OLED Display Neutral Plane Adjustment for Border Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic devices with displays face challenges in minimizing the size and weight of the housing due to bulky displays and large border housings, which affect aesthetics and functionality, and flexible display technologies can lead to reliability issues if not implemented correctly.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays with bent edge portions and neutral plane adjustment features, allowing for a smaller bending radius and reducing the inactive border region by positioning circuitry behind the display, thereby minimizing the visible inactive area and enhancing device aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If permanent bending of outlying display areas is employed to reduce planar surface area, then the apparent border size is reduced, but reliability decreases and component failure risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves peripheral circuitry from the planar display surface to a three-dimensional configuration by bending the flexible substrate. This allows circuit elements to be positioned in space behind or around the display area rather than occupying planar space, reducing the apparent border while maintaining reliability through proper structural support and neutral plane management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible substrate that can be bent to reposition peripheral circuitry. By carefully controlling the bend radius and positioning the neutral plane, the flexible substrate allows reliable routing of circuit elements away from the display area without causing component failure or excessive resistivity, thus reducing apparent border size while maintaining reliability.
2Area of stationary object
If a small bending radius is used to maximize border reduction, then the apparent display area is minimized, but the minimum radius of curvature constraint limits further reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement by bending the flexible substrate, allowing peripheral circuitry to be positioned in space rather than confined to the planar display surface. This dimensional transition enables more aggressive border reduction while managing the mechanical constraints of the flexible substrate through proper neutral plane positioning and structural support.
3Ease of manufacture
If peripheral circuitry is positioned coplanar with the display panel, then manufacturing is simplified, but the overall surface area increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions peripheral circuitry from a coplanar arrangement to a three-dimensional configuration by bending the flexible substrate. This allows circuit elements to be positioned behind or around the display area, significantly reducing the overall surface area while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through the inherent flexibility of the substrate that simplifies routing and connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible substrate enables peripheral circuitry to be routed in three-dimensional space rather than confined to the planar surface. This flexibility simplifies the assembly process by allowing natural routing of connections while dramatically reducing the overall footprint of the display assembly compared to coplanar arrangements.
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
This approach reduces the apparent surface area of the display device, minimizes the risk of damage during bending, and improves the reliability and aesthetics of electronic devices by effectively managing the placement of circuitry, resulting in a more compact and visually appealing design.
Implementation Method 1
organic light-emitting diode structures that include a layer of organic light-emitting material that is interposed between an encapsulation layer and a polymer layer
Implementation Method 2
bent edge portions that are bent away from the plane of the planar central portion
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device may be provided with an organic light-emitting diode display with minimized border regions. The border regions may be minimized by providing the display with bent edge portions having neutral plane adjustment features that facilitate bending of the bent edge portions while minimizing damage to the bent edge portions. The neutral plane adjustment features may include a modified backfilm layer of the display in which portions of the backfilm layer are removed in a bend region. A display device may include a substrate, a display panel on the substrate having display pixels, and peripheral circuitry proximate the display panel and configured to drive the display pixels. A portion of the periphery of the substrate may be bent substantially orthogonal to the display panel to reduce an apparent surface area of the display device. The bent portion may include an electrode for communication with the peripheral circuitry.