CN105321430B - foldable display device - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a foldable display device capable of stably maintaining the curved curvature of a folded flexible display and maintaining a curved display area of an unfolded flexible display in a planar state. A foldable display device includes a display panel that folds or unfolds relative to a curved display area; a first housing configured to support a first area of the display panel; a second housing physically coupled to a second area of the display panel a link assembly connected between the first and second housings, configured to support the curved display area of the folded or unfolded display panel; and configured to slide the first area or the second display panel according to the bending of the link assembly The sliding component of the second area.

Description

foldable display device

Related Application Cross Reference

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0089514 filed on July 16, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if set forth in its entirety herein.

technical field

The present invention relates to a foldable display device, and more particularly, to a foldable display device for minimizing bending stress of a display panel.

Background technique

Display devices using flat panel display panels, such as liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, plasma display devices, organic light-emitting display devices, electrophoretic display devices, or electrowetting display devices, are commonly used in notebook computers, portable electronic devices, televisions (TVs) and monitor.

Recently, even in portable electronic devices, the demand for a large screen is increasing, and therefore, devices including a display unit displaying a large screen by connecting a flat display panel are being developed and commercialized. In particular, a foldable display device that utilizes the advantages of a bendable or foldable flexible display panel provides convenience in portability and includes a display unit that displays a large screen, and thus attracts a lot of attention as a next-generation technology in the display field. focus on. In addition to portable electronic devices such as mobile communication terminals, electronic notebooks, electronic books, portable multimedia players (PMP), navigation equipment, ultra mobile personal computers (PC), mobile phones, smart phones, tablet personal computers , The foldable display device can also be used in various fields such as TVs and monitors.

Examples of foldable display devices may include flexible display devices disclosed in US Patent No. 2013/0010405 (hereinafter referred to as prior art document).

The flexible display device disclosed in this prior art document unfolds a flexible panel relative to a hinge having a coupling structure, thereby providing a large screen.

However, the flexible display device disclosed in this prior art document cannot stably maintain the curved curvature of the folded flexible display due to the empty space between the housings caused by the hinges having the coupling structure, and cannot The curved display area of a flexible display remains flat.

Contents of the invention

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to providing a foldable display device that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

An aspect of the present invention is directed to providing a foldable display device capable of stably maintaining a curved curvature of a folded flexible display and capable of maintaining a curved display area of an unfolded flexible display in a horizontal state.

Part of other advantages and features of the present invention will be listed in the following description, and part of them can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art on the basis of the following description, or can be learned from the practice of the present invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the objects of the present invention, there is provided a foldable display device, as embodied and generally described herein, comprising: a display panel that folds or unfolds relative to a curved display area; a first housing in a first area of the display panel; a second housing physically coupled to a second area of the display panel; a coupling assembly connected between the first and second housings and configured to fold or unfold and a sliding assembly configured to slide the first area or the second area of the display panel according to the bending of the coupling assembly.

It should be appreciated that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

Description of drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the attached picture:

1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing an unfolded display panel in a foldable display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a folded display panel in the foldable display device shown in FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

3 is an exploded perspective view of the foldable display device shown in FIG. 1;

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram depicting the coupling bar shown in Fig. 3;

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the rotation of the first coupling bar shown in Figures 3 and 4;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view depicting the slide assembly shown in Figure 3;

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram describing the sliding of the slider shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 6;

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modification of the sliding assembly shown in Figures 2 and 3;

9 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a folded display panel in a foldable display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

10 is an exploded perspective view of a foldable display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view for describing the slide assembly shown in FIG. 10;

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view for describing the connection structure between the slider and the guide shown in Fig. 10;

13 is a schematic diagram describing the sliding of the sliding assembly when unfolding or folding the display panel in the foldable display device according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

14 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a foldable display device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

15 is an exploded perspective view of a foldable display device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram describing an edge-curved display area of a display panel when the display panel is unfolded or folded in a foldable display device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

The terms described in the specification should be understood as follows.

As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The terms "first" and "second" are used to distinguish one element from another element, and these elements should not be limited by these terms. It should also be appreciated that the terms "comprising", "having" and/or "comprising", when used herein, indicate the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components and do not exclude the presence of Or add one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or their groups. The term "on" should be interpreted to include the case where one element is formed on top of another element, and further the case where a third element is disposed therebetween.

Hereinafter, representative embodiments of a foldable display device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the specification, when adding reference numerals to elements in each drawing, it should be recognized that like reference numerals that have been used to designate like elements in other drawings are used for all possible elements. In the ensuing description, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related well-known function or structure would unnecessarily obscure key points of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing an unfolded display panel in a foldable display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a folded display panel in the foldable display device shown in FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the foldable display device shown in FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIGS. 1-3 , the foldable display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a display panel 110 , a first housing 120 , a second housing 130 , a coupling assembly 140 and a sliding assembly 150 .

The display panel 110 may be a flexible display panel using a flexible substrate. For example, the display panel 110 may be a flexible organic light emitting display panel, a flexible electrophoretic display panel, a flexible liquid crystal display panel, or a flexible electrowetting display panel.

The display panel 110 may include a flexible pixel array substrate including a pixel array having an active matrix type, and a package member protecting the pixel array.

The flexible pixel array substrate can be formed from plastic material or metal foil. For example, the flexible pixel array substrate formed of plastic material can be made of polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonate (PC), polynorbornene (PNB) and polyethersulfone (PES) at least one material.

