Hinged Glass Article With Asymmetric Hinge and Regional Inclusion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of hinged glass articles for foldable displays is energy-intensive and resource-consuming, and existing methods struggle to address the issue of glass breakage due to defects and inclusions, particularly those on the hinge surface that go into tension during folding.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating small inclusions within the glass wings and avoiding inclusions on the hinge surface that goes into tension, along with complex hinge geometries that obscure the hinge features, reduces the need for refining raw materials and manufacturing processes, enhancing reliability and reducing energy expenditure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If glass is made very thin to enable folding along the hinge, then the glass article can be folded and used in foldable displays, but the glass becomes more susceptible to breakage from defects and inclusions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the acceptable inclusion criteria between different regions of the glass article. The hinge region (first region) has stricter requirements with a maximum inclusion dimension of 10 μm, while the wing regions (second region) allow larger inclusions up to 30 μm. This regional differentiation allows the glass to be thin enough for folding while maintaining reliability by controlling defect sizes in the most critical stress area.
2Reliability
If glass inspection equipment is used to identify and discard glass with defects, then reliability is improved by avoiding crack nucleation, but energy and resources are wasted discarding usable glass
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters for evaluating glass quality by establishing size-based thresholds for inclusions rather than discarding all glass with any defects. By setting specific maximum dimensions (10 μm in hinge region, 30 μm in wing regions), the invention allows glass with smaller or appropriately positioned inclusions to be used, reducing the amount of glass discarded and the associated energy waste while still maintaining adequate reliability.
3Reliability
If high levels of batch constituent purity are required to minimize inclusions, then glass reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing region-specific inclusion tolerance standards. Rather than requiring the entire glass article to be free of inclusions above a certain size, the hinge region (subject to highest stress) is restricted to inclusions ≤10 μm while wing regions can contain inclusions up to 30 μm. This approach reduces the overall stringency of purity requirements, allowing manufacturing with lower energy input while maintaining reliability in the critical hinge area.
4Shape
If complex hinge geometries are used to obscure hinge features, then aesthetics are improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the principle of optical camouflage by matching the refractive index of the hinge region glass to that of the wing glass. This optical matching causes the hinge region to blend visually with the surrounding glass, obscuring the hinge features and improving aesthetics. This approach allows complex hinge geometries to be implemented while managing manufacturing precision requirements through optical rather than purely geometric camouflage.
Data Source
AI summary
A hinged glass article includes wings including glass and a hinge positioned between the wings. The wings fold about the hinge. The hinge includes a glass portion integrally joined to the wings and a polymer portion overlaying the glass portion. The glass portion of the hinge includes a first surface facing away from a second surface thereof. The polymer portion overlays the first surface. The glass portion of the hinge is asymmetric (with the wings unfolded) such that halves of the glass portion of the hinge do not mirror one another about a lengthwise middle of the hinge. Also, the first surface of the glass portion of the hinge is free of small inclusions impinging thereupon that have a linear cross-sectional dimension extending fully thereacross and through a center thereof greater than 2 μm and less than 30 μm.