Electronic device including flexible display

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device including a flexible display, the electronic device comprising: a first housing; a second housing movably coupled to the first housing such that the electronic device is variable between a slide-in state and a slide-out state; and a flexible display, wherein the flexible display comprises: a display area; a first non-display area extending from the display area in a first direction that is a direction in which the flexible display moves when the electronic device changes from the slide-out state to the slide-in state; and a second non-display area extending from the first non-display area in the first direction, the first non-display area is an area in which a thin-film encapsulation layer having a structure in which an organic layer is positioned between two inorganic layers is formed, the second non-display area is an area in which a thin-film encapsulation layer having a structure in which the two inorganic layers are stacked is formed, and the second non-display area may be positioned so as not to be included in a bending portion regardless of the state of the electronic device.

Description

Electronic device including a flexible display

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device including a flexible display.

[0002] Electronic devices are being developed to become increasingly slimmer, increase rigidity, enhance design aspects, and differentiate their functional elements. Electronic devices are moving away from uniform rectangular shapes and are gradually transforming into various shapes. Electronic devices can have a deformable structure that allows for convenient portability and the use of a large-screen display. Electronic devices may include a rollable electronic device (e.g., a sliderable electronic device) that can vary the display area of ​​a flexible display (e.g., a rollable display) through the support of housings that operate in a sliding manner relative to each other.

[0003] The information described above may be provided as related art for the purpose of aiding understanding of the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the foregoing may be applied as prior art in relation to the present disclosure.

[0004] The electronic device may include a rollable electronic device (e.g., a sliderable electronic device) capable of inducing the expansion and / or reduction of the display area of ​​a flexible display (e.g., a rollable display, an expandable display, or a stretchable display) depending on the operating state. The rollable electronic device may include a first housing and a second housing movably coupled to each other. For example, the first housing and the second housing may operate slidably to each other and may support at least a portion of the flexible display, and the flexible display may be induced to have a first display area in a slide-in state and a second display area larger than the first display area in a slide-out state.

[0005] A portion of the flexible display of an electronic device may be bent to a specified curvature when the display area is expanded or reduced, and stress applied to said portion may cause damage to the flexible display. For example, at least a portion of the flexible display may experience interlayer delamination due to stress during bending. Interlayer delamination may refer to a phenomenon in which some layers (e.g., thin film encapsulation layers) among a plurality of layers included in the flexible display peel off.

[0006] Embodiments of the present disclosure can provide an electronic device including a flexible display that is robust to stress during bending and can reduce interlayer delamination.

[0007] The technical problems to be solved in this disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned technical problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains from the description below.

[0008] An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first housing, a second housing movably coupled to the first housing so as to vary between a slide-in state and a slide-out state of the electronic device, and a flexible display comprising a bending portion disposed in the first housing and the second housing, which moves according to the movement of the second housing and bends with a predetermined radius of curvature.

[0009] The flexible display may include a display area in which a plurality of pixels are activated, a first non-display area extended from the display area in a first direction in which the flexible display moves when the electronic device changes from the slide-out state to the slide-in state, and a second non-display area extended from the first non-display area in the first direction.

[0010] The first non-display area is an area in which a thin film encapsulation layer is formed with a structure in which an organic layer is disposed between two inorganic layers, and the second non-display area may be an area in which a thin film encapsulation layer is formed with a structure in which the two inorganic layers are stacked.

[0011] The above bending portion changes its position on the flexible display according to the state variation of the electronic device, and the second non-display area can be positioned so as not to be included in the bending portion regardless of the state of the electronic device.

[0012] An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first housing, a second housing movably coupled to the first housing so as to vary between a slide-in state and a slide-out state, an upper portion fixed to at least a part of the first housing, and a lower portion moving inside the second housing as the second housing moves.

[0013] The lower portion of the flexible display may include a first region including a pixel array, a first inorganic layer, a second inorganic layer, and a second region including an organic layer located between the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer, and a third region including a dam located below the first inorganic layer, the second inorganic layer, and the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer.

[0014] In the above slide-in state, at least a portion of the first region may be positioned in a bent state.

[0015] In the above slide-out state, at least a portion of the second region may be positioned in a bent state.

[0016] Embodiments of the present disclosure can provide an electronic device including a flexible display that is resistant to stress during bending and can reduce interlayer delamination.

[0017] Other aspects, features, and advantages according to specific embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and description.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to one embodiment.

[0019] FIGS. 2a and 2b are drawings illustrating the front and rear of an electronic device in a slide-in state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIGS. 3a and 3b are drawings illustrating the front and rear of an electronic device in a slide-out state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 5a is a cross-sectional view of an electronic device shown along line 5a-5a of FIG. 2a according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 5b is a cross-sectional view of an electronic device shown along line 5b-5b of FIG. 3a according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flexible display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a flexible display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display in a slide-out state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a flexible display with an expanded arrangement of thin film encapsulation layers according to one embodiment.

[0028] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display in a slide-in state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display in a slide-out state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display shown along line A-A' of FIG. 9 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 13 is a plan view of a flexible display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display shown along line A-A' of FIG. 13 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display shown along line B-B' of FIG. 13 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIGS. 16 to 18 are cross-sectional views illustrating the cross-sectional shape of a dam according to various embodiments.

[0035] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display illustrating the dams of FIG. 13 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display including a peel-prevention dam according to one embodiment.

[0037] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display including a crack-prevention dam according to one embodiment.

[0038] FIG. 22 is a plan view of a flexible display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display shown along line A-A' of FIG. 22 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 24 is a plan view illustrating the wiring structure of a flexible display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 25 is a plan view illustrating an example of a modified wiring structure of a flexible display according to one embodiment.

[0042] FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electronic device in a slide-in state according to one embodiment.

[0043] FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electronic device in a slide-out state according to one embodiment.

[0044] FIG. 28 is a plan view of the flexible display shown in FIG. 26 and / or FIG. 27.

[0045] Each of the embodiments described with reference to the drawings of the present disclosure may be configured independently as a single embodiment. For example, the embodiment of FIG. 1 and the embodiment of FIG. 2a may each be configured independently of each other. Each of the embodiments described with reference to the drawings of the present disclosure may operate independently as a single embodiment. For example, the embodiment of FIG. 1 and the embodiment of FIG. 2a may each operate independently of each other.

[0046] At least two of the embodiments described with reference to the drawings of the present disclosure may be combined. For example, at least a part of the embodiment of FIG. 1 and at least a part of the embodiment of FIG. 2a may be combined with each other. At least two of the embodiments described with reference to the drawings of the present disclosure may be combined and operated. For example, at least a part of the embodiment of FIG. 1 and at least a part of the embodiment of FIG. 2a may be combined and operated with each other.

[0047] When at least two of the embodiments described with reference to the drawings of the present disclosure are combined, at least some of the configurations and / or at least some of the operations included in each embodiment may be omitted. For example, when the embodiment of FIG. 1 and the embodiment of FIG. 2a are combined, at least some of the configurations and / or at least some of the operations included in the embodiment of FIG. 1 may be omitted, and at least some of the configurations and / or at least some of the operations included in the embodiment of FIG. 2a may be omitted.

[0048] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) in a network environment (100) according to various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 1, in the network environment (100), the electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network) or may communicate with at least one of an electronic device (104) or a server (108) through a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) through a server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), memory (130), input module (150), sound output module (155), display module (160), audio module (170), sensor module (176), interface (177), connection terminal (178), haptic module (179), camera module (180), power management module (188), battery (189), communication module (190), subscriber identification module (196), or antenna module (197). In some embodiments, at least one of these components (e.g., connection terminal (178)) may be omitted from the electronic device (101), or one or more other components may be added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., sensor module (176), camera module (180), or antenna module (197)) may be integrated into a single component (e.g., display module (160)).

[0049] The processor (120) can control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing software (e.g., a program (140)), and can perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or operations, the processor (120) can store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in volatile memory (132), and store the resulting data in non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) that can operate independently or together with it (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor). For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and an auxiliary processor (123), the auxiliary processor (123) may be configured to use lower power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a designated function. The auxiliary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as part thereof.

[0050] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least some of the functions or states associated with at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., display module (160), sensor module (176), or communication module (190)) on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., image signal processor or communication processor) may be implemented as part of another functionally related component (e.g., camera module (180) or communication module (190)). According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing an artificial intelligence model. The artificial intelligence model may be generated through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers.An artificial neural network may be a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to the hardware structure, the artificial intelligence model may include a software structure, either additionally or substantially.

[0051] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)). The data may include, for example, input data or output data for software (e.g., program (140)) and related commands. The memory (130) may include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0052] The program (140) may be stored as software in memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0053] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used for a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120)) from outside the electronic device (101) (e.g., user). The input module (150) may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0054] The sound output module (155) can output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device (101). The sound output module (155) may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver may be used to receive incoming calls. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from the speaker or as part thereof.

[0055] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external (e.g., user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling said device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of the force generated by said touch.

[0056] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal or, conversely, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150) or output sound through the sound output module (155) or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphones) connected directly or wirelessly to the electronic device (101).

[0057] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating state of the electronic device (101) (e.g., power or temperature) or the external environmental state (e.g., user state) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biosensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0058] The interface (177) may support one or more specified protocols that can be used for the electronic device (101) to be connected directly or wirelessly to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0059] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) can be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0060] The haptic module (179) can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that can be perceived by the user through tactile or kinesthetic senses. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electric stimulation device.

[0061] The camera module (180) can capture still images and video. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0062] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0063] The battery (189) can supply power to at least one component of the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0064] The communication module (190) can support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between an electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may include one or more communication processors that operate independently of the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., cellular communication module, short-range wireless communication module, or GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., LAN (local area network) communication module, or power line communication module). The corresponding communication module among these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device (104) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi (wireless fidelity) direct, or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can identify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) using subscriber information (e.g., International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0065] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following 4G networks, for example, new radio access technology. NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (massive machine type communications (mMTC)), or high reliability and low latency (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC)). The wireless communication module (192) can support a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate, for example. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in the high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large-scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (104)), or network system (e.g., second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) may support a Peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or U-plane latency (e.g., downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each 0.5 ms or less, or round trip 1 ms or less) for URLLC realization.

[0066] An antenna module (197) can transmit a signal or power to or from an external source (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna comprising a radiator made of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as a first network (198) or a second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by a communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, other components (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module (197).

[0067] According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first surface (e.g., bottom surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a specified high frequency band (e.g., mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas) disposed on or adjacent to a second surface (e.g., top surface or side surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving a signal of the specified high frequency band.

[0068] At least some of the above components can be connected to each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)) and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other.

[0069] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) through a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102, or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations performed on the electronic device (101) may be performed on one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, if the electronic device (101) needs to perform a function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least part of the function or service instead of performing the function or service itself or additionally. One or more external electronic devices that receive the above request may execute at least part of the requested function or service, or additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may provide the result as is or additionally processed as at least part of the response to the request. For this purpose, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used. The electronic device (101) may provide ultra-low latency services using, for example, distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and / or neural networks. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included within the second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0070] The electronic device according to the various embodiments disclosed in this disclosure may be a device of various forms. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a consumer electronics device. The electronic device according to the embodiments of this disclosure is not limited to the devices described above.

