KR20060036623A - Flexible printed circuits and display device having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flexible circuit board and a display device using the same that can prevent cracks in the wiring of the bending part. The flexible circuit board according to the present invention electrically connects a base film, a first coupling portion formed on one side thereof, and a second coupling portion formed on the other side thereof, and the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion formed on the base film. A circuit pattern including a plurality of wirings, wherein at least one of the plurality of wirings of the circuit pattern includes: a first wiring connected to the first coupling portion; a second wiring connected to the second coupling portion; And a third wiring formed by dividing into a plurality of wirings between the first wiring and the second wiring.

Flexible Circuit Boards, FPCs, Bending Sections, Cracks, Display Units

Description

Flexible printed circuits and display device employing it {Flexible printed circuits and display device having the same}             

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional flexible circuit board.

2 illustrates a flexible circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible circuit board taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2.

4 is an enlarged view of a portion of a flexible circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view illustrating a flexible circuit board according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flexible circuit board according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flexible circuit board according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a planar view illustrating a display device employing a flexible circuit board according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic right side view of the display device illustrated in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the display device illustrated in FIG. 8.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100, 500: flexible circuit board 110: base film

120: circuit pattern 130: bending pattern

140: insulating layer 150: bending part

300: display device 400: display panel

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flexible circuit board and a display device employing the same that can prevent cracks from occurring in the wiring of the bending part.

In general, a printed circuit board (PCB) is a type of electronic component formed by forming a conductive circuit having good electrical conductivity on an insulator. In addition, a printed circuit board refers to a structure component that plays a role of interconnection and support so that an active element, a passive element, and an acoustic or image element can function. Such printed circuit boards are generally classified into rigid circuit boards, flexible circuit boards, and special circuit boards.

Among them, flexible printed circuits (FPCs or flexible printed circuit boards, FPCBs) are electronic products for overcoming the weaknesses of existing printed circuit boards in order to cope with the trend of miniaturization and complexity of electronic products. In other words, conventional printed circuit boards and cables have weakness in bending and moving parts due to weak flexibility, but flexible circuit boards are excellent in heat resistance, curve resistance and chemical resistance, have low dimensional change, are strong in heat, and flexible It is strong and can be used for curved parts.

Accordingly, flexible circuit boards are used in parts where it is difficult to use existing printed circuit boards and connectors due to the miniaturization and light weight of various electronic products. For example, flexible circuit boards are mounted on video cameras, head parts of computers and printers, mobile phones, and the like, and can be bent, overlapped, folded, curled, twisted, etc., thereby enabling efficient use of space and three-dimensional wiring.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional flexible circuit board.

As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional flexible circuit board 10 includes a base film 12, an adhesive 14, and a circuit pattern 16. The conventional flexible circuit board 10 described above is manufactured by a process of applying an adhesive 14 on a base film 12 and forming a circuit pattern 16 for a predetermined electric circuit thereon. At this time, the conductive thin film constituting the circuit pattern 16 has a predetermined thickness T, and is formed to have a predetermined inclined surface on its side surface.

In addition, the conventional flexible circuit board 10 may further include an insulating layer 18 covering the circuit pattern 16. In this case, the conventional flexible circuit board 10 described above can be manufactured by a process of applying the adhesive 14 again on the circuit pattern 16 and forming the insulating layer 18 thereon. In addition, the conventional flexible circuit board may have a multilayer structure in which a plurality of circuit patterns are stacked on a base film in addition to the structure shown in FIG. 1, or a double-sided structure in which circuit patterns are formed on both sides of the base film.

By the above-described configuration, the conventional flexible circuit board 10 is used so that the space can be efficiently used in a portion where it is difficult to use the printed circuit board (PCB) and the connector.

However, in the conventional flexible circuit board 10, since the circuit pattern 16 has a predetermined thickness T, cracks may occur in the wiring of the bending part depending on the mounting conditions of the flexible circuit board 10. .

For example, when mounting a display module including a display panel and a flexible circuit board to an electronic device, if the flexible circuit board is largely folded to the back side of the display panel of the display device, cracks may occur in the wiring passing through the folded portion. have.

