PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10245776-B2
Application Number: US-201113250666-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Methods for forming electronic devices with bent display edges

Abstract:
An electronic device may have a display with a bent portion such as one or more bent edge portions. The display may be formed from a flexible display layer such as an organic light-emitting-diode layer. The organic light-emitting-diode layer may include a substrate layer such as a sheet of polymer. The flexible display may be attached to a support structure such as a flexible support layer using adhesive. To facilitate bending, the display may be heated. Bending and heating equipment may simultaneously heat the display layer and the flexible support layer to form a bent edge portion for the display. The bending and heating equipment may include heated structures for pressing the display layer into a desired shape.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for forming an electronic device with a display, wherein the display comprises a flexible display layer having a planar portion, comprising:
 attaching the flexible display layer to a support layer with adhesive; 
 simultaneously applying pressure and heat to the flexible display layer and the support layer that bends the flexible display layer and the support layer to form a bent portion in the flexible display layer, wherein the bent portion is adjacent to the planar portion; 
 forming a notch in the support layer to facilitate bending of the support layer, wherein the flexible display layer forms a continuous surface over the notch in the support layer; and 
 mounting the display in an electronic device housing. 
 
     
     
       2. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein simultaneously applying the pressure and heat comprises using a light source to produce light that heats the display. 
     
     
       3. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein simultaneously applying the pressure and heat comprises using an ultrasonic signal generator to generate acoustic signals that heat the display. 
     
     
       4. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein simultaneously applying the pressure and heat comprises applying hot air to the display. 
     
     
       5. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein simultaneously applying the pressure and heat comprises placing heated structures into contact with the display. 
     
     
       6. The method defined in  claim 5  wherein placing heated structures into contact with the display comprises using computer-controlled positioners to position the heated structures. 
     
     
       7. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the bent portion comprises a bent edge portion and wherein bending and heating the flexible display layer comprises bending an edge portion of the flexible display layer at an angle to form the bent edge portion of the flexible display layer. 
     
     
       8. The method defined in  claim 7  wherein the flexible display layer comprises an organic light-emitting-diode display layer having a substrate layer and wherein bending and heating the flexible display layer comprises bending and heating the substrate layer to soften the substrate layer. 
     
     
       9. The method defined in  claim 7  wherein the support layer comprises at least one polymer layer and wherein simultaneously applying the pressure and heat comprises:
 bending and heating the polymer layer while bending and heating the flexible display layer. 
 
     
     
       10. The method defined in  claim 9  wherein forming a notch in the support layer comprises removing a portion of the polymer layer to facilitate bending of the polymer layer. 
     
     
       11. The method defined in  claim 9  wherein bending and heating the polymer layer comprises heating the polymer layer to a temperature of 30-85° C. 
     
     
       12. The method defined in  claim 7  wherein the flexible display layer has a planar portion, wherein the support layer comprises a stiffener, and wherein attaching the flexible display layer to the support layer comprises attaching the flexible display layer to the support layer such that the planar portion of the flexible display layer overlaps the stiffener. 
     
     
       13. The method defined in  claim 12  wherein the stiffener comprises a sheet of metal. 
     
     
       14. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein simultaneously applying heat and pressure to the display comprises heating the display while attaching the display to a support structure. 
     
     
       15. The method defined in  claim 1  further comprising attaching an edge of the display to a curved support structure using a clamp structure. 
     
     
       16. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the electronic device comprises a support structure with a rounded corner and wherein simultaneously applying the pressure and heat to the display that bends the display comprises heating the display while attaching the display to the support structure so that the display conforms to the rounded corner. 
     
     
       17. A method for forming an electronic device display, comprising:
 simultaneously applying heat and pressure to a flexible display layer to soften the display layer and bend an edge portion of the display layer to form a bent edge portion; 
 attaching the flexible display layer to a rigid support structure having at least one compound curve, wherein attaching the flexible display layer to the rigid support structure comprises conforming a shape of the bent edge portion to a shape of the compound curve; and 
 while the edge portion is bent, cooling the display layer to harden the display layer with the bent edge portion. 
 