[0071] The various embodiments of the present disclosure and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in the present disclosure to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of said embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present disclosure, phrases such as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B or C,” “at least one of A, B and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C” each may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as “first,” “second,” or “first” or “second” may be used simply to distinguish said components from other said components and do not limit said components in any other aspect (e.g., importance or order). Where any (e.g., 1st) component is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., 2nd) component, with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicationly," it means that said any component may be connected to said other component directly (e.g., via a wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0072] The term “module” as used in various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit, for example. A module may be a component formed integrally, or a minimum unit of said component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0073] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as software (e.g., program (140)) comprising one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory (136) or external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., electronic device (101)) may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be executed by an interpreter. The storage medium readable by the machine may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-temporary' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily.

[0074] According to one embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM It can be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0075] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., module or program) of the components described above may include a singular or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Generally or additionally, multiple components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the corresponding component among the multiple components prior to integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by the module, program, or other components may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0076] FIGS. 2a and 2b are drawings illustrating the front and rear of an electronic device in a slide-in state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIGS. 3a and 3b are drawings illustrating the front and rear of an electronic device in a slide-out state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0077] The electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2a to 3b may be at least partially similar to the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, or may further include various embodiments of the electronic device.

[0078] Referring to FIGS. 2a through 3b, the electronic device (200) may include a first housing (210) (e.g., a book cover or a first housing structure), a second housing (220) (e.g., a front cover or a second housing structure) slidably coupled from the first housing (210) in a designated direction (e.g., direction ① or direction ②) (e.g., ± y-axis direction), and a flexible display (230) (e.g., a rollable display, an expandable display, or a stretchable display) positioned to be supported through at least a portion of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). In one embodiment, the second housing (220) may be slidably coupled to the first housing (210) so as to slide out in a first direction (direction ①) or slide in in a second direction (direction ②) opposite to the first direction (direction ①) relative to the first housing (210). In one embodiment, the electronic device (200) can be changed to a slide-in state as a first state by receiving at least a portion of the second housing (220) in at least a portion of the first space (2101) formed through the first housing (210). In one embodiment, the electronic device (200) can be changed to a slide-out state as a second state by moving at least a portion of the second housing (220) outward (e.g., direction ①) from the first space (2101).In one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a support member (e.g., support member (240) of FIG. 4) (e.g., bendable member, multi-joint hinge module, multi-bar assembly, support bar assembly, or multi-bar) which, in the withdrawn state, forms at least partially the same plane as at least a portion of the second housing (220), and in the retracted state, is received in a bending manner into at least partially the first space (2101) of the first housing (210). In one embodiment, at least a portion of the flexible display (230) may be positioned to be supported by at least a portion of the second housing (220). In one embodiment, at least a portion of the remaining portion of the flexible display (230) may be positioned to be supported by the support member (240) (e.g., support member (240) of FIG. 4). In one embodiment, a support member (e.g., the support member (240) of FIG. 4) may be positioned so as to be attached to the back surface of the flexible display (230). In one embodiment, at least a portion of the flexible display (230) may be positioned so as not to be seen from the outside by being received in a bending manner into the first space (2101) of the first housing (210) while being supported by the support member (e.g., the support member (240) of FIG. 4) in the retracted state. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the flexible display (230) may be moved so as to be visually seen from the outside while being supported by a support member (e.g., the support member (240) of FIG. 4a) that forms at least partially the same plane as the second housing (220) in the extended state.

[0079] According to various embodiments, the first housing (210) may include a first side member (211), and the second housing (220) may include a second side member (221). In one embodiment, the first side member (211) may include a first side (2111) having a first length and disposed on the lower side of the electronic device (200), a second side (2112) having a second length and extending in a vertical direction (e.g., y-axis direction) from one end of the first side (2111), and a third side (2113) having a second length and extending parallel to the second side (2112) from the other end of the first side (2111). In one embodiment, the first side member (211) may be formed at least partially from a conductive member (e.g., metal). In some embodiments, the first side member (211) may be formed by a combination of a conductive member and a non-conductive member (e.g., polymer). In one embodiment, the first housing (210) may include a first extension member (212) extending from at least a portion of the first side member (211) to at least a portion of the first space (2101). In one embodiment, the first extension member (212) may be formed integrally with the first side member (211). In some embodiments, the first extension member (212) may be formed separately from the first side member (211) and may be structurally coupled with the first side member (211).

[0080] According to various embodiments, the second side member (221) may include a fourth side (2211) having a third length, which is positioned on the upper side of the electronic device (200); a fifth side (2212) having a fourth length, which is extended in a vertical direction (e.g., - y-axis direction) from one end of the fourth side (2211) to correspond to the second side (2112); and a sixth side (2213) having a fourth length, which is extended in a direction parallel to the fifth side (2212) from the other end of the fourth side (2211) to correspond to the third side (2113). In one embodiment, the second side member (221) may be formed at least partially from a conductive member (e.g., metal). In some embodiments, the second side member (221) may be formed by a combination of a conductive member and a non-conductive member (e.g., polymer). In one embodiment, at least a portion of the second side member (221) may include a second extension member (222) that extends to at least a portion of the second space (2201) of the second housing (220). In one embodiment, the second extension member (222) may be formed integrally with the second side member (221). In some embodiments, the second extension member (222) may be formed separately from the second side member (221) and may be structurally coupled with the second side member (221).

[0081] According to various embodiments, the second side (2112) and the fifth side (2212) may be slidably coupled to each other. In one embodiment, the third side (2113) and the sixth side (2213) may be slidably coupled to each other. In one embodiment, in the retracted state, a portion of the fifth side (2212) may be positioned so as not to be seen from the outside by overlapping with the second side (2112). In one embodiment, in the retracted state, the remaining portion of the fifth side (2212) may be positioned so as to be seen from the outside. In some embodiments, in the retracted state, the fifth side (2212) may be positioned so as not to be seen from the outside by overlapping with the second side (2112). In one embodiment, in the retracted state, a portion of the sixth side (2213) may be positioned so as not to be seen from the outside by overlapping with the third side (2113). In one embodiment, in the retracted state, the remaining portion of the sixth side (2213) may be positioned to be visually visible from the outside. In some embodiments, in the retracted state, the sixth side (2213) may be positioned to be substantially invisible from the outside by overlapping with the third side (2113). In one embodiment, a portion of the second extension member (222) may be positioned to be visually visible from the outside in the retracted state. In some embodiments, in the retracted state, the second extension member (222) may be positioned to be substantially invisible from the outside by overlapping with the first extension member (212).

[0082] According to various embodiments, the first housing (210) may include a first rear cover (213) coupled to at least a portion of the first side member (211). In one embodiment, the first rear cover (213) may be arranged in such a way that it is coupled to at least a portion of the first extension member (212). In some embodiments, the first rear cover (213) may be formed integrally with the first side member (211). In one embodiment, the first rear cover (213) may be formed by a polymer, coated or colored glass, ceramic, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of at least two of these materials. In some embodiments, the first rear cover (213) may extend to at least a portion of the first side member (211). In some embodiments, the first rear cover (213) may be omitted, and at least a portion of the first extension member (212) may be replaced by the first rear cover (213).

[0083] According to various embodiments, the second housing (220) may include a second rear cover (223) coupled to at least a portion of the second side member (221). In one embodiment, the second rear cover (223) may be arranged in such a way that it is coupled to at least a portion of the second extension member (222). In one embodiment, the second rear cover (223) may be formed integrally with the second side member (221). In one embodiment, the second rear cover (223) may be formed by a polymer, coated or colored glass, ceramic, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of at least two of these materials. In some embodiments, the second rear cover (223) may extend to at least a portion of the second side member (221). In some embodiments, the second rear cover (223) may be omitted, and at least a portion of the second extension member (222) may be replaced by the second rear cover (223). In some embodiments, the second extension member (222) may be omitted, and the second rear cover (223) may be replaced by the second extension member (222). In one embodiment, the second housing (220) may include a window cover (224) disposed on at least a portion of the second rear cover. In one embodiment, the window cover (224) may be formed of a material that facilitates detection of the external environment through at least one camera module (216) and / or sensor module (217) disposed in the internal space (2201) of the second housing (220), which is disposed in an area exposed to the outside of the second housing (220) when retracted. For example, the window cover (224) may be formed of a glass and / or polymer material in which at least the area corresponding to the camera module (216) and / or sensor module (217) is formed transparently. In some embodiments, the electronic device (200) may further include a cover member (2111a) positioned to cover at least a portion of the first side (2111) of the first housing (210).

[0084] According to various embodiments, the flexible display (230) may include a first portion (230a) (e.g., a flat portion) that is always visible from the outside and a second portion (230b) (e.g., a bendable portion or a bending portion) that extends from the first portion (230a) and is received in a manner such that it is at least partially bent into a first space (2101) of a first housing (210) so as not to be visible from the outside in a retracted state. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the first portion (230a) may be positioned to be supported by a second housing (220), and the remainder of the first portion (230a) and the second portion (230b) may be positioned to be at least partially supported by a support member (e.g., a support member (240) of FIG. 4). In one embodiment, the second portion (230b) of the flexible display (230) may be positioned to form substantially the same plane as the first portion (230a) and be visible from the outside while being supported by a support member (e.g., support member (240) of FIG. 4) when the second housing (220) is pulled out along the first direction (direction ①). In one embodiment, the second portion (230b) of the flexible display (230) may be positioned to be received in a bending manner into the first space (2101) of the first housing (210) when the second housing (220) is pulled in along the second direction (direction ②), and may be positioned so as not to be visible from the outside. Thus, the display area of ​​the flexible display (230) may be varied as the second housing (220) is moved in a sliding manner along a designated direction (e.g., ±y-axis direction) from the first housing (210).

[0085] According to various embodiments, the flexible display (230) may have a first display area (e.g., an area corresponding to the first part (230a)) in a retracted state (e.g., a first state). In one embodiment, when the flexible display (230) transitions to a pulled-out state (e.g., a second state) in which the second housing (220) is moved by a first length (L1) (e.g., a sliding stroke) relative to the first housing (210), a second display area corresponding to the first length (L1) (e.g., an area corresponding to the second part (230b)) may be additionally secured in addition to the first display area. For example, when the flexible display (230) transitions from a retracted state to a pulled-out state, the display area may be expanded.

[0086] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include at least one of an input device (e.g., a microphone (203-1)), an acoustic output device (e.g., a call receiver (206) and / or a speaker (207)), a sensor module (204, 217), a camera module (e.g., a first camera module (205) or a second camera module (216)), a connector port (208), a key input device (219), or an indicator (not shown) disposed in a second space (2201) of the second housing (220). In one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include another input device (e.g., a microphone (203)) disposed in the first housing (210). In some embodiments, the electronic device (200) may be configured such that at least one of the above-described components is omitted or other components are additionally included. In some embodiments, at least one of the above-described components may be placed in the first space (2101) of the first housing (210).

