Fiberglass Composite Cover for Foldable Displays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current cover substrates for flexible and foldable display screens face challenges in balancing flexibility, optical transparency, scratch resistance, puncture resistance, and thermal durability, often compromising on one or more of these characteristics to achieve others, leading to potential damage and failure of the display and device.

Innovation Solution

A fiberglass composite cover substrate with an optically transparent hard-coat layer that maintains flexibility and curvature while providing enhanced mechanical protection, including a fiberglass layer embedded in a matrix material and a polymeric top layer with refractive index matching for improved optical transparency and mechanical properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If flexible cover substrates are used to protect foldable display screens, then flexibility is improved, but mechanical durability (scratch resistance, puncture resistance) deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidmechanical durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining a flexible polymer substrate with a hard coating layer. The polymer substrate provides flexibility and bendability, while the hard coating layer (applied via CVD, PVD, or atomic layer deposition) provides scratch resistance and mechanical durability. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by integrating materials with complementary properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses thin film technology to deposit protective coatings on flexible substrates. The hard coating layer is applied as a thin film (nanometer to micrometer scale) that maintains the overall flexibility of the substrate while providing enhanced mechanical protection. The thin film structure allows the cover to bend without cracking while still offering protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Strength

If hard coatings are applied to improve mechanical durability, then scratch resistance is improved, but flexibility deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescratch resistanceVSAvoidflexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The hard coating is applied as an ultra-thin film structure that provides scratch resistance while minimizing impact on flexibility. The thin film nature (nanometer to micrometer scale) ensures that the coating protects the surface without creating a rigid structure that would prevent bending.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent controls the thickness, composition, and structural parameters of the hard coating layer to optimize the balance between scratch resistance and flexibility. By adjusting deposition parameters and layer thickness, the coating provides protection while maintaining the flexible characteristics needed for foldable displays.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If ultra-thin glass is used to achieve good bend radius, then flexibility is improved, but puncture resistance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebend radiusVSAvoidpuncture resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces ultra-thin glass with a composite structure consisting of a flexible polymer substrate and a hard coating layer. The polymer substrate provides excellent bendability and flexibility, while the hard coating layer compensates for the reduced puncture resistance by providing a protective barrier against penetration and mechanical damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 achieves a balance of flexibility, optical transparency, and mechanical resistance, preventing scratches, punctures, and impacts, with a bend radius of 3 mm or less, and a Pen Drop Test failure height of 7 cm or more, reducing the risk of damage to the display screen.

Implementation Method 1

the fiberglass layer may comprise a glass material having a first refractive index and the matrix material may have a second refractive index, and a difference between the first refractive index and the second refractive index is 0.05 or less

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentUS11709291B2Fiberglass composite cover for foldable electronic display and methods of making the same

Publication Date: 2023.07.25 CORNING INC

AI summary

Optically transparent fiber glass cover substrates for electronic displays. The cover substrates include an optically transparent fiberglass composite layer including a fiberglass layer embedded in a matrix material and an optically transparent hard-coat layer bonded to a top surface of the optically transparent fiberglass composite layer. A bottom surface of the optically transparent fiberglass composite layer may define a bottommost exterior surface of a cover substrate. The bottommost exterior surface of a cover substrate may be disposed over a display surface of an electronic display to protect the display surface from damage.