Foldable Display Window with Stress-Relief Opening Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible display devices, such as foldable and bendable displays, face challenges in preventing cracking in folding areas while maintaining structural integrity in flat areas.
Innovation Solution
A window layer with a folding section incorporating opening patterns and a material transition from rigid to flexible materials, where the opening patterns are designed to manage stress and prevent damage from external inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid window material is used to increase hardness in flat areas, then the window's structural integrity is improved, but the window is prone to cracking in folding areas
Solution Approach 1:
The window structure is designed with different material properties in different regions: the first and second sections use rigid materials for hardness and structural integrity, while the folding section uses flexible materials to prevent cracking during folding operations. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between overall strength and fold-specific reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The window is constructed as a composite structure combining rigid materials (for flat areas) and flexible materials (for folding areas), along with adhesive layers and protective functional layers. This composite approach allows each region to contribute its optimal properties, achieving both hardness where needed and crack resistance in folding zones.
2Reliability
If the window is made completely flexible to prevent cracking, then reliability in folding areas is improved, but the hardness and structural integrity in flat areas deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire window flexible, only the folding section uses flexible materials while the first and second sections maintain rigid materials. This localized application of flexibility preserves hardness in flat areas while providing crack resistance only where folding occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The window is divided into distinct functional segments: rigid first and second sections for structural support, and a flexible folding section for bendability. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally without compromising the other regions.
3Reliability
If opening patterns are added to the folding section to reduce stress, then crack resistance is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The folding section incorporates opening patterns that create a porous or mesh-like structure, reducing stress concentrations during folding. These patterns are integrated into the flexible material layer, allowing stress distribution while maintaining the overall structural simplicity of the window design.
4Reliability
If different materials are used in different sections to optimize performance, then overall reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The window is divided into clearly defined sections (first section, folding section, second section) with specific material requirements for each. This segmentation simplifies the manufacturing process by providing clear guidelines for material placement, reducing the overall precision requirements compared to a fully integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
Adhesive layers are used as intermediaries between different material sections, facilitating the bonding of rigid and flexible materials with standardized adhesive processes. This intermediary approach simplifies the integration of different materials while maintaining reliable connections.
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 enhances the window's durability in folding areas by reducing stress concentrations and preventing cracking, while maintaining functionality and appearance.
Implementation Method 1
the folding section may include at least one opening pattern, and in a plan view, a maximum distance between two points on an inner line of the folding section that defines the at least one opening pattern is about 10 micrometers to about 200 micrometers
Implementation Method 2
an assistant material that is flexible and disposed in the at least one opening pattern
Data Source
AI summary
A window includes a window layer that includes a first section, a second section, and a folding section that is disposed between the first section and the second section and is foldable with respect to a folding axis extending in a direction. The folding section includes at least one opening pattern, and in a plan view, a maximum distance between two points on an inner line of the folding section that defines the at least one opening pattern is about 10 micrometers to about 200 micrometers.