Furthermore, the flexible circuit board connecting the display panel of the display device and the controller typically includes a power line for supplying power to the display panel from a power supply mounted on an external controller side, which is compared with other wirings. The wider width makes cracking easier than other wiring.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new flexibility improvement technique for a flexible circuit board.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible circuit board and a display device employing the same that can prevent cracks from occurring in the wiring of the bending part.

In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, the base film, and the first coupling portion formed on one side of the base film, the second coupling portion formed on the other side, and the first coupling portion and A circuit pattern including a plurality of wirings electrically connecting the second coupling portion, wherein at least one of the plurality of wirings of the circuit pattern includes a first wiring connected to the first coupling portion, and a second coupling portion A flexible circuit board is provided that includes a second wiring connected to a third wiring, and a third wiring formed by dividing a plurality of wirings between the first wiring and the second wiring.

Preferably, the individual width of the third wiring is smaller than the width of at least one of the first wiring and the second wiring.

In addition, the sum of the individual widths of the third wirings is substantially equal to the width of at least one of the first wirings and the second wirings. On the other hand, the maximum width between the outermost wiring of the third wiring is substantially the same as the width of at least one of the first wiring and the second wiring.

In addition, the thickness of the third wiring is thinner than at least one of the first wiring and the second wiring.

Further, the resistance value between both ends of at least one of the plurality of wirings in the circuit pattern is substantially the same as before and after forming the third wiring.

In addition, the above-described flexible circuit board further includes an integrated circuit mounted on the base film and electrically connected to the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion through a circuit pattern.

In addition, the above-described flexible circuit board further includes an adhesive means formed between the base film and the circuit pattern.

In addition, the above-described flexible circuit board further includes an insulating layer formed on the circuit pattern while exposing the first and second coupling portions. In this case, an adhesive means may be formed between the circuit pattern and the insulating layer.

In addition, a circuit pattern is formed on both surfaces of a base film.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display panel including a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of pixels respectively connected to the plurality of scanning lines and the plurality of data lines, and a display panel connected to the display panel. The display device provided with the flexible circuit board as described in any one of Claims 1-11.

Preferably, the bending portion of the flexible circuit board is a portion that is folded at an acute angle with respect to the display panel.

The display panel also includes a scan driver for supplying a scan signal to the plurality of scan lines. The display panel also includes a data driver for supplying data signals to the plurality of data lines. The apparatus further includes a controller connected to the flexible circuit board to supply a control signal to the display panel. The apparatus may further include a power supply unit supplying power to the display panel through the flexible circuit board. In this case, at least one wiring of the flexible circuit board becomes a power supply line to which power is transferred.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the present invention have been omitted for clarity, and like reference numerals denote like parts throughout the specification.

2 illustrates a flexible circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the flexible circuit board taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2. 2 and 3, the circuit pattern and the bending pattern may be formed in a pattern having an inclined surface on its side, similar to the circuit pattern shown in FIG. However, in the following embodiments, for convenience of description, the circuit pattern and the bending pattern are shown in a pattern of a substantially rectangular cross section in which no inclination angle is formed.

2 and 3, the flexible circuit board 100 may prevent a crack from occurring in the wiring in the circuit pattern 120 in the bending part 150 indicating the bent portion, the bent portion, the folded portion, or the like. Can be. To this end, the flexible circuit board 100 includes a base film 110, a circuit pattern 120, a bending pattern 130, and an insulating layer 140.

The base film 110 is formed of a material having excellent bendability and flexibility. For example, the base film 110 is preferably formed of a flexible insulating material having excellent heat resistance, dimensional stability, solderability, and the like, compared to other materials mentioned below, such as a polyimide film.

In addition, other flexible insulating materials such as polyester film, liquid crystal polymer film, and fluororesin film may be used as the base film 110 according to its characteristics.

The circuit pattern 120 is formed of an electrolytic foil or a rolled foil on the base film 10 according to the use thereof. Electrolytic foil indicates that a conductive metal such as copper or aluminum is formed into a thin film by an electrolyte process, and rolled foil forms a conductive metal such as copper or aluminum into a thin film by a rolling process. Indicates that one did.