[0087] According to various embodiments, the input device may include a microphone (203-1). In some embodiments, the input device (e.g., microphone (203-1)) may include a plurality of microphones arranged to detect the direction of sound. The audio output device may include, for example, a call receiver (206) and a speaker (207). In one embodiment, the speaker (207) may correspond to the outside through at least one speaker hole formed in the second housing (220) at a location that is always exposed to the outside regardless of the inlet / outlet state (e.g., the fourth side (2211)). In one embodiment, the connector port (208) may correspond to the outside through a connector port hole formed in the second housing (220) when in the outlet state. In one embodiment, the connector port (208) may be hidden from view from the outside when in the inlet state. In some embodiments, the connector port (208) may be formed in the first housing (210) in the retracted state and may be connected to the outside through an opening formed to correspond to the connector port hole. In some embodiments, the call receiver (206) may include a speaker (e.g., a piezo speaker) that operates without a separate speaker hole.

[0088] According to various embodiments, the sensor module (204, 217) may generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to an internal operating state of the electronic device (200) or an external environmental state. In one embodiment, the sensor module (204, 217) may include, for example, a first sensor module (204) (e.g., a proximity sensor or an illuminance sensor) placed on the front of the electronic device (200) and / or a second sensor module (217) (e.g., a heart rate monitoring (HRM) sensor) placed on the rear of the electronic device (200). In one embodiment, the first sensor module (204) may be placed on the front of the electronic device (200) and below the flexible display (230). In one embodiment, the first sensor module (204) and / or the second sensor module (217) may include at least one of a proximity sensor, an illuminance sensor, a time of flight (TOF) sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a fingerprint recognition sensor, a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biosensor, a temperature sensor, or a humidity sensor.

[0089] According to various embodiments, the camera module may include a first camera module (205) positioned on the front of the electronic device (200) and a second camera module (216) positioned on the rear of the electronic device (200). In one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a flash (not shown) positioned near the second camera module (216). In one embodiment, the camera modules (205, 216) may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and / or an image signal processor. In one embodiment, the first camera module (205) may be positioned below the flexible display (230) and configured to capture a subject through a portion of the active area (e.g., a display area) of the flexible display (230).

[0090] According to various embodiments, among the camera modules, the first camera module (205) and among the sensor modules (204, 217), the first sensor module (204) may be positioned to detect the external environment through the flexible display (230). For example, the first camera module (205) or the first sensor module (204) may be positioned in the second space (2201) of the second housing (220) to come into contact with the external environment through a transparent area or a perforated opening formed in the flexible display (230). In one embodiment, the area of ​​the flexible display (230) facing the first camera module (205) may be formed as a transparent area having a specified transmittance as part of the active area for displaying content. In one embodiment, the transparent area may be formed to have a transmittance in the range of about 5% to about 20%. These transparent areas may include an area that overlaps with the effective area (e.g., field of view area) of the first camera module (205) through which light passes to form an image with an image sensor to generate an image. For example, the transparent area of ​​the flexible display (230) may include an area with a lower pixel placement density and / or wiring density than the surrounding area. For example, the transparent area may be replaced by the opening described above. For example, some camera modules (e.g., the first camera module (205)) may include an under-display camera (UDC). In some embodiments, some sensor modules (204) may be positioned in a second space (2201) of the second housing (220) to perform their function without being visually exposed through the flexible display (230).

[0091] According to various embodiments, the retraction and / or withdrawal operations of the electronic device (200) may be performed automatically. For example, the retraction and / or withdrawal operations of the electronic device (200) may be performed through a gear combination of a drive motor (e.g., drive motor (260) of FIG. 4) comprising a pinion gear (e.g., pinion gear (261) of FIG. 5a) disposed in the second space (2201) of the second housing (220), and a rack gear (e.g., rack gear (262) of FIG. 5a) disposed in the first space (2101) of the first housing (210) and extending to at least a portion of the second space (2201), and coupled with the pinion gear (e.g., pinion gear (261) of FIG. 5a). For example, a processor of an electronic device (200) (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1) may drive a drive motor (e.g., drive motor (260) of FIG. 4) placed inside the electronic device (200) when it detects a triggering signal to transition from an incoming state to an outgoing state or from an outgoing state to an incoming state. In one embodiment, the triggering signal may include a signal resulting from the selection (e.g., touch) of an object displayed on a flexible display (230) or a signal resulting from the operation (e.g., pressure) of a physical button (e.g., key button) included in the electronic device (200).

[0092] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) has a structure in which a second housing (220) is inserted and / or withdrawn relative to a first housing (210) along the length direction (e.g., vertical direction) (e.g., ± y-axis direction) of the electronic device (200), but is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device (200) may have a structure in which a second housing (220) is inserted and / or withdrawn relative to a first housing (210) along a width direction (e.g., horizontal direction) (e.g., ± x-axis direction) perpendicular to the length direction of the electronic device (200). In some embodiments, the electronic device (200) may be formed such that the length of the first side (2111) of the first housing (210) is longer than the length of the second side (2112). In this case, the length of the fourth side (2211) of the second housing (220) can also be formed to be longer than the length of the fifth side (2212) in correspondence.

[0093] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0094] In describing the electronic device (200) of FIG. 4, the same reference numerals have been assigned to components that are substantially identical to the electronic device (200) of FIG. 2a to FIG. 3b, and a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 4, the electronic device (200) may include a first housing (210) comprising a first space (2101), a second housing (220) slidably coupled from the first housing (210) and comprising a second space (2201), a support member (240) (e.g., a bendable member, a support bar assembly, or a multi-bar assembly) fixed to at least a part of the second housing (220) and at least partially bendably received into the first space (2101) according to an inlet operation, a flexible display (230) positioned to receive support from at least a part of the support member (240) and the second housing (220), and a drive unit (e.g., a drive module or a drive mechanism) for driving the second housing (220) from the first housing (210) in an inlet direction (e.g., -y-axis direction) and / or an outlet direction (e.g., y-axis direction). In some embodiments, the electronic device (200) may have a first housing (210) slidably coupled from a second housing (220) depending on the placement position of a drive member (e.g., drive motor (260) and rack gear (262)). In one embodiment, the first housing (210) may include a first side member (211) and a first rear cover (213) (e.g., a first rear bracket) coupled to at least a portion of the first side member (211). In one embodiment, a first space (2101) may be formed through the combination of the first side member (211) and the first rear cover (213). In one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a side cover (2211a) (e.g., a dielectric cover) disposed on a fourth side (2211) of the second side member (221).

[0096] According to various embodiments, the second housing (220) may include a second side member (221) and a second rear cover (223) (e.g., a second rear bracket or a window cover) coupled to at least a portion of the second side member (221). In one embodiment, the second space (2201) may be formed through the combination of the second side member (221) and the second rear cover (223). In one embodiment, the second housing (220) may include a window cover (224) coupled to the second side member (221) and forming at least a portion of the rear of the second housing (220).

[0097] According to various embodiments, a drive unit (e.g., a drive module) may include a drive motor (260) comprising a pinion gear (e.g., a pinion gear (261) of FIG. 5a) and a support bracket (225) placed in the first space (2101), a rack gear (262) that is fixed to the support bracket (225) placed in the first space (2101), extends from the first space (2101) to the second space (2201), and is positioned to be geared with the pinion gear (261). In one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may further include a reduction module (e.g., a reduction gear assembly) structurally coupled to the drive motor to reduce the rotational speed and increase the driving force by being coupled to the drive motor (260). In one embodiment, the drive motor (260) may be positioned in the second space (2201) of the second housing (220) to be supported by at least a portion of the second side member (221) (e.g., the second extension member (222) of FIG. 5A). In one embodiment, the drive motor (260) may be positioned to be supported by a motor bracket (e.g., the motor bracket (260a) of FIG. 5A) fixed to the second extension member (222). In some embodiments, the rack gear (262) may be guided in a sliding direction (e.g., ±y axis direction) through the motor bracket (260a). Accordingly, when the electronic device (200) is assembled, the pinion gear (e.g., the pinion gear (261) of FIG. 5a) can remain in a geared state with the rack gear (262), and the pinion gear (261), which is provided with the driving force of the drive motor (260), moves along the rack gear (262), so that the second housing (220) can be moved in the inward direction (e.g., -y-axis direction) or the outward direction (e.g., y-axis direction) relative to the first housing (210).

[0098] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a support bracket (225) fixed in a first space (2101) of a first housing (210). In one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a pair of guide rails (226) (e.g., linear motion guides) for guiding both ends of a support member (240) in a sliding direction and simultaneously guiding a second housing (220) in a sliding direction by being fixed to both sides of the support bracket (225). In one embodiment, the support bracket (225) and the pair of guide rails (226) may be fixed to the first housing (210) through a fastening member such as a screw. In one embodiment, the support bracket (225) may include a battery mounting portion (e.g., the battery mounting portion (2251) of FIG. 5A) for receiving a battery (B) and a support portion (e.g., the support portion (2252) of FIG. 5A) formed at one end of the battery mounting portion (2251) to support the back surface of a support member (240) that is bent during the sliding operation of the second housing (220). In one embodiment, the outer surface of the support portion (2252) may be formed in a curved shape to facilitate smooth guidance of the support member (240). In one embodiment, the support bracket (225) and the guide rail (226) may be fixed in the internal space (2101) of the first housing (210) through a fastening member such as a screw. In one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may further include a battery cover (2253) coupled to the support bracket (225) to cover the mounted battery (B). In some embodiments, the battery cover (2253) may be omitted. In one embodiment, the rack gear (262) may be secured by a fastening member, such as a screw, so as to extend from the outer surface of the support bracket (225) toward the second space (2201).In one embodiment, the rack gear (262) may be positioned at the center of the support bracket (225) (e.g., a left-right symmetrical center) so as to cross the center of the electronic device (200) along the sliding direction (e.g., ± y-axis direction) of the second housing (220). This central positioning can reduce current consumption by reducing the increase in driving resistance due to eccentricity during sliding operation.

[0099] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include at least one electrical component (or electronic component) disposed in a second space (2201). In one embodiment, the at least one electrical component may include a first substrate (251) (e.g., a substrate assembly or a main substrate) (e.g., stacked substrates). In some embodiments, the at least one electrical component may be disposed in a first space (2101) of a first housing (210).

[0100] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a second substrate (252) (e.g., a sub-substrate) and an antenna member (253) disposed between a first extension member (e.g., the first extension member (212) of FIG. 5A) and a first rear cover (213) in a first housing (210). In one embodiment, the second substrate (252) and the antenna member (253) may be disposed on at least a portion of the first extension member (212). In one embodiment, the second substrate (252) and the antenna member (253) may be electrically connected to the first substrate (251) through at least one electrical connection member (e.g., an FPCB, a flexible printed circuit board, or an FRC, a flexible RF cable). In one embodiment, the antenna member (253) may include a multi-function coil (MFC) or multi-function core antenna for performing wireless charging, NFC (neat field communication) functions, and / or electronic payment functions. In some embodiments, the second substrate (252) and / or antenna member (253) extends from the first space (2101) to the second space (2201) and can be electrically connected to the first substrate (251) through an elastically deformable flexible substrate (FPCB, flexible printed circuit board).

[0101] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may be fixed to a second housing (220) and may include a pair of guide blocks (227) each slidably coupled to a pair of guide rails (226). In one embodiment, through the slidable coupling of the guide rails (226) and the guide blocks (227), the second housing (220) may be withdrawn from the first housing (210) to a specific distance (e.g., a first distance (L1) in FIG. 3a).

