Foldable Display Support Plate Layout for Stress-Resistant Bending

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional flexible displays in mobile devices face issues with poor hardness, surface collapse, and insufficient structural support, leading to difficulties in folding and potential display defects like black spots or bright lines due to stress concentration.

Innovation Solution

A display module with a support structure comprising multiple metal plates, each with strategically designed elongated through holes, providing balanced flexibility and strength to prevent surface collapse and stress-induced display defects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a support sheet is made relatively thick to provide sufficient structural strength, then the support strength is improved, but the flexible display cannot bend properly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport strengthVSAvoidbending capability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The support sheet is divided into multiple support ribs that are arranged in a specific pattern. This segmentation allows the support sheet to maintain overall structural strength while creating localized flexible regions between the ribs, enabling the display to bend without compromising support capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The support sheet has different structural properties in different regions: the support ribs provide high strength and rigidity where support is needed, while the regions between ribs have lower density and provide flexibility for bending. This local variation in quality resolves the contradiction between overall strength and local flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If a support sheet is made relatively thin to enable folding, then the bending capability is improved, but the structural strength becomes insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefolding capabilityVSAvoidstructural strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the thin support sheet into multiple support ribs, the structure gains localized strength where needed while maintaining overall thinness and flexibility. The ribs act as load-bearing elements that prevent collapse without requiring the entire sheet to be thick.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The support sheet combines materials with different properties: a base material providing flexibility and thinness, and reinforcing elements (support ribs) providing structural strength. This composite approach allows the support sheet to be both thin for folding and strong for support.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Stability of the object's composition

If a conventional support sheet is used, then surface collapse is prevented, but stress concentration occurs causing display defects like black spots or bright lines

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface flatnessVSAvoidstress concentration
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The support function is segmented into multiple distributed support ribs rather than a continuous solid sheet. This segmentation distributes the support force across multiple points, reducing stress concentration at any single location while maintaining surface flatness through collective support.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The support sheet has a porous or lattice-like structure with voids between support ribs. This porous structure reduces overall stiffness and allows stress to be distributed more evenly, preventing the stress concentration that causes display defects while still maintaining surface flatness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Data Source

PatentEP4087221B1Display module and electronic device
Publication Date: 2026.03.11 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4087221B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4087221B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4087221B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This application provides a display module and an electronic device. The display module includes a display and a support. The support is fastened to a non-display side of the display. A first metal plate is disposed facing a first non-bending region. A second metal plate is disposed facing a bending region. A third metal plate is disposed facing a second non-bending region. The second metal plate can be bent. At least two first elongated through hole groups of the second metal plate are arranged in a first direction. Each first elongated through hole of each first elongated through hole group extends in the first direction. A plurality of first elongated through holes in a same first elongated through hole group are arranged at intervals in a second direction. In the first direction, a sum of lengths of a first end part and a second end part of the first elongated through hole is less than a length of the middle part of the first elongated through hole. In the second direction, widths of the first end part and the second end part are both greater than a width of the middle part. The display module and the electronic device have the support that is easily folded and has sufficient support strength.