The present invention generally relates to flexible displays. The present invention specifically relates to an efficient incorporation of a flexible display into a display system.
Rolling display systems currently employ flexible displays that are rolled into a case for facilitating a storage of the flexible display therein, and unrolled out of the case for facilitating an operation of the flexible display. An example of such a display system disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2002/0196205A1. Within the case, the flexible display can be wrapped around various display driving components within the case whereby either a rolling radius of the flexible display must be large enough to support immobile display drive components within the case and/or movement among display drive components within the case is required to facilitate the rolling/unrolling of the flexible display. One drawback to this rolling/unrolling approach of the flexible display are the limitations imposed on a construction of an optimal shape of the case with minimal dimensions for purposes of achieving a highest degree of portability of the case at minimal cost. The display industry is therefore continually striving to improve upon an incorporation of a flexible display into a display system.
To this end, the present invention provides new and unique structural forms of a wrap display system having a flexible display that is wrapped around a stick for facilitating a storage of the flexible display and unwrapped from the stick for facilitating an operation of the flexible display. In one form of the present invention, a flexible display unit includes a display cover integrated with the flexible display wherein a section of the display cover is coupled to an external surface of the stick. In a second form of the present invention, a flexible display unit includes a display cover integrated with the flexible display wherein a section of the display cover is permanently wrapped around the stick. In a third form of the present invention, a flexible display unit includes a display cover integrated with the flexible display and a holdout mechanism having an energy stable position for fixing the flexible display in a readable position with respect to the stick when the flexible display is unwrapped from the stick.
The foregoing forms as well as other, features and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of various embodiments of the present invention, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the present invention, rather than limiting the scope of the present invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
One inventive principle of the present invention is to structurally configure a flexible display unit including an integration of a flexible display and a display cover that can be wrapped and unwrapped from around a stick. The present invention does not impose any limitations or restrictions as to the integration of the flexible display and the display cover. Thus, the term “integration” is broadly defined herein as an assembly of the flexible display and the display cover as a single unit, such as, for example, a mounting of the flexible display onto an external surface of the display cover, or a positioning of the flexible display within a multi-layered display cover where the flexible display is viewable through an open window or a transparent window of the display cover.
The present invention also does not impose any limitations or restrictions on the structural configuration and material composition of a flexible display and a display cover of the present invention. In one embodiment, a flexible display of the present invention can be a provided by Polymer Vision, which has a layered flexible display consisting of a back layer of a thin/organic film serving as a base, a middle layer of organic electronics serving as an active matrix for driving the images of the flexible display, and a top layer of an electronic ink printed or otherwise disposed on a plastic sheet.
In practice, the specific implementations of a flexible display unit of the present invention is dependent upon the commercial implementations of the present invention, and are therefore without limit. The following descriptions of
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
In a second embodiment, as illustrated in
A second inventive principle of the present invention is to structurally configure a holdout mechanism having an energy stable position for fixing the flexible display in a readable position with respect to the stick when the flexible display is unwrapped from the stick. Such a holdout mechanism is needed for a flexible display susceptible to curling up when the flexible display is unwrapped from around the stick. The present invention does not impose any limitations or restrictions to the structural configuration and material composition of a holdout mechanism of the present invention. Thus, in practice, the specific implementations of a holdout mechanism of the present invention is dependent upon the commercial implementations of the present invention, and are therefore without limit. The following description of
Referring to
In a second embodiment, the holdout mechanism employs a metal leafspring with only an energetic stable straight position. Thus, in the straight position, the leafspring can withstand a certain hold force to fix the flexible display in the readable position with respect to the stick whereby, when the force on the leafspring exceeds this hold force, the leafspring buckles but does not switch to the rolled up position itself. This type of metal leafspring can be made by deforming the metal leafspring only with a radius over its cross-section like the cross section of a spring roll or a gutter.
In a third embodiment, the holdout mechanism employs a rod spring to concurrently or alternatively apply a force to the flexible display that maintains the flexible display in a flat posture when the flexible display is fixed in a readable position with respect to the stick by one or more leafsprings.
A third inventive principle of the present invention is to structurally configure a stick to support an optimal structural configuration of its internal components (e.g., driving electronics, connectors, etc.) and its external components (e.g., buttons and interface slots) without requiring any movement of these components upon a wrapping of a flexible display unit (e.g.,
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
In a second embodiment, as illustrated in
A flexible display unit of the present invention can be locked when wrapped around a stick of the present invention in an conventional manner, such as, for example, by a snap assembly or a Velcro® assembly integrated on a display cover of the present invention.
From the preceding description of the present invention, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate various advantages of the present invention. In particular, a construction of an optimal shape of a stick with minimal dimensions for purposes of achieving a highest degree of portability of the stick at minimal cost and with no relative movement among the stick components, internal and external, when a flexible display unit is being wrapped around the stick or unwrapped from around the stick.
While the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are presently considered to be preferred, various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalents are intended to be embraced therein.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/IB2006/050413 | 2/8/2006 | WO | 00 | 11/30/2007 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2006/085271 | 8/17/2006 | WO | A |
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