Multi-display arrangement with at least two display units

Abstract

The invention relates to a multi-display arrangement having at least two display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), a pair of display units (1, 2; 2, 3; 3, 4; the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are made up of thin display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) arranged in an overlapping manner, and wherein the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are optically bonded to the cover glass (36), and wherein at least one of the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) has a surface (51) which is arranged at least partially at a distance from an adjacent surface (52) of the cover glass (36) that is greater than the distance from the respective other display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). The distance between the corresponding surface (51) of the cover glass (5) and the adjacent surface of the cover glass is large.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-display arrangement with at least two display units. The automotive "future cockpit" includes more surface area dedicated to displays and controls than ever before. Displays in future cars or other automotive applications are expected to be dispersed over the driver's seat, center console, front passenger seat, and rear passenger seat. These displays, which are easily accessible to anyone in the car, allow customized access and control of: infotainment systems; mirrors; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) components; and other features.

[0002] Instrument panel display systems are becoming larger, measuring up to 1400mm in length, as multiple display components are housed beneath a single sheet of real glass. Their beautiful appearance, subtle curves and flowing lines contribute to the aesthetics of the car interior and can be an important differentiating feature when consumers compare various models. Because consumers consider plastic to be low-end, these displays are preferably made of high-quality glass with no seams and small dark edges. Virtual reality capabilities, projection displays and 3D displays are also being actively developed and applied to luxury models.

[0003] User interfaces, including haptics and voice recognition, are also designed to reflect the unique aesthetic of each car brand and model. They must be highly customized, with carefully selected, highly saturated colors, fonts, and icons, and executed perfectly. All human-machine interfaces (HMIs) must be curated and designed to feel effortless when consumers interact with them. Three-dimensional shapes and higher-resolution performance are becoming more common as global automakers compete for consumer purchases and strive to differentiate themselves.

[0004] There are more exciting developments on the horizon, including the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) into advanced technologies to track the driver’s eye movements, identify and adapt to different drivers, recognize changes in human emotions or expressions, and respond appropriately to any anomalies. For example, if the driver appears to be distracted, AI-enabled sensors may send an alert or trigger Level 4 or Level 5 autonomous driving features.

[0005] There is no doubt that smart displays present a huge opportunity for global automakers and their suppliers. At the same time, smart displays represent a daunting, multidisciplinary engineering challenge that can be difficult to manage. Consider all aspects of display design and execution that must be addressed before you can confidently release them to the consumer market.

[0006] The display units are usually placed side by side. Typically, the display units have a rectangular shape. If a different shape is required, one has the choice of designing a new display unit (e.g. for a smartwatch, this comes with very expensive initial costs for masks and tools) or shielding a portion of the larger display unit surface by a smaller outline layout. The disadvantage is that in this case there must be space for the portion of the display unit area that is covered.

[0007] In principle, display units can be overlapped, but this is an unusual integration idea due to the complex and thick backlight unit stack. In addition, the display stack is typically about 3mm to 10mm thick, so overlapping display units will be clearly visible and unacceptable to the end customer.

[0008] It is desirable that the display size or display outline be different (eg, not rectangular). Therefore, a new display layout needs to be found. Summary of the invention

[0009] According to the invention, a multi-display arrangement with at least two display units is proposed,

[0010] wherein a pair of the display units are composed of thin display units arranged in an overlapping manner, and

[0011] wherein the display unit is optically bonded to the cover glass, and

[0012] Therein, at least one of the display units has a surface which is at least partially arranged at a greater distance from an adjacent surface of the cover glass than a corresponding surface of a corresponding other display unit is at a distance from the adjacent surface of the cover glass.

[0013] In an embodiment, at least one of the displays has a surface which is arranged non-parallel to an adjacent surface of the cover glass. Due to the arrangement in an overlapping manner, a non-rectangular shape of the display arrangement is achieved without requiring a special shape of the display unit used. Typically, but not limited to, the display unit used has a rectangular shape, which allows for easier and more cost-effective processing.

