Self-Repairing Protective Member for Display Durability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Display apparatuses, such as thin flat panel displays, face durability issues due to damage from impacts and manufacturing defects like scratches, holes, and cracks, which limit their longevity.
Innovation Solution
A display apparatus with a protective member comprising a base, monomers, and a catalyst is introduced, where the monomers polymerize to form epoxy resin that fills and repairs defects like cracks and scratches upon impact, enhancing durability without additional processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sealing units are used to bond substrate and encapsulation substrate, then the display apparatus can be assembled, but the substrate and encapsulation substrate remain vulnerable to impact damage, scratches, holes, and cracks during manufacturing and use
Solution Approach 1:
The protective member is applied in advance to the substrate and/or encapsulation substrate before they are subjected to impact or defects. This preliminary protective layer contains capsules with monomers that will polymerize to repair damage when triggered, preventing the harmful effects from compromising the structural integrity of the display apparatus.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective member utilizes a chemical parameter change through polymerization. The capsules contain monomers that remain in a liquid or semi-liquid state until triggered by impact or defect, at which point they polymerize into a solid, durable material that fills and repairs the damage, fundamentally changing the physical state and properties of the protective material.
2Ease of repair
If the protective member contains capsules with monomers and catalyst, then self-repair functionality is achieved, but the structure becomes more complex compared to conventional sealing units
Solution Approach 1:
The protective member is designed to perform self-repair without external intervention. When the display apparatus suffers impact or develops defects, the capsules within the protective member automatically rupture and the monomers polymerize in response to the damage, enabling the system to repair itself autonomously without requiring manual intervention or additional repair systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective member employs a nested structure where capsules containing monomers are embedded within the protective layer itself. This nesting allows the repair functionality to be integrated directly into the protective member, eliminating the need for separate repair systems or components, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining self-repair capability.
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 self-repairing protective member effectively fills and repairs defects on the display apparatus, significantly improving its durability during use, transportation, and manufacturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
a catalyst inducing polymerization of the monomers
Implementation Method 2
the monomers polymerize to form epoxy resin
Data Source
AI summary
In order to improve durability, a display apparatus includes a substrate; an encapsulation substrate facing the substrate; a display unit disposed between the substrate and the encapsulation substrate; a sealing unit disposed between the substrate and the encapsulation substrate so as to bond the substrate and the encapsulation substrate and spaced from the display unit; and a protective member formed over at least one surface among surfaces of the substrate and the encapsulation substrate, except surfaces facing the display unit. The protective member includes a base, a plurality of capsules comprising monomers, and a catalyst inducing polymerization of the monomers.