The pixel array includes a plurality of pixels respectively formed in a plurality of pixel regions provided by intersections between a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines. Each of the plurality of pixels includes a display device that displays an image corresponding to the image signal. Here, the display device may be an organic light emitting device, a liquid crystal display device, an electrophoretic device, or an electrowetting display device.

When the display device is an organic light emitting device or an electrophoretic device, the encapsulation element according to an embodiment is formed on a flexible substrate to cover a pixel array, and may be a flexible encapsulation substrate or an encapsulation layer. When the display device is a liquid crystal display device, an electrowetting display device or an electrophoretic device, the packaging element according to another embodiment may be a flexible color filter substrate including color filters corresponding to pixels.

In addition, the display panel 110 may further include a polarizing film attached to the package member, but the polarizing film may also be omitted for flexibility of the display panel 110 .

The display panel 110 includes a display area 112 that displays an image by using a pixel array including a plurality of pixels. The display area 112 may be divided into a first display area 112a, a second display area 112b, and a curved display area 112c.

The first display area 112a may be defined as a first area (for example, an upper area) of the display panel 110 that is arranged on one side of the curved display area 112c in the display area 112, and the second display area 112b may be is defined as a second region (for example, a lower region) of the display panel 110 , which is arranged on the other side of the curved display region 112 c in the display region 112 .

When the display panel 110 is unfolded to a flat state, the first display area 112a, the second display area 112b and the curved display area 112c form a display area 112, thereby providing a relatively wide screen.

When the display panel 110 is bent with a predetermined curvature with respect to the curved display area 112 c, no image is displayed in the display area 112 .

The display panel 110 includes a signal application unit 114 extending from the edge of the first area or the second area to have a certain width and length. A plurality of connection lines connected to signal lines formed in the pixel array are formed in the signal application unit 114 . The signal application unit 114 is bent toward the rear surface of the second case 130 through the second case 130 and is connected to the system driver 200 disposed at the rear surface of the second case 130 . Mounted on the signal application unit 114 is a driving integrated circuit (IC) 116 that drives pixels formed in the display unit 112 based on a pixel driving signal and a data signal supplied from the system driver 200 .

The display panel 110 may be attached to the flexible support plate 105 . The flexible support plate 105 is attached to the entire rear surface of the display panel 110, and maintains the flexible display panel 110 in a planar state. Depending on the flexibility of the flexible pixel array substrate, the flexible support plate 105 may also be omitted.

The foldable display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention may further include a touch screen (not shown) for a user interface using a user's touch. The touch screen may be attached on the display panel 110, or may be implanted into the display panel 110 at the same time as the process of forming the pixel array.

The first housing 120 movably supports the first side rear surface of the display panel 110 covering the first area of the display panel 110 (ie, the first display area 112 a ). To this end, the first case 120 according to an embodiment may include a bottom 121 , a plurality of side walls 123 , a first link connecting part 125 , and a rotation restricting protrusion 127 .

The bottom 121 supports the first side rear surface of the display panel 110 . In this example, the first side rear surface of the display panel 110 is not fixedly coupled to the bottom 121 but is movably arranged on the bottom 121 .

The side wall 123 is formed perpendicular to the upper edge of the bottom 121 and surrounds the side of the first region of the display panel 110 supported by the bottom 121 . The side wall 123 protects the display panel 110 disposed on the bottom 121 from external impact, and serves as a guide so that the display panel 110 and the sliding assembly 140 can move smoothly.

The first coupling connection part 125 protrudes from the inner wall 123 a of the first case 120 adjacent to the first side of the coupling assembly 140 to have a certain width and length, and is connected to the first side of the coupling assembly 140 . For example, the first coupling connection part 125 protrudes from other parts of the inner wall 123a except two edges.

A first shaft insertion hole 125 a and a first hollow portion 125 b are formed in the first coupling connection portion 125 . The first shaft insertion hole 125 a is formed through the first coupling connection part 125 along the length direction Y of the first coupling connection part 125 . The first hollow portion 125b is formed to pass through the first coupling connection portion 125 so that it has a certain area along the protruding direction X of the first coupling connection portion 125, and the first hollow portion is connected with the first housing provided on the first casing. The line placement groove (not shown) on the rear surface of 120 communicates.

The rotation restricting protrusion 127 protrudes from the upper surface of the inner wall 123a of the first housing 120 adjacent to both sides of the first coupling connection part 125, and constrains the rotation of the coupling assembly 140 so that the coupling assembly 140 cannot rotate at a predetermined speed. Rotate at the maximum rotation angle or greater. For this, a rotation restricting protrusion 127 is formed at the inner wall 123 a of the first case 120 to have a right triangle cross section, and the inclined surface has a certain curvature to restrict rotation of the coupling assembly 140 . The protruding length of the rotation constraining protrusion 127 is set to correspond to the magnitude of the curvature of the curved display region 112c formed when the display panel 110 is folded.

In addition, the rear surface of the first case 120 is covered by the first rear cover 160 . The first rear cover 160 is coupled to the rear surface of the first case 120 to cover semiconductor elements necessary for driving the display panel accommodated in the rear surface of the first case 120 .

