Foldable Display Protective Film with Laser-Tuned Modulus Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable display devices face challenges in achieving both impact resistance and flexibility, particularly in the folding area, which affects their durability and manufacturing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A protective film with distinct regions of varying moduli is used, where a second region with a lower modulus is disposed in the folding area, formed by laser treatment, ensuring both impact resistance and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a protective film with high hardness is used to improve impact resistance, then impact resistance is improved, but flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protective film is designed with different hardness values in different regions: a first region with higher hardness for impact resistance and a second region with lower hardness for flexibility. This local differentiation allows the film to simultaneously provide both impact protection and folding flexibility without compromising either property.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective film is segmented into distinct regions (first region and second region) with different material properties. The first region has higher hardness while the second region has lower hardness, allowing each segment to perform its specific function - impact resistance and flexibility respectively - thereby resolving the contradiction between these two properties.
2Strength
If a protective film with uniform high hardness is used, then impact resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using complex mechanical methods or multiple layers to achieve different hardness regions, the patent uses laser treatment to directly modify the material properties of the protective film. This substitution of mechanical/manufacturing complexity with a controlled energy field (laser) simplifies the manufacturing process while achieving the desired differential hardness structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The hardness parameter of the protective film is changed locally through laser treatment. By controlling the laser parameters (power, speed, pattern), the film's hardness is modified in specific regions without changing the overall film structure or requiring additional manufacturing steps, thus reducing manufacturing complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If laser treatment is applied to form different modulus regions, then flexibility in folding area is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The laser treatment is applied in a periodic or patterned manner to create the desired modulus regions. By optimizing the laser scanning pattern and speed, the treatment can be completed efficiently without excessive processing time, balancing flexibility improvement with manufacturing efficiency.
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 protective film enhances the display device's durability and flexibility in the folding area, improving processing efficiency and reducing defects during folding operations.
Implementation Method 1
radiating a laser to the folding area of the polymer film to form a first region and a second region having different moduli from each other
Implementation Method 2
radiating a laser to the folding area of the polymer film to form a first region and a second region having different moduli from each other
Data Source
AI summary
A display device including a folding area includes a display panel, a cover window disposed above the display panel, and a protective film disposed on the cover window, where the protective film includes a first region and a second region including a same material as each other and having different moduli from each other. A modulus of the second region of the protective film is less than a modulus of the first region, and the second region is disposed in the folding area.