Patent Description:
Various types of electronic devices, such as a smartphone, a tablet personal computer (PC), and the like, which include a display. The displays of the electronic devices may be implemented with what is called a touch screen display that includes a touch panel. The electronic devices may execute various functions, such as taking a photo or video, reproducing a music or video file, playing a game, doing a search on the Internet, and the like, through the touch screen display.

In recent years, many attempts have been made to minimize a bezel area of an electronic device at the same time as making a touch screen display larger in size.

<CIT> relates to a touch screen panel and display device comprising the same. <CIT> relates to a display device. <CIT> relates to a flexible display device with bend stress reduction member and manufacturing method for the same. <CIT> relates to an organic light emitting touch display screen. <CIT> relates to a display device. <CIT> relates to a touch display screen.

A flexible display panel may be used to make a display of an electronic device larger in size and to minimize a bezel area. In this case, a lower substrate of the display may be bent, and various types of hardware modules may be arranged below a front surface of the electronic device. As a result, a display area may maximized on the front surface of the electronic device, while the bezel area may be minimized.

The hardware modules below the front surface of the electronic device may be connected to electrical elements in a screen area of the display through leads arranged in a bent area of the display panel. For example, a display driver IC may be connected to light-emitting elements through the leads arranged in the bent area of the display panel. In another example, a touch sensor IC may be connected to a touch sensor through the leads arranged in the bent area of the display panel.

In the case where various types of leads are arranged in the bent area, tension or stress exerted on the leads may increase with an increase in curvature of the bent area. When the lower substrate of the display is bent, the path across the display between two points elongates causing tension to be exerted on the leads. Especially, in the case where the leads vertically overlap one another, stronger tension may be exerted on leads disposed on the outside of the bent area under the influence of leads disposed on the inside of the bent area.

The increased tension exerted on the leads may increase the possibility of cracks in the leads, or reduce the time period before wear and tear result in cracks, causing a malfunction in the display of the electronic device.

Aspects of the present disclosure may address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and may provide at least some of the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method that may lower the possibility of cracks in leads arranged in a display panel and an electronic device for performing the same.

Furthere aspects of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to lower the possibility of cracks in leads arranged in a bent area of a display panel in an electronic device. Accordingly, it is possible to set the curvature of the bent area to a larger value and to minimize a bezel area with an increase in size of a screen area where the display panel is exposed. In addition, the present disclosure may provide various effects that are directly or indirectly recognized.

Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numerals are used to depict the same or similar components, features, and structures.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an electronic device <NUM>, which includes a flexible display panel, in a network environment <NUM> according to various embodiments. The flexible display panel may be bent to maximize the display area on the front surface and reduce the bezel area.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may communicate with an electronic device <NUM> through a first network <NUM> (e.g., a short-range wireless communication) or may communicate with an electronic device <NUM> or a server <NUM> through a second network <NUM> (e.g., a long-distance wireless communication) in the network environment <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may communicate with the electronic device <NUM> through the server <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include a processor <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, an input device <NUM>, a sound output device <NUM>, a display device <NUM>, an audio module <NUM>, a sensor module <NUM>, an interface <NUM>, a haptic module <NUM>, a camera module <NUM>, a power management module <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, a communication module <NUM>, a subscriber identification module <NUM>, and an antenna module <NUM>. According to some embodiments, at least one of the components of the electronic device <NUM> may be omitted or other components may be added to the electronic device <NUM>. According to some embodiments, some components may be integrated and implemented as in the case of the sensor module <NUM> (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) embedded in the display device <NUM> (e.g., a display).

The processor <NUM> may operate, for example, software (e.g., a program <NUM>) to control at least one of other components (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device <NUM> connected to the processor <NUM> and may process and compute a variety of data. The processor <NUM> may load a command set or data, which is received from other components (e.g., the sensor module <NUM> or the communication module <NUM>), into a volatile memory <NUM>, may process the loaded command or data, and may store result data into a nonvolatile memory <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may include a main processor <NUM> (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) and an coprocessor <NUM>(e.g., a graphic processing device, an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor), which operates independently from the main processor <NUM>, additionally or alternatively uses less power than the main processor <NUM>, or is specified to a designated function. In this case, the coprocessor123 may operate separately from the main processor <NUM> or embedded.

In this case, the coprocessor <NUM> may control, for example, at least some of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., the display device <NUM>, the sensor module <NUM>, or the communication module <NUM>) among the components of the electronic device 101instead of the main processor <NUM> while the main processor <NUM> is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state or together with the main processor <NUM> while the main processor <NUM> is in an active (e.g., an application execution) state. According to an embodiment, the coprocessor123 (e.g., the image signal processor or the communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another component (e.g., the camera module <NUM> or the communication module <NUM>) that is functionally related to the coprocessor123. The memory <NUM> may store a variety of data used by at least one component (e.g., the processor <NUM> or the sensor module <NUM>) of the electronic device <NUM>, for example, software (e.g., the program <NUM>) and input data or output data with respect to commands associated with the software. The memory 130may include the volatile memory <NUM> or the nonvolatile memory <NUM>.

The program <NUM> may be stored in the memory <NUM> as software and may include, for example, an operating system <NUM>, a middleware <NUM>, or an application <NUM>.

The input device <NUM> may be a device for receiving a command or data, which is used for a component (e.g., the processor <NUM>) of the electronic device <NUM>, from an outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device <NUM> and may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, or a keyboard.

The sound output device <NUM> may be a device for outputting a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device <NUM> and may include, for example, a speaker used for general purposes, such as multimedia play or recordings play, and a receiver used only for receiving calls. According to an embodiment, the receiver and the speaker may be either integrally or separately implemented.

The display device <NUM> may be a device for visually presenting information to the user and may include, for example, a display, and a control circuit for controlling a corresponding device. According to an embodiment, the display device <NUM> may include a touch circuitry or a pressure sensor for measuring an intensity of pressure on the touch. The display device <NUM> will be described in greater detail in <FIG>. In certain embodiments, the display may include a lower substrate that is bent, thereby increasing the display area. Hardware modules below the display may be connected to components in the screen area using leads. Although the substrate is bent, in certain embodiments, increased tension exerted on the leads is alleviated as will be described below.

The audio module <NUM> may convert a sound and an electrical signal in dual directions. According to an embodiment, the audio module <NUM> may obtain the sound through the input device <NUM> or may output the sound through an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., a speaker or a headphone)) wired or wirelessly connected to the sound output device <NUM> or the electronic device <NUM>.

