FLEXIBLE DISPLAY PANEL AND DISPLAY APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20140002385A1
• Filed: 01/11/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ka, Ji-Hyun, Kwak, Won-Kyu
• Granted Patent: US 9,104,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• 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: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/04 Sealing arrangements , e.g. against humidity
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/22 characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of auxiliary dielectric or reflective layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

A flexible display panel and a display apparatus including the flexible display panel are disclosed. The flexible display panel includes an encapsulated panel, a first protective film on one side of the encapsulated panel, and a second protective film on another side of the encapsulated panel. The encapsulated panel includes a flexible panel and a flexible encapsulation member on the flexible panel. The flexible panel includes a first region on a first plane and that includes a display region, and a second region on a second plane that is bent with respect to the first plane and that includes a non-display region. The flexible encapsulation member encapsulates the display region. The display apparatus also includes a support unit for maintaining a shape of the flexible panel.

Claims

1. A flexible display panel comprising:

an encapsulated panel comprising;

a flexible panel comprising

a first region on a first plane and that includes a display region, and

a second region on a second plane that is bent with respect to the first plane and that includes a non-display region; and

a flexible encapsulation member on the flexible panel to encapsulate the display region;

a first protective film on one side of the encapsulated panel; and

a second protective film on another side of the encapsulated panel.

2. The flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein the first protective film and the second protective film completely cover the display region and the non-display region.

3. The flexible display panel of claim 1,

wherein the display region is configured to display in a first direction in which the first plane is facing, and

wherein the non-display region is not facing the first direction.

4. The flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein an area ratio of the non-display region to the display region as observed from a first direction in which the first plane is facing when the flexible display panel is not bent, is smaller than an area ratio of the non-display region to the display region as observed from the first direction when the flexible display panel is bent.

5. The flexible display panel of claim 1,

wherein the flexible panel further comprises a border region between the first region and the second region, and

wherein the border region has a curved surface having a curvature radius.

6. The flexible display panel of claim 5, wherein the curvature radius is constant.

7. The flexible display panel of claim 6, wherein the curvature radius is between 0.01 mm and 10 mm.

8. The flexible display panel of claim 5, wherein the curved surface has an arc shape.

9. The flexible display panel of claim 5, wherein the display region extends into the border region.

10. The flexible display panel of claim 5, wherein the non-display region extends into the border region.

11. The flexible display panel of claim 10, wherein the display region extends into the border region.

12. The flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein the flexible panel further comprises a third region on a third plane that is substantially parallel to the first plane and that extends from an end of the second region.

13. The flexible display panel of claim 12, wherein the non-display region extends into the third region from the second region.

14. The flexible display panel of claim 12, wherein the third region includes a pad unit.

15. The flexible display panel of claim 1, further comprising a barrier layer between the flexible panel and the flexible encapsulation member.

16. The flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein the first protective film and the second protective film are symmetrical with each other.

17. The flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein the first protective film or the second protective film comprises a polarization film.

18. The flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein the first protective film covers an end of the flexible panel and the second protective film covers an end of the flexible encapsulation member.

19. The flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein the flexible encapsulation member comprises an insulating layer comprising an inorganic layer or an organic layer.

20. The flexible display panel of claim 1, further comprising a touch panel on the flexible panel or the flexible encapsulation member, and configured to display an image of the display region.

21. The flexible display panel of claim 20, wherein the touch panel comprises a flexible film that is bent to correspond to a shape of the flexible display panel.

22. The flexible display panel of claim 21, wherein the touch panel comprises:

a touch region on the flexible film and corresponding to the display region; and

a wiring region outside the touch region.

23. A display apparatus comprising:

an encapsulated panel comprising;

a flexible panel comprising

a first region on a first plane and that includes a display region, and

a second region on a second plane that is bent with respect to the first plane and that includes a non-display region; and

a flexible encapsulation member on the flexible panel to encapsulate the display region;

a first protective film on one side of the encapsulated panel;

a second protective film on another side of the encapsulated panel; and

a support unit for maintaining a shape of the flexible panel.