DISPLAY DEVICE
A display device includes a flexible display panel and a housing. The housing includes connectors and couplers. Each of the connectors includes two accommodating slots. The connectors and the couplers are sequentially arranged in a staggered manner and connected with one another. Each of the couplers includes a coupling body and two cylinders. The two cylinders are connected to two sides of the coupling body. Each of the cylinders is disposed in the accommodating slot of the adjacent connector. A radial interval of an opening of the accommodating slot is greater than a thickness of the coupling body and is less than a diameter of the cylinder. While the housing is being bent along with the flexible display panel, the adjacent two connectors are being away from each other until the cylinder in the accommodating slot is blocked by the corresponding opening.
This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Patent Application No. 106139576 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Nov. 15, 2017, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND Technical FieldThe instant disclosure relates to a display device and, more particularly, to a flexible display device with flexible display screen.
Related ArtAlong with smart display devices being more popular, conventional display devices are gradually modified into display devices with touch display panels utilized for display interface and main control to replace physical buttons. In addition, while flexible display panels have launched, touch display panels of electronic devices (e.g., laptop computers, phones, and wearable devices) may be configured to be bendable to a certain extent, and the size of the touch display panel is no longer limited. Nowadays, under the circumstances that electrical information is vast, technology of display panel is mature, and cost of display panel is lower, consumers prefer purchasing large scale display devices to increase comfortableness when using these display devices.
Nevertheless, the size of a display screen of a flat display device is limited because in a case that the display screen is too large, the display device is too hard to be carried and occupies too much space in storage. If the display device incorporated with flexible display panel is designed to be foldable, the display device only requires half of an area in carrying and can be unfolded to present a larger screen in using. Such display device not only requires the use of the flexible display panel but also requires a housing capable of being folded and bent, accordingly, such that advantages regarding features and functions of the flexible display panel can be exploited to the full.
SUMMARYTo address the above issue, an embodiment of the instant disclosure provides a display device comprising a flexible display panel and a housing. The housing comprises a plurality of connectors and a plurality of couplers. Each of the connectors comprises two accommodating slots. The connectors and the couplers are sequentially arranged in a staggered manner and connected with one another. Each of the couplers comprises a coupling body and two cylinders. The two cylinders are connected to two sides of the coupling body. Each of the cylinders is disposed in the accommodating slot of the adjacent connector. Wherein a radial interval of an opening of the accommodating slot is greater than a thickness of the coupling body and is less than a diameter of the cylinder. While the housing is being bent along with the flexible display panel, the adjacent two connectors are being away from each other until the cylinder in the accommodating slot is blocked by the corresponding opening.
Based upon the combination of the connectors and the couplers, the housing can form bendable structures at portions needing to be folded or bent. As a result, the display device incorporated with the flexible display panel as a whole can be folded for carrying or storing, such that advantages of the flexible display panel can be exploited, and the area of the display device can be decreased to facilitate carrying and storing. By adjustment of the number and size of the connectors and the couplers, the housing can be adapted to varied sizes of display devices, which is more convenient for design and application.
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In such manner of pivotally connection, the number of the connectors 11 and the couplers 12 can be determined based upon an arc radius of the housing 10 required in a bent state to be adapted to varied sizes of display devices. In addition, the embodiment illustrates that the first plate 13 is connected to the coupler 12. In other embodiments, the first plate 13 may be connected to the connector 11 in advance and then be connected to the coupler 12 and the connector 11 in sequence, and the second plate 14 may be connected to the connector 11 or the coupler 12 at last. In order to reduce the number of components required in the manufacturing process, the first plate 13 and the second plate 14 may have the same configuration. For instance, both of the first plate 13 and the second plate 14 are connected to the connector 11 or connected to the coupler 12.
The connector 11 comprises two accommodating slots 111. Each of the accommodating slots 111 comprises an opening 112 and two slot walls 113. As shown in
The coupler 12 comprises a coupling body 121 and two cylinders 122. The two cylinders 122 are connected to two sides of the coupling body 121. As shown in
As shown in
Since the cylinder 122 is incapable of being detached from the opening 112 while the accommodating slot 111 is capable of allowing the cylinder 122 to freely slide in the accommodating slot 111, the interval D1 of the opening 112 is less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122. In the embodiment, the slot wall 113 at two sides of the opening 112 of the accommodating slot 111 is curved inwardly, and thus an end of the slot wall 113 forms a curved portion 1131 curved inwardly towards the opening 112. The terms “inwardly” means the direction towards the middle of the accommodating slot 111 for receiving the cylinder 122. By the slot wall 113 being curved inwardly and slightly to form the curved portion 1131, the interval D1 of the opening 112 can be adjusted to be less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122 without any additional component or structure.
In other embodiments, the slot wall 113 at two sides of the opening 112 is provided with a blocking portion (not shown) protruded inwardly, such that the interval D1 of the opening 112 is less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122.