The sensor module <NUM> may generate an electrical signal or a data value corresponding to an operating state (e.g., power or temperature) inside or an environmental state outside the electronic device <NUM>. The sensor module 176may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The interface <NUM> may support a designated protocol wired or wirelessly connected to the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>). According to an embodiment, the interface <NUM> may include, for example, an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface), a USB (universal serial bus) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

A connection terminal <NUM> may include a connector that physically connects the electronic device <NUM> to the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>), for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module <NUM> may convert an electrical signal to a mechanical stimulation (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulation perceived by the user through tactile or kinesthetic sensations.

The camera module <NUM> may shoot a still image or a video image. According to an embodiment, the camera module <NUM> may include, for example, at least one lens, an image sensor, an image signal processor, or a flash.

The power management module <NUM> may be a module for managing power supplied to the electronic device <NUM> and may serve as at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery <NUM> may be a device for supplying power to at least one component of the electronic device <NUM> and may include, for example, a non-rechargeable (primary) battery, a rechargeable (secondary) battery, or a fuel cell.

The communication module <NUM> may establish a wired or wireless communication channel between the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>, or the server <NUM>) and support communication execution through the established communication channel. The communication module <NUM> may include at least one communication processor operating independently from the processor <NUM> (e.g., the application processor) and supporting the wired communication or the wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the communication module 190may include a wireless communication module <NUM> (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module <NUM> (e.g., an LAN (local area network) communication module or a power line communication module) and may communicate with the external electronic device using a corresponding communication module among them through the first network <NUM> (e.g., the short-range communication network such as a Bluetooth, a WiFi direct, or an IrDA (infrared data association)) or the second network <NUM> (e.g., the long-distance wireless communication network such as a cellular network, an internet, or a computer network (e.g., LAN or WAN)). The above-mentioned various communication modules <NUM> may be implemented into one chip or into separate chips, respectively.

According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module 192may identify and authenticate the electronic device <NUM> using user information stored in the subscriber identification module <NUM> in the communication network.

The antenna module <NUM> may include one or more antennas to transmit or receive the signal or power to or from an external source. According to an embodiment, the communication module <NUM> (e.g., the wireless communication module <NUM>) may transmit or receive the signal to or from the external electronic device through the antenna suitable for the communication method.

Some components among the components may be connected to each other through a communication method (e.g., a bus, a GPIO (general purpose input/output), an SPI (serial peripheral interface), or an MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)) used between peripheral devices to exchange signals (e.g., a command or data) with each other.

According to an embodiment, the command or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device <NUM> and the external electronic device <NUM> through the server <NUM> connected to the second network <NUM>. Each of the electronic devices <NUM> and <NUM> may be the same or different types as or from the electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, all or some of the operations performed by the electronic device <NUM> may be performed by another electronic device or a plurality of external electronic devices. When the electronic device <NUM> performs some functions or services automatically or by request, the electronic device <NUM> may request the external electronic device to perform at least some of the functions related to the functions or services, in addition to or instead of performing the functions or services by itself. The external electronic device receiving the request may carry out the requested function or the additional function and transmit the result to the electronic device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may provide the requested functions or services based on the received result as is or after additionally processing the received result. To this end, for example, a cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used.

<FIG> is a block diagram <NUM> of the display device <NUM>, which includes a flexible display panel, according to various embodiments.

Referring to <FIG>, the display device <NUM> may include a display <NUM> and a display driver IC (DDI) <NUM> for controlling the display <NUM>. The DDI <NUM> may include an interface module <NUM>, a memory <NUM> (e.g., a buffer memory), an image processing module <NUM>, or a mapping module <NUM>. The DDI <NUM> may receive image information including image data or an image control signal corresponding to a command for controlling the image data, from the processor <NUM> (e.g., the main processor <NUM> (e.g., an application processor) or the coprocessor <NUM> operating independently of the main processor <NUM>) through the interface module <NUM>.

The DDI <NUM> may be in communication with touch circuitry <NUM> or the sensor module <NUM> through the interface module <NUM>. Furthermore, the DDI <NUM> may store at least a portion of the received image information in the memory <NUM>, for example, on a frame-by-frame basis. The image processing module <NUM> may pre-process or post-process at least a part of the image data (e.g., adjust the resolution, brightness, or size thereof), based at least on characteristics of the image data or characteristics of the display <NUM>. The mapping module <NUM> may convert the image data pre-processed or post-processed through the image processing module <NUM> into a voltage or current value for driving pixels of the display <NUM>, based at least partly on properties of the pixels (e.g., an arrangement of the pixels (RGB stripe or PenTile) or the sizes of subpixels). At least some pixels of the display <NUM> may be driven based on the voltage or current value, and visual information (e.g., text, an image, or an icon) corresponding to the image data may be displayed on the display <NUM> correspondingly. In certain embodiments, the DDI <NUM> can be disposed on a flexible substrate corresponding to a planar area.

According to an embodiment, the display device <NUM> may further include the touch circuitry <NUM>. The touch circuitry <NUM> may include a touch sensor <NUM> and a touch sensor IC <NUM> for controlling the touch sensor <NUM>. The touch sensor IC <NUM> may control the touch sensor <NUM> to measure a change in signal (e.g., voltage, an amount of light, resistance, or an amount of electric charge) for a specific location of the display <NUM> to detect a touch or hovering input to the specific location and may provide, to the processor <NUM>, information (e.g., location, area, pressure, or time) about the detected touch or hovering input. According to an embodiment, at least a part (e.g., the touch sensor IC <NUM>) of the touch circuitry <NUM> may be included as a part of the display driver IC <NUM> or the display <NUM> or a part of another component (e.g., the coprocessor <NUM>) disposed outside the display device <NUM>. In certain embodiments, the touch sensor IC <NUM> and the touch sensor <NUM> can be connected by a lead.

According to an embodiment, the display device <NUM> may further include at least one sensor (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, a pressure sensor, or an illuminance sensor) of the sensor module <NUM> or a control circuit for the at least one sensor. In this case, the at least one sensor or the control circuit for the same may be embedded and implemented in a part (e.g., the display <NUM> or the DDI <NUM>) of the display device <NUM> or a part of the touch circuitry <NUM>. For example, in the case where the sensor module <NUM> embedded in the display device <NUM> includes a biometric sensor (e.g., a fingerprint sensor), the biometric sensor may obtain biometric information (e.g., a fingerprint image) associated with a touch input, through a partial area of the display <NUM>. In another example, in the case where the sensor module <NUM> embedded in the display device <NUM> includes a pressure sensor, the pressure sensor may obtain pressure information on a touch input, through all or a part of the display <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the touch sensor <NUM> or the sensor module <NUM> may be disposed between pixels in a pixel layer of the display <NUM> or above or below the pixel layer.

