DISPLAY MODULE AND RELATED MANUFACTURING METHOD

• US 20120120471A1
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MariSense Oy (MariCap Oy)
• Original Assignee: MariSense Oy (MariCap Oy)
• Inventors: Hämäläinen, Esa, Karhuketo, Hannu, Enarvi, Jukka
• Application Number:
  US12/918,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20120120471A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/238
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0297 including a machine-readable marking, e.g. a bar code digitally marked record carriers in general G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/204 specially adapted to be attached to a shelf or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/208 Electronic labels, Labels integrating electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/35 being liquid crystals G09F9/302 takes precedence; liquid crystal materials C09K19/00; liquid crystal panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell per se G02F1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

A display device including a flexible display layer including display material. A flexible backplane layer has an electrode structure for driving the display material. A substantially rigid component having a thickness greater than a thickness of the flexible display layer and/or the thickness of the flexible backplane layer. A resilient layer has a cut-out space for the rigid component. The resilient layer is arranged to provide a substantially even total thickness of the device. The device also includes wireless communication capabilities.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a flexible display layer comprising display material,

a flexible backplane layer having an electrode structure for driving said display material,

a substantially rigid component, wherein a thickness of said rigid component is greater than a thickness of said flexible display layer and/or a thickness of said flexible backplane layer,

a resilient layer having a cut-out space for said rigid component, wherein said resilient layer is arranged to provide a substantially even total thickness of said device, and

wireless communication capabilities.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said rigid component has been encapsulated in said cut-out space by laminating said layers together.

3. The device of according to claim 1, wherein said display layer, said back-plane layer, said resilient layer, and said rigid component are located between two protective layers.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said rigid component has been attached to a flexible printed wire board submodule.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said rigid component is an energy source.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said rigid component is a battery.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said battery has a circular shape.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the total thickness of said device is greater than or equal to 1 mm.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device has a curved shape.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device is an electronic shelf label.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device has such a shape that fits into a holder.

12. The device (100) according to claim 1, wherein said device has a surface onto which a printed label can be attached such that said printed label and a controllable part of said display material are simultaneously visible to a viewer.

13. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cut-out for locking said device into a holder.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein said cut-out is arranged to facilitate releasing a printed label from said device when said printed label has been attached to said device such that said printed label at least partially covers said cut-out.

15. A method for producing a device comprising a flexible display layer comprising display material, a flexible backplane layer having an electrode structure for driving said display material, a substantially rigid component, wherein the thickness of said rigid component is greater than the thickness of said flexible display layer and/or the thickness of said flexible backplane layer, a resilient layer having a cut-out space for said rigid component, wherein said resilient layer is arranged to provide a substantially even total thickness of said device, and wireless communication capabilities, said method comprising:

providing said flexible backplane layer as a web, and

laminating said layers together.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

at least one roll-to-roll phase and a corresponding rewinding phase.