Plastic Window Panel Hard Coating for Scratch and Impact Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional display devices with plastic window panels face issues of surface scratches when used with touch screens, while also being vulnerable to impact damage, as they lack sufficient scratch resistance and impact resilience.

Innovation Solution

A window panel design featuring a plastic substrate with multiple layers of hard coating, comprising organic and inorganic composite materials, such as acryl-based and epoxy-based compounds, or polysilsesquioxane, applied on both sides to enhance surface hardness and impact resistance without compromising flexibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a plastic window panel is used instead of glass, then impact resistance is improved, but surface scratch resistance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimpact resistanceVSAvoidsurface scratches
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining plastic substrate material with hard coating materials (acryl-based, epoxy-based, or polysilsesquioxane) to create a window panel that exhibits both impact resistance from the plastic substrate and surface scratch resistance from the hard coating layers, resolving the contradiction between these two properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the surface hardness parameter by applying hard coating layers with specific hardness values (6H or higher) to the plastic substrate, thereby improving surface scratch resistance while maintaining the impact resistance characteristics of the underlying plastic material

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a single-layer hard coating is applied, then surface hardness is improved, but impact resistance may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface scratchesVSAvoidimpact resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the hard coating into multiple layers (first hard coating layer and second hard coating layer) with different material compositions and hardness characteristics, allowing each layer to contribute differently to overall performance while maintaining both surface scratch resistance and impact resistance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different hard coating materials to different regions or layers of the window panel surface, with the first hard coating layer providing base protection and the second hard coating layer providing enhanced surface hardness, creating local quality variations that optimize both scratch and impact resistance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2594400B1Window panel for display device and display device including the window panel
Publication Date: 2018.10.10 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP2594400B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

A window panel (110) for a display device including a plastic substrate (111) and a hard coating layer (112a, 112b) formed on at least one side of the plastic substrate and including at least two continuously deposited layers, and a display device including such a window panel.