Display device including printed circuit board

Abstract

A display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a display panel and a printed circuit board connected to the display panel. The printed circuit board may include a plurality of elastic members on different layers and disposed to overlap each other, a plurality of support members disposed on the same layer as the plurality of elastic members, respectively, and a metal layer disposed on a layer different from the plurality of elastic members and the plurality of support members.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0105378, filed on August 11, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a display device including a printed circuit board. Prior art

[0004] With the development of modern technology, display devices are used to provide information to users in various ways. Display devices include not only electronic screens that simply transmit visual information unilaterally, but also various electronic devices that require higher technology to recognize user input and provide information in response to the recognized input.

[0005] The display device may include a display panel, a drive circuit or a controller. At least a portion of the drive circuit and / or the controller may be disposed on a printed circuit board. In this case, the printed circuit board and the display panel are coupled to complete the display device. The printed circuit board and the display panel need to be aligned when coupled to prevent quality degradation, such as lifting.

[0006] However, the display panel or the printed circuit board may stretch or shrink according to various changes in the surrounding environment of the display device. In this case, the display panel and the printed circuit board may be misaligned. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent such misalignment. Summary of the invention

[0007] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display device which minimizes misalignment between a display panel and a printed circuit board using a printed circuit board including an elastic member.

[0008] However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and other various embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description.

[0009] A display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a display panel and a printed circuit board connected to the display panel. The printed circuit board may include a plurality of elastic components located on different layers and arranged to overlap each other, a plurality of supporting components respectively arranged on the same layer as the plurality of elastic components, and a metal layer arranged on a layer different from the plurality of elastic components and the plurality of supporting components.

[0010] The display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a display panel and a printed circuit board connected to the display panel, the printed circuit board including a first layer portion and a second layer portion on the first layer portion. The first layer portion may include a plurality of first support members spaced apart from each other, a first elastic member located between the plurality of first support members, and a first metal layer on the plurality of first support members and the first elastic member. The second layer portion may include a plurality of second support members spaced apart from each other, a second elastic member located between the plurality of second support members, and a second metal layer on the plurality of second support members and the second elastic member. The first elastic member and the second elastic member may overlap each other.

[0011] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

[0012] The display device according to the present disclosure may minimize misalignment between the display panel and the printed circuit board using the printed circuit board including the elastic member.

[0013] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above, and other unmentioned effects will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood through the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating functions of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 2 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 4 is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view taken along line AA';

[0019] Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an example method for manufacturing a printed circuit board included in a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 8 is a diagram showing a display device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Fig. 9 is along Figure 8 A cross-sectional view taken along line BB';

[0022] Fig.10 is along Figure 8 A cross-sectional view taken along line CC'. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] For use in the embodiments of the present disclosure, general terms that are used as widely as possible have been selected in consideration of the functions in the present disclosure, but these terms may vary according to the intention of ordinary technicians in the field or the emergence of case law or new technologies. In some cases, some terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, in which case their detailed definitions may be given in the relevant sections. Therefore, the terms used in this article should be determined based on their meaning and the overall disclosure, rather than by the terms themselves.

[0024] When an element “includes” another element, unless specifically stated otherwise, the element may further include the other elements rather than excluding the other elements.

[0025] As used herein, "at least one of a, b, and c" may include "a alone," "b alone," "c alone," "a and b," "a and c," "b and c," or all of "a, b, c." The advantages and features of the present disclosure and the methods for achieving the advantages and features may be understood through the embodiments described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0026] The shapes, areas, proportions, angles, and quantities disclosed in the drawings for illustrating the embodiments of the present disclosure are exemplary and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to those shown. When it is determined that a detailed description of a known technology or function would make the subject matter of the present disclosure unclear, the detailed description of the known technology or function may be skipped.

[0027] As used herein, when a component "includes," "has," or "consists of" another component, the component may add other components unless the component "only" includes, has, or consists of another component. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" shall also include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Even if not explicitly stated, the components will be interpreted as including a range of errors.

[0028] If the positional relationship of two parts is described, such as "on", "above", "below", "beneath", "beside", etc., one or more other parts may be located between the two parts. When an element or layer is referred to as being on another element or layer, any layer or other element may be directly on the other element or between the two elements.

[0029] Although the terms "first" and "second" are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are provided only to simply distinguish one component from another component. Therefore, within the technical spirit of the present disclosure, the first component mentioned herein may also be the second component.

[0030] The area, length, and thickness of each structure shown in the drawings are shown only for illustrative purposes, and the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the area, length, and thickness of the shown structures.

[0031] The features of the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined or coupled with each other in part or in whole, various technical interlocks and operations are possible, and these embodiments may be practiced independently of each other or in combination with each other.

[0032] The terms described below are defined in consideration of the functions in this disclosure. Depending on the intention or custom of the user or operator, the terms may differ. Therefore, these terms should be defined based on the overall disclosure.

[0033] The transistor constituting the pixel circuit of the present disclosure may include at least one of an oxide thin film transistor (TFT), an amorphous silicon TFT (a-Si TFT), and a low temperature polysilicon (LTPS) TFT.

