Electronic devices with flexible displays having fastened bent edges

• US 9,817,444 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2016
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Raff, John, Myers, Scott A., Stringer, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US15/016,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 36167921-6793, 36167955, 36167956, 349 56- 60, 345905
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/00 Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00 architectures of general purpose stored program computers G06F15/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/00 Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received correcting synchronisation H04L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with a display having a flexible substrate with fastened bent edges. The flexible substrate may have an active region that includes an array of light-emitting elements such as organic light-emitting diodes. The flexible substrate may also have inactive regions that lie outside of the active region. The bent edges may include portions of the inactive regions and portions of the active region. The bent edges may be wrapped to conform to the shape of an internal support structure. The bent edges may be fastened to the support structure with fastening members that attach a housing member or an internal clamp to the support structure. The bent edges may be secured between the housing member or the internal clamp and the support structure. The fastening members may be engaged in openings in the support structure and may pass through or alongside the bent edges.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display substrate having a first portion that defines a plane and a second portion that curves out of the plane;

an array of organic light-emitting diode pixels on the first and second portions of the display substrate; and

a mandrel having a curved surface, wherein the second portion of the display substrate is attached to the curved surface of the mandrel.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a display cover layer having a first portion that defines a plane and a second portion that curves out of the plane, wherein the organic light-emitting diode pixels display images through the first portion and the second portion of the display cover layer.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the display cover layer comprises glass.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a layer of adhesive that attaches the second portion of the display substrate to the curved surface of the mandrel.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display substrate comprises a sheet of polymer.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a touch sensor having an array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a housing and at least one attachment member that attaches the mandrel to the housing.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the at least one attachment member comprises a screw.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the mandrel and the housing each have an opening that receives the screw.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the mandrel comprises a recess and wherein the electronic device further comprises an electronic component mounted in the recess.

11. A display, comprising:

a transparent cover layer having a first portion that defines a plane and a second portion that curves out of the plane;

a mandrel having an upper surface with a flat portion and a curved portion;

a polymer substrate on which an array of pixels are formed, wherein the polymer substrate is interposed between the transparent cover layer and the mandrel, wherein the array of pixels displays images through the first and second portions of the transparent cover layer, and wherein the polymer substrate has a curved edge that is attached to the curved portion of the upper surface of the mandrel.

12. The display defined in claim 11 wherein the array of pixels comprises organic light-emitting diode pixels.

13. The display defined in claim 11 wherein the transparent cover layer comprises glass.

14. The display defined in claim 11 wherein the mandrel comprises at least one threaded screw hole.

15. The display defined in claim 11 wherein the polymer substrate has a curved portion and wherein at least some of the pixels are located on the curved portion of the polymer substrate.

16. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted in the housing, wherein the display comprises an array of organic light-emitting diode pixels on a display substrate, an array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes, and a glass cover layer having a flat portion and a curved portion, and wherein the array of organic light-emitting diode pixels displays images through the flat and curved portions of the glass cover layer; and

a mandrel that supports the display, wherein the mandrel has a rounded edge and wherein the display substrate is attached to the rounded edge.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the housing has at least one curved sidewall.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the mandrel and the housing each comprise an opening, and wherein the opening in the mandrel is aligned with the opening in the housing.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 further comprising an attachment member that passes through the opening in the mandrel and the opening in the housing to attach the mandrel to the housing.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 16 further comprising an adhesive that attaches the display substrate to the rounded edge so that the shape of the display substrate conforms to the shape of the mandrel.