Foldable Display Window Groove Machining for Stress Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional display apparatuses face challenges in creating a foldable window that can withstand bending without damage and maintain image quality, as existing substrates are prone to breakage and image distortion due to thickness and curvature issues.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method involving a substrate with a foldable part and a flat part, where the foldable part is machined using multiple abrasive wheels to form a groove with specific radii of curvature, reducing thickness and enhancing foldability while minimizing image distortion by using a buffering member to attach the display panel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the substrate thickness is reduced to enable folding, then foldability is improved, but the substrate becomes more prone to breakage and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is divided into a flat part and a foldable part with different thicknesses. The foldable part has reduced thickness to enable bending, while the flat part maintains original thickness for durability. This segmentation allows the substrate to be folded without compromising overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the substrate have different thickness properties. The foldable part is locally thinned to achieve flexibility, while the flat part retains full thickness for strength. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between foldability and durability by applying thickness reduction only where needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the substrate is ground to form a groove with small radius of curvature, then foldability is improved, but image distortion becomes more visible
Solution Approach 1:
The groove is formed only in the foldable part of the substrate, not in the entire substrate. This localized groove formation allows the foldable part to bend smoothly with small radius of curvature while the flat part remains flat and free of grooves, preventing image distortion in the visible display area.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is segmented into flat and foldable parts, with the groove formation process applied selectively to the foldable part. This segmentation enables differential treatment: the foldable part receives aggressive grooving for flexibility, while the flat part is preserved for optical quality.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple machining wheels are used to grind the foldable part, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The machining process is segmented into multiple sequential steps, each using a different machining wheel with specific characteristics. The first machining wheel creates the initial groove shape, the second wheel refines the dimensions, and the polishing wheel achieves final surface quality. This segmentation of the manufacturing process enables high precision while keeping each individual machining step relatively simple.
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 method enables a foldable window that prevents damage upon bending and maintains image quality by concentrating stress on the foldable part and securing impact resistance, while optimizing groove dimensions to prevent visible image distortion.
Implementation Method 1
grinding the foldable part by using a first machining wheel including first abrasive grains
Implementation Method 2
grinding the foldable part by using a second machining wheel including second abrasive grains that are less than the first abrasive grains
Implementation Method 3
machining edges formed on the foldable part by using a polishing wheel
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a window for a display apparatus according to the present invention includes: providing, on a stage, a substrate including a foldable part bending around a folding axis extending in a first direction, and forming a groove on the foldable part. The forming the groove includes: grinding the foldable part by using a first machining wheel; grinding the foldable part by using a second machining wheel; and machining the foldable part by using a polishing wheel. The groove has at least one radius of curvature. The first machining wheel includes first abrasive grains, and the second machining wheel includes second abrasive grains less in size than the first abrasive grains.