A peripheral area adjacent to the first display area 112a of the display panel 110 coupled to the first case 120 may be covered by a first front cover (not shown). The shape of the first front cover only covers the left edge, the right edge and the upper edge of the first display area 112a, but covers the first display area 112a and the curved display area 112c adjacent to the first display area 112a, and the first front cover The cover is coupled to the first housing 120 .

The second case 130 supports the second side rear surface of the display panel 110 covering the second area of the display panel 110 (ie, the second display area 112b). In this example, the second case 130 is physically coupled to the second side rear surface of the display panel 110 . For this, the second case 130 according to an embodiment may include a bottom 131 , a plurality of side walls 133 and a second coupling connection part 135 .

The bottom 131 supports the second side rear surface of the display panel 110 . In this example, the second-side rear surface of the display panel 110 is physically coupled to the bottom 131 through a transparent adhesive, an adhesive sheet, or a double-sided tape (not shown).

A line through hole 131a through which the signal application unit 141 passes is formed at the bottom 131 . Accordingly, the signal application unit 114 is inserted into the line passing hole 131 a, bent with a certain curvature, and disposed at the rear surface of the second case 130 .

The side wall 133 is formed perpendicular to the upper edge of the bottom 131 except the inner side of the bottom 131 connected to the coupling assembly 140 . The side wall 133 surrounds the second region side of the display panel 110 physically coupled to the bottom 131, thereby protecting the display panel 110 from external impact.

The second coupling connection part 135 is recessed from the inner wall 133 a of the second case 130 adjacent to the second side of the coupling assembly 140 to have a certain width and length, and is connected to the second side of the coupling assembly 140 . For example, the second coupling connection part 135 is recessed by a certain depth from other parts of the inner wall 133a except two edges along the length direction X of the second housing 130 .

In the inner wall 133 a of the second housing 130 , the upper corner of the other portion of the inner wall 133 a facing the second coupling connection part 135 is not provided and faces the coupling assembly 140 is rounded to a certain curvature.

A second shaft insertion hole 135 a and a second hollow portion (not shown) are formed at the second coupling connection portion 135 . The second shaft insertion hole 135a is formed along the length direction Y of the inner wall 133a parallel to each other with the second coupling connection part 135 therebetween to pass through the inner wall 133a of the second housing 130 .

The second hollow portion is formed through the second coupling connection portion 135 such that it has a certain area along the length direction X of the second housing 130 . The second hollow portion communicates with a wire placement groove (not shown) provided on the rear surface of the second case 130 . The second hollow portion is used as a path for cables and/or signal transmission films to pass through, wherein the cables and/or signal transmission films connect the first and second housings 120 and 130 to the housings provided on the first and second housings. The system driver 200 at the rear surfaces of the bodies 120 and 130 .

In addition, the rear surface of the second case 130 is covered by the second rear cover 170 . The second rear cover 170 is coupled to the system driver 200 accommodated in the rear surface of the second case 130 and is coupled to the rear surface of the second case 130 to cover a battery (not shown).

A peripheral area adjacent to the second display area 112b of the display panel 110 coupled to the second case 130 may be covered by a second front cover (not shown). The shape of the second front cover covers the second display area 112b and the left edge, right edge and upper edge of the second display area 112b, but does not cover the curved display area 112c adjacent to the second display area 112b, the signal application unit 114 and the The driving integrated circuit 116 and the second front cover are coupled to the second case 130 .

The coupling assembly 140 is connected between the first and second cases 120 and 130 , guides the unfolding and folding of the display panel 110 , and supports the curved display region 112 c of the unfolded or folded display panel 110 . To this end, the coupling assembly 140 according to an embodiment may include a first coupling bar 141, a second coupling bar 143 and a plurality of intermediate coupling bars 145.

The first coupling bar 141 is rotatably connected to the first housing 120 . To this end, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the first coupling bar according to one embodiment includes a main body 310, a pair of guide side walls 320, a front connecting portion 330, a rear connecting portion 340, a front axle hole 350, a rear axle hole 360 and stopper 370.

The main body 310 is disposed parallel to the inner wall 123 a of the first case 120 to have a bar shape having a quadrangular cross-section, and supports the rear surface of the display panel 110 covering the curved display region 112 c of the display panel 110 . In this example, the front side 310 a of the main body 310 has a vertical surface directly opposite to the inner wall 123 a of the first housing 120 . An upper corner portion between the front side 310 a and the top of the main body 310 has a rounded portion RP, and the rounded portion has a certain curvature for rotation of the first coupling bar 141 in the first direction.

A pair of guide side walls 320 are vertically disposed from both edges of the main body 310 with respect to the length direction Y of the main body 310 to have a certain height. The pair of guide sidewalls 320 surrounds both sides of the display panel 110 disposed on the top of the main body 310 with respect to the length direction X of the display panel 110, so that the sides of the display panel 100 are not exposed to the outside, and provide a clear view of the display panel 110. movement is guided.

The front connection part 330 is formed to be recessed from the front side 310a of the main body 310 to facilitate insertion of the first coupling connection part 125 of the first case 120 therein. In this example, the front connection part 330 has the same shape as the first coupling connection part 125 and is rotatably connected to the first coupling connection part 125 .

The rear connection part 340 protrudes from the rear side 310b of the main body 310 so as to be inserted into the second coupling connection part 135 of the second housing 130 . In this example, the rear connection part 340 has the same shape as the second coupling connection part 135 and is rotatably connected to the second coupling connection part 135 .