[0102] FIG. 5a is a cross-sectional view of an electronic device viewed along line 5a-5a of FIG. 2a according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5b is a cross-sectional view of an electronic device viewed along line 5b-5b of FIG. 3a according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0103] In describing the electronic device (200) of FIG. 5a and FIG. 5b, the same reference numerals have been assigned to components that are substantially identical to those of the electronic device (200) of FIG. 4, and a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0104] Referring to FIGS. 5a and 5b, the electronic device (200) may include a first housing (210) having a first space (2101), a second housing (220) having a second space (2201), a support member (240) connected to the second housing (220) and received at least partially into the first space (2101) in an inverted state, a flexible display (230) positioned to receive support from at least a part of the support member (240) and at least a part of the second housing (220), a rack gear (262) fixed to the first space (2101) and extended into the second space (2201), and a drive motor (260) including a pinion gear (261) positioned in the second space (2201) and geared with the rack gear (262). In one embodiment, the drive motor (260) can automatically move the second housing (220) relative to the first housing (210) in the withdrawal direction (direction ①) or the insertion direction (direction ②) through the gear engagement of the pinion gear (261) and the rack gear (262). In some embodiments, the first housing (210) may be automatically moved from the second housing (220) in the withdrawal direction (direction ②) or the insertion direction (direction ①) by changing the arrangement of the drive motor (260) and the rack gear (262). In one embodiment, the first housing (210) may include a first rear cover (213) coupled with a first side member (211) and a first extension member (212) extending from the first side member (211). In one embodiment, the second housing (220) may include a second rear cover (223) coupled with a second side member (221) and a second extension member (222) extending from the second side member (221).

[0105] According to various embodiments, a portion of the second housing (220) may be accommodated in the first space (2101) of the first housing (210) in the retracted state of the electronic device (200) (state of FIG. 5a). In one embodiment, at least a portion of the flexible display (230) may be accommodated in the first space (2101) by bending it together with a support member (240) so as not to be visually visible from the outside. In this case, the first display area of ​​the flexible display (230) (e.g., a display area corresponding to the first portion (230a) of FIG. 3a) may be visually exposed to the outside.

[0106] According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the second housing (220) may be transitioned to an out-of-the-box state in which it is moved at least partially out of the first housing (210) along a first direction (direction ①) by driving a drive motor (260). In one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may be moved together with a support member (240) while being supported by a support bracket (225) in the out-of-the-box state of the electronic device (200) (state of FIG. 5b), so that at least a portion of the portion inserted into the first space (2101) may be exposed so that it can be visually seen from the outside. In this case, the flexible display (230) may have a second display area (e.g., a display area including the first portion (230a) and the second portion (230b) of FIG. 3a) that is extended beyond the first display area visually exposed to the outside. In some embodiments, the rack gear (262) may be placed in the second housing (220), and the drive motor (260) including the pinion gear (261) may be placed in the first housing (210).

[0107] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flexible display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0108] Referring to FIG. 6, a flexible display (230) according to one embodiment may include a first part (230a) (e.g., a flat part) that is always visible from the outside and a second part (230b) (e.g., a bendable part or a bending part) that extends from the first part (230a) and is received in a manner that is at least partially bent inside a first housing (e.g., the first housing (210) of FIG. 2a to FIG. 5b) so as not to be visible from the outside when retracted.

[0109] A flexible display (230) according to one embodiment may include a window layer (410), a polarizing layer (POL) (420) (e.g., a polarizing film) sequentially disposed on the back surface of the window layer (410), a display panel (430), a polymer layer (431), at least one functional layer (440), and a support plate (450). In one embodiment, a support member (240) of an electronic device (200) configured to support at least a portion of the flexible display (230) may be disposed below the functional layer (440) of the flexible display (230). In one embodiment, the support member (240) may include a plurality of support bars (241) (e.g., multibars) attached at specified intervals by adhesive or welding on the back surface of the support plate (450). In one embodiment, the window layer (410), the polarizing layer (420), the display panel (430), the polymer layer (431), at least one functional layer (440), the support plate (450), and the support member (240) may be attached to each other through an adhesive layer (P) (e.g., adhesive or adhesive). For example, the adhesive layer (P) may include at least one of a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), an optical clear adhesive (OCA), a thermoreactive adhesive, a general adhesive, or a double-sided tape. In some embodiments, if the flexible display (230) is a POL-less display, the polarizing layer may be omitted, and a transparent reinforcing layer (e.g., a buffer layer) may be further disposed in that location. In some embodiments, the support plate (450) may be omitted.

[0110] According to various embodiments, the window layer (410) may include a glass layer. In one embodiment, the window layer (410) may include ultra-thin glass (UTG). In some embodiments, the window layer (410) may include a polymer. In this case, the window layer (410) may include polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyimide (PI). In some embodiments, the window layer (410) may be arranged in a plurality of layers to include a first window layer (411) including a glass layer and a second window layer (412) including a polymer. In some embodiments, the flexible display (230) may further include a coating layer formed on at least a portion of the upper surface, back surface, or side surface of a glass layer formed as part of the window layer (410) or a polymer (e.g., a protective film layer) disposed on top of the glass layer. For example, the coating layer may include a hard coating layer (HC layer), an anti-reflection (AR) / low reflection (LR) coating layer, a shatterproof (SP) coating layer, or an anti-fingerprint (AF) coating layer. In some embodiments, the coating layer may be formed on at least one of the portion between the polymer and the glass layer, on the side of the polymer, or on the back or side of the glass layer.

[0111] According to various embodiments, the stacked structure of the display panel (430) may include a flexible substrate (e.g., a polyimide substrate), a TFT layer comprising a plurality of TFTs disposed on the flexible substrate, a light-emitting element layer comprising a light-emitting element (e.g., an organic light-emitting diode (OLED)) disposed on the TFT to form a pixel, and a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) (e.g., TFE (thin film encapsulation)) disposed on the light-emitting element layer to prevent oxygen and moisture from penetrating into the light-emitting element. For example, the thin film encapsulation layer may include an organic material. For example, the thin film encapsulation layer may include a monomer. The TFT layer of the display panel (430) may include a plurality of TFTs for driving the light-emitting element and a wiring structure (e.g., an electrode pattern). The light-emitting element layer may include an anode electrode (e.g., a first electrode) electrically connected to at least one TFT (e.g., a driving TFT) included in the TFT layer through vias, an organic light-emitting layer disposed on the anode electrode, and on the organic light-emitting layer It may include a cathode electrode (e.g., a second electrode) that is disposed. The cathode electrode of the light-emitting element layer may be a common electrode that is stacked in common for a plurality of pixels.

[0112] In one embodiment, the polarization layer (420) can selectively pass light that is generated from a light source of the display panel (430) and vibrates in a certain direction. In one embodiment, the display panel (430) and the polarization layer (420) may be formed integrally. In one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may include a touch panel (not shown).

[0113] According to one embodiment, the display panel (430) may be divided into a display area and a non-display area. According to one embodiment, the display area of ​​the display panel (430) may have a plurality of pixels arranged therein and may display a screen using the plurality of pixels. According to one embodiment, the non-display area of ​​the display panel (430) may have a wiring structure (e.g., electrode pattern) extending from the plurality of pixels. According to one embodiment, the non-display area of ​​the display panel (430) may include a COP (chip on panel panel) area (601) on which a driver IC for driving the display panel (430) is mounted. For example, the COP area (601) may be connected to a first part (230a) (e.g., a flat part) of the flexible display (230) that is visually seen from the outside in an inlet state and an outlet state, and may be arranged in a bent state. According to one embodiment, a portion of the COP region (601) includes an IC region (601a) on which a driver IC (1310) for driving a display panel (430) is mounted, and the IC region (601a), which is a portion of the COP region (601), may be attached to the lower part of at least one functional layer (440) with a spacer member (460) in between. For example, a spacer member (460) may be placed between the IC region (601a), which is a portion of the COP region (601), and at least one functional layer (440).

[0114] According to one embodiment, a second part (230b) (e.g., a bendable part or a bending part) may be disposed on the other side of the display panel (430) opposite the COP area (601) in a manner that is at least partially bent so as not to be visually seen from the outside in the retracted state, and is received inside the first housing (210).

[0115] According to various embodiments, the polymer layer (431) may serve as a protective film to protect the display panel (430) by being placed below the display panel (430). According to one embodiment, the polymer layer (431) may be formed as a cushioning material to provide a dark background for ensuring visibility of the display panel (430) and to provide a cushioning effect. In some embodiments, for waterproofing of the flexible display (230), the polymer layer (431) may be removed or placed below the support plate (450).

[0116] According to various embodiments, at least one functional layer (440) may include a protective layer (e.g., a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) layer, or a polymer (e.g., a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) layer) for reducing deformation caused by bending of the support member (240), a graphite sheet for heat dissipation (or SUS (steel used stainless), Cu, or Al), a force touch FPCB, a fingerprint sensor FPCB, a communication antenna radiator, a conductive / non-conductive tape, or a digitizer. In one embodiment, the digitizer may include a plurality of conductive patterns (e.g., coil patterns) disposed on a dielectric substrate (e.g., a dielectric film or a dielectric sheet) to detect an electromagnetic induction resonant frequency applied from an electronic pen.

[0117] According to various embodiments, the support plate (450) may provide rigidity and flexibility to the flexible display (230). For example, the support plate (450) may be formed from a non-metallic thin-plate material, such as fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) (e.g., carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) or glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP)), which has rigid characteristics for supporting the display panel (430). In one embodiment, the support plate (450) may include a pattern (e.g., a lattice structure) that can help improve the flexibility of the flexible display (230) by being placed in an area corresponding to the support member (240). In one embodiment, the pattern may include a plurality of openings and / or recesses arranged at specified intervals. In one embodiment, the support plate (450) is formed from a non-metallic thin-plate material so as not to restrict the signal transmission of a digitizer that detects input by an external input device (e.g., an electronic pen). The support plate (450) may have a bending characteristic determined by at least one of the size, shape, or arrangement density of at least some of the openings and / or recesses. In some embodiments, the support plate (450) may be formed from a metal material such as SUS, Cu, Al, or a metal CLAD (e.g., a laminated member in which SUS and Al are alternately arranged). In one embodiment, the support plate (450) may help reinforce the rigidity of the electronic device (200), shield ambient noise, and be used as a heat dissipation means to disperse heat emitted from surrounding heat dissipation components.

[0118] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a flexible display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0119] Referring to FIG. 7, a flexible display (230) according to one embodiment may include a first part (230a) (e.g., a flat part or an upper part) that is visible from the outside in a first state (e.g., an inlet state) and a second state (e.g., an outlet state), and a second part (230b) (e.g., a bendable part or a bending part or a bottom part) that extends from the first part (230a) and is received in a manner that is at least partially bent so as not to be visually visible from the outside in the first state (e.g., an inlet state).

