel, the substrate, and the FPC.

Claims

1. A flexible display device comprising:

a substrate on which a display element layer including a plurality of pixels is disposed;

a thin film encapsulation layer covering the display element layer for protection;

a touch panel on the thin film encapsulation layer;

a window layer on the touch panel such that the window layer is located above a front surface of the substrate;

a flexible printed circuit (FPC) attached to the window layer;

a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) attached to the FPC; and

a plurality of bridge electrodes electrically connecting the FPC to the touch panel or the substrate,

wherein the window layer comprises an extension portion which does not overlap the substrate,

the FPC comprises a first end connected to the bridge electrodes at the extension portion of the window layer and a second end connected to the FPCB, and

the FPC is bent to a rear surface of the substrate, opposite the front surface of the substrate, so that the FPCB is disposed on the rear surface of the substrate.

2. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the bridge electrodes comprise a conductive metal.

3. The flexible display device of claim 2, wherein the bridge electrodes comprise at least one of gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), or indium tin oxide (ITO).

4. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the bridge electrodes are connected to a first terminal on the substrate, a second terminal at an outer side of the touch panel, and a third terminal on the window layer, and

the first terminal, the second terminal, and the third terminal comprise a same material as the bridge electrodes.

5. The flexible display device of claim 4, wherein a height between the second terminal and the third terminal is in a range of 250 nanometers to 350 nanometers.

6. The flexible display device of claim 4, wherein the first terminal, the second terminal, and the third terminal are electrically connected to the bridge electrodes by an anisotropic conductive film (ACF).

7. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the bridge electrodes are formed by being filled in a via hole of a black matrix (BM) printed layer at an outer side above the substrate.

8. The flexible display device of claim 7, wherein the BM printed layer comprises a same material as the window layer.

9. The flexible display device of claim 1, further comprising a polarization layer between a thin film encapsulation layer and the touch panel.

10. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the display element layer comprises an organic light emitting element.