Electronic device with display support

Abstract

An electronic device having a display support is disclosed. An electronic device may include a display, such as a flexible display. The display cover layer may overlap a display layer in the display. The display may have an active area and an inactive area. A stiffener may support the cover layer in the inactive area, and an end cap may be coupled to the display cover layer in the inactive area. The end cap may be separated from the display layer by a gap. The reinforcement may be a metal reinforcement, or may be a thickened portion of the cover layer. The stiffener may include an opening to form a window of the optical component. Lenses may be coupled to the stiffener and / or the cover layer in the openings. A trim may be interposed between an edge of the cover layer and the device housing, and the edge of the cover layer may be separated from the trim by a gap.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 19 / 280,001, filed July 24, 2025, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 694,062, filed September 12, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates generally to electronic devices, including electronic devices having a display. Background Technology

[0003] Electronic devices typically include a display for presenting images to a user. The display may have one or more flexible display layers. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Electronic devices may include displays, such as flexible displays having a first portion, a second portion aligned with a bending axis, and a third portion. The second portion may be inserted between the first and third portions, the first portion may be configured to bend relative to the third portion about the bending axis, and the flexible display may have a periphery. The display may include a display layer and a cover layer overlapping the display layer.

[0005] The display may have active and inactive areas. A reinforcement member can support the cover layer in the inactive area, and an end cap can be coupled to the display cover layer in the inactive area. The end cap can be separated from the display layer by a gap, and the reinforcement member can extend across the gap. The end cap can support the display cover layer within the inactive area.

[0006] The reinforcement may be a rigid reinforcement (such as a metal reinforcement) or a thickened portion of the cover layer. The reinforcement may include openings to form windows for optical components in ineffective areas. Lenses may be coupled to the reinforcement and / or the cover layer within the openings. A edging may be inserted between the edge of the cover layer and the device housing, and the edge of the cover layer may be separated from the edging by a gap. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of an exemplary electronic device with a display according to one embodiment.

[0008] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary electronic device with a display according to some implementation schemes.

[0009] Figure 3 It is a perspective view of an exemplary electronic device having a display with a pixel array according to some implementation schemes.

[0010] Figure 4 and Figure 5This is a side view of an electronic device with a flexible display according to some implementation schemes.

[0011] Figure 6 This is a front view of an exemplary electronic device having a display with different invalid areas, according to some implementation schemes.

[0012] Figure 7A It is a perspective view of an exemplary electronic device according to some embodiments, having a display cover layer supported by a display layer in a first invalid region and an end cap attached to the display layer in a second invalid region.

[0013] Figure 7B It is a perspective view of an exemplary electronic device according to some embodiments, having a display layer in a first invalid region and a display cover layer supported by an end cap attached to a housing in a second invalid region.

[0014] Figure 8 This is a side view of an exemplary electronic device including an end cap supporting a display cover, according to some implementation schemes.

[0015] Figure 9 This is a side view of an exemplary electronic device including a reinforcing member supporting a display cover, according to some implementation schemes.

[0016] Figure 10 This is a side view of an exemplary electronic device, including a reinforcement and end cap supporting a display cover, according to some implementation schemes.

[0017] Figure 11 This is a side view of an exemplary electronic device including a wedge-shaped reinforcement supporting a display cover, according to some implementation schemes.

[0018] Figure 12 This is a side view of an exemplary electronic device having a wedge-shaped display cover with a flat outer surface, according to some embodiments.

[0019] Figure 13 This is a side view of an exemplary electronic device having a wedge-shaped display cover with a flat inner surface, according to some embodiments.

[0020] Figure 14A and Figure 14B This is a side view of a device having a display cover that is thinner at the bending axis than at the periphery, according to some embodiments of the illustrative electronic device.

[0021] Figure 15 This is a front view of an exemplary electronic device having a display with an effective area, an opaque mask area, and a border, according to some implementation schemes.

[0022] Figure 16 This is a side view of an exemplary electronic device according to some embodiments, including a reinforcing member supporting a display cover and having an optical component window opening. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Electronic devices may include displays, such as flexible displays. For example, electronic devices may be bendable / foldable, and flexible displays allow electronic devices to bend / fold. Flexible displays may include overlays (e.g., flexible display overlays). Overlays may extend over both the active and inactive areas of the flexible display.

[0024] In some portions of the ineffective area, the overlay layer may be supported by the underlying display layer, which also extends into the ineffective area. However, in other portions of the ineffective area, the flexible display may have display interconnects (e.g., printed circuitry) that wrap around the edges of the flexible display. In these curved portions of the panel, the underlying display layer may be prevented from extending into the ineffective area due to the display interconnects.

[0025] Therefore, in order to support the cover layer in these curved portions of the panel, end caps can be attached to the extended display layer in the adjacent portion of the ineffective area. The end caps may include the same display layer as the flexible display, or may include an elastomer with similar shear stiffness to the display layer.

[0026] Alternatively or additionally, a reinforcement may be used in the curved portion of the panel. The reinforcement may be a metal reinforcement coupled to the cover layer in the curved portion of the panel, a thicker portion of the cover layer in the curved portion of the panel, or any other suitable reinforcement. One or more openings may be formed in the reinforcement to form windows for the underlying optical components.

[0027] Figure 1 The illustration shows exemplary electronic devices of various types that may have flexible displays. Electronic device 10 may be a computing device such as a laptop computer, a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a cellular phone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device; a smaller device such as a wristwatch, a pendant device, other types of wearable devices or micro-devices; a computer monitor not containing an embedded computer; a computer monitor including an embedded computer; a gaming device; a navigation device; a head-mounted device; an embedded system such as a system in which electronic equipment with a display is installed in a self-service terminal or a vehicle; equipment that enables the functionality of two or more of these devices; or other electronic equipment. Figure 1 In this exemplary configuration, device 10 is a portable device, such as a cellular phone, media player, tablet, watch or other wrist device, or other portable computing device. Other configurations may be used for device 10 if desired. Figure 1 The examples are merely illustrative.

[0028] exist Figure 1 In the example, device 10 includes a display, such as display 14 mounted in housing 12. Housing 12, sometimes referred to as a shell or enclosure, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramic, fiber composite material, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or any combination of two or more of these materials. Housing 12 may be formed in a one-piece configuration, in which a portion or all of housing 12 is machined or molded into a single structure, or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an internal frame structure, one or more structures forming the surface of the outer housing, etc.). Portions of housing 12 may be formed of flexible materials (e.g., elastomeric materials, such as silicone and / or other flexible polymers) and / or may include hinge structures.

