Foldable Support With Recessed Metal Layers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current foldable display supports suffer from poor bending ability and creasing issues when flexible display panels are bent and restored, leading to peeling and irregular curling, especially in high-temperature environments.

Innovation Solution

A foldable support with multiple metal layers featuring recessed portions at the bending regions, a buffer structure between or within the layers, and varying materials for improved stress dispersion and independent bending radii, enhancing supportability and flatness restoration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a flexible substrate is used to enable folding display, then portability and large size expansion are achieved, but appearance defects such as creep and irregular curl occur in high temperature environments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefolding capabilityVSAvoidappearance stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The support structure is divided into multiple metal layers with different materials and thicknesses, allowing each layer to contribute differently to the overall performance. The segmentation enables the support to maintain structural integrity while accommodating folding movements without creasing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite metal layers including aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and copper alloy with different elastic moduli and thermal properties. This composite structure provides both flexibility for folding and stability against high-temperature deformation, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If a foldable support is provided on the back of flexible display panel to improve supportability, then structural stability is enhanced, but bending performance and flatness restoration deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesupportabilityVSAvoidbending performance

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Different regions of the support structure have different properties: the metal layers have varying thicknesses and materials optimized for their specific locations. This local quality optimization allows the support to provide maximum strength where needed while maintaining flexibility in bending regions, enabling both strong support and good bending performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent optimizes parameters such as metal layer thickness (ranging from thin to thick layers), material composition, and elastic modulus to achieve the desired balance between supportability and bending performance. By carefully controlling these parameters, the support structure can bear weight effectively while restoring flatness after folding.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple metal layers with different materials are used to match different functional requirements, then heat dissipation and electrical conductivity are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctional performanceVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The multi-layer metal structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: structural support, heat dissipation, electrical conductivity, and folding flexibility. Each metal layer contributes to different functional requirements, allowing a single integrated structure to replace multiple separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity despite the sophisticated material composition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution significantly improves the bending performance and flatness restoration of foldable supports, reducing peeling and creasing, while providing good heat dissipation and electrical conductivity, matching different functional requirements of flexible display panels.

Implementation Method 1

a buffer structure, which is located at at least one of the following positions: a position between two adjacent metal layers and a position in the plurality of recessed portions of the at least one of the at least two metal layers

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

the foldable support has good heat dissipation and electrical conductivity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

the foldable support has good heat dissipation and electrical conductivity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical conduction: Conduction (electrical)

Data Source

PatentUS11546986B2Foldable support and display device

Publication Date: 2023.01.03 BEIJING BOE TECH DEV CO LTD

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a foldable support, and a display device. The foldable support includes at least two metal layers, where at least one of the at least two metal layers is provided with a plurality of recessed portions at the at least one bending region; and a buffer structure located at at least one of the following positions: a position between two adjacent metal layers and a position in a plurality of the recessed portions of the at least one of the at least two metal layers.