US20190150301A1 - Display device - Google Patents
Display device Download PDFInfo
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- US20190150301A1 US20190150301A1 US16/117,034 US201816117034A US2019150301A1 US 20190150301 A1 US20190150301 A1 US 20190150301A1 US 201816117034 A US201816117034 A US 201816117034A US 2019150301 A1 US2019150301 A1 US 2019150301A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- plate
- display device
- connectors
- housing
- coupler
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
- G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
- G09F9/00—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements
- G09F9/30—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements
- G09F9/301—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K5/00—Casings, cabinets or drawers for electric apparatus
- H05K5/0017—Casings, cabinets or drawers for electric apparatus with operator interface units
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
- G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour
- G02F1/13—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour based on liquid crystals, e.g. single liquid crystal display cells
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K1/00—Printed circuits
- H05K1/02—Details
- H05K1/14—Structural association of two or more printed circuits
- H05K1/147—Structural association of two or more printed circuits at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K5/00—Casings, cabinets or drawers for electric apparatus
- H05K5/02—Details
- H05K5/0217—Mechanical details of casings
- H05K5/0226—Hinges
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K1/00—Printed circuits
- H05K1/02—Details
- H05K1/0277—Bendability or stretchability details
- H05K1/028—Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K2201/00—Indexing scheme relating to printed circuits covered by H05K1/00
- H05K2201/10—Details of components or other objects attached to or integrated in a printed circuit board
- H05K2201/10007—Types of components
- H05K2201/10037—Printed or non-printed battery
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K2201/00—Indexing scheme relating to printed circuits covered by H05K1/00
- H05K2201/10—Details of components or other objects attached to or integrated in a printed circuit board
- H05K2201/10007—Types of components
- H05K2201/10128—Display
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K5/00—Casings, cabinets or drawers for electric apparatus
- H05K5/0086—Casings, cabinets or drawers for electric apparatus portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus
Definitions
- the instant disclosure relates to a display device and, more particularly, to a flexible display device with flexible display screen.
- touch display panels utilized for display interface and main control to replace physical buttons.
- touch display panels of electronic devices e.g., laptop computers, phones, and wearable devices
- touch display panels of electronic devices may be configured to be bendable to a certain extent, and the size of the touch display panel is no longer limited.
- electrical information is vast, technology of display panel is mature, and cost of display panel is lower, consumers prefer purchasing large scale display devices to increase comfortableness when using these display devices.
- the size of a display screen of a flat display device is limited because in a case that the display screen is too large, the display device is too hard to be carried and occupies too much space in storage. If the display device incorporated with flexible display panel is designed to be foldable, the display device only requires half of an area in carrying and can be unfolded to present a larger screen in using. Such display device not only requires the use of the flexible display panel but also requires a housing capable of being folded and bent, accordingly, such that advantages regarding features and functions of the flexible display panel can be exploited to the full.
- an embodiment of the instant disclosure provides a display device comprising a flexible display panel and a housing.
- the housing comprises a plurality of connectors and a plurality of couplers.
- Each of the connectors comprises two accommodating slots.
- the connectors and the couplers are sequentially arranged in a staggered manner and connected with one another.
- Each of the couplers comprises a coupling body and two cylinders.
- the two cylinders are connected to two sides of the coupling body.
- Each of the cylinders is disposed in the accommodating slot of the adjacent connector. Wherein a radial interval of an opening of the accommodating slot is greater than a thickness of the coupling body and is less than a diameter of the cylinder.
- the housing can form bendable structures at portions needing to be folded or bent.
- the display device incorporated with the flexible display panel as a whole can be folded for carrying or storing, such that advantages of the flexible display panel can be exploited, and the area of the display device can be decreased to facilitate carrying and storing.
- the housing can be adapted to varied sizes of display devices, which is more convenient for design and application.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the rear of a display device according to a first embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the front of the display device according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of the display device according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 4 illustrates a partially enlarged view of the display device while the housing is in a straight state according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the display device in a bent state according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 6 illustrates a partially enlarged view of the display device in a bent state according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rear of a display device according to a first embodiment of the instant disclosure.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the front of the display device according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure.
- FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the display device according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure.
- FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the display device while the housing is in a straight state according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure.
- the display device 100 comprises a housing 10 , a flexible display panel 20 , a battery 30 , a main board 40 , and a flexible circuit board 50 .
- the flexible display panel 20 is assembled to the housing 10 .
- the while of the housing 10 is, but is not limited to, assembled to the rear of the flexible display panel 20 , such that a display area of the display device 100 can be as large as possible while a volume of the display device 100 can be as small as possible.
- the battery 30 , the main board 40 , and the flexible circuit board 50 are respectively disposed in the housing 10 .
