KR20160061170A - Flexible Display Appartus - Google Patents

Abstract

A display device according to the present invention includes a base substrate, a touch sensor including an electrode pattern formed on one surface of the base substrate, and a display bonded to one surface of the touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor and the bending region A space is formed between the touch sensor and the display.

Description

[0001] Flexible Display Apparatus [

The present invention relates to a flexible display device.

With the development of computers using digital technology, auxiliary devices of computers are being developed together. Personal computers, portable transmission devices, and other personal information processing devices use various input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse And performs text and graphics processing.

However, as the use of computers is gradually increasing due to the rapid progress of the information society, there is a problem that it is difficult to efficiently operate a product by using only a keyboard and a mouse which are currently playing an input device. Therefore, there is an increasing need for a device that is simple and less error-prone, and that allows anyone to easily input information.

In addition, the technology related to the input device is shifting beyond the level that satisfies the general functions, such as high reliability, durability, innovation, design and processing related technology, etc. In order to achieve this purpose, As a possible input device, a touch sensor has been developed.

Such a touch sensor is installed on the display surface of a display such as an electronic notebook, a flat panel display device such as a liquid crystal display device (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), and an el (electroluminescence) and a cathode ray tube And is a tool used to allow the user to select desired information while viewing the display.

In addition, the types of touch sensors include Resistive Type, Capacitive Type, Electro-Magnetic Type, SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave Type) and Infrared Type). These various types of touch sensors are employed in electronic products in consideration of problems of signal amplification, difference in resolution, difficulty in design and processing technology, optical characteristics, electrical characteristics, mechanical characteristics, environmental characteristics, input characteristics, durability and economical efficiency Currently, the most widely used methods are resistive touch sensors and capacitive touch sensors.

In recent years, a flexible display device has been developed in which light weight and thinness can be achieved and portability can be enhanced. The flexible display device refers to a display device capable of maintaining a curved surface shape or deforming into a curved surface shape using a flexible substrate.

10-2014-0095343EN

In the flexible display device according to the present invention, the flexibility in the bending area is increased due to an increase in strain in the bending area due to lamination thickness or material properties of the touch sensor and the display at the time of bending And to solve the problem of reduction.

The flexible display device according to the present invention includes a touch sensor 150 and a touch sensor 150 corresponding to the touch sensor and the bending area b of the display in the process of bonding the display 140 to one side of the touch sensor, A first neutral plane NP1 and a second neutral plane NP2 may be formed on the touch sensor 150 and the display 140 through a structure in which a space 131 is formed between the display 140 and the display 140. [ , Electrode patterns or electrodes can be disposed on the first neutral plane () and the second neutral plane (), thereby reliably securing the flexibility of the electrode pattern or the like when bending.

Further, through the structure of forming the spacing space 131 between the touch sensor and the display, the touch sensor and the display in the bending area are spaced apart from each other, thereby reducing the overall thickness, The flexibility can be improved.

To this end, the flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base substrate, a touch sensor including an electrode pattern formed on one surface of the base substrate, and a display coupled to one surface of the touch sensor, A space is formed between the touch sensor and the display corresponding to the bending area of the display.

Further, the height d _{2 in} the thickness direction of the spacing space is 0.01 to 0.2 [mm], and further includes an adhesive layer formed in a bonding region between the touch sensor and the display except for the bending region.

1 is a view illustrating a flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible display device of FIG. 1 taken along line I-I '.
3A is a view showing an electrode pattern of a touch sensor according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the electrode pattern of the touch sensor of FIG. 3A taken along the line II-II '.
4A is a view showing a neutral plane formed in a structure in which different kinds of materials are laminated.
FIG. 4B is a view showing a bending state in a state where the touch sensor and the display are bonded together
FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a case where a flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present invention is bent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objectives, specific advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. It should be noted that, in the present specification, the reference numerals are added to the constituent elements of the drawings, and the same constituent elements are assigned the same number as much as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings. Also, the terms "one side,"" first, ""first,"" second, "and the like are used to distinguish one element from another, no. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following description of the present invention, detailed description of related arts which may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted.

