# US 7,746,293 B2 · Information display apparatus

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- Number: US 7,746,293 B2
- Document ID: US7746293B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/591,973
- Filed: 2005-03-09
- Published: 2007-08-16
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2004-03-09
- Inventors: Senzo Kobayashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7746293B2

## CPC

- G09F 27/00: Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
- G09F 9/335: {being organic light emitting diodes [OLED]}
- G09F 13/22: electroluminescent (electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00)
- H04M 1/0268: {including a flexible display panel}
- G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

An information display apparatus includes a pair of main ribs, located at both ends, a plurality of intermediate ribs interposed between the main ribs, a pivot for turnably fixing the main ribs and the intermediate ribs in a root portion, and a fan face joined to the intermediate ribs between the pair of main ribs as well as openably/closably bent like bellows, wherein at least a part of the fan face is composed of an organic EL flat display formed on a flexible and bendy thin film. The display can be folded along the fan face and can be also unfolded into a flat state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An information display apparatus comprising:
a pair of main ribs;
a plurality of intermediate ribs interposed by the main ribs;
a pivot for turnably fixing the main ribs and the intermediate ribs in a root portion; and
a fan face joined to the intermediate ribs and disposed between the pair of main ribs as well as openably/closably bent like bellows, the fan face comprising:
a thin film flat display formed on a flexible and bendy thin film, the thin film flat display having a back surface;
a plurality of mountains having vertex portions that are joined to the back surface of the thin film flat display such that the mountains of the fan face are joined in at least a part of the fan face to make the thin film flat display have a flat surface in an unfolded state of the fan face; and
a plurality of valleys connected to the mountains and to the back surface of the thin film flat display by strings that pull the back surface of the thin film flat display in a direction of the valleys when the fan face is being folded such that a result of the folding of the fan face is the thin film flat display being folded to the valleys of the fan face.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the main ribs comprises a keyboard.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate ribs comprise keyboards comprising touch switches.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the main ribs comprises a computer system for information processing.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the strings are disposed at a plurality of portions along a lengthwise direction of the intermediate ribs.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the strings are stretched straight in the unfolded state of the fan face.