[0014] In an embodiment, the space between the display surface and the adjacent cover glass surface is filled with a cured liquid optically clear adhesive (sometimes also referred to as "cured LOCA") material so that the overlapping area remains invisible and provides a premium experience to the user without interfering with the information / content displayed on the display unit.

[0015] Advantageously, the cover glass is provided with adjustment marks associated with at least one edge of the display unit, which edge is arranged at the same or closer distance to the cover glass than another of said edges of said display unit. This may ensure that the manufacturing process of the multi-display arrangement may be performed very accurately by reducing tolerances occurring during the manufacturing process.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, a multi-display arrangement with at least two display units is proposed, wherein a pair of the display units consists of thin display units, the thin display units preferably having a thickness less than 1 mm, preferably in the range of 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm, and the thin display units are each bent and arranged next to each other along their respective bending lines.

[0017] In an embodiment of the proposed arrangement, at least one of the display units is a flexible OLED panel. This is due to various advantages, because the organic layer made of OLED (organic light emitting diode; also called organic electroluminescent diode) is thinner, more flexible and also lighter than the crystal layer in, for example, LED (light emitting diode) or LCD (liquid crystal display). In addition, OLED is brighter than, for example, LED. This is because the organic layer of OLED is much thinner than the corresponding inorganic crystal layer of LED. Another advantage of using OLED is that OLED does not require backlight and therefore does not require additional space in the back of the multi-display arrangement. Another advantage is that OLED has a large field of view, typically about 170 degrees. In addition, by using OLED, a high detail contrast of the displayed content is given. LCD, for example, works by blocking light, so they have inherent viewing obstacles from certain angles. But OLED produces their own light, so this typically has a much wider viewing range than, for example, LCD. Another advantage of OLED is that it is easier to produce and can therefore be made into larger sizes.

[0018] The overlapping area between the display units defines a gap. In an advantageous embodiment, this gap is at least partially filled with a cured liquid optically transparent adhesive. Since OLED displays heat up when displaying bright colors, the overlap of two display units doubles the heat source. Therefore, the overlapping display units have no direct contact with the aluminum cooling surface, which is preferably arranged in the overlapping area or typically on the side of the display unit opposite to the cover glass. Therefore, the gap with the cooling surface is covered / connected with a thermally conductive paste or a thermal adhesive. The material of the cooling surface is not limited to aluminum. Moreover, it can be other suitable materials, such as, for example, copper, magnesium, thermally conductive plastics or two components with cooling properties.

[0019] Furthermore, in the overlapping area behind the other display on the display, only the color "black" is displayed. "Black" means "nothing is displayed" (= no content or information), which consumes little or no power in the OLED and therefore generates no heat. The thermally conductive material arranged in the gap carries away the heat from the other display unit overlapping the "black" part of the display unit.

[0020] Typically, each display unit of a multi-display arrangement is provided with a PCB (printed circuit board) attached to the connection side of the display unit via an FPC (flexible printed circuit). In a highly preferred embodiment, the PCB is arranged on the back of the display unit via the FPC bending, and a pair of display units in the display unit are arranged in an overlapping manner so that their respective PCBs do not overlap when bent back to be located in the same plane as their respective display units. If a certain desired overlapping area does not meet this condition, one of the display units can be arranged on the other side with the FPC so that this condition can be met. Meeting this condition allows stacking overlapping display units without interfering with their respective PCBs and the PCBs do not interfere with each other. After the stacking process is completed, the corresponding PCB is bent to the back of its corresponding display unit. Due to the FPC, slight bending of the display unit can be compensated without the need to bend the corresponding PCB to a similar degree or without bending at all.

[0021] Furthermore, FPCs are so-called flexible PCBs and are therefore ideally suited to the proposed solution, since it is crucial that these circuit boards can handle the bumps and vibrations that occur inside a vehicle during driving, for example. Since FPCs are very thin, they do not increase the thickness of the overlapped areas. Additionally, they are cost-effective and durable, making it possible to minimize the possibility of expensive and complicated repairs due to mechanical stress on the proposed multi-display arrangement.