- the flexible circuit board 50 is respectively connected to the battery 30 and the main board 40 .
- the flexible display panel 20 is electrically connected to the main board 40 , such that electrical components (not shown) such as processor on the main board 40 can be used to control the flexible display panel 20 .
- the housing 10 comprises a plurality of connectors 11 , a plurality of couplers 12 , a first plate 13 , and a second plate 14 .
- the housing 10 only comprises the connectors 11 and the couplers 12 assembled to each other, and thus any part of the housing 10 is bendable.
- the invention is not limited to the above embodiments.
- a middle part of the housing 10 is bendable and is provided with the connectors 11 and the couplers 12 .
- two sides of the middle part are provided with the first plate 13 and the second plate 14 which are not bendable.
- the housing 10 can be bent by the middle part thereof in carrying or storing.
- the connectors 11 and the couplers 12 are made of rubber with slight elasticity. While the housing 10 is bent, the connectors 11 and the couplers 12 may be elastically deformed to facilitate the bending process.
- the connectors 11 and the couplers 12 may also be made of material with weak elasticity. The invention is not limited to the above embodiments.
- the connectors 11 and the couplers 12 are stripe-shaped.
- the first plate 13 is connected to one of the couplers 12 in advance, and then the connectors 11 and the couplers 12 are sequentially arranged in a staggered manner and connected with one another. That is to say, in the assembling process, one of the couplers 12 is connected to one of the connectors 11 , and the connector 11 is connected to another one of the couplers 12 .
- the connectors 11 and the couplers 12 are arranged in such sequence and connected to one another.
- the last coupler 12 at an end is connected to the second plate 14 , such that the housing 10 is assembled.
- the number of the connectors 11 and the couplers 12 can be determined based upon an arc radius of the housing 10 required in a bent state to be adapted to varied sizes of display devices.
- the embodiment illustrates that the first plate 13 is connected to the coupler 12 .
- the first plate 13 may be connected to the connector 11 in advance and then be connected to the coupler 12 and the connector 11 in sequence, and the second plate 14 may be connected to the connector 11 or the coupler 12 at last.
- the first plate 13 and the second plate 14 may have the same configuration. For instance, both of the first plate 13 and the second plate 14 are connected to the connector 11 or connected to the coupler 12 .
- the connector 11 comprises two accommodating slots 111 .
- Each of the accommodating slots 111 comprises an opening 112 and two slot walls 113 .
- two sides of the connectors 11 are respectively provided with one accommodating slot 111 .
- a left end and a right end of the two accommodating slots 111 of each of the connectors 11 are respectively provided with one opening 112 .
- the slot walls 113 are at two sides of the opening 112 of each of the accommodating slots 111 .
- the opening 112 has an interval D 1 in a radial direction.
- the accommodating slot 111 is U-shaped. But the shape is not limited to the above embodiment.
- the coupler 12 comprises a coupling body 121 and two cylinders 122 .
- the two cylinders 122 are connected to two sides of the coupling body 121 .
- the cylinder 122 is disposed on the whole of the long side of the coupling body 121 .
- the cylinder 122 may be provided only in a middle part or in two opposite end parts of the long side of the coupling body 121 .
- the function of the cylinder 122 is for the connector 11 and the coupler 12 being connected to each other, and thus it is not necessary that the cylinder 122 is disposed on the whole of the long side of the coupling body 121 .
- the interval D 1 of the opening 112 is greater than a thickness t of the coupling body 121 and is less than a diameter R of the cylinder 122 .
- the connector 11 and the coupler 12 are incapable of being detached from each other even the connector 11 and the coupler 12 are forced to be moved away from each other.
- the cylinder 122 is incapable of being assembled into the accommodating slot 111 via the opening 112 since the diameter R of the cylinder 122 is greater than the interval D 1 of the opening 112 . Therefore, in the assembling process of the coupler 12 , as shown in FIG. 3 , the cylinder 122 of the coupler 12 is inserted into the accommodating slot 111 of the adjacent connector 11 from the front or the rear of the connector 11 to achieve the connection of the connector 11 and the coupler 12 .
- the interval D 1 of the opening 112 is less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122 .
- the slot wall 113 at two sides of the opening 112 of the accommodating slot 111 is curved inwardly, and thus an end of the slot wall 113 forms a curved portion 1131 curved inwardly towards the opening 112 .
- the terms “inwardly” means the direction towards the middle of the accommodating slot 111 for receiving the cylinder 122 .
- the slot wall 113 at two sides of the opening 112 is provided with a blocking portion (not shown) protruded inwardly, such that the interval D 1 of the opening 112 is less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122 .
- the display device 100 can be used in a flat state.
- the housing 10 is in a straight state.