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The interval D2 of the opening 132 of the first plate 13 is greater than the thickness t of the coupling body 121 and is less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122. As a result, after the first plate 13 and the coupler 12 are moved away from each other and the cylinder 122 is blocked by the opening 132, the first plate 13 and the coupler 12 are incapable of being detached from each other. In addition, the cylinder 122 is incapable of being assembled into the accommodating slot 131 via the opening 132 since the diameter R of the cylinder 122 is greater than the interval D2 of the opening 132. Therefore, in the assembling process of the coupler 12, as shown in
Since the cylinder 122 is incapable of being detached from the opening 132 while the accommodating slot 131 is capable of allowing the cylinder 122 to freely slide in the accommodating slot 131, the interval D2 of the opening 132 is less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122. In the embodiment, the slot wall 133 at two sides of the opening 132 of the accommodating slot 131 is curved inwardly, and thus an end of the slot wall 133 forms a curved portion 1331 curved inwardly towards the opening 132. The terms “inwardly” means the direction towards the middle of the accommodating slot 131 for receiving the cylinder 122. By the slot wall 133 being curved inwardly and slightly, the interval D2 of the opening 132 can be adjusted to be less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122 without any additional component or structure.
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In addition, the cylinder 122 is incapable of being assembled into the accommodating slot 141 via the opening 142 since the diameter R of the cylinder 122 is greater than the interval D3 of the opening 142. Therefore, in the assembling process of the coupler 12, as the connector 11 and the first plate 13 are assembled, the cylinder 122 of the coupler 12 is inserted into the accommodating slot 141 of the adjacent second plate 14 from the front or the rear of the second plate 14 to achieve the connection of the second plate 14 and the coupler 12.
Since the cylinder 122 is incapable of being detached from the opening 142 while the accommodating slot 141 is capable of allowing the cylinder 122 to freely slide in the accommodating slot 141, the interval D3 of the opening 142 is less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122. In the embodiment, the slot wall 143 at two sides of the opening 142 of the accommodating slot 141 is curved inwardly, and thus an end of the slot wall 143 forms a curved portion 1431 curved inwardly towards the opening 142. The terms “inwardly” means the direction towards the middle of the accommodating slot 141 for receiving the cylinder 122. By the slot wall 143 being curved inwardly and slightly, the interval D3 of the opening 142 can be adjusted to be less than the diameter R of the cylinder 122 without any additional component or structure.
In other embodiments, the first plate 13 and the second plate 14 are respectively connected to the connectors 11. In such case, sides of the first plate 13 and the second plate 14 connected to the corresponding connectors 11 are respectively provided with the coupling bodies and the cylinders. The cylinder is inserted into the accommodating slot 111 of the connector 11 to achieve the assembling of the first plate 13 and the connector 11 or the second plate 14 and the connector 11.
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As a result, by the connection of the connector 11 and the coupler 12, the housing 10 forms a bendable structure. While the housing 10 is bent, the housing 10 can stretch to a certain length (being about the length of the coupling body) and can be folded. Based upon the use of the flexible display panel 20 and the flexible circuit board 50 disposed corresponding to the connectors 11 and the couplers 12 to be electrically connected with electrical components in the first plate 13 and the second plate 14, the display device 100 as a whole can be bent and folded. The advantages of the flexible display panel 20 can be exploited. The display device 100 is easy for carrying and storing.
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While the instant disclosure has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the instant disclosure needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiments. For anyone skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements within the spirit of the instant disclosure are covered under the scope of the instant disclosure. The covered scope of the instant disclosure is based on the appended claims.
Claims
1. A display device, comprising:
- a flexible display panel; and
- a housing assembled with the flexible display panel, the housing comprising: a plurality of connectors, each of the connectors comprising two accommodating slots; and a plurality of couplers, the connectors and the couplers being sequentially arranged in a staggered manner and connected with one another, each of the couplers comprising a coupling body and two cylinders, the two cylinders being connected to two sides of the coupling body, each of the cylinders being disposed in the accommodating slot of the adjacent connector;
- wherein a radial interval of an opening of the accommodating slot is greater than a thickness of the coupling body and is less than a diameter of the cylinder, and while the housing is being bent along with the flexible display panel, the adjacent two connectors are being away from each other until the cylinder in the accommodating slot is blocked by the corresponding opening.
2. The display device of claim 1, wherein while the housing is in a straight state, the coupler is fully received in the two adjacent connectors.
3. The display device of claim 1, wherein a slot wall at two sides of the opening of each of the accommodating slots is curved inwardly.
4. The display device of claim 1, wherein a slot wall at two sides of the opening of each of the accommodating slots is provided with a blocking portion protruded inwardly.
5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a first plate and a second plate, the first plate is assembled to one of the couplers at an end, and the second plate is assembled to another one of the couplers at another end.
6. The display device of claim 5, wherein a side of the first plate adjacent to the coupler is provided with the accommodating slot, the cylinder of the corresponding coupler is inserted in the accommodating slot of the first plate; a side of the second plate adjacent to the coupler is provided with the accommodating slot, the cylinder of the corresponding coupler is inserted in the accommodating slot of the second plate.
7. The display device of claim 5, further comprising a battery, a main board, and a flexible circuit board, wherein the battery is disposed in the second plate, the main board is disposed in the first plate, and an end of the flexible circuit board is electrically connected to the battery and another end of the flexible circuit board is passed through the connectors and couplers and electrically connected to the main board.
8. The display device of claim 5, wherein an end of the first plate away from the coupler comprises at least one first magnetic component, an end of the second plate away from the coupler comprises at least one second magnetic component, and the first magnetic component attracts the second magnetic component after the housing is bent.
9. The display device of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the connector is arc-shaped.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 30, 2018
Publication Date: May 16, 2019
Inventors: Hsin-Lin Chuang (Taipei), Kuo-Jung Hsu (Taipei), Shih-Wei Hung (Taipei), Wen-Chang Chuang (Taipei), Feng-Yuan Yang (Taipei)
Application Number: 16/117,034