Flexible Display Back Cover with Opening Patterns for Stress Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Flexible display panels face durability issues due to their thin and lightweight design, making them prone to damage from external forces, which compromises their reliability and stability.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a back cover with a lightweight and high-strength material, such as glass fiber reinforced plastics or carbon fiber reinforced plastics, and designing a modular flexible display device with a back cover that includes strategically placed opening patterns to reduce stress concentration and maintain flexibility, along with a step compensation layer to ensure a flat surface and prevent adhesive leakage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If the flexible display panel is made thinner and lighter, then portability and design aesthetics are improved, but physical durability is lowered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweight of display panelVSAvoidphysical durability
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The back cover is segmented into multiple regions (first region, second region, and third region between them) with different structural characteristics. The third region contains opening patterns that reduce thickness, while the first and second regions maintain greater thickness for strength, creating a segmented structure that balances portability and durability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The back cover exhibits local quality variations through different thickness regions. The third region has reduced thickness with opening patterns for flexibility and portability, while the first and second regions maintain greater thickness for structural strength and durability, allowing each local area to optimize for its specific function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If the flexible display panel is made thinner, then flexibility and bendability are improved, but resistance to external force is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovebendabilityVSAvoidresistance to external force
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The back cover is divided into functional segments: the third region with opening patterns provides flexibility and bendability, while the first and second regions with greater thickness provide structural support and resistance to external forces, allowing the structure to be both flexible and strong

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The first and second regions with greater thickness act as protective buffers that cushion and absorb external forces before they reach the thinner, more flexible third region, providing beforehand protection against damage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentEP3301506B1Flexible display device
Publication Date: 2020.01.08 LG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP3301506B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3301506B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3301506B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A flexible display device is disclosed. The flexible display device includes a flexible display panel and a back cover disposed on a back surface of the flexible display panel and having a plurality of opening patterns provided in the third region. The plurality of opening patterns include opening patterns arranged in odd-numbered columns along the first direction and opening patterns arranged in even-numbered columns along the first direction. Each of the opening patterns includes a first portion having a width becoming smaller in a second direction intersecting with the first direction as the first portion progresses along the first direction and a second portion extending from the first portion and having a width becoming greater in the second direction as the second portion progresses along the first direction.