- the coupler 12 is fully received in the accommodating slots 111 of the two adjacent connectors 11 . That is to say, while observing from the outside of the housing 10 , only the adjacent connectors 11 are visible, and the couplers 12 received in the accommodating slots 111 of each of the connectors 11 are invisible.
- the first plate 13 and the second plate 14 at the left and right sides of the housing 10 are also provided with corresponding structures connected with the couplers 12 .
- the first plate 13 of the embodiment is connected to the coupler 12 , and thus a side of the first plate 13 connected to the coupler 12 is provided with an accommodating slot 131 .
- the accommodating slot 131 comprises an opening 132 and slot walls 133 .
- the opening 132 is provided on a right side of the accommodating slot 131 .
- the slot walls 133 of the accommodating slot 131 are at two sides of the opening 132 .
- the opening 132 has an interval D 2 in a radial direction.
- the interval D 2 of the opening 132 of the first plate 13 is greater than the thickness t of the coupling body 121 and is less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122 .
- the first plate 13 and the coupler 12 are incapable of being detached from each other.
- the cylinder 122 is incapable of being assembled into the accommodating slot 131 via the opening 132 since the diameter R of the cylinder 122 is greater than the interval D 2 of the opening 132 . Therefore, in the assembling process of the coupler 12 , as shown in FIG. 3 , the cylinder 122 of the coupler 12 is inserted into the accommodating slot 131 of the adjacent first plate 13 from the front or the rear of the first plate 13 to achieve the connection of the first plate 13 and the coupler 12 .
- the interval D 2 of the opening 132 is less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122 .
- the slot wall 133 at two sides of the opening 132 of the accommodating slot 131 is curved inwardly, and thus an end of the slot wall 133 forms a curved portion 1331 curved inwardly towards the opening 132 .
- the terms “inwardly” means the direction towards the middle of the accommodating slot 131 for receiving the cylinder 122 .
- the second plate 14 of the embodiment is analogously connected to the coupler 12 , and thus the structures of the second plate 14 and the first plate 13 of the embodiment are the same.
- a side of the second plate 14 connected to the coupler 12 is provided with an accommodating slot 141 .
- the accommodating slot 141 comprises an opening 142 and slot walls 143 .
- the opening 142 is provided on a left side of the accommodating slot 141 .
- the slot walls 143 of the accommodating slot 141 are at two sides of the opening 142 .
- the opening 142 has an interval D 3 in a radial direction.
- the interval D 3 of the opening 142 of the second plate 14 is greater than the thickness t of the coupling body 121 and is less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122 .
- the cylinder 122 is incapable of being assembled into the accommodating slot 141 via the opening 142 since the diameter R of the cylinder 122 is greater than the interval D 3 of the opening 142 . Therefore, in the assembling process of the coupler 12 , as the connector 11 and the first plate 13 are assembled, the cylinder 122 of the coupler 12 is inserted into the accommodating slot 141 of the adjacent second plate 14 from the front or the rear of the second plate 14 to achieve the connection of the second plate 14 and the coupler 12 .
- the interval D 3 of the opening 142 is less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122 .
- the slot wall 143 at two sides of the opening 142 of the accommodating slot 141 is curved inwardly, and thus an end of the slot wall 143 forms a curved portion 1431 curved inwardly towards the opening 142 .
- the terms “inwardly” means the direction towards the middle of the accommodating slot 141 for receiving the cylinder 122 .
- first plate 13 and the second plate 14 are respectively connected to the connectors 11 .
- sides of the first plate 13 and the second plate 14 connected to the corresponding connectors 11 are respectively provided with the coupling bodies and the cylinders.
- the cylinder is inserted into the accommodating slot 111 of the connector 11 to achieve the assembling of the first plate 13 and the connector 11 or the second plate 14 and the connector 11 .
- FIG. 5 is a side view of the display device 100 in a bent state according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure.
- FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of the display device 100 in a bent state according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure.
- the display device 100 is folded for storing or carrying. While the display device 100 is folded, the housing 10 at outside needs to be stretched to a certain length to facilitate the flexible display panel 20 at inside to be bent.
- the two adjacent connectors 11 are moving away from each other along with the bending of the housing 10 until the cylinder 122 disposed in the accommodating slot 111 is blocked by the opening 112 of the corresponding connector 11 .
- the connector 11 in the middle, the coupler 12 on the right of the connector 11 , and the connector 11 on the right of the coupler 12 are used for an example for the following illustration.
- the connector 11 on the right of the coupler 12 is referred to “the right connector 11 ,” and the connector 11 in the middle is referred to “the connector 11 .”
- the right connector 11 is being moved away from the connector 11 .
- the coupler 12 there between is being exposed, and the right connector 11 is continuously being moved until the cylinder 122 is blocked by the opening 112 .