The second hollow part 342 is formed at the rear connection part 340 . The second hollow part 342 is formed to pass through the main body 310 along the width direction X of the main body 310 , and communicates with the first hollow part 125 b of the first case 120 .

The front shaft hole 350 is formed at first edges of the main body 310 which are parallel to each other with the front connection part 330 therebetween. The front shaft hole 350 is formed through a first edge of the main body 310 along the length direction Y of the main body 310 .

The rear shaft hole 360 is formed through the rear connection part 340 along the length direction Y of the main body 310 .

The stopper 370 protrudes from the upper surface of the rear side 310b of the main body 310 adjacent to both sides of the rear connection part 340, and constrains the rotation of the intermediate coupling bar 145 adjacent thereto so that the intermediate coupling bar 145 cannot rotate at a predetermined speed. Rotate at the maximum rotation angle or greater. To this end, the stopper 370 is provided at the rear side 310 b of the main body 310 to have a right triangle cross-section, and the inclined surface has a certain curvature to restrict the rotation of the middle coupling bar 145 . The protruding length of the stopper 370 is set to correspond to the magnitude of the curvature of the curved display region 112c formed when the display panel 110 is folded.

The first coupling bar 141 is connected to the first coupling connection portion 125 of the first housing 120 through a first shaft 141 a inserted into the first shaft hole 350 and the first shaft insertion hole of the first housing 120 125a. Here, the first shaft 141a is provided to be inserted and suspended between the first shaft hole 350 and the first shaft insertion hole 125a, rotatably supports the first coupling bar 141 and the first coupling connection part 125, and prevents the first coupling The bar 141 and the first coupling connection part 125 are separated or bent by an external force.

Accordingly, the first coupling bar 141 may be rotated by a predetermined angle "θ" with respect to the horizontal line HL with the first shaft 141a as a rotation axis. For example, when the display panel 110 is folded, the first coupling bar 141 is rotated by a predetermined angle "θ" in the first direction (for example, clockwise) from the flat state HL until the rounding provided at the upper corner of the front side 310a The portion RP is in physical contact with the rotation restricting protrusion 127 of the first case, thereby guiding the folding of the display panel 110 . Likewise, when the display panel 110 is unfolded, the first coupling bar 141 rotates in the second direction (for example, counterclockwise) from the rotating state until the vertical surface of the front side 310a is in physical contact with the inner side 123a of the first housing 120, thereby The unfolding of the display panel 110 is guided, and the curved display region 112c of the unfolded display panel 110 is supported.

The second coupling bar 143 is rotatably connected to the second housing 130 . As shown in FIG. 4 , the second coupling bar 143 includes a main body 310 , a pair of guide side walls 320 , a front connecting portion 330 , a rear connecting portion 340 , a front shaft hole 350 , a rear shaft hole 360 , and a stopper 370 . Except that the second coupling bar 143 is connected to the second housing 130 , it is the same as the first coupling bar 141 described above, so these elements will not be repeatedly described. The second coupling bar 143 is connected to the second coupling connection portion 135 of the second housing 130 through a second shaft 143 a inserted into the rear axle hole 360 and the second shaft insertion hole 135 a of the second housing 130 middle. Accordingly, the second housing 130 may be rotated by a predetermined angle "θ" with respect to the horizontal line HL with the second shaft 143a as a rotation axis.

The plurality of middle coupling bars 145 are connected to each other to be rotated by a predetermined angle "θ" between the first coupling bar 141 and the second coupling bar 143 with respect to the horizontal line HL. As shown in FIG. 4 , each intermediate connecting bar 145 includes a main body 310 , a pair of guide side walls 320 , a front connecting portion 330 , a rear connecting portion 340 , a front axle hole 350 , a rear axle hole 360 , and a stopper 370 . Except that the plurality of intermediate connecting bars 145 are connected to each other by a plurality of third shafts 145a so as to be rotatable between the first connecting bar 141 and the second connecting bar 143, it is the same as the first connecting bar 141 described above. are the same, so the description of these elements will not be repeated.

Since the first connecting bar 141, the second connecting bar 143, and the plurality of third connecting bars 145 are connected to each other so as to be able to rotate by a predetermined angle "θ" from the plane state HL through the stopper 370, when the display panel 110 is folded, the connecting assembly 140 guides the folding of the display panel 110 so that the curved display area 112c is folded or unfolded to a planar state with a predetermined curvature according to the rotation angle of each of the coupling bars 141 , 143 and 145 . In this instance, the main body 310 of each of the coupling bars 141, 143, and 145 supports the curved display area 112c folded or unfolded to a flat state with a predetermined curvature, thereby stably maintaining the folded curved display area 112c , and maintain the curved display region 112c unfolded to the planar state in the planar state.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3 , the sliding assembly 150 is coupled to the first area of the display panel 110, and slides the first area of the display panel 110 according to the bending of the coupling assembly 140, thereby compensating for when the display panel 110 is folded or unfolded. The length deviation that occurs. That is, in a case where the first and second regions of the display panel 110 are respectively fixed to the first and second housings 120 and 130 so as not to move, when the display panel 110 is folded or unfolded, bending stress is applied to the On the display panel 110, and due to the difference in curvature radius between the display panel 110 and the coupling assembly 140, when the display panel 110 is unfolded or folded, the curved display region 112 is wrinkled or stretched, causing damage to the curved display region 112c. In order to solve this problem, the sliding assembly 150 cooperates with the bending of the coupling assembly 140 to slide the first display area 112 a of the display panel 110 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 , a sliding assembly 150 according to an embodiment includes a sliding block 151 and a guide 153 .

