FOLDABLE DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20120192466A1
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• 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, LEE, Sang-yoon, SHIM, Hong-shik
• Granted Patent: US 8,593,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly

Abstract

A foldable display device includes a first display panel which displays a portion of an image; a second display panel which displays a second portion different from the first portion of the image; a first protecting window on the first display panel; a second protecting window on the second display panel; and a flexible material layer between the first and second protecting windows. Side surfaces of the first and second protecting windows which contact the flexible material layer, respectively, are inclined with respect to a surface of each of the first and second protecting windows.

Claims

1. A foldable display device comprising:

a first display panel which displays a first portion of an image;

a second display panel which displays a second portion different from the first portion of the image;

a first protecting window which overlaps the first display panel, and includes a first side surface;

a second protecting window which overlaps the second display panel, and includes a second side surface which faces the first side surface of the first protecting window; and

a flexible material layer between the first and second protecting windows,

wherein the first and second side surfaces of the first and second protecting windows contact the flexible material layer, respectively, and are inclined with respect to an upper or a lower surface of each of the first and second protecting windows.

2. The foldable display device of claim 1, wherein an interval between the first and second inclined side surfaces increases in a direction from the display panels to the protecting windows.

3. The foldable display device of claim 1, wherein the first and second protecting windows comprise a transparent material which is harder than a material of the flexible material layer.

4. The foldable display device of claim 3, wherein

the first and second protecting windows comprise glass, and

the flexible material layer comprises a silicon resin.

5. The foldable display device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the second display panel overlaps with the first display panel.

6. The foldable display device of claim 5, wherein the upper surfaces of the first and second protecting windows and an upper surface of the flexible material layer are coplanar.

7. The foldable display device of claim 6, wherein flexible material layer is further between the first display panel and the first protecting window.

8. The foldable display device of claim 1, wherein

the first display panel comprises a first substrate, and a first display panel on the first substrate, and

the second display panel comprises a second substrate, and a second display device on the second substrate.

9. The foldable display device of claim 8, wherein the first and second display devices each comprise an organic light-emitting device.

10. The foldable display device of claim 1, wherein the flexible material layer is at a folding portion of the foldable display device.

11. A foldable display device comprising:

a first display panel which displays a first portion of an image;

a second display panel which displays a second portion different from the first portion of the image; and

further comprising a protecting layer on viewing side of the first and second display panels, wherein the protecting layer comprises;

a first transparent portion which overlaps the first and second display panels, and includes a first material; and

a second transparent portion which is at a folding portion of the foldable display device, and includes a second material which is softer than the first material of the first transparent portion;

wherein a boundary between the first and second transparent portions is inclined in a cross-sectional view of the foldable display device.

12. The foldable display device of claim 11, wherein

the first transparent portion includes a first portion which overlaps the first display panel, and a second portion which overlaps the second display panel, and

the second transparent portion is between the first and second portions of the first transparent portion,

wherein

a first boundary between the first portion of the first transparent portion and the second transparent portion is inclined in the cross-sectional view of the foldable display device,

a second boundary between the second portion of the first transparent portion and the second transparent portion is inclined in the cross-sectional view of the foldable display device, and

the first and second boundaries face each other.

13. The foldable display device of claim 12, wherein

the second transparent portion is further between the second portion of the first transparent portion and the second display panel.

14. The foldable display device of claim 13, wherein the second transparent portion is a single, unitary, indivisible member.

15. The foldable display device of claim 12, wherein upper surfaces of the first and second portions of the first transparent portion, and an upper surface of the second transparent portion are coplanar.

16. A method of forming a foldable display device, the method comprising:

forming a first transparent layer and a second transparent layer on a viewing side of a first display panel and a second display panel, respectively, and

forming a flexible third transparent layer between the first and second transparent layers, and in a folding portion of the foldable display device,

wherein

side surfaces of the third transparent layer respectively contact the first and second transparent layers; and

the side surfaces are inclined in a cross-sectional view of the foldable display device.