Flexible Display Support Hinges That Block Reverse Bending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flexible display panels face issues with portability and reliability when bent in unintended directions, leading to potential damage and decreased visibility, and there is a need for a support that allows controlled bending without compromising functionality.
Innovation Solution
A flexible component support system with specific joint structures, including hinges and columnar bodies, allows controlled bending in one direction while preventing unintended bending, incorporating a display panel that can be folded and unfolded smoothly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the display panel is made flexible to improve portability, then the device can be folded for compact carrying, but the display panel may be damaged when bent in unintended directions
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into multiple joints (first joint and second joint) with an overlap region, creating segmented sections that can independently control bending. Each joint includes columnar bodies that guide bending in specific directions, preventing unintended bending while allowing controlled folding for portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure acts as an intermediary between the flexible display panel and the external environment. It provides a controlled bending interface through its joint mechanism, allowing the panel to fold safely in intended directions while blocking harmful bending forces from unintended directions.
2Reliability
If the display panel is designed to prevent bending in opposite direction to protect reliability, then the display panel is protected from damage, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure utilizes thin-walled columnar bodies with specific geometric shapes that inherently resist bending in certain directions while allowing bending in intended directions. This passive structural design prevents unintended bending without requiring complex active control mechanisms, reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The columnar bodies are designed with asymmetric cross-sections that provide different mechanical properties in different directions. This asymmetry allows the structure to be flexible in the intended folding direction while being rigid in unintended directions, achieving protection without complex mechanisms.
3Reliability
If the hinge opening angle is limited to approximately 180 degrees to control bending, then the display visibility is maintained, but the device loses flexibility in positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure provides dynamic positioning capability within the 180-degree opening angle constraint. The overlapping joint design allows smooth continuous adjustment of the bending angle, enabling the display to be positioned at various angles while maintaining visibility and preventing damage from exceeding 180 degrees.
Data Source
AI summary
A support for supporting a flexible component is provided. A flexible component support can be folded without decreasing the reliability of the flexible component. The support has a region where two different hinges overlap each other, and bending operation in the region can be performed only in one direction from a flat surface state. Accordingly, even in the case where unintended bending stress is applied to the region in an opposite direction, the flexible component or the support can be protected. In addition, the two hinges can each include position correction mechanism, which enables stable bending operation.