Specification
The present disclosure relates to a thin-film element
assembly.
BACKGROUND
Presently, in image display devices such as display
devices having an organic electroluminescent element (organic
EL element) or a microcapsule-type electrophoretic display
element, or a liquid crystal display device, realization of
image display devices having flexibility is desired. Image
display devices having flexibility have a large screen and are
thin, light, and rollable, and are easy to carry. However,
on the other hand, when such an image display device is rolled
up, a problem such as the occurrence of scratches or abrasion
resulting from friction between contact surfaces is likely to
occur.
In order to deal with such a problem, JP-A-2008-185853,
for example, discloses a disclosure relating to a flexible
display device in which light-emitting elements are formed on
a flexible base, and which is rolled up for storage so that
a light-emitting-side surface and a rear-side surface are in
contact with each other, and in which the hardness of the
light-emitting-side surface is larger than the hardness of the
rear-side surface.
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SUMMARY
However, in the flexible display device disclosed in
JP-A-2008-185853, a further improvement in durability is
desired.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a thin-film element
assembly having a configuration and structure capable of
achieving a further improvement in durability.
In a thin-film element assembly of an embodiment of the
present disclosure, a plurality of thin-film elements are
provided on a first surface of a base having flexibility, a
second region where no thin-film element is provided is formed
in the base in an outer side of a first region where a plurality
of thin-film elements are provided, and convex portions are
formed in the second region of the first surface of the base,
or the second region of a second surface, or the second region
of each of the first and second surfaces.
In the thin-film element assembly of the embodiment of
the present disclosure, since the convex portions are formed
in the second region of the base where no thin-film element
is provided, even when the thin-film element assembly is rolled
up, it is possible to reliably prevent the second surface of
the base from making contact with the plurality of thin-film
elements formed on the first surface, and to provide more
durability to the thin-film element assembly.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. lA is a schematic side view of a thin-film element
assembly according to a first embodiment as seen from a first
direction, and Fig. 1B is a schematic perspective view of the
thin-film element assembly as seen from a second surface side.
Fig. 2A is a schematic perspective view of the thin-film
element assembly according to the first embodiment as seen from
a first surface side, and Fig. 2B is a schematic perspective
view of a thin-film element assembly according to a second
embodiment as seen from a second surface side.
Fig. 3A is a schematic side view of a thin-film element
assembly according to a third embodiment as seen from a first
direction, and Fig. 3B is a schematic perspective view of the
thin-film element assembly as seen from. a second surface side.
Fig. 4A is a schematic side view of a thin-film element
assembly according to a fourth embodiment as seen from a first
direction, and Fig. 4B is a schematic perspective view of the
thin-film element assembly as seen from a first surface side.
Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a thin-film
element assembly according to a fifth embodiment as seen from
a first surface side.
Figs. 6A and 6B are schematic side views of thin-film
element assemblies according to a sixth embodiment and a
modification example thereof as seen from a first direction,
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respectively.
Figs. 7A and 7B are schematic partial cross-sectional
views of thin-film elements according to seventh and eighth
embodiments, respectively.
Figs. 8A and 8B are schematic partial cross-sectional
views of thin-film elements according to ninth and tenth
embodiments, respectively.
Fig. 9 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of
a thin-film element according to an eleventh embodiment.
Fig. l0A is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of
a modification of a thin-film element assembly of an embodiment,
and Fig. lOB is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of
a support substrate or the like, for explaining a method of
manufacturing a thin-film element assembly according to an
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described
based on embodiments by referring to the drawings throughout
which like parts are referred to by like references. However,
the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments, and
various numerical values and materials described in the
embodiments are only examples. The description will be given
in the following order.
1. Overall Description of Thin-Film Element Assembly
5
according to Present Disclosure
2. First Embodiment (Thin-Film Element Assembly
according to Present Disclosure)
3. Second Embodiment (Modification of First Embodiment)
4. Third Embodiment (Another Modification of First
Embodiment)
5. Fourth Embodiment (Still Another Modification of
First Embodiment)
6. Fifth Embodiment (Modification of Fourth Embodiment)
7. Sixth Embodiment (Modifications of First and Fourth
Embodiments)
8. Seventh Embodiment (Modifications of First to Sixth
Embodiments)
9. Eighth Embodiment (Another Modification of First to
Sixth Embodiments)
10. Ninth Embodiment (Still Another Modification of
First to Sixth Embodiments)
11. Tenth Embodiment (Still Another Modification of
First to Sixth Embodiments)
12. Eleventh Embodiment (Still Another Modification of
First to Sixth Embodiments) and Alternative Embodiment
[Overall Description of Thin-Film Element Assembly according
to Present Disclosure]
In a thin-film element assembly according to the present
6
disclosure,
a base may have a rectangular shape such that two opposite
sides extend in a first direction, and the other two opposite
sides extend in a second direction, and
convex portions may be formed in a second region along
the two sides extending in the first direction. In such a
preferred configuration, the base is rollable about an axial
line parallel to the second direction. That is, the base is
rollable along the first direction. In such a preferred
configuration, each of the convex portions may have a notch
portion extending in parallel to the second direction. In
these preferred configurations, the thin-film element
assembly may have such a structure in which
the convex portions are formed in the second region of
a second surface of the base, or the second region of each of
the first and second surfaces of the base,
a reinforcing member extending in the second direction
is formed in at least a first region of the second surface of
the base, and
the height of the reinforcing member is lower than the
height of the convex portion formed in the second region of
the second surface of the base. In the thin-film element
assembly according to the present disclosure including these
preferred configurations and structure, the thin-film element
assembly may have such a structure in which:
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the convex portions are formed in the second region of
the first surface of the base or the second region of each of
the first and second surfaces'of the base, and
additional convex portions are formed in the second
region of the first surface of the base along the second sides
extending in the second direction. That is, in such a structure,
the convex portions are provided in a frame shape in the second
region of the first surface of the base so as to surround the
first region.
