Multi-display arrangement with at least two display units

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multi-display arrangement having at least two display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), wherein a pair (1, 2; 2, 3; 3, 4; 4, 5) of said display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) consists of thin display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) arranged so as to overlap, the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) being optically bonded to a cover glass (36), and at least one of said display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) having a surface (51) that is arranged at least partially at a greater distance relative to an adjacent surface (52) of the cover glass (36) than the respective surfaces (51) of each of the other display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-display arrangement having at least two display units. Automotive "cockpits of the future" have ever-increasing surface area dedicated to displays and controls. In future cars and other automotive applications, displays are expected to be scattered throughout the driver's seat, center console, passenger seat, and rear seat. These displays will be easily accessible to anyone inside the vehicle, allowing for customized access and control of the infotainment system, mirrors, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) components, and other functions. [Background technology]

[0002] Dashboard display systems are becoming larger, up to 1400mm in length, as multiple display components are housed under a single sheet of actual glass. Their aesthetic appeal, subtle curves, and smooth lines contribute to the aesthetics of a vehicle's interior and can be an important differentiating feature when consumers compare various vehicle models. Because plastic is perceived by consumers as a low-cost option, these displays are preferably made of high-quality glass with no seams and few dark edges. Virtual reality capabilities, projection displays, and 3D displays are also being actively developed and are being introduced in luxury models.

[0003] User interfaces, including tactile and voice recognition, are also designed to reflect the unique aesthetic of each vehicle brand and model. They are highly customized, requiring carefully selected and flawless execution of saturated colors, fonts, and icons. All human-machine interfaces (HMIs) must be crafted and designed to be easily visible when consumers interact with them. Three-dimensional shapes and high-resolution performance are becoming more common as global automakers compete for consumer purchases and differentiate themselves.

[0004] Even more exciting developments are on the horizon, such as incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into advanced technologies that track driver eye movements, recognize and adapt to different drivers, identify changes in human emotions and facial expressions, and respond appropriately to any exceptions. For example, if the driver appears to be disengaged, AI-enabled sensors could issue a warning or trigger Level 4 or Level 5 autonomous driving features.

[0005] Smart displays undoubtedly represent a huge opportunity for global automakers and their suppliers. At the same time, they represent a complex multi-disciplinary engineering challenge that can be difficult to manage. We consider all aspects of display design and execution that must be addressed before they can be confidently introduced into the consumer market.

[0006] Display units are usually placed side by side. Generally, display units have a rectangular shape. If a different shape is required, there is an option to design a new display unit (e.g., for a smart watch, this involves very expensive initial costs for masks and tooling) or to mask part of the larger display unit surface with a smaller profile layout. The disadvantage is that in this case space is required for the covered display unit area part.

[0007] In principle, it is possible to stack display units, but this is an unusual idea for integration due to the complexity and thickness of the backlight unit stack. Moreover, the display stack is usually about 3mm to 10mm thick, so the overlapping display units would be clearly visible and unacceptable to the final customer.

[0008] It is desirable that the display size or display shape is different (e.g., not rectangular), and therefore new display layouts need to be found. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to the invention, a multi-display arrangement is proposed having at least two display units, the pair of display units is comprised of thin display units arranged so as to overlap one another; The display unit is optically bonded to the cover glass; At least one of the display units has a surface that is positioned at least partially at a greater distance relative to an adjacent surface of the cover glass than a respective surface of each of the other display units.

[0010] In one embodiment, at least one of the display units has a surface that is not parallel to the adjacent surface of the cover glass. Because they are arranged in an overlapping manner, non-rectangular shapes of display arrangements can be achieved without requiring special shapes of the display units used. Typically, but not exclusively, the display units used are rectangular, which allows for easier and more cost-effective processing.

[0011] In one embodiment, the space between the display surface and the adjacent cover glass surface is filled with a cured liquid optically clear adhesive (sometimes referred to as "cured LOCA") material so that the overlap area remains invisible, providing the user with a premium experience that does not interfere with the displayed information / content on the display unit.

