Flexible Display Touch Sensing Layer and Light Guide Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional display devices face challenges in achieving both optical design and bending properties due to the brittleness of indium tin oxide in touch sensing layers and mismatched surface properties between light guide plates and adhesive layers, limiting their flexibility and applicability in large-sized, bendable products.
Innovation Solution
A display device design that integrates a touch sensing layer directly onto a base layer, eliminating adhesive materials between the touch sensing layer and the display panel, and using a light guide plate made of thermoplastic polyurethanes with a hard coating and anti-glare layers, which are integrated without adhesives, to enhance flexibility and reduce thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If indium tin oxide is used as transparent conductive film in touch sensing layer, then electrical conductivity and transparency are achieved, but brittleness increases and bending resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from indium tin oxide to conductive polymer or metal nanoparticle composites, which fundamentally alters the mechanical properties while maintaining electrical conductivity. This material substitution enables the touch sensing layer to be flexible and bendable while retaining its electrical functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials such as conductive polymer matrices combined with metal nanoparticles or carbon materials to create a touch sensing layer that simultaneously achieves good electrical conductivity and flexibility. The composite structure allows the material to bend without the brittleness associated with conventional ITO.
2Strength
If adhesive layer is used to attach light guide plate to cover plate, then bonding strength is achieved, but surface property mismatch occurs and bending resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the light guide plate and cover plate into a single integrated component made of the same or compatible material, eliminating the need for adhesive layers. This integration ensures that the entire assembly has uniform mechanical properties and can bend together without surface property mismatches or adhesive-related rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses homogeneous materials for both the light guide plate and cover plate, ensuring that their physical and mechanical properties match. This homogeneity eliminates the surface property mismatch problem and allows the assembly to bend uniformly without the constraints imposed by adhesive layers.
3Strength
If multiple adhesive layers are used in display device assembly, then bonding between components is achieved, but device complexity increases and fabrication process becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple components into integrated modules where adhesive layers are eliminated. For example, the touch sensing layer is integrated with the base layer, and the light guide plate is integrated with the cover plate, reducing the number of assembly steps and adhesive application processes required in fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes adhesive layers from the assembly structure, replacing them with direct mechanical integration or interference fits. This elimination of adhesive layers simplifies the fabrication process by removing steps related to adhesive application, curing, and quality control, while still maintaining component bonding through alternative means.
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes a base layer, a touch sensing layer, a light guide module and a display panel. The touch sensing layer is disposed on the base layer. The light guide module is disposed on the touch sensing layer. The touch sensing layer is located between the light guide module and the display panel, and the touch sensing layer and one of the light guide module and the display panel have no adhesive material therebetween.