# US 10,871,842 B2 · Flexible display device, fabrication method and electronic device thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,842 B2 - Document ID: US10871842B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/258,945 - Filed: 2019-01-28 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-16 - Assignees: Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yingteng Zhai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871842B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display} - G02F 1/133305: {Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film} - G02F 1/133345: {Insulating layers (G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence)} - G02F 1/13338: {Input devices, e.g. touch panels} - G02F 1/1343: Electrodes {(reflective electrodes G02F1/133553)} - G06F 3/044: by capacitive means - G06F 3/0445: {using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer} - G06F 3/0446: {using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes} - G09F 9/301: {flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED} - H05K 1/0393: {Flexible materials (H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups)} - G06F 2203/04102: Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper - G06F 2203/04112: Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract A flexible display device comprises at least one bending area provided with a bending axis and a non-bending area; a flexible display panel having a first surface for displaying images; a flexible insulating layer disposed on the first surface and divided into a plurality of flexible insulating blocks in the at least one bending area; and a touch control unit comprising a first touch control electrode layer in direct contact with the flexible insulating layer. The first touch control electrode layer includes a plurality of first touch control electrodes. Any one of the plurality of flexible insulating blocks corresponds to at least one of the plurality of first touch control electrodes. In a plane of the first surface for displaying images and in a direction perpendicular to the bending axis, a gap between any two adjacent flexible insulating blocks overlaps with a gap between two adjacent first touch control electrodes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A flexible display device, comprising: at least one bending area and a non-bending area, wherein the bending area is provided with a bending axis; a flexible display panel having a first surface for displaying images; a flexible insulating layer disposed on the first surface of the flexible display panel, wherein in the at least one bending area, the flexible insulating layer is divided into a plurality of flexible insulating blocks, and the flexible insulating layer has a first surface facing the flexible display panel and an opposite second surface; and a touch control unit disposed on the second surface of the flexible insulating layer, wherein the touch control unit comprises a first touch control electrode layer in direct contact with the flexible insulating layer, and the first touch control electrode layer includes a plurality of first touch control electrodes, wherein any one of the plurality of flexible insulating blocks corresponds to at least one of the plurality of first touch control electrodes, and in a plane of the first surface and in a direction perpendicular to the bending axis, a gap between any two adjacent flexible insulating blocks overlaps with a gap between two adjacent first touch control electrodes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The flexible display device according to claim 1, wherein: the plurality of flexible insulating blocks are extending in a first direction and arranged in a second direction, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to a bending direction of the flexible display device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The flexible display device according to claim 2, wherein: the plurality of first touch control electrodes are arranged in an array including a plurality of first touch control electrode rows; a row direction of the array is perpendicular to the bending direction of the flexible display device; and a flexible insulating block corresponds to at least one of the plurality of first touch control electrode rows. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The flexible display device according to claim 2, wherein: the plurality of first touch control electrodes are arranged in an array including a plurality of first touch control electrode columns; a column direction of the array is perpendicular to the bending direction of the flexible display device; and a flexible insulating block corresponds to at least one of the plurality of first touch control electrode columns. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The flexible display device according to claim 1, wherein: the plurality of first touch control electrodes are arranged in an array; and a column direction or a row direction of the array is perpendicular to a bending direction of the flexible display device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The flexible display device according to claim 5, wherein: the plurality of flexible insulating blocks are one-to-one corresponding to the plurality of first touch control electrodes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The flexible display device according to claim 1, wherein: a first touch control electrode is made of indium tin oxide (ITO). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The flexible display device according to claim 1, wherein: a first touch control electrode is a metal grid including a plurality of openings. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The flexible display device according to claim 8, wherein: the flexible insulating block includes a plurality of grooves extending through the flexible insulating block; and in the direction perpendicular to the flexible display panel, a groove falls within an opening of the metal grid. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The flexible display device according to claim 1, wherein: the flexible insulating layer comprises an organic material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The flexible display device according to claim 10, wherein: the organic material is polymethylmethacrylate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The flexible display device according to claim 1, wherein: the flexible insulating layer has a thickness of approximately 4 μm to 20 μm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The flexible display device according to claim 1, wherein: the flexible display panel is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The flexible display device according to claim 13, wherein: the flexible display panel comprises a plurality of light-emitting units, and a thin film encapsulation layer configured to encapsulate the plurality of light-emitting units. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The flexible display device according to claim 1, wherein: the flexible display panel comprises a plurality of bending areas each provided with a bending axis; and in each of the plurality of bending areas, in the direction perpendicular to the first surface, a gap between any two adjacent flexible insulating blocks overlaps with a gap between two adjacent first touch control electrodes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The flexible display device according to claim 1, wherein: in the non-bending area, the flexible insulating layer is configured as a whole flexible insulating pad. ### Claim 17 (depends on 3) The flexible display device according to claim 3, wherein: an extending direction of the bending axis is neither parallel to a row direction of the array nor parallel to a column direction of the array.