Segmented Glass Substrates for Rollable Display Flatness
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Solution Overview
Problem
The flexible display panel in rollable display devices deteriorates in flatness and is prone to damage due to cracking of thin glass substrates when scratched, leading to bending stress exceeding tolerance.
Innovation Solution
A rollable display device with multiple glass substrates aligned perpendicular to the winding direction of the flexible display panel, covered by a protective layer, to maintain flatness and prevent crack propagation, along with a rework process for replacing damaged substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a thin glass substrate is provided on the flexible display panel as a cover film, then the flatness improves, but the glass substrate tends to crack when scratched
Solution Approach 1:
The glass substrate is divided into multiple segments (first glass substrate and second glass substrate) arranged side by side. This segmentation allows the system to maintain overall flatness while isolating crack propagation - if one segment cracks, the crack is contained within that segment and cannot propagate across the entire display panel, thus resolving the contradiction between achieving flatness and preventing catastrophic failure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the flexible display panel is repeatedly wound and unwound, then the portability is improved, but the flatness deteriorates due to curling
Solution Approach 1:
The introduction of glass substrates changes the physical parameters of the display panel structure. The glass substrates provide sufficient rigidity to resist curling during winding and unwinding operations, while the segmented design ensures that the overall flexibility and portability are maintained. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between portability and flatness maintenance.
3Reliability
If a crack crosses the display surface, then the glass substrate protection function is compromised, but the flexible display panel bends at an acute angle and damages
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the glass substrate into multiple pieces arranged side by side with boundaries between them, the patent ensures that cracks are confined within individual segments. This prevents acute angle bending across the entire display surface, as cracks cannot propagate from one segment to another. The segmentation thus protects both the glass substrate integrity and the flexible display panel strength.
Data Source
AI summary
A rollable display device includes a flexible display panel, a storage unit provided at one end side of the flexible display panel, a support bar provided at the other end side of the flexible display panel, a plurality of glass substrates aligned side by side in a direction intersecting a winding direction of the flexible display panel, and a cover layer formed to cover the glass substrates.