1 is a block diagram of a flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. - I '.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are views showing electrode patterns of a touch sensor according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 4A and 4B are views showing electrode patterns of a touch sensor according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, a flexible display device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base substrate 121, an electrode pattern formed on one or both surfaces of the base substrate 121, And a display 140 which is connected to one side of the touch sensor 150 and the touch sensor 150.

Here, a space 131 is formed between the touch sensor 150 and the display 140 in correspondence with the bending area? B of the touch sensor 150 and the display 140.

The touch sensor 150 includes a window substrate 100 and a sensor module 120 bonded to one surface of the window substrate 100. The sensor module 120 includes a base substrate 121, And electrode patterns 122 and 123 to be formed. Here, electrode wirings 124 electrically connected to one ends of the electrode patterns 122 and 123 are included.

Here, the window substrate 100 and the sensor module 120 may be bonded to each other through an optical transparent adhesive (OCA), and the electrode patterns 122 and 123 may be bonded to the touch sensor 150 at the bending area [ (Hereinafter referred to as " NP1 ") in which the strain is minimized or adjacent to the first neutral plane.

The window substrate 1 is disposed at an outermost position of the touch sensor 150 so as to receive a user's touch and simultaneously perform a role of a protective layer so that an image emitted from the display 140 can be transmitted, Transparent, and flexible film. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The sensor module 120 includes a first electrode pattern 122 formed on one surface of a base substrate 121 and a second electrode pattern 122 formed on a second surface of the base substrate 121 in parallel with the first electrode pattern 122 in one direction, And a second electrode pattern 123 formed parallel to each other in an intersecting direction (see FIG. 3B).

The base substrate 121 may be formed of a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyether sulfone (PES), cyclic olefin polymer For example, a triacetylcellulose (TAC) film, a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film, a polyimide (PI) film, polystyrene (PS), or biaxially oriented PS (BOPS) And is not particularly limited as long as the image of the display 140 can be transmitted.

Here, the first electrode pattern 122 and the second electrode pattern 123 are preferably formed of a mesh pattern formed of metal thin wires. The shape of the mesh pattern may be a polygonal shape such as a square shape, a triangle shape, or a diamond shape. And is not limited to a particular shape. The electrode pattern 20 may be formed of at least one of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), gold (Au), silver (Ag), titanium (Ti), palladium (Pd), chromium (Cr) Can be formed into a mesh pattern (see Fig. 3A).

The sensor module 120 includes a first electrode pattern 122 formed parallel to one surface of the base substrate 121 and a second electrode pattern 122 formed parallel to the first electrode pattern 122 in a direction crossing the first electrode pattern 122 And may include a second electrode pattern 123.

The first electrode pattern 122 and the second electrode pattern 123 may be formed in all patterns known in the art such as a square pattern and a triangular pattern on the same surface of the base substrate 121, It is apparent to those skilled in the art that various kinds of materials can be selected.

The display 140 is connected to one surface of the touch sensor 150 and visually outputs data to the screen. The display 140 corresponds to the bending area of the touch sensor 150 and the display 140, 150 and the display 140 and the height d _{2 in} the thickness direction of the spacing space 131 may be 0.01 to 0.2 mm.

Here, the display 140 may be a flexible OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), and is not necessarily limited thereto. It is obvious that the display 140 is a flexible display device.

The display 140 includes an electrode 141. The electrode 141 is electrically connected to a pixel electrode (not shown) included in the OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), a pixel electrode May include an organic emission layer (not shown) and an opposite electrode (not shown) formed on the organic emission layer (not shown), and the strains of the display 140 in the bending region [Delta] b may be minimized A second neutral plane (hereinafter referred to as NP2) or adjacent thereto.

The adhesive layer 130 is formed on one surface of the touch sensor 150 except the bending area DELTA b of the touch sensor 150 and the display 140 and the junction area DELTA f of the display 140, 150 and the display 140 to each other. Here, the adhesive layer 130 may be an optical transparent adhesive (OCA), and the height d ₂ in the thickness direction may be 0.01 to 0.2 [mm].

