Patterned Cover Window Grooves for Foldable Display Bending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable display devices face challenges in achieving impact resistance and flexibility without defects such as abnormal folding and warpage during pattern formation on patterned glass.
Innovation Solution
A display device with a cover window featuring a patterned portion comprising alternating first and second concave grooves on opposite surfaces, each with specific angles and curvatures, and a chamfered surface, formed using laser-induced deep etching, to enhance structural integrity and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If patterned glass is used to ensure impact resistance, then impact resistance is improved, but flexibility and folding performance deteriorate due to abnormal folding and warpage
Solution Approach 1:
The cover window is divided into a first region with a patterned portion containing concave grooves and a second region without the patterned portion. This segmentation allows the first region to provide impact resistance through the patterned structure while the second region maintains flexibility for folding operations, resolving the contradiction between strength and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patterned portion with concave grooves is applied locally to the first region of the cover window rather than uniformly across the entire window. This local quality approach ensures that impact resistance is enhanced only where needed (first region) while the second region remains smooth and flexible for folding, thus balancing strength and adaptability requirements.
2Strength
If pattern formation is performed on glass to increase impact resistance, then impact resistance is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to warpage and folding defects
Solution Approach 1:
The cover window is segmented into a first region with the patterned portion and a second region without it. This segmentation prevents warpage and folding defects by limiting the patterned structure to the first region, allowing precise folding in the second region while maintaining impact resistance in the patterned area.
Solution Approach 2:
The design accommodates dynamic folding movements by creating a second region without the patterned portion, allowing this region to dynamically adapt to folding operations. This ensures manufacturing precision is maintained during folding while the first region provides static impact protection.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cover window is made flexible for folding, then adaptability is improved, but strength deteriorates due to reduced impact resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The cover window is divided into a first region with the patterned portion for impact resistance and a second region without the pattern for flexibility. This segmentation allows the window to simultaneously achieve both adaptability through folding in the second region and strength through the patterned first region.
Solution Approach 2:
The patterned portion providing strength is applied locally to the first region, while the second region maintains local quality of flexibility. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing each region to optimize for its specific function.
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 provides enhanced impact resistance and flexibility, preventing abnormal folding and warpage, while maintaining structural integrity during bending and folding operations.
Implementation Method 1
forming a patterned portion in the cover window overlapping with the folding area, wherein the forming of the patterned portion in the cover window includes: forming a plurality of first concave grooves in a first surface of the cover window; and forming a plurality of second concave grooves in a second surface of the cover window
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes: a display panel including a folding area and a first and second non-folding areas; and a cover window on the display panel and having a patterned portion overlapping the folding area, and including a plurality of first concave grooves and a plurality of second concave grooves, wherein each of the plurality of first and second concave grooves includes an inner wall that extends from a surface of the cover window and a curved surface that extends from the inner wall, wherein an angle formed by the surface of the cover window and the inner wall ranges from about 80 degrees to about 89 degrees, wherein a radius of curvature at an end of the curved surface is greater than about 10 μm and less than about 30 μm, and wherein the patterned portion has a width in a first direction of the cover window.