[0029] The housing 12 may have a hinge at its axis to allow the device 10 to bend. The hinge may include one or more hinge mechanisms, such as a pivoting structure, a single-bar or multi-bar linkage, and / or other articulation mechanisms. Using these hinge mechanisms, the housing 12 can bend about a bend axis (sometimes referred to as a bending axis, fold axis, folding axis, flexural axis, etc.). The housing 12 may have a first housing portion and a second housing portion, which rotate relative to each other when the device 10 is bent (folded) about the bend axis using hinges and / or other flexible structures that engage the first and second housing portions.

[0030] Display 14 may be a touchscreen display incorporating a layer of conductive capacitive touch sensor electrodes or other touch sensor components (e.g., resistive touch sensor components, acoustic touch sensor components, force-based touch sensor components, light-based touch sensor components, etc.), or it may be a non-touchscreen display. The capacitive touchscreen electrodes may be formed from an array of indium tin oxide pads or other transparent conductive structures. The touch sensor may be formed on a display layer containing a pixel array or on a separate touch panel layer attached (e.g., using adhesive) to the pixel array using electrodes or other structures.

[0031] Display 14 may include pixels formed from liquid crystal display (LCD) components, electrophoretic pixels, microelectromechanical (MEMS) shutter pixels, electrowetting pixels, micro light-emitting diodes (e.g., small crystal semiconductor dies), organic light-emitting diodes (e.g., pixels in thin-film organic light-emitting diode displays), or pixels based on other display technologies. The configuration of display 14 having an array of light-emitting pixels (such as an organic light-emitting diode pixel array) may sometimes be described herein as an example.

[0032] Display 14 may be a portion overlapping the bending axis. To facilitate bending of device 10 around the bending axis, display 14 may be formed entirely of a flexible structure, or at least a portion of display 14 overlapping the bending axis may be formed of a flexible structure. A display cover or other layer may form the outermost surface of the display. Display layers such as these (e.g., display cover) may be formed of glass, plastic, and / or other transparent display cover structures and may be flexible (at least where these layers overlap the bending axis of device 10). In other words, the display cover may be a flexible display cover.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, for example, display 14 may have three portions. Specifically, the left portion of display 14 may overlap with the left portion of housing 12, the right portion of display 14 may overlap with the right portion of housing 12, and the central portion of display 14 may overlap with a curved area of ​​housing 12 aligned with the bending axis. In each of the left and right portions of housing 12, display 14 may be flexible or rigid (e.g., the pixel array in these areas may be rigid and / or the display overlay structure in these areas may be rigid). The portion of display 14 overlapping the bending axis may form a strip located between the portions of display 14 that overlap with the left and right portions of housing 12, and may extend across the width of the display between opposite edges. To ensure that the portion of display 14 that overlaps with the bending axis is flexible enough to allow device 10 to bend around the bending axis, display layers such as the display cover layer for display 14 may be formed of a flexible glass or polymer thin layer adapted to the bending of display 14 around the bending axis, and the underlying display layers (e.g., polymer substrate, metal traces, polarization layer, touch sensor layer, adhesive layer, and other conductive and dielectric layers in the organic light-emitting diode pixel array) may also be formed of flexible materials and structures.

[0034] Figure 2 The text shows examples such as Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary electronic device 10. For example... Figure 2As shown, electronic device 10 may have control circuitry 50. Control circuitry 50 may include storage and processing circuitry for supporting the operation of device 10. Storage and processing circuitry may include storage devices such as hard disk drive storage devices, non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory configured to form a solid-state drive or other electrically programmable read-only memory), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random access memory), etc. Processing circuitry in control circuitry 50 may be used to control the operation of device 10 (e.g., to process sensor signals and other inputs and to control adjustable components such as displays, heating elements, etc.). This processing circuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors, power management units, audio chips, application-specific integrated circuits, etc.

[0035] Input-output circuitry in device 10, such as input-output device 46, can be used to allow data to be supplied to device 10 and to allow data to be supplied from device 10 to external devices. Figure 2 As shown, the input-output device 46 may include a display 14. The display 14 may be a touchscreen incorporating a two-dimensional touch sensor or a touchscreen that is not sensitive to touch. The two-dimensional touch sensor for the display 14 may be formed by an array of capacitive touch electrodes or other touch sensor components (e.g., a force sensor, a resistive touch sensor, an acoustic touch sensor, an optical sensor, etc.).

[0036] Input-output device 46 may include sensor 40. Sensor 40 may include capacitive proximity sensors, light-based proximity sensors, magnetic sensors, force sensors (such as force sensors for acquiring user input), touch sensors for acquiring user touch input, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, ambient light sensors, microphones or other sound sensors for acquiring ambient noise measurements and user input such as voice commands, sensors for acquiring data about device positioning and motion (such as inertial measurement units including accelerometers, compasses, and / or gyroscopes), one or more of these sensors and / or other sensors of any desired number.

[0037] Input-output device 46 may also include other components 48, such as buttons, joysticks, scroll wheels, touchpads, keypads, keyboards, speakers, audio generators, vibrators (sometimes referred to as haptic output devices), cameras, LEDs and other status indicators, data ports, etc. Users can control the operation of device 10 by providing user input commands via input-output device 46, and can receive status information and other outputs from device 10 using the output resources of input-output device 46.

[0038] The control circuit 50 can be used to run software, such as operating system code and applications, on the device 10. During operation of the device 10, the software running on the control circuit 50 can display images (e.g., videos, still images such as text, alphanumeric labels, photos, icons, other graphics, etc.) on the display 14 using the pixel array in the display 14.

[0039] Figure 3 The image shows a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary electronic device that may include a flexible display. Figure 3 In the example, device 10 includes a display, such as display 14 mounted in housing 12.

[0040] An opening may be formed in device 10. For example, an opening may be formed in display 14 to accommodate buttons, speaker ports (such as...) Figure 3 An example speaker port 18) and / or other components. Openings may be formed in the housing 12 to form communication ports (e.g., audio jacks, digital data ports, etc.), to form openings for buttons, openings for microphones and speakers, etc.

