Foldable Display Expansion Member for Folded State Stability

An expansion member is pre-installed within a pouch in the folding part of the display panel. When external forces are applied to the folded display panel, the expansion member expands (in response to stimulation such as humidification, heating, or pressurization) to provide internal support and counteract the external forces, preventing damage to the display panel. This beforehand cushioning mechanism resolves the contradiction by preparing protective capacity in advance without compromising the foldable structure's flexibility.

The protection film is selectively removed only in the folding part to the necessary depth to enable folding, while maintaining integrity in other areas. Simultaneously, an expansion member is installed specifically in this localized thin film zone. This local quality approach allows the folding area to have different properties (removable/thinner protection film for flexibility) while the expansion member provides localized strength enhancement exactly where needed, resolving the contradiction between ease of folding and structural strength.

The expansion member is integrated within a pouch that is positioned in the thin film zone of the folding part, merging the support function with the existing folding structure. The pouch itself serves as both a containment structure and a support element when expanded. This merging approach provides the necessary stability against external forces while minimizing additional complexity by combining multiple functions into integrated components rather than adding separate independent systems.