     
     
       18. The method defined in  claim 17  wherein simultaneously applying the heat and pressure comprises compressing the flexible display layer between heated structures. 
     
     
       19. The method defined in  claim 18  wherein the display layer comprises an organic light-emitting-diode polymer substrate layer, the method further comprising:
 attaching the organic light-emitting-diode polymer substrate layer to a support layer; and 
 simultaneously applying the heat and pressure to the support layer while simultaneously applying the heat and pressure to the flexible display to soften the support layer to facilitate bending of the support layer and the organic light-emitting-diode polymer substrate layer.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly, to displays for electronic devices. 
     Electronic devices often include displays. For example, a cellular telephone or a computer may have a display. 
     A display for a cellular telephone or computer typically has a rectangular active region containing active display pixels. The display pixels are used to display information for a user. The rectangular active region is generally be surrounded by an inactive border region. The inactive border region can be covered with a cosmetic trim structure such as a bezel or can be covered with a ring of black ink. 
     The inactive border in a display can be up to a centimeter wide or more. If care is not taken, the size of the inactive border may cause a display to become undesirably large and bulky. 
     It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide electronic devices with improved displays. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may have a display. For example, a cellular telephone, tablet computer, notebook computer, computer monitor or other electronic device may have a display. One or more of the edges of the display may be bent. For example, a central portion of the display may be maintained in a planar rectangular shape. Peripheral edges of the display may be bent downward away from the central planar portion. The bent edges of the display may form exterior sidewall portions for an electronic device or may be mounted within a device housing. A display may be provided with bent edges to minimize the width of inactive regions of the display. 
     The display may be formed from a flexible display layer such as an organic light-emitting-diode layer. The organic light-emitting-diode layer may include a substrate layer such as a sheet of polymer. The flexible display and the sheet of polymer that serves as the display substrate may be attached to a support structure such as a flexible support layer using adhesive. 
     To facilitate bending, the display may be heated. Bending and heating equipment may simultaneously heat the display layer and the flexible support layer to form a bent edge portion for the display. The bending and heating equipment may include heated structures such as heated blocks that are moved using computer-controlled positioners. The heated structures may be used to press the display layer into a desired shape. 
     Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device with a display in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional side view of a display with a bent border that is mounted within a housing sidewall in an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of a display with a bent border that is mounted over a housing sidewall in an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional side view of a display with a bent border that is held in place on a support structure with a curved edge surface using a clamp structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of a bent flexible display having a display layer attached to a support layer using adhesive in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram showing how equipment for applying heat and pressure may be used in forming a bend in a display for an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative tool with heated structures such as a pair of heated blocks that may be used to apply heat and pressure to bend the edge of a flexible display in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative tool with heated structures such as an angled heated block that may be used to apply heat and pressure to bend the edge of a flexible display in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram showing how a flexible display and support structure may be bent to form a bent border in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of flexible display structures and associated support structures with rounded corners in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a flexible display of the type shown in  FIG. 10  following conformal attachment of the flexible display to the rounded corner of the support structures in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a flow chart of illustrative steps involved in using equipment that applies heat and pressure in the process of bending an edge of a display in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic devices may be provided with displays. The displays may include flexible display structures. The flexible display structures may be bent to form bent edges. The use of bent edges in a display may help reduce the size of inactive display border regions. 