[0012] Advantageously, the cover glass comprises alignment marks for at least one edge of a display unit, which edge is located at the same distance or closer to the cover glass than another of said edges of said display unit, which may ensure that the manufacturing process for a multi-display arrangement can be carried out very accurately by reducing tolerances that arise during the manufacturing process.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, a multi-display arrangement is proposed having at least two display units, said pair of display units consisting of thin display units, preferably having a thickness of less than 1 mm, preferably in the range of 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm, each bent and positioned adjacent to each other along their respective bend lines.

[0014] In one embodiment of the proposed arrangement, at least one of the display units is a bendable OLED panel. This is due to various advantages, such as the organic layers made of OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes; also known as organic electroluminescent diodes) being thinner, more flexible, and lighter than, for example, the crystalline layers in LEDs (light-emitting diodes) or LCDs (liquid crystal displays). Furthermore, OLEDs are brighter than, for example, LEDs because their organic layers are much thinner than the corresponding inorganic crystalline layers in LEDs. Another advantage of using OLEDs is that they do not require a backlight and therefore do not require additional space behind the multi-display arrangement. Another advantage is that OLEDs have a wide viewing angle, typically about 170 degrees. Additionally, the use of OLEDs allows for high detail contrast of the displayed content. LCDs, for example, function by blocking light, and therefore have inherent viewing impairments from certain angles. However, because OLEDs generate their own light, they typically have a much wider viewing range than, for example, LCDs. Another advantage of OLEDs is that they are easier to manufacture and can therefore be made in larger sizes.

[0015] 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. Because OLEDs generate heat when displaying bright colors, the overlapping of the two display units doubles the heat source. Therefore, the overlapping display units do not directly contact the aluminum cooling surface, which is preferably located in the overlapping area or generally on the side of the display units facing the cover glass. The gap to the cooling surface is therefore covered / connected with a thermally conductive paste or thermal adhesive. The material of the cooling surface is not limited to aluminum. Other suitable materials are also possible, such as copper, magnesium, thermally conductive plastic, or two component parts with cooling properties.

[0016] Furthermore, the overlapping area on the display located behind the other will only display the color "black." "Black" means that "nothing" (= no content or information) is displayed, consuming little or no power in the OLED, and therefore no heat is generated. A thermally conductive material placed in the gap will carry heat away from the other display unit that overlaps with the "black" portion of the display unit.

[0017] Typically, each display unit in a multi-display arrangement includes a PCB (printed circuit board) attached to the connecting side of the display unit via a flexible printed circuit (FPC). In a highly preferred embodiment, the PCB is positioned on the backside of the display unit via the bendable FPC, and pairs of display units are overlapped such that their respective PCBs do not overlap when folded back to lie in the same plane as their respective display units. If this condition cannot be met for a particular desired overlap area, one of the display units may be positioned with an FPC on its other side to meet this condition. Meeting this condition allows overlapping display units to be stacked without interfering with their respective PCBs and with each other. After the stacking process is complete, each PCB is bent onto the backside of its respective display unit. The FPC allows slight bending of the display units to be compensated for without having to bend each PCB to the same extent, or at all.

[0018] Furthermore, FPCs are so-called flexible PCBs and are therefore ideally suited for the proposed solution, as it is essential that the circuitry be able to withstand the shocks and vibrations that occur, for example, in a vehicle while driving. Due to the fact that FPCs are extremely thin, they therefore do not add thickness to the overlap area. In addition, they are cost-effective and durable, minimizing the possibility of costly and complicated repairs due to mechanical stress on the proposed multi-display arrangement.

[0019] The proposed multi-display arrangement is preferably part of an apparatus such as a vehicle cockpit, but can also be used in, for example, medical, aviation, industrial or consumer applications.

[0020] The cover glass of the proposed multi-display arrangement is preferably made of glass. Glass is shape-stable. While curved glass is difficult to manufacture, for example, it requires a lot of energy to bend, an important advantage of using glass is that it is less prone to deformation. In alternative embodiments, it can also be made of another material, for example, plastic. However, if the bonded display units need to return to their original shape, this is less easy with glass than with plastic.

[0021] Since two display units can be placed on top of each other, new display outline designs can be integrated without developing new display unit designs. One advantage of the present invention is that it uses only a single display unit size to create the effect or appearance of different display sizes without investing in new display unit designs. The present invention makes it possible to realize multiple display outline designs with a single standard display unit layout. This is possible, for example, when using thin display unit stacks based on OLED or micro LED (micro light emitting diode) technology.