[0120] According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may include a display area (AA) and a non-display area (NA). In FIG. 7, the dotted line area (701) may be a virtual area representing the boundary of the display area (AA). According to one embodiment, an array of pixels (PX) may be placed in the display area (AA). According to one embodiment, the display area (AA) may include a first display area (AA1) that is exposed to be visually visible from the outside in a first state and a second state, and a second display area (AA2) that is exposed to be visually visible from the outside in a second state. The second display area (AA2) may be an area that bends according to the movement of the housing (e.g., the first housing (210), or the second housing (220)).

[0121] According to one embodiment, the non-display area (NA) may be an area placed around the display area (AA). For example, when viewing the flexible display (230) from above, the non-display area (NA) may include an upper non-display area (NA2) placed in the upper direction (e.g., y direction) of the display area (AA) and including a COP area (601), a left non-display area (NA3) placed in the left direction (e.g., -x direction) of the display area (AA), a right non-display area (NA4) placed in the right direction (e.g., x direction) of the display area (AA), and a lower non-display area (NA1) placed in the lower direction (e.g., -y direction) of the display area (AA). According to one embodiment, the lower non-display area (NA1) may be part of a second part (230b) that is received in a manner that is at least partially bent inside the first housing (210).

[0122] According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may include a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) (e.g., thin film encapsulation) that covers light-emitting elements (e.g., organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs)) included in pixels (PX). According to one embodiment, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may serve to prevent moisture penetration and oxidation of the organic material of the light-emitting elements. According to one embodiment, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may cover the light-emitting elements of the pixels (PX) in a display area (AA) and extend into a part of a non-display area (NA). According to one embodiment, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may include a structure in which at least one organic film (e.g., organic film (1252) of FIG. 12) and at least one inorganic film (e.g., inorganic film (1251, 1253)) are laminated. According to one embodiment, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may include a first inorganic film (1251) (e.g., first encapsulation layer), a first It may include an organic film (1252) (e.g., a second encapsulation layer) disposed on an inorganic film (1251), and a second inorganic film (1253) (e.g., a third encapsulation layer) disposed on the organic film (1252). According to one embodiment, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may include a first encapsulation region (TFE1) disposed in a stacked structure of a first inorganic film (1251), an organic film (1252), and a second inorganic film (1253), and a second encapsulation region (TFE2) in which the first inorganic film (1251) and the second inorganic film (1253) are stacked and the organic film (1252) is not included. According to one embodiment, the second encapsulation region (TFE2) may be disposed to surround the first encapsulation region (TFE1). For example, the second encapsulation region (TFE2) may be a region disposed at the edge of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE).

[0123] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the term "inorganic film" may be used interchangeably with "inorganic layer."

[0124] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the term "organic film" may be used interchangeably with "organic layer."

[0125] According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may include an unencapsulated region (NTFE) disposed on the outer edge of a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE). According to one embodiment, the unencapsulated region (NTFE) may be an area disposed on the outermost edge of the flexible display (230) and may be an area not covered by the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE). For example, the unencapsulated region (NTFE) may be an area adjacent to the end portion (702) of the flexible display (230). In FIG. 7, arrow 703 may indicate the width of the unencapsulated region (NTFE) in the lower non-display area (NA1).

[0126] According to one embodiment, the area of ​​the lower non-display area (NA1) may be larger than the area of ​​the upper non-display area (NA2), the area of ​​the left non-display area (NA3), and the area of ​​the right non-display area (NA4), respectively. According to one embodiment, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may be arranged to extend to a part of the lower non-display area (NA1). According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) can reduce the interlayer delamination phenomenon of the second part (230b) that bends according to the movement of the housing by arranging the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) to extend to a part of the lower non-display area (NA1).

[0127] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display in a slide-out state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0128] The flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 8 may be similar in at least part to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0129] Referring to FIG. 8, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) of the display panel (430) may be positioned to cover a display area (AA) and also extend from the display area (AA) to a non-display area (NA). For example, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may be positioned to extend to a portion of the lower non-display area (NA1). According to one embodiment, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may extend to a boundary area (801) of a second portion (230b) (e.g., a bendable portion, a bending portion, or a bottom portion) adjacent to a first portion (230a) (e.g., a flat portion or a top portion). According to one embodiment, by extending the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) to a portion of the second portion (230b), interlayer delamination in the bending area (802) of the flexible display (230) can be reduced. The bending region (802) may be a region whose position changes depending on whether the electronic device (200) is in a slide-in state or a slide-out state. For example, the bending region (802) may be a region whose position changes depending on the state variation of the housing (e.g., first housing (210), or second housing (220)). For example, in a flexible display (230) according to one embodiment, interlayer delamination may occur in which at least some layers included in the flexible display (230) are separated due to a driving force (803) and / or a repulsive force (805) that occurs during sliding movement. According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may reduce interlayer delamination by extending the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) to the boundary region (801) of the second part (230b) (e.g., bendable part, bending part, or bottom part) adjacent to the first part (230a) (e.g., flat part or top part). For example, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) is positioned to extend to a portion of the lower non-display area (NA1), thereby reducing interlayer delamination of the second portion (230b) that bends as the housing moves.

[0130] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the term "bending area (802)" may be used interchangeably with "bending portion".

[0131] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the bending region (or bending portion) (802) may refer to a part of a flexible display (230) that moves with the movement of the second housing (220) and is bent to a predetermined radius of curvature.

[0132] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the bending region (or bending portion) (802) may refer to a part of a flexible display (230) that moves with the movement of the first housing (210) and is bent to a predetermined radius of curvature.

[0133] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a flexible display with an expanded arrangement of a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) according to one embodiment.

[0134] The flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 9 may be similar in at least part to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 7, or may include various embodiments of the flexible display (230). Hereinafter, only the features of the flexible display (230) that differ from the embodiment of FIG. 9 will be described. Features not described in FIG. 9 will be replaced by the description of FIG. 7.

[0135] In the embodiment of FIG. 9, unlike the embodiment of FIG. 7, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may extend to a portion of the lower non-display area (NA1) adjacent to the end portion (702) of the flexible display (230).

[0136] Referring to FIG. 9, a flexible display (230) according to one embodiment may include a first part (230a) (e.g., a flat part or an upper part) that is visually visible from the outside in a first state (e.g., an inlet state) and a second state (e.g., an outlet state), and a second part (230b) (e.g., a bendable part or a bending part or a bottom part) that extends from the first part (230a) and is received in a manner that is at least partially bent so as not to be visually visible from the outside in the first state (e.g., an inlet state).

[0137] According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may include a display area (AA) and a non-display area (NA). According to one embodiment, an array of pixels (PX) may be placed in the display area (AA). According to one embodiment, at least one dummy pixel (DPX) may be placed in the non-display area (NA), but is not limited thereto. For example, a dummy pixel (DPX) may be placed in the lower non-display area (NA1), but this may be omitted.

[0138] According to one embodiment, the lower non-display area (NA1) corresponding to the second part (230b) (e.g., bendable part or bending part or lower part) may include a first non-display area (NA11) and a second non-display area (NA12).

[0139] According to one embodiment, the first non-display area (NA11) and the second non-display area (NA12) are areas extended in the direction in which the flexible display (230) moves from the display area (AA) when the electronic device (200) changes from a slide-out state to a slide-in state, and may be areas that are not visually exposed from the outside.

[0140] According to one embodiment, the second non-display area (NA12) may be an area extended in the direction in which the flexible display (230) moves from the first non-display area (NA11) when the electronic device (200) changes from a slide-out state to a slide-in state.

[0141] According to one embodiment, the first non-display area (NA11) may be an area having a structure in which a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) has at least one organic film (e.g., organic film (1252) of FIG. 12) and at least one inorganic film (e.g., inorganic film (1251, 1253) of FIG. 12) are stacked. According to one embodiment, the second non-display area (NA12) may be an area having a structure in which a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) has at least one inorganic film (1251, 1253) is stacked. According to one embodiment, the second non-display area (NA12) may be an area extending from the first non-display area (NA11) in a first direction (e.g., -y direction) where the end portion (702) of the flexible display (230) is located.

[0142] According to one embodiment, the area of ​​the first non-display area (NA11) may be larger than the area of ​​the second non-display area (NA12). For example, in FIG. 9, arrow 901 may indicate the width (or breadth) of the first non-display area (NA11). According to one embodiment, the width (WNA11) of the first non-display area (NA11) may be larger than the width (WNA12) of the second non-display area (NA12).

[0143] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display in a slide-in state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display in a slide-out state according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0144] The flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 may be similar in at least part to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 9.

[0145] Referring to FIG. 10, in a first state (e.g., inset state), a first part (230a) (e.g., flat part or top part) is exposed so as to be visually visible from the outside, and a second part (230b) (e.g., bendable part or bending part or bottom part) may not be visually visible from the outside. In FIG. 10, the dashed line 1001 may be an imaginary line representing the boundary of a display area (AA). According to one embodiment, a lower non-display area (NA1) corresponding to the second part (230b) (e.g., bendable part or bending part or bottom part) may include a first non-display area (NA11) and a second non-display area (NA12). According to one embodiment, the first non-display area (NA11) may be an area having a structure in which a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) has at least one organic film (e.g., organic film (1252) of FIG. 12) and at least one inorganic film (e.g., inorganic film (1251, 1253) of FIG. 12) are stacked. According to one embodiment, the second non-display area (NA12) may be an area having a structure in which a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) has at least one inorganic film (1251, 1253) is stacked. According to one embodiment, the second non-display area (NA12) may be an area extending from the first non-display area (NA11) to an end portion of the flexible display (230) (e.g., end portion (702) of FIG. 7). In the first state, the first non-display area (NA11) and the second non-display area (NA12) may be arranged parallel to the display area (AA) without being bent.

[0146] Referring to FIG. 11, in a second state (e.g., a drawn-out state), a portion of the first part (230a) (e.g., a flat part or an upper part) and a portion of the second part (230b) (e.g., a bendable part or a bending part or a lower part) may be exposed so as to be visually visible from the outside. In the second state, the first non-display area (NA11) may be positioned in a bent state and may not be visually visible from the outside. In the second state, the second non-display area (NA12) may be positioned parallel to the display area (AA) and may not be visible from the outside. In FIG. 11, the dashed line 1101 may be the boundary line of the display area that is additionally extended in the second state (e.g., a drawn-out state), for example, the boundary line between the first part (230a) (e.g., a flat part or an upper part) and the second part (230b).

[0147] A flexible display (230) according to one embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 11 can reduce the delamination of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) by extending the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) to a portion of the lower non-display area (NA1) adjacent to the end portion (702) of the flexible display (230). For example, the flexible display (230) can reduce the delamination of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) by placing a second non-display area (NA12), in which the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) is laminated with only at least one inorganic film (1251, 1253), in an area that is not bent in the first and second states.

[0148] According to one embodiment, the second non-display area (NA12) may be positioned so as not to be included in the bending portion of the flexible display (230) (e.g., the bending area (802) of FIG. 8) regardless of the state of the electronic device (200).

[0149] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display shown along line A-A' of FIG. 9 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, FIG. 12 may be a cross-sectional view of a portion of the non-display area (NA) of a display panel (430).

[0150] Referring to FIG. 12, in the non-display area (NA), the display panel (430) may have a structure in which a substrate (1220), a barrier layer (1230), a buffer layer (1240), and a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) are sequentially stacked on the substrate (1220). According to one embodiment, a protective film (1210) may be attached below the substrate (1220).