[0041] Display 14 may be a liquid crystal display, an electrophoretic display, an organic light-emitting diode display, or other display with an array of light-emitting diodes, a plasma display, an electrowetting display, a microLED display, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) pixel-based display, or any other suitable display. Display 14 may have an array of pixels 28 located in an effective area AA. The pixels 28 in the effective area AA can display images to the user of device 10. The effective area AA may be rectangular or may have other suitable shapes. In some configurations, display 14 may have a flexible polymer substrate, such as a polyimide substrate, on which an array of pixel structures, such as an array of organic light-emitting diodes and associated pixel circuitry, is formed. The flexible polymer substrate facilitates bending. However, the use of a flexible polymer substrate to allow bending is merely exemplary. In general, display 14 may be a foldable display with any suitable flexible display substrate.

[0042] An invalid boundary region IA (also referred to herein as invalid region IA) may extend along one or more edges of the valid region AA. The invalid boundary region IA may contain circuitry, signal lines, and other structures that do not emit light to form an image. A mask structure (e.g., a layer of black ink, etc.) may be used to hide invalid circuitry and other components in the invalid region IA from view by the user of device 10. However, including the invalid region IA is merely exemplary. In some embodiments, device 10 may not include invalid regions, such as the invalid region IA surrounding the edges of the valid region AA. For example, the valid region AA may extend between opposite edges of device 10 and / or completely span the front surface of device 10 (or span almost the entire front surface).

[0043] In some arrangements, the invalid region IA may protrude into the valid region AA, and / or one or more isolating islands may form the invalid region within the valid region AA. Input-output components, such as cameras, ambient light sensors, infrared depth sensors, light emitters (e.g., visible light emitters such as camera flashes, infrared light emitters emitting infrared light patterns for depth measurement, etc.), proximity sensors, speakers, microphones, and / or other input-output components, may be accommodated by the protrusions or islands of the invalid region. Accommodating input-output within the protrusions or islands of the invalid region within the valid region expands the available valid region for displaying images.

[0044] The light-based components in device 10 (e.g., light-emitting diodes for status indicators and camera flashes, light-based sensors, and / or other optical components) can be connected to one or more windows (such as...) Figure 3 The window 30 overlaps with the display 14. Windows such as window 30 may be formed in a transparent portion of the display 14 (e.g., part of the inactive area IA), may be formed by a through-hole through the pixel array in the display 14 (e.g., in the active area of ​​the display 14), and / or may be formed by a transparent component such as glass or sapphire mounted in the housing 12 (e.g., in the rear housing wall of the housing 12). In some configurations, a thin layer of mask structure (e.g., a thin layer of black ink) may overlap with an otherwise transparent optical window (e.g., to help obscure optical components such as an ambient light sensor from view). In such configurations, transmittance may be reduced, but sufficient light still passes through to allow the optical window with the thin ink coating to act as an optical window for an optical component (e.g., the ambient light sensor in this example).

[0045] In some configurations, device 10 may have a front surface and a rear surface, such as Figure 3The device 10 has a front surface F and a rear surface R. When the device 10 is in an unfolded configuration, the front and rear surfaces may lie in parallel planes on opposite sides of the device 10. The display 14 may be mounted in the housing 12 on the front surface F, while the planar rear housing wall in the housing 12 forms the rear surface R. In a folded configuration, portions of the front surfaces F may face each other, while portions of the rear surfaces R may face away from each other. Alternatively, in a folded configuration, portions of the rear surfaces R may face each other, while portions of the front surfaces F may face away from each other.

[0046] Figure 4 This is a side view of a portion of device 10, showing how display 14 can overlap with a hinge (such as hinge 42) in housing 12 at the flexible region 36. Housing 12 may have a first housing portion and a second housing portion, such as a first housing portion 12A and a second housing portion 12B (which can be combined with the above respectively). Figure 1 The left and right portions of the housing 12 under discussion correspond to each other. The hinge 42 extends along the bending axis 32 and allows the first housing portion 12A and the second housing portion 12B to rotate relative to each other about the bending axis 32, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown. The display 14 may include a first display area 14A overlapping with a first housing portion 12A and a second display area 14B overlapping with a second housing portion 12B. If desired, the display 14 may extend continuously across a bending axis 32, such that an image can be displayed uninterruptedly across housing portions 12A and 12B.

[0047] For example, device 10 can be bent 180°, causing a portion of housing 12 to fold backward on its own. If desired, hinge 42 can be configured to support other amounts of bending (e.g., greater than or less than 180° around axis 32). Hinge 42 may include a rotational interlocking structure, a multi-element linkage, a flexible sheet of material that flexes around axis 32 and thus acts as a hinge structure, folded and / or selectively thinned layers of material that facilitate flexure, and / or other suitable hinge structures that support rotation of portions of device 10 around axis 32.

[0048] When device 10 is folded (e.g., when the first and second halves or other parts of housing 12 are rotated until they are adjacent to each other and overlap), portions of display 14 may become hidden and invisible. Other portions of display 14 may be configured to remain exposed when device 10 is folded.

[0049] like Figure 5As shown, the display 14 may include a display layer 14P overlaid by a display overlay layer (such as overlay layer 14C). The display layer 14P may include an intermediate plate (e.g., a structural member supporting the rest of the display layer 14P), a force sensor, a back film (e.g., a metal back film), an adhesive, an OLED layer (or an emitting layer of another suitable display technology) and / or any other suitable display layer.

[0050] The cover layer 14C can be a transparent cover layer with high transparency (e.g., greater than 80%, greater than 90%, greater than 95%, greater than 99%, etc.). The cover layer 14C can have a thickness of less than 200 micrometers, less than 100 micrometers, less than 50 micrometers, less than 30 micrometers, greater than 10 micrometers, greater than 20 micrometers, greater than 50 micrometers, between 20 micrometers and 90 micrometers, between 10 micrometers and 200 micrometers, etc.

[0051] If desired, the display cover layer 14C may be attached to the display layer 14P using one or more optically clear adhesive layers. The display cover layer 14C may include one or more transparent layers of glass, polymer, sapphire, adhesive, and / or any other desired material. The display cover layer 14C may have high transparency (e.g., greater than 80%, greater than 90%, greater than 95%, greater than 99%, etc.). The display cover layer 14C may have a thickness of less than 200 micrometers, less than 100 micrometers, less than 50 micrometers, less than 30 micrometers, greater than 10 micrometers, greater than 20 micrometers, greater than 50 micrometers, between 20 micrometers and 90 micrometers, between 10 micrometers and 200 micrometers, etc.

