Foldable Display Protective Layer Groove for Bending Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible display devices, particularly foldable display devices, face challenges in preventing damage to the bending area during folding and unfolding, which can lead to structural integrity issues and reduced durability.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a protective layer with a defined groove on the non-facing surface of the display panel and a functional layer, along with a release film, to enhance the bending area's durability and prevent damage during folding, and a method for manufacturing this structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective layer is applied on the bending area to protect from external damage, then protection against static electricity and physical damage is improved, but delamination may occur during folding and unfolding operations
Solution Approach 1:
The protective layer is segmented by forming a groove that divides it into multiple regions. This segmentation allows the protective layer to move independently in different zones during folding, reducing stress concentration and preventing delamination while maintaining protection against static electricity and physical damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove creates local quality differences in the protective layer, with the groove region having different mechanical properties (flexibility, stress distribution) compared to the solid protective layer regions. This local modification allows the protective layer to accommodate folding stresses without delaminating, while still providing protection in the non-groove areas.
2Strength
If the protective layer is made continuous and smooth to maintain structural integrity, then structural strength is improved, but damage to the bending area during folding cannot be prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The protective layer is divided into segments by the groove, allowing each segment to move independently during folding. This maintains the structural integrity of each segment while preventing stress concentration that would cause damage to the bending area, effectively resolving the contradiction between continuity and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove acts as a pre-designed stress relief feature that cushions the bending area before damage can occur. By anticipating the stress concentration during folding, the groove provides a controlled weakness that prevents catastrophic failure of the protective layer or underlying display panel.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the protective layer is closely attached to the functional layer to maintain stability, then structural stability is improved, but exposure to external static electricity cannot be prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The groove creates a local air gap between the protective layer and functional layer in specific regions. This local separation maintains overall structural stability while creating isolated zones that prevent direct contact between external static electricity and the functional layer, thereby providing electrostatic protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove introduces air as an intermediary medium between the protective layer and functional layer. This air gap acts as an insulator that blocks the transfer of static electricity while maintaining the structural relationship between the layers, preventing direct electrical contact.
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes a display panel including a first area including a pixel and at which the display panel is foldable, a second area on which a driver connected to the pixel is disposed, and a bending area between the first area and the second area and at which the display panel is bendable, a functional layer on the first area, and a protective layer on the bending area, a groove is defined in one surface of the protective layer, which does not face the display panel, and the groove is adjacent to the first area.