TW202104017A - Flexible display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A flexible display apparatus including a first roller, a second roller, a first display panel and a second display panel is provided. The second roller is slidably disposed in the first roller along a moving axis. The first display panel is connected to the first roller. The first display panel is suitable for being rolled up in the first roller or being spread out from the first roller along a direction perpendicular to the moving axis. The second display panel is connected to the second roller. The second display panel is suitable for being spread out from the second roller or being rolled up in the second roller along a direction perpendicular to the moving axis when the second roller is moved out of the first roller along the moving axis.

Description

Flexible display device

The present invention relates to a display device, and particularly relates to a flexible display device.

With the development of flexible materials (such as substrate materials, packaging materials, conductive materials, or insulating materials) and the advancement of process technology, bendable/foldable displays are no longer only imagined in science fiction movies. For example, curved displays, flexible displays or recent foldable displays are the best examples of relevant manufacturers in the design and development of such bendable/foldable displays. Considering the maturity of the technology and the breadth of application, the flexible display is the focus of the development of related manufacturers. In order to facilitate portability or space reuse, most flexible displays are equipped with a reel and a flexible display panel, and the flexible display panel can be rolled into the reel after use. However, this type of design cannot meet people's needs for large-size displays and diversified operations.

The present invention provides a flexible display device with multi-screen display, which has good operating flexibility and portability.

The flexible display device of the present invention includes a first roll, a second roll, a first display panel, and a second display panel. The second reel is slidably arranged in the first reel along the moving axis. The first display panel is connected to the first reel. The first display panel is adapted to be unrolled or rolled into the first reel along a direction perpendicular to the moving axis. The second display panel is connected to the second reel. When the second reel is moved out of the first reel along the moving axis, the second display panel is adapted to be unwound from the second reel or rolled into the second reel along a direction perpendicular to the moving axis.

Based on the above, in the flexible display device of an embodiment of the present invention, through the relative sliding of the first reel and the second reel on a moving axis, the second reel is extended or received from the first reel. The first reel helps to improve the portability of the flexible display device. On the other hand, through the first display panel that can be rolled up on the first roll and the second display panel that can be rolled up on the second roll from the first roll and the second roll along the direction perpendicular to the moving axis, respectively. Expanding the tube can achieve the effect of large-size display or multi-screen display, and improve the operating flexibility and portability of the flexible display device.

In order to make the above-mentioned features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, the following specific embodiments are described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

As used herein, "approximately", "approximately", "essentially", or "substantially" includes the stated value and the average value within the acceptable deviation range of the specific value determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art, taking into account all The measurement in question and the specific number of errors associated with the measurement (ie, the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "about" can mean within one or more standard deviations of the stated value, or, for example, within ±30%, ±20%, ±15%, ±10%, ±5%. Furthermore, "about", "approximately", "essentially", or "substantially" used in this article can be based on measurement properties, cutting properties, or other properties to select a more acceptable deviation range or standard deviation. Not one standard deviation applies to all properties.

In the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., are exaggerated for clarity. It should be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being "on" or "connected to" another element, it can be directly on or connected to the other element, or Intermediate elements can also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or "directly connected to" another element, there are no intervening elements. As used herein, "connection" can refer to physical and/or electrical connection. Furthermore, "electrical connection" can mean that there are other components between the two components.

In addition, relative terms such as "lower" or "bottom" and "upper" or "top" can be used herein to describe the relationship between one element and another element, as shown in the figure. It should be understood that relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. For example, if the device in one figure is turned over, elements described as being on the "lower" side of other elements will be oriented on the "upper" side of the other elements. Therefore, the exemplary term "lower" may include an orientation of "lower" and "upper," depending on the specific orientation of the drawing. Similarly, if the device in one figure is turned over, elements described as "below" or "below" other elements will be oriented "above" the other elements. Thus, the exemplary terms "above" or "below" can include an orientation of above and below.

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and examples of the exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same component symbols are used in the drawings and descriptions to indicate the same or similar parts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a flexible display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the flexible display device of FIG. 1. 3A to 3C are schematic top views of the folding process of the flexible display device of FIG. 1. It should be noted that, for the sake of clarity, FIG. 2 omits the illustration of the side wall 110w, the side wall 120w, and the second knob 132 in FIG. 1. 1 and 2, the flexible display device 10 includes a first roll 110, a second roll 120, a first display panel 210, and a second display panel 220. The second reel 120 is slidably connected to the first reel 110, and the second reel 120 can slide relative to the first reel 110 along the moving axis MA1 (as shown in FIG. 3B) to extend from the first reel 110 Or income into the first reel 110. In other words, through the sliding connection between the first reel 110 and the second reel 120, the two reels become a telescopic structure.