- the right connector 11 is driving the coupler 12 to continuously move until the left cylinder 122 of the coupler 12 is blocked by the opening 112 of the connector 11 .
- the housing 10 forms a bendable structure. While the housing 10 is bent, the housing 10 can stretch to a certain length (being about the length of the coupling body) and can be folded. Based upon the use of the flexible display panel 20 and the flexible circuit board 50 disposed corresponding to the connectors 11 and the couplers 12 to be electrically connected with electrical components in the first plate 13 and the second plate 14 , the display device 100 as a whole can be bent and folded. The advantages of the flexible display panel 20 can be exploited. The display device 100 is easy for carrying and storing.
- an outer surface 114 of the connector 11 is arc-shaped.
- An arc radius of the outer surface 114 can be changed based upon the number of the connectors 11 and the size of a curved surface of a curved portion of the display device 100 being folded to improve the appearance. Damages caused by collisions in storing or carrying can be reduced to a certain extent.
- the first plate 13 comprises two first magnetic components 134 disposed inside the first plate 13 at an end away from the coupler 12
- the second plate 14 comprises two second magnetic components 144 disposed inside the second plate 14 at an end away from the coupler 12 .
- the positions of the first magnetic components 134 in the first plate 13 and the second magnetic components 144 in the second plate 14 are corresponding to one another, such that the first magnetic components 134 correspondingly attract the second magnetic components 144 after the housing 10 is bent.
- the display device 100 can maintain the folded state by magnetic attraction, and thus the folded display device 100 is less likely to be unintentionally unfolded to the flat state by the resilience of the material.
Abstract
Description
- This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Patent Application No. 106139576 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Nov. 15, 2017, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
- The instant disclosure relates to a display device and, more particularly, to a flexible display device with flexible display screen.
- Along with smart display devices being more popular, conventional display devices are gradually modified into display devices with touch display panels utilized for display interface and main control to replace physical buttons. In addition, while flexible display panels have launched, touch display panels of electronic devices (e.g., laptop computers, phones, and wearable devices) may be configured to be bendable to a certain extent, and the size of the touch display panel is no longer limited. Nowadays, under the circumstances that electrical information is vast, technology of display panel is mature, and cost of display panel is lower, consumers prefer purchasing large scale display devices to increase comfortableness when using these display devices.
- Nevertheless, the size of a display screen of a flat display device is limited because in a case that the display screen is too large, the display device is too hard to be carried and occupies too much space in storage. If the display device incorporated with flexible display panel is designed to be foldable, the display device only requires half of an area in carrying and can be unfolded to present a larger screen in using. Such display device not only requires the use of the flexible display panel but also requires a housing capable of being folded and bent, accordingly, such that advantages regarding features and functions of the flexible display panel can be exploited to the full.
- To address the above issue, an embodiment of the instant disclosure provides a display device comprising a flexible display panel and a housing. The housing comprises a plurality of connectors and a plurality of couplers. Each of the connectors comprises two accommodating slots. The connectors and the couplers are sequentially arranged in a staggered manner and connected with one another. Each of the couplers comprises a coupling body and two cylinders. The two cylinders are connected to two sides of the coupling body. Each of the cylinders is disposed in the accommodating slot of the adjacent connector. Wherein a radial interval of an opening of the accommodating slot is greater than a thickness of the coupling body and is less than a diameter of the cylinder. While the housing is being bent along with the flexible display panel, the adjacent two connectors are being away from each other until the cylinder in the accommodating slot is blocked by the corresponding opening.
- Based upon the combination of the connectors and the couplers, the housing can form bendable structures at portions needing to be folded or bent. As a result, the display device incorporated with the flexible display panel as a whole can be folded for carrying or storing, such that advantages of the flexible display panel can be exploited, and the area of the display device can be decreased to facilitate carrying and storing. By adjustment of the number and size of the connectors and the couplers, the housing can be adapted to varied sizes of display devices, which is more convenient for design and application.