<FIG> illustrates an exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) may include a cover glass <NUM>, a display device <NUM>, a front hardware module <NUM>, a support member <NUM>, a printed circuit board <NUM>, a side member <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, and/or a back cover <NUM>. According to various embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> may not include some of the components illustrated in <FIG> and may further include components not illustrated in <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, the cover glass <NUM> may pass light generated by the display device <NUM>. In another example, a user may touch the cover glass <NUM> with a part (e.g., a finger) of the user's body to provide a touch input (including contact using an electronic pen) to the electronic device <NUM>. The cover glass <NUM> may be formed of, for example, reinforced glass, reinforced plastic, a flexible polymer, or the like and may protect the display device <NUM> and components included in the electronic device <NUM> from an external impact. According to various embodiments, the cover glass <NUM> may also be referred to as a glass window or a transparent member.

According to an embodiment, the display device <NUM> may be disposed in a space between the cover glass <NUM> and the back cover <NUM>. For example, the display device <NUM> may be disposed on, or coupled to, the bottom of the cover glass <NUM> and may be exposed through at least a portion of the cover glass <NUM>. The display device <NUM> may output contents (e.g., text, an image, a video, an icon, a widget, or a symbol), or may receive an input (e.g., a touch input or an electronic pen input) from the user.

According to an embodiment, the display device <NUM> may include a display panel, a touch sensor, and/or an electronic pen sensor. The display panel may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light-emitting diode (LED) display panel, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel, a microelectrome-chanical systems (MEMS) display panel, or an electronic paper display panel. The touch sensor may include a capacitive touch panel, a pressure-sensitive touch panel, a resistive touch panel, an infrared touch panel, or an ultrasonic touch panel. The touch panel may be inserted into the display panel (an add-on touch panel), may be directly formed on the display panel (an on-cell touch panel), or may be included in the display panel (an in-cell touch panel). The electronic pen sensor (e.g., a digitizer) may detect a touch, a gesture, hovering, or the like from an electronic pen. In various embodiments, the display panel including the touch panel may be referred to as a touch sensitive display panel.

According to an embodiment, the display device <NUM> may include a screen area <NUM> and an extended area <NUM> that extends from one side (e.g., an upper side or a lower side) of the screen area <NUM>. Pixels (e.g., OLEDs) of the display panel, electrical elements, a conductive pattern of the touch sensor, and/or a conductive pattern of the electronic pen sensor may be arranged in the screen area <NUM>. The electrical elements arranged in the screen area <NUM> may be electrically connected to a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) <NUM> located on a rear surface of the display device <NUM> through various conductive patterns (interconnection wires).

According to an embodiment, the screen area <NUM> may include an active area. The active area, which is a portion of the screen area <NUM>, may include pixels arranged therein.

According to an embodiment, the extended area <NUM> may include a bent area. The bent area may be understood as an area where one side of the display device <NUM> is bent toward the rear surface of the display device <NUM>.

In certain embodiments, the display device can include a flexible substrate, a thin film transistor (TFT) layer including a plurality of light-emitting elements, an insulation layer, and a touch sensor.

According to various embodiments, interconnection wiring of the FPCB <NUM> may pass by a side surface of the support member <NUM> and may be electrically connected to the printed circuit board <NUM> (e.g., a main printed circuit board <NUM>) through a specified connector. According to various embodiments, the extended area <NUM> may include pixels arranged therein for displaying various pieces of information, similarly to the screen area <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the extended area <NUM> may have a width that is substantially the same as (or within <NUM>%), or different from, that of the screen area <NUM>. For example, the extended area <NUM> may be narrower than the screen area <NUM>. In this case, the active area, which is disposed in the screen area <NUM> and includes the pixels, may have a rectangular shape with rounded corners.

According to an embodiment, the front hardware module <NUM> may include various components, such as a fingerprint sensor, a camera module, a proximity sensor, an iris sensor, a receiver, and the like, which are arranged to face a front surface of the electronic device <NUM>. The front hardware module <NUM> may be disposed below the display device <NUM>. For example, the front hardware module <NUM> may be disposed between a specified area of the display device <NUM> and the back cover <NUM> and may be arranged to face the cover glass <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the support member <NUM> (e.g., a bracket) may be formed of metal or a polymer. The support member <NUM> may be disposed, for example, between the display device <NUM> and the printed circuit board <NUM>. The support member <NUM> may be combined with the display device <NUM> and the printed circuit board <NUM> to physically support the display device <NUM> and the printed circuit board <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the support member <NUM> may have a swelling gap formed therein in consideration of swelling of the battery <NUM> according to a secular change.

According to an embodiment, the printed circuit board <NUM> may include, for example, the main printed circuit board <NUM> and a sub-printed circuit board <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the main printed circuit board <NUM> and the sub-printed circuit board <NUM> may be disposed below the support member <NUM> and may be electrically connected together through a specified connector or specified interconnection wiring. The printed circuit boards <NUM> and <NUM> may be implemented with, for example, a rigid printed circuit board (rigid PCB) and/or an FPCB. According to an embodiment, various types of electronic parts, elements, and printed circuits (e.g., a processor, a memory, a communication circuit (e.g., a wireless communication circuit), and the like) of the electronic device <NUM> may be mounted or arranged on the printed circuit boards <NUM> and <NUM>. According to various embodiments, the printed circuit boards <NUM> and <NUM> may be referred to as a main board, a printed board assembly (PBA), or simply a PCB.

According to an embodiment, the side member <NUM> may be disposed between the printed circuit board <NUM> and the back cover <NUM> to accommodate components of the electronic device <NUM>. The side member <NUM> may be combined with, for example, the support member <NUM> or the back cover <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM>. The side member <NUM> may surround the space between the cover glass <NUM> and the back cover <NUM>. According to various embodiments, a hole <NUM> extending long toward the inside of the side member <NUM> may be formed in a portion of the side member <NUM>. For example, an electronic pen (stylus pen) <NUM> may be accommodated in the hole <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the battery <NUM> may convert chemical energy into electrical energy, and vice versa. For example, the battery <NUM> may convert chemical energy into electrical energy and may supply the electrical energy to the display device <NUM> and various components or modules mounted on the printed circuit board <NUM>. In another example, the battery <NUM> may also convert electrical energy supplied from the outside into chemical energy and may store the chemical energy. According to an embodiment, the printed circuit board <NUM> may include a power management module for managing charge/discharge of the battery <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the back cover <NUM> may be coupled to a rear surface of the electronic device <NUM>. The back cover <NUM> may be formed of reinforced glass, a plastic injection-molded material, and/or metal. According to various embodiments, the back cover <NUM> may be implemented integrally with the side member <NUM>, or may be implemented to be detachable by a user. The back cover <NUM> may also be referred to as a rear case or a rear plate.