     An illustrative electronic device of the type that may be provided with a display having a bent edge is shown in  FIG. 1 . Electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  may be a portable computer, a tablet computer, a computer monitor, a handheld device, global positioning system equipment, a gaming device, a cellular telephone, portable computing equipment, or other electronic equipment. 
     Device  10  may include a housing such as housing  12 . Housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as a case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of these materials. 
     Housing  12  may be formed using an unibody configuration in which some or all of housing  12  is machined or molded as a single structure or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an internal frame structure, one or more structures that form exterior housing surfaces, etc.). 
     In some configurations, housing  12  may be formed using front and rear housing structures that are substantially planar. For example, the rear of device  10  may be formed from a planar housing structure such as a planar glass member, a planar plastic member, a planar metal structure, or other substantially planar structure. The edges (sidewalls) of housing  12  may be straight (vertical) or may be curved (e.g., housing  12  may be provided with sidewalls formed from rounded extensions of a rear planar housing wall). 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , device  10  may have a display such as display  14 . Display  14  may, for example, be mounted to the front of device  10 . Display  14  may be a touch screen that incorporates capacitive touch electrodes or that incorporates a touch sensor formed using other types of touch technology (e.g., resistive touch, light-based touch, acoustic touch, force-sensor-based touch, etc.). Display  14  may include image pixels formed from light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic LEDs (OLEDs), plasma cells, electronic ink elements, liquid crystal display (LCD) components, or other suitable display pixel structures. 
     Device  10  may include input-output ports, buttons, sensors, status indicator lights, speakers, microphones, and other input-output components. As shown in  FIG. 1 , device  10  may include one or more buttons such as button  16  and may have openings such as an opening for speaker port  18 . Device  10  may also have other openings to accommodate input-output ports, speakers, microphones, and other components. 
     It may be desirable to bend portions of display  14 . For example, in designs in which the size of inactive display border regions are to be minimized, it may be desirable to bend the peripheral edges of display  14 . The bent edges of display  14  may help hide inactive edge portions of display  14  from view and may help reduce the width of the display border. In other designs, bent portions of display  14  may include active display pixels. 
     To facilitate bending, display  14  may include flexible structures. For example, display  14  may include one or more layers of flexible materials such as polymers. As an example, display  14  may be a flexible display that contains flexible polymer sheets such as one or more sheets of polyimide and other flexible materials. To enhance display flexibility and thereby facilitate bending of the display, a flexible display may be heated. The heating process may help soften polymers and other materials in the flexible display. If desired, structures associated with display  14  (e.g., display layers and/or support structures for display  14 ) may be formed from rigid materials that soften and become flexible upon heating. When cooled, flexible display layers of this type may harden and become more rigid. 
     Regardless of the type of flexible display layers that are used in display  14 , peripheral portions of these layers may be bent to form bent edges. If, for example, display  14  has a rectangular shape of the type shown in  FIG. 1 , the flexible display layers of display  14  may be bent along one of the edges of the display, along two of the edge of the display, along three of the edges of the display, or along all four of the edges of the display. Bent edges may be bent downwards at angles of about 90° (as an example). If desired, bends with other bend angles and bends with more complex shapes may be formed. 