[0034] The following description of the embodiments mainly focuses on organic light-emitting display devices. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to organic light-emitting display devices, but can be applied to inorganic light-emitting display devices including inorganic light-emitting materials. For example, the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied to quantum dot display devices.

[0035] The terms "first", "second" and "third" are used to distinguish components in each embodiment, but the present disclosure is not limited by these terms. Therefore, it should be noted that the same term may represent different components according to the embodiment.

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating functions of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Reference Figure 1 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a display device 100 may include a display panel 110, a gate driving circuit 120 driving a plurality of gate lines GL, a data driving circuit 130 providing a data voltage through a plurality of data lines DL, a timing controller 140 controlling the gate driving circuit 120 and the data driving circuit 130, and a power management circuit 150. A plurality of gate lines GL and data lines DL are connected in the display panel 110, and a plurality of sub-pixels SP are arranged in a matrix form.

[0039] The display panel 110 displays an image based on a scan signal transmitted by the gate driving circuit 120 through the plurality of gate lines GL and a data voltage transmitted by the data driving circuit 130 through the plurality of data lines DL.

[0040] In the case of an organic light emitting display, the display panel 110 may be implemented in a top emission scheme, a bottom emission scheme, or a dual emission scheme.

[0041] In the display panel 110, a plurality of pixels may be arranged in a matrix form, each pixel may include sub-pixels SP having different colors, for example, white sub-pixel, red sub-pixel, green sub-pixel and blue sub-pixel, and each sub-pixel SP may be defined by a plurality of data lines DL and a plurality of gate lines GL.

[0042] One subpixel SP may include, for example, a thin film transistor (TFT) formed at an intersection between one data line DL and one gate line GL, a light emitting element such as an organic light emitting diode charged with a data voltage, and a storage capacitor electrically connected to the light emitting element to maintain a voltage.

[0043] For example, when the display device 100 having a resolution of 2160×3840 includes four sub-pixels SP of white (W), red (R), green (G), and blue (B), 3840 data lines DL and 2160 gate lines GL may be connected to pixels each including four sub-pixels WRGB, and thus 3840×4=15360 data lines DL may be provided. Each sub-pixel SP is arranged at an intersection between a gate line GL and a data line DL.

[0044] The gate driving circuit 120 may be controlled by the controller 140 to sequentially output scan signals to a plurality of gate lines GL disposed in the display panel 110 , thereby controlling a driving timing of a plurality of sub-pixels SP.

[0045] The gate drive circuit 120 may include one or more gate drive integrated circuits (GDICs). Depending on the driving scheme, the gate drive circuit 120 may be located only on one side of the display panel 110, or on two opposite sides of the display panel 110. The gate drive circuit 120 may be implemented in the form of a gate in panel (GIP) embedded in the border area of ​​the display panel 110.

[0046] The data driving circuit 130 receives the image data DATA from the controller 140 and converts the received image data DATA into an analog data voltage. Then, when the data voltage is output to each data line DL according to the timing when the gate line GL applies a scan signal, each sub-pixel SP connected to the data line DL displays a brightness corresponding to the data voltage.

[0047] Likewise, the data driving circuit 130 may include one or more source driver integrated circuits SDIC, which may be connected to bonding pads of the display panel 110 in a tape automated bonding (TAB) type or a chip on glass (COG) type, or may be directly disposed on the display panel 110 .

[0048] In some cases, each source driver integrated circuit SDIC may be integrated and disposed on the display panel 110. In addition, each source driver integrated circuit SDIC may be implemented in a chip on film (COF) type, and in this case, each source driver integrated circuit SDIC may be mounted on a circuit film and may be electrically connected to the data line DL of the display panel 110 through the circuit film.

[0049] The controller 140 provides various control signals to the gate driving circuit 120 and the data driving circuit 130, and controls the operations of the gate driving circuit 120 and the data driving circuit 130. In other words, the controller 140 may control the gate driving circuit 120 to output a scan signal according to a timing implemented in each frame, and on the other hand, transmit image data DATA received from the outside to the data driving circuit 130.

[0050] In this case, the controller 140 receives a plurality of timing signals including, for example, a vertical synchronization signal Vsync, a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, a data enable signal DE, and a main clock MCLK, and image data DATA from the external host system 200 .

[0051] The host system 200 may be any one of a television (TV) system, a set-top box, a navigation system, a personal computer (PC), a home theater system, a mobile device, and a wearable device.

[0052] Therefore, the controller 140 may generate a control signal according to various timing signals received from the host system 200 and transmit the control signal to the gate driving circuit 120 and the data driving circuit 130 .

[0053] For example, the controller 140 may output various gate control signals including, for example, a gate start pulse GSP, a gate clock GCLK, and a gate output enable signal GOE to control the gate drive circuit 120. The gate start pulse GSP controls the timing at which one or more gate drive integrated circuits GDIC constituting the gate drive circuit 120 start operating. The gate clock GCLK is a clock signal commonly input to one or more gate drive integrated circuits GDIC and controls the shift timing of the scan signal. The gate output enable signal GOE specifies timing information about one or more gate drive integrated circuits GDIC.

