Touch Connection Circuit Board Dummy Patterns for Crack Prevention

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing display devices face challenges in protecting the touch connection circuit board, particularly when bent, as the protective layer can flow and cause cracks or contamination, leading to reduced reliability and increased dead spaces due to the bezel area.

Innovation Solution

A display device configuration featuring a touch connection circuit board with dummy patterns and a protective layer that covers the connection lines between these patterns, preventing the protective layer from flowing and enhancing the board's protection and reliability, while allowing the circuit board to be bent without increasing the bezel area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the protective layer is applied to cover the touch connection circuit board, then the protection against cracks and contamination is improved, but the protective layer flows during bending causing reliability deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection against cracks and contaminationVSAvoidprotective layer integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

Dummy patterns are formed on the touch connection circuit board before applying the protective layer. These dummy patterns create physical barriers that prevent the protective layer from flowing during subsequent bending operations, thus maintaining layer integrity while providing protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The dummy patterns act as intermediary structures between the protective layer and the bending force. They provide anchoring points that restrict the movement of the protective layer during bending, preventing flow and maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Area of stationary object

If the bezel area is reduced to minimize dead spaces, then the display area visibility is improved, but the protection of the touch connection circuit board becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebezel areaVSAvoidprotection of touch connection circuit board

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The touch connection circuit board is designed with flexible characteristics, allowing it to be bent in the bezel area. The dummy patterns and protective layer work together to enable this flexibility while maintaining protection, thus reducing the visible bezel area without compromising reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Shape

If the touch connection circuit board is made bendable to reduce bezel area, then the visibility and dead space are improved, but the protective layer flows causing cracks and contamination

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovebendabilityVSAvoidprotective layer integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Dummy patterns are formed on the touch connection circuit board before applying the protective layer. These dummy patterns create physical barriers that prevent the protective layer from flowing during subsequent bending operations, thus maintaining layer integrity while providing protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The touch connection circuit board is designed with flexible characteristics, allowing it to be bent in the bezel area. The dummy patterns and protective layer work together to enable this flexibility while maintaining protection, thus reducing the visible bezel area without compromising reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentUS11226696B2Display device

Publication Date: 2022.01.18 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD

AI summary

A display device includes a display panel that includes a flat part and a protruding part adjacent to one side of the flat part, a touch panel disposed on the display panel, a touch connection circuit board disposed at one side of the touch panel and electrically connected to the touch panel, and a protective layer disposed on one surface of the touch connection circuit board and that overlaps the protruding part. The touch connection circuit board includes a base film, a first dummy pattern disposed on the base film and adjacent to one edge of the base film, a second dummy pattern disposed on the base film and adjacent to an other edge of the base film, and a line pattern section disposed between the first and second dummy patterns. The protective layer covers the line pattern section between the first and second dummy patterns.