US-12621945-B2 - Measurement area for folding area and foldable display device having the same

Abstract

A foldable display device includes a display panel which emits light toward a first surface of the display panel, and includes a folding area and a non-folding area which is adjacent to the folding area along a first direction, and a protective layer on a second surface opposite to the first surface, facing the folding area of the display panel and defining a plurality of concave portions corresponding to the folding area. Each of the plurality of concave portions extends along a second direction crossing the first direction and has a first width along the first direction, and concave portions adjacent to each other along the first direction among the plurality of concave portions, are connected to each other along the first direction.

Inventors

• Minseop KIM
• Yongkwon SOH
• Junsu LEE

Assignees

• SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230120

Priority Date

20220221

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A foldable display device comprising: a display panel which emits light toward a first surface of the display panel, the display panel comprising a folding area and a non-folding area which is adjacent to the folding area along a first direction; and a protective layer on a second surface opposite to the first surface, the protective layer facing the folding area of the display panel and defining a plurality of concave portions corresponding to the folding area, wherein each of the plurality of concave portions extends along a second direction crossing the first direction, and concave portions adjacent to each other along the first direction among the plurality of concave portions, are connected to each other along the first direction.
2. 2 . The foldable display device of claim 1 , wherein within the protective layer: each of the plurality of concave portions has a first width along the first direction, the concave portions adjacent to each other along the first direction are connected to each other at a connection area of the protective layer, the protective layer has a first thickness adjacent to the plurality of concave portions and adjacent to the connection area, the protective layer has a second thickness corresponding to the plurality of concave portions and to the connection area, wherein the second thickness is smaller than the first thickness, the connection area has a second width along the first direction and a third width along the second direction, and each of the second width and the third width of the connection area is larger than the first width of the plurality of concave portions.
3. 3 . The foldable display device of claim 2 , wherein within the protective layer: the connection area is provided in plural including a plurality of connection areas, among the concave portions adjacent to each other along the first direction: first concave portions are connected to each other at a first connection area of the protective layer, and second concave portions are connected to each other at a second connection area of the protective layer, and the first connection area and the second connection area are aligned along the first direction.
4. 4 . The foldable display device of claim 2 , wherein within the protective layer: the connection area is provided in plural including a plurality of connection areas, among the concave portions adjacent to each other along the first direction: first concave portions are connected to each other at a first connection area of the protective layer, and second concave portions are connected to each other at a second connection area of the protective layer, and the first connection area and the second connection area are spaced apart from each other along the second direction.
5. 5 . The foldable display device of claim 2 , wherein the protective layer further defines an additional concave portion corresponding to the non-folding area, the protective layer has the second thickness at the additional concave portion, the additional concave portion has a fourth width along the first direction and a fifth width along the second direction, and each of the fourth width and the fifth width of the additional concave portion is larger than the first width of the plurality of concave portions.
6. 6 . The foldable display device of claim 5 , wherein within the protective layer: the connection area is provided in plural including a plurality of connection areas, among the concave portions adjacent to each other along the first direction: first concave portions are connected to each other at a first connection area of the protective layer, and second concave portions are connected to each other at a second connection area of the protective layer, and the first connection area and the second connection area are aligned along the first direction.
7. 7 . The foldable display device of claim 5 , wherein within the protective layer: the connection area is provided in plural including a plurality of connection areas, among the concave portions adjacent to each other along the first direction: first concave portions are connected to each other at a first connection area of the protective layer, and second concave portions are connected to each other at a second connection area of the protective layer, and the first connection area and the second connection area are spaced apart from each other along the second direction.
8. 8 . The foldable display device of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer comprises metal.
9. 9 . A foldable display device comprising: a display panel which emits light toward a first surface of the display panel, the display panel comprising a folding area and a non-folding area which is adjacent to the folding area along a first direction; and a protective layer on a second surface opposite to the first surface, the protective layer facing the folding area of the display panel; a plurality of concave portions defined in the protective layer, the plurality of concave portions including: a first concave portion extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, at the folding area; and a second concave portion at the non-folding area, wherein the protective layer has a first thickness adjacent to the first concave portion and the second concave portion, and the protective layer has a second thickness corresponding to the first concave portion and the second concave portion, wherein the second thickness is smaller than the first thickness.
10. 10 . The foldable display device of claim 9 , wherein among the plurality of concave portions defined in the protective layer: the first concave portion has a first width along the first direction, and the second concave portion has a second width along the first direction and a third width along the second direction, the second width and the third width being larger than the first width of the first concave portion.
11. 11 . A foldable display device, comprising: a substrate comprising a folding area, a non-folding area which is adjacent to the folding area along a first direction, a first surface and a second surface which is opposite to the first surface; a driving part and a light emitting element which is connected to the driving part, on the second surface of the substrate; and the substrate defining a plurality of first concave portions recessed from the first surface of the substrate, in the folding area, wherein each of the plurality of first concave portions extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, each of the plurality of first concave portions has a first width along the first direction, and first concave portions adjacent to each other along the first direction among the plurality of first concave portions, are connected each other along the first direction.
12. 12 . The foldable display device of claim 11 , wherein within the substrate: the first concave portions adjacent to each other along the first direction are connected to each other at a connection area of the substrate, the substrate has a first thickness adjacent to the plurality of first concave portions and adjacent to the connection area, the substrate has a second thickness corresponding to the plurality of first concave portions and to the connection area, wherein the second thickness is smaller than the first thickness, the connection area has a second width along the first direction and a third width along the second direction, and each of the second width of and the third width is larger than the first width of the plurality of first concave portions.
13. 13 . The foldable display device of claim 12 , wherein within the substrate: the connection area is provided in plural including a plurality of connection areas, among the first concave portions adjacent to each other along the first direction: a first group of concave portions are connected to each other at a first connection area of the substrate, and a second group of concave portions are connected to each other at a second connection area of the substrate, and the first connection area and the second connection area are aligned along the first direction.
14. 14 . The foldable display device of claim 12 , wherein within the substrate: the connection area is provided in plural including a plurality of connection areas, among the first concave portions adjacent to each other along the first direction: a first group of concave portions are connected to each other at a first connection area of the substrate, and a second group of concave portions are connected to each other at a second connection area of the substrate, and the first connection area and the second connection area are spaced apart from each other along the second direction.
15. 15 . The foldable display device of claim 12 , wherein the substrate further defines a measuring concave portion recessed from the first surface of the substrate, in the non-folding area, the substrate has the second thickness at the measuring concave portion, the measuring concave portion has a fourth width along the first direction and a fifth width along the second direction, and each of the fourth width and the fifth width of the measuring concave portion is larger than the first width of the plurality of first concave portions.
16. 16 . The foldable display device of claim 15 , wherein within the substrate: the connection area is provided in plural including a plurality of connection areas, among the first concave portions adjacent to each other along the first direction: a first group of concave portions are connected to each other at a first connection area of the substrate, and a second group of concave portions are connected to each other at a second connection area of the substrate, and the first connection area and the second connection area are aligned along the first direction.
17. 17 . The foldable display device of claim 15 , wherein within the substrate: the connection area is provided in plural including a plurality of connection areas, among the first concave portions adjacent to each other along the first direction: a first group of concave portions are connected to each other at a first connection area of the substrate, and a second group of concave portions are connected to each other at a second connection area of the substrate, and the first connection area and the second connection area are spaced apart from each other along the second direction.
18. 18 . The foldable display device of claim 11 , wherein the substrate comprises glass.
19. 19 . The foldable display device of claim 12 , further comprising a protective layer on the first surface of the substrate, the protective layer defining a plurality of second concave portions corresponding to the folding area of the substrate, the plurality of second concave portion extending along the second direction.
20. 20 . The foldable display device of claim 19 , wherein the protective layer has a third thickness adjacent to the plurality of second concave portions, and the protective layer has a fourth thickness corresponding to the plurality of second concave portions, wherein the fourth thickness is smaller than the third thickness.