The first display panel 210 is connected to the first roll 110 and is suitable for being rolled into the first roll 110. The second display panel 220 is connected to the second roll 120 and is suitable for being rolled into the second roll 120. In this embodiment, the display panels (ie, the first display panel 210 and the second display panel 220) are, for example, Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display panels, but the invention is not limited to this . In other embodiments, the display panel may also be a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a micro light emitting diode (Micro Light Emitting Diode, Micro LED) panel, or a sub-millimeter light emitting diode (Mini Light Emitting Diode, Mini LED) panel, or electrophoretic display (Electrophoretic Display, EPD) panel. It should be noted that the number of display panels in this embodiment is illustrated by taking two as an example, which does not mean that the present invention is limited by this. In other embodiments, the number of display panels can also be adjusted according to actual needs (for example, the number of users and the display size).

In particular, the flexible display device 10 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is in an unfolded state for display operation. For example, the first display panel 210 has a first display surface 210d, and the second display panel 220 has a second display surface 220d. In this embodiment, the first display panel 210 and the second display panel 220 are both unfolded on the same side of the roll, and the first display surface 210d and the second display surface 220d both face the first roll 110 (or the second roll The same side of the tube 120), and the first display panel 210 and the second display panel 220 are used to display a spliced image frame. That is, the first display panel 210 can display a part of the spliced image frame, and the second display panel 220 can display another part of the spliced image frame. However, the present invention is not limited to this. According to other embodiments, the first display surface 210d of the first display panel 210 and the second display surface 220d of the second display panel 220 may also face opposite sides of the reel, and the first The display panel 210 and the second display panel 220 respectively display different image frames for different users to watch.

From another point of view, the first display panel 210 and the second display panel 220 of the flexible display device 10 of this embodiment can also be deployed on opposite sides of the reel, so that the first display surface 210d and the second display panel 210d The two display surfaces 220d respectively face opposite sides of the reel for viewing by different users. In other words, the diversified operation modes of the flexible display device 10 can meet the requirements of different usage scenarios, and help to improve the operating flexibility of the flexible display device 10.

Furthermore, the first reel 110 includes a first casing 111 and a first reel 112, the first reel 112 is disposed in the first casing 111, and the first display panel 210 is adapted to be rolled in the first casing 111 And the first reel 112. The second reel 120 slidably disposed in the first reel 112 includes a second casing 121 and a second reel 122. The second reel 122 is disposed in the second housing 121, and the second display panel 220 is adapted to be rolled between the second housing 121 and the second reel 122. More specifically, the first display panel 210 has a first side 210a and a second side 210b opposite to each other. The first side 210a is connected to the first reel 112, and the second side 210b is adapted to extend from the first side of the first housing 111. An opening 111a extends to unfold the first display panel 210. Similarly, the second display panel 220 has a third side 220a and a fourth side 220b opposite to each other, wherein the third side 220a is connected to the second reel 122, and the fourth side 220b is adapted from the second opening of the second housing 121 121a extends to unfold the second display panel 220.

The folding process of the flexible display device 10 will be exemplarily described below. Please refer to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3A. First, the first reel 112 is rotated relative to the first housing 111 along the first rotation axis RA1 to drive the first display panel 210 along a direction perpendicular to the movement axis MA1 ( For example, the direction D1) is rolled into the first reel 110; similarly, the second reel 122 is rotated relative to the second housing 121 along the second rotation axis RA2 to drive the second display panel 220 along the axis perpendicular to the movement The direction of MA1 (for example, direction D1) is rolled into the second reel 120.

In the reverse direction, the first reel 112 can also be made to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the first housing 111 along the first rotation axis RA1, so as to drive the first display panel 210 along a direction perpendicular to the movement axis MA1 (for example, in the direction D1 Opposite direction) unwinding from the first reel 110; similarly, the second reel 122 can also be made to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the second housing 121 along the second rotation axis RA2 to drive the second display panel 220 to move along the vertical direction The direction of the axis MA1 (for example, the direction opposite to the direction D1) is unrolled from the second reel 120.