[0022] The proposed multi-display arrangement is preferably part of a device like a cockpit of a vehicle, but may also be used in eg medical, aircraft, industrial or consumer applications.

[0023] The cover glass of the proposed multi-display arrangement is preferably made of glass. Glass is stable in shape. Curved glass is difficult to produce because, for example, bending requires a lot of energy, but an important advantage of using glass is that it is not easily deformed. In an alternative embodiment, the cover glass can also be made of another material, such as plastic. However, if the glued display unit wants to be restored to its original shape, glass will be more difficult than plastic.

[0024] Since two display units can be placed on top of each other, new display profile designs can be integrated without having to develop new display unit designs. One of the advantages of the present invention is that only a single display unit size is used to produce the effect or appearance of different display sizes without having to invest in new display unit designs. The present invention allows multiple display profile designs to be implemented with a single standard display unit layout. This is possible when using thin display unit stacks, for example based on OLED or MicroLED (micro light emitting diode) technology.

[0025] To hide unwanted areas of the display, an ink mask is applied to the back of the cover glass, the so-called black print. Each display has a non-active area without any pixels, the so-called dead zone. Due to the overlap of the display cells, one of the dead zones can be hidden behind another display cell. This creates a smaller gap between the active areas of two adjacent display cells. As a result, the black print gap is also smaller.

[0026] By placing thin display units partially in a stacked orientation, they partially hide or overlap each other. With this idea, different display appearances can be achieved with a single standard display unit size. No other additional display unit layouts need to be studied. This is possible when using a stack of thin display units, preferably based on OLED or MicroLED technology. These types of display types do not require a backlight unit, as they actively emit light. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 shows a multi-display arrangement in a vehicle cockpit according to the prior art;

[0028] Figure 2 An exemplary display integration using a flexible display unit is shown;

[0029] Figure 3 The display unit is shown integrated behind a single (3-dimensional (3-D) shape) cover glass;

[0030] Figure 4 front and rear views showing an exemplary setup of a multi-display arrangement without and with overlapping areas;

[0031] Figure 5 The stacking of the display unit and the cover glass is shown in a top view;

[0032] Figure 6 An example of a possible arrangement of two display units on a cover glass is shown;

[0033] Figure 7 shows a 3-dimensional exploded view of a multi-display arrangement;

[0034] Figure 8 shows an example of what the final product might look like;

[0035] Fig. 9 An example of a multi-display arrangement is shown, wherein a corrected UI picture is displayed on a corresponding display unit;

[0036] Fig.10 An example of two display units for working overlap is shown;

[0037] Fig.11 An example of two display units for non-operating overlap is shown;

[0038] Fig.12 Another example of two display units for working overlap is shown;

[0039] Fig.13 Another example of two display units for non-operating overlap is shown;

[0040] Fig.14 Another example of two display units for non-operating overlap is shown;

[0041] Fig.15 shows a rear view of a multi-display arrangement with PCBs and FPCs;

[0042] Fig.16 shows a rear view of a multi-display arrangement with an aluminum cooling plate arranged at the back;

[0043] Fig.17 A display unit is shown bent along a bend line, wherein the bend angle is about 90°; and

[0044] Fig.18 The display unit is shown bent along the bending line, wherein the bending angle is about 180°.

[0045] Figure 1 An exemplary arrangement of a multi-display arrangement 10A in a vehicle 100 according to the prior art is shown, wherein the display units 1A, 2A are usually placed side by side. Typically, several display units are placed behind a single display glass and typically have a rectangular shape. Such a display glass is preferably made of glass, but may also be made of other transparent materials, such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or other transparent plastics.

[0046] Figure 2An exemplary display integration using flexible OLED (organic light emitting diode) display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 according to the present invention is shown in perspective. The exemplary inventive concept shown is that each display unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 has the same standardized style, but due to the overlapping positioning of each other, the display unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 looks different from the display unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. By doing so, a multi-display arrangement 10 (see for example Figure 3 or Figure 8 ) 3-dimensional shapes are possible. Optional non-overlapping display units 6 are also shown on the right side of the figure and may be suitable for example for enlargement of a multi-display arrangement 10. The use of rectangular display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 is shown by showing dotted lines in the figure.