<FIG> illustrates a hardware configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> may include a cover glass <NUM>, an optical clear adhesive (OCA) <NUM>, a polarizer (POL) <NUM>, a display panel <NUM>, a bending protecting layer (BPL) <NUM>, a protection film (PF) <NUM>, a back panel <NUM>, an adhesive layer <NUM>, a pressure sensor <NUM>, a display driver IC (DDI) <NUM>, and/or a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) <NUM>. According to various embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) may not include some of the components illustrated in <FIG> and may further include components not illustrated in <FIG>. For example, among the components illustrated in <FIG>, adjacent components may be attached to each other by an adhesive tape not illustrated in <FIG>.

The cover glass <NUM> may pass light generated by the display panel <NUM>. According to an embodiment, a user may touch the cover glass <NUM> with a part (e.g., a finger) of the user's body to apply a touch input.

The OCA <NUM>, which is a transparent adhesive layer, may stick the cover glass <NUM> and the polarizer <NUM> together. According to an embodiment, the OCA <NUM> may stick the polarizer <NUM> and the display panel <NUM> together.

The polarizer <NUM> may prevent reflection of external light to improve visibility in bright places such as the outdoors. For example, the polarizer (or polarizer film) <NUM> may improve visibility by passing only light waves oscillating in a specific direction among light waves input through the cover glass <NUM>. In various embodiments, the polarizer <NUM> may include, for example, poly ethylene terephthalate (PET) or tri-acetyl cellulose (TAC).

The display panel <NUM> may include, for example, scan lines, data lines, light-emitting elements (e.g., OLEDs) that generate light based on signals supplied from the scan lines and the data lines, a substrate (e.g., a low-temperature poly silicon (LTPS) substrate) on which the light-emitting elements are arranged, and a thin film encapsulation (TFE) for protecting the light-emitting elements. The light-emitting elements may configure pixels. A plurality of (e.g., millions to tens of millions of) pixels may be arranged on any one surface of the display panel <NUM> (e.g., a surface facing the cover glass <NUM>).

According to an embodiment, the display panel <NUM> may include a flexible substrate. According to an embodiment, the flexible substrate may extend from at least some layers of the display panel <NUM> to the outside. According to an embodiment, interconnection wire(s) for supplying power and/or signals to the display panel <NUM> may be arranged on the flexible substrate. For example, the interconnection wires can include leads. A lead can connect a control circuit to the display panel, wherein a first lead connects the control circuit to light-emitting elements, and another lead can connect the control circuit to a touch sensor on the display panel.

According to an embodiment, the display panel <NUM> may include a screen area <NUM> and extended areas <NUM> and <NUM>. In an embodiment, the extended areas <NUM> and <NUM> may include the bent area <NUM> and the planar area <NUM>. In an embodiment, a portion of the bent area <NUM> may be bent in a direction toward a rear surface of the display panel <NUM>. In this case, a rear surface of the screen area <NUM> and a rear surface of the planar area <NUM> may face each other. In certain embodiments, the control circuit can be disposed under the planar area <NUM> with the leads traversing the extended areas connecting the control circuit to the light-emitting elements and touch sensor on the display panel.

According to an embodiment, the display panel <NUM> may be divided into an active area and an inactive area. In an embodiment, the active area may include light-emitting elements, and the inactive area may include the bent area <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the protection film (PF) <NUM> may be stuck to the display panel <NUM> to protect the display panel <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the BPL <NUM>, which is a kind of insulator, may be stuck to the bent area <NUM> of the display panel <NUM>. The BPL <NUM> may prevent the display panel <NUM> from being broken in the bent area <NUM> and may prevent cracks in leads arranged on the display panel <NUM>. For example, when the BPL <NUM> is disposed on the bent area <NUM>, the neutral plane to which stress is applied in the bent area <NUM> may be located closer to the leads to lower the possibility of cracks in the leads than when the BPL <NUM> is not present.

According to an embodiment, the back panel <NUM> may be disposed below the protection film <NUM>. The back panel <NUM> may include at least one of a light-shielding layer <NUM> (e.g., a black layer including an uneven pattern) for shielding light generated by the display panel <NUM> or light incident from the outside, a buffer layer <NUM> (e.g., a sponge layer) for alleviating pressure from the outside, and a metal plate layer <NUM> (e.g., a copper (Cu) layer, or a graphite layer).

According to an embodiment, an opening (e.g., an opening with a thickness of <NUM> to <NUM>) may be formed in at least a partial area of the back panel <NUM>. A fingerprint sensor (not illustrated) may be disposed in an area corresponding to the opening. According to an embodiment, the fingerprint sensor may obtain fingerprint information of a finger through the opening. In the case where the fingerprint sensor is of an optical type, the fingerprint sensor may be disposed in the area corresponding to the opening. In the case where the fingerprint sensor is of a capacitive type, the opening may not be formed in the back panel <NUM>, or the fingerprint sensor may be disposed regardless of the opening.

According to an embodiment, the adhesive layer <NUM> may stick the metal plate layer <NUM> and the protection film <NUM> together. The adhesive layer <NUM> may physically support components above and below the adhesive layer <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the pressure sensor <NUM> may be disposed to correspond to the entire surface of the display panel <NUM>, or may be disposed in only a partial area of the display panel <NUM>. The pressure sensor <NUM> may be disposed to surround the fingerprint sensor. According to an embodiment, the pressure sensor <NUM> may obtain the magnitude of pressure of a user input (e.g., an input using a finger or an electronic pen) that is applied to the cover glass <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the DDI <NUM> may drive the pixels of the display panel <NUM>. For example, the DDI <NUM> may receive image data from a processor (a host) and may supply signals corresponding to the image data to the display panel <NUM> based on a preset number of frames. According to an embodiment, the DDI <NUM> may be disposed on a surface of the planar area <NUM> of the display panel <NUM>. In certain embodiments, the DDI <NUM> may be connected by a lead to a light-emitting elements on the screen area <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the FPCB <NUM> may be electrically connected to a portion of the display panel <NUM>. For example, the FPCB <NUM> may be electrically connected to the interconnection wires formed on the substrate of the display panel <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the FPCB <NUM> may include leads for supplying scan signals to a touch sensor included in the display panel <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the FPCB <NUM> may include interconnection wiring related to the components illustrated in <FIG>. The FPCB <NUM> may correspond to, for example, the FPCB <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. For example, the interconnection wiring of the FPCB <NUM> may pass by a side surface of the support member <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and may be electrically connected to the printed circuit board <NUM> (e.g., the main printed circuit board <NUM>) through a specified connector.

