Flexible Electro-Optic Display Edge Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible electro-optic displays face challenges in sealing to prevent moisture and environmental contaminants, as existing edge seals impart rigidity and are not suitable for flexible displays, necessitating the development of a new sealing method that maintains flexibility while ensuring barrier properties.
Innovation Solution
The use of an overlapped sealing material (OSM) approach, where a flexible backplane with a lamination adhesive layer, electro-optic material, and a front substrate with a thin ITO layer are sealed with a curable edge seal material that overlaps the front surface, providing mechanical durability and barrier properties without rigidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional edge seal materials are used to seal flexible electro-optic displays, then moisture and environmental contaminants are prevented from entering, but the display loses its flexibility and becomes rigid
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is divided into multiple functional layers: a flexible substrate layer that maintains display flexibility, a barrier layer that provides moisture protection, and an adhesive layer that bonds the components. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function without compromising the overall flexibility of the display.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs thin film structures for the sealing material that can bend and flex with the display while maintaining their barrier properties. The flexible substrate and thin adhesive layers enable the seal to conform to the flexible display without restricting its movement or flexibility.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If existing edge seal structures are applied to flexible displays, then environmental protection is achieved, but mechanical durability is compromised due to rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the physical parameters of the sealing material, specifically using materials with appropriate thickness, flexibility, and adhesive properties. The thin film structure and selected material composition allow the seal to provide environmental protection while maintaining mechanical durability through flexibility rather than rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system uses composite material construction with multiple layers including flexible substrate, barrier material, and adhesive layers. This composite structure combines the advantages of different materials to achieve both environmental protection and mechanical durability suitable for flexible displays.
3Reliability
If rigid sealing methods are used to ensure barrier properties, then moisture ingress is prevented, but the display cannot be flexed or rolled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes flexible thin film structures for the sealing layers that can bend and flex with the display. These thin films maintain their moisture barrier properties while allowing the display to be flexed or rolled, enabling portable and flexible display applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system is designed to be dynamic rather than static, allowing it to flex and move with the display during operation. The flexible layers can accommodate bending and rolling movements while maintaining their protective function, making the display adaptable to different operational states.
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
This solution effectively seals flexible electro-optic displays, preventing moisture ingress while maintaining flexibility, and offers improved mechanical durability and barrier properties compared to traditional edge seals.
Implementation Method 1
a curable edge seal material, such as an overlapped sealing material (OSM) that extends from the peripheral portion of the backplane to the front surface of the barrier layer and overlaps a peripheral portion of the front surface of the barrier layer
Implementation Method 2
a lamination adhesive layer
Implementation Method 3
an optically clear adhesive
Implementation Method 4
a front substrate with a thin ITO layer
Data Source
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AI summary
Various types of edge seals for protecting electro-optic displays against environmental contaminants are described. In one type of seal, the electro-optic layer (106) is sandwiched between a backplane (102') and a protective sheet (310), and a sealing material (figure 4, element 416) extends between the backplane and the protective sheet. In other seals, the protective sheet (210/310) is secured to the backplane (figure 3, element 102') or to a second protective sheet (214) adjacent the backplane. The electro-optic layer (606) can also be sealed between two layers of adhesive (figure 7, element 620, 104) or between one layer of adhesive (figure 8, element 620) and the backplane (102). Other seals make use of flexible tapes (1230) extending around the periphery of the display.