Curved display device

• US 9,366,802 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2013
• 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, Cheolse, Lee, Cheong Hun, Son, Jeongman, Lee, JinYoung, Lee, Yun-Gun
• Primary Examiner(s): Briggs, Nathanael R
• Application Number:
  US14/156,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20150036077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 349/58, 349/65
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0081 Mechanical or electrical aspects of the light guide and light source in the lighting device peculiar to the adaptation to planar light guides, e.g. concerning packaging
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0088 of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/02 Details

Abstract

A curved display device includes a display panel having a display area on which an image is displayed; a receiving member receiving the display panel; and a cover member covering a border of the display panel to combine with the receiving member. The display panel has a bent shape along a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction and each of the receiving member and the cover member is bent to maintain the bent shape of the display panel.

Claims

1. A curved display device comprising:

a display panel comprising a display area on which an image is displayed, a longer side and a shorter side;

a receiving member which receives the display panel; and

a cover member which covers a border of the display panel and is combined with the receiving member,

wherein

each of the longer side and the shorter side is curved to define a three-dimensional curved shape of the display panel,

the longer side has a first curvature radius from one edge of the longer side to an opposing edge of the longer side,

the shorter side has a second curvature radius from one edge of the shorter side to an opposing edge of the shorter side, and

each of the receiving member and the cover member is curved and maintains the curved shape of the display panel.

2. The curved display device of claim 1, wherein

the display panel is curved along a first direction and a second direction which crosses the first direction,

the longer side of the display panel is curved along the first direction, and

the shorter side of the display panel is curved along the second direction.

3. The curved display device of claim 2, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

4. The curved display device of claim 3, wherein

a first virtual line passes through a central point of the display area and is parallel to the first direction,

a second virtual line passes through the central point of the display area and is parallel to the second direction, and

the display panel is symmetrically curved with respect to the first and second virtual lines, respectively.

5. The curved display device of claim 2, wherein

the second curvature radius is greater than the first curvature radius.

6. The curved display device of claim 5, wherein the second curvature radius is from about 3 times to about 50 times greater than the first curvature radius.

7. The curved display device of claim 6, wherein the first curvature radius is about 2 meters to about 10 meters.

8. The curved display device of claim 2, wherein a first portion of the longer side or the shorter side of the display panel is curved to have a different curvature radius from that of a second portion of the respective longer side or shorter side.

9. The curved display device of claim 2,

wherein the receiving member comprises:

a bottom portion; and

multiple sidewalls extending from the bottom portion, wherein

a portion of the sidewalls among the multiple sidewalls, which extends parallel to the longer side of the display panel is curved along the first direction, and

a portion of the sidewalls among the multiple sidewalls, which extends parallel to the shorter side of the display panel is curved along the second direction.

10. The curved display device of claim 9, further comprising a mold frame which is combined with the receiving member and supports the display panel,

wherein the mold frame comprises:

a first frame which is curved along the first direction; and

a second frame which is curved along the second direction.

11. The curved display device of claim 2, wherein the cover member comprises:

a first cover portion which is curved along the first direction and overlaps the longer side of the display panel; and

a second cover portion which is curved along the second direction and overlaps the shorter side of the display panel.

12. The curved display device of claim 2, further comprising a backlight which is received in the receiving member, and generates and outputs light to the display panel,

wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal display panel which receives the light to display the image.

13. The curved display device of claim 12, wherein the backlight comprises:

a light source which generates the light; and

a light guide plate which guides the light generated from the light source toward the display panel,

wherein a longer side of the light guide plate is curved along the first direction and a shorter side of the light guide plate is curved along the second direction.

14. The curved display device of claim 13, wherein the backlight further comprises:

an optical sheet between the light guide plate and the display panel; and

a reflecting plate facing the optical sheet with the light guide plate between the reflecting plate and the optical sheet,

wherein a longer side of the optical sheet and a longer side of the reflecting plate are curved along the first direction, and a shorter side of the optical sheet and a shorter side of the reflecting plate are curved along the second direction.

15. The curved display device of claim 13, wherein the light source is adjacent to a side portion of the light guide plate.

16. The curved display device of claim 15, wherein the light source comprises:

a printed circuit board extending along the side portion of the light guide plate; and

multiple light emitting diode packages on the printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board is curved along the longer side of the light guide plate or the shorter side of the light guide plate.

17. The curved display device of claim 1, wherein the display panel is an organic electroluminescence display panel.

18. The curved display device of claim 1, wherein the display panel is curved such that the display area has a concave shape.

19. The curved display device of claim 1, wherein the display panel is curved such that the display area has a convex shape.

20. The curved display device of claim 1, further comprising a spacer between the cover member and the display panel and at the longer side or the shorter side of the display panel,

wherein a first portion of the respective longer side or the shorter side of the display panel at which the spacer is disposed, is curved to have a different curvature radius from that of a second portion of the respective longer side or shorter side at which the spacer is not disposed.

21. A curved display device comprising:

a display panel comprising a display area on which an image is displayed, a longer side and a shorter side,

wherein

each of the longer side and the shorter side is curved to define a three-dimensional curved shape of the display panel,

the longer side has a first curvature radius from one edge of the longer side to an opposing edge of the longer side,

the shorter side has a second curvature radius from one edge of the shorter side to an opposing edge of the shorter side, and

a straight line, which passes through a central point of the display panel and is parallel to the longer side or the shorter side in a plan view, is defined, and the display area is symmetrical with respect to the straight line to have a concave shape.