[0151] According to one embodiment, the substrate (1220) may be formed from a polymer such as polyimide, polyamide, polycarbonate, or polyethylene terephthalate, or from a material such as glass, quartz, or ceramic.

[0152] According to one embodiment, the protective film (1210) may be formed from a plastic material such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyimide, or polyethylene sulfide.

[0153] According to one embodiment, the barrier layer (1230) can serve as a moisture penetration prevention layer. For example, the barrier layer (1230) can be formed of silicon oxide SiOx or silicon nitride SiNx.

[0154] According to one embodiment, the buffer layer (1240) can block impurities that may diffuse into the semiconductor layer of the TFT layer placed in the display area (AA) of the display panel (430) and reduce stress applied to the substrate (1220).

[0155] According to one embodiment, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) is a layer covering a light-emitting element (e.g., OLED) placed in a display area (AA) of a display panel (430), and can serve to block moisture or air from entering the light-emitting element. According to one embodiment, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) can cover not only the display area (AA) but also a portion of the non-display area (NA). According to one embodiment, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may include a structure in which at least one inorganic film (1251, 1253) and at least one organic film (1252) are stacked. According to one embodiment, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may include a first inorganic film (1251) (e.g., first encapsulation layer), an organic film (1252) placed on the first inorganic film (1251) (e.g., second encapsulation layer), and a second inorganic film (1253) placed on the organic film (1252) (e.g., third encapsulation layer). According to one embodiment, the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may include a first encapsulation region (TFE1) in which a first inorganic film (1251), an organic film (1252), and a second inorganic film (1253) are arranged in a stacked structure, and a second encapsulation region (TFE2) in which the first inorganic film (1251) and the second inorganic film (1253) are stacked and the organic film (1252) is not included. According to one embodiment, the second encapsulation region (TFE2) may be arranged to surround the first encapsulation region (TFE1). For example, the second encapsulation region (TFE2) may be a region arranged at the edge of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE).

[0156] According to one embodiment, the first inorganic film (1251) and the second inorganic film (1253) of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may be formed of a material of silicon oxide or silicon nitride.

[0157] According to one embodiment, the organic film (1252) of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may be formed from a material of acrylic resin, methacrylic resin, polyisoprene, vinyl resin, epoxy resin, urethane resin, cellulose resin, or perylene resin.

[0158] According to one embodiment, the display panel (430) may include at least one dam (1211, 1212) corresponding to a second encapsulation region (TFE2) of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE). According to one embodiment, the dam (1211, 1212) may serve to prevent organic materials, such as monomers (e.g., monomers), from overflowing when forming the organic layer of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE). According to one embodiment, the edge of the organic film (1252) of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may be located between the dam (1211, 1212) and the display region (AA), but is not limited thereto. According to one embodiment, the first inorganic film (1251) and the second inorganic film (1253) of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may be formed to cover at least one dam (1211, 1212) to increase the contact area.

[0159] According to one embodiment, at least one dam (1211, 1212) may include a first dam (1211) and a second dam (1212) disposed on the outer edge of the first dam (1211), but is not limited thereto. For example, the display panel (430) may further include at least one dam on the outer edge of the second dam (1212).

[0160] According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may overlap with a support member (e.g., support member (240) of FIG. 6) that supports at least a portion of the flexible display (230). For example, the support member (240) may include about 24 support bars (e.g., support bars (241) of FIG. 6) (e.g., multibars). In this case, the first encapsulation region (TFE1) of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may overlap with about 6 to about 7 multibars, and the second encapsulation region (TFE2) of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may overlap with about 17 to about 18 multibars, but is not limited thereto.

[0161] FIG. 13 is a plan view of a flexible display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0162] The flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 13 may include at least some similarities to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9, or various embodiments of the flexible display (230). Hereinafter, only the features of the flexible display (230) that differ from the embodiment of FIG. 13 will be described. Features not described in FIG. 13 will be replaced by the descriptions in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9.

[0163] The embodiment of FIG. 13 may differ from the embodiments of FIG. 7 and FIG. 9 in that the width of the second encapsulation region (TFE2) of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE), which has a structure laminated with at least one inorganic film (1251, 1253), increases in the lower non-display region (NA1).

[0164] Referring to FIG. 13, when the flexible display (230) is viewed from above, the non-display area (NA) may include an upper non-display area (NA2) which includes a COP area (601) that is positioned in the upper direction of the display area (AA) and on which a driver IC (1310) for driving the display panel (430) is mounted, a left non-display area (NA3) which is positioned in the left direction of the display area (AA), a right non-display area (NA4) which is positioned in the right direction of the display area (AA), and a lower non-display area (NA1) which is positioned in the lower direction of the display area (AA). According to one embodiment, the lower non-display area (NA1) may be part of a second part (230b) which is accommodated in a manner that is at least partially bent inside the first housing (210).

[0165] According to one embodiment, a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) extending from a display area (AA) may be disposed in each of the upper non-display area (NA2), the left non-display area (NA3), the right non-display area (NA4), and the lower non-display area (NA1), and the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may be divided into a first encapsulation area (TFE1) and a second encapsulation area (TFE2). According to one embodiment, the width of the second encapsulation area (TFE2) in each of the upper non-display area (NA2), the left non-display area (NA3), the right non-display area (NA4), and the lower non-display area (NA1) may be designed differently. For example, in the upper non-display area (NA2), the left non-display area (NA3), and the right non-display area (NA4), the second encapsulation area (TFE2) may have a first width (1301). For example, in the lower non-display area (NA1), the second encapsulation area (TFE2) may have a second width (1302) that is larger than the first width (1301). According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) can reduce interlayer delamination by increasing the width (1302) of the second encapsulation area (TFE2) in the lower non-display area (NA1).

[0166] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display shown along line A-A' of FIG. 13 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0167] The flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 14 may be similar in at least part to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 12, or may include various embodiments of the flexible display (230). Hereinafter, only the features of the flexible display (230) that differ from the embodiment of FIG. 14 will be described. Features not described in FIG. 14 will be replaced by the description of FIG. 12.

[0168] Referring to FIG. 14, in the lower non-display area (NA1), the display panel (430) may include at least one dam corresponding to the second encapsulation area (TFE2). According to one embodiment, the at least one dam may include a first dam (1211), a second dam (1212) disposed at a specified interval from the first dam (1211), and a third dam (1213) disposed at a specified interval from the second dam (1212).

[0169] According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may include a relatively large number of dams in the lower non-display area (NA1). According to one embodiment, by including a relatively large number of dams in the lower non-display area (NA1), the peeling phenomenon of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) can be reduced.

[0170] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display shown along line B-B' of FIG. 13 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, FIG. 15 may be a cross-sectional view of a portion of a display panel (430) cut off, corresponding to a left non-display area (NA3) or a right non-display area (NA4).

[0171] The flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 15 may be similar in at least part to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 12, or may include various embodiments of the flexible display (230). Hereinafter, only the features of the flexible display (230) that differ from the embodiment of FIG. 15 will be described. Features not described in FIG. 15 will be replaced by the description of FIG. 12.

[0172] FIG. 15 may be a cross-sectional view showing a portion of a display area (e.g., a left non-display area (e.g., left non-display area (NA3) of FIG. 13) or a right non-display area (e.g., right non-display area (NA4) of FIG. 13), which is a non-display area (NA) positioned on both sides of the display area (AA) of FIG. 13. According to one embodiment, in the left non-display area (NA3) or the right non-display area (NA4), the display panel (430) may include at least one dam corresponding to a second encapsulation area (TFE2). According to one embodiment, the at least one dam may include a first dam (1211) and a second dam (1212) positioned at a specified interval from the first dam (1211).

[0173] According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may include a relatively small number of dams in the left non-display area (NA3) or the right non-display area (NA4). For example, the flexible display (230) may include N dams specified in the lower non-display area (e.g., the lower non-display area (NA1) of FIG. 13) and M dams specified, which are fewer than N, in the left non-display area (NA3) or the right non-display area (NA4).

[0174] FIGS. 16 to 18 are cross-sectional views illustrating cross-sectional shapes of a dam according to various embodiments. For example, FIGS. 16 to 18 may be cross-sectional views illustrating the cross-sectional shape of a dam illustrated in FIG. 14.

[0175] According to one embodiment, at least one dam disposed in the lower non-display area (NA1), for example, a first dam (1211), a second dam (1212), or a third dam (1213), may have substantially the same shape. For example, the first dam (1211), the second dam (1212), or the third dam (1213) may have the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 16. For example, the first dam (1211), the second dam (1212), or the third dam (1213) may have the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 17. For example, the first dam (1211), the second dam (1212), or the third dam (1213) may have the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 18. The cross-sectional size of the first dam (1211) may be the same as the cross-sectional size of the second dam (1212) or the cross-sectional size of the third dam (1213).

[0176] According to one embodiment, at least one dam placed in the lower non-display area (NA1), for example, a first dam (1211), a second dam (1212), or a third dam (1213), may have different shapes. For example, the first dam (1211), the second dam (1212), or the third dam (1213) may have any one of the cross-sectional shapes shown in FIG. 16, FIG. 17, and FIG. 18. The size of the cross-section of the first dam (1211) may be different from the size of the cross-section of the second dam (1212) or the size of the cross-section of the third dam (1213).

[0177] Referring to FIG. 16, the first dam (1211), the second dam (1212), or the third dam (1213) may have a positive taper shape in which the width decreases from the bottom (1601) to the top (1602).

[0178] Referring to FIG. 17, the first dam (1211), the second dam (1212), or the third dam (1213) may have a shape that becomes convex from the bottom (1701) to the top (1702).

[0179] Referring to FIG. 18, the first dam (1211), the second dam (1212), or the third dam (1213) may have a shape including a concave groove (1801).

[0180] According to various embodiments, the distance between the first dam (1211) and the second dam (1212) may be greater than the width of the first dam (1211) corresponding to the width of the cross-section of the first dam (1211) (e.g., the lower part (1601) of FIG. 16).

[0181] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display illustrating the dams of FIG. 13 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, FIG. 19 may be a cross-sectional view illustrating the cross-sectional shape of the dam illustrated in FIG. 14.

[0182] The flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 19 may be similar in at least part to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 14, or may include various embodiments of the flexible display (230). Hereinafter, only the features of the flexible display (230) that differ from the embodiment of FIG. 19 will be described. Features not described in FIG. 19 will be replaced by the description of FIG. 14.

[0183] Referring to FIG. 19, in the lower non-display area (NA1), the display panel (430) may include at least one dam corresponding to the second encapsulation area (TFE2). According to one embodiment, the at least one dam may include a first dam (1211), a second dam (1212) disposed at a specified interval from the first dam (1211), and a third dam (1213) disposed at a specified interval from the second dam (1212).

[0184] According to one embodiment, the first dam (1211) may have a first width (w1) and a first height (h1). For example, the cross-sectional shape of the first dam (1211) may have a first width (w1) and a first height (h1).

[0185] According to one embodiment, the second dam (1212) may have a second width (w2) and a second height (h2). For example, the cross-sectional shape of the second dam (1212) may have a second width (w2) and a second height (h2).