Description

This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0022384, filed on Feb. 21, 2022, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. § 119, the content of which in its entirety is herein incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND (1) Field Implementations of the invention relate generally to a foldable display device displaying an image. (2) Description Of The Related Art A display device is manufactured and used in various ways. The display device may provide visual information to outside the display device, such as to a user, by emitting light. In order to emit light, the display device may include a light emitting material. For example, the display device may include a liquid crystal display that emits light using a liquid crystal layer, an inorganic light emitting display that emits light using an inorganic light emitting diode, and an organic light emitting display that emits light using an organic light emitting diode. A display device configured to be deformed has been manufactured and used. For example, a foldable display device, a rollable display device, a bendable display device, etc. have been provided as a deformable display device. SUMMARY Using a material having relatively high rigidity in a foldable display device may make changing a shape of the foldable display device difficult. However, if the rigidity of the material of a foldable display device is weakened by forming a pattern on the material, to promote deformability of the material, the shape of the foldable display device including the material having relatively high rigidity may be easily changed. Embodiments provide a foldable display device displaying an image. A foldable display device according to an embodiment includes a display panel emitting light toward a first surface and including a first non-folding area, a folding area, and a second non-folding area spaced apart from the first non-folding area in a first direction by the folding area, and a protective layer on a second surface opposite to the first surface, and including a plurality of concave portions extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in an area corresponding to the folding area. Each of the plurality of concave portions has a first width in the first direction, and some of the plurality of concave portions are connected to each other in the first direction. In an embodiment, the protective layer may have a first thickness. The protective layer may have a second thickness in an area in which the plurality of concave portions is formed (or provided), where the second thickness is smaller than the first thickness. The protective layer may have the second thickness in a first area which the some concave portions are connected to each other in the first direction. Each of a second width of the first area in the first direction and the third width of the first area in the second direction is larger than the first width. In an embodiment, others of the plurality of concave portions different from the some of the plurality of concave portions may be connected to each other in the first direction. The protective layer may have the second thickness in a second area which the others of the concave portions are connected to each other in the first direction. The second area may have the second width in the first direction and has the third width in the second direction. In an embodiment, the protective layer may further include a measuring area in an area corresponding to at least one of the first non-folding area and the second non-folding area, and having the second thickness, where each of a fourth width of the measuring area in the first direction and a fifth width of the measuring area in the second direction is larger than the first width. In an embodiment, others of the plurality of concave portions different from the some of the plurality of concave portions may be connected to each other in the first direction, and the protective layer may have the second thickness in a second area which the others of the concave portions are connected to each other in the first direction. In an embodiment, the second area may be positioned spaced apart along the second direction, from the first area. In an embodiment, the protective layer may include metal. A foldable display device according to an embodiment includes a display panel emitting light toward a first surface and including a first non-folding area, a folding area, and a second non-folding area spaced apart from the first non-folding area in a first direction by the folding area, and a protective layer on a second surface opposite to the first surface and having a first thickness. The protective layer may include a plurality of concave portions having a second thickness smaller than the first thickness in an area corresponding to the folding area and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a measuring area having the second thickness