Borderless Display with Bulged Support Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in creating borderless electronic device displays is the constraint on thickness reduction due to the bend radius of flexible backplanes, which can cause damage to fragile elements like TFT traces, limiting the minimization of device thickness.
Innovation Solution
A support frame with a bulged periphery allows the flexible electrophoretic display structure to be curved without damaging elements, featuring a variable thickness cross-section that bulges at the outer portion to accommodate a larger radius of curvature, enabling a thinner center portion and maintaining display integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the flexible backplane is wrapped around an edge of the electronic device at a small radius of curvature to achieve a thinner device profile, then the device thickness is reduced, but the elements of the flexible backplane (e.g., TFT traces) can fracture or fail
Solution Approach 1:
The support frame introduces a third dimension (depth/thickness variation) to resolve the two-dimensional conflict between device thinness and bend radius. By creating a bulged periphery in the support frame, the display structure can wrap around with adequate radius while maintaining an ultra-thin overall profile, thus protecting TFT traces from fracture while achieving thin device dimensions
Solution Approach 2:
The support frame employs variable thickness with a bulged periphery, where different regions serve different functions: the thinned center portion enables overall device thinness while the bulged outer portion provides the necessary radius of curvature for safe wrapping of the flexible backplane, preventing trace fracture at critical edges
2Reliability
If a rigid backplane is used to maintain structural integrity, then display reliability is improved, but the device cannot achieve a borderless look and requires a substantial bezel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional rigid backplane with a flexible backplane that can be wrapped around the bulged periphery of the support frame. This flexible construction enables the display to extend to the edges of the device bezel, achieving a borderless appearance while the support frame's bulged periphery provides the necessary structural support and protection
Solution Approach 2:
The support frame acts as an intermediary structure between the flexible backplane and the device bezel. It provides the mechanical support and defined radius of curvature needed to protect the flexible backplane, while allowing the display to wrap around and reach the bezel edges, thus enabling borderless design without compromising integrity
Data Source
AI summary
A borderless display utilizes a support frame having a bulged periphery (or outer portion), and a flexible electrophoretic display (EPD) structure that is curved at least partly around the support frame. The bulged outer portion of the support frame allows the flexible EPD structure to be wrapped around the outer portion of the support frame without damaging elements of the EPD structure in the process. Meanwhile, the center portion of the support frame can be made thinner, as compared to the thickness of the support frame at the bulged, outer portion. In this manner, the overall profile (in the z-direction) of the electronic device can be made as thin as possible without damaging fragile elements in the EPD structure.