[0052] In some embodiments, the overlay 14C may be supported by an underlying display layer (e.g., display layer 14P) that also extends into the ineffective region. However, in other portions of the ineffective region, the display 14 may have display interconnects that wrap around the edges of the flexible display. In these curved portions of the panel, the underlying display layer may be prevented from extending into the ineffective region due to the display interconnects. Figure 6 An illustrative example is shown in the figure.

[0053] like Figure 6 As shown, the display 14 may be formed of a display panel attached to the flexible printed circuit 64. For example, the display panel may be attached to a plurality of flexible printed circuits 64 (also referred to herein as display interconnects) along one or more edges of the display (e.g., edges parallel to the bending axis 32). A display layer (e.g., Figure 5The display panel formed by the display layer 14P can be a flexible display panel including a pixel array. The display panel may have a portion attached to the flexible printed circuit 64 at an adhesive area. The flexible printed circuit 64 can be used to provide signals to the display panel, such as gate driver signals and / or data signals (e.g., from a display driver integrated circuit and / or a timing controller). As an example, a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC) may be mounted on the flexible printed circuit 64 and may provide signals to the display panel via traces in the flexible printed circuit 64. The flexible printed circuit 64 has a curved portion and wraps around the display panel.

[0054] The edge portion 110 of the display 14 in the invalid region IA may include a region 110-1 aligned with the printed circuit 64 and a region 110-2 interposed between regions 110-1. Although Figure 6 An edge portion 110 along a single edge of display 14 is shown, but one or more peripheral edges of display 14 may include regions 110-1 and 110-2. In one example, two edges of display 14 parallel to the curvature axis 32 may include regions 110-1 and 110-2. Alternatively, two edges of display 14 orthogonal to the curvature axis 32 may include regions 110-1 and 110-2, or all four edges of display 14 may include regions 110-1 and 110-2. In region 110-2, the display layer of display 14 (e.g., ...) Figure 5 The display layer 14P can support the cover layer 14C in the edge portion 110. Figure 5 However, in zone 110-1, the display layer in display 14 can be blocked by printed circuit 64, preventing the cover layer 14C from being supported. Therefore, one or more end caps can be used to support the cover layer 14C in zone 110-1. Figure 7A An illustrative example of an end cap that can support a covering layer is shown in the figure.

[0055] like Figure 7A As shown, the display 14 of device 10 may include a display layer 14P supporting the display cover layer 14C in area 110-2. The display cover layer 14C may be a glass or polymer layer having a thickness of, for example, at least 30 micrometers, at least 50 micrometers, between 30 and 60 micrometers, at least 100 micrometers, 10 and 100 micrometers, at least 90 micrometers, less than 200 micrometers, or another suitable thickness. Generally, the display cover layer 14C may have any suitable thickness that protects the display layer 14P while allowing device 10 (and display 14) to be folded / bent. In other words, the cover layer 14C may be a flexible cover layer.

[0056] The extension of display layer 14P in region 110-2 can support display cover layer 14C in the inactive area of ​​display 14. Display layer 14P may include an intermediate plate (e.g., a structural member supporting the rest of display layer 14P), a force sensor, a back film (e.g., a metal back film), an adhesive, an OLED layer (or an emitting layer of another suitable display technology) and / or any other suitable display layer.

[0057] However, due to the presence of self-folding printed circuitry 64 in zone 110-1, the display layer 14P cannot extend from the effective area of ​​the display 14 to the ineffective area in zone 110-1. Therefore, an end cap 66 may be added to support the display cover layer 14C in zone 110-1. The end cap 66 may include one or more layers 70 formed on (e.g., deposited on, adhesively attached to, or otherwise formed on) the support member 68.

[0058] A support member 68, which may be formed of metal, polymer, or another suitable material, may be attached to the bottom layer of the display layer 14P in zone 110-2. For example, an intermediate plate of the display layer 14P may be formed at the bottom of the display layer 14P in zone 110-2, and the support member 68 may be attached to the intermediate plate. However, this is only illustrative. Generally, the support member 68 may be attached to any suitable layer within the display layer 14P, such as the housing 12 (…). Figure 1 Part of and / or another suitable part of device 10. Support 68 may be attached to display layer 14P in zone 110-2 using adhesives such as pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), gap-filling liquid adhesive, welding and / or any other suitable attachment method.

[0059] One or more layers 70 of the end cap 66 may include additional display layers, such as the same layer as display layer 14P. In other words, layer 70 may include an intermediate plate (e.g., a structural member supporting the remainder of display layer 14P), a force sensor, a back film (e.g., a metal back film), an adhesive, an OLED layer (or an emitting layer of another suitable display technology), and / or any other suitable layer in display layer 14P also included in zone 110-2. In other words, layer 70 may include the same material as display layer 14P. In this way, layer 70 may have the same properties as display layer 14P, such as the same shear stiffness. By matching the shear stiffness of the entire display (e.g., by matching the shear stiffness of display layer 14P), end cap 66 may allow display 14 to translate during folding / unfolding while supporting display cover layer 14C in zone 110-1. However, this is only illustrative. In some embodiments, one or more layers 70 may comprise one or more elastomer layers, polymer layers, and / or layers of another suitable material that matches (or is similar to) the properties of the display layer 14P, such as the shear stiffness of the display layer 14P. In other words, layer 70 may be formed of an elastomer having the same shear stiffness as the display layer 14P.

[0060] The uppermost surface 71 of layer 70 can be attached to the inner surface of display cover layer 14C in zone 110-1. For example, layer 70 can be attached to display cover layer 14C using adhesives such as pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), gap-filling liquid adhesive, and / or any other suitable attachment method. In this way, display cover layer 14C can be supported by end cap 66 in zone 110-1.

[0061] although Figure 7A Single zone 110-2 and single zone 110-1 are shown, but the end cap can be in any number of zones 110-1 (e.g., Figure 6 The display cover 14C is supported in all or at least some of the zones 110-1. End caps in the multiple zones 110-1 may be formed on a single support 68 or on a separate support (such as support 68).