[0022] To hide unwanted areas of the display, a so-called black print ink mask is applied to the back of the cover glass. All displays have inactive areas without pixels, so-called dead bands. Due to the overlap of display units, one of the dead bands may be hidden behind another display unit. This results in a smaller gap between the active areas of two adjacent display units, which also reduces the black print gap.

[0023] By placing the thin display units in a partially stacked orientation, they are partially hidden or overlap each other. This idea allows different display appearances to be achieved with a single standard display unit size. There is no need to investigate other additional display unit layouts. This is possible when using a thin display unit stack, preferably based on OLED or micro LED technology. These kinds of display types do not require a backlight unit, as they actively generate light. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 shows a multi-display arrangement in a vehicle cockpit according to the prior art. [Figure 2] 1 illustrates an exemplary display integration using a flexible display unit. [Figure 3] 1 shows the integration of a display unit behind one single (three-dimensional (3D) shaped) cover glass. [Figure 4] 1A-1C show front and rear views of an exemplary setup of a multi-display arrangement, with and without overlapping regions. [Figure 5] 1 shows the stacking of the display unit and cover glass from a plan view. [Figure 6] 1 shows an example of a possible arrangement of two display units on a cover glass. [Figure 7] A 3D exploded view of the multi-display arrangement is shown. [Figure 8] Here is an example of what the final product might look like. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates an example of a multi-display arrangement in which a corrected UI picture is displayed on each display unit. [Figure 10] 1 shows an example of two display units for processing overlap. [Figure 11]1 shows an example of two display units for unprocessed overlap. [Figure 12] 10 shows a further embodiment of two display units for processing overlap. [Figure 13] 10 shows a further embodiment of two display units for non-mechanical overlap. [Figure 14] 10 shows a further embodiment of two display units for non-mechanical overlap. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 shows a rear view of a multi-display arrangement with PCB and FPC. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 shows a rear view of a multi-display arrangement with an aluminum cooling plate on the backside. [Figure 17] 1 shows the display unit bent along a bend line with a bend angle of approximately 90°. [Figure 18] 1 shows the display unit bent along a bend line with a bend angle of approximately 180°. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] 1 shows an exemplary setup of a multi-display arrangement 10A in a vehicle 100 according to the prior art, where display units 1A, 2A are typically mounted side-by-side. Often, several display units are mounted behind a single display glass, typically rectangular in shape. Such 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.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary display integration according to the present invention using flexible OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The illustrated exemplary inventive concept is that each display unit 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 has the same standardized format, but appears different from display unit 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 due to their overlapping positioning. This allows for a three-dimensional shape of the multi-display arrangement 10 (see, for example, FIG. 3 or FIG. 8). An optional non-overlapping display unit 6 is also shown on the right side of the figure and may be suitable for, for example, extending the multi-display arrangement 10. The dashed lines in this figure indicate that rectangular display units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are used.

[0027] Similar to FIG. 2, FIG. 3 shows the integration of display units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 behind one single (three-dimensionally shaped) cover glass 36 so that the final product appears as one single component. The end user does not see the various areas of the overlapping display units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, but instead gets the impression of a highly variable display layout and arrangement. However, according to the present invention, only the size of one single display unit is used. The figure shows one possible positioning of the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The additional, non-overlapping display unit 6 has a curved shape in the illustrated embodiment. For example, at least one of the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 can be constructed as a curved OLED panel 37.