[0186] According to one embodiment, the third dam (1213) may have a third width (w3) and a third height (h3). For example, the cross-sectional shape of the third dam (1213) may have a third width (w3) and a third height (h3).

[0187] According to one embodiment, the first width (w1), the second width (w2), and the third width (w3) are the same, and the first height (h1), the second height (h2), and the third height (h3) may be the same.

[0188] According to one embodiment, the first width (w1), the second width (w2), and the third width (w3) are different from each other, and the first height (h1), the second height (h2), and the third height (h3) may be different from each other.

[0189] As illustrated in FIG. 19, according to one embodiment, the first dam (1211), the second dam (1212), and the third dam (1213) can all be manufactured to the same size. According to one embodiment, the first dam (1211), the second dam (1212), and the third dam (1213) may have the same constituent components (e.g., a laminated structure), in which case ease of production may be improved. According to one embodiment, the structure of each of the first dam (1211), the second dam (1212), and the third dam (1213) may have a cross-sectional structure in the shape of a regular tapered shape.

[0190] According to one embodiment, the first dam (1211), the second dam (1212), and the third dam (1213) may each have different sizes. For example, the first dam (1211) may have a higher height than the other second dam (1212) and third dam (1213) to prevent the organic film (1252) from overflowing, as it is closest to the organic film (1252). According to one embodiment, the third dam (1213) may serve to prevent the film from lifting and may include a structure to increase adhesion with the layer immediately below (e.g., the buffer layer (1240) in FIG. 14). For example, the third dam (1213) may increase adhesion by designing the contact area with the layer below to be relatively larger compared to the first dam (1211) and the second dam (1212).

[0191] According to one embodiment, the first dam (1211), the second dam (1212), and the third dam (1213) may have different components, such as the same components (e.g., laminated structure) constituting them. For example, the third dam (1213) may include an adhesive material with high adhesive strength to increase adhesion.

[0192] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display including a peel-prevention dam (2010) according to one embodiment.

[0193] The flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 20 may be similar in at least part to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 12, or may include various embodiments of the flexible display (230). Hereinafter, only the features of the flexible display (230) that differ from the embodiment of FIG. 20 will be described. Features not described in FIG. 20 will be replaced by the description of FIG. 12.

[0194] Referring to FIG. 20, a flexible display (230) according to one embodiment may further include a peel-off prevention dam (2010). According to one embodiment, in a second non-display area (NA12), a peel-off prevention dam (2010) may be disposed on the outer edge of at least one dam. According to one embodiment, the peel-off prevention dam (2010) may cover the end of a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE). According to one embodiment, the height of the peel-off prevention dam (2010) may be greater than the height of the first dam (1211) and the height of the second dam (1212). According to one embodiment, the width of the peel-off prevention dam (2010) may be smaller than the width of the first dam (1211) or the width of the second dam (1212). According to one embodiment, the components (e.g., laminated structure) of the anti-peeling dam (2010) may differ from the components (e.g., laminated structure) of the first dam (1211) and the second dam (1212), respectively. According to one embodiment, the anti-peeling dam (2010) may include a material having high adhesion and strength, unlike the first dam (1211) and the second dam (1212).

[0195] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display including a crack-prevention dam (2110) according to one embodiment.

[0196] The flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 21 may include at least some similarities to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 12 and FIG. 20, or various embodiments of the flexible display (230). Hereinafter, only the features of the flexible display (230) that differ from the embodiment of FIG. 21 will be described. Features not described in FIG. 21 will be replaced by the descriptions in FIG. 12 and FIG. 20.

[0197] Referring to FIG. 21, a flexible display (230) according to one embodiment may further include a crack-prevention dam (2110). According to one embodiment, in a second non-display area (NA12), a crack-prevention dam (2110) may be placed on the outer edge of a peel-off prevention dam (2010). According to one embodiment, the size (e.g., height or width) of the crack-prevention dam (2110) may be smaller than the size (e.g., height or width) of the peel-off prevention dam (2010) or the size (e.g., height or width) of each of the first dam (1211) and the second dam (1212).

[0198] According to one embodiment, the components of the crack-prevention dam (2110) (e.g., laminated structure) may be substantially the same as the components of the peel-prevention dam (2010) (e.g., laminated structure).

[0199] According to one embodiment, the components of the crack-prevention dam (2110) (e.g., laminated structure) may differ from the components of the peel-prevention dam (2010) (e.g., laminated structure). For example, the adhesive strength of the material included in the crack-prevention dam (2110) may be stronger than the adhesive strength of the material included in the peel-prevention dam (2010). For example, the adhesive strength of the material included in the crack-prevention dam (2110) may be weaker than the adhesive strength of the material included in the peel-prevention dam (2010).

[0200] According to one embodiment, the crack-prevention dam (2110) is placed at the edge of the substrate (1220) and may serve to cover the end of the power wiring. According to one embodiment, the crack-prevention dam (2110) may serve to reduce damage (e.g., cracks) to an inorganic insulating layer, such as a barrier layer (1230) or a buffer layer (1240), during a cutting process for cutting the display panel (430).

[0201] FIG. 22 is a plan view of a flexible display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display shown along line A-A' of FIG. 22 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0202] The flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 22 may include at least some similarities to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9, or various embodiments of the flexible display (230). Hereinafter, only the features of the flexible display (230) that differ from the embodiment of FIG. 22 will be described. Features not described in FIG. 22 will be replaced by the descriptions in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9.

[0203] The flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 23 may be similar in at least part to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 12, or may include various embodiments of the flexible display (230). Hereinafter, only the features of the flexible display (230) that differ from the embodiment of FIG. 23 will be described. Features not described in FIG. 23 will be replaced by the description of FIG. 12.

[0204] Referring to FIG. 22, the width of the unencapsulated region (NTFE) not covered by the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may increase in the lower non-display region (NA1). For example, the width of the unencapsulated region (NTFE) may have the greatest width in the lower non-display region (NA1). For example, a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) extending from the display region (AA) may be disposed in each of the upper non-display region (NA2), the left non-display region (NA3), the right non-display region (NA4), and the lower non-display region (NA1), and an unencapsulated region (NTFE) may be disposed on the outer edge of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE). According to one embodiment, the width of the unencapsulated region (NTFE) in each of the upper non-display region (NA2), the left non-display region (NA3), the right non-display region (NA4), and the lower non-display region (NA1) may be designed differently. For example, in the upper non-display area (NA2), the left non-display area (NA3), and the right non-display area (NA4), the unsealed area (NTFE) may have a first width (2202). For example, in the lower non-display area (NA1), the unsealed area (NTFE) may have a second width (2201) that is larger than the first width (2202). According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) can reduce interlayer delamination by increasing the width of the unsealed area (NTFE) in the lower non-display area (NA1).

[0205] Referring to FIG. 23, in the lower non-displayed area (NA1), an unsealed area (NTFE) may have a structure located above it (e.g., a polarizing layer (420)) and an adhesive layer for attachment (e.g., the adhesive layer (P) of FIG. 6) (e.g., an adhesive or adhesive) attached thereto. For example, the adhesive layer (P) may extend from the unsealed area (NTFE) to a second encapsulated area (TFE2) and a first encapsulated area (TFE1).

[0206] FIG. 24 is a plan view illustrating the wiring structure of a flexible display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0207] The flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 24 may include at least some similarities to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9, or various embodiments of the flexible display (230). Hereinafter, only the features of the flexible display (230) that differ from the embodiment of FIG. 24 will be described. Features not described in FIG. 24 will be replaced by the descriptions in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9.

[0208] Referring to FIG. 24, a flexible display (230) according to one embodiment may include power wiring (2411) for driving pixels (PX) placed in a display area (AA). According to one embodiment, the power wiring (2411) is arranged to extend from the display area (AA) to a lower non-display area (NA1) and may be connected to a driver IC (1310) of a COP area (601) via a left non-display area (NA3) and a right non-display area (NA4) in a part of the lower non-display area (NA1). According to one embodiment, the power wiring (2411) may include, for example, high potential voltage (e.g., ELVDD) wiring or low potential voltage (e.g., ELVSS) wiring for driving an array of pixels (PX).

[0209] According to one embodiment, the power wiring (2411) may be extended to a lower non-display area (NA1) but arranged so as not to overlap with a second encapsulation area (TFE2) of a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE). For example, the power wiring (2411) may be extended to a lower non-display area (NA1) but arranged so as not to overlap with a second encapsulation area (TFE2) composed only of an inorganic film. The power wiring (2411) may be extended from the lower non-display area (NA1) to a first encapsulation area (TFE1), and then folded at the first encapsulation area (TFE1) to extend to a left non-display area (NA3) and a right non-display area (NA4).

[0210] FIG. 25 is a plan view illustrating an example of a modified wiring structure of a flexible display according to one embodiment.

[0211] The flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 25 may be similar in at least part to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 24, or may include various embodiments of the flexible display (230). Hereinafter, only the features of the flexible display (230) that differ from the embodiment of FIG. 25 will be described. Features not described in FIG. 25 will be replaced by the description of FIG. 24.

[0212] In the embodiment of FIG. 25, unlike the embodiment of FIG. 24, the power wiring (2411) extends to the lower non-display area (NA1) and can extend to the second encapsulation area (TFE2) of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE). According to one embodiment, the power wiring (2411) extends from the lower non-display area (NA1) to the second encapsulation area (TFE2), and can be folded at the second encapsulation area (TFE2) to extend to the left non-display area (NA3) and the right non-display area (NA4). According to one embodiment, by allowing the power wiring (2411) to extend to the second encapsulation area (TFE2), damage to the wiring (e.g., cracks) can be reduced.

[0213] FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electronic device in a slide-in state according to one embodiment. FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electronic device in a slide-out state according to one embodiment.

[0214] Referring to FIGS. 26 and 27, an electronic device (2600) according to one embodiment may be a roll-shaped form factor in which a flexible display (230) moves to wrap around or unfold the outer edge of a roller placed inside a housing (2610), unlike the electronic device (200) described with reference to FIGS. 2a through 5b. For example, in a slide-in state, the flexible display (230) may be placed inside the housing (2610) and the flexible display (230) may be placed inside the housing (2610) in a state that wraps around the outer edge of the roller (2611). For example, in a slide-out state, a part of the flexible display (230) may be pulled out to the outside of the housing (2610), and another part of the flexible display (230) may be placed inside the housing (2610) so that it remains visually invisible from the outside. As illustrated in FIGS. 26 and 27, the flexible display (230) may include a first part (2622) that is visually exposed to the outside in the extended state, and a second part (2621) that is not visually exposed to the outside in the extended and retracted states. In FIGS. 26 and 27, the dashed line 2601 may be a virtual boundary line (2601) separating the first part (2622) and the second part (2621) of the flexible display (230).

[0215] FIG. 28 is a plan view of the flexible display shown in FIG. 26 and / or FIG. 27.

[0216] The flexible display (2801, 2802) illustrated in FIG. 28 may include at least some similarities to the flexible display (230) illustrated in FIG. 9, FIG. 26, and FIG. 27, or various embodiments of the flexible display. Hereinafter, only the features of the flexible display (2801, 2802) that differ from the embodiment of FIG. 28 will be described. Features not described in FIG. 28 will be replaced by the descriptions in FIG. 9, FIG. 26, and FIG. 27.

