DISPLAY DEVICE, AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20140002973A1
• Filed: 04/26/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Kyung-Su, Han, Kwan-Young, Kim, Jong-Hwan, Cho, Yong-Youl
• Granted Patent: US 9,439,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1333 Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methodsG02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0269 mounted in a fixed curved configuration, e.g. display curved around the edges of the telephone housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/022 with orientation of the elements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/00 Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus casings, cabinets, drawers H05K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/871 Self-supporting sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8731 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1744 Means bringing discrete articles into assembled relationship

Abstract

A display device, and a method and apparatus for manufacturing the display device, are provided. The display device includes a cover window including a curved portion, and a display panel smaller in at least one of length or width than the cover window and laminated on a flat portion of the cover window.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a cover window comprising a curved portion; and

a display panel smaller in at least one of length or width than the cover window and laminated on a flat portion of the cover window.

2. The display device of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer between the display panel and the cover window.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the cover window further comprises a flat portion extending from the curved portion.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the display panel is laminated entirely on the flat portion.

5. The display device of claim 3, wherein the curved portion comprises a plurality of curved portions.

6. The display device of claim 3, wherein the display panel comprises:

a first display panel portion laminated on the flat portion; and

a second display panel portion extending in a curved shape from the first display panel portion and laminated on the curved portion.

7. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display panel is flexible.

8. A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising:

mounting a cover window comprising a curved portion to a first jig comprising a curved portion;

mounting a display panel, to which an adhesive layer is applied, to a second jig that conforms to a surface of the first jig; and

laminating the cover window to the display panel by moving one of the first jig or the second jig to another of the first jig or the second jig.

9. The method of claim of claim 8, wherein the display panel contacts a flat surface of the second jig.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the display panel is bent along an outer surface of the second jig during the mounting of the display panel to the second jig.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the display panel is smaller in at least one of length or width than the cover window.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein

the display panel and the adhesive layer are flat during the mounting of the display panel to the second jig, and

the laminating of the cover window to the display panel comprises partially curving the display panel and the adhesive layer by the moving of the one of the first jig or the second jig.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the one of the first jig or the second jig is above the other of the first jig or the second jig, or the other of the first jig or the second jig is above the one of the first jig or the second jig.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the mounting of the display panel comprises fixing the display panel to the second jig.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the display panel is flexible.

16. An apparatus for manufacturing a display device, the apparatus comprising:

a first jig comprising a mount surface that is partially curved to conform to a surface of a cover window;

a second jig comprising a surface conforming to the mount surface and configured to contact a display panel to which an adhesive layer is applied; and

an actuator connected to one of the first jig or the second jig and configured to move the one of the first jig or the second jig.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein

the first jig further comprises a first fixing unit for fixing the cover window to the mount surface, or

the second jig further comprises a second fixing unit for fixing the display panel to the surface conforming to the mount surface.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first fixing unit or the second fixing unit comprises:

an absorption unit; and

a driving unit for evacuating air from the absorption unit.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first jig or the second jig further comprises a cushion unit at an outer surface of the at least one of the first jig or the second jig.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein

the cushion unit comprises a plurality of cushion units at respective ends of the first jig or the second jig, and

a distance between the cushion units is less than at least one of length or width of the display panel.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a clamping unit spaced from the second jig and configured to support the display panel to which the adhesive layer is applied.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein

the clamping unit comprises a plurality of clamping units, and

a distance between the clamping units is less than at least one of length or width of the display panel when the clamping units support the display panel.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a driving unit coupled to the clamping unit and configured to linearly move the clamping unit.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the driving unit is further configured to linearly move the clamping unit in a vertical direction of the second jig.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the driving unit is further configured to linearly move the clamping unit in a diagonal direction of the second jig.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first jig or the second jig further comprises a cushion unit at an outer surface of the at least one of the first jig or the second jig.