[0028] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary setup of a multi-display arrangement 10. At the top, a front view is shown, with diagonal lines indicating overlapping areas OVL1, OVL2, OVL3, and OVL4 in the center of the figure. At the bottom, a rear view is shown, with display unit 2 overlapping display unit 1 and display unit 3. Display unit numbers 1 through 5 do not necessarily correspond to the intended assembly order and are therefore shown only as an illustrative example. During assembly, display unit 1 and display unit 4 are placed first because they do not overlap each other. This means that their entire areas are visible, as can be seen in the top of the figure. Then, in a subsequent manufacturing step, display unit 3 and display unit 5 are placed, resulting in overlapping areas OVL3 and OVL4. This causes display unit 4 to overlap two display units, display units 3 and 5. Display unit 2 is then placed last, and when viewed from the front, the two display units 1 and 3 simultaneously overlap, as can also be seen in the top of the figure. The overlapping display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 are in no direct contact with an aluminum cooling surface which in a preferred embodiment is constructed as at least one aluminum plate 71 (clearly shown in FIG. 16) which is preferably placed in the overlapping regions OVL1-OVL4 of the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 facing the cover glass 36 or generally on the rear surface 53. The space between the rear surface 53 and the aluminum plate is preferably filled with a thermal adhesive TA (see FIG. 16), thus providing indirect thermal contact as well as compensation for different shapes.

[0029] 5 shows a plan view of the stack of display units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 and cover glass 36, with the upper edges of display units 1-5 shown as thick lines. It can be seen that display units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are thin. The visible areas 31-35 between cover glass 36 and display units 1-5, respectively, are filled with an optically clear resin, also known as OCR, or an optically clear adhesive, also known as OCA (shown in FIG. 6).

[0030] These types of adhesives are ideal for optical bonding applications, such as the proposed multi-display arrangement 10 with multiple display units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, enabling freeform and curved display designs in automobiles and other electronic devices. They exhibit high transparency and strong contact bonding properties, enabling electronic advancements with touchscreen displays. Using this bonding technology can improve sunlight readability by up to 400%, enhancing display performance. Furthermore, they are ideal for use in consumer and industrial applications requiring durability against shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, altitude, and dust.

[0031] The regions 31-35, which are filled with an optically transparent resin / adhesive, exhibit different shapes depending on the position of each display unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in the multi-display arrangement 10. The regions 31-35 therefore exhibit individual shapes, for example in cubic, rectangular or trapezoidal format.

[0032] The overlapping regions OVL1-OVL4 are provided with special integration for good heat transfer. Particular care is required for stacking the overlapping regions OVL1-OVL4. An assembly process using liquid OCR or OCA with the same or different thicknesses and / or densities is used. The display areas of the overlapping display units 1-5 are individually reduced, depending on the required content and / or information requirements for the multi-display arrangement 10. The total number of available pixels is less than the sum of the pixels of each display unit 1-5. UI (user interface) design becomes difficult depending on the respective angles between the two display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Therefore, it is preferable that the UI for adjacent display unit pairs 1, 2; 2, 3; 3, 4; 4, 5 be rotated to be horizontal again (see Figure 9).

[0033] OLED displays generate heat when displaying bright colors. Because OVL1, OVL2, OVL3, and OVL4 overlap, the heat source in these areas doubles. In addition, each overlapping display does not have direct contact with the cooling surface in the overlapping area. Therefore, to avoid overheating, the entire display is cooled by at least one aluminum plate 71 (see FIG. 16). The distance to the cooling surface is connected / filled with thermally conductive paste (not shown) and / or thermal adhesive (see FIG. 16). Furthermore, in the display behind the overlap, black is displayed in the overlapping areas. Since black consumes little or no electricity in the OLED, no heat is generated in these areas.

[0034] 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 / intended, for example, due to the desired / required design of multi-display arrangement 10, the bending axes must meet the requirement that at least a first virtual intersection of the axes lie outside of multi-display arrangement 10, or that there be no intersection at all.

[0035] Display units 1, 2, and 4 are positioned parallel to cover glass 36. This allows for the application of either a fluid, hybrid, or film OCA in gaps 31, 32, and 34. In this embodiment, a film OCA is the easiest way to do this. The film transparent adhesive has a thick, "chewing gum"-like consistency and preferably has a thickness of 50 μm to 500 μm, depending on the intended application. Larger thicknesses are also possible, or two or more layers of film transparent adhesive are laminated if larger thicknesses are desired. Film adhesives do not work at angles, such as gaps 33 and 35. For these non-parallel gaps, a fluid or hybrid OCA is appropriate.

[0036] The individual distances between the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the cover glass 36 vary depending on the type of display unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 used. 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 single-sided overlap, the gap increases from 0.2 mm up to the thickness of the selected display unit.

