Flexible Display Assembly With Rounded Support Protrusions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible substrates used in flat panel displays are vulnerable to external forces such as scratches and friction, limiting their application on non-planar surfaces and making them prone to breakage.
Innovation Solution
A display assembly comprising a flexible substrate with a supporting layer featuring protrusions with rounded corners and tapering sections, which provide structural support and reduce friction, allowing the display to be bent and rolled while maintaining functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If flexible substrates are used to replace glass substrates, then flexibility and adaptability to non-planar surfaces are improved, but vulnerability to external forces such as scratches and friction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining the flexible substrate with a supporting layer made of different materials having complementary properties. The supporting layer includes protrusions with rounded corners that provide mechanical strength and resistance to external forces while maintaining the overall flexibility of the display assembly. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by integrating materials with different characteristics to achieve both flexibility and durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting layer with protrusions acts as a preemptive protective structure that cushions the flexible substrate against external forces before damage can occur. The rounded corners of the protrusions are designed to distribute and absorb impact forces, preventing scratches and friction damage to the flexible substrate while maintaining its flexibility for bending and conforming to surfaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If flexible substrates are used to enable bending and folding, then adaptability to diverse surfaces is improved, but structural strength and resistance to breakage deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting layer features protrusions with specific local qualities - rounded corners and tapered sections - that are strategically positioned to provide localized structural reinforcement. These protrusions concentrate strength where needed while allowing other areas to remain flexible, enabling the display to bend and fold without compromising overall structural integrity. This local quality approach resolves the contradiction by providing strength precisely where required rather than uniformly throughout the entire structure.
3Reliability
If a supporting layer with protrusions is added to the flexible substrate, then structural support and durability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting layer is segmented into multiple protrusions rather than being a continuous solid structure. This segmentation provides several benefits: it maintains flexibility in the gaps between protrusions, reduces material usage, simplifies manufacturing processes, and allows the structure to bend more easily while still providing reinforcement where needed. The segmented approach resolves the contradiction by achieving durability through distributed support rather than a monolithic complex structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible electronic assembly includes an electronic component, a flexible substrate and a supporting layer. The flexible substrate includes a first surface coupled to the electronic component and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The supporting layer is coupled to the second surface, and the supporting layer includes a plurality of protrusions. In a plan view of the flexible electronic assembly, one of the plurality of protrusions includes at least a rounded corner.