Flexible Touch Display Panel Segmented Electrode Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bendable touch devices face issues with touch electrodes breaking at fixed bending positions, leading to malfunction when fissures appear, and the trade-off between large screens and portability is unresolved.
Innovation Solution
A touch display panel design featuring a bending section with a grid-shaped metal layer, an organic layer, and additional metal lines that form a diamond pattern, enhancing the bending ability and durability by intersectionally connecting metal layers, and including a protective layer to prevent electrode damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed bending position is used to enable bending, then the device can be folded for portability, but the touch electrode is prone to breaking at the bending section
Solution Approach 1:
The touch electrode in the bending section is divided into multiple independent metal line segments spaced apart from each other. These segments are connected through the organic layer and additional metal lines, allowing the electrode to be segmented rather than continuous. This segmentation prevents fissure propagation across the entire electrode when bending occurs, resolving the contradiction between enabling bending and preventing electrode breakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a multi-layer structure with metal lines in different dimensions and orientations (first metal lines parallel to bending centerline, second metal lines perpendicular forming a grid). This dimensional complexity creates redundant connection paths, so when one path is damaged by bending, alternative paths remain intact, maintaining reliability while enabling adaptability.
2Reliability
If a continuous metal line is used for touch electrode, then the electrical connection is good, but the fissure spreads to the entire electrode causing malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous metal line is replaced with multiple discrete metal line segments spaced apart from each other in the bending section. Each segment is independently connected to the ITO layer and to adjacent segments through the organic layer and additional metal lines. This segmentation isolates potential fissures to individual segments, preventing propagation to the entire electrode while maintaining electrical connection through the segmented path.
Solution Approach 2:
The organic layer and additional metal lines serve as intermediaries connecting the separated metal line segments. These intermediary elements provide alternative conduction paths that bridge the gaps between segments, ensuring electrical continuity is maintained even when direct metal-to-metal contact is avoided, thus preventing fissure propagation while preserving connection quality.
3Ease of manufacture
If the metal layer is simplified for ease of manufacture, then the production cost decreases, but the bending ability and durability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different metal layer configurations to different sections: the non-bending section uses a simpler grid structure, while the bending section employs the segmented multi-layer structure with additional metal lines. This local differentiation optimizes manufacturing complexity only where necessary (at the bending section) while maintaining overall manufacturing feasibility, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and bending durability.
Data Source
AI summary
A touch display panel is provided and includes a bending section and a non-bending section connecting to two sides of the bending section, the bending section includes a bending centerline; the touch display panel includes a plurality of first metal lines and a plurality of second metal lines in the bending section and the non-bending section; each of the first metal lines is parallel to the bending centerline; each of the second metal lines includes a plurality of second metal line segments spaced apart from each other, each of the second metal line segments is perpendicularly connected to one of the first metal lines; the first metal lines and the second metal lines form a grid-shaped first metal layer; the touch display panel further comprises an organic layer and a plurality of third metal lines in the bending section, the organic layer is disposed on the first metal layer.