Flexible display apparatus including reinforcement part and method of manufacturing the display apparatus
A display apparatus which is in-folded or out-folded in a folded area thereof includes a substrate, a plurality of display elements disposed over the substrate, an encapsulation layer sealing the plurality of display elements, and a reinforcement part disposed on the encapsulation layer and arranged in the folded area.
1 . A display apparatus, which is in-folded or out-folded in a folded area thereof, the display apparatus comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of display elements disposed over the substrate;
an encapsulation layer sealing the plurality of display elements;
a reinforcement part disposed on the encapsulation layer and arranged in the folded area; and
a cover window disposed on the reinforcement part, wherein the reinforcement part is disposed between the encapsulation layer and the cover window.
2 . The display apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the display apparatus is in-folded or out-folded in a same folded area, and
wherein a thickness of the reinforcement part varies in the folded area.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the reinforcement part includes a protrusion portion disposed on two opposite sides of a folding axis around the folding axis in the folded area.
4 . The display apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the protrusion portion includes:
a plane portion having a constant thickness; and
an inclined surface portion having a thickness decreasing as being away from the plane portion from two opposite sides of the plane portion.
5 . The display apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the protrusion portion is arranged to be symmetric with respect to the folding axis.
6 . The display apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a thickness of the reinforcement part overlapping the folding axis is less than a thickness of the protrusion portion.
7 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement part includes a transparent material.
8 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area,
wherein a portion of the reinforcement part in the display area and a portion of the reinforcement part the peripheral area includes different materials from each other.
9 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area,
wherein the reinforcement part is arranged in the peripheral area.
10 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a touch sensor layer disposed on the reinforcement part.
11 . The display apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the folded area includes a first folded area which is out-folded, and a second folded area which is in-folded, and
wherein the reinforcement part includes a first reinforcement part arranged in the first folded area.
12 . The display apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a touch sensor layer disposed between the first reinforcement part and the encapsulation layer.
13 . The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the reinforcement part further includes a second reinforcement part disposed on the encapsulation layer and arranged in the second folded area.
14 . The display apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first reinforcement part and the second reinforcement part are connected to each other and integrally formed with each other as a single unitary and indivisible body.
15 . The display apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a thickness of the first reinforcement part is greater than a thickness of the second reinforcement part.
16 . The display apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first reinforcement part and the second reinforcement part include different materials from each other.
17 . The display apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a backside reinforcement part disposed on a backside of the substrate in the second folded area.
18 . A display apparatus including a display surface, which is bent in a partial region thereof and displays images, and a non-display surface opposite to the display surface, the display apparatus comprising:
a substrate;
a reinforcement part disposed on the display surface in the partial region of the substrate, wherein the reinforcement part alleviates a tensile force applied to the substrate; and
a cover window disposed on the reinforcement part, wherein the reinforcement part is disposed between the substrate and the cover window.
19 . The display apparatus of claim 18 , wherein
the reinforcement part is disposed between an encapsulation layer and a touch sensor layer,
the encapsulation layer is disposed over the substrate, and
a touch sensor layer is disposed on the encapsulation layer.
20 . The display apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising:
a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area,
wherein the reinforcement part is arranged in the peripheral area.
21 . The display apparatus of claim 18 , wherein a thickness of the reinforcement part varies.