-
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the rear of a display device according to a first embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the front of the display device according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of the display device according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 4 illustrates a partially enlarged view of the display device while the housing is in a straight state according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the display device in a bent state according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure; and -
FIG. 6 illustrates a partially enlarged view of the display device in a bent state according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure. - Please refer to
FIG. 1 toFIG. 4 .FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rear of a display device according to a first embodiment of the instant disclosure.FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the front of the display device according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure.FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the display device according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure.FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the display device while the housing is in a straight state according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure. In the embodiment, thedisplay device 100 comprises ahousing 10, aflexible display panel 20, abattery 30, amain board 40, and aflexible circuit board 50. Theflexible display panel 20 is assembled to thehousing 10. In the embodiment, the while of thehousing 10 is, but is not limited to, assembled to the rear of theflexible display panel 20, such that a display area of thedisplay device 100 can be as large as possible while a volume of thedisplay device 100 can be as small as possible. Thebattery 30, themain board 40, and theflexible circuit board 50 are respectively disposed in thehousing 10. Theflexible circuit board 50 is respectively connected to thebattery 30 and themain board 40. In addition, theflexible display panel 20 is electrically connected to themain board 40, such that electrical components (not shown) such as processor on themain board 40 can be used to control theflexible display panel 20. - Please refer to
FIG. 1 toFIG. 4 . In the embodiment, thehousing 10 comprises a plurality ofconnectors 11, a plurality ofcouplers 12, afirst plate 13, and asecond plate 14. In some embodiments, thehousing 10 only comprises theconnectors 11 and thecouplers 12 assembled to each other, and thus any part of thehousing 10 is bendable. The invention is not limited to the above embodiments. In the embodiment, a middle part of thehousing 10 is bendable and is provided with theconnectors 11 and thecouplers 12. In addition, two sides of the middle part are provided with thefirst plate 13 and thesecond plate 14 which are not bendable. As a result, thehousing 10 can be bent by the middle part thereof in carrying or storing. In the embodiment, theconnectors 11 and thecouplers 12 are made of rubber with slight elasticity. While thehousing 10 is bent, theconnectors 11 and thecouplers 12 may be elastically deformed to facilitate the bending process. Theconnectors 11 and thecouplers 12 may also be made of material with weak elasticity. The invention is not limited to the above embodiments. - As show in
FIG. 1 andFIG. 3 , theconnectors 11 and thecouplers 12 are stripe-shaped. Thefirst plate 13 is connected to one of thecouplers 12 in advance, and then theconnectors 11 and thecouplers 12 are sequentially arranged in a staggered manner and connected with one another. That is to say, in the assembling process, one of thecouplers 12 is connected to one of theconnectors 11, and theconnector 11 is connected to another one of thecouplers 12. Theconnectors 11 and thecouplers 12 are arranged in such sequence and connected to one another. Thelast coupler 12 at an end is connected to thesecond plate 14, such that thehousing 10 is assembled. - In such manner of pivotally connection, the number of the
connectors 11 and thecouplers 12 can be determined based upon an arc radius of thehousing 10 required in a bent state to be adapted to varied sizes of display devices. In addition, the embodiment illustrates that thefirst plate 13 is connected to thecoupler 12. In other embodiments, thefirst plate 13 may be connected to theconnector 11 in advance and then be connected to thecoupler 12 and theconnector 11 in sequence, and thesecond plate 14 may be connected to theconnector 11 or thecoupler 12 at last. In order to reduce the number of components required in the manufacturing process, thefirst plate 13 and thesecond plate 14 may have the same configuration. For instance, both of thefirst plate 13 and thesecond plate 14 are connected to theconnector 11 or connected to thecoupler 12. - The
connector 11 comprises twoaccommodating slots 111. Each of theaccommodating slots 111 comprises anopening 112 and twoslot walls 113. As shown inFIG. 3 andFIG. 4 , two sides of theconnectors 11 are respectively provided with oneaccommodating slot 111. A left end and a right end of the twoaccommodating slots 111 of each of theconnectors 11 are respectively provided with oneopening 112. Theslot walls 113 are at two sides of theopening 112 of each of theaccommodating slots 111. Theopening 112 has an interval D1 in a radial direction. In the embodiment, theaccommodating slot 111 is U-shaped. But the shape is not limited to the above embodiment. - The