[0047] Similar to Figure 2 ,exist Figure 3 The figure shows that the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 are integrated behind a single (3-dimensional shape) cover glass 36, so that the appearance of the final product looks like a single component. The end user will not see multiple areas of overlapping display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and obtain extremely varied display layouts and placement ideas. However, according to the present invention, only a single display unit size is used. The figure shows one possibility of positioning the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. In the embodiment shown here, the additional, non-overlapping display unit 6 has a curved shape. For example, at least one of the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 can be constructed as a curved OLED panel 37.

[0048] Figure 4 An exemplary arrangement of a multi-display arrangement 10 is shown. A front view is shown in the upper part of the figure, and a front view with overlapping areas OVL1, OVL2, OVL3 and OVL4 is shown in the middle part of the figure with hatching. In the lower part of the figure, a rear view of display unit 2 overlapping display unit 1 and display unit 3 is shown. Display unit numbers 1 to 5 do not necessarily correspond to the expected assembly order, and are therefore shown only as illustrative examples. During assembly, display unit 1 and display unit 4 are placed first because they do not overlap each other. This means that their complete areas are visible, as can be seen in the upper part of the figure. Afterwards, in subsequent manufacturing steps, display unit 3 and display unit 5 are placed, resulting in overlapping areas OVL3 and overlapping areas OVL4. This causes display unit 4 to overlap with two display units (i.e., display units 3 and 5). Then, display unit 2 is placed last, and if viewed from the front, it overlaps with two display units 1 and 3 at the same time, which can also be seen in the upper part of the figure. In a preferred embodiment, the overlapping display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 have no direct contact with the aluminum cooling surface, which is constructed as at least one aluminum plate 71 (at Fig.16The aluminum plate is preferably arranged in the overlapping areas OVL1 to OVL4 or generally at the back side 53 of the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 opposite to the cover glass 36. The space between the back side 53 and the aluminum plate is preferably filled with a thermal adhesive TA (see Fig.16 ), thereby providing indirect thermal contact and compensation for different shapes.

[0049] exist Figure 5 In FIG. 1 , a stack of display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and a cover glass 36 is shown in a top view, wherein the upper edges of the display units 1 to 5 are shown as thick lines. It can be seen that the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 are thin. The areas 31 to 35 visible between the cover glass 36 and the display units 1 to 5, respectively, are filled with an optically transparent resin (also called OCR) or an optically transparent adhesive (also called OCA) (in FIG. Figure 6 ).

[0050] These types of adhesives are best suited for optical bonding applications (e.g., the proposed multi-display arrangement 10 with its multiple display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) because they enable free-form and curved display designs in automotive and other electronic devices. They exhibit high transparency and strong contact bonding properties, which enable electronic advancements in touch screen displays. Use of this bonding technology improves display performance by increasing sunlight readability by up to 400%. Furthermore, it is ideal for use in consumer and industrial applications that require durability to withstand shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, altitude, and dust.

[0051] The areas 31 to 35 filled with optically transparent resin / adhesive exhibit various shapes depending on the positions of the respective display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in the multi-display arrangement 10. Thus, the areas 31 to 35 exhibit respective shapes such as cube, rectangle or trapezoidal patterns.

[0052] The overlapping areas OVL1 to OVL4 have a special integration to achieve good heat transfer. The stacking of the overlapping areas OVL1 to OVL4 requires special attention. Assembly methods using liquid OCR or OCA with the same or different thickness and / or density. The display areas of the overlapping display units 1 to 5 are individually reduced, which is specified by the request for the required content and / or information considered by the multi-display arrangement 10. The total number of available pixels is less than the sum of the pixels of each display unit 1 to 5. The UI (user interface) design is challenging, which depends on the respective angles between the two display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Therefore, the UI of adjacent display unit pairs 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5 is preferably rotated to horizontal again (see Fig. 9 ).

