Rollable Display Panel Stress Distribution via Adjustable Roller Spacing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing display devices, particularly flexible and foldable OLED displays, face stress-related issues that can lead to panel breakage during use, necessitating a solution to minimize stress and enhance durability.

Innovation Solution

A display device design featuring a display panel divided into areas wound around rollers with adjustable separation and opposite directional rotation, allowing for balanced stress distribution by winding the panel in different directions, thereby reducing tensile and compressive forces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If the display panel is made flexible and rollable, then the device achieves reduced thickness and weight, but the panel becomes susceptible to stress-induced breakage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweight of display deviceVSAvoidpanel durability
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The display panel is divided into multiple areas (first area, second area, third area) that can be independently wound around different roller units. This segmentation allows stress to be distributed across multiple winding zones rather than concentrated in a single area, reducing the risk of panel breakage while maintaining flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The roller units are configured with adjustable separation distances and can rotate in opposite directions. This dynamic configuration allows the winding radius and stress distribution to be adjusted during operation, optimizing both the flexibility benefits and panel protection simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If the display panel is wound around roller units, then the device achieves rollable functionality, but stress concentration may occur leading to panel breakage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverollable functionalityVSAvoidpanel strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The panel is segmented into multiple wound areas that can be independently managed by separate roller units. This prevents stress concentration in any single location, allowing the panel to be rolled without compromising its structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The problem of stress concentration in a single winding dimension is solved by introducing multiple spatial dimensions - the panel is wound around multiple roller units positioned at different locations, distributing the stress across multiple spatial zones and preventing breakage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Area of stationary object

If roller units are positioned close together, then the device achieves compact structure, but stress distribution on the panel becomes uneven

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice footprintVSAvoidstress distribution uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The separation distance between roller units is made adjustable rather than fixed. This allows the system to dynamically optimize the balance between compactness and uniform stress distribution by modifying the spacing between rollers based on operational requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The physical parameter of roller separation distance is made variable, enabling the system to change its configuration to achieve both compact form factor and uniform stress distribution on the display panel during different operational states.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3796127A1Display device
Publication Date: 2021.03.24 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP3796127A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3796127A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3796127A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An exemplary embodiment provides a display device including: a display panel configured to include a first area, and a second area and a third area respectively disposed at opposite sides of the first area in a first direction; a first roller unit configured to wind the second area thereon; and a second roller unit configured to wind the third area of the display panel in an opposite direction to that of the first roller unit, wherein a distance between the first roller unit and the second roller unit which are separated from each other in the first direction can be adjusted.