Flexible Display Cover Structure for Crack-Free Folding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing flexible display apparatuses face challenges in transitioning from curved to foldable configurations due to cracks occurring at the edges when folded, limiting their applicability and durability.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a cover substrate with non-overlapping bending and folding parts, ensuring that bending areas do not overlap with folding lines, and includes a concave portion to prevent cracks, along with a flexible film and integrated driving circuits for seamless operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If both edges are bent at a certain curvature with respect to bending lines, then the display apparatus achieves curved display capability, but cracks occur in the edges when folded with respect to a folding line

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecurved display capabilityVSAvoidstructural integrity during folding
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The display apparatus is divided into distinct functional zones: a flat part for display, bending parts for curvature, and a folding part for folding operation. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function without interfering with others, preventing cracks by ensuring the folding operation does not occur in bent edge regions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the cover substrate are designed with different structural properties. The bending parts have specific curvature radii optimized for edge bending, while the folding part has a different curvature radius optimized for folding. This local differentiation allows the apparatus to achieve both curved display capability and foldability without structural failure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If the display apparatus is designed as a foldable configuration, then portability and versatility are improved, but cracks occur at the edges limiting durability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefoldable configurationVSAvoiddurability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The cover substrate is segmented into a folding part and bending parts with distinct functional roles. The folding part is specifically designed to handle folding operations while the bending parts maintain fixed curvature for edge display. This prevents stress concentration and crack formation by separating folding stress from bent edge regions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cover substrate is pre-formed with specific curvature radii in the bending parts before the folding operation. This preliminary shaping ensures that when folding occurs, the bent edges do not experience additional stress that would cause cracking, thereby pre-preventing durability issues

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3496170B1Flexible display apparatus
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 LG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP3496170B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3496170B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3496170B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

Disclosed is a flexible display apparatus in which a bending area bent with respect to a bending line disposed in a first direction is provided, and even when the flexible display apparatus is folded with respect to a folding line provided in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a crack does not occur. The flexible display apparatus includes a cover substrate and a display module disposed on a rear surface of the cover substrate to display an image. Also, the flexible display apparatus includes a flat part, a first bending part bent at a first curvature from a first side of the flat part with respect to a first bending line, and a folding part folded with respect to a folding line. The folding part does not overlap the first bending part.