In addition, the circuit pattern 120 includes a plurality of wirings 121, 123, 125, 127, 127a, 127b, and 129, a first coupling part 122 formed on one side of the circuit pattern 120, and a circuit pattern ( The second coupling portion 124 is formed on the other side of the 120. Each of the plurality of wires includes a first wire connected to the first coupling part 122 and a second wire connected to the second coupling part 124, and a bending part 150 between the first wire and the second wire. And a third wiring formed by dividing into a plurality of wirings. The first coupling part 122 includes a plurality of first connection terminals 122a, and the second coupling part 124 includes a plurality of second connection terminals 124a.

In addition, the circuit pattern 120 may be electrically connected to circuit elements 132 and integrated circuits 134 such as resistors, diodes, capacitors, inductors, and the like. have. In this case, the circuit element 132 and the integrated circuit 134 are connected to the circuit pattern 120 on the base film 110 to form a predetermined electric circuit. Of course, the circuit pattern 120 may be implemented by only a plurality of wirings without the circuit element 132 or the integrated circuit 134 (see FIG. 10).

Although not shown in FIG. 3, the flexible circuit board 100 according to the present invention may include an adhesive means (not shown) formed between the base film 110 and the circuit pattern 120 (FIG. 1). Reference). The adhesive means is for fixing and adhering the circuit pattern 120 on the base film 110, a predetermined adhesive or an adhesive tape may be appropriately used.

The bending pattern 130 represents a portion of the flexible circuit board 100 that is bent or folded in the circuit pattern 120, that is, a pattern formed in the bending part 150. Specifically, in the bending pattern 130 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the plurality of wires 121, 123, and 125 of the circuit pattern 120 may be bent portions of the flexible circuit board 100. A plurality of third wirings 121a, 121b, 121c, 121d; 123a, 123b, 123c; 125a, 125b, and 125c are respectively formed at 150.

For example, the bending pattern 130 may have a width equal to or greater than the width of at least one of the first and second wires, the sum of the individual widths of the plurality of wires of the third wires being connected at both ends thereof. And a width of at least one of the second wirings. On the other hand, the bending pattern 130 has a width of at least one of the first wiring and the second wiring whose maximum width between the outermost wirings on both sides of the plurality of wirings of the third wiring is connected to both ends of the third wiring, respectively. It may be formed to be the same. On the other hand, the bending pattern 130 is equal to the end area of at least one of the first wiring and the second wiring in which the sum of the individual cross-sectional areas of the plurality of wirings of the third wiring is connected to both ends of the third wiring, respectively. It can be formed to be. On the other hand, the bending pattern 130 is formed so that each thickness of the plurality of wirings of the third wiring is thinner than the thickness of at least one of the first wiring and the second wiring connected to both ends of the third wiring, respectively. Can be. On the other hand, the resistance value between the both ends of any one of the plurality of selected wirings of the circuit pattern 120 is such that the resistance value before and after forming the third wiring in the bending portion of any one selected wiring is substantially the same. Can be formed. This configuration will be mentioned in more detail in the following description with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

The insulating layer 140 is formed to protect the circuit pattern 120 and the bending pattern 130. The insulating layer 140 covers the circuit pattern 120 and the bending pattern 130 except for the first coupling part 122 and the second coupling part 124 of the circuit pattern 120. In this case, the insulating layer 140 may be fixedly supported on the base film 110 by an adhesive means (not shown). The insulating layer 140 is formed of an insulating film similar to the base film 110. For example, a polyimide film, a polyester film, or the like may be used for the insulating layer 140.

As described above, the flexible circuit board according to the present invention includes a bending pattern formed in the bending part to prevent cracks on the wiring that may occur in the bending part despite the flexibility of the flexible circuit board. Therefore, according to this invention, the reliability of a flexible circuit board can be improved.

4 is an enlarged view of a portion of a flexible circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged view corresponding to the portion 150p indicated by the dotted line in the flexible circuit board 100 shown in FIG. 2.

Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the first and second wirings respectively connected to the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion formed at both ends of the circuit pattern 120 will be represented by general wiring, and a plurality of the first wiring and the second wiring will be described. The third wiring, which is divided into the wirings of elongation, is shown as a bent wiring.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the circuit pattern 120 of the flexible circuit board 100 according to the exemplary embodiment, a plurality of general wirings 121; 123; 125 of the circuit pattern 120 may be formed in the bending part 150. The bending patterns 121a, 121b, 121c, 121d; 123a, 123b, 123c; 125a, 125b, and 125c, respectively. Here, the bending part 150 represents a portion in which the flexible circuit board is bent or folded.

Specifically, the general wiring 121 of the circuit pattern 120 shown at the right first in FIG. 4 has a predetermined width WA. The general wiring 121 is divided into a plurality of bending wires 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d in the bending part 150 to extend. Each of the bent wires 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d has predetermined widths WA1, WA2, WA3, and WA4 and is disposed at predetermined intervals WA5, WA6, and WA7.

In addition, the widths WA1, WA2, WA3, and WA4 of each of the bent wires 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d have the same sum of their widths as the width WA of the general wiring 121. Is formed. Here, the thickness of the general wiring and the thickness of the bent wiring are the same. In this case, the resistance value between both ends of the general wiring 121 is preferably formed to be the same as the resistance value of the general wiring 121 before the plurality of bent wirings 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d are formed.

Of course, each of the widths WA1, WA2, WA3, WA4 of the bent wirings 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d has a sum of the widths of their respective widths being larger than the width WA of the general wiring 121. It may be narrowly formed. In addition, the thicknesses of the plurality of bent wires 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d may be formed to be thinner than the thickness of general wirings (see FIG. 6).

Next, the general wiring 123 of the circuit pattern 120 shown at the right first in FIG. 4 has a predetermined width WB. The general wiring 123 is divided into a plurality of bending wires 123a, 123b, and 123c in the bending part 150 to extend. Each of the curved wirings 123a, 123b, and 123c has a predetermined width WB1, WB2, and WB3 and is disposed at a predetermined interval from each other. Since the relationship between the general wiring 123 and the bent wiring 123a, 123b, and 123c is similar to the relationship between the first general wiring 121 and the bent wiring 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d mentioned above, a detailed description thereof Is omitted to avoid duplication.

Next, the first left general wiring 125 of the circuit pattern 120 shown in the right first in FIG. 4 has a predetermined width WC. The general wiring 125 is divided into a plurality of bending wirings 125a, 125b, and 125c in the bending part 150 and extends. Each curved wiring 125a, 125b, 125c has a predetermined width WC1, WC2, WC3 and is disposed at a predetermined interval from each other. The relationship between the general wiring 125 and the bent wiring 125a, 125b, and 125c is similar to the relationship between the first general wiring 121 and the bent wiring 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d described above, and thus, a detailed description thereof. Is omitted to avoid duplication.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the flexible circuit board is further improved in the bending part by forming the flexible wiring board by dividing the general wiring of the circuit pattern into a plurality of curved wirings. Therefore, according to the present invention, a crack can be prevented from occurring in the wiring of the flexible circuit board in the bending portion, and a flexible circuit board excellent in flexibility can be provided. In addition, the reliability of the flexible circuit board can be improved.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view illustrating a flexible circuit board according to a modified example of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic enlarged view corresponding to the portion 150p of the flexible circuit board 100 shown in FIG. 2, which is indicated by a dotted line. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the flexible circuit board is denoted by reference numeral 100a.

Referring to FIG. 5, the circuit pattern 120 of the flexible circuit board 100a according to the modified embodiment of the present invention is the general wiring 121; 123; 125 of the circuit pattern 120 in the bending part 150. And a plurality of bending patterns 130 formed of the plurality of bending wires 121a, 121b, 121c, 121d; 123a, 123b, 123c; 125a, 125b, and 125c, respectively. Here, the bending part 150 represents a portion in which the flexible circuit board 110a is bent or folded.