[0053] OLED displays generate heat when displaying bright colors. Due to the overlaps OVL1, OVL2, OVL3, OVL4, the heat source in these areas is doubled. In addition, the respective overlapping displays have no direct contact with the cooling surface in the overlap area. Therefore, in order to avoid overheating, the entire display is covered by at least one aluminum plate 71 (see Fig.16 ) cooling. The distance from the cooling surface is controlled by thermal paste (not shown) and / or thermal adhesive (see Fig.16 ) connection / fill. In addition, black is displayed in the overlap area (in the display behind it). Black consumes little or no power in the OLED and therefore no heat is generated in these areas.

[0054] At least one bending axis is possible for each display pair 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5. If more bending axes are needed / expected (e.g. due to a desired / required design of the multi-display arrangement 10), the requirement that the bending axes must satisfy is that at least a first virtual intersection point of the axes is placed outside the multi-display arrangement 10 or that there is no intersection point at all.

[0055] The display units 1, 2 and 4 are arranged parallel to the cover glass 36. This allows the application of fluid, mixture or film OCA in the gaps 31, 32 and 34. In this embodiment, film OCA is the simplest method. The film transparent adhesive has a consistency like "chewing gum" and preferably has a thickness of 50 μm to 500 μm, depending on the application considered. A greater thickness is also possible, or if a greater thickness is desired, two or more layers of film transparent adhesive are stacked. Film adhesives do not work at angles like, for example, gaps 33 and 35. For these non-parallel gaps, fluid or hybrid OCAs are suitable.

[0056] The individual distances between the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the cover glass 36 vary depending on the type of use of the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. In a preferred embodiment, the maximum distance is less than 1.5 mm, preferably between 0.9 mm and 1.3 mm. In the case of a single-sided overlap, the gap increases from 0.2 mm to the thickness of the selected display unit.

[0057] Figure 6 An example of a possible arrangement of two display units 4 and 5 on a cover glass 36 is shown. The illustrated overlap of the display units 4 and 5 results in different distances from the respective display surfaces 51 to the back side 52 of the cover glass 36, since they are placed one above the other at an angle. The individual distances of the display units 4 and 5 must be as follows Figure 5 This is compensated by the optically transparent adhesive OCA1 which fills the gaps 34 and 35 in this example.

[0058] The inclined overlap region OVL4 is filled with a fluid or hybrid transparent adhesive OCA2 and forms a gap 81 between the display units 4 and 5. The gap 81 is not visible from an observation point E, whose line of sight is at right angles to the cover glass 36 and the parallel arranged display unit 4. Since the optically transparent adhesive OCA2 is filled in the gap 81, for an observer of the overlapping display pair 4, 5, the arrangement appears as a single unit.

[0059] Figure 7 A 3-dimensional (3-D) exploded view of a multi-display arrangement 10 according to the present invention is shown. A display stack support 61 is arranged on a support structure 60. A display glass frame 62 is arranged on the display stack support 61. In the space surrounded by the display glass frame 62, display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 are arranged. In this view, the display units 1 to 5 are already stacked, and an optically transparent adhesive or an optically transparent resin is provided where appropriate. In addition or alternatively, a layer of optically transparent adhesive OCA1 is arranged between the cover glass 36 and the display units 1 to 5. The display cover glass 36 is provided with black print 65 areas. The shape and size of these areas can vary depending on the desired purpose and desired content of the multi-display arrangement 10. In the example shown here, at least one of the display units 1 to 5 is provided with a touch sensor function.

[0060] Figure 8 An example of the appearance of the final product is shown. The appearance and design language show different display sizes and display orientations. According to the invention, this can be achieved by using a single display unit size due to the inventive concept of overlapping display units 1 to 5. In the embodiment shown in the invention, the black print 65 areas covering the display units 1 to 3 are distributed in a symmetrical shape, which may be interesting, for example, in vehicle applications, where information from outside the car given from both sides can be provided very close to the driver's eyes.

