US-12628297-B2 - Window member and apparatus for manufacturing the same, and method for manufacturing the same

US12628297B2US 12628297 B2US12628297 B2US 12628297B2US-12628297-B2

Abstract

A window member includes a main part including a first side extending in a first direction, a second side extending in a second direction, and a first corner side connecting the first and second sides. The window member further includes a first side part in contact with the first side, a second side part in contact with the second side, and a first corner part connecting the first and second side parts. The first corner part includes a first upper corner part, a first middle corner part, and a first lower corner part. A lower surface of the first middle corner part has a first radius of curvature, a lower surface of the first lower corner part has a second radius of curvature, and the first radius of curvature is greater than the second radius of curvature.

Inventors

Byoung Yul SHIM
Beom Gyu Choi
Jin Soo Shin
Hyun Hee Lee
Seung Pyo Hong

Assignees

SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230608
Priority Date: 20220930

Claims (14)

1 . A window member comprising: a main part including a first side extending in a first direction, a second side extending in a second direction different from the first direction, and a first corner side positioned between the first side and the second side; a first side part in contact with the first side; a second side part in contact with the second side; and a first corner part positioned between the first side part and the second side part, wherein the first corner part includes: a first upper corner part positioned adjacent to the main part; a first middle corner part positioned adjacent to the first upper corner part; and a first lower corner part positioned on a side opposite to the first upper corner part, with the first middle corner part interposed therebetween, and a lower surface of the first middle corner part has a first radius of curvature, a lower surface of the first lower corner part has a second radius of curvature, and the first radius of curvature is greater than the second radius of curvature.
2 . The window member of claim 1 , wherein upper surfaces of the first upper corner part, the first middle corner part, and the first lower corner part have a same curvature.
3 . The window member of claim 1 , wherein: the main part has a first maximum thickness, the first middle corner part has a second maximum thickness, the first lower corner part has a third maximum thickness, and the second maximum thickness is greater than the third maximum thickness.
4 . The window member of claim 3 , wherein the second maximum thickness is greater than the third maximum thickness by about 0.04 to about 0.2 times the third maximum thickness.
5 . The window member of claim 4 , wherein the second maximum thickness is greater than the third maximum thickness by about 0.02 mm or more and about 0.1 mm or less.
6 . The window member of claim 3 , wherein the third maximum thickness is equal to the first maximum thickness.
7 . The window member of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first middle corner part increases from the first upper corner part and the first lower corner part toward a middle portion of the first middle corner part.
8 . The window member of claim 1 , wherein a first height from a lower surface of the main part to one end of the first corner part is equal to each of a second height from the lower surface of the main part to one end of the first side part and a third height from the lower surface of the main part to one end of the second side part.
9 . A window for an electronic device, comprising: a corner part; and a main part configured to transmit light emitted by a display panel, wherein the corner part is coupled to the main part and includes a first part having a first thickness and a second part having a second thickness, and wherein the first part is between the main part and the second part and the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.
10 . The window of claim 9 , wherein an exterior surface of the corner part is rounded.
11 . The window of claim 10 , wherein: an interior surface of the first part has a first radius of curvature, and an interior surface of the second part has a second radius of curvature different from the first radius of curvature.
12 . The window of claim 11 , wherein the second radius of curvature is greater than the first radius of curvature.
13 . The window of claim 12 , wherein the corner part includes a third part positioned between the second part and a case, an interior surface of the third part having a third radius of curvature different from the second radius of curvature.
14 . The window of claim 13 , wherein the first radius of curvature is equal to the third radius of curvature.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0125209, filed on Sep. 30, 2022, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. 119, the contents of which in its entirety are herein incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field One or more embodiments described herein relate to a window member, an apparatus for manufacturing the same, and a method for manufacturing the same. 2. Description of the Related Art Interest in display devices has increased with the development of multimedia. Such display devices include liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light emitting displays (OLEDs), and the like. Among them, the organic light emitting displays (OLEDs) have a wide viewing angle, an excellent contrast, and a fast response speed. Some organic light emitting displays have been designed to have bending characteristics. In some flexible display devices, edge portions of a display area are bent with a predetermined curvature in order to improve aesthetics. SUMMARY Aspects of the present disclosure provide a window member capable of at least partially or completely covering a display area of a display device. Aspects of the present disclosure also provide an apparatus and method for manufacturing a window member capable of reducing or minimizing breakage, buckling, and/or burr occurring at a corner part of the window member. However, aspects of the present disclosure are not restricted to those set forth herein. The above and other aspects of the present disclosure will become more apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains by referencing the detailed description of the present disclosure given below. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a window member comprises, a main part including a first side extending in a first direction, a second side extending in a second direction different from the first direction, and a first corner side positioned between the first side and the second side, a first side part in contact with the first side, a second side part in contact with the second side, and a first corner part positioned between the first side part and the second side part, wherein the first corner part includes, a first upper corner part positioned adjacent to the main part, a first middle corner part positioned adjacent to the first upper corner part, and a first lower corner part positioned on a side opposite to the first upper corner part with the first middle corner part interposed therebetween, and a lower surface of the first middle corner part has a first radius of curvature, a lower surface of the first lower corner part has a second radius of curvature, and the first radius of curvature is greater than the second radius of curvature. In an embodiment, upper surfaces of the first upper corner part, the first middle corner part, and the first lower corner part may have a same curvature. In an embodiment, the main part may have a first maximum thickness, the first middle corner part may have a second maximum thickness, the first lower corner part may have a third maximum thickness, and the second maximum thickness may be greater than the third maximum thickness. In an embodiment, the second maximum thickness may be greater than the third maximum thickness by about 0.04 to about 0.2 times the third maximum thickness. In an embodiment, the second maximum thickness may be greater than the third maximum thickness by about 0.02 mm or more and about 0.1 mm or less. In an embodiment, the third maximum thickness may be the same as the first maximum thickness. In an embodiment, a thickness of the first middle corner part may increase from the first upper corner part and the first lower corner part toward a middle portion of the first middle corner part. In an embodiment, a first height from a lower surface of the main part to one end of the first corner part may be equal to each of a second height from the lower surface of the main part to one end of the first side part and a third height from the lower surface of the main part to one end of the second side part. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for manufacturing a window member, comprises a first mold and a second mold disposed on the first mold, wherein the first mold includes a lower support part and a lower bending molding part surrounding the lower support part, the lower bending molding part includes, an upper area positioned adjacent to the lower support part, a middle area adjacent to the upper area, and a lower area positioned on a side opposite to the upper area, with the middle area interposed therebetween, and an upper surface of the middle area has a first radius of curvature, an upper surface of the lower area has a second radius of curvature, and the first radius of curvature is greater than the second radius of curvature. In an embodim