coupler 12 comprises acoupling body 121 and twocylinders 122. The twocylinders 122 are connected to two sides of thecoupling body 121. As shown inFIG. 3 , in the embodiment, thecylinder 122 is disposed on the whole of the long side of thecoupling body 121. In other embodiments, thecylinder 122 may be provided only in a middle part or in two opposite end parts of the long side of thecoupling body 121. The function of thecylinder 122 is for theconnector 11 and thecoupler 12 being connected to each other, and thus it is not necessary that thecylinder 122 is disposed on the whole of the long side of thecoupling body 121. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , the interval D1 of theopening 112 is greater than a thickness t of thecoupling body 121 and is less than a diameter R of thecylinder 122. As a result, while thecylinder 122 is blocked by theopening 112, theconnector 11 and thecoupler 12 are incapable of being detached from each other even theconnector 11 and thecoupler 12 are forced to be moved away from each other. In addition, thecylinder 122 is incapable of being assembled into theaccommodating slot 111 via theopening 112 since the diameter R of thecylinder 122 is greater than the interval D1 of theopening 112. Therefore, in the assembling process of thecoupler 12, as shown inFIG. 3 , thecylinder 122 of thecoupler 12 is inserted into theaccommodating slot 111 of theadjacent connector 11 from the front or the rear of theconnector 11 to achieve the connection of theconnector 11 and thecoupler 12. - Since the
cylinder 122 is incapable of being detached from theopening 112 while theaccommodating slot 111 is capable of allowing thecylinder 122 to freely slide in theaccommodating slot 111, the interval D1 of theopening 112 is less than the diameter R of thecylinder 122. In the embodiment, theslot wall 113 at two sides of theopening 112 of theaccommodating slot 111 is curved inwardly, and thus an end of theslot wall 113 forms acurved portion 1131 curved inwardly towards theopening 112. The terms “inwardly” means the direction towards the middle of theaccommodating slot 111 for receiving thecylinder 122. By theslot wall 113 being curved inwardly and slightly to form thecurved portion 1131, the interval D1 of theopening 112 can be adjusted to be less than the diameter R of thecylinder 122 without any additional component or structure. - In other embodiments, the
slot wall 113 at two sides of theopening 112 is provided with a blocking portion (not shown) protruded inwardly, such that the interval D1 of theopening 112 is less than the diameter R of thecylinder 122. - Please refer to
FIG. 1 andFIG. 4 . Thedisplay device 100 can be used in a flat state. In such case, thehousing 10 is in a straight state. While thehousing 10 is in a straight state, thecoupler 12 is fully received in theaccommodating slots 111 of the twoadjacent connectors 11. That is to say, while observing from the outside of thehousing 10, only theadjacent connectors 11 are visible, and thecouplers 12 received in theaccommodating slots 111 of each of theconnectors 11 are invisible. - As shown in
FIG. 1 toFIG. 4 , thefirst plate 13 and thesecond plate 14 at the left and right sides of thehousing 10 are also provided with corresponding structures connected with thecouplers 12. As shown inFIG. 3 andFIG. 4 , thefirst plate 13 of the embodiment is connected to thecoupler 12, and thus a side of thefirst plate 13 connected to thecoupler 12 is provided with anaccommodating slot 131. Theaccommodating slot 131 comprises anopening 132 and slotwalls 133. Theopening 132 is provided on a right side of theaccommodating slot 131. Theslot walls 133 of theaccommodating slot 131 are at two sides of theopening 132. Theopening 132 has an interval D2 in a radial direction. - The interval D2 of the
opening 132 of thefirst plate 13 is greater than the thickness t of thecoupling body 121 and is less than the diameter R of thecylinder 122. As a result, after thefirst plate 13 and thecoupler 12 are moved away from each other and thecylinder 122 is blocked by theopening 132, thefirst plate 13 and thecoupler 12 are incapable of being detached from each other. In addition, thecylinder 122 is incapable of being assembled into theaccommodating slot 131 via theopening 132 since the diameter R of thecylinder 122 is greater than the interval D2 of theopening 132. Therefore, in the assembling process of thecoupler 12, as shown inFIG. 3 , thecylinder 122 of thecoupler 12 is inserted into theaccommodating slot 131 of the adjacentfirst plate 13 from the front or the rear of thefirst plate 13 to achieve the connection of thefirst plate 13 and thecoupler 12. - Since the
cylinder 122 is incapable of being detached from theopening 132 while theaccommodating slot 131 is capable of allowing thecylinder 122 to freely slide in theaccommodating slot 131, the interval D2 of theopening 132 is less than the diameter R of thecylinder 122. In the embodiment, theslot wall 133 at two sides of theopening 132 of theaccommodating slot 131 is curved inwardly, and thus an end of theslot wall 133 forms acurved portion 1331 curved inwardly towards theopening 132. The terms “inwardly” means the direction towards the middle of theaccommodating slot 131 for receiving thecylinder 122. By theslot wall 133 being curved inwardly and slightly, the interval D2 of theopening 132 can be adjusted to be less than the diameter R of thecylinder 122 without any additional component or structure. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , thesecond plate 14 of the embodiment is analogously connected to thecoupler 12, and thus the structures of thesecond plate 14 and thefirst plate 13 of the embodiment are the same. A side of thesecond plate 14 connected to thecoupler 12 is provided with anaccommodating slot 141. Theaccommodating slot 141 comprises anopening 142 and slotwalls 143. Theopening 142 is provided on a left side of theaccommodating slot 141. Theslot walls 143 of theaccommodating slot 141 are at two sides of theopening 142. Theopening 142 has an interval D3 in a radial direction. The interval D3 of theopening 142 of thesecond plate 14 is greater than the thickness t of thecoupling body 121 and is less than the diameter R of thecylinder 122. As a result, after thesecond plate 14 and thecoupler 12 are moved away from each other and thecylinder 122 is blocked by theopening 142, thesecond plate 14 and thecoupler 12 are incapable of being detached from each other. - In addition, the