The curvature of the display panel <NUM> increases the display area, but can cause tension in wires traversing the extended areas <NUM>. As will be described in certain embodiments below, the tension caused by the curvature of extended area <NUM> can be alleviated.

<FIG> illustrates a configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) may include a touch sensitive display panel <NUM> (e.g., the display panel <NUM> of <FIG>), a control circuit <NUM>, first leads <NUM>, and second leads <NUM>. According to various embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> may not include some of the components, or may include additional components. The touch sensitive display panel <NUM> may include a flexible substrate <NUM>, a thin film transistor (TFT) layer <NUM>, an insulation layer <NUM>, and a touch sensor <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the touch sensitive display panel <NUM> may be divided into a screen area 5a and an extended area 5b. In an embodiment, the extended area 5b may be bent toward a rear surface of the display panel <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the display panel <NUM> in the screen area 5a may include light-emitting elements capable of emitting light according to electrical signals. The display panel <NUM> in the extended area 5b may include leads that electrically connect the light-emitting elements and/or the touch sensor <NUM> to the control circuit <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the flexible substrate <NUM> may be a substrate made of plastic or a polymer. In various embodiments, the flexible substrate <NUM> may include at least one of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene sulfide (PES), polyethylene (PE), and polyimide (PI). In various embodiments, the flexible substrate <NUM> may also be referred to as a flexible printed circuit board.

According to an embodiment, leads and electrical elements for supplying power and/ or signals to the display panel <NUM> may be arranged on the flexible substrate <NUM>. For example, leads, transistors, and light-emitting elements included in the TFT layer <NUM> may be arranged on the flexible substrate <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the TFT layer <NUM> may be understood as a set of various types of electrical elements arranged on the flexible substrate <NUM>. For example, the TFT layer <NUM> may include a plurality of light-emitting elements. The plurality of light-emitting elements may correspond to, for example, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

In various embodiments, the arrangement of the electrical elements on the TFT layer <NUM> may be understood to be the same as, or similar to, the formation of the electrical elements on the flexible substrate <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the insulation layer <NUM> may be formed on the TFT layer <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the insulation layer <NUM> may be applied onto the TFT layer <NUM> to prevent electrical short between the electrical elements included in the TFT layer <NUM>. In an embodiment, a portion of the insulation layer <NUM> may be a thin film encapsulation. The thin film encapsulation may protect the plurality of light-emitting elements from moisture or oxygen by forming, for example, a plurality of organic layers and/or inorganic layers.

According to an embodiment, the insulation layer <NUM> may have via-holes <NUM> and <NUM> formed therein. In an embodiment, one or more via-holes <NUM> and <NUM> may be formed. In an embodiment, the via-holes <NUM> and <NUM> may be located at the border between the screen area 5a and the extended area 5b. In various embodiments, the via-holes <NUM> and <NUM> may also be located in either the screen area 5a or the extended area 5b. In an embodiment, leads (e.g., the second leads <NUM>) may extend from the top to the bottom of the insulation layer <NUM> through the via-holes <NUM> and <NUM>, or vice versa.

According to an embodiment, the touch sensor <NUM> may be disposed on the insulation layer <NUM>. The touch sensor <NUM> may detect a user's touch on a cover glass of the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the cover glass <NUM> of <FIG>).

According to an embodiment, the touch sensor <NUM> may include a touch electrode. The touch electrode may be a terminal for a signal transmitted to or from the touch sensor <NUM>. The touch electrode may be disposed, for example, on or over the flexible substrate <NUM>. For example, the touch electrode may be directly formed on the flexible substrate <NUM>, or may be disposed on or over the insulation layer <NUM> or a conductive layer (not illustrated) disposed over the flexible substrate <NUM>.

The control circuit <NUM> is electrically connected to the display panel <NUM> and does control an operation of the display panel <NUM>. Indeed, the control circuit <NUM> is electrically connected to the display panel <NUM> through the first leads <NUM> and the second leads <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the control circuit <NUM> may include a display driver integrated circuit (DDI) and a touch sensor IC. In various embodiments, the display driver IC and the touch sensor IC may be implemented with a single chip, or may be implemented with separate chips that are physically distinguished from each other. According to an embodiment, the extended area 5b of the display panel <NUM> may include in addition to the bent area (e.g., the bent area <NUM> of <FIG>) a planar area (e.g., the planar area <NUM> of <FIG>). In this case, the display driver IC may be disposed on the flexible substrate <NUM> corresponding to the planar area.

The first leads <NUM> are formed on the TFT layer <NUM> in the screen area 5a and the extended area 5b. In other words, the first leads <NUM> may be formed below the insulation layer <NUM> in the screen area 5a and the extended area 5b.

According to an embodiment, the first leads <NUM> do electrically connect the control circuit <NUM> and the plurality of light-emitting elements included in the TFT layer <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the control circuit <NUM> may include the display driver IC. The first leads <NUM> do electrically connect the display driver IC and the plurality of light-emitting elements. In an embodiment, the display driver IC may transmit power and/or image signals to the plurality of light-emitting elements through the first leads <NUM>.

The second leads <NUM> are formed on the insulation layer <NUM> in the screen area 5a and on the TFT layer <NUM> in the extended area 5b and extend from the screen area 5a to the extended area 5b through the one or more via-holes <NUM> formed in the insulation layer <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the extended area 5b of the display panel <NUM> may include the bent area (e.g., the bent area <NUM> of <FIG>) and additionally a planar area (e.g., the planar <NUM> area of <FIG>). In this case, the second leads <NUM> extend from the bent area to the planar area through the one or more via-holes <NUM> formed in the insulation layer <NUM>.

The second leads <NUM> electrically connect the control circuit <NUM> and the touch sensor <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the control circuit <NUM> may include the touch sensor IC. The second leads <NUM> may electrically connect the touch sensor IC and the touch sensor <NUM>. In an embodiment, the touch sensor IC may receive detected electrical signals from the touch sensor <NUM> through the second leads <NUM>.

According to various embodiments, the first leads <NUM> may also be referred to as first interconnection wires, and the second leads <NUM> may also be referred to as second interconnection wires.