The slider 151 is movably disposed on the bottom 121 of the first case 120 and coupled to the first side rear surface of the display panel 110 . In this example, the slider 151 has a flat plate shape, and is coupled to the first-side rear surface of the display panel 110 through an adhesive, a double-sided adhesive sheet, or a double-sided tape. The slider 151 includes a pair of rails 151 a protruding toward the bottom 121 of the first case 120 . The pair of rails 151 a is movably arranged at the guide 153 . The slider 151 slides on the bottom 121 of the first case 120 according to the bending of the curved display area 112 c in cooperation with the bending of the coupling assembly 140 , thereby sliding the first area of the display panel 110 .

The guide 153 is disposed on the first housing 120 and guides the movement of the slider 151 . The guide 153 according to an embodiment includes a pair of guide holes 153a and a pair of plates 153b.

The pair of guide holes 153 a are arranged in parallel through the bottom 121 of the first housing 120 . A pair of rails 151a provided at the slider 151 are respectively inserted into the pair of guide holes 153a. In this instance, in order to enable the pair of rails 151a to move smoothly, the width of each of the pair of guide holes 153a may be wider than that of each rail 151a.

A pair of plates 153b are disposed at the bottom of the first case 120, inserted into the pair of guide holes 153a, respectively, and coupled with the pair of rails 151a, respectively. The pair of plates 153b are respectively coupled to the pair of rails 151a through bolts, and prevent the rails 151a from falling off from the guide holes 153a.

As shown in FIG. 7( a), when the display panel 110 is folded, the coupling assembly 140 and the curved display area 112c are bent with a certain curvature, and thus the slider 151 of the sliding assembly 150 is along the direction facing the coupling assembly 140 Slide in the opposite direction to slide the first area of the display panel 110, thereby allowing the curved display area 112c of the display panel 110 to be bent at a predetermined curvature. Also, as shown in FIG. 7(b), when the display panel 110 is unfolded, the coupling assembly 140 and the curved display area 112c bent with a certain curvature are unfolded to a flat state, and thus the slider 151 of the sliding assembly 150 faces the coupling assembly 140 slides to slide the first area of the display panel 110, thereby allowing the curved display area 112c of the display panel 110 to unfold into a flat state. As a result, the sliding assembly 150 slides the first region of the display panel 110 in cooperation with the curvature of the coupling assembly 140 and the curved display region 112c, and thus allows the curved display region 112c of the display panel 110 to be folded or unfolded to a flat state with a certain curvature. .

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modification of the slide assembly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 .

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 8 , a sliding assembly 150 according to a modification includes a slider 151 ′, a pair of sliding shafts 152 and a guide 153 ′.

The slider 151' is movably disposed on the bottom 121 of the first case 120, and is coupled to the first side rear surface of the display panel. In this example, the slider 151' is provided with a flat plate shape, and is coupled to the first-side rear surface of the display panel 110 by an adhesive, a double-sided adhesive sheet, or a double-sided tape. The slider 151' slides on the bottom 121 of the first housing 120 according to the curvature of the curved display area 112c, which is connected with the coupling assembly, and thereby slides the first area of the display panel 110. 140 bends to match.

A pair of sliding shafts 152 are disposed on both sides of the slider 151' parallel to the length direction X of the display panel 110, and are movably connected to the guide 153'. Here, the pair of sliding shafts 152 can be inserted into and coupled to both sides of the slider 151 ′ with a certain depth, or can protrude from both sides of the slider 151 ′ toward the two side walls 123 of the first housing 120 to have a certain length.

The guide piece 153' is disposed on the two side walls 123 of the first housing 120, parallel to the two sides of the slider 151', and the guide piece 153' guides the movement of the slider 151'. The guide 153' according to an embodiment may include a pair of guide holes.

The pair of guide holes may be formed through both side walls 123 of the first case 120 to have a certain length. A pair of guide shafts 152 are movably inserted into and arranged in the pair of guide holes, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the sliding assembly 150 ′ according to the modified example slides the first area of the display panel 110 in cooperation with the curvature of the coupling assembly 140 and the curved display area 112c, and thus allows the curved display area 112c of the display panel 110 to move in a certain manner. The curvature of the folds or unfolds to a flat state.

Therefore, in the foldable display device including the slider assembly 150' according to the modified example, a pair of sliding shafts 152 are provided at the side of the slider 151', and a pair of guide holes are also formed in the side wall of the first case 120. , thereby reducing the thickness of the first case 120 .

9 is a schematic diagram showing a folded display panel in a foldable display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and shows a display panel whose bending direction is changed. That is to say, in the foldable display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. The rotation direction of each of them, with respect to the curved display area 112c of the display panel 110, is folded to directly face each other. On the other hand, in the foldable display device according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the rotation directions of the respective coupling bars 141, 143 and 145 constituting the coupling assembly 140 are changed, and the first and second display areas 112a and 112b are folded in an outward direction with respect to the curved display region 112c of the display panel 110 . For this, the foldable display device according to the second embodiment is configured the same as the foldable display device according to the first embodiment except that the coupling assembly 140' is provided in an upside-down type. The coupling assembly 140' is configured the same as the coupling assembly 140 of FIG. 3, but is arranged in an upside-down type. Also, a coupling assembly 140 ′ is connected between the first and second housings 120 and 130 .