cylinder 122 is incapable of being assembled into theaccommodating slot 141 via theopening 142 since the diameter R of thecylinder 122 is greater than the interval D3 of theopening 142. Therefore, in the assembling process of thecoupler 12, as theconnector 11 and thefirst plate 13 are assembled, thecylinder 122 of thecoupler 12 is inserted into theaccommodating slot 141 of the adjacentsecond plate 14 from the front or the rear of thesecond plate 14 to achieve the connection of thesecond plate 14 and thecoupler 12. - Since the
cylinder 122 is incapable of being detached from theopening 142 while theaccommodating slot 141 is capable of allowing thecylinder 122 to freely slide in theaccommodating slot 141, the interval D3 of theopening 142 is less than the diameter R of thecylinder 122. In the embodiment, theslot wall 143 at two sides of theopening 142 of theaccommodating slot 141 is curved inwardly, and thus an end of theslot wall 143 forms acurved portion 1431 curved inwardly towards theopening 142. The terms “inwardly” means the direction towards the middle of theaccommodating slot 141 for receiving thecylinder 122. By theslot wall 143 being curved inwardly and slightly, the interval D3 of theopening 142 can be adjusted to be less than the diameter R of thecylinder 122 without any additional component or structure. - In other embodiments, the
first plate 13 and thesecond plate 14 are respectively connected to theconnectors 11. In such case, sides of thefirst plate 13 and thesecond plate 14 connected to the correspondingconnectors 11 are respectively provided with the coupling bodies and the cylinders. The cylinder is inserted into theaccommodating slot 111 of theconnector 11 to achieve the assembling of thefirst plate 13 and theconnector 11 or thesecond plate 14 and theconnector 11. - In addition, please refer to
FIG. 5 andFIG. 6 .FIG. 5 is a side view of thedisplay device 100 in a bent state according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure.FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of thedisplay device 100 in a bent state according to the first embodiment of the instant disclosure. In the illustration, thedisplay device 100 is folded for storing or carrying. While thedisplay device 100 is folded, thehousing 10 at outside needs to be stretched to a certain length to facilitate theflexible display panel 20 at inside to be bent. As shown inFIG. 5 andFIG. 6 , while thedisplay device 100 is being bent, the twoadjacent connectors 11 are moving away from each other along with the bending of thehousing 10 until thecylinder 122 disposed in theaccommodating slot 111 is blocked by theopening 112 of the correspondingconnector 11. - As illustrated by
FIG. 6 , theconnector 11 in the middle, thecoupler 12 on the right of theconnector 11, and theconnector 11 on the right of thecoupler 12 are used for an example for the following illustration. For the convenience of illustration, theconnector 11 on the right of thecoupler 12 is referred to “theright connector 11,” and theconnector 11 in the middle is referred to “theconnector 11.” During the bending of thehousing 10, theright connector 11 is being moved away from theconnector 11. Along with theright connector 11 being moved away from theconnector 11, thecoupler 12 there between is being exposed, and theright connector 11 is continuously being moved until thecylinder 122 is blocked by theopening 112. In the meantime, while thehousing 10 is continuously being bent, theright connector 11 is driving thecoupler 12 to continuously move until theleft cylinder 122 of thecoupler 12 is blocked by theopening 112 of theconnector 11. - As a result, by the connection of the
connector 11 and thecoupler 12, thehousing 10 forms a bendable structure. While thehousing 10 is bent, thehousing 10 can stretch to a certain length (being about the length of the coupling body) and can be folded. Based upon the use of theflexible display panel 20 and theflexible circuit board 50 disposed corresponding to theconnectors 11 and thecouplers 12 to be electrically connected with electrical components in thefirst plate 13 and thesecond plate 14, thedisplay device 100 as a whole can be bent and folded. The advantages of theflexible display panel 20 can be exploited. Thedisplay device 100 is easy for carrying and storing. - As shown in
FIG. 4 andFIG. 6 , anouter surface 114 of theconnector 11 is arc-shaped. An arc radius of theouter surface 114 can be changed based upon the number of theconnectors 11 and the size of a curved surface of a curved portion of thedisplay device 100 being folded to improve the appearance. Damages caused by collisions in storing or carrying can be reduced to a certain extent. - In addition, as shown in
FIG. 1 ,FIG. 2 , andFIG. 5 , thefirst plate 13 comprises two firstmagnetic components 134 disposed inside thefirst plate 13 at an end away from thecoupler 12, thesecond plate 14 comprises two secondmagnetic components 144 disposed inside thesecond plate 14 at an end away from thecoupler 12. The positions of the firstmagnetic components 134 in thefirst plate 13 and the secondmagnetic components 144 in thesecond plate 14 are corresponding to one another, such that the firstmagnetic components 134 correspondingly attract the secondmagnetic components 144 after thehousing 10 is bent. As a result, after thedisplay device 100 is bent and folded, thedisplay device 100 can maintain the folded state by magnetic attraction, and thus the foldeddisplay device 100 is less likely to be unintentionally unfolded to the flat state by the resilience of the material. - While the instant disclosure has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the instant disclosure needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiments. For anyone skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements within the spirit of the instant disclosure are covered under the scope of the instant disclosure. The covered scope of the instant disclosure is based on the appended claims.