[0054] The controller 140 may output various data control signals including, for example, a source start pulse SSP, a source sampling clock SCLK, and a source output enable signal SOE to control the data driving circuit 130. The source start pulse SSP controls the timing of starting data sampling of one or more source driver integrated circuits SDIC constituting the data driving circuit 130. The source sampling clock SCLK is a clock signal that controls the timing of sampling data in the source driver integrated circuit SDIC. The source output enable signal SOE controls the output timing of the data driving circuit 130.

[0055] The display device 100 may further include a power management circuit 150 that supplies various voltages or currents to, for example, the display panel 110 , the gate driving circuit 120 , and the data driving circuit 130 , or controls various voltages or currents to be supplied.

[0056] The power management circuit 150 regulates a direct current (DC) input voltage Vin provided from the host system 200 and generates power required to drive the display panel 110, the gate driving circuit 120, and the data driving circuit 130. The power management circuit 150 may be referred to as a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0057] In one embodiment, the sub-pixel SP is located at the intersection between the gate line GL and the data line DL, and a light emitting element may be provided in each sub-pixel SP. For example, an organic light emitting diode display may include a light emitting element such as an organic light emitting diode in each sub-pixel SP, and may display an image by controlling a current flowing to the light emitting element according to a data voltage.

[0058] The display device 100 may be one of various types of devices, such as a liquid crystal display, an organic light emitting diode display, or a plasma display panel.

[0059] The display device 100 may be a vehicle display device installed in various places in the interior space of the vehicle. In one embodiment, the display device 100 may be arranged (installed) on at least a portion of the vehicle dashboard. The vehicle dashboard includes components arranged in front of the front seats (e.g., the driver's seat or the passenger seat) of the vehicle. For example, the vehicle dashboard may include input components for manipulating various functions (e.g., air conditioning, audio system, navigation system) inside the vehicle.

[0060] According to another embodiment, the display device 100 can be installed in an interior space located behind the first row (e.g., the ceiling of the vehicle or behind the headrests of the driver's seat and / or passenger seats, etc.), where the driver's seat and the passenger seats adjacent thereto are located in the first row.

[0061] Figure 2is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] refer to Figure 2 In the display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the source driver integrated circuit SDIC included in the data driver circuit 130 and the gate driver integrated circuit GDIC included in the gate driver circuit 120 are implemented as a chip on film (COF) type among various types such as TAB, COG or COF.

[0063] One or more gate driving integrated circuits GDIC included in the gate driving circuit 120 may be respectively mounted on the gate film GF, and one side of the gate film GF may be electrically connected to the display panel 110. Lines for electrically connecting the gate driving integrated circuits GDIC and the display panel 110 may be disposed on the gate film GF.

[0064] The gate driving circuit 120 may be located only on one side of the display panel 110 or on two opposite sides of the display panel 110 according to a driving method. The gate driving circuit 120 may be implemented in a gate in panel (GIP) form embedded in a bezel area of ​​the display panel 110.

[0065] Likewise, one or more source driver integrated circuits SDIC included in the data driver circuit 130 may be mounted on the source film SF, respectively, and one side of the source film SF may be electrically connected to the display panel 110. Lines for electrically connecting the source driver integrated circuit SDIC and the display panel 110 may be provided on the source film SF.

[0066] The display device 100 may include a plurality of source drive integrated circuits SDIC and printed circuit boards for circuit connection between other devices. The printed circuit boards may include, for example, at least one source printed circuit board SPCB and a control printed circuit board CPCB for mounting control components and various electronic devices.

[0067] In one embodiment, the other side of the source film SF on which the source driver integrated circuit SDIC is mounted may be connected to at least one source printed circuit board SPCB. In other words, one side of the source film SF on which the source driver integrated circuit SDIC is mounted may be electrically connected to the display panel 110, and the other side may be electrically connected to the source printed circuit board SPCB.

[0068] The controller 140 and the power management circuit (power management IC) 150 may be mounted on the control printed circuit board CPCB. The controller 140 may control the operations of the data driving circuit 130 and the gate driving circuit 120. The power management circuit 150 may provide a driving voltage or current to the display panel 110, the data driving circuit 130, and the gate driving circuit 120, and control the provided voltage or current.

[0069] At least one source printed circuit board SPCB and the control printed circuit board CPCB may be circuit-connected by at least one connecting member. The connecting member may, for example, include a flexible printed circuit FPC or a flexible flat cable FFC. In this case, the connecting member connecting at least one source printed circuit board SPCB and the control printed circuit board CPCB may vary according to the size and type of the display device 100. At least one source printed circuit board SPCB and the control printed circuit board CPCB may be integrated into a single printed circuit board.

[0070] In the display device 100 configured in this way, the power management circuit 150 transmits a driving voltage required for display driving or characteristic value sensing to the source printed circuit board SPCB through the flexible printed circuit FPC or the flexible flat cable FFC. The driving voltage transmitted to the source printed circuit board SPCB is provided for light emission or sensing of a specific sub-pixel SP in the display panel 110 through the source driver integrated circuit SDIC.