In this embodiment, the flexible display device 10 may also optionally include a first knob 131 and a second knob 132. The first knob 131 is disposed on the first end surface 111e of the first casing 111, and the second knob 132 is disposed on the second end surface 121e of the second casing 121 exposed by the first casing 111. Furthermore, the first knob 131 is connected to the first reel 112 and is configured to drive the first reel 112 to rotate to roll up or unfold the first display panel 210. The second knob 132 is connected to the second reel 122 and is configured to drive the second reel 122 to rotate to roll up or unfold the second display panel 220. In other words, in this embodiment, the rolling or unfolding of the display panel can be implemented manually through the knob, but the invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the rolling or unfolding of the display panel can also be achieved by electric means.

Since the first knob 131 and the second knob 132 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the flexible display device 10, during the process of rolling or unfolding the two display panels, the two knobs can be rotated in different directions (for example, the rotation direction RD1). Rotating with the rotation direction RD2) helps to improve the smoothness of single-person operation, but the present invention is not limited to this. On the other hand, the first rotation axis RA1 defined by the first reel 112 and the second rotation axis RA2 defined by the second reel 122 may be coaxial, but the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the first rotation axis RA1 of the first reel 112 can also be staggered to the second rotation axis RA2 of the second reel 122 depending on the relative arrangement of the two reels.

3B and 3C, after the first display panel 210 and the second display panel 220 are respectively rolled into the first roll 110 and the second roll 120, the second roll 120 is moved along the axis of movement MA1 slides in the direction D2 and is collected in the first reel 110. At this point, the folding of the flexible display device 10 is completed. It should be understood that in the unfolding process of the flexible display device 10, the user can also slide the second reel 120 along the moving axis MA1 in a direction opposite to the direction D2 to extend from the first reel 110 to facilitate The second display panel 220 is unfolded from the second roll 120.

It is worth mentioning that through the relative sliding of the first reel 110 and the second reel 120 on the moving axis MA1, the second reel 120 can be received in the first reel 110, which can effectively lift the flexible display device 10 portability. On the other hand, when the second reel 120 is received in the first reel 110, the user can still unfold the first display panel 210 from the first reel 110. In other words, the operation of the first display panel 210 can be independent of the operation of the second display panel 220, which helps increase the operation flexibility of the flexible display device 10.

Other embodiments will be listed below to describe the disclosure in detail, wherein the same components will be marked with the same symbols, and the description of the same technical content will be omitted. For the omitted parts, please refer to the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated hereafter.

4 is a schematic top view of a flexible display device according to a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a partial area of the flexible display device of FIG. 4. 6A and 6B are schematic top views of the splicing process of the flexible display device of FIG. 4.

4 and 5, the main difference between the flexible display device 11 of this embodiment and the flexible display device 10 of FIG. 1 is that the configuration of the second display panel is different. In this embodiment, the second display panel 220A has a gap 221, and the first roll 110 is adapted to extend into the gap 221. Specifically, when the flexible display device 11 is in an unfolded state, the notch 221 is provided on the side of the second display panel 220A facing the first display panel 210. Therefore, after the second display panel 220A is unrolled from the second roll 120, the second roll 120 can move toward the first roll 110 to drive the second display panel 220A closer to the first display panel 210 (as shown in FIG. 6A ), causing the second display panel 220A to overlap the first display panel 210 (as shown in FIG. 6B). That is, the second display panel 220A may partially overlap the first display panel 210. Accordingly, it is helpful for the image continuity of the two display panels when displaying a spliced picture.

FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of a flexible display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to FIG. 7, the main difference between the flexible display device 12 of this embodiment and the flexible display device 10 of FIG. 1 lies in the number of display panels. In this embodiment, the flexible display device 12 further includes a third display panel 230. That is, the number of display panels of the flexible display device 12 is three. The third display panel 230 is connected to the first roll 110 and is suitable for being rolled into the first roll 110. Specifically, the third display panel 230 and the first display panel 210 can be simultaneously rolled up in the first roll 110 or expanded on opposite sides of the first roll 110 respectively.

For example, the first display surface 210d of the first display panel 210 and the third display surface 230d of the third display panel 230 may face the same side of the reel (that is, the user UR1 side), and the second display panel 220 The second display surface 220d may face the other side of the reel (that is, the user UR2 side). In other words, the second display surface 220d is opposite to the first display surface 210d and the third display surface 230d, which can be viewed by two users (for example, the user UR1 and the user UR2) at the same time. However, the present invention is not limited to this. According to other embodiments, the second display panel 220 can also be folded to the other side of the roll, so that the second display surface 220d and the first display surface 210d (or the third display surface 230d) ) Toward the same side of the reel for viewing by a single user (such as user UR1).

