Bendable display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same

• US 7,148,944 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2004
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Central Incorporated (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Tatsuya, Kinoshita, Masaki, Kawata, Yasushi, Yamanaka, Satoru, Kawamata, Kenji, Kurisu, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Schechter, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, RICHARD H
• Application Number:
  US10/807,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20040179165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 349/158, 349/96
• US Class Current: 349/158
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13356 characterised by the placement of the optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/351 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/841 Self-supporting sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/86 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays

Abstract

A display apparatus with a plurality of display pixel sections includes glass substrate, which are formed to have a thickness that permits bending of the display apparatus, and polarizer plates, which are disposed on the glass substrates, respectively. The polarizer plates are thicker than the glass substrates.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

an optical material between a pair of substrates,

a plurality of display pixel sections, and

a spacer disposed between the pair of substrates, the spacer being fixed on at least one of the substrates,

wherein each of the substrates has a glass substrate and a film that is attached to an outer surface of the glass substrate and has a thickness greater than a thickness of the glass substrate,

at least one of the films is formed of a polarizer plate, and

each of the glass substrate is formed to have a thickness that permits bending of the display apparatus, wherein

the thickness of each of the glass substrates is 0.15 mm or less.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical material is a liquid crystal composition.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical material is an EL (electro-luminescence) material.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the display pixel section includes a TFT (thin film transistor) and a pixel electrode, which are formed on one of the glass substrates.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the TFT includes a p-Si film (polysilicon film).

6. A display apparatus comprising:

an optical material between a pair of substrates,

a plurality of display pixel sections, and

a spacer disposed between the pair of substrates, the spacer being fixed on at least one of the substrates,

wherein each of the substrates has a glass substrate and a film that is attached to an outer surface of the glass substrate and has a thickness greater than a thickness of the glass substrate,

at least one of the films is formed of a polarizer plate, and

each of the glass substrate is formed to have a thickness that permits bending of the display apparatus, wherein the display apparatus is formed to be bendable with a radius of curvature of 200 mm or less.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the optical material is a liquid crystal composition.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the optical material is an EL (electro-luminescence) material.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of the display pixel section includes a TFT (thin film transistor) and a pixel electrode, which are formed on one of the glass substrates.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the TFT includes a p-Si film (polysilicon film).

11. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel configured to hold a liquid crystal layer between an array substrate and a counter substrate;

a backlight unit that illuminates the display panel; and

a spacer disposed between the substrates, the spacer being fixed on at least one of the substrates,

wherein the array substrate includes

a first light-transmissive insulation substrate;

a signal line and a scan line that are disposed to be substantially perpendicular to each other on one of major surfaces of the first light-transmissive insulation substrate,

a switch element disposed near an intersection of the signal line and the scan line, and

a pixel electrode connected to the switch element,

wherein the counter substrate includes

a second light-transmissive insulation substrate, and

a counter electrode disposed on one of major surfaces of the second light-transmissive insulation substrate so as to face the pixel electrode, and

wherein polarizer plates are disposed respectively on the other major surfaces of the first light-transmissive insulation-substrate and the second light-transmissive insulation substrate, the polarizer plates having thicknesses greater than those of the first light-transmissive insulation substrate and the second light-transmissive insulation substrate, and

the thickness of each of the glass substrates is 0.15 mm or less.

12. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel configured to hold a liquid crystal layer between an array substrate and a counter substrate;

a backlight unit that illuminates the display panel; and

a spacer disposed between the substrates, the spacer being fixed on at least one of the substrates,

wherein the array substrate includes

a first light-transmissive insulation substrate,

a signal line and a scan line that are disposed to be substantially perpendicular to each other on one of major surfaces of the first light-transmissive insulation substrate,

a switch element disposed near an intersection of the signal line and the scan line, and

a pixel electrode connected to the switch element,

wherein the counter substrate includes

a second light-transmissive insulation substrate, and

a counter electrode disposed on one of major surfaces of the second light-transmissive insulation substrate so as to face the pixel electrode, and

wherein polarizer plates are disposed respectively on the other major surfaces of the first light-transmissive insulation-substrate and the second light-transmissive insulation substrate, the polarizer plates having thickness greater than those of the first light-transmissive insulation substrate and the second light-transmissive insulation substrate,

wherein the display apparatus is formed to be bendable with a radius of curvature of 200 mm or less.