     The bent edges of display  14  may be mounted on the inside of housing  12  or the outside of housing  12  or may otherwise be mounted in device  10 .  FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of device  10  near one of its peripheral edges (e.g., the right-hand edge of display  14  of  FIG. 1 ). As shown in  FIG. 2 , display  14  may have a planar front portion such as planar front portion  14 F. Internal electrical components  24  may be mounted within housing  12  (e.g., on a printed circuit board such as printed circuit board  22  or other suitable substrate). Planar front portion  14 F may have a rectangular shape and may lie in the X-Y plane. Front portion  14 F may extend across some or all of the front face of device  10 . Front portion  14 F may contain active display pixels and may be used in displaying information for a user of device  10 . If desired, front portion  14 F may have a convex or concave surface shape. The illustrative arrangement of  FIG. 2  in which front portion  14 F has a planar shape is merely an example. 
     The edges of display  14  such as bent edge  14 E may be bent downwards (inwardly) along bend  14 B at a non-zero angle with respect to the X-Y plane that contains front planar portion  14 F. In the illustrative example of  FIG. 2 , bent edge portion  14 E of display  14  has been bent downwards from main planar front portion  14 F at an angle of about 90°. Other bend angles (e.g., angles more than 90° or angles less than 90° may be used if desired). 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , bend edge portion  14 E of display  14  may be attached to the inner surface of housing sidewall  12 S. Adhesive  20  may be interposed between the outermost surface of display edge portion  14 E and the innermost surface of housing sidewall  12 S. Other arrangements may be used for attaching display  14  to housing  12 , if desired. For example, display  14  may be attached to housing  12  using screws or other fasteners, engagement structures such as clips and mating snaps, or other suitable attachment mechanisms. 
     In the example of  FIG. 3 , bent display edge  14 E has been attached to the outside surface of housing sidewall  12 S using adhesive  20 . Other attachment mechanisms may be used in attaching bent edge portion  14 E to housing  12  or may be used in attaching display  14  and/or bent edge portion  14 E to other support structures. The arrangement of  FIG. 3  is merely illustrative. 
     In the configurations of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , housing sidewalls  12 S are substantially vertical and lie in the X-Z plane. Housing structures such as sidewalls  12 S may have other shapes, if desired. For example, sidewalls  12 S may be curved and may extend smoothly upwards from a planar rear surface of housing  12 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , edge portion  14 E of display  14  may be wrapped around a support structure such as support structure  26 . Support structure  26  may be formed from a material such as plastic, metal, a fiber-composite material, ceramic, other materials, or combinations of these materials. The edge of support structure  26  may be curved. For example, support structure  26  may be characterized by a minimum bend radius R. The size of bend radius R may be selected to prevent damage to flexible display  14 . For example, the size of R may be 1 mm, 2 mm, less than 3 mm, less than 2 mm, less than 1 mm, or less than 0.5 mm (as examples). Display  14  may be, for example, an organic light-emitting-diode display and may have a thickness of less than 100 microns (as an example). As described in connection with  FIG. 1 , the use of an organic light-emitting diode display for forming display  14  in device  10  is illustrative. Other types of display technology may be used in forming display  14 , if desired. 
     With a configuration of the type shown in  FIG. 4 , display  14  may be mounted in housing  12  by first attaching planar portion  14 F to a corresponding planar portion of support structure  26  or other planar support. For example, planar portion  14 F of display  14  may be attached to support structure  26  using adhesive  20 . Following attachment of planar portion  14 F to support structure  26 , edge portion  14 E may be bent around the curved outer edge of support structure  26 . Because support structure  26  has a curved surface that is characterized by a radius of curvature R, the bend radius for bent edge portion  14 E of display  14  will be equal to R. Adhesive may be used in attaching edge portion  14 E to support structure  26 . Additional attachment features such as illustrative clamp structure  28  may be used to clamp or otherwise secure edge portion  14 E to support structure  26 . 
     Housing  12  may be used to enclose the edge of display  14 , as illustrated by dashed lines  12  in  FIG. 4 . If desired, the curved edge of display edge portion  14 E may be left uncovered by housing structures (e.g., housing sidewall portions of housing  12  may be omitted so that housing  12  does not overlap edge portion  14 E of display  14 ). 
     Display  14  may be formed from a flexible display layer such as an organic light-emitting diode layer or other layer that may be bent to form edges  14 . The structures that form display  14  (e.g., a display layer such as an organic light-emitting diode layer) may contain multiple sublayers (e.g., a substrate layer formed from polyimide or a sheet of another polymer, a layer of thin-film-transistor structures and interconnect lines, a layer of organic emissive material, a layer of encapsulant, etc.). These sublayers are sometimes depicted as forming a single display layer to avoid over-complicating the drawings. 
