Flexible Display Metal Patterns With Wavy Double-Layer Structure

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Flexible display panels face stress concentration and breakage issues in bent regions due to unrelieved metal pattern stress, leading to reduced service life and signal transmission instability.

Innovation Solution

A flexible display panel design featuring a double-layer metal pattern structure with a wavy second metal layer pattern connected through contact holes in the bent regions, reducing stress and increasing reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If metal patterns are used in bent regions to achieve narrow-border/borderless display, then display quality is improved, but stress concentration causes cracks and breakages in metal patterns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay qualityVSAvoidmetal pattern integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The metal pattern is divided into multiple segments (first metal layer pattern and second metal layer pattern) separated by organic flat layers. This segmentation allows each layer to independently accommodate stress during bending, preventing crack propagation through the entire metal pattern structure while maintaining display quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a nested structure where the first metal layer pattern is embedded in the organic layer, followed by another organic flat layer, and then the second metal layer pattern. This nested arrangement allows stress to be distributed across multiple levels, with each organic layer acting as a stress buffer that protects the metal patterns from direct stress concentration during bending.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Adaptability or versatility

If metal patterns are continuously bent during use, then flexible display functionality is achieved, but stress cannot be released in time leading to increased resistance or failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflexible display functionalityVSAvoidsignal transmission stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a dynamic stress distribution system where the multi-layer structure allows different layers to deform at different rates during bending. The organic flat layers can dynamically absorb and release stress, enabling the metal patterns to maintain electrical connectivity even during continuous bending operations, thus ensuring signal transmission stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The organic flat layers are positioned beforehand between the metal layer patterns to serve as cushioning elements. These layers are designed to absorb stress before it can concentrate in the metal patterns, preventing stress accumulation that would lead to cracks or resistance increases during repeated bending cycles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentUS10825887B2Flexible display panel, flexible display device and method of manufacturing the flexible display panel
Publication Date: 2020.11.03 WUHAN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS SEMICONDUCTOR DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
  • US10825887B2 patent drawing
  • US10825887B2 patent drawing
  • US10825887B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The present invention discloses a flexible display panel, a flexible display device and a method of manufacturing the flexible display panel, the metal patterns of the bent region of the flexible display panel of the present invention has a double-layer structure, and the second metal layer pattern is designed with a wavy pattern, which can reduce the stress on the metal layer patterns during pad bending process, decrease the breakage probability of metal layer patterns in the bent region of the flexible display, and ensure the resistance stability of the metal layer patterns. Furthermore, the connection portion between the first metal layer pattern and the second metal layer pattern can improve the reliability, reduce the abnormal probability of display caused by the pattern breakage, and ensure normal signal transmission.