The display area 112 of the folded display panel 110 is exposed outside, and thus even in the folded state, the first display area 112a, the second display area 112b, and the curved display area 112c of the display panel 110 constitute different areas, thereby providing different screen. For example, in the folded display panel 110, images may not be displayed in the first and second display areas 112a and 112b, or the same or different images may be simultaneously or selectively displayed in the first and second display areas 112a and 112b displayed in . In particular, in the folded display panel 110, the curved display area 112c may constitute a sub-screen, and display a sub-image. Here, the sub-images may be system setting information, battery level, wireless communication sensitivity, time information, and information receiving icons.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a foldable display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view for describing the slide assembly shown in FIG. 10 . FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view for describing the connection structure between the slider and the guide shown in FIG. 10 .

Referring to FIGS. 10-12 , a foldable display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention includes a display panel 510 , a first housing 520 , a second housing 530 , a coupling assembly 540 and a sliding assembly 550 .

The display panel 510 includes a first display area 112a, a second display area 112b, and a curved display area 112c, and the display panel 510 is identical to the display panel 110 of FIG. same. Therefore, no repetitive description will be made.

The first case 520 is coupled to a first side rear surface of the display panel 110 covering a first area of the display panel 510 (ie, the first display area 112a). To this end, the first case 520 according to an embodiment includes a bottom 521 and a plurality of side walls 523 .

The bottom 521 is coupled to the first side rear surface of the display panel 510 . In this example, the bottom 521 is physically coupled to the second-side rear surface of the display panel 510 through a transparent adhesive, an adhesive sheet, or a double-sided tape (not shown). A line passing hole 521 a through which the signal application unit 114 of the display panel 510 passes is formed at the bottom 521 . Accordingly, the signal application unit 114 is inserted into the line passing hole 521 a, bent with a certain curvature, and disposed at the rear surface of the first case 520 .

The side walls 521 are vertically disposed at lower left, lower right, and rear edges of the bottom 521, respectively, out of the front edge. A sliding space of the sliding assembly 550 is provided at the rear surface of the first case 520, and thus the side wall 521 guides sliding of the sliding assembly 550 so that the sliding assembly 550 slides (or moves) smoothly. In addition, the sidewall 521 may be additionally provided to have a certain height from upper left, upper right and rear edges of the bottom 521 so as to surround three sides of the display panel 510 coupled to the bottom 521 .

The second case 530 supports the second side rear surface of the display panel 510 covering the second area of the display panel 510 (ie, the second display area 112b). The second case 530 is the same as the first case 120 of FIG. 3 except that the second case 530 is physically coupled to the second side rear surface of the display panel 510 . Therefore, similar reference numerals denote similar elements, and repeated descriptions of the same elements will not be repeated.

The coupling assembly 540 is connected between the first and second cases 520 and 530 , guides unfolding and folding of the display panel 510 , and supports the curved display region 112 c of the unfolded or folded display panel 510 . To this end, the coupling assembly 540 according to an embodiment may include a first coupling bar 541 , a second coupling bar 543 and a plurality of intermediate coupling bars 545 .

Except that the first coupling bar 541 is rotatably connected to the first coupling connection part 125 of the second housing 530, the first coupling bar 541 is the same as the first coupling bar 141 of FIGS. repetitive description. The first coupling bar 541 is connected to the first coupling connection portion 125 of the second housing 530 through the first shaft 141a, wherein the first shaft 141a is inserted into the front shaft hole 350 (see FIG. 4 ) and the second housing 530. The first shaft of the first coupling bar 541 is inserted into the hole 125a, so that the first coupling bar 541 can be rotated by a predetermined angle "θ" with respect to the horizontal line HL with the first shaft 141a as a rotation axis.

The second coupling bar 543 is rotatably connected to the slide assembly 550 . Except that the second coupling bar 543 is connected to the sliding assembly 550, the second coupling bar 543 is the same as the first coupling bar 141 of FIGS. 3 and 4, so repeated description thereof will not be repeated here. The second coupling bar 543 is connected to the sliding assembly 550 through the second shaft 143a, wherein the second shaft 143a is inserted into the rear axle hole 360 (see FIG. 4 ) and the sliding assembly 550, so the second coupling bar 543 can be second The shaft 143a is rotated by a predetermined angle "θ" as a rotation axis with respect to the horizontal line HL.

Each of the plurality of intermediate coupling bars 545 is connected between the first coupling bar 541 and the second coupling bar 543 to be rotated by a predetermined angle "θ" with respect to the horizontal line HL. Each of a plurality of intermediate connecting bars 545 is configured to be the same as the first connecting bar 141 of FIGS. The shafts 145a rotate, so their description will not be repeated.

Since the first connecting bar 541, the second connecting bar 542, and the plurality of intermediate connecting bars 545 are connected to each other so as to be able to rotate by a predetermined angle "θ" from the plane state HL by the stopper 370, when the display panel 110 is folded, the connecting assembly 540 slides the sliding assembly 550 according to the rotation angles of the respective coupling bars 541, 543, and 545, and thus guides the folding or unfolding of the curved display area 112c, so that the curved display area 112c passes through the second case according to the sliding of the sliding assembly 550 The body 530 is folded with a predetermined curvature or unfolded to a flat state due to the movement of the body 530 .