The first leads <NUM> and the second leads <NUM> may be formed on the same layer in the extended area 5b according to the above-described lead arrangement and may not vertically overlap each other. That is, the first leads <NUM> and the second leads <NUM> may not overlap each other when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the bent area (e.g., the bent area <NUM> of <FIG>). The lead arrangement may lower the possibility of cracks in the first leads <NUM> and/or the second leads <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the display panel <NUM> may further include a second insulation layer (e.g., the BPL <NUM> of <FIG>) that is distinguished from the insulation layer <NUM>. In an embodiment, the second insulation layer may be formed on the insulation layer <NUM>. The second insulation layer may further reduce the risk of cracks in the first leads <NUM> and the second leads <NUM> in the bent area (e.g., the bent area <NUM> of <FIG>) included in the extended area 5b.

<FIG> illustrates an arrangement of leads in a display panel according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, a display panel 601a may include a flexible substrate 610a (e.g., the flexible substrate <NUM> of <FIG>) that extends to the outside along some layers. In an embodiment, the flexible substrate 610a may have first leads (e.g., the first leads <NUM> of <FIG>) and/or second leads (e.g., the second leads <NUM> of <FIG>) arranged thereon. According to an embodiment, a portion of the flexible substrate may be a screen area (e.g., the screen area 5a of <FIG>), and the remaining portion may be an extended area 610a (e.g., the extended area 5b of <FIG>).

According to an embodiment, a blowup of a first area 620a of the flexible substrate 610a may be the same as, or similar to, a first area 620b. The first area 620b may be divided into a screen area 620_1b and an extended area 620_2b. First leads 621b and second leads 622b may be arranged on opposite layers in the screen area 620_1b. For example, the first leads 621b may be arranged on an insulation layer (e.g., the insulation layer <NUM> of <FIG>), and the second leads 622b may be arranged below the insulation layer (e.g., on the TFT layer <NUM> of <FIG>) in the extended area 620_2b. In this case, the first leads 621b and the second leads 622b may vertically overlap each other.

According to an embodiment, one or more via-holes 623b may be formed in the insulation layer in the vicinity of the border between the screen area 620_1b and the extended area 620_2b. In an embodiment, the second leads 622b may extend from the screen area 620_1b to the extended area 620_2b through the via-holes 623b. In other words, the second leads 622b may extend from the top to the bottom of the insulation layer through the via-holes 623b.

According to an embodiment, a sectional view taken along line A-A' in the extended area 620_2b of the first area 620b may be the same as, or similar to, a sectional view 620c. In an embodiment, referring to the sectional view 620c, first leads 621c and second leads 622c may be arranged between an insulation layer 624c and a flexible substrate 625c (e.g., on a TFT layer). Since the first leads 621c and the second leads 622c are arranged on the same layer in the extended area 620_2b, the possibility of cracks due to an overlap between the leads may be lowered even though the display panel 601a is bent in the extended area 620_2b.

According to an embodiment, the first leads 621c and the second leads 622c may be electrically isolated from each other. An electrical short may be prevented since the first leads 621c and the second leads 622c are electrically isolated from each other although arranged on the same layer.

<FIG> illustrates an arrangement of leads in a bent area of a display panel according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, the display panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may have various lead patterns in the bent area. The bent area may correspond to, for example, the bent area <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. A flexible substrate <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> may correspond to the flexible substrate 610a illustrated in <FIG>.

When the bent area <NUM>-<NUM> of the flexible substrate <NUM> is bent, the distance between two points on the flexible substrate <NUM> increases. This can cause tension in leads. In various embodiments, the leads have a longer length, due to zig-zagging, or wave patterning, and increased thickness, to prevent cracks due to the tension.

According to an embodiment, leads <NUM> (e.g., first leads and second leads) may be arranged in a zigzag pattern in a bent area <NUM>-<NUM> of the flexible substrate <NUM>. In this case, the possibility of cracks in the leads may be lowered since tension exerted on the leads decreases even though the bent area <NUM>-<NUM> of the flexible substrate <NUM> is bent.

According to another embodiment, unlike that illustrated in <FIG>, leads (e.g., first leads and second leads) may be arranged in the bent area <NUM>-<NUM> of the flexible substrate <NUM> such that the leads extend at a specified angle (e.g., obliquely) with respect to the vertical direction. In this case, the possibility of cracks in the leads may be lowered since tension exerted on the leads decreases even though the bent area <NUM>-<NUM> of the flexible substrate <NUM> is bent.

According to another embodiment, unlike that illustrated in <FIG>, leads (e.g., first leads and second leads) may be arranged in a wave pattern in the bent area <NUM>-<NUM> of the flexible substrate <NUM>. In this case, the possibility of cracks in the leads may be lowered since tension exerted on the leads decreases even though the bent area <NUM>-<NUM> of the flexible substrate <NUM> is bent.

According to another embodiment, unlike that illustrated in <FIG>, leads (e.g., first leads and second leads) may be formed to have a specified width or more in the bent area <NUM>-<NUM> of the flexible substrate <NUM>. Since the leads are formed to be relatively thick, resistance to tension generated when the bent area <NUM>-<NUM> of the flexible substrate <NUM> is bent may increase. As a result, the possibility of cracks in the leads may be lowered.

According to another embodiment, unlike that illustrated in <FIG>, leads (e.g., first leads and second leads) may be split into a specified number of leads in the bent area <NUM>-<NUM> of the flexible substrate <NUM>. The leads may maintain an electrical connection even though some of the leads are cracked by tension generated when the bent area <NUM>-<NUM> of the flexible substrate <NUM> is bent.

<FIG> illustrates an arrangement of leads in a display panel according to various embodiments. In <FIG>, the first leads <NUM> and second leads <NUM> are on opposite sides of the flexible substrate 820b in both the screen area 820_1b and the edge area 820_2b.

Referring to <FIG>, a display panel 801a or 801_1a may include a flexible substrate 810a or 810_1a (e.g., the flexible substrate <NUM> of <FIG>) that extends to the outside along some layers. In an embodiment, first leads 811a and/or second leads 812a may be arranged on the flexible substrate 810a, and first leads 811_1a and/or second leads 812_1a may be arranged on the flexible substrate 810_1a. According to various embodiments, the first leads 811a and the second leads 812a may be arranged such that the same type of leads are adjacent to one another, and the second leads 812_1a may be arranged on opposite sides of the first leads 811_1a. The contents that overlap the description of <FIG> may be omitted in the following description of <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, blowups of first areas 820a and 820_1a of the flexible substrates 810a and 810_1a may be the same as, or similar to, a first area 820b.

The first area 820b may be divided into a screen area 820_1b and an extended area 820_2b. According to an embodiment, first leads 821b and second leads 822b may vertically overlap each other in the screen area 820_1b. According to an embodiment, the first leads 821b and the second leads 822b may be arranged in the extended area 820_2b so as not to vertically overlap each other.

