DISPLAYS WITH MINIMIZED BORDERS

• US 20120218219A1
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: RAPPOPORT, BENJAMIN M., FRANKLIN, JEREMY C., CHEN, CHENG, MYERS, SCOTT A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,716,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/179 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with a display having a flexible substrate with bent edges. The flexible substrate may have a planar active region that includes an array of light-emitting elements such as organic light-emitting diodes with associated control lines. The flexible substrate may also have inactive regions that lie outside of the active region. The bent edges may be formed from portions of the flexible substrate in the inactive regions. Traces for distributing control signals to the control lines in the active region may be formed in the inactive regions. Corner openings may be formed at the corners of the flexible substrate to accommodate bending of the flexible substrate in the inactive regions. A jumper or a portion of the flexible substrate that lies outside of a corner opening may be used to convey signals between traces on adjoining inactive regions.

Claims

1. A display, comprising:

a layer with an active area that contains an array of light-emitting elements and an inactive area that includes bent edge portions of the layer.

2. The display defined in claim 1 wherein the layer comprises at least one sheet of polymer.

3. The display defined in claim 2 wherein the layer has a substantially rectangular shape with corner openings.

4. The display defined in claim 3 wherein the corner openings in the layer comprise notches.

5. The display defined in claim 3 wherein the corner openings in the layer comprise holes in the layer.

6. The display defined in claim 5 wherein the holes are interposed between the active area and part of the inactive area, the display further comprising traces on the part of the inactive area.

7. The display defined in claim 1 wherein the layer comprises a polymer layer and wherein the light-emitting elements comprise organic light-emitting diodes.

8. The display defined in claim 1 wherein the bent edge portions include four bent edges of the layer.

9. The display defined in claim 1 further comprising a jumper having conductive lines that connect traces on one of the bent edges to traces on another of the bent edges.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing; and

a display mounted in the housing, wherein the display includes a flexible substrate layer having a rectangular active region with an array of light-emitting elements that lies in a plane and wherein the flexible substrate includes inactive edge regions that are bent out of the plane.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the flexible substrate layer comprises at least two openings at two respective corners of the flexible substrate layer.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the openings comprise notches at the corners of the flexible substrate.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the openings comprise holes at the corners of the flexible substrate.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the inactive edge regions are bent out of the plane about a bend axis and wherein the flexible substrate further comprises a bead of adhesive formed along the flexible substrate region adjacent to the bend axis.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the housing comprises metal, wherein the electronic device further comprises a cover glass layer mounted in the housing over the display, and wherein the display includes capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

16. A display, comprising:

a flexible layer having an active region with four corners, wherein the active region lies in a plane, wherein the flexible layer has openings at two or more of the corners, and wherein the flexible layer has at least two inactive edges that are bent out of the plane.

17. The display defined in claim 16 wherein the flexible layer comprises a sheet of polymer, wherein the inactive edges are each bent out of the plane along a respective bend axis that runs parallel to an edge of the active region.

18. The display defined in claim 16 wherein the active region includes an array of organic light-emitting diodes and control lines.

19. The display defined in claim 18 wherein at least some of the control lines are formed on at least one of the inactive edges.

20. The display defined in claim 19 wherein the openings comprise holes that are each completely surrounded by portions of the inactive edges.

21. The display defined in claim 19 wherein the inactive edges are bent out of the plane along bend axes and wherein the control lines have enlarged widths where the control lines overlap the bend axes.