Liquid crystal display device with a flexible liquid crystal cell that is folded

• US 6,016,176 A
• Filed: 02/10/1999
• Issued: 01/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Devices Co., Ltd. (Samsung SDI Company Limited)
• Inventors: Kim, Mee-Kyung, Kim, Kyu-Suk, Kim, Si-Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eisenhut, Heidi L.
• Application Number:
  US09/247,485
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 349/84, 349/158
• US Class Current: 349/84
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/301 flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes an LCD device having at least one flexible portion, a main body having the front, rear, right and left sides, and a coupling member for coupling the LCD device to the main body. The LCD device have a screen size more than twice the total upper surface of the main body, and thus completely wrap the upper surface, the front side, and the bottom surface of the main body. The front side of the main body is rounded to allow the LCD device to bend without a sharp 90° angle, which would be stressful to the bent portion. The LCD device includes a liquid crystal cell, a reinforcement plate disposed on the liquid crystal cell, and at least two strip-shaped recesses formed by removing portions of the reinforcement plate in said at least one flexible portion.

Claims

1. An LCD device flexible in at least one portion, comprising:

a liquid crystal cell;

a reinforcement plate disposed on the liquid crystal cell; and

at least two strip-shaped recesses in the reinforcement plate in said at least one portion of the LCD at which the LCD can be bent.

2. The LCD device according to claim 1 further comprising a flexible film attached on the reinforcement plate.

3. The LCD device according to claim 1 further comprising a circuit board coupled to the liquid crystal cell, and a driver coupled to the circuit board via a tab integrated circuit.

4. The LCD device according to claim 3 further comprising a flexible printed circuit for connecting the liquid crystal cell to the circuit board.

5. An electronic apparatus comprising:

an LCD device with a liquid crystal cell having at least one flexible portion;

a body portion having front, rear, right and left sides as well as upper and bottom surfaces; and

a coupling member for coupling the LCD device to the body portion,

wherein the surface area of the LCD device is greater than the area of the upper surface of the body portion and the LCD device is bendable in said at least one flexible portion around the front side so as to cover the bottom surface of the body portion.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the front side of the body portion is round.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the coupling member comprises guides formed along the right and left peripheries of the front surface of the body portion and the right and left ends of the LCD device are slidably inserted into and withdrawn from the guides, which further comprise a pivot hole, formed on the rear ends of each of the guides, into which pivot shafts protruding from the LCD device are inserted and a guide slot, extending from the pivot hole, such that the pivot shafts can slide inside the slots for the insertion and withdrawal of the right and left ends of the LCD into the guides.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the LCD device comprises:

a liquid crystal cell;

a reinforcement plate disposed on the liquid crystal cell; and

at least two strip-shaped recesses formed by removing portions of the reinforcement plate in said at least one flexible portion.

9. The LCD device of claim 8 further comprising a flexible film attached on the reinforcement plate.

10. The LCD device of claim 8 further comprising a circuit board coupled to the liquid crystal cell, and a driver coupled to the circuit board via a tab integrated circuit.