Foldable Display Support Plate for Crease Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Foldable electronic devices often develop unsightly creases and reduced usability due to bending forces when unfolded, necessitating a solution to minimize bending deformation in folding areas.
Innovation Solution
A display device with a display module and a support plate, where extension parts of the display module's layers are coupled to the support plate, constraining the edge portion to reduce bending deformation during unfolding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a foldable display device is designed to provide a large display in a small package, then the device can be easily stored when not in use, but the folding area tends to bend and create creases in the display when unfolded
Solution Approach 1:
The display panel is divided into a folding area and non-folding areas, with the support plate providing segmented support structure. The support plate includes a first support area corresponding to the folding area and a second support area corresponding to the non-folding areas, creating localized support zones that prevent bending while maintaining the foldable design
Solution Approach 2:
A support plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the display panel and the housing. This support plate acts as a mediator that provides mechanical support to the folding area, preventing it from bending or deforming when the device is folded or stored, thereby maintaining display integrity without compromising the compact form factor
2Adaptability or versatility
If the folding area is made flexible to enable folding, then the device can be folded for storage, but bending forces cause creases and reduce usability when unfolded
Solution Approach 1:
The support plate provides localized support to specific areas of the display panel. The first support area is positioned at the folding area while the second support area is positioned at the non-folding areas, creating different mechanical properties in different locations. This allows the folding area to remain flexible for folding operations while the non-folding areas maintain structural integrity for usable display functionality
3Reliability
If extension parts of layers are coupled to the support plate, then bending deformation is reduced, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The support plate is integrated with the display panel structure by coupling extension parts of the layers to the support plate. This merging of components creates a unified structure where the support plate and display panel work together as a single assembly, providing bending resistance while minimizing the increase in overall structural complexity through functional integration
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a display device. The display device includes a display module and a support plate. The display module includes a display panel to display an image. The display module has a folding area folded with respect to a folding axis and a plurality of non-folding area adjacent to both sides of the folding area are defined on a plane. Additionally, the display module may include a plurality of layers disposed above and below the display panel. The support plate is disposed on a rear surface of the display module. An extension part of at least one layer of the plurality of layers may be coupled to the support plate.