Flexible Window Member with Stepped Thickness for Display Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible display devices face challenges in maintaining sufficient strength while ensuring flexibility, as external pressure from user interaction can cause distortion or damage due to the thinness required for bending capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A flexible display device design featuring a window member with a stepped or curved portion of reduced thickness, allowing for deformation during opening/closing operations, and a reinforcing layer to compensate for image quality deviations caused by non-uniform thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the thickness of the window member is increased to enhance mechanical strength and protect the display element, then the strength and protection capability are improved, but the flexibility of the window member deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The window member is designed with non-uniform thickness distribution, featuring a first region with greater thickness for enhanced mechanical strength and protection, and a second region with lesser thickness for improved flexibility and deformation capability. This local differentiation allows each region to perform its specific function optimally without compromising the overall performance of the window member.
2Reliability
If the thickness of the window member is increased to prevent external pressure transfer, then the protection capability is improved, but the flexibility required for folding operations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The window member implements spatially varying thickness where the first region (with greater thickness) provides reliable protection against external pressure and physical damage, while the second region (with lesser thickness) enables the necessary flexibility for folding and bending operations. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between protection and adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the window member is made thinner to maintain flexibility, then the flexibility is improved, but the mechanical strength and protection capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than uniformly thinning the window member, the invention applies local quality by creating a thickness gradient where the first region maintains greater thickness for mechanical strength while the second region is thinner for flexibility. This selective thinning preserves strength where needed while achieving flexibility where required.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the window member has non-uniform thickness to enable deformation, then the flexibility is improved, but image quality uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The non-uniform thickness distribution is strategically designed to affect primarily the mechanical properties while minimizing optical interference. The thickness variation is concentrated in regions where it serves the deformation function, and the overall optical path is maintained sufficiently uniform to preserve image quality, achieving a balance between adaptability and manufacturing precision.
Data Source
AI summary
An example display device includes a display element having at least one portion which can be changed into a curved shape; and a flexible window member stacked onto the display element, wherein the thickness of a portion of the window member is less than that of the other portions.