Specifically, in the flexible circuit board 100a, the general wiring 121 on the right side among the three general wirings 121, 123, and 125 of the circuit pattern 120 illustrated in FIG. 5 has a predetermined width WA. . The general wiring 121 is divided into a plurality of bending wires 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d in the bending part 150 to extend. Each of the bent wires 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d has predetermined widths WA1, WA2, WA3, and WA4, and are arranged at predetermined intervals from each other.

The curved wirings 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d are formed such that their overall width WA0 is equal to the width WA of the general wiring 121. In other words, the maximum width WA0 between both outermost wirings 121a and 121d of the bent wiring is the same as the width WA of the general wiring 121. Here, the thickness (not shown) of the general wiring and the thickness (not shown) of the bent wiring are the same. In this case, the respective widths WA1, WA2, WA3, WA4 of the bent wirings 121a, 121b, 121c, 121d can be changed by appropriately adjusting the spacing therebetween.

In addition, the thicknesses of the plurality of bent wires 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d may be formed to be thinner than the thickness of the general wiring (see FIG. 6).

Next, in the flexible circuit board 100a, the general wiring 123 in the middle of the three general wirings 121, 123, and 125 of the circuit pattern 120 illustrated in FIG. 5 has a predetermined width WB. The general wiring 123 is divided into a plurality of bending wirings 123a, 123b, and 123c in the bending part 150 to extend. Each of the curved wirings 123a, 123b, and 123c has a predetermined width WB1, WB2, and WB3 and is disposed at a predetermined interval from each other. Since the relationship between the general wiring 123 and the bent wiring 123a, 123b, and 123c is similar to the relationship between the right general wiring 121 and the bent wiring 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d mentioned above, a detailed description thereof Is omitted to avoid duplication.

Next, in the flexible circuit board 100, the general wiring 125 on the left of the three general wirings 121, 123, and 125 of the circuit pattern 120 illustrated in FIG. 5 has a predetermined width WC. The general wiring 125 is divided into a plurality of bending wirings 125a, 125b, and 125c in the bending part 150 and extends. Each curved wiring 125a, 125b, 125c has a predetermined width WC1, WC2, WC3 and is disposed at a predetermined interval from each other. Since the relationship between the general wiring 125 and the bent wiring 125a, 125b, and 125c is similar to the relationship between the right general wiring 121 and the bent wiring 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d mentioned above, a detailed description thereof Is omitted to avoid duplication.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the flexibility of the flexible circuit board in the bending part is formed by forming the flexible wiring board by dividing the general wiring into a plurality of bent wirings having the same overall width as the width of the general wiring. Further improve. Therefore, according to the present invention, a crack can be prevented from occurring in the wiring of the flexible circuit board in the bending portion, and a flexible circuit board excellent in flexibility can be provided. In addition, the reliability of the flexible circuit board can be improved.

6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flexible circuit board according to another modified example of the embodiment of the present invention. The cross section shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to the cross section taken along the III-III line of the flexible circuit board 100 shown in FIG. Therefore, the flexible circuit board according to the present embodiment is denoted by reference numeral 100b.

Referring to FIG. 6, the circuit pattern 120 of the flexible circuit board 100b according to another modified embodiment of the present invention may be a general wiring 121; 123; 125 of the circuit pattern 120 in the bending part 150. ) Includes a bend pattern 130 formed of a plurality of bent wires 121a; 123a; 125a, each having a thickness thinner than that of a general wiring. Here, the bending part 150 represents a portion in which the flexible circuit board is bent or folded.

Specifically, in the flexible circuit board 100b, the three general wirings 121, 123, and 125 of the circuit pattern 120 shown in FIG. 6 have predetermined widths WA, WB, WC, and thickness T1, respectively. Have These common wires 121, 123, and 125 extend to the bent wires 121a, 123a, and 125a in the bending portion 150 section, respectively. The widths of the bent wires 121a, 123a, and 125a are formed to have widths WA, WB, and WC that are substantially the same as the widths of the general wires, and the thickness of the bent wires 121a, 123a, and 125a is the thickness T1 of the general wires. It is formed to a thickness T2 thinner than).