     Flexible displays may be relatively thin. For example, an organic light-emitting-diode display may have a polymer substrate layer, thin-film transistors, an organic emissive layer, and a sealing layer having a total thickness of 100 microns or less (as an example). To facilitate the formation of a display bend such as display bend  14 B ( FIG. 2 ) or the bends of  FIG. 3 or 4  with a small bend radius, it may be desirable to apply heat to display  14  to help soften display  14  during the bending process. 
     The application of heat may help one or more of the sublayers of a flexible display to bend without incurring damage. For example, a polymer substrate layer and a polymer sealing layer may be better able to bend without damage when these layers are raised to an elevated (greater than 20° C.) temperature. To avoid damaging the display, it may be desirable to limit the maximum temperature to which the display is exposed. For example, it may be desirable to restrict the elevated temperature to a value of about 85° C. or less, 75° C. or less, or 65° C. or less (as examples). Examples of suitable temperature ranges to which the temperature of display  14  may be elevated during bending are 20-85° C., 30-85° C., 40-80° C., and 60-85° C. 
     To help support the relatively thin structures of an organic-light-emitting diode display or other thin display layer, it may be desirable to support the display layer with a support structure layer. A flexible sheet of polymer or other suitable thin support layer may, for example, be attached to the underside of a display layer. As shown in  FIG. 5 , for example, a display such as a flexible organic-light-emitting-diode display or other flexible display layer  14  may be attached to a support layer such as support layer  52  using adhesive  50  or other suitable attachment mechanisms. In the resulting multi-layer structure (e.g., layer  56  of  FIG. 5 ), the presence of support layer  52  may help prevent damage to display  14  when bent. 
     Support layer  52  may be formed from a single material (e.g., a layer of polymer, a layer of metal, or other suitable material), or may be formed from multiple materials (e.g., multiple layers of polymer, multiple layers of metal, multiple layers of polymer and metal, multiple layers of other materials and combinations of materials). Illustrative configurations for support layer  52  that are formed from a single material such as a single polymer are sometimes described herein as an example. In general, however, support layer  52  may include one or more layers of one or more different types of material and may be formed in non-planar support structure shapes. 
     If desired, portions of support structure  52  may be removed in the vicinity of bend  14 B, as illustrated by optional notch  54 . The selective removal of some of support layer  52  under bend  14 B may facilitate the formation of a bend with a small bend radius R in display  14 . 
     Due to the support provided to display layer  14  by support layer  52 , the thickness T of display layer  14  may, if desired, be reduced. For example, a substrate layer for display  14  such as a polyimide substrate layer or other polymer layer may have a reduced thickness (e.g. a thickness of less than 50 microns or less than 25 microns). The total thickness T of flexible display  14  may be less than 70 microns, less than 50 microns, or less than 30 microns (as examples). 
     The material of support layer  52  may, if desired, be a material that softens at a temperature below the temperature at which display layer  14  is damaged. For example, the material of support layer  52  may be formed from a polymeric material such as a heat shrink polymer that is configured to deform and soften significantly at a temperature of about 30-75° C. or 30-85° C., whereas the polyimide or other polymer layers of display  14  may be less affected (e.g., significantly less affected) by the application of an elevated temperature in this range. 
     Displays with bent portions may be formed using heating and bending equipment such as equipment  58  of  FIG. 6 . Equipment  58  may be used to apply energy  60  to layer  56  that heats layer  56 . Layer  56  may include flexible display layer  14  and optional support structure layer  52  (and optional adhesive  50 ). 
     Mechanical tools in equipment  58  may be used to bend layer  56 . Bending equipment may include blocks formed from metal, polymer, ceramic, glass, or other materials. The blocks may have planar and/or curved surfaces. Layer  56  may be bent when layer  56  is compressed between opposing structures such as blocks or other structures with planar and/or curved surfaces. 