[0071] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 The display panel 310 (eg, Figure 2 display panel 110) and a printed circuit board 320.

[0072] The display device may include a display panel 310 and a printed circuit board 320. The display panel 310 may be implemented in various shapes. For example, the display panel 310 may be implemented in an irregular shape with a bottom longer than a top. However, without being limited thereto, the display panel 310 may be implemented in a regular structure, such as a rectangle. The printed circuit board 320 may include Figure 2 For example, Figure 3 The printed circuit board 320 may conceptually represent a source printed circuit board, but is not limited thereto.

[0073] In one embodiment, the display panel 310 may have a curved shape. The display panel 310 may be curved so that its curvature changes based on the first curved area 311 and the second curved area 313. For example, the display panel 310 may include a first area 301, a second area 302, and a third area 303. The first area 301 and the third area 303 may have a first curvature, and the second area 302 may have a second curvature. The first curvature may be greater than the second curvature.

[0074] In one embodiment, the curvature may be changed from the first curvature to the second curvature or from the second curvature to the first curvature based on the first bending region 311 and the second bending region 313. The first bending region 311 may correspond to the boundary region between the first region 301 and the second region 302. The second bending region 313 may correspond to the boundary region between the second region 302 and the third region 303.

[0075] When the display panel 310 is bent (or formed in a bent type), the first area 301 and the third area 303 may be closer to the user than the second area 302 .

[0076] However, without being limited thereto, according to an embodiment, the display panel 310 may be formed to have a certain curvature. For example, the entire area of ​​the display panel 310 may be formed to have a constant curvature.

[0077] In one embodiment, the display panel 310 may have a shape in which the horizontal length is greater than the vertical length. For example, the display panel may have a horizontal length of 24 inches to 34 inches and a vertical length of 3 inches to 6 inches.

[0078] The printed circuit board 320 may be directly or indirectly connected to one side of the display panel 310. For example, the printed circuit board 320 may be connected to the lower side of the display panel 310. The printed circuit board 320 and the display panel 310 may be directly connected or connected via another component. When the printed circuit board 320 is directly or indirectly connected to one side of the display panel 310, this may mean that the printed circuit board 320 is directly connected to one side of the display panel 310 (direct connection), or the printed circuit board 320 may be connected via another component (e.g., Figure 2 The source film SF) is connected to one side of the display panel 310 (indirect connection).

[0079] For example, the source film may be disposed between the display panel 310 and the printed circuit board 320. The printed circuit board 320 may be connected to the display panel 310 through the source film. Figure 2 The source driver integrated circuit SDIC of the display panel 310 may be disposed on the source film. The source film may be formed of a flexible material. In this case, at least a portion of the source film may be bent toward the rear of the display panel 310. The printed circuit board 320 may be disposed on the rear surface of the display panel 310 based on at least a portion of the bending of the source film.

[0080] The printed circuit board 320 may include an elastic member, a supporting member, and a metal layer.

[0081] In one embodiment, an elastic component may be disposed in at least a portion of the printed circuit board 320. The elastic component may include an elastomer. For example, the elastic component may include at least one of silicone rubber and polyurethane. The elastic component may be formed of a material having an elastic modulus within a predetermined range. For example, the elastic component may be configured to have an elastic modulus within a range of 0.00005 GPa to 0.004 GPa. The elastic component may maintain elasticity at a temperature of -40°C to 95°C.

[0082] The region where the elastic component is disposed may be referred to as an elastic region. The elastic component may be disposed in each of a plurality of elastic regions. For example, the elastic component may be disposed in each of the first elastic region 321 and the second elastic region 323 of the printed circuit board 320.

[0083] In one embodiment, the elastic region may correspond to the bending region of the display panel 310. For example, the first elastic region 321 may correspond to the first bending region 311, and the second elastic region 323 may correspond to the second bending region 313. For example, when the printed circuit board 320 is disposed on the rear surface of the display panel 310, the first elastic region 321 may be disposed to overlap at least a portion of the first bending region 311, and the second elastic region 323 may be disposed to overlap at least a portion of the second bending region 313.

[0084] Therefore, even if the display panel 310 stretches or shrinks, the printed circuit board 320 can be effectively placed in close contact with or adjacent to the rear surface of the display panel 310. In other words, even if the display panel 310 is deformed, such as stretched or shrunk, lifting between the printed circuit board 320 and the display panel 310 can be minimized.

[0085] In one embodiment, the support component may be arranged on the same layer as the elastic component. The support component may include a plate having a certain hardness or higher hardness. For example, the support component may be formed of a plastic material. The support component may have plasticity. The support component may not have elasticity. However, not limited to this, in some cases, the support component may have an elasticity of a predetermined value or less. However, in this case, the elasticity of the support component may be lower than the elasticity of the elastic component.

[0086] In one embodiment, the metal layer may include a line. In this case, the metal layer may be disposed in various shapes at various positions on the printed circuit board 320 according to the implementation mode (or shape) of the line. However, the metal layer may be disposed on a layer different from the elastic member and the support member.

[0087] Refer to the following Figure 4 The elastic member, the supporting member and the metal layer are described in more detail.

