Replaceable Cover Lens for Flexible Displays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cover lenses for flexible displays are brittle, lacking sufficient flexibility and requiring replacement when damaged, which is costly and time-consuming, while alternatives offering flexibility often lack scratch and abrasion resistance.

Innovation Solution

A cover lens assembly comprising a first and second flexible cover lens with a sacrificial adhesion layer between them, each with hard coat layers and substrates, allowing for easy replacement of the first flexible cover lens by degrading the sacrificial adhesion layer, and featuring impact absorption layers for enhanced durability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a rigid glass cover lens is used, then scratch resistance and optical performance are improved, but flexibility and weight are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescratch resistanceVSAvoidflexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the cover lens into multiple independent layers: a flexible substrate layer and a separate hard coat layer applied on top. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specialized function - the substrate provides flexibility while the hard coat provides scratch resistance, resolving the contradiction between these two properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by combining a flexible polymer substrate with a hard inorganic coating layer. This composite structure integrates the advantages of both materials - the flexibility and toughness of polymers with the hardness and scratch resistance of inorganic coatings, eliminating the need to choose between flexibility and durability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If glass thickness is reduced to improve flexibility, then adaptability is improved, but strength and damage resistance are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoiddamage resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional thick rigid glass with thin flexible film structures that can be repeatedly bent and folded without cracking. The flexible substrate and thin hard coat layers maintain sufficient mechanical strength while enabling the cover lens to accommodate flexible and foldable display configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The composite structure of flexible substrate plus hard coating provides both the flexibility needed for thin designs and the damage resistance required for durability, allowing the cover lens to be thin without sacrificing strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Adaptability or versatility

If alternate flexible materials are used for cover lens, then flexibility is improved, but abrasion resistance is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidabrasion resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent separates the flexibility function (handled by the polymer substrate) from the abrasion resistance function (handled by the hard inorganic coat layer). This functional segmentation allows each material to be optimized for its specific role, with the hard coat providing excellent scratch and abrasion resistance while the flexible substrate maintains bendability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The composite of flexible polymer substrate and hard inorganic coating creates a material system that exhibits both flexibility and high abrasion resistance, overcoming the limitation of single-material flexible cover lenses that are vulnerable to scratches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

4Reliability

If the entire cover lens is replaced when damaged, then reliability is maintained, but loss of time and manufacturing cost are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay protectionVSAvoidreplacement time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the cover lens into a permanent flexible substrate and a replaceable hard coat layer. When the hard coat becomes scratched or damaged, only this thin surface layer needs to be removed and reapplied, rather than replacing the entire cover lens assembly. This dramatically reduces replacement time and cost while maintaining display protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables the hard coat layer to be discarded (removed) and recovered (reapplied) independently when damaged. This selective replacement approach recovers the protective function without wasting the intact flexible substrate and other components, reducing overall replacement time and material waste.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentUS11579339B2Replaceable cover lens for flexible display

Publication Date: 2023.02.14 APPLIED MATERIALS INC

AI summary

Implementations described herein generally relate to flexible display devices and cover lens assemblies with flexible cover lens. In one or more embodiments, a cover lens assembly is provided and includes a first flexible cover lens, a second flexible cover lens, and a sacrificial adhesion disposed between the first flexible cover lens and the second flexible cover lens. The first flexible cover lens includes a first hard coat layer having a hardness in a range from about 4H to about 9H and a first substrate. The second flexible cover lens includes a second hard coat layer having a hardness in a range from about 2H to about 9H. The first substrate is disposed between the first hard coat layer and the sacrificial adhesion layer.