Flexible Display Support Member Thickness Variation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to minimize the floating movement of a driving unit in display devices before a bending process, which is crucial for maintaining the structural integrity and functionality of flexible display devices.
Innovation Solution
A display device design featuring a flexible substrate with specific bent portions and a support member with varying thicknesses, where the support member's thickness is reduced in areas overlapping the bent portions to minimize stress and floating during the bending process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a uniform thickness support member is used, then the support structure is simple to manufacture, but floating movement occurs during bending process
Solution Approach 1:
The support member employs varying thickness across different regions: thinner in bent portions to reduce stress and floating movement, and thicker in flat portions to maintain structural support. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by optimizing each region's thickness according to its functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is divided into multiple regions with different thickness characteristics: first and second bent portions with reduced thickness, and flat portions with greater thickness. This segmentation allows each region to perform its specific function optimally while reducing overall floating movement during bending.
2Reliability
If the support member thickness is reduced in bent portions, then floating movement is minimized, but the support member becomes more complex to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The thickness parameter of the support member is varied across different regions to control floating movement. By changing the thickness parameter from uniform to gradient distribution, the patent minimizes stress concentration and floating movement during bending while maintaining manufacturability.
3Strength
If a thicker support member is used, then structural strength is improved, but floating movement increases during bending
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the support member have different thicknesses optimized for their specific functions: thicker in flat portions for strength and support, thinner in bent portions to reduce floating movement. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between overall strength and local floating control.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is segmented into regions with different thickness characteristics, allowing the flat portions to provide structural strength while the bent portions minimize floating movement. This segmentation enables simultaneous optimization of both strength and floating control.
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes: a flexible substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, where the flexible substrate includes an upper surface portion extending along a first direction, a first bent portion connected to the upper surface portion, a first side portion connected to the first bent portion, a second bent portion connected to the first side portion, a second side portion connected to the second bent portion, a third bent portion connected to the second side portion, and a lower surface portion connected to the third bent portion; and a support member disposed on the second surface of the flexible substrate, where a portion of the support member disposed to overlap the second bent portion has a thickness less than a thickness of a portion disposed on the first side portion and a thickness of a portion disposed on the second side portion.