Foldable Display Substrate Protrusion Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Foldable display devices face challenges in maintaining durability and preventing sagging due to opening patterns in the folding area, which can lead to visibility issues and reduced folding characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A foldable display device design featuring a first support substrate with opening patterns and a second support substrate with protrusion patterns that are smaller in size, inserted into the opening patterns, to enhance durability and reduce sagging, while minimizing interference and friction during folding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If opening patterns are formed in the folding area to improve flexibility, then folding characteristics are enhanced, but durability is reduced and sagging occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The support substrate is segmented into multiple regions: a first support substrate with opening patterns for flexibility, and a second support substrate with protrusion patterns for structural integrity. This segmentation allows each substrate to perform its specialized function - the first substrate provides folding flexibility through openings while the second substrate maintains durability through protrusions that prevent sagging and reinforce the folding area.
Solution Approach 2:
The second support substrate with protrusion patterns is positioned within and nested against the first support substrate with opening patterns. The protrusions fit into the opening patterns, creating a nested structure where the smaller second substrate is embedded within the larger first substrate's opening regions, combining both flexibility and strength.
2Ease of operation
If opening patterns are formed in the folding area, then flexibility is improved, but opening patterns become visible and display quality degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The second support substrate with protrusion patterns acts as an intermediary element between the first support substrate's opening patterns and the display panel. The protrusions fill and mask the opening patterns from the display side, preventing the openings from being visible through the display panel while still allowing the openings to provide flexibility for folding.
3Reliability
If protrusion patterns are inserted into opening patterns, then durability is improved, but friction and interference during folding increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusion patterns are designed with specific local characteristics - their sizes are smaller than the opening patterns, creating localized contact points rather than full-area contact. This local quality approach reduces the contact area and friction between the substrates during folding, allowing durability to be improved without significantly increasing folding resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable display device includes a display panel including a folding area and non-folding areas on both sides of the folding area in a folding direction; a first support substrate configured to support the display panel under the display panel and including a plurality of opening patterns corresponding to the folding area; and a second support substrate between the display panel and the first support substrate and including a plurality of protrusion patterns protruding to be inserted into the plurality of opening patterns. Sizes of the plurality of protrusion patterns are smaller than sizes of the corresponding plurality of opening patterns. Therefore, it is possible to improve durability and prevent or at least reduce degradation of folding characteristics of the foldable display device.