On the other hand, the first display panel 210 and the third display panel 230 can be used to display a mosaic image. In other words, the first display surface 210d and the third display surface 230d can form a spliced display surface to present a larger-sized display screen for the user UR1 to view. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In another operation mode, the operation of the first display panel 210 can also be independent of the operation of the third display panel 230 to provide the user with a multi-screen display effect.

FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of a partial area of a flexible display device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 9A and 9B are schematic top views of the deployment process of the flexible display device of FIG. 8. It should be noted that, for clarity of presentation, FIG. 8 omits the illustration of the second knob 132A in FIG. 9A. Please refer to FIG. 8, the main difference between the flexible display device 13 of this embodiment and the flexible display device 10 of FIG. 1 is that the component composition and the number of display panels are different. In this embodiment, the flexible display device 13 further includes a guide 150, and the second housing 121A of the second reel 120A further has a third opening 121b adjacent to the second opening 121a, and the guide 150 is adapted to pass through the third opening 121b to extend the second roll 120A.

In particular, the number of third openings 121b (or guide 150) in this embodiment is exemplarily illustrated by taking two as an example, and the two third openings 121b are respectively located at two opposite sides of the second opening 121a. side. However, the present invention is not limited to this. According to other embodiments, the number of third openings 121b (or guide 150) can also be adjusted to one depending on the number of display panels (for example, one). Furthermore, the second reel 122A of the second reel 120A has a slot 122g corresponding to the third opening 121b of the second housing 121A, and the guide 150 is slidably disposed on the opening of the second reel 122A along the moving axis MA2. In the tank 122g.

In this embodiment, the flexible display device 13 may also optionally include a connecting rod 151 and a protruding rod 152. The connecting rod 151 is connected between the two guide members 150. The protruding rod 152 is disposed on the connecting rod 151 and is configured to drive the guide 150 to move along the moving axis MA2 to extend out of the third opening 121b of the second housing 121A. In other words, the guiding member 150 of this embodiment can manually extend from the second reel 120A through the above-mentioned configuration relationship, but the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the two guide members 150 can also extend from the second reel in an electric manner, and the actions of the two guide members 150 can be independent of each other.

Furthermore, the second knob 132A has a slot 132g, and the protruding rod 152 extends from the slot 132g of the second knob 132A (that is, the protruding rod 152 passes through the second knob 132A) to facilitate the user to operate the guide引件150. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the flexible display device 13 further includes a fourth display panel 240. The fourth display panel 240 is connected to the second reel 120A (or the second reel 122A), and the fourth display panel 240 and the second display panel 220 are adapted to be rolled into the second reel 120A together or separately unfolded in the second reel 120A The opposite sides of the second reel 120A are as shown in FIG. 9A. The operation flow of the guide 150 will be exemplarily described below.

9A and 9B, the first display panel 210 and the third display panel 230 are unfolded on opposite sides of the first roll 110, and the second display panel 220 and the fourth display panel 240 are unfolded on the second roll 120A After the opposite sides of the second reel 120A, pull the protruding rod 152 in the direction D3 to drive the guide 150 to extend from the second reel 120A along the moving axis MA2. At this time, through the interference relationship between the second display panel 220 and the adjacent guide 150, the bend of the second display panel 220 can be moved closer to the bend of the first display panel 210; similarly, through the fourth The interference relationship between the display panel 240 and the adjacent guide 150 moves the bending part of the fourth display panel 240 closer to the bending part of the third display panel 230. That is, the distance between the first display surface 210d and the second display surface 220d in the normal direction of the display surface (for example, the first display surface 210d) (or the distance between the third display surface 230d and the fourth display surface 240d) Can be shortened further.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the end surface 150s of the guide 150 can be flush with the first opening 111a of the first housing 111, so that the first display surface 210d is substantially aligned with the second display surface 220d (or It is the third display surface 230d that is substantially aligned with the fourth display surface 240d). In other words, the four display surfaces of the flexible display device 13 can be coplanar in the unfolded state, which helps to improve the display quality of the flexible display device 13.

To sum up, in the flexible display device of an embodiment of the present invention, the second reel protrudes from the first reel through the relative sliding of the first reel and the second reel on a moving axis Or it can be stored in the first reel, which helps to improve the portability of the flexible display device. On the other hand, through the first display panel that can be rolled up on the first roll and the second display panel that can be rolled up on the second roll from the first roll and the second roll along the direction perpendicular to the moving axis, respectively. Expanding the tube can achieve the effect of large-size display or multi-screen display, and improve the operating flexibility and portability of the flexible display device.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field can make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of the attached patent application.