In the thin-film element assemblies according to the
present disclosure including the above-described preferred
configurations and structures, the convex portions are
preferably formed of at least one material selected from a group
consisting of an expanded material, a gel-like material, and
a rubber-like material. In this case, it is still preferable
that the convex portions contain an antistatic agent.
In the thin-film element assemblies according to the
present disclosure including the above-described preferred
configurations and structures (hereinafter, these will be
collectively referred to simply as the "thin-film element
assembly according to the present disclosure), although the
base has flexibility, the expression "the base has flexibility"
means that the base is not broken even when it is rolled around
a cylinder having a radius of 5 cm when the base has a thickness
of 1 mm or smaller and around a cylinder having a radius of
8
20 cm when the base has a thickness of 1 mm or more. Moreover,
although the thin-film element assembly according to the
present disclosure generally has flexibility, the expression
"the thin-film element assembly has flexibility" means that
the thin-film element assembly is not broken even when it is
rolled around a cylinder of a radius of 20 cm.
In the thin-film element assembly according to the
present disclosure, examples of the expanded material include
urethane foam and acrylic foam, examples of the gel-like
material include silicone gel and acrylic gel, and examples
of the rubber-like material include silicone rubber, ethylene
propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), chloroprene rubber (CR), NBR,
SBR, isoprene rubber (IR) , and natural rubber, examples of the
antistatic agent include carbon, titanium oxide, carbon
nanotubes, copper, aluminum, surfactants, an ionic
conductivity mechanism, and an electron conduction mechanism.
However, the material constituting the convex portions is not
limited to the above materials, but plastic material
constituting the base described later may be used. In this
case, the plastic material constituting the base may be the
same as or different from the plastic material constituting
the convex portions. The material constituting the
reinforcing member may include the above materials, and
alternatively, the plastic material constituting the base
described later may be used. In this case, the plastic material
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constituting the base may be the same as or different from the
plastic material constituting the reinforcing member.
Alternatively, examples of the material constituting the
reinforcing member include polyethylene resin (PE),
polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET), ethylene vinyl
acetate copolymer (EVA), polyvinyl chloride resin (PVC),
polypropylene resin (PP), polystyrene resin (PS),
acrylonitrile-styrene-butadiene polymerized resin (ABS),
cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), polycarbonate resin (PC),
polyamide resin (PA), phenolic resins, and TPE.
Examples of a method of manufacturing the convex portion
and the reinforcing member include a method of punching a
sheet-shaped member with a die, an injection molding method,
and an extrusion molding method. The manufactured convex
portion and the reinforcing member may be attached to the base
using an adhesive, and alternatively, the manufactured convex
portion and reinforcing member may be fixed to the base based
on a thermal fusion bonding method, a photo-curing method, and
a method using a bonding tape. Alternatively, the convex
portion and the reinforcing member may be directly formed on
the base. Moreover, the convex portions and the reinforcing
member may be formed to be integrated with each other, and the
convex portion and the reinforcing member may be formed to be
integrated with the base. The convex portions may have a
strip-like shape, a shape formed by a set of line segments,
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and a shape formed by a set of dots. The number of convex
portions in the second region along one side extending in the
first direction may be one or plural. The convex portions
formed in the second region of the first surface of the base
will be referred to as "first convex portions" for convenience,
and the convex portions formed in the second region of the
second surface of the base will be referred to as "second convex
portions" for convenience.
In the thin-film element assembly according to the
present disclosure, examples of the material constituting the
base include at least one resin (plastic material or plastic
film) selected from the group consisting of polyethylene
terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN),
polyimide, polycarbonate (PC), polyether sulfone, polymethyl
methacrylate (poly (methyl methacrylate), PMMA), polyvinyl
alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl phenol (PVP) , polysulfone, polyether
sulfone (PES), and polysulfone imide, and alternatively,
thin-film glass, metal foil such as stainless steel foil or
aluminum foil, and alloy foil.
In the thin-film element assembly according to the
present disclosure, when the height of the convex portion is
H, and the distance between the two opposite sides parallel
to the first direction of the base is W, the value of H is
preferably sufficiently smaller than the value of W. Moreover,
in the thin-film element assembly according to the present
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disclosure, when the height of the reinforcing member is H3,
and the height of the second convex portion is H2, it is
preferable that a relation of H3<142 is satisfied. Moreover,
when the thickness of the thin-film element is Ho, and the height
of the first convex portion is H1, it is necessary to satisfy
a relation of Ho
Documents
Application Documents
| # |
Name |
Date |
| 1 |
Power of Authority.pdf |
2012-05-10 |
| 4 |
Form-1.pdf |
2012-05-10 |
| 5 |
Drawings.pdf |
2012-05-10 |
| 6 |
1383-del-2012-Correspondence-Others-(14-05-2012).pdf |
2012-05-14 |
| 7 |
1383-del-2012-Form-3-(10-09-2012).pdf |
2012-09-10 |
| 8 |
1383-del-2012-Correspondence Others-(10-09-2012).pdf |
2012-09-10 |