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EP-4742871-A1 - DISPLAY PANEL, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME, AND VEHICLE INCLUDING THE ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

EP4742871A1EP 4742871 A1EP4742871 A1EP 4742871A1EP-4742871-A1

Abstract

A display panel (10) includes: a substrate (100) including: a first display area (DA1); and a second display area (DA2) with a predetermined angle therebetween; display elements (OLED1-1 to OLED1-3) arranged spaced from each other in the first display area and the second display area; an encapsulation layer (300) on the display elements (OLED1-1 to OLED1-3); a first refractive layer (BL1) in the first display area (DA1) and the second display area (DA2), and on the encapsulation layer (300); and a second refractive layer (OL) on the first refractive layer (BL1). The second display area (DA2) includes a first area (DA-2B) and a second area (DA-2C) adjacent to the first area (DA2-B). The first refractive layer (BL1) in the first area (DA-2B) includes a first inclined surface, and the first refractive layer (BL1) in the second area (DA-2C) includes a second inclined surface. A first inclination angle of the first inclined surface is less than a second inclination angle of the second inclined surface.

Inventors

  • Sung, Taekwang
  • YOO, GINA

Assignees

  • Samsung Display Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20251030

Claims (15)

  1. A display panel (10) comprising: a substrate (100) comprising: a first display area (DA1); and a second display area (DA2) connected to the first display area (DA1) at a predetermined angle therebetween; a plurality of display elements (OLED1-1 to OLED1-3) spaced from each other in the first display area (DA1) and the second display area (DA2); an encapsulation layer (300) on the plurality of the display elements (OLED1-1 to OLED1-3); a first refractive layer (BL1) in the first display area (DA1) and the second display area (DA2), the first refractive layer (BL1) being on the encapsulation layer (300); and a second refractive layer (OL) on the first refractive layer (BL1), the second refractive layer (OL) having a refractive index different from a refractive index of the first refractive layer (BL1), wherein the second display area (DA2) comprises a first area (DA-2B), and a second area (DA-2C) adjacent to the first area (DA-2B), wherein the first refractive layer (BL1) in the first area (DA-2B) comprises a first inclined surface, and the first refractive layer (BL1) in the second area (DA-2C) comprises a second inclined surface, and wherein a first inclination angle (θ1-2) of the first inclined surface is less than a second inclination angle (θ2-2) of the second inclined surface.
  2. The display panel (10) of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first refractive layer (BL1) in the first area (DA-2B) or the first refractive layer (BL1) in the second area (DA-2C) comprises an aperture area.
  3. The display panel (10) of claim 2, wherein the aperture area comprises: a first aperture area in the first refractive layer (BL1), and corresponding to one display element in the first area (DA-2B) from among the plurality of display elements (OLED1-1 to OLED1-3); and a second aperture area in the first refractive layer (BL1), the second aperture area corresponding to one display element in the second area (DA-2C) from among the plurality of display elements (OLED1-1 to OLED1-3).
  4. The display panel (10) of claim 3, wherein a total area of a planar shape of the first aperture area is less than a total area of a planar shape of the second aperture area, and/or wherein an outermost edge of the first aperture area is outside an edge of an emission area of the one display element corresponding to the first aperture area, and/or wherein an outermost edge of the second aperture area is outside an edge of the one display element corresponding to the second aperture area, and/or wherein the second aperture area comprises a second-1 aperture area and a second-2 aperture area (SL-2B), the second-2 aperture area (SL-2B) being inside the first refractive layer (BL1) in the second-1 aperture area.
  5. The display panel (10) of any of claims 2 to 4, wherein a planar shape of the aperture area comprises an island shape or a lattice shape.
  6. The display panel (10) of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one of the first refractive layer (BL1) having the first inclined surface or the first refractive layer (BL1) having the second inclined surface comprises an island shape.
  7. The display panel (10) of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first area (DA-2B) extends from a point spaced from a boundary between the first display area (DA1) and the second display area (DA2) by 20 % of a total length of the second display area (DA2), to a point spaced from the boundary between the first display area (DA1) and the second display area (DA2) by 55 % of the total length of the second display area (DA2).
  8. The display panel (10) of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second area (DA2) extends from a point spaced from a boundary between the first display area (DA1) and the second display area (DA2) by 55 % of a total length of the second display area (DA2), to an end of an edge of the second display area (DA2).
  9. The display panel (10) of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the refractive index of the first refractive layer (BL1) is in a range of about 1.4 to about 1.55, and/or wherein the refractive index of the second refractive layer (OL) is in a range of about 1.65 to about 1.85.
  10. The display panel (10) of any of claims 1 to 9, further comprising an input detection layer (400A) between the encapsulation layer (300) and the first refractive layer (BL1).
  11. The display panel (10) of any of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a plurality of wirings (DU) between the substrate (100) and a display element from among the plurality of display elements (OLED1-1 to OLED1-3), wherein at least one of the plurality of wirings (DU) is located on the substrate (100), and at least a portion of a pixel electrode (221) of the display element (OLED1-1 to OLED1-3) is inclined.
  12. The display panel (10) of claim 11, wherein a slope of at least the portion of the pixel electrode (221) increases toward the second area (DA-2C) from the first area (DA-2B).
  13. The display panel (10) of claim 11 or 12, wherein one of the plurality of wirings (DU) overlapping with the pixel electrode (221) comprises a protrusion (DU-1) protruding in a direction different from a longitudinal direction of the one of the plurality of wirings (DU).
  14. An electronic apparatus (1) comprising: a display panel (10) that is bendable; and a beam splitter (3) on the display panel (10), and configured to: transmit a first image implemented in a portion of the display panel (10); and reflect a second image implemented in another portion of the display panel (10), wherein the display panel (10) is the display panel (10) of any of claims 1 to 13.
  15. A vehicle (1000) comprising: a vehicle (1000) body; and an electronic apparatus located within the vehicle (1000) body, and comprising a display panel (10), wherein the electronic apparatus is the electronic apparatus of claim 14, or wherein the display panel (10) is the display panel (10) of any of claims 1 to 13.