4 and 5, when the flex sub display device according to the embodiment of the present invention is bent, the strain of the touch sensor and the display in the bending area of the touch sensor and the display It will be explained in detail.

FIG. 4A is a view showing a bent state in a state where a touch sensor and a display are bonded to each other, FIG. 5B is a view showing a neutral plane formed in a structure in which different materials are laminated, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a view showing a case where the flexible display device according to the embodiment is bent.

4A, when the flexible substrate 1 and the thin film 2 are bended in a state in which the thin film 2 is laminated on the flexible substrate 1, Deformation in the bending region? B1 may occur due to the difference in material properties such as elastic modulus between the film 2 and the film 2 and the lamination thickness.

That is, the bending area (? B1) of the film (1) bonded to the substrate (1) and the substrate (1) is determined by the tensile stress occurring on the upper surface of the bending area The deformation may be caused by a compressive stress generated at the lower surface of the bending region? B1 and the deformation may be caused by the elastic modulus of the substrate 1 and the film 2, The strain is proportional to the strain on the basis of.

Here, the strain is determined by the following equations (1) to (2) based on the material properties such as the modulus of elasticity of the constituent elements to be laminated and the thickness of the laminate.

[Equation 1]

&Quot; (2) "

(h _f = thickness of film, h _s = thickness of substrate, E _f = elastic modulus of film, E _S = elastic modulus of substrate)

However, when the film 2 bonded to the substrate 1 and the substrate 1 is bent, a netural plane (hereinafter referred to as " NPB ") in which the strain is minimized in the bending region [ ).

That is, in the bending area? B1 of the substrate 1 and the film 2 bonded on the substrate 1, the bending area? B1 is formed in the area where the neutral plane is formed, The tensile stress generated at the upper surface and the deformation due to the compressive stress generated at the lower surface of the bending area? B1 can be minimized.

Accordingly, the tensile stress in the bending region () and the strain due to the compressive stress can be minimized. Here, the neutral plane may be formed at a point having a radius of curvature R _NP according to the following equation (3), and the number of the elements to be stacked, the material characteristics of the element Elastic modulus, etc.) and the thickness of the laminate, etc., can be determined.

&Quot; (3) "

(Here, L means the length in the lateral direction (lateral direction) of the component to be laminated )

4B, when the touch sensor 150 and the display 140 are bent in a mutually bonded state through an optical transparent adhesive (OCA) or the like without forming a space in the bending area? B Between the touch sensor 150 and the display 140 is a neutral plane NP having a minimum strain in the bending region. Therefore, there is a problem that the electrode pattern or the electrode of the touch sensor 150 and the display 140 can not be formed on the neutral plane NP.

5, the flexible display device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a touch sensor 150 and a touch sensor 150. In the process of bonding the display 140 to one side of the touch sensor 150 and the touch sensor 150, A spacing space 131 is formed between the touch sensor 150 and the display 140 in correspondence with the sensor 150 and the bending area? B of the display 140. Here, the spacing space 131 formed in the bending area? B of the touch sensor 150 and the display 140 may be formed by a punching method or the like, but is not limited thereto. And the height d _{2 in the} thickness direction may be 0.01 to 0.2 [mm].

That is, the flexible display device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is structured such that the flexible display device 10 is bonded to the touch sensor 150 in the spacing space 131 in the bending area? B of the display, A first neutral plane NP1 and a second neutral plane NP2 may be formed on the display unit 150 and the display unit 140, respectively.

More specifically, the touch sensor 150 is formed by sequentially stacking a window substrate 100, an optical transparent adhesive (OCA), and a sensor module 120. The sensor module 120 includes a base substrate 121, And an electrode pattern () formed on the base substrate (121).

When the touch sensor 150 is bent, a first neutral plane (hereinafter referred to as " NP1 ") in which the strain of the touch sensor 150 in the bending area [Delta] b is minimized, Pattern () or adjacent thereto.

After the material properties (elastic modulus, etc.) of the window substrate 100, the optical transparent adhesive OCA and the sensor module 120 are determined, the window substrate 100, the optical transparent adhesive OCA, and the sensor module 120, The first neutral plane NP1 can be formed in proximity to the electrode pattern included in the sensor module 120 or the like.