According to an embodiment, a sectional view taken along line A-A' in the extended area 820_2b of the first area 820b may be the same as, or similar to, a sectional view 820c or 820d.

In an embodiment, referring to the sectional view 820c, first leads 821c may be arranged between an insulation layer 823c and a flexible substrate 824c (e.g., on a TFT layer). Second leads 822c may be arranged on the top of the insulation layer 823c. In an embodiment, since the first leads 821c and the second leads 822c do not vertically overlap each other even though arranged on different layers, the possibility of cracks due to an overlap between the leads may be lowered.

In an embodiment, referring to the sectional view 820d, the display panel 801a or 801_1a may further include a flexible substrate 825d distinguished from a flexible substrate 824d. In an embodiment, first leads 821d may be arranged between an insulation layer 823d and the flexible substrate 824d. In an embodiment, second leads 822d may be arranged between an insulation layer 823d and the flexible substrate 825d. In this case, the insulation layer 823d adjacent to the first leads 821d and the insulation layer 823d adjacent to the second leads 822d may be spaced apart from each other. In an embodiment, since the first leads 821d and the second leads 822d do not vertically overlap each other even though arranged on different layers, the possibility of cracks due to an overlap between the leads may be lowered.

Referring to <FIG>, a display panel 901a may include a flexible substrate 910a (e.g., the flexible substrate <NUM> of <FIG>) that extends to the outside along some layers. In an embodiment, first leads 911a and/or second leads 912a may be arranged on the flexible substrate 910a. The contents that overlap the description of <FIG> and the description of <FIG> may be omitted in the following description of <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, a blowup of a first area 920a of the flexible substrate 910a may be the same as, or similar to, a first area 920b.

The first area 920b may be divided into a screen area 920_1b and an extended area 920_2b. According to an embodiment, first leads 921b and second leads 922b may vertically overlap each other in the screen area 920_1b. According to an embodiment, the first leads 921b and the second leads 922b may be alternately arranged in the extended area 920_2b so as not to vertically overlap each other.

According to an embodiment, a sectional view taken along line A-A' in the extended area 920_2b of the first area 920b may be the same as, or similar to, a sectional view 920c.

In an embodiment, referring to the sectional view 920c, first leads 921c may be arranged between an insulation layer 923c and a flexible substrate 924c (e.g., on a TFT layer). Second leads 922c may be arranged on the top of the insulation layer 923c. In an embodiment, since the first leads 921c and the second leads 922c are alternately arranged so as not to vertically overlap each other even though arranged on different layers, the possibility of cracks due to an overlap between the leads may be lowered.

<FIG> illustrates a structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, stack structures and front views of electronic devices 1000a, 1000b, and 1000c are illustrated. The electronic devices 1000a, 1000b, and 1000c may correspond to, for example, the electronic device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>.

In an embodiment, the electronic device 1000a may include a display panel 1010a, a polarizer 1020a, a first polymer film 1030a, and a second polymer film 1040a. In various embodiments, the electronic device 1000a may not include some of the components or may include additional components, or one component may be included in another component. For example, the first polymer film 1030a may be understood as a component of the display panel 1010a.

The display panel 1010a may correspond to, for example, the display panel <NUM> of <FIG> or the display panel <NUM> of <FIG>. According to an embodiment, the display panel 1010a may be divided into a plurality of areas. For example, the display panel 1010a may be divided into a screen area <NUM>-1a and extended areas <NUM>-2a and <NUM>-3a. The extended areas <NUM>-2a and <NUM>-3a may be divided into the bent area <NUM>-2a and the planar area <NUM>-3a. It may be understood that only an active area of the display panel 1010a is illustrated in <FIG>. The active area may be, for example, a portion of the screen area <NUM>-1a of the display panel 1010a and may be understood as an area where pixels are arranged. A plurality of light-emitting elements may be densely arranged in the active area of the display panel 1010a.

The polarizer 1020a may correspond to, for example, the polarizer <NUM> of <FIG>. In various embodiments, the polarizer 1020a may include, for example, a poly ethylene terephthalate (PET) film, a tri-acetyl cellulose (TAC) film, a cycle-olefin polymer (COP) film, or a poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) film.

According to an embodiment, the polarizer 1020a may be longer than the active area. In an embodiment, the polarizer 1020a may completely surround the display panel 1010a corresponding to the active area and may protect the display panel 1010a from an external impact.

According to an embodiment, the polarizer 1020a may be longer than a lower portion of the active area by a first length d1 1021a and may be longer than an upper portion of the active area by a second length d2 1022a. In an embodiment, the first length d1 1021a may be longer than the second length d2 1022a since the extension of an upper portion of the electronic device 1000a is limited in consideration of minimization of a bezel. By making the first length d1 1021a longer than the second length d2 1022a, the polarizer 1020a may protect the active area of the display panel 1010a from an external impact.

The first polymer film 1030a may correspond to, for example, the flexible substrate <NUM> of <FIG>. The first polymer film 1030a may constitute a part of the display panel 1010a, and various types of electrical elements included in the display panel 1010a may be arranged on the first polymer film 1030a. In various embodiments, the first polymer film 1030a may be implemented with polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene sulfide (PES), polyethylene (PE), or polyimide (PI).

The second polymer film 1040a may correspond to, for example, the protection film <NUM> of <FIG>. According to an embodiment, the second polymer film 1040a may be attached to a lower portion of the display panel 1010a to protect the display panel 1010a from an external impact applied from below the display panel 1010a. According to various embodiments, the second polymer film 1040a may be implemented with a material that is the same as, or similar to, that of the first polymer film 1030a.

According to an embodiment, the second polymer film 1040a may be longer than the active area. In an embodiment, the second polymer film 1040a may completely surround the display panel 1010a corresponding to the active area and may protect the display panel 1010a from an external impact applied from below the display panel 1010a.

According to an embodiment, the second polymer film 1040a may be longer than the lower portion of the active area by a third length d3 1043a and may be longer than the upper portion of the active area by a fourth length d4 1044a. In an embodiment, the third length d3 1043a may be longer than the fourth length d4 1044a since the extension of the upper portion of the electronic device 1000a is limited in consideration of minimization of the bezel. By making the third length d3 1043a longer than the fourth length d4 1044a, the second polymer film 1040a may protect the active area of the display panel 1010a from an external impact applied from below the display panel 1010a.

According to an embodiment, the polarizer 1020a and the second polymer film 1040a may be limited to the screen area <NUM>-1a or the planar area <NUM>-3a of the display panel 1010a. In other words, the polarizer 1020a and the second polymer film 1040a may not be disposed in the bent area <NUM>-2a of the display panel 1010a. As a result, the display panel 1010a may be more flexibly bent in the bent area <NUM>-2a and may prevent cracks in leads arranged in the bent area <NUM>-2a.