[0061] exist Fig. 9 As can be seen in the figure, the user interface (also referred to as UI) is adjusted to the orientation of the display units 1 to 5 (2-D angles shown in dashed lines). In particular, the angles between the display units 1 to 5 resulting from the various bending axes that implement the 3-D shape of the multi-display arrangement 10 are corrected in the UI pictures displayed on the respective display units 1 to 5. Typically, displays have a 2-dimensional structure. The pixel lines are at right angles or parallel to the outer dimensions of the display.

[0062] Depending on the arrangement of the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the orientation of the displays between the displays is offset or distorted. Two displays that are parallel to each other have no displacement. If the displays are now offset at an angle of, for example, 45 degrees (not shown in the figure), the pixel lines are also angled with each other. This therefore needs to be corrected in the user interface UI in order to provide the user with a "normal" view on the multi-display arrangement 10.

[0063] Fig.10 An example of possible overlap of a display unit pair 1, 2 is shown, with the display PCB 11 connected at the connection side 41 of the display unit 1 by a flexible printed circuit (FPC) FPC 21, which is partially arranged on the back of the display unit 2, wherein the PCB 12 is connected at the connection side 42 of the display unit 2 by the FPC 22. As can be seen, the FPCs 21 and 22 and the PCBs 11 and 12 do not overlap each other (indicated by circles). Therefore, the display pair 1, 2 is bendable.

[0064] Fig.11 An example of a non-working overlap of a 3-D stack is shown. This is due to the overlap of the FPC 22 of the display unit 1 with the display unit 2 (indicated by the circle). This means that the PCB 12 of the display unit 2 cannot move freely after stacking because it is partially stuck under the display unit 1. In general, according to the present invention, each FPC is a connection between the display PCB and the PCB itself. In general, as shown in FIG. Fig.15 and Fig.16 As can be seen in the figure, after lamination, the display PCB is bent around the display unit.

[0065] Fig.12 Another example of working overlap is shown. In this embodiment, two different display units 1 and 2 are used. Display unit 2 overlaps display unit 1. FCBs 21 and 22 and PCBs 11 and 12 do not overlap each other. Moreover, neither of the display units 1 or 2 overlaps the FCB or PCB of the other display unit 1 or 2. Therefore, this arrangement can be stacked.

[0066] Fig.13 Another example of a non-working overlap of a 3-D stack is shown. In this example, display unit 2 overlaps display unit 1. In this embodiment, the PCB 12 of display unit 2 is blocked (indicated by a circle). Therefore, during the stacking process, it cannot move freely out of the bend area, which makes 3-D stacking of such a group impossible.

[0067] Fig.14Another example of a non-working overlap is shown. Display unit 2 overlaps display unit 1, and the PCB 12 of display unit 2 is blocked (overlapped) by display unit 1. Therefore, during the lamination process, PCB 12 cannot move either.

[0068] Fig.15 A rear view of a multi-display arrangement 10 is shown with display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and PCBs 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and FPCs 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 arranged at the back side 53 of the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. At each connection side 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 of the respective display unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the FPCs 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 serve as connections to the respective PCBs 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. These are located on the surface 51 and back side 53 of the respective display unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, preferably attached by using a thermal bonding process, such as ACF bonding (isotropic conductive film), which is a process that creates a conductive adhesive bond between a flexible circuit board and a rigid circuit board, a glass panel display and a very fine pitch flexible foil.

[0069] Fig.16 A rear view of a multi-display arrangement 10 is shown, wherein an aluminum cooling plate 71 is arranged at the rear side 54 of the multi-display arrangement. In the example shown, three aluminum plates 71 are arranged. This is merely exemplary. In other embodiments of the invention, it is also possible to use only one or two or even more than three. This always depends, for example, on the size, purpose and / or intended area of ​​application of the proposed multi-display arrangement 10. The space between the rear side 53 of the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the aluminum plates 71 is filled with a thermal adhesive TA, as already described. Figure 4 As mentioned in . A plurality of fastening devices FD1 and FD2 are arranged on at least one aluminum plate 71. FD1 is used for fastening parallel to the aluminum plate 71, while FD2 is used for fastening perpendicular to the aluminum plate 71. All fastening devices are intended to be used to fasten at least one aluminum plate 71 to the support structure 60 ( Figure 7 ). In this embodiment, the entire multi-display arrangement 10 is covered by a plastic frame 63. This is to increase the stability of the multi-display arrangement 10.