     To facilitate bending, energy may be applied to layer  56  to help heat layer  56  to an elevated temperature. Equipment  58  may include a laser or other light source (e.g., an infrared lamp, etc.) that applies energy  60  to layer  56  in the form of light (e.g., visible light, infrared light, etc.), a radio-frequency signal generator that applies energy  60  to layer  56  in the form of radio-frequency electromagnetic signals, a hot air gun or other heat source that provides energy  60  to layer  56  in the form of heated air or a heated liquid, a heated member such as a metal block that provides energy  60  to layer  56  by direct heat transfer from the heated member to layer  56 , or an ultrasonic signal generator that provides energy  60  to layer  56  in the form of acoustic signals that are applied directly or via a resonant interaction with resonant structure  64 . 
     Heat may be applied globally to all of layer  56  or may be applied locally in region  62 . Local heat may be applied by heating a heated member such as a heated block in a particular location, may be applied by focusing a laser or other light source onto region  62 , may be applied by directing radio-frequency electromagnetic signals from a radio-frequency signal source onto region  62 , may be applied by placing resonant structure  64  and/or the tip of an ultrasonic signal generator in the vicinity of region  62 , may be applied by directing hot air or other heated material locally onto region  62  from a heated material source such as a hot air gun, or may otherwise be localized onto a region such as region  62  of layer  56 . 
     Once heated (or prior to or during heating), layer  56  may be bent in direction  66  in the vicinity of region  62  to create a display having main region  14 F (e.g., a planar region) and bent edge portions such as portion  14 E. During heating, the heat-shrink polymer or other material in support layer  52  and/or other polymers and materials in layer  56  may soften sufficiently to facilitate bending and may thereby help form a small bend radius R at bend  14 B of display  14 . 
       FIG. 7  is a side view of illustrative bending and heating equipment  58  being used to bend layer  56 . As described in connection with  FIG. 5 , layer  56  may include display  14  (e.g., a flexible organic light-emitting-diode layer), optional adhesive layer  50 , and optional support layer  52 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , equipment  58  may include heated structures such as stationary heated member  58 C (e.g., a heated mandrel) and moving heated members  58 A and  58 B (e.g., heated blocks for pressing against heated member  58 C). During operation, heated member  58 A may be moved in direction  68  and heated member  58 B may be moved in direction  70 . Computer-controlled actuators such as positioners  72  may be used in moving members  58 A and  58 B so that members  58 A and  58 B press against layer  56 . By heating layer  56  while manipulating layer  56  with the structures of equipment  58 , layer  56  may be heated and bent along bend  14 B, thereby forming a bent edge region such as bent edge region  14 E for display  14 . 
       FIG. 8  is a side view of illustrative bending and heating equipment  58  that includes a heated block with an angled portion that is being used to bend layer  56 . As described in connection with  FIG. 5 , layer  56  may include display  14  (e.g., a flexible organic light-emitting-diode layer), optional adhesive layer  50 , and optional support layer  52 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , equipment  58  may include stationary heated member  58 E (e.g., a heated mandrel) and moving heated member  58 D (e.g., a heated block of metal or other material having an L-shaped cross-sectional shape). During operation, heated member  58 D may be moved in a direction such as direction  74  while heated member  58 E is held stationary (as an example). A computer-controlled actuator such as positioner  72  may be used in moving member  58 D so that member  58 D presses against layer  56 . As with illustrative bending and heating equipment  58  of  FIG. 7 , equipment  58  of  FIG. 8  may be used to heat and bend layer  56  along bend  14 B of display  14 , thereby forming a bent edge region such as bent edge region  14 E for display  14 . The pressure exerted by structure  58 D against structure  58 E may help bend layer  56  to a desired shape (e.g., a display with a bent edge and a bent portion having a small bend radius). 
       FIG. 9  shows equipment and techniques that may be used in forming a display with a bent edge. With the illustrative arrangement of  FIG. 9 , display  14  may include display structures formed on a flexible substrate such as a flexible layer of polyimide or other polymer. Display  14  may be, for example, a flexible display layer such as a flexible organic light-emitting diode display having organic light-emitting-diode display pixels such as display pixels  80 . 
