CN-114582226-B - Electronic device and method for manufacturing support plate

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device and a method for manufacturing a support plate, the electronic device including a foldable area configured to be folded about a folding axis extending in a first direction, and non-foldable areas spaced apart from each other with the foldable area therebetween, a display module, and a support plate disposed under the display module and forming an opening pattern corresponding to the foldable area in the support plate. The support plate includes a top surface adjacent to the display module and a bottom surface facing the top surface, and the opening pattern includes an opening passing through the support plate from the top surface to the bottom surface and a plurality of support portions around the opening. In addition, in cross section, the support portion includes at least one first support portion including a first curved edge on a side of the top surface and a second curved edge on a side of the bottom surface, the second curved edge facing the first curved edge in a diagonal direction.

Inventors

• Nan Haosheng
• Jiang Gaosheng
• Jin Minxie
• LI XIANGYUE

Assignees

• 三星显示有限公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20211119

Priority Date

20201130

Claims (19)

1. 1. An electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises: A folding region configured to fold about a folding axis extending in a first direction, and non-folding regions spaced apart from each other, the folding region being located between the non-folding regions; Display module, and A support plate disposed below the display module, and in which an opening pattern is formed at a position corresponding to the foldable area, Wherein the support plate includes a top surface adjacent to the display module and a bottom surface facing the top surface, The opening pattern includes an opening passing through the support plate from the top surface to the bottom surface and a plurality of support portions around the opening, and In cross section, each of the plurality of support portions includes at least one first support portion including a first curved edge on one side of the top surface and a second curved edge on one side of the bottom surface, the second curved edge facing the first curved edge in a diagonal direction, Wherein the at least one first support portion comprises a first flat top surface adjacent the first curved edge and a first flat bottom surface adjacent the second curved edge, and Each of the first planar top surface and the first planar bottom surface is inclined with respect to a virtual extension surface that is parallel to a surface of the support plate corresponding to the non-collapsible region.
2. 2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a first angle between the first planar top surface and the virtual extension surface and a second angle between the first planar bottom surface and the virtual extension surface are each greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 15 degrees.
3. 3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first support portion includes a first sub-support portion and a second sub-support portion adjacent to each other, the opening is located between the first sub-support portion and the second sub-support portion, The first flat top surface of the first sub-support part is inclined in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the virtual extension surface, and The first flat top surface of the second sub-support portion is inclined in a clockwise direction with respect to the virtual extension surface.
4. 4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first flat top surface of the first sub-support portion and the first flat top surface of the second sub-support portion are symmetrical to each other with respect to a center of the opening between the first sub-support portion and the second sub-support portion.
5. 5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein in the cross-section, the support plate further comprises a second support portion comprising a third curved edge on one side of the top surface and a fourth curved edge on the other side of the top surface spaced apart from the third curved edge.
6. 6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the second support portion includes a second flat top surface between the third curved edge and the fourth curved edge, and The second flat top surface is inclined with respect to a virtual extension surface parallel to a surface of the support plate corresponding to the non-foldable area.
7. 7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a width of the opening in the first direction is greater than a width of the opening in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in a plane.
8. 8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the support plate has a flatness of 0.15mm or less, and The flatness corresponds to a difference between a maximum height and a minimum height of the top surface of the support plate relative to a virtual reference surface, the virtual reference surface being parallel to the bottom surface of the display module.
9. 9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the support plate comprises a foldable portion configured to fold relative to the folding axis and first and second non-foldable portions spaced apart from each other, the foldable portion being located between the first and second non-foldable portions, and An angle between the extended surface of the first non-foldable portion and the extended surface of the second non-foldable portion ranges from 120 degrees to 180 degrees.
10. 10. A method for manufacturing a support plate, wherein the method comprises: Providing a member to be processed, wherein the member to be processed comprises a top surface and a bottom surface facing each other, and the member to be processed is divided into a foldable portion and a non-foldable portion; forming a first opening pattern in the foldable portion from a direction of the top surface of the member to be processed by using a first pressing member in a first pressing process, and In a second pressing process, a second opening pattern is formed in the foldable portion from the direction of the bottom surface of the member to be processed by using a second pressing member, Wherein the first opening pattern includes a first opening passing through the member to be processed from the top surface to the bottom surface and a plurality of preliminary support portions spaced apart from each other, the first opening being located between the plurality of preliminary support portions, and Each of the plurality of preliminary support portions includes a curved edge on the top surface adjacent to the first opening.
11. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second pressing process includes patterning at least one of the plurality of preliminary support portions by using the second press.
12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second pattern of openings includes a second opening through the member to be processed from the top surface to the bottom surface, the second pressing process forms the second opening in at least one of the plurality of preliminary support portions, and the second opening does not overlap the first opening, and The second pressing process includes forming a first support portion adjacent to the second opening, wherein the first support portion includes a first curved edge at a side of the top surface and a second curved edge at a side of the bottom surface, the second curved edge facing the first curved edge in a diagonal direction.
13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first support portion includes a first planar top surface adjacent the first curved edge and a first planar bottom surface adjacent the second curved edge, and Each of the first flat top surface and the first flat bottom surface is inclined with respect to a virtual extension surface parallel to a surface of the member to be processed corresponding to the non-foldable portion.
14. 14. The method of claim 10, further comprising a reversing process reversing the direction of the top and bottom surfaces of the member to be processed between the first and second pressing processes.
15. 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first pressing process forms a plurality of the first openings in the foldable portion that do not overlap each other and are parallel to a first direction, and In a plane, a first width of each of the plurality of first openings in the first direction is greater than a second width of each of the plurality of first openings in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first pressing process forms a plurality of the first openings spaced apart from each other by a first interval in the second direction in each of a plurality of first pattern regions spaced apart from each other in the first direction.
17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first pressing process further comprises at least one of: A process of forming a plurality of third openings spaced apart from each other by a second interval in the plurality of first pattern regions or in a second pattern region disposed between the plurality of first pattern regions, or A process of forming a plurality of fourth openings spaced apart from each other by a third interval, wherein each of the plurality of fourth openings passes through a portion of the first pattern region and a portion of the second pattern region adjacent to each other.
18. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second pressing process includes forming a plurality of second openings spaced apart from each other by a fourth interval, wherein each of the plurality of second openings passes through a portion of the first pattern region and a portion of the second pattern region adjacent to each other.
19. 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the second pressing process includes forming a plurality of fifth openings spaced apart from each other by a fifth interval in the plurality of first pattern regions or in a second pattern region located between the plurality of first pattern regions.

