US-20260130099-A1 - DISPLAY PANEL, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME, AND VEHICLE INCLUDING THE ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

US20260130099A1US 20260130099 A1US20260130099 A1US 20260130099A1US-20260130099-A1

Abstract

A display panel includes: a substrate including: a first display area; and a second display area connected to the first display area at an angle therebetween; display elements spaced from each other in the first display area and the second display area; an encapsulation layer on the display elements; a first refractive layer in the first display area and the second display area, and on the encapsulation layer; and a second refractive layer on the first refractive layer. The second display area includes a first area, and a second area adjacent to the first area. The first refractive layer in the first area includes a first inclined surface, and the first refractive layer 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.

Inventors

Taekwang Sung
Gina YOO

Assignees

SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251022
Priority Date: 20241107

Claims (20)

1 . A display panel comprising: a substrate comprising: a first display area; and a second display area connected to the first display area at an angle therebetween; a plurality of display elements spaced from each other in the first display area and the second display area; an encapsulation layer on the plurality of the display elements; a first refractive layer in the first display area and the second display area, and on the encapsulation layer; and a second refractive layer on the first refractive layer, and having a refractive index different from a refractive index of the first refractive layer, wherein the second display area comprises a first area, and a second area adjacent to the first area, wherein the first refractive layer in the first area comprises a first inclined surface, and the first refractive layer in the second area comprises a second inclined surface, and wherein a first inclination angle of the first inclined surface is less than a second inclination angle of the second inclined surface.
2 . The display panel of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first refractive layer in the first area or the first refractive layer in the second area comprises an aperture area.
3 . The display panel of claim 2 , wherein the aperture area comprises: a first aperture area in the first refractive layer, and corresponding to one display element in the first area from among the plurality of display elements; and a second aperture area in the first refractive layer, and corresponding to one display element in the second area from among the plurality of display elements.
4 . The display panel 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.
5 . The display panel of claim 3 , 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.
6 . The display panel of claim 3 , wherein an outermost edge of the second aperture area is outside an edge of the one display element corresponding to the second aperture area.
7 . The display panel of claim 3 , wherein the second aperture area comprises: a second-1 aperture area; and a second-2 aperture area inside the first refractive layer in the second-1 aperture area.
8 . The display panel of claim 2 , wherein a planar shape of the aperture area comprises an island shape or a lattice shape.
9 . The display panel of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first refractive layer having the first inclined surface or the first refractive layer having the second inclined surface comprises an island shape.
10 . The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the first area is from a point spaced from a boundary between the first display area and the second display area by 20% of a total length of the second display area to a point spaced from the boundary between the first display area and the second display area by 55% of the total length of the second display area.
11 . The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the second area is from a point spaced from a boundary between the first display area and the second display area by 55% of a total length of the second display area to an end of an edge of the second display area.
12 . The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the refractive index of the first refractive layer is in a range of about 1.4 to about 1.55.
13 . The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the refractive index of the second refractive layer is in a range of about 1.65 to about 1.85.
14 . The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising an input detection layer between the encapsulation layer and the first refractive layer.
15 . The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of wirings between the substrate and a display element from among the plurality of display elements, wherein at least one of the plurality of wirings is located on the substrate, and at least a portion of a pixel electrode of the display element is inclined.
16 . The display panel of claim 15 , wherein a slope of at least the portion of the pixel electrode increases toward the second area from the first area.
17 . The display panel of claim 15 , wherein one of the plurality of wirings overlapping with the pixel electrode comprises a protrusion protruding in a direction different from a longitudinal direction of the one of the plurality of wirings.
18 . An electronic apparatus comprising: a display panel that is bendable; and a beam splitter on the display panel, and configured to: transmit a first image implemented in a portion of the display panel; and reflect a second image implemented in another portion of the display panel, wherein the display panel comprises: a substrate comprising: a first display area; and a second display area connected to the first display area at an angle therebetween; a plurality of display elements spaced from each other in the first display area and the second display area; an encapsulation layer on the plurality of display elements; a first refractive layer in the first display area and the second display area, and on the encapsulation layer; and a second refractive layer on the first refractive layer, and having a refractive index different from a refractive index of the first refractive layer, wherein the second display area comprises a first area, and a second area adjacent to the first area, wherein the first refractive layer in the first area comprises a first inclined surface, and the first refractive layer in the second area comprises a second inclined surface, and wherein a first inclination angle of the first inclined surface is less than a second inclination angle of the second inclined surface.
19 . The electronic apparatus of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first refractive layer in the first area or the first refractive layer in the second area comprises an aperture area.
20 . A vehicle comprising: a vehicle body; and an electronic apparatus located within the vehicle body, and comprising a display panel, wherein the display panel comprises: a substrate comprising: a first display area; and a second display area connected to the first display area at an angle therebetween; a plurality of display elements spaced from each other in the first display area and the second display area; an encapsulation layer on the plurality of display elements; a first refractive layer in the first display area and the second display area, and on the encapsulation layer; and a second refractive layer on the first refractive layer, and having a refractive index different from a refractive index of the first refractive layer, wherein the second display area comprises a first area, and a second area adjacent to the first area, wherein the first refractive layer in the first area comprises a first inclined surface, and the first refractive layer in the second area comprises a second inclined surface, and wherein a first inclination angle of the first inclined surface is less than a second inclination angle of the second inclined surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims priority to and the benefits of Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2024-0156883 and 10-2025-0078901, respectively filed on Nov. 7, 2024 and Jun. 16, 2025, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein. 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, such as images or videos. As other 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 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 in 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 distance along a path between the reflected portion and the user, 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 includes a substrate including a first display area and a second display area which are connected to each other and are arranged at a certain angle with respect to each other, a plurality of display elements spaced apart from each other in the first display area and the second display area, an encapsulation layer arranged on the plurality of display elements, a first refractive layer which is arranged in the first display area and the second display area and on the encapsulation layer, and a second refractive layer which is arranged on the first refractive layer and has a refractive index different from a refractive index of the first refractive layer, wherein the second display area includes a first area and a second area which are adjacent to each other, the first refractive layer arranged in the first area includes a first inclined surface and the first refractive layer arranged in the second area includes a second inclined surface, and a first inclination angle of the first inclined surface is less than a second inclination angle of the second inclined surface. 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. In an embodiment, the aperture area may include a first aperture area arranged in the first refractive layer and corresponding to one display element arranged in the first area, from among the plurality of display elements, and a second aperture area arranged in the first refractive layer and corresponding to one display element arranged in the second area, from among the plurality of display elements. In an embodiment, a total area of a planar shape of the first aperture area may be less than a total area of a planar shape of the second aperture area. In an embodiment, an outermost edge of the first aperture area may be outside an edge of an emission area of the one display element corresponding to the first aperture area. In an embodiment, an outermost edge of the second aperture area may be outside an edge of an emission area of the one display element corresponding to the second aperture area. In an embodiment, the second aperture area may include a second-1 aperture area, and a second-2 aperture area inside the first refractive layer arranged inside the second-1 aperture area. In an embodiment, a planar shape of the aperture area may include an island shape or a lattice shape. In an embodiment, at least one of the first refractive layer having the first inclined surface o