[0037] 6 shows one example of a possible arrangement of two display units 4 and 5 on the cover glass 36. The illustrated overlap of the display units 4 and 5 results in different distances from their respective display surfaces 51 to the rear surface 52 of the cover glass 36, as they are positioned on top of each other at an angle. The individual distances of the display units 4 and 5 must be filled by the optically clear adhesive OCA1, which in this example fills the gaps 34 and 35, as described in FIG.

[0038] The angled overlap region OVL4 is filled with a fluid or hybrid transparent adhesive OCA2, creating a gap 81 between the display units 4 and 5. The gap 81 is not visible from viewpoint E, where the line of sight is rectangular to the cover glass 36 and the display unit 4 arranged parallel thereto. With the optically transparent adhesive OCA2 filled in the gap 81, the arrangement appears as one single unit to a viewer of the overlapping display pair 4, 5.

[0039] FIG. 7 shows a three-dimensional (3D) exploded view of a multi-display arrangement 10 according to the present invention. A display stack holder 61 is disposed on a support structure 60. A display glass frame 62 is disposed on the display stack holder 61. Display units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are disposed within the space enclosed by the display glass frame 62. In this figure, the display units 1 to 5 are already stacked, and an optically transparent adhesive or optically transparent resin is applied, if necessary. Additionally or alternatively, a layer of optically transparent adhesive OCA1 is disposed between the cover glass 36 and the display units 1 to 5. The display cover glass 36 is provided with black printed areas 65. These areas may have different shapes and sizes depending on the desired purpose and required content of the multi-display arrangement 10. In the illustrated embodiment, at least one of the display units 1 to 5 has a touch sensor function.

[0040] FIG. 8 shows an example of how the final product may look. The appearance and design language show different display sizes and display orientations. According to the present invention, this is possible by using the size of a single display unit due to the inventive idea of ​​overlapping display units 1-5. In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the black printed areas 65 covering display units 1-3 are distributed in a symmetrical shape, which may be interesting, for example, in an in-car application where information from outside the car provided from both sides may be provided very close to the driver's eyes.

[0041] In FIG. 9, it can be seen that the user interface, also referred to as UI, is adjusted to the orientation (2D angle shown by the dotted line) of the display units 1-5. In particular, the angles between the display units 1-5 due to the various bending axes to achieve the 3D shape of the multi-display arrangement 10 are corrected in the UI picture displayed on each display unit 1-5. In general, displays have a two-dimensional structure, with pixel lines perpendicular or parallel to the outer dimensions of the display.

[0042] Depending on the arrangement of the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the orientation from display to display will be misaligned or twisted. There will be no displacement between two displays that are parallel to each other. Now, if the displays are misaligned at an angle of, say, 45 degrees (not shown), the pixel lines will also be skewed relative to each other. This therefore needs to be compensated for in the user interface UI to provide a "normal" view for the user on the multi-display arrangement 10.

[0043] 10 shows an example of a possible overlap of a display unit pair 1, 2, with a display PCB 11 connected by a flexible printed circuit (FPC) FPC 21 at a connection side 41 of display unit 1, which is partially located on the backside of display unit 2, and a PCB 12 connected by an FPC 22 at a connection side 42 of display unit 2. As can be seen, neither FPCs 21 and 22 nor PCBs 11 and 12 overlap each other (indicated by circles). Thus, display pair 1, 2 is bendable.

[0044] FIG. 11 shows an example of non-machined overlap for 3D stacking. This is because display unit 1 overlaps with FPC 22 of display unit 2 (shown by the circle). This means that PCB 12 of display unit 2 is partially embedded under display unit 1 and cannot move freely after stacking. Generally, according to the present invention, each FPC is a connection between the display PCB and the PCB itself. Typically, the display PCB is bent around the display unit after stacking, as can be seen in FIGS. 15 and 16.

[0045] 12 shows a further example of processing overlap. In this embodiment, two different display units 1 and 2 are used. Display unit 2 overlaps display unit 1. Neither FCBs 21 and 22 nor PCBs 11 and 12 overlap each other. Also, neither display unit 1 or 2 overlaps the FCB or PCB of the other display unit 1 or 2. Therefore, this arrangement can be stacked.

