Curved display apparatus and multi display apparatus having the same

• US 9,113,553 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.), Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.), Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: An, Jun-seok, Choi, Hyeong-sik, Kim, Dong-wook, Kim, Sung-hwan, Park, Jee-su, Park, Chan-hong, Sim, Byung-kook, Lee, Jong-cheol, Lee, Cheol-se, Ahn, Byung-wook, Lee, Cheong-hun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Sang V
• Application Number:
  US13/896,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20130321740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 349/160, 349/58
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0052 Audio or video equipment, e.g. televisions, telephones, cameras or computers; Remote control devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13332 Front frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133328 Segmented frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13336 Combining plural substrates to produce large-area displays, e.g. tiled displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133602 Direct backlight
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136286 Wiring, e.g. gate line, drain line
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0217 Mechanical details of casings covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03

Abstract

A curved display apparatus and a multi display system having the same are provided. The curved display apparatus includes a display panel, and a fixation member which fixes the display panel so that the display panel is curved with multiple curvatures.

Claims

1. A curved display apparatus, comprising:

a display panel; and

a fixation member with multiple curvatures which fixes the display panel so that the display panel is curved with multiple curvatures,

wherein the fixation member is formed so that a part of the fixation member supporting the display panel is curved with multiple curvatures and contacts the display panel, each of the multiple curvatures being concave with respect to a point facing an image displayed on the display panel,

wherein a curvature, among the multiple curvatures, corresponding to a center of the display panel is larger than a curvature, among the multiple curvatures, of a peripheral portion of the display panel, and

wherein the fixation member further comprises intermediate portions corresponding to portions of the display panel connecting the center of the display panel to the peripheral portions of the display panel, the intermediate portions having curvatures, among the multiple curvatures, which are different from the curvatures of the center and peripheral portions of the display panel.

2. The curved display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the curvature of the peripheral portion of the display panel is symmetric with reference to the center of the display panel.

3. The curved display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multiple curvatures of the display panel are set to decrease in a direction moving farther away from the center of the display panel and towards the peripheral portion of the display panel.

4. The curved display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display panel is a flexible display panel, and the fixation member includes a guide member according to which the flexible display panel is curved with the multiple curvatures.

5. The curved display apparatus of claim 4, wherein the guide member comprises a support opening having a larger width than a thickness of the display panel.

6. The curved display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, and the curved display apparatus further comprises a direct-type backlight assembly which provides the LCD panel with light, wherein

the direct-type backlight assembly includes a plurality of light sources arranged on a rear side of the LCD panel.

7. The curved display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixation member comprises:

an upper frame which corresponds to an upper side of the display panel and which supports the display panel so that the display panel is curved with the multiple curvatures;

a lower frame which corresponds to a lower side of the display panel and which supports the display panel so that the display panel is curved with the multiple curvatures;

a left frame which corresponds to a left side of the display panel and which is disposed between the upper frame and the lower frame; and

a right frame which corresponds to a right side of the display panel and which is disposed between the upper frame and the lower frame.

8. The curved display apparatus of claim 7, wherein the upper frame comprises a first opening formed therein to receive the upper side of the display panel, and the lower frame comprises a second opening formed therein to receive the lower side of the display panel, the left frame comprises a third opening formed therein to receive the left side of the display panel, and the right frame comprises a fourth opening formed therein to receive the right side of the display panel.

9. The curved display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixation member comprises:

a bottom chassis arranged below the display panel; and

a top chassis arranged above the display panel, the top chassis comprising multiple curvatures and fixing the display panel via coupling with the bottom chassis.

10. The curved display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixation member comprises:

a bottom chassis arranged below the display panel;

a molding member arranged between the display panel and the bottom chassis, the molding member comprising multiple curvatures which support the display panel; and

a top chassis arranged above the display panel, the top chassis comprising multiple curvatures and fixing the display panel via coupling with the bottom chassis.

11. The curved display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixation member comprises:

a bottom chassis arranged below the display panel;

a molding member arranged between the display panel and the bottom chassis, the molding member comprising multiple curvatures which support the display panel; and

an adhesive member arranged between the molding member and the display panel to fix the display panel with the multiple curvatures to the molding member.

12. The curved display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display panel comprises a data line and a gate line crossing the data line, and the gate line is curved with multiple curvatures so that the display panel is arranged in a landscape type configuration.

13. The curved display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display panel comprises a data line and a gate line crossing the data line, and the gate line is curved with multiple curvatures so that the display panel is arranged in a portrait type configuration.

14. The curved display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multiple curvatures are defined by a plurality of radii of curvature which increase in a direction moving farther away from a center of the display panel.

15. The curved display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multiple curvatures are defined by a plurality of radii of curvature which change in a direction moving farther away from a center of the display panel.