     Equipment such as lamination tool  82  may use adhesive such as adhesive  50  or other attachment mechanisms to attach flexible display  14  to support layer  52 . Support layer  52  may be formed from polymer or other suitable material. With one suitable arrangement, support layer  52  may be formed from a flexible sheet of one or more materials (e.g., a polymer sheet having a thickness of about 0.3 to 1.5 mm). A stiffener such as a thin sheet of metal, ceramic, glass, plastic, or other material may, if desired, be incorporated into some of layer  52  (e.g., in a rectangular region under planar portion  14 F of display  14 ). As described in connection with  FIG. 5 , the material of support layer  52  may be formed from a polymer that softens at lower temperatures than the materials of display  14  (e.g., the polyimide substrate of display  14 ). 
     Layer  56  (e.g., a layer that includes flexible display  14  and support layer  52 ) may be heated and bent into a desired shape using heated bending equipment  58  to produce a display such as display  14  having a planar portion  14 F and bent edge portion  14 E. Display  14  may be attached to additional device structures (e.g., housing structures and other support structures) following bending of display  14  into a shape of the type shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     If desired, display  14  may be heated sufficiently that display  14  becomes flexible enough to fit over surfaces with compound curves.  FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing how flexible display  14  may be planar before heat and pressure are applied. The surface to which it is desired to attach flexible display  14  such as rounded corner surface  90  of structure  92  in  FIG. 10  may have compound curves. By heating the flexible display layers (e.g., a display layer or a layer such as layer  56  that optionally includes a display layer supported by support structure layer  52 ), the display may be pressed in direction  94  ( FIG. 10 ) to form a shape that conforms to the rounded corner surface of structure  92 , as shown in  FIG. 11 . In this configuration, display pixels  80  in display  14  may cover the rounded corner surface and curved sidewalls of structure  92  (as an example). Structures such as structure  92  may be formed from housing structures or other support structures in device  10 . 
     Illustrative steps involved in forming electronic devices having displays with bends are shown in  FIG. 12 . At step  100 , flexible display  14  may be attached to optional support layer  52  using adhesive  50 . For example, equipment such as lamination tool  82  of  FIG. 9  may be used to attach display  14  to support layer  52  to form layer  56 . 
     At step  102 , layer  56  (e.g., display layer  14 , optional adhesive layer  50 , and optional support layer  52 ) may be bent. For example, equipment  58  (e.g., heated block structures of the type shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 ) may be use to bend edge portion  14 E of display  14  at a non-zero angle with respect to portion  14 F. During the application of pressure to bend layer  56 , equipment  58  may apply global or localized heat to layer  56 . For example, in an environment in which room temperature is 20° C., equipment  58  may be used to apply sufficient heat to bend  14 B of display  14  and associated portions of support layer  52  to allow layer  56  to flex at bend  14 B and thereby form bent edge  14 E. 
     At step  104 , the bent version of display  14  (e.g., the bent version of layer  56 ) may be attached to support structures and installed in device  10 . If desired, the operations associated with attaching the bent display into device  10  may be performed at the same time as the heating and bending operations of step  102 . For example, equipment  58  may be used to compress display  14  (layer  56 ) onto a housing structure or other support structure while heat is being applied, thereby simultaneously heating, bending, and attaching display  14  and layer  56  in a conformal layer on the surface of the housing support structure or other support structure. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20110930
Publication Date: 20190402
Grant Date: 20190402
Priority Date: 20110930
Inventors: FRANKLIN, JEREMY C.
MYERS, SCOTT A.
LYNCH, STEPHEN BRIAN
RAFF, JOHN
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "B29L2031/3475", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T156/1043", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B29C53/04", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T156/1043", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1637", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1633", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1601", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/16", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B29L2031/3475", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B29C53/04", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T156/1043", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B29C53/04", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B29L2031/3475", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 47991510