[0046] 13 shows another example of non-machined overlap for 3D stacking. In this example, display unit 2 overlaps display unit 1. In this embodiment, PCB 12 of display unit 2 is occluded (shown by a circle). Therefore, during the stacking process, it cannot move freely from the bending region, making 3D stacking impossible for such an arrangement.

[0047] 14 shows a further example for non-machined overlap: display unit 2 overlaps display unit 1, and PCB 12 of display unit 2 is blocked (overlapped) by display unit 1. Therefore, PCB 12 cannot be moved during the stacking process either.

[0048] 15 shows a rear view of a multi-display arrangement 10 having display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and PCBs 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and FPCs 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 disposed on the rear surface 53 of the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. On each connection side 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 of each 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 preferably attached on the front surface 51 and rear surface 53 of each display unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 by a thermal bonding process, for example, using ACF bonding (anisotropic conductive film) bonding, which is a process that creates conductive adhesive bonds at very fine pitch between flexible and rigid circuit boards, glass panel displays, and flex foils.

[0049] FIG. 16 shows a rear view of the multi-display arrangement 10, with an aluminum cooling plate 71 disposed on its rear surface 54. In the illustrated embodiment, three aluminum plates 71 are disposed. This is merely exemplary. In other embodiments of the present invention, only one or two, or even more than three, may be used. This always depends, for example, on the size, purpose, and / or intended application area of ​​the proposed multi-display arrangement 10. The space between the rear surfaces 53 of the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the aluminum plate 71 is filled with thermal adhesive TA, as already described in FIG. 4. A plurality of fastening devices FD1 and FD2 are disposed on at least one aluminum plate 71. FD1 is for fastening parallel to the aluminum plate 71, and FD2 is for fastening rectangular to the aluminum plate 71. All fastening devices are intended to fasten at least one aluminum plate 71 to a support structure 60 (FIG. 7). In this embodiment, the complete multi-display arrangement 10 is covered by a plastic frame 63. This increases the stability of the multi-display arrangement 10.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will understand that the multi-display arrangement 10 according to the present invention is not limited to five display units.

[0051] In an alternative solution, the display units 1 and 2 are not arranged one on top of the other but are bent or folded, for example by 90°, to obtain a new profile, which is shown diagrammatically in Figures 17 and 18.

[0052] 17 shows display unit 1 bent along bend line 91. As can be seen, the bend angle is approximately 90°. Another display unit 2 is bent along bend line 92. Display units 1, 2 are positioned adjacent to each other and joined along their respective bend lines 91, 92. Alternatively, bend portion 93 of display unit 1 and bend portion 94 of display unit 2 can be cut to reduce volume. Display unit 1 has surface 51 that is positioned at least partially at a lower distance relative to adjacent surface 52 (not shown here) of cover glass 36 at bend portion 94 than each surface 51 of the other display units 2.

