Display device

• US 9,368,759 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yoo, Jae-Myong, Kim, Ung-Sik, Kim, Sung-Chul, Kim, Tae-Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Olson, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abebe, Sosina
• Application Number:
  US13/659,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20130300680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/86 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8791 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8793 Arrangements for polarized light emission H10K59/8791 takes precedence

Abstract

A display device includes a display unit for displaying an image, a first retarder provided on the display panel, a first polarizing plate provided on the first retarder, a touch unit provided on the first polarizing plate, a second retarder provided on the touch unit, and a second polarizing plate provided on the second retarder. With this arrangement, external light entering into the display may either be transmitted or reflected off of the touch unit, and in either case, be absorbed by the second polarizing plate without leaving the display device.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a display unit to display an image, the display unit having a first side and a second and opposite side, the image being viewed from the first side;

a first retarder arranged on the display unit;

a first polarizing plate arranged on the first retarder;

a touch unit arranged on the first polarizing plate;

a second retarder arranged on the touch unit; and

a second polarizing plate arranged on the second retarder, the first retarder, wherein the first polarizing plate, the touch unit, the second retarder and the second polarizing plate are sequentially stacked on the first side of the display unit, and wherein the first retarder is closer to the display unit than the first polarizing plate and the second polarizing plate.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display unit includes a first electrode, an organic emission layer, and a second electrode that are sequentially stacked.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first retarder is a ¼

wave plate, and the second retarder is a ½

wave plate.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein

an intersection angle between a polarization axis of the second polarizing plate and a polarization axis of the first polarizing plate is 90 degrees,

an intersection angle between an optical axis of the second retarder and an optical axis of the first retarder is 90 degrees, and

an intersection angle between the optical axis of the first retarder and the polarization axis of the first polarizing plate is 45 degrees.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein

the polarization axis of the second polarizing plate is a predetermined θ

degrees,

the optical axis of the second retarder has an angle of (θ

+45) degrees,

the polarization axis of the first polarizing plate has an angle of (θ

+90) degrees, and

the optical axis of the first retarder has an angle of (θ

+90)+45 degrees.

6. The display device of claim 3, wherein

an intersection angle between a polarization axis of the second polarizing plate and a polarization axis of the first polarizing plate is 90 degrees,

an intersection angle between an optical axis of the second retarder and an optical axis of the first retarder is 0 degrees, and

an intersection angle between an optical axis of the first retarder and a polarization axis of the first polarizing plate is −

45 degrees.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein

the polarization axis of the second polarizing plate is a predetermined θ

degrees,

the optical axis of the second retarder has an angle of (θ

+45) degrees,

the polarization axis of the first polarizing plate has an angle of (θ

+90) degrees, and

the optical axis of the first retarder has an angle of (θ

+90)−

45 degrees.

8. The display device of claim 3, further comprising an adhesive layer arranged between the first polarizing plate and the touch unit.

9. The display device of claim 8, wherein a refractive index of the adhesive layer has a value between a refractive index of the first polarizing plate and a refractive index of the touch unit.

10. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a window arranged on the second polarizing plate.

11. The display device of claim 1, the touch unit being spaced-apart from the first polarizing, plate by a gap.

12. The display device of claim 1, wherein the touch unit transmits a portion of external light that enters the display device and reflects a remaining portion of external light that enters the display device.

13. The display device of claim 12, wherein the portion of the external light that enters the display device and is transmitted through the touch unit is reflected off the display unit and is again transmitted through the touch unit to be absorbed by the second polarizing plate.

14. The display device of claim 12, wherein the portion of the external light that enters the display device and is reflected off the touch unit is absorbed by the second polarizing plate.

15. The display device of claim 1, the display unit being an organic light emitting diode display unit.

16. The display device of claim 1, the display device being adapted to absorb all external light that enters the display device, including light reflected off the touch unit and light transmitted through the touch unit and reflected off the display unit.

17. A display device, comprising:

a display unit to display an image, the display unit having a first side and a second and opposite side, the image being viewed from the first side;

a first retarder arranged on the display unit, the first retarder being a ¼

wave plate;

a first polarizing plate arranged on the first, retarder;

a touch unit arranged on the first polarizing plate;

a second retarder arranged on the touch unit, the second retarder being a ½

wave plate; and

a second polarizing plate arranged on the second retarder, the first retarder, the first polarizing plate, the touch unit, the second retarder and the second polarizing plate each being arranged on the first side only of the display unit,

wherein the first retarder is interposed between the display unit and the first polarizing plate.

18. The display device of claim 17, the display unit being an organic light emitting diode display unit.

19. The display device of claim 17, the second polarizing plate to absorb both external light that enters the display device and reflects off the touch unit and external light that enters the display device and transmits through the touch unit and reflects off the display unit.

20. The display device of claim 17, further comprising an adhesive layer arranged between the first polarizing plate and the touch unit to directly attach the first polarizing plate to the touch unit, wherein a refractive index of the adhesive layer has a value between a refractive index of the first polarizing plate and a refractive index of the touch unit.