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EP-4386725-B1 - FLEXIBLE DISPLAY WITH GUIDED PLATES TO SUPPORT THE DISPLAY IN THE OPEN POSITION

EP4386725B1EP 4386725 B1EP4386725 B1EP 4386725B1EP-4386725-B1

Inventors

  • VAN DIJK, ROBERT SJANG JOSINE
  • VERSCHOOR, VOLKER BARNHART
  • HAMERS, JOHANNES CORNELIS ADRIAAN
  • WALTERS, MICHAEL JOHANNES ANNA MARIA
  • KRUIDHOF, RIK

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20120706

Claims (3)

  1. A display system (1) comprising: a continuous flexible display (2), a support frame comprising two main display supports (11, 12) being hinged with respect to each other and each structurally configured to support a respective portion of the flexible display, wherein the two main display supports (11, 12) are hingeable between a configuration for fixing the flexible display in a closed storage position and a planar configuration for fixing the flexible display in an open position, characterised in that the display system (1) further comprises: an additional display support comprising a central support plate (33) and two hingeably connected display support plates (34, 35) and configured to support a display segment (10a) located between the said respective portions of the flexible display in the open position, wherein in the open position the display segment (10a) is completely supported by the plates (34, 35) and the central support plate (33), wherein in the closed storage position the curved display segment (10a) is freely positioned by the plates (34, 35) and the central support plate (33), wherein the display support plates (34, 35) each have a pin (34a, 35a) that is guided in a slot (11a, 12a) in each of the display supports (11, 12) wherein the slots (11a, 12a) are configured to guide the movement of the display support plates (34, 35) as the display supports (11, 12) move between the open position and the closed storage position, wherein in the closed storage position, between the main display supports (11, 12) and the at least one additional display support there is a free space enabling a partial curvature of the display segment (10a).
  2. The display system (1) of claim 1, wherein the central support plate (33) comprises gear sets (36, 37) to provide a hinge mechanism for the two main display supports (11, 12).
  3. The display system (1) of claim 1, wherein in the storage position the additional display support facilitates a pre-defined curvature of the display segment (10a).

Description

Field of invention The present invention generally relates to flexible displays. The present invention specifically relates to flexible displays provided with display supports. Description of prior art Flexible and especially rollable displays are manufactured on an organic substrate and are very thin. This makes it possible to repeatedly bend them with a small radius, a requirement for a rollable display. The advantages of a rollable display are the small volume needed for storing in the closed position and the lack of glass making the display unbreakable and of light weight. A number of product concepts have been developed for flexible displays. The most important concepts are the 'book', the 'wrap' and the 'roll'. A 'wrap' concept is shown in WO 2008/054206 A2 , a 'roll' concept in WO 2006/038171 A1. The 'book' concept is the simplest implementation of a rollable display comprising two hingeably connected support halves with a continuous display. In the middle near the hinge mechanism is a hollow space to accommodate the curved segment of the display in the situation where the 'book' is in the closed position. The display size is at most twice the size of the closed display system. In practice, it will be around 1.8x the size due to the bezel of the support halves needed around the display. The 'wrap' concept comprises a display, wrapped with its front side to the inside. Thus the display is protected when the 'wrap' is in the closed position. The display currently makes one complete turn around the device body when wrapped. Therefore, the size of the display will be about twice the size of the device. For larger displays compared to the device body more turns are required, which adds mechanical complexity. Instead of rolling the display around the device body, especially if it is more than one turn, it could also be rolled around a tube and stored inside the system. This 'roll' concept has a very different product experience, as the display comes out of the system instead of being wrapped around it. There are a lot of possibilities to realize the movement of the display with respect to the display system, but most of them result in an open position with unsupported parts of the display. This can result in problems when touch functionality has to be integrated into the display. The pressure from a touch on the display can result in tearing of the display due to the tensions and it can result in imprints along the edges of the unsupported display part. Another problem is that for the end-user it is important to have a consistent feeling of touch across the whole display. In an unsupported location, touching the display will feel different than in a supported location and this could be confusing to the end-user. It is an object of the invention to prevent unsupported locations in the display in its open position. It is also an object to improve the lifetime of the display. EP1635313A2 discloses an image display apparatus having two frames and a flexible image display screen. The two frames are mutually closable and openable, and may be linked through a pivot. When the two frames are closed, the flexible image display screen is arranged inside the two frames, being folded into two with its part being curved. The image display screen is opened when the two frames are opened. The image display apparatus can also comprise a unit, supported by one of the two frames so as to pivot freely between a housed position and a position in the use of the display screen. The housed position is where the unit is placed on the display screen. When the display screen is in use, the unit is moved outside the display screen. By turning the unit to the housed position and closing the two frames, the unit is further housed in the position sandwiched by the folded display screen. US2006/146488A1 discloses an electronic device, which comprises: at least two parts foldable in relation to each other, which can be turned into a first position and into a second position around a rotation axis; and a flexible display device, which extends over at least two foldable parts, covering them either entirely or partly. The flexible display device comprises: a folded position, to which the display device settles in the first position, and in which it folds around a first direction, which is parallel in relation to the rotation axis; and a curved position, to which the display device settles in the second position, and in which it curves around a second direction, which is transverse in relation to the rotation axis. EP1785805A2 discloses an electronic device (10) comprising a plurality of support members coupled to each other by a fold portion, the fold portion enabling rotational movement of the plurality of support members relative to each other. The electronic device also comprises a flexible display screen extending across the fold portion. US6577496B1 discloses a foldable display device coupled to a non-rigid support mechanism movable bet