[0062] Furthermore, despite Figure 7A An end cap 66 coupled to the display layer 14P is shown, but this is merely illustrative. In some embodiments, the end cap 66 may be coupled to the housing of the device 10. An illustrative example is shown in... Figure 7B As shown in the image.

[0063] like Figure 7B As shown, an end cap 66, including layer 70, can be attached to housing 12. Specifically, the end cap 66 can be adhesively attached to housing 12 using pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), gap-filling liquid adhesive, welding, and / or any other suitable attachment method.

[0064] exist Figure 7B In the example, housing 12 has a flange 12L to which end cap 66 is attached. However, this is merely illustrative. In general, end cap 66 may be attached to any suitable portion of housing 12.

[0065] although Figure 7B The end cap 66 is shown as being adhesively attached to the housing 12, but this is merely illustrative. In some embodiments, the end cap 66 may be formed as a portion of the housing 12. In other words, the end cap 66 may be integrated with the housing 12 to form an integral structure supporting the cover layer 14C.

[0066] Regardless of whether end cap 66 is attached to display layer 14P (e.g.) Figure 7A (as shown) or attached to the outer casing 12 (as shown) Figure 7B As shown), the end cap 66 may be continuous or discontinuous. In other words, the end cap 66 may be a single structure supporting the cover layer 14C in multiple or all regions 110-1, and therefore may be continuous. Alternatively, the device 10 may include multiple end cap 66 structures, each end cap 66 structure supporting one region of the regions 110-1, and therefore the end cap 66 may be discontinuous.

[0067] Figure 8 The image shows a side view of an exemplary device with end caps. (See image for reference.) Figure 8 As shown, the display 14 may include a display overlay 14C extending between an effective area AA (e.g., an area where pixels in the display 14 emit light to form an image of the user of the device 10) and an ineffective area IA. Figure 8 The portion of the display 14 shown can be connected to Figure 6 This corresponds to one of the regions 110-1 in Figure 7. In other words, the display layer 14P can support the cover layer 14C in the active region AA and a portion of the inactive region IA. Specifically, the display layer 14P can be attached to the cover layer 14C using a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), gap-filling liquid adhesive 76, and / or any other suitable attachment method. The display layer 14P can be supported by one or more layers 78 extending between the display layer 14P and the rear portion of the printed circuit 64. The one or more layers 78 may include a support layer (e.g., an intermediate board layer such as a metal or polymer intermediate board layer, an adhesive layer, a sensor layer, and / or any other suitable layer).

[0068] However, the display layer 14P may be blocked by the printed circuit 64 and unable to support the cover layer 14C in the remaining portion of the invalid region IA within area 110-1. Therefore, the end cap 66 can support the cover layer 14C in the remaining portion of the invalid region IA (e.g., in the portion of the printed circuit 64 of the invalid region IA opposite the display layer 14P). The end cap 66 may include one or more layers 70 attached to the cover layer 14C using an adhesive 74, which may be a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), a gap-filling liquid adhesive, and / or any other suitable attachment method.

[0069] The bottom portion of layer 70 may be attached to support 72. Support 72 may be a metal layer, a polymer layer, or any other suitable layer supporting one or more layers 70. For example, support 72 may be attached to... Figure 7A Support member 68, or support member 72, can be connected with Figure 7A The support member 68 corresponds to the support member 72. The support member 72 may optionally or additionally be the housing 12. Figure 3 It may be part of the housing 12 or attached to a portion of the housing 12. In this way, the cover layer 14C may be supported by the end cap 66 in zone 110-1 of the invalid region IA.

[0070] The end cap 66 can be separated from the display layer 14P by a gap G. The gap G can be less than 2 mm, less than 1.5 mm, between 1 mm and 2 mm, 1.7 mm, or another suitable distance. The gap G can be formed by the presence of the printed circuit 64 and can be small enough to ensure that the cover layer 14C is adequately supported by the display layer 14P and the end cap 66.

[0071] In addition to or instead of attaching end cap 66 in zone 110-1 of invalid region IA, reinforcement may support cover layer 14C in zone 110-1. Figure 9 An illustrative example is shown in the figure.

[0072] like Figure 9 As shown, the reinforcement 80 may extend across at least a portion of the invalid region IA. Figure 8 The portion of the display 14 shown can be connected to Figure 6 This corresponds to one of the zones 110-1 in Figure 7. In other words, the display layer 14P can support the cover layer 14C in the active region AA and a portion of the inactive region IA, while the reinforcement 80 can support the cover layer 14C in the remainder of the inactive region IA. However, in some embodiments, the reinforcement 80 can extend across zones 110-1 and 110-2 of the inactive region IA.

[0073] The reinforcement 80 may be formed of a metal (such as steel (e.g., stainless steel, tungsten, titanium), carbon, carbon fiber, ceramic zirconia, diamond, borosilicate glass, another high-strength metal, rigid polymer, alloy) and / or any other suitable material. The reinforcement 80 may have a Young's modulus greater than 50 GPa, greater than 100 GPa, greater than 200 GPa, greater than 400 GPa, greater than 800 GPa, greater than 1000 GPa, etc. In some embodiments, the reinforcement 80 may be formed of a rigid material (such as a metal) embedded in or otherwise bonded to an opaque mask layer. In other words, because the reinforcement 80 is formed in the ineffective region IA, the reinforcement 80 may be opaque (e.g., the reinforcement 80 may not necessarily allow light from the display layer 14P to pass through).

[0074] The opaque mask layer may be formed of ink, a thin-film interference filter formed of a dielectric layer with alternating refractive indices, and / or any other suitable material. For example, the opaque mask layer may be a black mask layer and may hide invalid areas IA, including printed circuitry 64, from the user of device 10. The opaque mask layer (sometimes referred to as a black mask layer) may have low transparency (e.g., less than 30%, less than 20%, less than 10%, less than 5%, etc.). The opaque mask layer may extend in a ring around the perimeter of display 14.

[0075] The reinforcement 80 can be adhesively attached to the cover layer 14C, formed on the cover layer 14C (e.g., directly formed on the cover layer 14C or on a buffer layer formed on the cover layer 14C), or otherwise attached to the cover layer 14C. In this way, the reinforcement 80 can support the cover layer 14C in areas 110-1 (and areas 110-2, if needed) of the ineffective region IA.

