Flexible Display Panel Bending Crack Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Flexible display panels based on organic light-emitting technology face defects and reliability issues when bent, particularly due to cracks in conductive lines at bent portions, leading to incorrect signal transmission and reduced performance.

Innovation Solution

The display panel design excludes conductive lines and inorganic insulating layers from bent areas, using a flexible substrate with polymer materials and an organic insulating layer to prevent cracks and defects during bending, ensuring uninterrupted signal transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conductive lines and inorganic insulating layers are included in bent areas of flexible display panel, then signal transmission and structural completeness are maintained, but cracks occur at bent portions leading to defects and reliability issues

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of flexible display panelVSAvoidstructural complexity of bent area
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes conductive lines and inorganic insulating layers from the bent area of the flexible display panel. This extraction eliminates the components that would otherwise crack during bending, thereby preventing defects and improving reliability without compromising the overall functionality of the display panel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different structural configurations to different areas of the display panel. The non-bent area maintains the complete structure with conductive lines and inorganic insulating layers for full functionality, while the bent area uses a simplified structure without these layers to prevent cracking. This local differentiation optimizes both reliability and functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If conductive lines are provided in bent portions to maintain signal transmission, then electrical connectivity is ensured, but cracks develop leading to incorrect signal transmission

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal transmission reliabilityVSAvoidcrack resistance at bent portion
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes conductive lines from the bent portion where they would be susceptible to cracking. By extracting these vulnerable components from the high-stress bent area, the patent prevents crack formation and ensures signal transmission reliability through alternative routing or design configurations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If inorganic insulating layers are included in bent areas to provide insulation, then electrical insulation is maintained, but cracks occur compromising insulating performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsulating performanceVSAvoidcrack resistance of insulating layer
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts inorganic insulating layers from the bent area where they would crack under bending stress. This removal prevents the development of cracks that would compromise insulating performance, thereby maintaining reliable electrical insulation without the vulnerability of rigid inorganic layers in flexible regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Adaptability or versatility

If flexible substrate with polymer materials is used to enable bending, then flexibility and bendability are achieved, but defects occur at bent portions due to structural weaknesses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflexibility of display panelVSAvoiddefect-free operation at bent portion
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality differentiation by configuring the bent area with a simplified structure that excludes conductive lines and inorganic insulating layers. This local adaptation allows the flexible substrate to bend without the structural weaknesses introduced by rigid components, thereby achieving both flexibility and defect-free operation at the bent portion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2811541B1Display panel and method of manufacturing the same
Publication Date: 2019.09.18 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP2811541B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2811541B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A display panel includes a substrate including a first area, a second area forming a predetermined angle with the first area, and a first bending area between the first area and the second area, a first display unit and a first embedded circuit unit in the first area of the substrate, and a second display unit and a second embedded circuit unit in the second area of the substrate.