Referring to the front view of the electronic device 1000b, the relative sizes of an active area of a display panel 1010b, a polarizer 1020b, and a first polymer film 1030b may be compared. According to an embodiment, the polarizer 1020b may be implemented to be larger than the active area of the display panel 1010b and smaller than the first polymer film 1030b. In an embodiment, the polarizer 1020b may be longer than an upper portion of the active area by a length d2 1022b and may be longer than a lower portion of the active area by a length d1 1021b. In this case, the length d1 1021b may be longer than the length d2 1022b.

Referring to the front view of the electronic device 1000c, the relative sizes of an active area of a display panel 1010c, a first polymer film 1030c, and a second polymer film 1040c may be compared. According to an embodiment, the second polymer film 1040c may be implemented to be larger than the active area of the display panel 1010c. According to an embodiment, the second polymer film 1040c may be implemented to be smaller than the first polymer film 1030c so as to be attached to the first polymer film 1030c. In an embodiment, the second polymer film 1040c may be longer than an upper portion of the active area by a length d4 1044c and may be longer than a lower portion of the active area by a length d3 1043c. In this case, the length d3 1043c may be longer than the length d4 1044c.

Referring to <FIG>, stack structures and front views of electronic devices 1100a, 1100b, and 1100c are illustrated. The electronic devices 1100a, 1100b, and 1100c may correspond to, for example, the electronic devices 1000a, 1000b, and 1000c illustrated in <FIG>. The contents that overlap the description of <FIG> may be omitted in the following description of <FIG>.

In an embodiment, the electronic device 1100a may include a display panel 1110a, a polarizer 1120a, a first polymer film 1130a, and a second polymer film 1140a.

According to an embodiment, the polarizer 1120a and the second polymer film 1140a may be wider than an active area of the display panel 1110a to protect the display panel 1110a from an external impact.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 1100a may protect the active area of the display panel 1110a and may allow a bent area <NUM>-2a of the display panel 1110a to be more easily bent. According to an embodiment, the second polymer film 1140a may be further away from the bent area <NUM>-2a of the display panel 1110a to allow the bent area <NUM>-2a of the display panel 1110a to be more easily bent. In this case, a length d3 1143a may be shorter than a length d4 1144a. In an embodiment, by making the length d3 1143a shorter than the length d4 1144a, the second polymer film 1140a may allow the bent area <NUM>-2a of the display panel 1110a to be more easily bent.

Referring to the front view of the electronic device 1100c, the relative sizes of an active area of a display panel 1110c, a first polymer film 1130c, and a second polymer film 1140c may be compared. According to an embodiment, the second polymer film 1140c may be longer than an upper portion of the active area by a length d4 1144c and may be longer than a lower portion of the active area by a length d3 1143c. In this case, the length d3 1143c may be shorter than the length d4 1144c.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, by arranging leads in a bent area of a display of an electronic device that includes a display panel, it is possible to reduce the risk of cracks in the leads.

With the reduction in the risk of cracks in the leads, the curvature of the display panel in the electronic device may be set to be larger. Accordingly, a bezel area may be minimized with an increase in size of a screen area through which the display is exposed in the electronic device. The electronic device may provide better visibility for a user.

The electronic device according to various embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure may be various types of devices. The electronic device may include, for example, at least one of a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a mobile medical appliance, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. The electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure should not be limited to the above-mentioned devices.

The term "module" used herein may represent, for example, a unit including one or more combinations of hardware, software and firmware. The term "module" may be interchangeably used with the terms "logic", "logical block", "part" and "circuit". The "module" may be a minimum unit of an integrated part or may be a part thereof. The "module" may be a minimum unit for performing one or more functions or a part thereof. For example, the "module" may include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by software (e.g., the program <NUM>) including an instruction stored in a machine-readable storage media (e.g., an internal memory <NUM> or an external memory <NUM>) readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). The machine may be a device that calls the instruction from the machine-readable storage media and operates depending on the called instruction and may include the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>). When the instruction is executed by the processor (e.g., the processor <NUM>), the processor may perform a function corresponding to the instruction directly or using other components under the control of the processor. The instruction may include a code generated or executed by a compiler or an interpreter. The machine-readable storage media may be provided in the form of non-transitory storage media. Here, the term "non-transitory", as used herein, is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal) as opposed to a limitation on data storage persistency.

Claim 1:
An electronic device (<NUM>) comprising:
a first lead (<NUM>)(621c)(821c)(821d)(921c);
a second lead (<NUM>)(822b)(622c)(822d)(922c);
a touch sensitive display panel (<NUM>)(601a)(801a)(901a) including a screen area (5a) and an extended area (5b) that extends from the screen area (5a); and
a control circuit (<NUM>) electrically connected to the touch sensitive display panel (<NUM>) (601a)(801a)(901a) through the first lead (<NUM>) and the second lead (<NUM>),
wherein the touch sensitive display panel (<NUM>)(601a)(801a)(901a) includes:
a flexible substrate (<NUM>);
a thin film transistor (TFT) layer (<NUM>) formed on the flexible substrate (<NUM>) and including a plurality of light-emitting elements;
an insulation layer (<NUM>) that is disposed on the TFT layer (<NUM>) and in which a via-hole (<NUM>) is formed; and
a touch sensor (<NUM>) disposed on the insulation layer (<NUM>),
wherein the first lead (<NUM>)(621c)(821c)(821d)(921c) is formed on the TFT layer (<NUM>) in the screen area (5a) and the extended area (5b) and connects the control circuit (<NUM>) and the plurality of light-emitting elements,
the second lead (<NUM>)(822b)(622c)(822d)(922c) is formed on the insulation layer (<NUM>) in the screen area (5a) and on the TFT layer (<NUM>) in the extended area (5b) and extends from the screen area to the extended area (5b) through the via-hole (<NUM>) formed in the insulation layer (<NUM>), the second lead (<NUM>) connecting the control circuit (<NUM>) and the touch sensor (<NUM>),
wherein the extended area (5b) includes a bent area (<NUM>)(620_2b)(820_2b)(920_2b), and
characterized in that the first lead (<NUM>)(621c)(821c)(821d)(921c) and the second lead (<NUM>)(822b)(622c)(822d)(922c) do not overlap each other in the bent area (<NUM>)(620_2b)(820_2b)(920_2b) when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the bent area (<NUM>)(620_2b)(820_2b)(920_2b) of the touch sensitive display panel (<NUM>)(601a)(801a)(901a).