Flexible Display Winding Wire Stress Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible display devices face deformation issues due to repeated folding, particularly with wires and pixels, which are prone to mechanical damage from compressive and tensile stresses.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates flexible wires with optimized shapes, such as winding configurations and inclined pixel boundaries, to withstand stresses during folding, with features like longer wire lengths per unit area and branching wires to distribute stress effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If wires are formed in straight lines in the folding section, then manufacturing is simple, but the wires deform and break due to repeated folding stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by forming wires in winding configurations rather than straight lines. The wires extend in winding patterns that follow the curvature of the flexible substrate, allowing them to accommodate folding stresses without breaking. This is explicitly stated in the patent where wires are described as extending in 'winding configurations' and having 'wave-line shapes' to match the curved surface of the folded display device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the wires by forming them with varying lengths and winding patterns. The wires in the folding section have longer lengths per unit area compared to straight wires, and their paths are optimized to distribute stress. This parameter change allows the wires to withstand repeated folding while maintaining electrical connectivity.
2Ease of manufacture
If pixels are formed with straight boundaries in the folding section, then manufacturing is simple, but the pixels deform under compressive and tensile stresses from repeated folding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to pixel boundaries, forming them as curved lines rather than straight lines. The pixel boundaries follow the winding patterns and curvature of the flexible substrate in the folding section. This allows pixels to maintain their structural integrity and visual appearance even when the display is repeatedly folded and unfolded.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different boundary configurations to pixels in different sections of the display. Pixels in the folding section have curved boundaries that follow the winding wire patterns, while pixels in the flat section may have different configurations. This local adaptation ensures that each pixel region is optimized for its specific functional requirements.
3Reliability
If wires are formed with longer lengths per unit area in the folding section, then stress distribution is improved, but wire length and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the third dimension by forming wires in three-dimensional winding patterns that follow the curved surface of the flexible substrate. Rather than extending wires linearly across the folding section, they are routed through multiple dimensions, following the contours and folds of the display. This reduces the effective wire length needed while maintaining stress distribution benefits.
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible display device includes a folding section formed on a flexible substrate, a flat section connected to the folding section, and a display area for displaying an image, wherein the display area is formed on the folding section and the flat section, wherein each of the display areas of the folding section and the flat section includes a plurality of pixels and a plurality of wires for supplying electrical signals to the pixels, and wherein the wires in the display area of the folding section include a winding wire extending in a winding configuration on the flexible substrate.