Flexible Display Metal Plate Buffer Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible display devices face challenges in achieving enhanced impact resistance while maintaining foldability without defects.
Innovation Solution
A flexible display device with a metal plate structure that includes a lower metal plate, an upper metal plate with a step portion, and spacers between the plates, which creates a buffer structure to absorb impacts and enhance resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid glass substrate is used, then impact resistance is improved, but foldability is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid glass substrate with a flexible substrate made of plastic or polymer material, enabling the display device to be bent and folded. This principle directly resolves the contradiction by using flexible materials that inherently provide both flexibility and sufficient mechanical strength for repeated folding operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a multi-layer composite structure including flexible substrate, buffer layer, and metal plate with specific configurations. The composite structure combines materials with different properties to achieve both foldability and impact resistance simultaneously, where each layer contributes specific functional characteristics.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible substrate is used, then foldability is improved, but impact resistance is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The metal plate is divided into multiple plates (first metal plate, second metal plate, third metal plate) with specific thickness variations and positioning. This segmentation allows different regions to serve different functions - providing impact resistance where needed while maintaining flexibility in folding areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements varying thickness in metal plates (first portion with greater thickness, second portion with lesser thickness) and positions spacers strategically at specific locations. This local quality approach ensures enhanced impact resistance at critical areas while maintaining overall flexibility and foldability of the device.
3Strength
If metal plate thickness is increased, then impact resistance is improved, but folding flexibility is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The metal plate structure includes a first portion with greater thickness and a second portion with lesser thickness. The greater thickness portion provides enhanced impact resistance, while the lesser thickness portion maintains flexibility for folding operations. This local variation in thickness resolves the contradiction between strength and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal plate is segmented into multiple plates with different thickness characteristics and positions. This segmentation allows the structure to provide robust impact protection in certain regions while remaining flexible enough to enable folding in other regions, resolving the thickness-flexibility contradiction.
4Strength
If spacers are added between metal plates, then impact resistance is improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
Spacers are introduced as intermediary elements positioned between metal plates at specific locations. These spacers create buffer spaces that enhance impact resistance by distributing and absorbing impact forces. The spacers are strategically positioned rather than uniformly distributed, balancing the complexity increase with significant functional benefit.
Data Source
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AI summary
According to an embodiment, a flexible display device includes: a display panel including pixels, wherein a folding area is defined in the display panel; and a metal plate disposed on a rear surface of the display panel, wherein the metal plate includes: a lower metal plate; an upper metal plate including a step portion; and a main spacer and a subspacer, which are disposed between the lower metal plate and the upper metal plate, wherein the subspacer overlaps the step portion in a plan view.