Description

BACKGROUND 1. Field Aspects of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a display panel, an electronic apparatus including the display panel, and a vehicle including the electronic apparatus. 2. Description of the Related Art Mobile electronic apparatuses have been widely used. In addition to compact electronic apparatuses, such as mobile phones, tablet personal computers (PCs) have been widely used as mobile electronic apparatuses. In order to support various functions, the mobile electronic apparatuses may include a display panel to provide users with visual information, for example, images or videos. As components for driving the display panel have recently become more compact, a proportion of the display panel in an electronic apparatus has gradually increased, and a structure to bend the display panel from a flat state by a certain or predetermined angle has been developed. The above information disclosed in this background section is for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore, it may contain information that does not constitute prior art. SUMMARY A portion of a display panel may be in a bent state. In this case, an image implemented on some part of the bent portion of the display panel may be reflected and viewed by a user. In this case, the luminance of at least a portion of the reflected image may differ from that of another portion of the reflected image due to a different viewing angles and/or due to incomplete reflection, making it difficult to provide a vivid image to the user. One or more embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a display panel on which vivid images may be displayed, an electronic apparatus including the display panel, and a vehicle including the electronic apparatus. Additional aspects and features will be set forth, in part, in the description that follows, and in part, may be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing one or more of the presented embodiments of the present disclosure. According to one or more embodiments, a display panel according to claim 1 is provided, which includes a substrate including a first display area and a second display area. The first display area and the second display area are connected to each other. The first display area and the second display area are arranged or arrangeable at a certain or predetermined angle or at certain or predetermined angles with respect to each other. The display panel includes a plurality of display elements spaced apart from each other in the first display area and the second display area. The display panel includes an encapsulation layer arranged on the plurality of display elements. The display panel includes a first refractive layer and a second refractive layer. The first refractive layer is arranged in the first display area and the second display area. The first refractive layer is arranged on the encapsulation layer. The second refractive layer is arranged on the first refractive layer. The second refractive layer has a refractive index different from a refractive index of the first refractive layer. The second display area includes a first area and a second area. The first area and the second area are arranged adjacent to each other. A section of the first refractive layer that is arranged in the first area includes a first inclined surface. Another section of the first refractive layer that is arranged in the second area includes a second inclined surface. A first inclination angle of the first inclined surface is less than a second inclination angle of the second inclined surface. Hence, by providing the first refractive layer with differently aligned inclined surfaces in different areas, light emitted via first refractive lay the can be diffracted in different directions, such that a viewer of the display panel, whose head moves, perceived content shown on the display panel with less changes of luminance. In the following, possible embodiments are described, which can be combined as desired. In an embodiment, at least one of the first refractive layer arranged in the first area or the first refractive layer arranged in the second area may include an aperture area. Thus, the section of the first refractive layer that is arranged in the first area and/or the other section of the first refractive layer that is arranged in the second area may include an aperture area. An advantage of this embodiment may be that interference between adjacent pixels, e.g. light emitting elements or display element, can at least be reduced, improving the quality of the displayed image. In an embodiment, the aperture area may include a first aperture area or first aperture sub-area. The first aperture area may be arranged in the first refractive layer. The first aperture area may correspond to one display element of the plurality of display elements arranged in the first area. The aperture area may include a second aperture area