10, 11, 12, 13: Flexible display device 110: The first reel 110w, 120w: side wall 111: first shell 111a: first opening 111e: first end face 112: The First Scroll 120, 120A: second reel 121, 121A: second housing 121a: second opening 121b: third opening 121e: second end face 122, 122A: Second scroll 122g, 132g: slotted 131: The first knob 132, 132A: second knob 150: guide 150s: end face 151: connecting rod 152: protruding rod 210: The first display panel 210a: first side 210b: second side 210d: the first display surface 220, 220A: second display panel 220a: third side 220b: Fourth side 220d: second display surface 221: Gap 230: The third display panel 230d: third display surface 240: The fourth display panel 240d: the fourth display surface D1, D2, D3: direction MA1, MA2: moving axis RA1: The first axis of rotation RA2: The second axis of rotation RD1, RD2: rotation direction UR1, UR2: user

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a flexible display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the flexible display device of FIG. 1. 3A to 3C are schematic top views of the folding process of the flexible display device of FIG. 1. 4 is a schematic top view of a flexible display device according to a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a partial area of the flexible display device of FIG. 4. 6A and 6B are schematic top views of the splicing process of the flexible display device of FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of a flexible display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of a partial area of a flexible display device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 9A and 9B are schematic top views of the deployment process of the flexible display device of FIG. 8.

10: Flexible display device

110: The first reel

110w, 120w: side wall

111a: first opening

120: second reel

121a: second opening

131: The first knob

132: The second knob

210: The first display panel

210a: first side

210b: second side

220: second display panel

220a: third side

220b: Fourth side

RA1: The first axis of rotation

RA2: The second axis of rotation

Claims (12)

A flexible display device includes: A first reel A second reel, slidably arranged in the first reel along a moving axis; A first display panel connected to the first reel, and the first display panel is adapted to be unrolled from the first reel or rolled into the first reel along a direction perpendicular to the moving axis; and A second display panel connected to the second reel, wherein when the second reel is moved out of the first reel along the moving axis, the second display panel is adapted to be along a direction perpendicular to the moving axis Unwind or wind up from the second reel into the second reel. The flexible display device described in item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the first reel includes: A first housing having a first opening; and A first reel is arranged in the first housing, wherein the first display panel has a first side and a second side opposite to each other, the first side is connected to the first reel, and the second side is suitable for Extend from the first opening to unfold the first display panel. The flexible display device described in item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein the second reel includes: A second housing having a second opening; and A second reel is arranged in the second housing, wherein the second display panel has a third side and a fourth side opposite to each other, the third side is connected to the second reel, and the fourth side is suitable for Extending from the second opening to unfold the second display panel. The flexible display device described in item 3 of the scope of patent application further includes: A first knob connected to the first reel, and the first knob is configured to drive the first reel to rotate to retract or unfold the first display panel; and A second knob connected to the second reel, and the second knob is configured to drive the second reel to rotate to retract or unfold the second display panel, The first knob is disposed on a first end surface of the first casing, and the second knob is disposed on a second end surface of the second casing exposed by the first casing. According to the flexible display device described in claim 3, the first reel rotates relative to the first housing according to a first rotation axis, and the second reel rotates relative to the first housing according to a second rotation axis. The second housing rotates, and the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis are coaxial. The flexible display device described in item 3 of the scope of patent application further includes: A guide member is slidably disposed in the second reel along a moving axis, wherein the second housing further has a third opening adjacent to the second opening, and the moving axis passes through the third opening. The flexible display device according to item 6 of the scope of patent application, wherein one end surface of the guide member is adapted to protrude from the third opening, and the end surface is flush with the first opening of the first housing . According to the flexible display device described in claim 1, wherein the first display panel and the second display panel are expanded from the first reel and the second reel, and the first display panel and The second display panel partially overlaps. According to the flexible display device described in item 8 of the scope of patent application, the side of the second display panel facing the first display panel has a notch, and the first roll is adapted to extend into the notch. The flexible display device described in item 1 of the scope of patent application further includes: A third display panel connected to the first reel, wherein the first display panel and the third display panel are adapted to be rolled together in the first reel or unfolded on opposite sides of the first reel On both sides. The flexible display device according to claim 10, wherein one of the second display panel and the third display panel and the first display panel have a splicing display surface, and the second display panel The other of the third display panel and the third display panel has a display surface, and the spliced display surface faces the display surface. The flexible display device described in item 10 of the scope of patent application further includes: A fourth display panel connected to the second reel, wherein the second display panel and the fourth display panel are adapted to be rolled together in the second reel or unfolded on opposite sides of the second reel On both sides.

Images