Description

Electronic device and method for manufacturing support plate Cross Reference to Related Applications The present patent application claims priority from korean patent application No. 10-2020-0164311, filed on the korean intellectual property agency on the date 11/30 of 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method for manufacturing a support board and an electronic device including the support board, and more particularly, to a flexible electronic device and a method for manufacturing a support board provided in the flexible electronic device. Background Various types of electronic devices may provide image information. With the progress of technology, display devices including a foldable and bendable flexible display panel have been developed. Unlike a rigid display device, a flexible display device may be changed into various shapes by folding, curling, or bending, so that the flexible display device is portable regardless of the size of a display screen. The flexible display device should have a support member that supports the display panel without interfering with the folding or bending operation, and a flexible support member whose mechanical properties do not deteriorate with time is required. Disclosure of Invention Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for manufacturing a support plate having good mechanical strength and improved flatness. Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide an electronic device having improved external flatness and good bending characteristics. Embodiments of the inventive concept provide an electronic device including a foldable area configured to be folded with respect to a folding axis extending in a first direction, and non-foldable areas spaced apart from each other with the foldable area therebetween, a display module, and a support plate disposed below the display module and in which an opening pattern is formed at a position corresponding to the foldable area. The support plate includes a top surface adjacent to the display module and a bottom surface facing the top surface. The opening pattern includes an opening passing through the support plate from the top surface to the bottom surface and a plurality of support portions around the opening. In cross section, each of the plurality of support portions includes at least one first support portion including a first curved edge on one side of the top surface and a second curved edge on one side of the bottom surface, the second curved edge facing the first curved edge in a diagonal direction. In an embodiment, the at least one first support portion comprises a first flat top surface adjacent to the first curved edge and a first flat bottom surface adjacent to the second curved edge, and each of the first flat top surface and the first flat bottom surface is inclined relative to a virtual extension surface parallel to a surface of the support plate corresponding to the non-collapsible region. In an embodiment, a first angle between the first flat top surface and the virtual extension surface and a second angle between the first flat bottom surface and the virtual extension surface are each greater than 0 degrees and less than about 15 degrees. In an embodiment, the first support portion comprises a first sub-support portion and a second sub-support portion adjacent to each other, the opening being located between the first sub-support portion and the second sub-support portion. The first flat top surface of the first sub-support portion is inclined in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the virtual extension surface, and the first flat top surface of the second sub-support portion is inclined in a clockwise direction with respect to the virtual extension surface. In an embodiment, the first flat top surface of the first sub-support portion and the first flat top surface of the second sub-support portion are symmetrical to each other with respect to a center of the opening between the first sub-support portion and the second sub-support portion. In an embodiment, in the cross section, the support plate further comprises a second support portion comprising a third curved edge on one side of the top surface and a fourth curved edge on the other side of the top surface spaced apart from the third curved edge. In an embodiment, the second support portion comprises a second flat top surface disposed between the third curved edge and the fourth curved edge. The second flat top surface is inclined with respect to the virtual extension surface, which is parallel to a surface of the support plate corresponding to the non-foldable area. In an embodiment, the width of the opening in the first direction is larger than the width of the opening in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in a plane. In an embodiment, the support plate has a flatness of about 0.15mm or less, an