[0088] During the manufacturing process of the display device, the display panel 310 and / or the printed circuit board 320 may be exposed to various environmental factors, such as heat, pressure and / or moisture. In this case, the display panel 310 and / or the printed circuit board 320 may be deformed, such as stretched or shrunk. The deformation may change the design and size, causing the display panel 310 and the printed circuit board 320 to be misaligned with each other. If the display panel 310 and the printed circuit board 320 are not aligned, the connection between the components included in the display panel 310 and the printed circuit board 320 may be misaligned, resulting in defects.

[0089] However, the printed circuit board 320 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be restored to its original state even if it is deformed due to the inclusion of an elastic member. For example, even if the display panel 310 and / or the printed circuit board 320 is deformed, the length of the elastic member can be adjusted by applying a tensile force or a compressive force to opposite sides of the printed circuit board 320, thereby adapting the size of the printed circuit board 320 to the display panel 310 and achieving alignment.

[0090] According to one embodiment, if the display panel 310 shrinks or the printed circuit board 320 stretches, a compressive force may be applied to the printed circuit board 320 to reduce the size (or horizontal length) of the printed circuit board 320. In this case, the shape of the elastic member may be curved, and for a specific example related thereto, reference may be made to Fig.10 If the display panel 310 stretches or the printed circuit board 320 contracts, a tensile force may be applied to the printed circuit board 320 to increase the size (or horizontal length) of the printed circuit board 320. In this case, the shape of the elastic member may be bent. For example, the bending may occur as the thickness of at least a portion of the elastic member decreases.

[0091] Figure 3 An example in which one printed circuit board 320 is connected to one display panel 310 is shown, but it is not limited thereto. A plurality of printed circuit boards 320 may be connected to one display panel 310. In this case, the spirit of the embodiment according to the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and for specific examples related thereto, reference may be made to Figures 8 to 10 .

[0092] Figure 4 is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view taken along line AA'.

[0093] refer to Figure 4 , printed circuit boards (e.g. Figure 3 The printed circuit board 320 may include multiple layers. More specifically, a plurality of elastic members 401, 402, and 403 may be disposed in an elastic region (eg, Figure 3The plurality of elastic components 401, 402 and 403 may be located on different layers of the printed circuit board. At least a portion of each of the plurality of elastic components 401, 402 and 403 may be arranged to overlap each other. For example, as shown in the figure, the plurality of elastic components 401, 402 and 403 may be arranged to overlap each other.

[0094] The plurality of support members 404, 406, and 408 may be provided to correspond to the number of the plurality of elastic members 401, 402, and 403. For example, the first support member 404 may be provided on the same layer as the first elastic member 401. The second support member 406 may be provided on the same layer as the second elastic member 402. The third support member 408 may be provided on the same layer as the third elastic member 403. The support members 404, 406, and 408 may be provided in a flat shape around the plurality of elastic members 401, 402, and 403. The support members 404, 406, and 408 may maintain the shape of the printed circuit board and may support the plurality of elastic members 401, 402, and 403 and the metal layers 410, 412, and 414.

[0095] The metal layers 410, 412, and 414 may include multiple layers. The metal layers 410, 412, and 414 are components for forming lines and may be provided on the respective layers in different shapes, but are not limited thereto. In some cases, at least a portion of the metal layers 410, 412, and 414 may have a jumper form passing through at least a portion of the support members 404, 406, and 408.

[0096] The metal layers 410, 412 and 414 may be disposed on a layer different from the elastic components 401, 402 and 403 and / or the support components 404, 406 and 408. The layer provided with the first elastic component 401 and the first support component 404 is referred to as the first layer (first layer portion), the layer provided with the second elastic component 402 and the second support component 406 is referred to as the second layer (second layer portion), and the layer provided with the third elastic component 403 and the third support component 408 is referred to as the third layer (third layer portion). In this case, the first metal layer 410 may be disposed between the first layer and the second layer, and the second metal layer 412 may be disposed between the second layer and the third layer. The third metal layer 414 may be disposed on the third layer. Although not shown, according to an embodiment, additional elastic components and support components may be further disposed on the third metal layer 414.

[0097] The first metal layer 410 may be considered to be located between the first layer and the second layer, or may be considered to be included in the first layer. The second metal layer 412 may be considered to be located between the second layer and the third layer, or may be considered to be included in the second layer. The third metal layer 414 may be considered to be located on the third layer, or may be considered to be included in the third layer.

[0098] According to one embodiment, at least a portion of metal layers 410, 412, and 414 may overlap elastic members 401, 402, and 403, but is not limited thereto. For example, some metal layers may overlap elastic members 401, 402, and 403, and other metal layers may not overlap elastic members 401, 402, and 403.

[0099] In one embodiment, the metal layers 410, 412, and 414 may include at least one hole. The at least one hole may be disposed in a region different from a region overlapping the plurality of elastic members 401, 402, and 403. The at least one hole may be disposed not to overlap the plurality of elastic members 401, 402, and 403.