[0070] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the multi-display arrangement 10 according to the present invention is not limited to five display units.

[0071] In an alternative solution, the display units 1 and 2 are not arranged to overlap, but are bent or folded by, for example, about 90° to obtain a new contour. Fig.17 and Fig.18 It is schematically shown in FIG.

[0072] Fig.17 The display unit 1 is shown to be bent along the bending line 91. It can be seen that the bending angle is about 90°. The other display unit 2 is bent along the bending line 92. The display units 1, 2 are arranged next to each other and joined along their respective bending lines 91, 92. Alternatively, the bending portion 93 of the display unit 1 and the bending portion 94 of the display unit 2 can be cut off to reduce the volume. The display unit 1 has a surface 51, which is at least partially arranged to be closer to the adjacent surface 52 of the cover glass 36 (not shown here) than the distance between the corresponding surface 51 of the other display unit 2 in the bending portion 94 and the adjacent surface of the cover glass.

[0073] Fig.18 The display unit 1 is shown bent along the bending line 91. It can be seen that the bending angle is about 180°. Therefore, the total thickness is quite small. Another display unit 2 is bent along the bending line 92. The display units 1, 2 are arranged next to each other and joined along their respective bending lines 91, 92. The top boundary 1T, the bottom boundary 1B and the left boundary 1L of the display unit 1 are visible, while the right boundary 1R is indicated by a dotted line because it is hidden by the visible area of ​​the display unit 1. The top boundary 2T, the bottom boundary 2B and the right boundary 2R of the other display unit 2 are visible, while the left boundary 2L is indicated by a dotted line because it is hidden by the visible area of ​​the display unit 2.

[0074] Reference List

[0075] 1 Display unit

[0076] 1A Display unit (existing technology)

[0077] 2 Display unit

[0078] 2A Display unit (existing technology)

[0079] 3 Display unit

[0080] 4 Display unit

[0081] 5 Display unit

[0082] 6 Display unit

[0083] 10. Multi-monitor setup

[0084] 10A Multiple Display Arrangement (Prior Art)

[0085] 11 PCB (of display unit 1)

[0086] 12 PCB (of display unit 2)

[0087] 13 PCB (of display unit 3)

[0088] 14 PCB (of display unit 4)

[0089] 15 PCB (of display unit 5)

[0090] 21 FPC (between display 1 and PCB 11)

[0091] 22 FPC (between display 2 and PCB 12)

[0092] 23 FPC (between display 3 and PCB 13)

[0093] 24 FPC (between display 4 and PCB 14)

[0094] 25 FPC (between display 5 and PCB 15)

[0095] 31 (visible area between cover glass 36 and display unit 1)

[0096] 32 (visible area between cover glass 36 and display unit 2)

[0097] 33 (visible area between cover glass 36 and display unit 3)

[0098] 34 (visible area between cover glass 36 and display unit 4)

[0099] 35 (visible area between cover glass 36 and display unit 5)

[0100] 36 Cover glass

[0101] 37 OLED Panel

[0102] 41 (Display unit 1) connection side

[0103] 42 (Display unit 2) connection side

[0104] 43 (Display unit 3) connection side

[0105] 44 (Display unit 4) connection side

[0106] 45 (Display unit 5) connection side

[0107] 51 (surface of display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 facing cover glass 36)

[0108] 52 (surface of cover glass 36 facing display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

[0109] 53 (display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 facing the back of the aluminum plate 71)

[0110] 54 (Back side of multi-display arrangement 10)

[0111] 60 Support structure

[0112] 61 stacking bracket

[0113] 62 Glass Frame

[0114] 63 Plastic frame

[0115] 65 Black Print

[0116] 71 Aluminum Plate

[0117] 81 (Gap formed by overlapping areas (OVL1, OVL2, OVL3, OVL4) between display units (1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5))