Claims (9)
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TW106139576A | 2017-11-15 | ||
TW106139576 | 2017-11-15 | ||
TW106139576A TWI650597B (en) | 2017-11-15 | 2017-11-15 | Display device |
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US10306785B1 US10306785B1 (en) | 2019-05-28 |
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US16/117,034 Active US10306785B1 (en) | 2017-11-15 | 2018-08-30 | Display device |
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JP (1) | JP6720251B2 (en) |
CN (1) | CN109785752A (en) |
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US20220104371A1 (en) * | 2021-07-23 | 2022-03-31 | Shanghai Tianma Microelectronics Co., Ltd. | Display device |
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JP6807993B1 (en) * | 2019-07-24 | 2021-01-06 | レノボ・シンガポール・プライベート・リミテッド | Portable information equipment |
TWI703380B (en) * | 2019-08-21 | 2020-09-01 | 友達光電股份有限公司 | Housing |
CN111223406B (en) * | 2020-01-17 | 2022-02-11 | 云谷(固安)科技有限公司 | Display panel assembly |
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US860013A (en) * | 1907-04-11 | 1907-07-16 | William H Church | Flexible shafting. |
JPS60117709U (en) * | 1984-01-20 | 1985-08-09 | 山下 一弥 | Bands for watches, bracelets, etc. |
JPS6274303A (en) * | 1985-09-27 | 1987-04-06 | 日進金属株式会社 | Chain band |
US7446757B2 (en) * | 2002-09-17 | 2008-11-04 | Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Foldable display, input device provided with the display and foldable keyboard, and personal computer provided with the input device |
JP2006287982A (en) * | 2005-07-13 | 2006-10-19 | Columbus No Tamagotachi:Kk | Portable communication terminal with flexible display |
TWI441116B (en) * | 2008-04-22 | 2014-06-11 | Creator Technology Bv | An electronic apparatus with a flexible display having a body enabling further functionality |
CN101992461A (en) * | 2009-08-13 | 2011-03-30 | 陈财庆 | Tool with bent angle |
US9176535B2 (en) | 2011-06-03 | 2015-11-03 | Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc | Flexible display flexure assembly |
DE102012105082A1 (en) * | 2012-06-13 | 2013-12-19 | Karl Storz Gmbh & Co. Kg | Transmission device for transmitting a force and a torque in a medical instrument |
JP2014103631A (en) * | 2012-11-22 | 2014-06-05 | Nippon Antenna Co Ltd | Portable information device |
CN105493169B (en) * | 2013-08-30 | 2020-11-10 | 株式会社半导体能源研究所 | Display device |
TWI525421B (en) * | 2014-07-17 | 2016-03-11 | 緯創資通股份有限公司 | Foldable electronic device and limit structure thereof |
TWM497794U (en) * | 2014-11-10 | 2015-03-21 | Au Optronics Corp | Curved display |
CN104851365B (en) * | 2015-05-28 | 2017-07-04 | 京东方科技集团股份有限公司 | Folding display device |
KR102416914B1 (en) * | 2015-12-01 | 2022-07-06 | 삼성디스플레이 주식회사 | Flexible display device |
CN105677087B (en) * | 2015-12-29 | 2018-06-29 | 广东欧珀移动通信有限公司 | A kind of mobile terminal |
CN106993385B (en) * | 2017-04-28 | 2019-07-23 | 武汉华星光电技术有限公司 | Bent bottom case and display device |
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2017
- 2017-11-15 TW TW106139576A patent/TWI650597B/en active
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2018
- 2018-07-20 JP JP2018136675A patent/JP6720251B2/en active Active
- 2018-08-30 US US16/117,034 patent/US10306785B1/en active Active
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Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20220104371A1 (en) * | 2021-07-23 | 2022-03-31 | Shanghai Tianma Microelectronics Co., Ltd. | Display device |
US11895792B2 (en) * | 2021-07-23 | 2024-02-06 | Shanghai Tianma Microelectronics Co., Ltd. | Display device |
Also Published As
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US10306785B1 (en) | 2019-05-28 |
TWI650597B (en) | 2019-02-11 |
TW201923425A (en) | 2019-06-16 |
JP6720251B2 (en) | 2020-07-08 |
CN109785752A (en) | 2019-05-21 |
JP2019091004A (en) | 2019-06-13 |
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