Display device capable of preventing whitening phenomenon from occurring during folding by reducing stress of protection member
A display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can include a display panel configured to display an image, a polarizing plate over the display panel, a front member over the polarizing plate, and a protection member over the front member. The protection member can include at least two protection films and an adhesive layer disposed between the at least two protection films.
1 . A display device, comprising:
a display panel configured to display an image, the display panel being a folding display panel;
a polarizing plate over the display panel;
a front member over the polarizing plate; and
a protection member over the front member,
wherein the protection member includes at least three protection films and adhesive layers disposed therebetween and thicknesses of the at least three protection films gradually become thinner toward a folding direction of the display panel.
2 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first adhesive disposed between the display panel and the polarizing plate;
a second adhesive disposed between the polarizing plate and the front member; and
a third adhesive disposed between the front member and the protection member.
3 . The display device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first, second, and third adhesives includes an optically clear adhesive (OCA).
4 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layers include an optically clear adhesive (OCA) or a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA).
5 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the at least three protection films include polyethylene terephthalate.
6 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein an outermost protection film of the at least three protection films has a plane direction retardation of about 6500 nm or more.
7 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein an outermost protection film of the at least three protection films includes at least one of an ultraviolet (UV) absorber and a light stabilizer.
8 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein, when the display panel is an in-folding display panel, the thicknesses of the at least three protection films become thinner toward an image-displaying surface of the display panel.
9 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein, when the display panel is an out-folding display panel, the thicknesses of the at least three protection films become thicker toward an image-displaying surface of the display panel.
10 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the protection member further includes a black matrix disposed along an edge of a top surface or a bottom surface of one of the at least three protection films.
11 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the protection member further includes:
a coating layer over the at least three protection films, and
a functional layer over the coating layer.
12 . A display device, comprising:
a display panel configured to display an image, the display panel being a folding display panel that folds in a folding direction; and
a protection member over the display panel, the protection member including a first protection film, a second protection film over the first protection film, a third protection film over the second protection film, a first adhesive layer disposed between the first protection film and the second protection film, and a second adhesive layer between the second protection film and the third protection film,
wherein the first protection film, the second protection film, and the third protection film are each integrally formed and include a same material,
wherein relative thicknesses of the first protection film and the second protection film decrease toward the folding direction of the display panel, and
wherein relative thicknesses of the second protection film and the third protection film decrease toward the folding direction of the display panel.
13 . The display device of claim 12 , wherein the first adhesive layer directly contacts both the first protection film and the second protection film.
14 . The display device of claim 13 , wherein the first protection film and the second protection film are transparent films made of triacetyl cellulose (TAC), cycloolefin polymer (COP), or a combination thereof.
15 . The display device of claim 13 , wherein the first protection film, the second protection film, and the third protection film are transparent films made of triacetyl cellulose (TAC), cycloolefin polymer (COP), or a combination thereof.
16 . The display device of claim 15 , wherein the first adhesive layer directly contacts both the first protection film and the second protection film, and
wherein the second adhesive layer directly contacts both the second protection film and the third protection film.
17 . The display device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a polarizing plate between the display panel and the protection member; and
a front member over the polarizing plate and the protection member.
18 . The display device of claim 17 , wherein
the display panel includes a plurality of light emitting devices, and
the polarizing plate, the front member, the first protection film, and the second protection film are directly above the display panel.