Abstract:
Provided is a flexible display apparatus that includes: a flexible display apparatus including: a flexible display panel; a housing including an opening through which the flexible display panel enters and exits the housing; a cylinder disposed within the housing to coil and uncoil the flexible display panel; and a stretcher that selectively extends from the opening to support the flexible display panel, such that the flexible display panel is substantially planar when the flexible display panel is extended outside of the housing.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0013362, filed on Feb. 15, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates to a flexible display apparatus. 
         [0004]    2. Discussion of the Background 
         [0005]    Displays constitute an important part of various electronic devices and have been miniaturized for used in portable electronic devices. However, even the miniaturization of electronic devices has failed to satisfy a variety of demands. Thus, the research and development is of flexible displays that can be rolled or folded is currently being conducted. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The present disclosure provides a flexible display apparatus that includes a flexible display panel that may be easily rolled and unrolled. 
         [0007]    Additional features of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 
         [0008]    Embodiments of the inventive concept provide a flexible display apparatus including: a flexible display panel; a housing including an opening through which the flexible display panel enters and exits the housing; a cylinder disposed within the housing to coil and uncoil the flexible display panel; and a stretcher that selectively extends from the opening to support the flexible display panel, such that the flexible display panel is substantially planar when the flexible display panel is extended outside of the housing. 
         [0009]    It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the inventive concept, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept and, together with the description, serve to explain principles of the inventive concept. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are perspective views illustrating a flexible display apparatus, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIGS. 3 and 4  are side views illustrating the flexible display apparatus of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
           [0013]      FIGS. 5 and 6  are detailed perspective views illustrating a stretcher, a bender, and a slider of the flexible display apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0014]    Exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept will be described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Advantages and features of the present invention, and implementation methods thereof will be clarified through following embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The inventive concept may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. Further, the present invention is only defined by scopes of claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. 
         [0015]    In the following description, the technical terms are used only for explaining specific embodiments while not limiting the present invention. The terms of a singular form may include plural forms unless referred to the contrary. The meaning of “comprise” or “comprising” specifies a property, a region, a fixed number, a step, a process, an element and/or a component but does not exclude other properties, regions, fixed numbers, steps, processes, elements and/or components. 
         [0016]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are perspective views illustrating a flexible display apparatus  100 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIGS. 3 and 4  are side views illustrating the flexible display apparatus  100  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  FIGS. 5 and 6  are detailed perspective views illustrating a stretcher, a bender, and a slider of the flexible display apparatus  100  of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the flexible display apparatus  100  includes a stretcher  50  to stretch a flexible display panel  10  in a straight line, at an entrance  32  of a protective cover  30 . The stretcher  50  may be extended at the entrance  32  when the flexible display panel  10  is unrolled from a cylinder  20 . When the stretcher  50  is retracted, the flexible display panel  10  may be rolled around the cylinder  20  and disposed within the protective cover  30 . The flexible display panel  10  may be unrolled out of the protective cover  30 . Therefore, the flexible display apparatus  100  improves the portability and convenience of the flexible display panel  10 . 
         [0018]    The flexible display panel  10  may be rolled around an outer surface of the cylinder  20 . The flexible display panel  10  may include a plastic liquid crystal display panel or an organic electroluminescence display panel. Although not illustrated herein, the flexible display panel  10  may include a matrix of pixels that include thin film transistors, and a driving circuit to drive the pixels. The flexible display panel  10  may display a static or dynamic image. 
         [0019]    The flexible display panel  10  may be rolled around the cylinder  20 , so as to be stored in the protective cover  30 . According to some embodiments, the cylinder  20  may be a substantially cylindrical roller. The cylinder  20  may receive a turning force from a spiral spring  24  fixed to a shaft  22  inside the cylinder  20 . The spiral spring  24  may be rolled around or unrolled from the shaft  22 , when the cylinder  20  rotates. The shaft  22  may be fixed to a sidewall  32  of the protective cover  30 . The spiral spring  24  and the flexible display panel  10  may be coiled in the same direction around the shaft  22  and the cylinder  20 , respectively. The spiral spring  24  and the flexible display panel  10  may be coiled around the shaft  22  in opposite directions. When the flexible display panel  10  is coiled around the cylinder  20 , the spiral spring  24  may be partially uncoiled from the shaft  22 . When the flexible display panel  10  is uncoiled from the cylinder  20  and extended out of the protective cover  30 , the spiral spring  24  may be coiled around the shaft  22 . Therefore, the spiral spring  24  may provide a restoring force, by which the flexible display panel  10  is coiled around the cylinder  20  and pulled into the protective cover  30 . 
