Stretchable display device

• US 9,978,966 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2016
• 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, Jaeun, Choi, Byeonghwa
• Primary Examiner(s): Schoenholtz, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US15/221,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20170200779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/302 of OLED structures
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8428 Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/128 comprising two independent displays, e.g. for emitting information from two major sides of the display
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/87 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8723 Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

A display device includes a stretchable display panel including a first display area and a second display area, the second display area extending from the first display area in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the first display area, and a frame including a first coupling part and a second coupling part spaced apart from the first coupling part in the horizontal direction, the second coupling part being moveable in a vertical direction normal to the horizontal direction, wherein the first and second display areas are respectively coupled to the first and second coupling parts, and the second display area is elongated in the vertical direction when the second coupling part moves in the vertical direction.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a stretchable display panel including a first display area and a second display area, the second display area extending from the first display area in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the first display area; and

a frame including a first coupling part and a second coupling part spaced apart from the first coupling part in the horizontal direction, the second coupling part being moveable in a vertical direction normal to the horizontal direction,

wherein the first and second display areas are respectively coupled to the first and second coupling parts, and

wherein, when the second coupling part moves in the vertical direction, the second display area is elongated in the vertical direction to have an increased surface area, as compared to a surface area before movement of the second coupling part.

2. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second display areas includes a display surface to display an image and a rear surface opposite to the display surface, and the first and second coupling parts are respectively coupled to the rear surfaces of the first and second display areas.

3. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the second coupling part is at a first position in a first state, the second coupling part being moveable in the vertical direction to be positioned at a second position in a second state,

the first position is spaced apart from the first coupling part by a first distance in the vertical direction, and

the second position is spaced apart from the first coupling part by a second distance greater than the first distance to the vertical direction.

4. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first coupling part is moveable in the vertical direction, and the first display area is stretchable in the vertical direction when the first coupling part moves in the vertical direction.

5. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the frame includes a first sub-frame and a second sub-frame,

the first sub-frame includes a first center portion, the first coupling part being elongated from the first center portion in the horizontal direction to surround the first center portion, and

the second sub-frame includes a second center portion, the second coupling part being elongated from the second center portion to the horizontal direction to surround the second center portion, and at least a portion of the second coupling part is overlapped with the first center portion in the vertical direction.

6. The display device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a center of the first center portion is overlapped with a center of the second center portion in the vertical direction.

7. The display device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the frame includes a connecting rod coupled to the first and second sub-frames.

8. The display device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connecting rod moves the second sub-frame in the vertical direction.

9. The display device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the frame includes a connecting string connected to the first and second sub-frames.

10. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second coupling parts has a ring shape.

11. The display device as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least a portion of a first opening defined by an inner circumferential surface of the first coupling part is overlapped with a second opening defined by an inner circumferential surface of the second coupling part.

12. The display device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first coupling part has an inner radius greater than an outer radius of the second coupling part.

13. The display device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second coupling part is at a first position defined in the first opening in the first state.

14. The display device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second coupling part is at a second position after moving in the vertical direction in the second state, and the second position is spaced apart from the first coupling part in the vertical direction by a predetermined distance.

15. The display device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

a vertical rod extending in the vertical direction;

a first horizontal rod extending in the horizontal direction to couple the first coupling part to the vertical rod; and

a second horizontal rod extending in the horizontal direction to couple the second coupling part to the vertical rod.

16. The display device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the second horizontal rod is moveable in the vertical direction along the vertical rod and allows the second coupling part to move in the vertical direction.

17. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second display areas includes a pixel with an organic light emitting layer.

18. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stretchable display panel is attached to the first and second coupling parts.

19. A display device, comprising:

a stretchable display panel including a first display area and a second display area, the second display area extending from the first display area in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the first display area; and

a frame including a first coupling part and a second coupling part spaced apart from the first coupling part in the horizontal direction, the second coupling part being moveable in a vertical direction normal to the horizontal direction,

wherein the first and second display areas are respectively coupled to the first and second coupling parts, and the second display area is elongated in the vertical direction when the second coupling part moves in the vertical direction, and

wherein the stretchable display panel is concave or convex when the second coupling part moves in the vertical direction when viewed in a display surface of the first and second display areas.

20. A display device, comprising:

a frame including a first coupling part and a second coupling part moveable in a vertical direction; and

a display panel to display an image in the vertical direction, the display panel including first and second display areas respectively coupled to the first and second coupling parts,

wherein the second display area is elongated in the vertical direction when the second coupling part moves in the vertical direction, and the first coupling part surrounds the second coupling part when viewed in the vertical direction.