[0076] In some implementations, end caps (e.g., Figure 8 The end cap 66 and the reinforcement 80 can be coupled to the cover layer 14C in zone 110-1. The reinforcement 80 can span the gap G ( Figure 8 It extends and provides additional support for the cover layer 14C.

[0077] Regardless of whether end caps (such as end cap 66) and / or reinforcements (such as reinforcement 80) are used to support the cover 14C in the invalid region IA, the support structure can be coupled to the housing 12 of the device 10. Figure 10 An illustrative example is shown in the figure.

[0078] like Figure 10As shown, the reinforcement 80 and end cap 66 can support the cover layer 14C in the ineffective region IA (e.g., in area 110-1 of the ineffective region IA). Additionally, the edging 84 can overlap with the edge 89 of the cover layer 14C and can be inserted between the edge 89 of the cover layer 14C and the housing 12. Specifically, the edging 84 can be a polymer edging, an elastomeric edging, a silicone edging, and / or any other suitable edging material. In some embodiments, the edging 84 can be an opaque structure (e.g., a black structure) formed of a compliant / compressible material such as silicone. However, in some embodiments, the edging 84 can comprise compliant and rigid materials such as polycarbonate, polymers, metals, and / or other suitable rigid materials.

[0079] The bezel 84 can be separated from the edge 89 of the cover layer 14C by a gap 86. The gap 86 can be at least 0.3 mm, at least 0.5 mm, between 0.25 mm and 0.75 mm, less than 1 mm, or other suitable size. For example, the gap 86 can be large enough to allow the cover layer 14C to shift within the gap 86 when the display 14 is folded and unfolded.

[0080] End cap 66 may be attached to support structure 88, which may be a metal layer, a polymer layer, or any other suitable support layer, using an adhesive, for example. Edge 84 may be attached to support structure 88 using adhesive 90, which may be PSA, liquid adhesive, and / or any other suitable adhesive.

[0081] exist Figure 10 In this example, adhesive 92 is used to attach the support structure 88 to the flange 12L. Adhesive 92 can be PSA, liquid adhesive, or other suitable adhesive. However, this is merely illustrative. In some embodiments, the support structure 88 can be separated from the flange 12L and / or another part of the housing 12 by a gap.

[0082] Furthermore, although the support structure 88 is shown separate from the support member 72 and from the housing 12, this is merely illustrative. In some embodiments, the support structure 88 may be integrally formed with the support member 72. In other words, the edging 84 may be directly attached to the support member 72. Alternatively, the support structure 88 may be integrally formed with the housing 12.

[0083] By using reinforcement 80 and end cap 66 to support the cover layer 14C, the cover layer 14C can be supported in the invalid region IA (e.g., in area 110-1 of the invalid region IA). Additionally, by using a edging 84 to cover the edge 89 of the cover layer 14C and leaving a gap 86 between the edge 89 and the edging 84, the cover layer 14C can be displaced when the display 14 is folded and unfolded.

[0084] exist Figure 10In the example, reinforcement 80 is a planar reinforcement (e.g., a reinforcement with a constant thickness). However, this is merely illustrative. In some embodiments, reinforcement 80 may be a wedge-shaped reinforcement with a thickness that gradually increases between the edge of display layer 14P and end cap 66. Figure 11 An illustrative example is shown in the figure.

[0085] like Figure 11 As shown, the display 14 may include a reinforcement 94 located between the lower surface of the cover layer 14C and the display layer 14P. The reinforcement 94 may be a wedge-shaped reinforcement having a first thickness between the cover layer 14C and the display layer 14P (e.g., adjacent to the display layer 14P in the effective region AA) and a second thickness greater than the first thickness between the cover layer 14C and the end cap 66 (e.g., adjacent to the end cap 66 at edge 89). The thickness may increase monotonically and continuously between the first and second thicknesses, or may be increased in any other suitable manner between the first and second thicknesses.

[0086] The reinforcement 94 may be formed of a metal (such as steel (e.g., stainless steel, tungsten, titanium), carbon, carbon fiber, silicon carbide, diamond, borosilicate glass, another high-strength metal, rigid polymer, alloy) and / or any other suitable material. The reinforcement 94 may have a Young's modulus greater than 50 GPa, greater than 100 GPa, greater than 200 GPa, greater than 400 GPa, greater than 800 GPa, greater than 1000 GPa, etc. In some embodiments, the reinforcement 94 may be formed of a rigid material (such as a metal) embedded in or otherwise bonded to an opaque mask layer. The opaque mask layer may be formed of ink, a thin-film interference filter formed of a dielectric layer having alternating refractive indices, and / or any other suitable material. For example, the opaque mask layer may be a black mask layer and may hide the invalid area IA, including the printed circuit 64, from the user of device 10.

[0087] The reinforcement 94 can be adhesively attached to the cover layer 14C, formed on the cover layer 14C (e.g., directly formed on the cover layer 14C or on a buffer layer formed on the cover layer 14C), or otherwise attached to the cover layer 14C. In this way, the reinforcement 94 can support the cover layer 14C in area 110-1 of the ineffective region IA.

[0088] To accommodate the wedge-shaped reinforcement 94, the display layer 14P may be bent downwards, and the thickness of one or more layers 78 may be reduced (and / or the number of layers may be reduced). If necessary, the thickness of one or more layers 70 of the end cap 66 may be reduced to accommodate the wedge-shaped reinforcement 94.

[0089] Generally speaking, by increasing the thickness of the reinforcement 94 as it extends further from the effective region AA, the reinforcement 94 can provide additional support for the cover layer 14C in the ineffective region IA (e.g., in zone 110-1 of the ineffective region IA).

[0090] Instead of including wedge reinforcement 94 or reinforcement 80, or in addition to including wedge reinforcement 94 or reinforcement 80, the cover layer 14C itself may have increased thickness in the invalid region IA to reinforce the cover layer 14C in the invalid region IA. Figure 12 An illustrative example is shown in the figure.

[0091] like Figure 12 As shown, the capping layer 14C may have a wedge-shaped region 96. Specifically, the thickness of the wedge-shaped region 96 may increase as the capping layer 14C extends from the effective region AA. Because the wedge-shaped region 96 of the capping layer 14C has a greater thickness than the capping layer 14C in the effective region AA, the capping layer 14C may have increased strength in the ineffective region IA.

[0092] although Figure 12 Not shown, but if needed, reinforcements such as reinforcement 80 may also be attached to the inner surface of the cover layer 14C in the ineffective area IA.