         [0020]    The protective cover  30  may cover the flexible display panel  10  when the flexible display panel  10  is coiled around the cylinder  20 . The protective cover  30  may protect the flexible display panel  10  and may be referred to as a housing. The protective cover  30  may be generally tubular and includes an entrance (opening)  32 . The protective cover  30  may be included in the housing of a personal digital assistant. The flexible display panel  10  may be inserted into the protective cover  30  through the entrance  32 . In addition, the flexible display panel  10  may be pulled out of the protective cover  30  through the entrance  32 , when a user pulls a handle  40  away from the protective cover  30 . The handle  40  may be fixed to an edge of the display panel  10 . The sidewall  32  of the protective cover  30  may secure the shaft  22  and separate the cylinder  20  from the shaft  22 . The cylinder  20  may be concentric with the shaft  22 . In addition, the sidewall  32  may prevent the spiral spring  24  and the flexible display panel  10  from deviating laterally with respect to the rotational direction of the cylinder  20 . 
         [0021]    The stretcher  50  may support the flexible display panel  10  in a planar fashion, when the flexible display panel  10  is disposed outside of the protective cover  30 . The stretcher  50  may include first, second, third, and fourth sliding brackets  52 ,  54 ,  56 , and  58  that extend and retract with respect to the protective cover  30 . The first to fourth sliding brackets  52 ,  54 ,  56 , and  58  may have U-shaped frames that have partially opened upper surfaces and may have gradually increasing diameters. The first to fourth sliding brackets  52 ,  54 ,  56 , and  58  may extend or retract sequentially (telescopically). 
         [0022]    The first to fourth sliding brackets  52 ,  54 ,  56 , and  58  may have first teeth  51  on the upper surfaces thereof. The first teeth  51  may engage with second teeth  61  of the bender  60 . The first teeth  51  and the second teeth  61  may be coupled with each other outside the protective cover  30 . The first teeth  51  and the second teeth  61  may flatly fix the flexible display panel  10  in a direction horizontal to the stretcher  50 . In addition, the first teeth  51 , the second teeth  61 , and a slider  70  may form a zipper or a slide fastener. 
         [0023]    The bender  60  may be fixed to at least one edge of the flexible display panel  10 . The bender  60  may cover the edge of the flexible display panel  10 . The flexibility of the bender  60  may be similar to the flexibility of the flexible display panel  10 . The bender  60  may include a plastic bending bar. The bender  60  may have V-shaped grooves  62  disposed along a first surface thereof that faces the cylinder  20 . The second teeth  61  may be disposed on an opposing second surface of the bender  60 . 
         [0024]    The slider  70  facilitates the coupling of the bender  60  and the stretcher  50 , when the flexible display panel  10  is extended out of the protective cover  30 . The slider  70  may separate the bender  60  from the stretcher  50  when the flexible display panel  10  is inserted into the protective cover  30 . Upper and lower bodies of the slider  70  may engage the first and second teeth  51  and  61  with each other, by positioning the stretcher  50  and the bender  60  firmly together. The slider  70  may include a wedge  74  disposed between upper and lower portions of is the slider body  72 , to separate the first teeth  51  from the second teeth  61 . The upper and lower surfaces of the wedge  74  may converge where the stretcher  50  and the bender  60  are coupled with each other. The lower surface of the wedge  74  may be parallel to the stretcher  50 , and the upper surface of the wedge  74  may be inclined. 
         [0025]    End caps  80  may be disposed on opposing sides of the handle  40 , covering ends of the stretcher  50  and the bender  60 . The end caps  80  may prevent the ends of the stretcher  50  and the bender  60  from separating from each other outside the protective cover  30 . When the flexible display panel  10  is rolled around the cylinder  20 , the end cap  80  may stop the ends of the stretcher  50  and the bender  60  at the slider  70 . Therefore, the end cap  80  may prevent the flexible display panel  10  from separating from the handle  40 . 
         [0026]    The stretcher  50  may support the flexible display panel  10 , such that the flexible display panel  10  is flat when extended out of the protective cover  30 . The stretcher  50  and the bender  60  may be coupled with each other outside the protective cover  30 , and separated from each other inside the protective cover  30 . The slider  70  may couple the stretcher  50  with the bender  60  and separate the stretcher  50  from the bender  60 . In the protective cover  30 , the flexible display panel  10  and the bender  60  may be rolled around the cylinder  20 . Therefore, the stretcher  50  and the bender  60  may facilitate the rolling and unrolling of the flexible display panel  10 . 
         [0027]    According to various embodiments, the stretcher may support the flexible display panel outside the protective cover, when the flexible display panel is unrolled from the cylinder in the protective cover. Therefore, the flexible display apparatus may facilitate the rolling and unrolling of the flexible display panel. 
         [0028]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variation can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.