Foldable Display Cover Glass With Localized Thickness Variation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic devices with displays face challenges in portability, leading to limited real estate for displays, and existing solutions do not adequately address impact resistance during drop events, which can result in damage to the display.
Innovation Solution
A foldable housing with a flexible display that includes a display cover layer made of glass with a locally thinned portion along the bend axis and enhanced thickness at corners and edges to absorb impact, along with a hinge mechanism that helps the device fold during drops to prevent flat impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the display cover layer is made of glass to ensure durability, then impact resistance is improved, but the ability to bend around the bend axis deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The glass display cover layer has non-uniform thickness: a first portion along the bend axis is thinner to allow bending, while a second portion away from the bend axis is thicker to provide impact resistance. This local variation in thickness enables the glass layer to simultaneously achieve flexibility where needed and durability where required.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the display cover layer is made thinner to enable bending, then folding capability is improved, but impact resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The display cover layer features localized thickness variation: the first portion along the bend axis is thinned to enable folding, while the second portion at the corners and edges maintains greater thickness to absorb impact forces during drop events.
Solution Approach 2:
The display cover layer is effectively segmented into different functional zones: a flexible zone along the bend axis with reduced thickness for folding, and a protective zone at the corners and edges with increased thickness for impact resistance.
3Illumination intensity
If the device is held flat during normal use, then display visibility is improved, but impact resistance during drop events deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism dynamically adjusts the display state: during normal use, the display remains flat for optimal visibility; during a drop event, the hinge enables the display to rapidly fold, transforming from a static flat state to a dynamic folded state to absorb impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism is pre-configured to enable rapid folding upon detection of a drop event, allowing the display to proactively assume a protective folded position before impact occurs, rather than remaining in the vulnerable flat position.
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable display may have a display cover layer and a flexible display panel. The foldable display may bend around a bend axis. The display panel may have an array of pixels configured to display an image through the display cover layer. The display cover layer may be formed from a layer of glass. A recess may be formed in the layer of glass that extends along the bend axis. The recess may form a flexible locally thinned portion in the layer of glass that allows the glass layer to bend about the bend axis. To ensure that the display cover layer exhibits satisfactory impact resistance during drop events, corner portions of the display cover layer and other edge portions of the display cover layer may be provided with greater thickness relative to other portions of the display cover layer outside of the locally thinned portion.