Flexible display device and method of manufacturing the same

• US 9,326,375 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Dal Jae
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dung
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Tai
• Application Number:
  US14/135,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20140307396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 349/158
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13452 Conductors connecting driver circuitry and terminals of panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0408 Integration of the drivers onto the display substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/111 Pads for surface mounting, e.g. lay-out
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/055 Folded back on itself
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09063 Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10128 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10136 Liquid Crystal display [LCD]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49126 Assembling bases

Abstract

Discussed is a flexible display device with a reduced bezel width. The flexible display device according to an embodiment includes a display panel configured to display images, and including a flexible first substrate having a plurality of pixels disposed therein and a second substrate coupled to the flexible first substrate, the flexible first substrate including a display area, a bent part extending from the display area, and a pad part extending from the bent part; a panel driver connected to the pad part, and configured to supply signals to the respective pixels; and a supporting member configured to support the flexible first substrate, and including a bent part for guiding the bent part of the first substrate.

Claims

1. A flexible display device comprising:

a display panel configured to display images, and including a flexible first substrate having a plurality of pixels disposed therein and a second substrate coupled to the flexible first substrate,

the flexible first substrate including a display area, a bent part extending from the display area, and a pad part extending from the bent part;

a panel driver connected to the pad part, and configured to supply signals to the respective pixels; and

a supporting member configured to support the flexible first substrate, and including a bent part for guiding the bent part of the first substrate,

wherein the flexible first substrate is curved at the bent part of the first substrate such that the pad part is disposed below the display area.

2. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the panel driver is adhered to a bottom surface of the supporting member by an adhesive member.

3. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the panel driver includes:

a flexible circuit board connected to the pad part of the flexible first substrate; and

a driving IC mounted on the flexible circuit board,

wherein at least one of the pad part of the flexible first substrate and the flexible circuit board of the panel driver is adhered to a bottom surface of the supporting member by at least one adhesive member.

4. The flexible display device of claim 3, wherein the at least one adhesive member includes:

a first adhesive member adhered to one of the pad part and the supporting member; and

a second adhesive member adhered to one of the supporting member and the flexible circuit board.

5. The flexible display device of claim 4, wherein the first adhesive member is formed of a material that is less flexible than the material of the second adhesive member.

6. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the supporting member includes:

a first supporting part adhered to a bottom of the display panel;

the bent part extending from the first supporting part and being curved to face an inner surface of the bent part of the flexible first substrate; and

a second supporting part extending from the bent part of the supporting member, and adhered to a bottom of the first supporting part.

7. The flexible display device of claim 6, wherein an entire one side of the second supporting part contacts one side of the first supporting part.

8. The flexible display device of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first and second supporting parts includes a driving IC hole into which a driving IC of the panel driver is inserted to adhere to the bottom of the display panel.

9. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the supporting member includes a driving IC hole into which a driving IC configuring the panel driver is inserted.

10. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the flexible first substrate wraps the bent part of the supporting member.

11. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the panel driver includes a driving IC which is coupled to the pad part.

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

manufacturing a display panel by coupling a flexible first substrate to a second substrate, the flexible first substrate including a display area having a plurality of pixels, a to-be-bent part extending from the display area, and a pad part extending from the to-be-bent part;

adhering a panel driver to the pad part, the panel driver configured to supply signals to the respective pixels;

manufacturing a supporting member including a bent part formed by a hemming process;

adhering the supporting member to a bottom of the display panel;

bending the to-be-bent part of the flexible first substrate along the bent part of the supporting member, so as to form a bent part of the flexible first substrate; and

adhering at least one of the pad part and the panel driver to a bottom of the supporting member.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein in the step of adhering the panel driver to the pad part, the panel driver includes a flexible circuit board connected to the pad part of the flexible first substrate;

and a driving IC mounted on the flexible circuit board, and

wherein in the step of adhering the at least one of the pad part and the panel driver, at least one of the pad part and the flexible circuit board is adhered to the bottom of the supporting member by at least one adhesive member.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of adhering the at least one of the pad part and the panel driver includes:

adhering a first adhesive member to the pad part; and

while the first adhesive member is adhered to the pad part, adhering a flexible circuit board of the panel driver to the supporting member via a second adhesive member.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second adhesive member has two opposite adhesive surfaces respectively adhering to the supporting member and the flexible circuit board.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein in the step of manufacturing the supporting member, the supporting member includes:

a first supporting part adhered to a bottom of the display panel;

the bent part extending from the first supporting part and being curved; and

a second supporting part extending from the bent part of the supporting member, and adhered to a bottom of the first supporting part,

wherein after the bending step, the bent part of the supporting member faces an inner surface of the bent part of the flexible first substrate.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first and second supporting parts includes a driving IC hole into which a driving IC of the panel driver is inserted to adhere to the bottom of the display panel.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein after the bending step, the flexible first substrate is curved at the bent part of the first substrate such that the pad part is disposed below the display area.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein after the bending step, the flexible first substrate wraps the bent part of the supporting member.