[0217] Referring to FIG. 28, a flexible display (2801, 2802) (e.g., the flexible display (230) of FIG. 9) may include a first portion (2622) that is exposed to be visually visible from the outside in a slide-out state (e.g., a first state), and a second portion (2621) that is not visually visible from the outside as it is placed inside a housing (2610) in a slide-out state and a slide-in state (e.g., a second state). According to one embodiment, the first portion (2622) may be defined as including a display area (AA), and the outer edge of the display area (AA) may be defined as a non-display area (NA).

[0218] According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the second part (2621) may be covered by a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE). According to one embodiment, in the second part (2621), the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) may include a first encapsulation region (TFE1) having a stacked structure of at least one inorganic film (e.g., inorganic film (1251, 1253) of FIG. 12) and at least one organic film (e.g., inorganic film (1252) of FIG. 12), and a second encapsulation region (TFE2) disposed on the outer edge of the first encapsulation region (TFE1) having a stacked structure of at least one inorganic film (1251, 1253).

[0219] According to one embodiment, a non-display area (NA) of a flexible display (2801, 2802) may include a COP area (601) on which a driver IC (e.g., driver IC (1310) of FIG. 25) is mounted. According to one embodiment, as in the flexible display (2801) of FIG. 28, the COP area (601) may be a part of the non-display area (NA) corresponding to a first part (2622). For example, the COP area (601) may extend from the non-display area (NA) corresponding to the first part (2622). According to one embodiment, as in the flexible display (2802) of FIG. 28, the COP area (601) may be a part of the non-display area (NA) corresponding to a second part (2621). For example, the COP region (601) may extend from the non-display region (NA) corresponding to the second part (2621). According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the reliability of an electronic device can be increased by providing a flexible display that is robust to stress during bending and can reduce interlayer delamination.

[0220] In addition, various effects that can be identified directly or indirectly through this document may be provided.

[0221] The effects obtainable from the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs.

[0222] An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure (e.g., the electronic device (200) of FIG. 2a) comprises a first housing (210), a second housing (220) movably coupled to the first housing (210) so as to vary between a slide-in state and a slide-out state of the electronic device (200), and a flexible display (flexible display (230) of FIG. 2a) comprising a bending portion disposed in the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) and moving according to the movement of the second housing (220) and bending with a predetermined radius of curvature, wherein the flexible display (230) comprises a display area (e.g., the display area (AA) of FIG. 9) in which a plurality of pixels are activated, and a first non-display area (e.g., FIG. 9) extending from the display area (AA) in a first direction in which the flexible display (230) moves when the electronic device changes from the slide-out state to the slide-in state (e.g. It includes a first non-display area (NA11) of 9 and a second non-display area (NA12) extended from the first non-display area in the first direction, wherein the first non-display area (NA11) is an area in which a thin film encapsulation layer is formed with a structure in which an organic layer is disposed between two inorganic layers, and the second non-display area (NA12) is an area in which a thin film encapsulation layer is formed with a structure in which the two inorganic layers are stacked, and the bending portion changes its position on the flexible display (230) according to the state variation of the electronic device (200), and the second non-display area (NA12) can be positioned so as not to be included in the bending portion regardless of the state of the electronic device (200).

[0223] The thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) comprises a first encapsulation layer including an inorganic layer, a second encapsulation layer disposed on the first encapsulation layer and including an organic layer, a third encapsulation layer disposed on the second encapsulation layer and including an inorganic layer, a first encapsulation region (TFE1), and a second encapsulation region (TFE2) disposed around the first encapsulation region (TFE1) and including the first encapsulation layer and the third encapsulation layer, wherein the first encapsulation region (TFE1) is disposed to correspond to the display region (AA) and the first non-display region (NA11), and the second encapsulation region (TFE2) can be disposed to correspond to the second non-display region (NA12).

[0224] It further includes at least one dam (1211, 1212, 1213) disposed in the second non-display area (NA12), and the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) can cover the at least one dam (1211, 1212, 1213).

[0225] The at least one dam (1211, 1212, 1213) disposed in the second non-display area (NA12) may include a first dam (1211) having a first width and a first height, a second dam (1212) having a second width and a second height and disposed at a specified interval from the first dam (1211), and a third dam (1213) having a third width and a third height and disposed at a specified interval from the second dam (1212).

[0226] The first width, the second width, and the third width are the same, and the first height, the second height, and the third height may be the same.

[0227] The first width, the second width, and the third width are different from each other, and the first height, the second height, and the third height may be different from each other.

[0228] The cross-sectional shape of the first dam (1211), the cross-sectional shape of the second dam (1212), and the cross-sectional shape of the third dam (1213) may be the same.

[0229] The cross-sectional shape of the first dam (1211), the cross-sectional shape of the second dam (1212), and the cross-sectional shape of the third dam (1213) may be different from each other.

[0230] The above non-display area further includes a third non-display area extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction from the first display area (AA) or the second display area (AA), and the number of at least one dam (1211, 1212, 1213) placed in the third non-display area may be less than the number of at least one dam (1211, 1212, 1213) placed in the second non-display area (NA12).

[0231] In the second non-display area (NA12) above, a peel-prevention dam (2010) may be further included, which is positioned at the outer edge of at least one dam (1211, 1212, 1213) and covers the end of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE).

[0232] In the second non-display area (NA12) above, a crack prevention dam (2110) may be further included, which is positioned at the outer edge of the peeling prevention dam (2010) and has a smaller size than the peeling prevention dam (2010).

[0233] An electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a first housing (210), a second housing (220) movably coupled to the first housing (210) so as to allow the electronic device (200) to be varied between a slide-in state and a slide-out state, and a flexible display (230) comprising an upper portion fixed to at least a part of the first housing (210) and a lower portion that moves inside the second housing (220) according to the movement of the second housing (220), wherein the lower portion of the flexible display (230) comprises a first region including a pixel array, a first inorganic layer, a second inorganic layer, and a second region including an organic layer located between the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer, and a third region including a dam located below the first inorganic layer, the second inorganic layer, and the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer, wherein in the slide-in state, at least a part of the first region is in a bent state It is positioned, and in the slide-out state, at least a portion of the second region can be positioned in a bent state.

[0234] The third region can be positioned parallel to the upper portion without being bent in the slide-out state.

[0235] The device further includes a battery disposed in the second housing (220), and the third region may be disposed between the battery and the rear of the second housing (220) in the slide-out state.

[0236] The second region may be positioned between the battery and the rear surface of the second housing (220) in the slide-in state.

[0237] The area of ​​the second region above may be larger than the area of ​​the third region above.

[0238] The cross-sectional shape of the above dam may have a regular taper shape in which the width decreases from bottom to top.

[0239] The above dam includes a first dam (1211) and a second dam (1212), and the distance between the first dam (1211) and the second dam (1212) may be greater than the width of the first dam (1211) corresponding to the width of the cross-section of the first dam (1211).

[0240] The cross-sectional size of the first dam (1211) may differ from the cross-sectional size of the second dam (1212).

[0241] The above dam further includes a third dam (1213), and the cross-sectional size of the third dam (1213) may be different from the cross-sectional size of the first dam (1211).

Claims

1. In an electronic device (200), First housing (210); A second housing (220) movably coupled to the first housing (210) so that the electronic device (200) is variable between a slide-in state and a slide-out state; and A flexible display (230) comprising a bending portion (230b) disposed in the first housing (210) and the second housing (220), which moves according to the movement of the second housing (220) and bends to a predetermined radius of curvature, and The above flexible display (230) is, A display area (AA) where multiple pixels are activated, A first non-display area (NA11) extending from the display area (AA) in a first direction in which the flexible display (230) moves when the electronic device (200) changes from the slide-out state to the slide-in state, and It includes a second non-display area (NA12) extending in the first direction from the first non-display area (NA11), and The above first non-display area (NA11) is an area in which a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) is formed with a structure in which an organic layer (1252) is disposed between two inorganic layers (1251, 1253), and The above second non-display area (NA12) is an area where a thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) is formed with a structure in which the two inorganic layers (1251, 1253) are stacked, and The position of the bending portion (230b) on the flexible display (230) changes according to the state variation of the electronic device (200), and The second non-display area (NA12) is positioned so as not to be included in the bending portion (230b) regardless of the state of the electronic device (200). Electronic device.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) is, A first encapsulation layer (1251) including an inorganic layer, A second bag layer (1252) disposed on the first bag layer (1251) and including an organic layer, and a first bag region (TFE1) comprising a third bag layer (1253) disposed on the second bag layer (1252) and including an inorganic layer, and a second bag region (TFE2) disposed around the first bag region (TFE1) and including the first bag layer (1251) and the third bag layer (1253), The first packaging area (TFE1) is positioned to correspond to the display area (AA) and the first non-display area (NA11), and The second packaging region (TFE2) is positioned to correspond to the second non-display region (NA12), Electronic device.

3. In Paragraph 1, It further includes one or more dams (1211, 1212) disposed in the second non-display area (NA12), and The thin film encapsulation layer (TFE) covers one or more dams (1211, 1212), Electronic device.

4. In Paragraph 3, The one or more dams (1211, 1212) placed in the second non-display area (NA12) are, A first dam having a first width and a first height, and A second dam having a second width and a second height and spaced apart from the first dam at a predetermined distance, Electronic device.

5. In Paragraph 4, The one or more dams (1211, 1212) placed in the second non-display area (NA12) are, A third dam further comprising a third dam spaced apart from the second dam at a predetermined distance and having a third width and a third height, Electronic device.

6. In Paragraph 4, The first width, the second width, and the third width are identical, The first height and the second height are the same, Electronic device.

7. In Paragraph 4, The first width, the second width, and the third width are different from each other, The first height and the second height are different, Electronic device.

8. In Paragraph 4, The cross-sectional shapes of the first dam and the second dam are identical, Electronic device.

9. In Paragraph 4, The cross-sectional shapes of the first dam and the second dam are different, Electronic device.

10. In Paragraph 4, The cross-sectional size of the first dam is different from the cross-sectional size of the second dam. Electronic device.

11. In Paragraph 4, Each of the above-mentioned first dam and the above-mentioned second dam has a regular taper shape in which the width decreases from bottom to top. Electronic device.

12. In Paragraph 4, The above flexible display (230) is, It further includes a third non-display area (NA3, NA4) extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction from the above display area (AA), and The number of one or more dams placed in the third non-display area (NA3, NA4) is less than the number of one or more dams (1211, 1212) placed in the second non-display area (NA12). Electronic device.

13. In Paragraph 3, Further comprising a peel-prevention dam (2010) disposed at the outer edge of one or more dams (1211, 1212) in the second non-display area (NA12) and covering the end of the thin film encapsulation layer (TFE). Electronic device.

14. In Paragraph 13, Further comprising a crack prevention dam (2110) disposed on the outer edge of the peeling prevention dam (2010) in the second non-display area (NA12) and having a smaller size than the peeling prevention dam (2010). Electronic device.

15. In Paragraph 14, The adhesive strength of the material included in the crack-prevention dam (2110) is greater than the adhesive strength of the material included in the peel-prevention dam (2010). Electronic device.

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