[0100] In one embodiment, at least two or more holes respectively included in the plurality of metal layers 410, 412, and 414 may not overlap with each other. For example, the first hole 421 included in the first metal layer 410 and the second hole 422 included in the second metal layer 412 may not overlap with each other. The second hole 422 included in the second metal layer 412 and the third hole 423 included in the third metal layer 414 may not overlap with each other.

[0101] In one embodiment, at least two holes respectively included in the plurality of metal layers 410, 412, and 414 may overlap each other. For example, a first hole 421 included in the first metal layer 410 and a third hole 423 included in the third metal layer 414 may overlap each other.

[0102] In one embodiment, the first hole 421 may be disposed in a region corresponding to a first side (or one side) of the plurality of elastic members 401, 402, and 403. The second hole 422 may be disposed in a region corresponding to a second side (or the other side) of the plurality of elastic members 401, 402, and 403. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0103] Figure 4 An example in which one hole is included in each of the metal layers 410 , 412 , and 414 is shown, but is not limited thereto. According to one embodiment, at least some of the metal layers 410 , 412 , and 414 may include two or more holes.

[0104] According to one embodiment, since the hole is included in each of the metal layers 410, 412, and 414, deformation occurring in the metal layers 410, 412, and 414 when pressure is applied to the printed circuit board can be minimized. For example, when a compressive force is applied to opposite sides of the printed circuit board, the size of the hole can be reduced as the surrounding metal layers fill the hole. In this case, the size of the hole can be changed, but the shape change or bending of the metal layers 410, 412, and 414 can be minimized.

[0105] Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an example method for manufacturing a printed circuit board included in a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 An exemplary method for manufacturing a first set including a first layer and a first metal layer on the first layer, the first layer including an elastic component and a support component constituting a printed circuit board is shown. Figure 6 An example method for manufacturing a second set that is different from the first set is shown. Figure 7 An example process of producing a printed circuit board by coupling a first set and a second set is shown.

[0106] Reference Figure 5 , the metal plate 502 may be disposed on the support member 501. A first etching mask 504 for realizing the shape of the metal layer 505 may be disposed on the metal plate 502. The first etching mask 504 may have a pattern corresponding to the metal layer 505. A first etching solution 510 for etching a metal material may be distributed on the first etching mask 504 so that etching may be performed. Therefore, a portion of the metal plate 502 may be etched, thereby forming the metal layer 505. The metal layer 505 is a component constituting a line and may be shaped according to a predetermined design. Figure 5 The metal layer 505 is shown to be in a straight line shape. However, it is not limited thereto, and the metal layer 505 may be formed in other various shapes.

[0107] After forming the metal layer 505, the first etching mask 504 can be removed, and the second etching mask 507 can be placed on the metal layer 505. The second etching mask 507 can be configured to etch at least a portion of the support member 505 to provide a space for arranging the elastic member 525. The second etching solution 515 for etching the support member can be distributed on the second etching mask 507. The second etching solution 515 is a solution for etching the material constituting the support member, and can be a solution different from the first etching solution. At least a portion of the support member 501 can be etched by the second etching solution 515. Therefore, an elastic region 509 can be provided, and the elastic member 525 will be arranged in the elastic region 509.

[0108] If the elastic region 509 is provided, the second etching mask 507 may be removed, and an elastic member mask 521 may be provided on the metal layer 505, the elastic member mask 521 covering the other portion except the elastic region 509. The elastic member mask 521 may have an opening portion corresponding to the elastic region 509. The elastic solution 517 may be distributed on the elastic member mask 521. The elastic solution 517 may be hardened in the elastic region 509, thereby forming the elastic member 525.

[0109] Figure 5 An example is shown in which the metal layer is not provided on the elastic member 525. Figure 6 The examples presented in the embodiments have Figure 5 The same set formation process, but the metal layer 605 is disposed on the elastic member 525 .

[0110] Specifically, refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 The pattern of the first etching mask 604 may be Figure 5 The pattern of the etching mask 504 is different. A portion of the first etching mask 604 corresponding to the elastic region 509 may be open. Therefore, the second etching solution 515 may etch out the open region of the support member. At the same time, the arrangement of the metal layer 605 may be maintained on the elastic region 509. Since at least a portion of the metal layer 605 disposed on the elastic region 509 is connected to the metal layer 605 disposed on other regions, the position and shape of the metal layer may be maintained even on the elastic region 509.

[0111] Thereafter, an elastic member 625 may be disposed in the elastic region 509 using an elastic member mask and an elastic solution. In some cases, the elastic solution may be disposed on at least a portion of the metal layer 605 disposed on the elastic region 509, but the elastic solution disposed on the metal layer 605 may be removed by a cleaning process.

[0112] Reference Figure 7 , can be stacked according to Figure 5 The first set 710 generated and based on Figure 6 The resulting second set 720. For example, the first set 710 can be stacked on the second set 720. As another example, the second set 720 can be stacked on the first set 710.

[0113] according to Figure 5 or Figure 6 The manufacturing process of can be performed in different orders or independently of the order. In addition, according to an embodiment, the manufacturing process according to Figure 5 or Figure 6In this case, an additional set may be produced, and the produced set may be stacked with the first set 710 and / or the second set 720, so that the printed circuit board 730 may be formed.

