MULTI-FOLDABLE MOBILE DISPLAY APPARATUS

• US 20100201604A1
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• 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
• Application Number:
  US12/702,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201604A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display

Abstract

A multi-foldable mobile display apparatus includes a first display panel, a second display panel, and a third display panel which are successively disposed in an unfolded state of the multi-foldable mobile display apparatus, and a transparent plate disposed on the second display panel. The second display panel is disposed on a same side of both the first display panel and the third display panel, so that opposing edges of the second display panel respectively overlap the first display panel and the third display panel, in a plan view of the multi-foldable mobile display apparatus.

Claims

1. A multi-foldable mobile display apparatus comprising:

a first display panel, a second display panel, and a third display panel which are successively disposed in an unfolded state of the multi-foldable mobile display apparatus; and

a single unitary indivisible transparent plate disposed on the second display panel,

wherein the second display panel is disposed on a same side of both the first display panel and the third display panel, so that opposing edges of the second display panel respectively overlap a portion of both the first display panel and the third display panel in a plan view of the multi-foldable mobile display.

2. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transparent plate overlaps both a portion of the first display panel and a portion of the third display panel.

3. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 2, wherein the transparent plate is disposed adjacent to upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the first display panel and the third display panel, and disposed adjacent to sides of the first display panel and the third display panel facing the second display panel.

4. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 3, wherein each of the first to third display panels includes a display device disposed on a substrate, and a protective cover covering the display device,

wherein the transparent plate overlaps the protective cover.

5. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 4, wherein pixel boundaries of adjacent display devices which are successively arranged in the first to third display panels, are aligned in corresponding vertical lines.

6. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 5, wherein a portion of the transparent plate overlapping only the second display panel is about 0.001 millimeter to about 2 millimeter thicker than a thickness of the first display panel, the thicknesses taken perpendicular to the upper surface of the second display panel.

7. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 3, wherein the transparent plate has a refractive index of about 1.3 to about 1.7.

8. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 3, wherein the transparent plate includes one material selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, a silicon resin, polymethyl methacrylate, and polydimethylsiloxane.

9. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an optical film on an upper surface of the transparent plate.

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

11. A multi-foldable mobile display apparatus comprising:

a first display panel, a second display panel, a third display panel, and a fourth display panel which are successively disposed in an unfolded state of the multi-foldable mobile display apparatus; and

a single unitary indivisible transparent plate disposed on the second display panel and the fourth display panel,

wherein

the second display panel is disposed on a same first side of both the first display panel and the third display panel, so that opposing edges of the second display panel respectively overlap a portion of both the first display panel and the third display panel in a plan view of the multi-foldable mobile display apparatus, and

the third display panel is disposed on a same second side of both the second display panel and the fourth display panel, so that opposing edges of the third display panel respectively overlap a portion of both the second display panel and the fourth display panel in a plan view of the multi-foldable mobile display apparatus.

12. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transparent plate overlaps a portion of both the first and third display panels.

13. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 12, wherein the transparent plate is disposed adjacent to upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the first display panel and the third display panel, disposed between sides of the first display panel and the third display panel facing the second display panel, and disposed adjacent to a side of the third display panel facing the fourth display panel.

14. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the first to fourth display panels includes a display device disposed on a substrate, and a protective cover covering the display device,

wherein the transparent plate overlaps the protective cover.

15. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 14, wherein in the first to fourth display panels, pixel boundaries of adjacent display devices which are successively arranged, are aligned in corresponding vertical lines.

16. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 14, wherein the transparent plate overlapping only the second display panel is about 0.001 millimeter to about 2 millimeter thicker than a thickness of the first display panel, the thicknesses taken perpendicular to the upper surface of the second display panel.

17. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the transparent plate has a refractive index of about 1.3 to about 1.7.

18. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the transparent plate includes one material selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, a silicon resin, polymethyl methacrylate, and polydimethylsiloxane.

19. The multi-foldable mobile display apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an optical film on an upper surface of the transparent plate.

20. A multi-foldable mobile display apparatus comprising:

a plurality of a display panel which is arranged successively, such that adjacent display panels are disposed non-coplanar with each other in an unfolded state of the multi-foldable mobile display apparatus; and

a single unitary indivisible transparent plate which is disposed on the display panels which are disposed in a lower plane than the adjacent display panels,

wherein the display panels are disposed to overlap a portion of an adjacent display panel in a plan view of the multi-foldable mobile display apparatus.