Flexible Display Housing Elastic Support Stress Absorption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional smartwatches have limited display size, making it inconvenient to carry large smartphones and increasing the risk of loss or damage, as well as limiting the ability to immediately recognize incoming calls or messages due to their small screens.

Innovation Solution

A flexible display module housing with an elastic support body and flexible pads that absorb stress and restore the display to its original state, allowing for a larger screen area and preventing wrinkle generation, featuring a combination of elastic materials and a pop-up structure for enhanced durability and usability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of moving object

If the display size is increased to provide more screen area for information display and visual content, then the screen area is improved, but the device becomes more difficult to carry and wear comfortably on the wrist

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay screen areaVSAvoidwearability and portability

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a flexible display module that can be bent and conform to the wrist shape, allowing a larger display area to be integrated into a wearable form factor. The flexible display module includes a flexible substrate and display elements that maintain functionality when bent, resolving the contradiction between large screen area and wearability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates an elastic support body that dynamically adjusts to stress applied to the flexible display module. When the device is worn or manipulated, the elastic support body deforms to absorb stress and then restores the display module to its original state, enabling the device to adapt to various wearing conditions while maintaining a large display area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If the flexible display module is made more flexible to enable wrist wearability, then the ease of wearing is improved, but the durability and resistance to damage is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility for wrist wearingVSAvoiddurability and damage resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite structure consisting of the flexible display module combined with an elastic support body. This composite design integrates the flexibility of the flexible display with the durability and stress-absorbing properties of the elastic support body, resolving the contradiction between flexibility for wearability and durability for damage resistance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The elastic support body acts as a pre-configured cushioning mechanism that is always present to protect the flexible display module. When external stress or impact occurs, the elastic support body absorbs and dissipates the energy before it can damage the display module, thereby maintaining durability while preserving flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the flexible display module is repeatedly bent and deformed during wear, then the adaptability to wrist movement is improved, but wrinkle generation and display quality degradation occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to wrist movementVSAvoiddisplay surface flatness and wrinkle-free state

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The elastic support body possesses self-restoring properties that automatically return the flexible display module to its original flat state after deformation. When the device is bent during wrist movement, the elastic support body deforms with it, then spontaneously restores the display module when the bending force is removed, maintaining display quality without external intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The elastic support body dynamically responds to the bending and deformation caused by wrist movement, absorbing the mechanical stress and then actively restoring the flexible display module to its original configuration. This dynamic behavior allows the device to adapt to wrist movement while preventing permanent deformation or wrinkle formation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 flexible display module housing provides a significantly expanded screen area compared to conventional smartwatches, ensuring strong durability and preventing wrinkle formation, enabling users to search information and view visual content like movies while maintaining comfort and visibility.

Implementation Method 1

an elastic support body joined to a lower surface of the flexible display module and configured to absorb a stress acting on the flexible display module and to restore the flexible display module to an original state of the flexible display module

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS11706881B2Flexible display module housing

Publication Date: 2023.07.18 KIM JUNG YOUNG

AI summary

A flexible display module housing is proposed. The flexible display module housing includes a flexible display module, and an elastic support body joined to a lower surface of the flexible display module and configured to absorb a stress acting on the flexible display module and to restore the flexible display module to an original state of the flexible display module.