[0114] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a display device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 8 A case where a plurality of printed circuit boards 801 and 802 are connected to a display panel 810 is shown.

[0115] Reference Figure 8 The corner shape of the display panel 810 may be curved, and the shape of one side of the display panel 810 and the shape of the other side opposite thereto may be implemented to be different from each other. For example, the width of one side of the display panel 810 may be shorter than the width of the other side of the display panel 810.

[0116] The display panel 810 may have a curved shape, although in a plan view of the display panel 810 Figure 8 For example, when the user views the display panel 810 from the front, the display panel 810 may have a shape in which each of the upper corner, the lower corner, the left corner, and the right corner is bent to be closer to the user than the central portion. For the curved shape, reference may be made to Fig. 9 .

[0117] According to an embodiment, the degree to which the display panel 810 is bent may be different according to each region. For example, based on the first bending region 811 and / or the second bending region 812, the curvatures of the left and right sides of the display panel 810 may be different from each other.

[0118] A plurality of printed circuit boards 801 and 802 may be connected to the display panel 810. The plurality of printed circuit boards 801 and 802 may include a first printed circuit board 801 and a second printed circuit board 802. The first printed circuit board 801 may include a first elastic region 821 corresponding to a first deflection region 811 of the display panel 810. The second printed circuit board 802 may include a second elastic region 822 corresponding to a second deflection region 812 of the display panel 810.

[0119] For example, when the first printed circuit board 801 is disposed on the rear surface of the display panel 810, at least a portion of the first elastic region 821 may overlap at least a portion of the first bending region 811 of the display panel. When the second printed circuit board 802 is disposed on the rear surface of the display panel 810, at least a portion of the second elastic region 822 may overlap at least a portion of the second bending region 812 of the display panel.

[0120] In one embodiment, the first printed circuit board 801 may be disposed symmetrically with the second printed circuit board 802. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0121] Although not shown, in one embodiment, the printed circuit boards 801 and 802 may be connected to other printed circuit boards. For example, when the printed circuit boards 801 and 802 include a source printed circuit board, each of the printed circuit boards 801 and 802 may be connected to a control printed circuit board. When there is one control printed circuit board, each of the printed circuit boards 801 and 802 may be connected to the control printed circuit board.

[0122] Fig. 9 is along Figure 8 A cross-sectional view taken along line BB'. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of aligning a display panel and a printed circuit board by applying a compressive force to the printed circuit board when the display panel contracts or the printed circuit board stretches.

[0123] Reference Fig. 9 , the first printed circuit board 801 and the second printed circuit board 802 may be connected to the control printed circuit board 905. The control printed circuit board 905 may be arranged to overlap with the first printed circuit board 801 and the second printed circuit board 802, but is not limited thereto. The set cover 910 may be arranged to cover the first printed circuit board 801, the second printed circuit board 802, and the control printed circuit board 905. The set cover 910 may protect the first printed circuit board 801, the second printed circuit board 802, and the control printed circuit board 905.

[0124] According to one embodiment, when stretching occurs, a contraction force may be applied to two opposite sides of the first printed circuit board 801 and the second printed circuit board 802, so that the first printed circuit board 801 and the second printed circuit board 802 may be changed to have a width before stretching or a width aligned with the display panel. In addition, since the elastic members respectively included in the first printed circuit board 801 and the second printed circuit board 802 have flexibility, the elastic members may more easily come into close contact with the display panel 810.

[0125] For example, as shown in the figure, at one end 915 of the display panel 810 , the first printed circuit board 801 may be in close contact with the display panel 810 .

[0126] In one embodiment, an aluminum plate may be disposed on the rear surface of the display panel 810. In this case, the first printed circuit board 801 and the second printed circuit board 802 may be disposed to contact the aluminum plate.

[0127] In one embodiment, since the display panel 810 has a curved shape, the cross section of the display panel 810 may be shown as Fig. 9The curved shape shown.

[0128] Fig.10 is along Figure 8 A cross-sectional view taken along line CC'.

[0129] Reference Fig.10 , when the compressive force F is applied to the first printed circuit board 801, a bending area 1010 may be formed in the elastic member 1017. The bending area 1010 may be implemented in an upwardly convex shape as shown in the figure, but is not limited thereto.

[0130] In one embodiment, at least a portion of the metal layer 1011 may be disposed in the elastic region 821. For example, since at least a portion of the metal layer 1011 is disposed in the elastic region 821 in which the elastic member 1017 is disposed, the metal layer 1011 may bend in response to a shape change of the elastic member 1017.

[0131] The component disposed outside the elastic region 821 may have a flat shape. For example, the support component 1015 disposed around the elastic region 821 may have a flat shape. The flat shape may mean a uniform flat shape without a higher or lower portion. However, without being limited thereto, it should be noted that the flat shape may include a bend within a process error range.

[0132] The above-mentioned display device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is briefly described again below.

[0133] A display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a display panel and a printed circuit board directly or indirectly connected to the display panel, the printed circuit board including a first layer portion and a second layer portion on the first layer portion.

[0134] The first layer portion may include a plurality of first support members spaced apart from each other, a first elastic member between the plurality of first support members, and a first metal layer on the plurality of first support members and the first elastic member.