The sliding assembly 550 is coupled to the first area of the display panel 510, is movably connected to the first housing 520, and slides according to the bending of the coupling assembly 540 to slide the coupling assembly 540 and the second housing 530, thereby compensating The length deviation that occurs when the display panel 510 is folded or unfolded is eliminated. That is, in a case where the first and second regions of the display panel 510 are respectively fixed to the first and second housings 520 and 530 so as not to move, when the display panel 510 is folded or unfolded, bending stress is applied to the On the display panel 510, and due to the difference in curvature radius between the display panel 510 and the coupling assembly 540, when the display panel 510 is unfolded or folded, the curved display region 112c is wrinkled or stretched, causing damage to the curved display region 112c. To solve this problem, the sliding assembly 550 slides in cooperation with the bending of the coupling assembly 540 to slide the coupling assembly 540 and the second housing 530 , thereby sliding the second display area 112 b of the display panel 510 .

As shown in FIGS. 10-12 , a sliding assembly 550 according to an embodiment includes a sliding block 551 , a pair of sliding shafts 552 and a guide 553 .

The slider 551 is movably disposed at the rear surface of the first case 520, and may have such a shape that a component receiving space provided at the rear surface of the first case 520 may be set as large as possible. For example, slider 551 may have Shaped plane, and includes a coupling coupling portion 551a, a pair of wing portions 551b1 and 551b2, and a shaft setting hole 551c.

The coupling coupling part 551 a is rotatably connected to the second coupling bar 543 of the coupling assembly 540 . A coupling coupling groove 551a1 into which the rear coupling part 340 of the second coupling bar 543 is inserted is formed at one side of the coupling coupling part 551a.

The pair of wing portions 551b1 and 551b2 are arranged in parallel to have a certain length in a direction from both edges of the coupling coupling portion 551a to the first housing 520 with respect to the length direction Y of the coupling coupling portion 551a.

A shaft setting hole 551c is formed at each front edge 551a2 of the coupling coupling portion 551a, which are provided in parallel with the coupling coupling groove 551a1 therebetween. The shaft setting hole 551c is formed through the front edge 551a2 of the coupling coupling portion 551a along the length direction Y of the coupling coupling portion 551a.

The slider 551 is connected to the rear coupling portion 340 of the second coupling bar 543 through the second shaft 143a inserted into the shaft setting hole 551c and the second coupling bar and slides according to the bending of the coupling assembly 540. 543 in the rear axle hole 360. Here, the second shaft 143a is provided to be inserted and suspended between the shaft setting hole 551c and the rear shaft hole 360, rotatably supports the slider 551 and the second coupling bar 543 connected to each other, and prevents the slider 551 and the second coupling bar 543 from The two connecting bars 543 are separated or bent due to external force.

A pair of sliding shafts 552 are respectively disposed on two sides of the slider 551 parallel to the length direction X of the display panel 550 , and are movably connected to the guide 553 . For more stable linear motion of the slider 551 , a plurality of sliding shafts 552 can be arranged at certain intervals. The pair of sliding shafts 552 may be inserted into and coupled to both sides of the slider 551 at a certain depth, or may protrude from both sides of the slider 551 toward the two side walls 523 of the first housing 520 to have a certain length.

A plurality of guides 553 are respectively disposed on two side walls 523 of the first housing 520 parallel to two sides of the slider 551 , and guide the movement of the slider 551 . The guide 553 according to an embodiment may include a pair of guide holes.

The pair of guide holes may be formed through both side walls 523 of the first case 520 to have a certain length. A pair of guide shafts 552 are movably inserted into and disposed in the pair of guide holes.

The sliding assembly 550 slides the coupling assembly 540 in cooperation with the curvature of the coupling assembly 540 and the curved display region 112c to slide the second housing 530 coupled to the second region of the display panel 510, thereby allowing a curved display of the display panel 510 The region 112c is folded or unfolded to a flat state with a certain curvature.

For example, as shown in FIG. 13A, when the display panel 510 is unfolded, the coupling assembly 540 is rotated to a flat state, and thus the slider 551 of the sliding assembly 550 slides toward the first housing 520 to attract the coupling assembly 540 and the second housing. 530, thereby allowing the display panel 510 to unfold to a flat state. Accordingly, the coupling assembly 540 is in a planar state and supports the curved display region 112c of the display panel 510, thereby preventing the curved display region 112c of the unfolded display panel 510 from being depressed due to external force.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 13B, when the display panel 510 is folded, the coupling assembly 540 bends, and thus the slider 551 of the sliding assembly 550 slides (X) toward the second housing 530 to push the coupling assembly 540 and the second housing. 530, thereby allowing the display panel 510 to be folded with a predetermined curvature. Therefore, the coupling assembly 540 supports the curved display region 112c of the display panel 510 to guide the folding of the display panel 510 such that the display panel 510 is folded with a predetermined curvature.

In the foldable display device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the coupling assembly 540 may be provided in an upside-down type so as to reverse the rotation direction, and may be connected between the second housing 530 and the sliding assembly 550 . In this example, as shown in FIG. fold.

In the foldable display device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, when the display panel 510 is folded or unfolded, the length deviation of the display panel 510 is compensated by the sliding of the coupling assembly 540 matched with the sliding of the sliding assembly 550, so that There is no need to set an active space for the second area of the display panel 510, thereby reducing the frame width.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a foldable display device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of a foldable display device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, showing that the structures of the display panel and the second housing are changed in the foldable display device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. structure. Therefore, in the following description, various elements will be described.