[0118] 91 (bending line of display unit 1)

[0119] 92 bending line (of display unit 2)

[0120] 93 (bending portion of display unit 1)

[0121] 94 (bending portion of display unit 2)

[0122] 100 Vehicles

[0123] 1B Bottom border (of display unit 1)

[0124] 1L Left border (of display unit 1)

[0125] 1R Right border (of display unit 1)

[0126] 1T Top border (of display unit 1)

[0127] 2B Bottom border (of display unit 2)

[0128] 2L Left border (of display unit 2)

[0129] 2R Right border (of display unit 2)

[0130] 2T Top border (of display unit 2)

[0131] E Observation point (axis perpendicular to the surface of the display unit 4 / cover glass 36)

[0132] FD1 Fastening device 1 (located on the axis of the aluminum plate 71)

[0133] FD2 Fastening device 2 (perpendicular to the aluminum plate 71)

[0134] OCA1 optically clear adhesive / resin (between the display surface 51 and the adjacent cover glass surface 52)

[0135] OCA2 optically clear adhesive / resin (in gap 81)

[0136] OVL1 overlapping region

[0137] OVL2 Overlap Region

[0138] OVL3 Overlap Region

[0139] OVL4 Overlap Region

[0140] TA thermal adhesive (between the display surface 53 and the aluminum plate 71)

Claims

1. A multi-display arrangement having at least two display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), wherein: A pair of display units (1, 2; 2, 3; 3, 4; 4, 5) are composed of thin display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) arranged in an overlapping manner, and wherein these display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are optically bonded to a cover glass (36), and wherein at least one of the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) has a surface (51) that is at least partially arranged to be at a greater distance from an adjacent surface (52) of the cover glass (36) than a corresponding surface (51) of a corresponding other display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) is at a greater distance from an adjacent surface of the cover glass.

2. A multi-display arrangement according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) has a surface (51) that is not arranged parallel to an adjacent surface (52) of the cover glass (36).

3. A multi-display arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The space (31, 32, 33, 34, 35) between the surface (51) and an adjacent surface (52) of the cover glass is at least partially filled with a cured liquid optically clear adhesive material (OCA1).

4. A multi-display arrangement having at least two display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), characterized in that A pair of display units (1, 2; 2, 3; 3, 4; 4, 5) among the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are composed of thin display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) which are each bent and arranged adjacent to each other along their respective bending lines (91, 92).

5. A multi-display arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: At least one of the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) is a flexible OLED panel (37).

6. A multi-display arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: An aluminum plate (71) is arranged at the back surface (53) of the display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

7. A multi-display arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Overlapping areas (OVL1, OVL2, OVL3, OVL4) between display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) define a gap (81), and wherein the gap (81) is at least partially filled with a cured liquid optically clear adhesive material (OCA2).

8. A multi-display arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Each display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) is provided with a PCB (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) attached to a connection side (41, 42, 43, 44, 45) of the display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) via an FPC (21, 22, 23, 24, 25), wherein the PCB (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) is bent via the FPC (21, 22, 23, 24, 25) and arranged at a back side (53) of the display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), and wherein a pair of display units (1, 2; 2, 3; 3, 4; 4, 5) of the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are arranged overlappingly so that their respective PCBs (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) do not overlap when bent back to be located in the same plane as their respective display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

9. A multi-display arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Each display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) is provided with a PCB (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) attached to a connection side (41, 42, 43, 44, 45) of the display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) via an FPC (21, 22, 23, 24, 25), wherein the PCB (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) is arranged at the back of the display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) by bending the FPC (21, 22, 23, 24, 25). At a surface (53), and wherein a pair of display units (1, 2; 2, 3; 3, 4; 4, 5) of the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are arranged overlappingly so that their respective PCBs (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) will not overlap with the corresponding other display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) of the pair of display units (1, 2; 2, 3; 3, 4; 4, 5) when bent back to be located in the same plane as their respective display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

10. A device comprising a multi-display arrangement (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

11. A vehicle (100) comprising the device as claimed in claim 10.

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