KR-20260062486-A - Durability test apparatus for foldable devices

KR20260062486AKR 20260062486 AKR20260062486 AKR 20260062486AKR-20260062486-A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a durability testing device for a foldable device that can improve reliability in a folding durability test and/or bending durability test in which the process of folding and unfolding the foldable device 180 degrees is repeated. The device comprises a fixed plate on which the lower panel of the foldable device is mounted, a rotating plate on which the upper panel of the foldable device is mounted, a rotating arm that rotates the rotating plate, a rotating motor that applies rotational force to the rotating arm, and a stress cushioning member coupled to the rotating plate and the rotating arm that cushions stress due to the difference in rotational trajectories between the rotating arm and the rotating plate and stress due to the load between the rotating plate and the upper panel of the foldable device. By providing a configuration that can improve reliability in a folding durability test and/or bending durability test for a foldable device, the device can improve reliability in a folding durability test and/or bending durability test for a foldable device.

Inventors

김종덕
장석준

Assignees

주식회사 이노테크

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241029

Claims (9)

A device for testing the durability of a foldable device having a lower panel and an upper panel coupled to the lower panel and rotatable with respect to the lower panel, A fixed plate on which the lower panel of the above-mentioned foldable device is mounted, A rotating plate on which the upper panel of the above-mentioned foldable device is mounted, A rotating arm that rotates the above-mentioned rotating plate, A rotary motor that applies rotational force to the above-mentioned rotary arm, A durability test device for a foldable device, characterized by including a stress buffering member coupled to the rotating plate and the rotating arm to buffer stress due to the difference in rotational trajectories between the rotating arm and the rotating plate, and stress due to the load between the rotating plate and the upper panel of the foldable device.
In paragraph 1, A durability test device for a foldable device, characterized in that the stress buffering member comprises a first coupling plate coupled to the pivot plate, a second coupling plate coupled to the pivot arm through a connecting piece provided on the pivot arm, a buffer member mounted inside the second coupling plate, a floating member mounted inside the buffer member, and a plurality of elastic members mounted inside and outside the buffer member.
In paragraph 2, A durability test device for a foldable device, characterized in that the stress buffering member further comprises: a first insertion bar connecting the first coupling plate, the second coupling plate and the floating member, a second insertion bar provided as a pair connecting the second coupling plate and the buffer member, and a retaining pin that maintains the floating member inside the buffer member.
In Paragraph 3, The above buffer member includes a third main body formed in the shape of a rectangular parallepiped with an internal space, and A second insertion hole is provided in the upper and lower portions of each of the two sides of the third main body, and A third insertion hole is provided on each of the upper and lower surfaces of the third main body, and A durability test device for a foldable device characterized by the floating member being located in the above space.
In Paragraph 4, The above floating member includes a fourth main body formed in the shape of a rectangular prism, and A third through hole is formed in the central part of the fourth main body, and A pair of slots are formed in the upper and lower portions of both sides of the fourth main body, and A durability test device for a foldable device, characterized in that the above pair of slots are formed to allow the second insertion bar to be inserted and to move up and down.
In paragraph 5, The above elastic member is provided as a coil spring, and A durability test device for a foldable device, characterized in that the coil spring is provided on both sides of the buffer member and on the upper and lower surfaces of the floating member.
In paragraph 6, A durability test device for a foldable device, characterized in that the above-described pivot plate maintains a two-dimensional degree of freedom with respect to the above-described pivot arm in a first direction parallel to the pivot plate and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
In paragraph 2, A durability test device for a foldable device, characterized by further including a pair of hinge support members installed on one side of the support member and returning the hinge of the foldable device to a correct position from the folding position of the foldable device by the elastic force of a coil spring.
In paragraph 8, Each of the above pair of hinge support members comprises a rotatably movable hinge support, a connecting rod connecting the hinge support of the pair of hinge support members, a rotating shaft rotatably connecting the hinge support, and a coil spring having a fixed ring connected to the hinge support. A durability test device for a foldable device, characterized in that a projection formed protrudingly on the upper part of the hinge support portion in correspondence with the hinge portion of the foldable device.

Description

Durability test apparatus for foldable devices The present invention relates to a durability testing device for a foldable device, and more particularly to a durability testing device for a foldable device that can improve reliability in a folding durability test and/or a bending durability test in which the process of folding and unfolding 180 degrees is repeated for a foldable device such as a smartphone, mobile terminal, or laptop computer equipped with a foldable display. Recently, with the advancement of the information society, the display industry is actively developing foldable devices equipped with flexible display panels using substrates made of lightweight and flexible materials. In other words, the flexible display panel possesses the characteristic of being able to be flexibly bent according to the user's convenience as a foldable device. Therefore, the said foldable device can be bent and used according to the user's convenience, and the portability and storage of the said foldable device can be improved. Examples of foldable devices equipped with such flexible display panels include flexible printed circuit boards (Flexible PCBs), Chip On Flexible Boards (COFs), and foldable displays. In particular, among flexible devices, a foldable device that implements a foldable display can be temporarily bent or maintained in a bent state by an applied force, and accordingly, the user can view the screen displayed on the display in various areas according to their preference. The aforementioned foldable device requires not only bending characteristics but also durability and operational stability even when bent or folded beyond a certain angle, and must be able to display normal images in the folded state or when unfolded. In other words, the display of a foldable device is classified into an in-folding method, where the display surfaces of the substrate are folded to face each other, and an out-folding method, where the back surfaces of the substrate are folded to face each other; recently, a hybrid method that simultaneously applies both in-folding and out-folding methods to a single display is also being developed. Since flexibility in such foldable devices is one of the important performance characteristics of foldable devices, there is a need to develop a device capable of testing performance characteristics such as bending, twisting, and a certain level of stretching when manufacturing them. In other words, even if a foldable device is designed to possess flexible characteristics, it is important to ensure the reliability of the foldable device so that pixels, etc., are not damaged due to bending or other factors. Accordingly, technology for testing the flexible characteristics of foldable devices, such as the aforementioned foldable device, flexible display panels, flexible substrates, and base substrates of flexible substrates, is also being developed. An example of such technology is disclosed in the following patent documents 1 to 3, etc. For example, the following patent document 1 discloses a foldable display universal folding test device comprising: a flat base plate horizontally positioned with the Z-axis as the normal and having both sides formed parallel to the Y-axis in a space formed by three mutually orthogonal coordinate axes X, Y, and Z; a rotating plate symmetrically positioned on both sides of the base plate, having a side adjacent to the base plate formed parallel to the Y-axis and having an X and Z axis transfer actuator coupled thereto; a yoke having a side adjacent to the base plate as a rotation axis, coupled as a driven axis to one side of the rotation axis of the rotating plate, and coupled as a driving axis to the other side by connecting a rotation axis; and a Y-axis direction axis rotation actuator comprising a reduction gear connected to the rotation axis and a rotary motor; wherein a foldable display substrate is attached to the base plate and the rotating plate, the folding radius is adjusted using the X and Z axis transfer actuators, and the Y-axis direction axis rotation actuator is controlled to simultaneously perform in-folding or out-folding tests on both sides of the foldable display. there is. In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a bending test device for a flexible device comprising a pair of first and second supports, each having one end and the other end of the flexible device mounted thereon, a guide rail on which the first and second supports slide in the longitudinal direction, a connecting rod having one end connected to the first support, and a rotating link member connected to a motor and rotating and connected to the other end of the connecting rod to slide the first support connected to the connecting rod, wherein the rotating link member is provided with an axle coupling portion at its center that is coupled to the shaft of the motor, and a plurality of rod coupling portions connected to the connecting rod at a position spaced radially apart fro