[0093] exist Figure 12 In the example, the wedge region 96 extends inward (e.g., toward the interior of device 10). In other words, the outer surface 98 of the cover layer 14C may be flat over the active region AA and the inactive region IA. However, in some embodiments, the cover layer 14C may have a wedge region extending outward. Figure 13 An illustrative example is shown in the figure.

[0094] like Figure 13 As shown, the cover layer 14C may have a wedge-shaped region 96 with a flat inner surface 100 and an angled outer surface 98. Because the wedge-shaped region 96 of the cover layer 14C has a greater thickness than the cover layer 14C in the effective region AA, the cover layer 14C may have increased strength in the ineffective region IA.

[0095] although Figure 12 and Figure 13 The illustration shows that the thickness of the cover layer 14C is increased only in the ineffective region IA, but this is merely illustrative. In some embodiments, the thickness of the cover layer 14C may be increased in the effective region AA and / or the ineffective region IA. Figure 14A and Figure 14B An illustrative example is shown in the figure.

[0096] like Figure 14A As shown, the capping layer 14C is flat and has a constant thickness in the invalid region IA. However, as Figure 14B As shown, the cover layer 14C may have increased thickness in the effective area AA. Specifically, the cover layer 14C may overlap with the bending axis 32 of the device 10. Figure 1 The minimum thickness is located at the center 102 of the coating layer 14C. The coating layer 14C may have wedge-shaped portions 104A and 104B extending away from the bending axis 32 with gradually increasing thickness. Although... Figure 14A A cover layer 14C with a constant thickness is shown in the invalid region IA, but the thickness of the wedge portions 104A and 104B can be increased further in the invalid region IA if needed.

[0097] The size of the edging 84 can be reduced due to the use of end caps (such as end cap 66) and / or reinforcements (such as reinforcement 60, wedge reinforcement 94) or a cover layer with increased thickness. Figure 15 An illustrative example is shown in the figure.

[0098] like Figure 15 As shown, the display 14 may have an active area AA and an inactive area IA extending around the periphery of the active area AA (e.g., the inactive area IA may surround the active area AA). The inactive area IA may include an opaque mask area 106 formed of ink, a thin-film interference filter formed of a dielectric layer having alternating refractive indices, and / or other suitable opaque materials. Generally, the opaque mask area 106 can conceal underlying components (such as the peripheral portions of the printed circuit 64 and the display layer 14P (FIGs 7 to 14)) from being seen.

[0099] In some implementations, reinforcements such as reinforcement 80 or reinforcement 94 ( Figures 9 to 11 The reinforcement may be included within the opaque mask area 106. For example, the reinforcement may extend entirely around the periphery of the effective area AA (e.g., the reinforcement may exist along the entire opaque mask area 106). Alternatively, the reinforcement may extend across a portion of the opaque mask area 106, or the reinforcement may be broken down into separate portions that extend together around the entire opaque mask area 106.

[0100] The edging 84 may extend around the periphery of the opaque mask area 106 (e.g., the edging 84 may surround the opaque mask area 106). In other words, the edging 84 may extend from the opaque mask area 106 to the edge of the device 10.

[0101] The edging 84 may have a width 85 (e.g., the width when the device 10 is viewed from the front). The width 85 may be less than 2 mm, less than 1.9 mm, between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm, 1.8 mm, or another suitable width. Generally, this is achieved by using end caps 66 and / or reinforcements ( Figures 6 to 14) Supporting the cover layer 14C can increase the portion of the invalid area IA covered by the cover layer (e.g., cover layer 14C), which can reduce the width that must be covered by the supplementary border (e.g., border 84).

[0102] In some implementations, it may be desirable to include optical components in the invalid region IA. Therefore, windows (such as windows 108A and / or 108B) can be formed in the opaque mask region 106. Figure 15 In the example, windows 108 are shown along both edges of display 14. However, any suitable number of windows 108 can be formed along any suitable number of edges of display 14. Figure 16 An illustrative example of an optical component window is shown.

[0103] like Figure 16 As shown, window 108 may be formed in the inactive region IA. To accommodate window 108, an opening 109 may be formed in the reinforcement 80. Opening 109 may be a circular opening (e.g., as shown in the diagram). Figure 15 As shown in window 108A, it can be an elliptical opening (e.g., as shown in window 108A). Figure 15 (as shown in window 108B), or it can be an opening with any other suitable shape.

[0104] Lens 111 may be attached to reinforcement 80 and extends across opening 109. Lens 111 may be, for example, a glass lens, sapphire lens, ceramic lens, acrylic lens, or a lens of other suitable transparent material. Lens 111 may have a flange 112, which may be a flange extending around the periphery of lens 111. Flange 112 may be adhesively attached to reinforcement 80 (e.g., around the periphery of opening 109), display layer 14P, and / or layer 70, such as using optically clear adhesive (OCA). Alternatively or additionally, the central top surface of lens 111 may be adhesively attached to cover layer 14C, such as using OCA (in these embodiments, flange 112 may be retained from lens 111 or omitted). In this way, lens 111 may be mounted within device 10.

[0105] Optical component 114 can be operated via lens 111 and window 108. Optical component 114 can be a camera (e.g., a visible light camera or an infrared camera), an ambient light sensor, a 3D sensor (e.g., a 3D camera), a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, or any other suitable optical component that emits and / or receives light via lens 111 and window 108. Generally, it is envisioned that window 108 is transparent to light of at least one wavelength (or at least one wavelength range) beneath which optical component 114 operates.

[0106] although Figure 16Lens 111 is shown as a planar lens overlapping optical component 114, but this is merely illustrative. In some embodiments, lens 111 may be integrated with optical component 114, and optical component 114 and / or lens 111 may be attached to a surrounding layer within electronic device 10 to hold lens 111 within window 108. For example, optical component 114 may have flanges that adhesively attach component 114 to one or more surrounding layers.

[0107] According to one embodiment, a display has an effective area and an ineffective area, and the display includes: a display layer located in the effective area; a display overlay layer overlapping the display layer and extending over the effective area and the ineffective area; a reinforcement member coupled to the display overlay layer in the ineffective area; and an end cap coupled to the display overlay layer in the ineffective area. The end cap is separated from the display layer by a gap, and the reinforcement member extends across the gap.

