MULTI-DISPLAY APPARATUS

• US 20100201603A1
• Filed: 08/27/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Samsung Mobile Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: KEE, In-seo, SHIM, Hong-shik, LEE, Young-gu, LEE, Sung-hee
• Granted Patent: US 8,659,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/12 Picture reproducers H04N9/11 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided is a multi-display apparatus formed by connecting a plurality of display panels. The multi-display apparatus includes a first display panel, a second display panel disposed to overlap at least a portion of the first display panel, a transparent plate disposed only on the second display panel, or on both the first display panel and the second display panel, and a transparent window disposed on an area corresponding to the first display panel and the second display panel. The transparent window is foldable when the multi-display apparatus is folded.

Claims

1. A multi-display apparatus comprising:

a first display panel;

a second display panel disposed to overlap a portion of the first display panel in a plan view of the multi-display apparatus;

a unitary indivisible transparent plate disposed overlapping a portion of only the second display panel, or overlapping a portion of both the first display panel and the second display panel; and

a transparent window disposed overlapping both the first display panel and the second display panel, the transparent window being bendable when the multi-display apparatus is folded to dispose the first display panel facing the second display panel.

2. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transparent window comprises:

a first rigid unit and a second rigid unit, which are spaced apart from each other in the plan view, the first rigid unit and the second rigid unit being respectively disposed on areas corresponding to the first display panel and the second display panel, and

a soft unit disposed between the first rigid unit and the second rigid unit.

3. The multi-display apparatus of claim 2, wherein the soft unit surrounds at least a portion of the first rigid unit and at least a portion of the second rigid unit.

4. The multi-display apparatus of claim 2, wherein the soft unit is disposed adjacent to an entire of all outer surfaces of the first rigid unit and the second rigid unit, such that the first rigid unit and the second rigid unit are surrounded by the soft unit.

5. The multi-display apparatus of claim 4, wherein a thickness of the soft unit is about 0.002 millimeters to about 2 millimeters larger than thicknesses of both the first and second rigid units, the thicknesses taken substantially perpendicular to an upper surface of the transparent window.

6. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a refractive index of the transparent window is in a range of about 1.3 to about 1.7.

7. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the soft unit includes at least one of tefron, a silicon resin, polymethyl methacrylate (“

PMMA”

), and polydimethylsiloxane (“

PDMS”

).

8. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second rigid units include acryl or polycarbonate.

9. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical film disposed directly on an upper surface of the transparent window.

10. The multi-display apparatus of claim 9, wherein the optical film is any one of an anti-reflection film and an anti-glare film.

11. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second display panels comprises a substrate, a display device on the substrate, and a protection cover disposed overlapping an entire of the display device.

12. The multi-display apparatus of claim 11, wherein refractive indexes of the protection cover, the transparent plate, and the transparent window are in a range of about 1.3 to about 1.7.

13. The multi-display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display device is any one of a liquid crystal display, a field emission display, a plasma display panel, and an organic light-emitting diode.

14. The multi-display apparatus of claim 11, wherein a thickness of a portion of the substrate of the first display panel overlapping with the second display panel in the plan view, is smaller than a thickness of remaining portions of the substrate of the first display panel not overlapping with the second display panel.

15. The multi-display apparatus of claim 14, wherein a portion of the transparent plate is disposed between the thinner portion of the substrate of the first display panel overlapping with the second display panel, and the second display panel.

16. The multi-display apparatus of claim 14, wherein the soft unit is disposed directly adjacent to an entire of all outer surfaces of both the first and second rigid units, such that the first and second rigid units are surrounded by the soft unit.

17. The multi-display apparatus of claim 14, further comprising an optical film disposed directly on an upper surface of the transparent window.

18. The multi-display apparatus of claim 2, wherein the multi-display apparatus is foldable around the soft unit to dispose the first display panel facing the second display panel.

19. The multi-display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transparent plate is disposed on the second display panel, and directly adjacent to both a lower surface, and one side of the first display panel connecting the lower and an upper surface of the first display panel.

20. The multi-display apparatus of claim 19, wherein the transparent plate is disposed directly adjacent to the upper surface of the first display panel.