[0135] The second layer portion may include a plurality of second support members spaced apart from each other, a second elastic member between the plurality of second support members, and a second metal layer on the plurality of second support members and the second elastic member.

[0136] The first elastic member and the second elastic member may overlap each other.

[0137] The first metal layer may include at least one first hole, and the second metal layer may include at least one second hole.

[0138] The at least one first hole may not overlap with the first elastic member and the second elastic member, and the at least one first hole may overlap with at least one of the plurality of first supporting members and at least one of the plurality of second supporting members.

[0139] The at least one second hole may not overlap with the first elastic member and the second elastic member, and the at least one second hole may overlap with at least one of the plurality of first supporting members and at least one of the plurality of second supporting members.

[0140] At least one first hole may overlap with the second metal layer, and at least one second hole may overlap with the first metal layer.

[0141] The at least one first hole and the at least one second hole may not overlap each other.

[0142] The first metal layer may include a first portion located on one side of a first hole and a second portion located on the other side of the first hole, and the second metal layer may include a third portion located on one side of a second hole and a fourth portion located on the other side of the second hole.

[0143] One of the first portion and the second portion may have a shape or curvature different from the remaining portions, or one of the third portion and the fourth portion may have a shape or curvature different from the remaining portions.

[0144] The printed circuit board may be connected to a partial area of ​​the substrate of the display panel, or to a connection member (eg, a source film) connected to a partial area of ​​the substrate. Thus, the printed circuit board may be positioned toward the rear surface (the surface opposite to the viewing surface) of the display panel.

[0145] The display device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as various types of display devices. For example, the display device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be a mobile display device such as a smart phone or a tablet computer, a display device such as a monitor or a television, or a vehicle display device installed in the interior space of a vehicle.

[0146] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to these embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments set forth herein are provided for illustrative purposes, but not for limiting the scope of the present disclosure, and it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited by the embodiments. Therefore, it should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments are provided as examples and should not be interpreted as limitations. The scope of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical spirits within their equivalents should be interpreted as belonging to the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising: Display panel; and a printed circuit board connected to the display panel, Wherein, the printed circuit board comprises: a plurality of elastic members, the plurality of elastic members being located on different layers and arranged to overlap each other; a plurality of supporting members, the plurality of supporting members being respectively disposed on the same layer as the plurality of elastic members; and A metal layer is provided on a layer different from the plurality of elastic members and the plurality of support members.

2. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a source film disposed between the display panel and the printed circuit board, in, The printed circuit board is connected to the display panel through the source film, and is disposed on a rear surface of the display panel by bending the source film.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The metal layer includes at least one hole.

4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein: The metal layer includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer, and a first hole included in the first metal layer and a second hole included in the second metal layer do not overlap each other.

5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein: The first holes included in the first metal layer are arranged in a region corresponding to a first side of the plurality of elastic members, and the second holes included in the second metal layer are arranged in a region corresponding to a second side of the plurality of elastic members.

6. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The first area of ​​the display panel has a first curvature, and the second area of ​​the display panel has a second curvature different from the first curvature.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein: The region where the plurality of elastic members are provided corresponds to a boundary region between the first region and the second region.

8. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of elastic members have curved portions, and the plurality of supporting members are flat.

9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The elastic member maintains elasticity at a temperature of -40°C to 95°C.

10. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The elastic modulus of the elastic member is in the range of 0.00005 GPa to 0.004 GPa.

11. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The elastic component includes an elastic polymer, and the supporting component includes a hardness plate.

12. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The elastic member includes at least one of silicone rubber and polyurethane.

13. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The display device is installed in an interior space of a vehicle.

14. A display device, comprising: Display panel; and a printed circuit board connected to the display panel and comprising a first layer portion and a second layer portion on the first layer portion, Wherein, the first layer part includes: a plurality of first support members spaced apart from each other; a first elastic member located between the plurality of first supporting members; and a first metal layer on the plurality of first support members and the first elastic member, Wherein, the second layer part comprises: a plurality of second support members spaced apart from each other; a second elastic member located between the plurality of second supporting members; and a second metal layer on the plurality of second support members and the second elastic member, Wherein, the first elastic component and the second elastic component overlap each other.

15. The display device according to claim 14, wherein: The first metal layer includes a first hole, and the second metal layer includes a second hole.

16. The display device according to claim 15, wherein: The first hole overlaps at least one of the plurality of first support members and at least one of the plurality of second support members, The second hole overlaps with at least one of the plurality of first support members and at least one of the plurality of second support members.

17. The display device according to claim 15, wherein: The first hole and the second hole do not overlap each other.

18. The display device according to claim 14, wherein: By elastically deforming the first elastic member, the spacing distance between the plurality of first supporting members is changed. Wherein, the spacing distance between the plurality of second supporting components is changed by elastic deformation of the second elastic component.

19. The display device according to claim 14, wherein: The printed circuit board is positioned toward a rear surface of the display panel.

20. The display device according to claim 14, wherein: The display device is installed in an interior space of a vehicle.

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