[0108] According to another embodiment, the display layer optionally includes a first material, and the end cap optionally includes a second material that matches the first material of the display layer.

[0109] According to another embodiment, the display layer optionally has a first shear stiffness, and the end cap optionally includes an elastomer having a second shear stiffness matching the first shear stiffness.

[0110] According to another embodiment, the reinforcement optionally includes a metal reinforcement attached to the display cover.

[0111] According to another embodiment, the metal reinforcement optionally has a constant thickness.

[0112] According to another embodiment, the metal reinforcement is optionally a wedge-shaped reinforcement having a first thickness adjacent to the display layer and a second thickness adjacent to the end cap, wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

[0113] According to another embodiment, the reinforcement optionally extends across the gap from the display layer to the end cap.

[0114] According to another embodiment, the reinforcement optionally has an opening in the ineffective area to form an optical component window.

[0115] According to another embodiment, the display may optionally include a lens that fills the opening in the reinforcement.

[0116] According to another embodiment, the lens optionally includes a flange, and the flange is adhesively attached to the reinforcement around the periphery of the opening.

[0117] According to another embodiment, the lens is optionally adhesively attached to the display cover.

[0118] According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a housing and a display within the housing, wherein the display has an active area and an inactive area. The display includes: a display layer; printed circuitry coupled to the display layer in a first region of the inactive area; a display cover layer overlapping the display layer and the printed circuitry, wherein the display layer is coupled to the display cover layer in a second region of the inactive area between the first regions; and an end cap coupled to the display cover layer in the first region.

[0119] According to another embodiment, the end cap optionally includes a support extending from the first region to the second region, and the support is coupled to the display layer in the second region.

[0120] According to another embodiment, the end cap may optionally also include an additional display layer separated from the display layer by a gap.

[0121] According to another embodiment, the electronic device optionally also includes a edging that overlaps with the edge of the display cover and is inserted between the display cover and the housing.

[0122] According to another embodiment, the edge of the display overlay is optionally separated from the edging by a gap.

[0123] According to another embodiment, the electronic device optionally further includes a reinforcement coupled to the display cover, wherein the reinforcement extends from the display layer to the end cap.

[0124] According to another embodiment, the display overlay optionally has a first thickness in the effective area and optionally has a second thickness at the edge that is greater than the first thickness.

[0125] According to another embodiment, the end cap is optionally coupled to the housing and is discontinuous.

[0126] According to another embodiment, the end cap is optionally coupled to the display layer.

[0127] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes a housing and a display within the housing, wherein the display has an active area and an inactive area. The display includes: a display layer located in the active area; a display overlay layer overlapping the display layer and extending over the active and inactive areas; a reinforcement member coupled to the display overlay layer in the inactive area; and an end cap coupled to the display overlay layer in the inactive area, wherein the end cap is separated from the display layer by a first gap. The electronic device also includes a flange inserted between an edge of the display overlay layer and the housing, wherein the edge of the display overlay layer is separated from the flange by a second gap.

[0128] According to another embodiment, the reinforcement optionally includes an opening forming a window, the display optionally includes a lens filling the opening, and the electronic device optionally includes an optical component configured to operate through the lens.

[0129] The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made to the described implementation scheme. The foregoing implementation scheme can be implemented individually or in any combination.

Claims

1. A display having an active area and an inactive area, the display comprising: A display layer is located in the effective area; A display overlay layer that overlaps with the display layer and extends over the effective area and the ineffective area; A reinforcing member, which is coupled to the display overlay in the invalid area; and An end cap, which is coupled to the display overlay in the invalid region, wherein the end cap is separated from the display layer by a gap, and the reinforcement extends across the gap.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein the display layer comprises a first material, and the end cap comprises a second material that matches the first material of the display layer.

3. The display of claim 1, wherein the display layer has a first shear stiffness, and the end cap includes an elastomer having a second shear stiffness matching the first shear stiffness.

4. The display according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement comprises a metal reinforcement attached to the display cover layer.

5. The display according to claim 4, wherein the metal reinforcement has a constant thickness.

6. The display according to claim 4, wherein the metal reinforcement is a wedge-shaped reinforcement having a first thickness adjacent to the display layer and a second thickness adjacent to the end cap, and the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

7. The display of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement extends across the gap from the display layer to the end cap.

8. The display of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member has an opening in the ineffective area to form an optical component window, the display further comprising: A lens that fills the opening in the reinforcement.

9. The display of claim 8, wherein the lens includes a flange, and the flange is adhesively attached to the reinforcement around the periphery of the opening.

10. The display of claim 8, wherein the lens is adhesively attached to the display cover layer.

11. An electronic device, the electronic device comprising: shell; and A display, located within the housing, wherein the display has an active area and an inactive area, and the display comprises: Display layer, A printed circuit, coupled to the display layer in a first region of the invalid region, A display overlay layer, overlapping the display layer and the printed circuitry, wherein the display layer is coupled to the display overlay layer in a second region of the invalid region between the first regions, and An end cap, which is coupled to the display overlay in the first region.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the end cap includes a support extending from the first region to the second region, the support being coupled to the display layer in the second region, and wherein the end cap further includes an additional display layer separated from the display layer by a gap.

13. The electronic device according to claim 11, further comprising: A bezel that overlaps with the edge of the display cover and is inserted between the display cover and the housing.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the edge of the display cover is separated from the edging by a gap.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13, further comprising: A reinforcement member coupled to the display cover layer, wherein the reinforcement member extends from the display layer to the end cap.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the display overlay has a first thickness in the effective area and a second thickness at the edge greater than the first thickness.

17. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the end cap is coupled to the housing and is discontinuous.

18. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the end cap is coupled to the display layer.

19. An electronic device, the electronic device comprising: shell; A display, located within the housing, wherein the display has an active area and an inactive area, and the display comprises: A display layer, located within the effective area. A display overlay layer that overlaps with the display layer and extends over the effective and ineffective regions. A reinforcing member, the reinforcing member being coupled to the display overlay in the invalid region, and An end cap, the end cap being coupled to the display cover layer in the invalid region, wherein the end cap is separated from the display layer by a first gap; and A bezel is inserted between the edge of the display cover and the housing, wherein the edge of the display cover is separated from the bezel by a second gap.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the reinforcing member includes an opening forming a window, and the display further includes a lens filling the opening, the electronic device further including: An optical component configured to operate via the lens.

Images