US 12,087,187 B2
Electronic devices with deformation-resistant displays
Yasmin F. Afsar, San Jose, CA (US); Ben Hightower, Redwood City, CA (US); Bhadrinarayana Lalgudi Visweswaran, San Mateo, CA (US); Chang-Chia Huang, San Jose, CA (US); Hoon Sik Kim, San Jose, CA (US); Paul S. Drzaic, Morgan Hill, CA (US); Prashant Mandlik, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Terry C. Lam, Mountain View, CA (US); Wen-I Hsieh, Campbell, CA (US); and Zhichun Shao, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 20, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/580,080.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/153,824, filed on Feb. 25, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0270522 A1, Aug. 25, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 1/16 (2006.01); G09F 9/33 (2006.01); G02B 5/30 (2006.01)
CPC G09F 9/33 (2013.01) [G02B 5/3025 (2013.01); G06F 1/1652 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electronic device, comprising:
a foldable housing that is configured to bend about a bend axis;
a flexible display panel that overlaps the bend axis, wherein the flexible display panel comprises thin-film display circuitry on a substrate;
a display support plate configured to bend about the bend axis; and
a polymer layer that attaches the substrate to the display support plate, wherein the polymer layer has first and second opposing sides, wherein the polymer layer is bonded to the substrate on the first side, wherein the display support plate has openings that extend along the bend axis, wherein the polymer layer has protruding portions on the second side that protrude into the openings and attach the flexible display panel to the display support plate, and wherein the protruding portions of the polymer layer only partially fill the openings.