New Patents Show An LG Foldable Display

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As phones advance in technology and manufacturers continue to add new features, every company is looking for a way to make their devices stand out from the rest. If this new patent featuring an LG foldable display is any indication, LG has a few tricks up their sleeves for future products. While we will likely not see a foldable display from the company within the next year or two, this new patent uncovered by Letsgodigital seems to suggest that the technology is there and waiting for an application.

LG Foldable Display

During CES 2016, LG presented an 18-inch foldable OLED screen. The concept was the lightest and thinnest display of its kind to ever be shown working. At the time, the screen was in development. It will be a few years yet before we see this technology applied to LG’s devices, but a new WIP patent reveals the company’s future plans with this roll-up display.

At the end of May in 2016, LG applied for a patent at the World International Property Organization (WIPO). Recently, said patent was published in the WIPO database, titled LG Rollable display. This seems to be a more solidified version of the CES technology, as the original Korean certificate was requested around five months later.

The screen is foldable, rollable, and curved. Additionally, the patent details a sort of cassette system with a rotating motor. Similar to a roller blind, the screen can be rolled up and unrolled. Because of how flexible the screen is, it’s easy for it to accidentally roll up into a folded position — and the inclusion of this motorized system addresses that problem

It also looks as if it’s possible to connect one screen to another, extending the size of the foldable screen.

LG Foldable Display

Design and Applications

The LG foldable display has an OLED screen, which has a number of advantages over traditional LCD and Plasma displays. With a thinner, more energy efficient design, the screen offers a wider viewing angle and a faster response time.

The foldable screen is made of flexible plastic substrates that are extra durable and portable. The back of the display is reinforced with a plastic film to make it extra bendable and nearly unbreakable. This feature is especially important, and would be a refreshing change from phones that are both incredibly costly and incredibly fragile.

As far as applications go, there are a number of ways in which LG could implement this new technology. An adjustable display size means that it could be used in electronics ranging from TVs and cars to smartphones and tablets. It’s already known that LG is creating a foldable smartphone to compete with Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy X, so this will probably be one of the first applications of this cutting-edge technology.

Take a look at the submitted patent sketches for a better idea of how this phone might look, courtesy of Letsgodigital.

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