[0053] FIG. 18 shows a display unit 1 bent along a bend line 91. As can be seen, the bend angle is approximately 180°. Therefore, the overall thickness is quite small. Another display unit 2 is bent along a bend line 92. The display units 1 and 2 are disposed adjacent to each other and joined along their respective bend lines 91 and 92. The top boundary 1T, bottom boundary 1B, and left boundary 1L of the display unit 1 are visible, while the right boundary 1R is shown by dotted lines because it is hidden in the visible area of ​​the display unit 1. The top boundary 2T, bottom boundary 2B, and right boundary 2R of the other display unit 2 are visible, while the left boundary 2L is shown by dotted lines because it is hidden in the visible area of ​​the display unit 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 Display Unit 1A Display unit (prior art) 2 Display Unit 2A Display Unit (Prior Art) 3 Display Unit 4 Display Unit 5 Display Unit 6 Display Unit 10 Multi-display configuration 10A Multi-display arrangement (prior art) 11 PCB (display unit 1) 12 PCB (Display Unit 2) 13 PCB (Display Unit 3) 14 PCB (display unit 4) 15 PCB (display unit 5) 21 FPC (between display 1 and PCB 11) 22 FPC (between display 2 and PCB 12) 23 FPC (between display 3 and PCB 13) 24 FPC (between display 4 and PCB 14) 25 FPC (between display 5 and PCB 15) 31 area (visible between cover glass 36 and display unit 1) 32 area (visible between cover glass 36 and display unit 2) Area 33 (visible between cover glass 36 and display unit 3) 34 area (visible between cover glass 36 and display unit 4) 35 area (visible between cover glass 36 and display unit 5) 36 cover slips 37 OLED panels 41 Connection side (for display unit 1) 42 Connection side (display unit 2) 43 Connection side (display unit 3) 44 Connection side (display unit 4) 45 Connection side (display unit 5) 51 surface (of display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 facing cover glass 36) 52 surface (of the cover glass 36 facing the display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) 53 Back side (of display units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 facing aluminum plate 71) 54 Back side (multi-display configuration 10) 60 Support structure 61 Stack Holder 62 Glass Frame 63 Plastic Frame 65 black print 71 Aluminum Plate 81 Gap (constructed by overlapping areas (OVL1, OVL2, OVL3, OVL4)) between display units (1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5) 91 Bending line (display unit 1) 92 Bending line (display unit 2) 93 Bending part (of display unit 1) 94 Bending part (of display unit 2) 100 vehicles 1B Lower border (of display unit 1) 1L Left border (of display unit 1) 1R Right border (of display unit 1) 1T Upper border (of display unit 1) 2B Lower border (of display unit 2) 2L Left border (of display unit 2) 2R Right border (of display unit 2) 2T Upper border (display unit 2) E. Viewpoint (axis is rectangular relative to the surface of the display unit 4 / cover glass 36) FD1 Fastening device 1 (axial direction of aluminum plate 71) FD2 Fastening device 2 (rectangular with respect to aluminum plate 71) OCA1 optically clear adhesive / resin (between display surface 51 and adjacent cover glass surface 52) OCA2 Optically transparent adhesive / resin (within gap 81) OVL1 overlap region OVL2 overlap area OVL3 overlap area OVL4 overlap area TA thermal adhesive (between display surface 53 and aluminum plate 71)

Claims

1. 1. A multi-display arrangement comprising at least two display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), wherein a pair (1, 2; 2, 3; 3, 4; 4, 5) of the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) consists of thin display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) arranged so as to overlap, the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) being optically bonded to a cover glass (36), and at least one of the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) having a surface (51) that is arranged at a distance at least partially greater relative to an adjacent surface (52) of the cover glass (36) than a respective surface (51) of each of the other display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

2. 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 arranged non-parallel to an adjacent surface (52) of the cover glass (36).

3. 3. A multi-display arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the space (31, 32, 33, 34, 35) between the surface (51) and the adjacent surface (52) of the cover glass is at least partially filled with a hardened liquid optically transparent adhesive material (OCA1).

4. 1. A multi-display arrangement comprising at least two display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), wherein each pair (1, 2; 2, 3; 3, 4; 4, 5) of said display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) comprises thin display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) that are each bent and arranged adjacent to each other along their respective bend lines (91, 92).

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

6. A multi-display arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an aluminium plate (71) is arranged on the back surface (53) of the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

7. 7. A multi-display arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein overlapping regions (OVL1, OVL2, OVL3, OVL4) between the display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) define gaps (81), said gaps (81) being at least partially filled with a hardened liquid optically clear adhesive material (OCA2).

8. Each display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) comprises 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), and the PCB (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) is connected to the display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) via the bendable FPC (21, 22, 23, 24, 25).

8. The multi-display arrangement of claim 1, wherein pairs (1, 2; 2, 3; 3, 4; 4, 5) of display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are arranged overlapping each other such that they do not overlap when folded back so that their respective PCBs (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) lie in the same plane as their respective display units (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

9. Each display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) comprises 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), and the PCB (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) is disposed on the back side (53) of the display unit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) via the bendable FPC (21, 22, 23, 24, 25), and the display 9. A multi-display arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein pairs (1,2; 2,3; 3,4; 4,5) of display units (1,2, 3,4, 5) are arranged overlapping each other such that when folded such that their respective PCBs (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) lie in the same plane as their respective display units (1,2, 3,4, 5), they do not overlap with each other display unit (1,2, 3,4, 5) of said pairs (1,2; 2,3; 3,4; 4,5).

10. A device comprising a multi-display arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A vehicle (100) comprising a device according to claim 10.

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