1) The electrode patterns 122 and 123 of the touch sensor 150 according to the first embodiment of the present invention include a first electrode pattern 122 and a second electrode pattern 122 formed on one surface of the base substrate 121 in parallel in one direction, (See FIG. 3B) formed in parallel to each other in a direction crossing the first electrode patterns 122 in one direction on the other surface of the first electrode patterns 122 (see FIG. 3B). Here, the first neutral plane NP1 may be formed on the base substrate 121.

2) A first electrode pattern 122 formed on one surface of the base substrate 121 of the present invention in parallel with one direction and a second electrode pattern 122 formed parallel to the first electrode pattern 122 in a direction crossing the first electrode pattern 122 123) (see FIG. 4B). Here, the first neutral plane NP1 may be formed adjacent to the electrode patterns 122 and 123.

The radius of curvature R ₁ of the display 140 in the bending area? B may be between 1 and 10 mm and the radius of curvature R ₂ of the touch sensor in the bending area? ) May be 1.06 to 10.7 [mm].

As described above, the flexible display device according to the present invention corresponds to the bending area (b) of the touch sensor and the display in the process of bonding the display 140 to one side of the touch sensor and the touch sensor. The touch sensor 150 and the display 140 are provided with a first neutral plane NP1 and a second neutral plane NP2 through a structure in which a space 131 is formed between the touch sensor 150 and the display 140. [ And an electrode pattern or an electrode may be disposed on the first and second neutral planes NP1 and NP2 so that the bendability of the electrode pattern or the electrode can be improved. .

Further, through the structure of forming the spacing space 131 between the touch sensor and the display, the touch sensor and the display in the bending area are spaced apart from each other, thereby reducing the overall thickness, The flexibility can be improved.

While the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent that modifications and improvements can be made by those skilled in the art.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

10: Flexible display device
100: window substrate 110, 130: adhesive layer
120: Sensor module 121: Base substrate
122: first electrode pattern 123: second electrode pattern
131: Spacing space
140: display 141: electrode
150: touch sensor

Claims (11)

A touch sensor including a base substrate and an electrode pattern formed on a surface of the base substrate; And
And a display coupled to one surface of the touch sensor,
Wherein a space is formed between the touch sensor and the display, corresponding to a bending area of the touch sensor and the display.
The method according to claim 1,
The height (d ₂ ) in the thickness direction of the spacing space
0.01 to 0.2 [mm].
The method according to claim 1,
And a bonding layer formed in a bonding region between the touch sensor and the display except for the bending region.
The method according to claim 1,
A first neutral plane (Neutral Plane) in which strain of the touch sensor in the bending region is minimized
Wherein the electrode pattern or the flexible display formed adjacent thereto.
The method according to claim 1,
The display
Electrode,
A second neutral plane (Neutral Plane) in which the strain of the display in the bending region is minimized
The flexible display being formed adjacent to the electrode or the substrate.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a radius of curvature (R ₁ ) of the display in the bending region is
1 to 10 [mm].
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the curvature radius (R ₂ ) of the touch sensor in the bending region is
1.06 to 10.7 [mm].
The method according to claim 1,
The base substrate
A flexible display comprising polyethylene ether phthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, polyarylate, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone or polyimide.
A first electrode pattern formed on one surface of the base substrate and parallel to the first surface of the base substrate and a second electrode pattern formed on the other surface of the base substrate in parallel with each other in a direction crossing the first electrode pattern in one direction A touch sensor; And
And a display coupled to one surface of the touch sensor,
Wherein a space is formed between the touch sensor and the display, corresponding to a bending area of the touch sensor and the display.

The method of claim 9,
The touch sensor
Wherein a first neutral plane (Neutral Plane) is formed on the base substrate so that strain of the touch sensor in the bending region is minimized.
The method of claim 9,
The display
Electrode,
And a second neutral plane (Neutral Plane) in which strain of the display in the bending area is minimized
Wherein the electrode is formed.

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