16. The curved display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixation member comprises:

first and second members which respectively support the display panel at front and rear locations of the display panel so that the display panel is curved with multiple curvatures, wherein

the first and second members each provide support so that a first region of the display panel maintains a first curvature, a second region on a left side of the first region maintains a second curvature which is smaller than the first curvature, and a third region on a right side of the first region maintains a third curvature which is smaller than the first curvature.

17. The display apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first member comprises a first supporting surface to be in contact with a front surface of the display panel, and the second member comprises a second supporting surface to be in contact with a rear surface of the display panel, and

the first and second supporting surfaces each comprise:

a first supporting region having the first curvature and corresponding to the first region,

a second supporting region having the second curvature and corresponding to the second region, and

a third supporting region having the third curvature and corresponding to the third region.

18. The display apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first and second supporting surfaces having the first, second and third supporting regions formed thereon each comprise:

a fourth supporting region arranged between the first and second supporting regions and having a fourth curvature which is larger than the first curvature; and

a fifth supporting region arranged between the first and third supporting regions and having a fifth curvature which is larger than the first curvature.

19. The display apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second member comprises a supporting surface to contact a front surface of the display panel, and the supporting surface comprises a first supporting region having the first curvature and corresponding to the first region, a second supporting region having the second curvature and corresponding to the second region, and a third supporting region having the third curvature and corresponding to the third region, and

the first member is deformed by a force to couple the first member into tight contact with the second member so as to bring the display panel into tight contact with the supporting surface of the second member.

24. A multi display system comprising:

a plurality of curved display apparatuses fixedly mounted to each other, each curved display apparatus as claimed in claim 1.

20. A curved display apparatus, comprising:

a display panel which displays an image;

a backlight unit which is arranged in back of the display panel; and

a top chassis and a bottom chassis which package the display panel and the backlight unit into a single module, and support the display panel so that the display panel is curved with multiple curvatures, wherein;

a rear surface of the top chassis and a front surface of the bottom chassis each contact the display panel, and the rear surface of the top chassis and the front surface of the bottom chassis each comprises;

a first supporting region which provides support so that a center of a curved region of the display panel comprising the multiple curvatures maintains a first curvature among the multiple curvatures, second and third supporting regions which provide support so that sides of the display panel respectively maintain second and third curvatures among the multiple curvatures which are smaller than the first curvature, and intermediate regions corresponding to portions of the display panel connecting the center of the display panel to the sides of the display panel, the intermediate regions having curvatures, among the multiple curvatures, which are different from the center and sides of the display panel,

wherein each of the multiple curvatures is concave with respect to a point facing the image displayed on the display panel.

21. The curved display apparatus of claim 20, wherein the second and third supporting regions are symmetrical to each other with respect to the first supporting region.

22. A curved display apparatus, comprising:

a display panel which displays an image;

a backlight unit arranged in back of the display panel;

a top chassis and a bottom chassis which package the display panel and the backlight unit into a single module, the top chassis and the bottom chassis contacting the display panel; and

a molding member arranged between the display panel and the bottom chassis, wherein

a rear surface of the top chassis and a front surface of the molding member are divided into;

a first supporting region which provides support so that a center of a curved region of the display panel comprising multiple curvatures maintains a first curvature, second and third supporting regions which provide support so that sides of the display panel respectively maintain second and third curvatures which are smaller than the first curvature, and intermediate regions corresponding to portions of the display panel connecting the center of the display panel to the sides of the display panel, the intermediate regions having third curvatures, among the multiple curvatures, which are different from the first and second curvatures,

wherein each of the multiple curvatures is concave with respect to a point facing an image displayed on the display panel.

23. The curved display apparatus of claim 22, wherein the second and third supporting regions are symmetrical to each other with respect to the first supporting region.

25. A display apparatus, comprising:

a display screen to display images, and

a fixation member with multiple curvatures which fixes the display screen to have different curvatures, the fixation member contacting the display screen,

wherein the fixation member comprises different curvatures at different segments along an edge of the fixation member, each of the different curvatures having a different radius of curvature, each radius of curvature corresponding to a radius of a circular arc which approximates a curve intersecting the corresponding segment,

wherein each of the different curvatures is concave with respect to a point facing the images displayed on the display screen,

wherein a curvature, among the different curvatures, corresponding to a center of the display screen is larger than a curvature, among the different curvatures, of a peripheral portion of the display screen, and

wherein the fixation member further comprises an intermediate portion corresponding to a portion of the display screen connecting the center of the display screen to the peripheral portion of the display screen, the intermediate portion having a curvature, among the different curvatures, which is different from the curvatures of the center and peripheral portion of the display screen.

26. The display apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the screen includes three different segments having three different curvatures at the three different segments.

27. The display apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the screen has a first length along a horizontal direction and a second length along a vertical direction, the second length being shorter than the first length, and the edge comprising the different segments is arranged along the horizontal direction.

28. The display apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the screen has a first length along a horizontal direction and a second length along a vertical direction, the second length being longer than the first length, and the edge comprising the different segments is arranged along the vertical direction.