The display panel 510 further includes an edge-curved display area 112d.

The edge-curved display area 112d extends from the second display area 112b to have a certain area, and is attached to the second case 530 to have a certain curvature. When the display panel 510 is folded or unfolded, the edge-curved display region 112d remains in a state of being curved with a certain curvature.

When the display panel 510 is unfolded to a flat state, the edge-curved display region 112d according to an embodiment can form a display screen together with the first display region 112a, the second display region 112b and the curved display region 112c.

When the display panel 510 is folded or unfolded to a flat state, as shown in FIG. Subscreen, and displays a subimage for the user interface. Here, the sub-images may be system setting information, remaining battery level, wireless communication sensitivity, time information, and information receiving icons.

The second case 530 supports a second area of the display panel 510 , that is, a second side rear surface of the display panel 510 covering the second display area 112 b and the edge-curved display area 112 d. To this end, the second case 530 is configured the same as the second case 530 of the foldable display device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and further includes an edge bending portion 532 bent with a certain curvature. The edge curves the display area 112d.

The edge curved portion 532 is provided in a curved shape to have a predetermined curvature from the upper edge of the second case 530 and is physically coupled to the edge curved display region 112 d of the display panel 510 . Therefore, the edge curved display region 112 d is kept in a state of being curved with a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the edge curved portion 532 .

In the foldable display device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, even when the display panel 510 is folded, the user can be provided with a sub-image for a user interface through the curved display region 112d at the edge exposed outside.

As described above, according to the embodiments of the present invention, since the folding and unfolding of the display panel is guided by the sliding assembly and the coupling assembly including a plurality of coupling bars, the curved curvature of the folded display panel is stably maintained, and the unfolded display panel The curved display area of the panel is also kept flat.

In addition, according to the embodiments of the present invention, the length deviation occurring when the display panel is folded and unfolded is compensated by the slide assembly, thus minimizing the bending stress applied to the curved display area of the display panel.

In addition, according to the embodiments of the present invention, since the housing is slid by the sliding assembly when the display panel is folded and unfolded, there is no need to set an active space for the display panel, thereby reducing the bezel width.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, even when the display panel is folded, a sub image for a user interface may be provided to a user by bending the display area through an edge extending from one side of the display panel.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims (10)

1. A foldable display device, comprising: a display panel that folds or unfolds relative to the curved display area; a first housing configured to support a first area of the display panel; a second housing physically coupled to a second area of the display panel; a coupling assembly connected between the first casing and the second casing and configured to support the curved display area of the folded or unfolded display panel; a sliding assembly configured to slide either the first region or the second region of the display panel according to bending of the coupling assembly; and a signal application unit configured to extend from an edge of the first area or the second area, the signal application unit passing through the first housing or the second housing toward the edge of the first housing The rear surface or the rear surface of the second housing is curved and connected to the system driver. 2. The foldable display device of claim 1, wherein the coupling assembly comprises: a first coupling bar rotatably connected to the first housing; a second coupling bar rotatably connected to the second housing; and A plurality of intermediate connecting bars are rotatably connected between the first connecting bar and the second connecting bar. 3. The foldable display device of claim 2, wherein the sliding assembly comprises: a slider physically coupled to the display panel first region and sliding according to bending of the coupling assembly; and A guide member is arranged at the first housing to guide the movement of the slider. 4. The foldable display device of claim 3, wherein: The slider includes a pair of rails configured to protrude toward the bottom of the first housing, and The guides include: a pair of guide holes provided at the first housing, wherein the pair of rails are respectively inserted into the pair of guide holes; and A pair of plates are provided at the bottom of the first housing and are respectively coupled with the pair of rails respectively inserted into the pair of guide holes. 5. The foldable display device according to claim 1, wherein the slide assembly is movably connected to the first housing, and The coupling components include: a first coupling bar rotatably connected to the second housing; a second link rotatably connected to the slide assembly; and A plurality of intermediate connecting bars are rotatably connected between the first connecting bar and the second connecting bar. 6. The foldable display device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first housing physically coupled to the first region of the display panel, and The slide assembly includes: a slider rotatably connected to the coupling assembly, movably disposed at the first housing, and configured to slide the second housing according to bending of the coupling assembly; and A guide member is arranged at the first housing to guide the movement of the slider. 7. The foldable display device according to claim 6, wherein The sliding assembly further includes a pair of sliding shafts, the pair of sliding shafts are respectively arranged on both sides of the slider, and The guide member includes a pair of guide holes respectively provided on two side walls of the first housing and configured to guide the sliding of the pair of sliding shafts. 8. The foldable display device according to any one of claims 2-7, wherein each of the first connecting bar, the second connecting bar and the plurality of intermediate connecting bars includes a A stop protruding from the upper surface of the rear side of the main body of the bar, wherein the stop is configured to prevent rotation relative to an adjacent bar beyond a predetermined maximum rotational angle. 9. The foldable display device according to any one of claims 5-7, wherein: The second case further includes an edge bent portion bent with a predetermined curvature, and The display panel further includes an edge-curved display area physically coupled to the edge curved part and maintained in a state of being bent with a predetermined curvature. 10. The foldable display device according to claim 9, wherein when the display panel is folded, the edge-curved display area of the display panel is exposed outside and not covered by the first casing.