Display Device Protective Layer with Variable Stiffness for Bending
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current display device manufacturing processes are complex and costly, particularly when attempting to create a bent shape for improved visibility and thinness, as existing methods do not efficiently simplify the manufacturing process or reduce costs.
Innovation Solution
A display device with a substrate featuring a bending area and a protective layer with varying material stiffness, where the protective layer includes a photo-curable material that can be selectively cured using ultraviolet light, allowing for easier bending and simplifying the manufacturing process by reducing material stiffness in specific areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a protective layer with uniform high stiffness is used to protect the display device, then the protective strength is improved, but the device becomes difficult to bend and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective layer is designed with spatially varying material stiffness: a first region with higher stiffness for protection and a second region with lower stiffness for bending. This local differentiation allows the same layer to provide both protective strength and bendability, eliminating the need for multiple separate layers or complex manufacturing processes.
2Ease of operation
If the material stiffness of the protective layer is reduced to enable bending, then the ease of bending is improved, but the protective strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the protective layer are assigned different material stiffness values tailored to their specific functions: the first region maintains high stiffness for protection, while the second region uses low stiffness material to facilitate bending operations, thereby resolving the contradiction between protection and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective layer is segmented into functionally distinct regions with different material properties. The first region provides structural protection while the second region enables bending, allowing each segment to optimize its performance for its specific purpose without compromising the other.
3Reliability
If conventional manufacturing processes are used for bent display devices, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the manufacturing cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The material stiffness parameter of the protective layer is changed spatially to match the functional requirements of different regions. By adjusting the material parameter (stiffness) rather than changing the overall structure or using complex assembly processes, the device maintains structural integrity while becoming easier and cheaper to manufacture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the display device to be easily bent while simplifying manufacturing processes and reducing costs by using a photo-curable protective layer with adjustable stiffness, allowing for more flexible production and improved device design.
Implementation Method 1
The photo-curable material may be a material that is curable by ultraviolet light
Implementation Method 2
a material stiffness of the photo-curable material at a temperature ranging from about 50 degrees Celsius (° C.) to about 100° C. may be lower than a material stiffness of the photo-curable material in the solid state at room temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A display device and a method of manufacturing the display device that is capable of easily bending the display device, simplifying manufacturing processes, and reducing manufacturing costs are provided. The display device includes a substrate including a bending area; a display element disposed on an upper surface of the substrate; and a protective layer disposed on a lower surface of the substrate. A portion of the protective layer that is disposed in the bending area has a material stiffness lower than a material stiffness of another portion of the protective layer.