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the bending pattern is formed by the plurality of bending wires having a thickness thinner than the thickness of the general wiring in the bending portion of the flexible circuit board, the flexibility of the flexible circuit board in the bending portion can be improved. . Therefore, according to the present invention, a crack can be prevented from occurring in the wiring of the flexible circuit board in the bending portion, and a flexible circuit board excellent in flexibility can be provided.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flexible circuit board according to yet another modified example of the embodiment. FIG. The cross section shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to the cross section taken along line III-III of the flexible circuit board 100 shown in FIG. Therefore, the flexible circuit board according to the present embodiment is denoted by reference numeral 100c.

Referring to FIG. 7, the circuit pattern 120 of the flexible circuit board 100c according to another modified embodiment of the present invention includes three general wirings 121, of the circuit pattern 120 at the bending part 150. 123 and 125 include a bend pattern 130 formed of a plurality of bent wires 121a, 123a, and 125a, each having a thickness thinner than that of a general wiring.

Specifically, in the flexible circuit board 100c, the three general wirings 121, 123, and 125 of the circuit pattern 120 illustrated in FIG. 7 have predetermined widths WA, WB, WC, and thickness T1, respectively. Have These common wires 121, 123, and 125 extend into the plurality of bent wires 121a, 123a, and 125a in the bending portion 150 section, respectively. The maximum width between the outermost wires at both ends of the bent wiring 121a, 123a, and 125a has a width W1, W2, W3 that is wider than the width of the general wiring, and a thickness T2 that is thinner than the thickness T1 of the general wiring. Is formed.

Here, it is preferable that each cross-sectional area of the bent wiring 121a, 123a, 125a and each cross-sectional area of the general wiring 121, 123, 125 are the same.

On the other hand, it is preferable that the resistance values between both ends of each of the common wirings 121, 123, and 125 are formed so that the resistance values before and after the formation of the bent wirings 121a, 123a, and 125a are substantially the same.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the bending pattern is formed of a plurality of bent wires having a thickness thinner than the thickness of the general wiring in the bending portion of the flexible circuit board and having a cross-sectional area that is substantially the same as that of the general wiring, the bending is performed. The flexibility of the flexible circuit board can be improved. Therefore, according to the present invention, a crack can be prevented from occurring in the wiring of the flexible circuit board in the bending portion, and a flexible circuit board excellent in flexibility can be provided.

8 is a plan view illustrating a display device employing a flexible circuit board according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic right side view of the display device illustrated in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the display device illustrated in FIG. 8.

8 to 10, the display device 300 includes a display panel 400 and a flexible circuit board 500. The display panel 400 includes a substrate 310, an image display unit 320, a scan driver 330, a data driver 340, a first power line 350, a second power line 360, and a pad unit 370. It includes. The flexible circuit board 500 includes a bending pattern 530 formed in the bending part 550. By such a configuration, the display device 300 in which signal or power can be transmitted more stably can be provided. Thus, the reliability of the display device 300 is improved.

Specifically, an insulating substrate, a conductive substrate, or the like is selectively used for the substrate 310 of the display device 300 according to its use. In the case of a conductive substrate, an insulating layer is formed on the substrate.

The image display unit 320 includes a plurality of pixels 322 for displaying an image. In addition, the image display unit 320 includes a scan line 324, a data line 326, and a pixel power line 328 electrically connected to each pixel 322. In addition, each pixel 322 of the image display unit 320 is commonly connected to a common power supply line or a common electrode layer (not shown).

The pixel 322 includes a light emitting element (not shown) and a pixel circuit (not shown) for controlling the light emitting element. In this case, the light emitting device may be implemented as an organic light emitting device in which an organic material includes a light emitting layer. The organic light emitting device can be classified into a low molecular organic light emitting device and a high molecular organic light emitting device according to the material thereof. The low molecular organic light emitting device has a low molecular pigment, and the high molecular organic light emitting device has a conjugated polymer as its main material.

In addition, the pixel 322 may be divided into a passive matrix (PM) and an active matrix (AM) according to its structure. The passive method is a structure in which the anode and the cathode are arranged in a matrix manner, and the active method is a structure in which a thin film transistor (TFT) is disposed in each pixel 322.

The scan driver 330 is connected to a plurality of scan lines 324 extending in the horizontal direction in the image display unit 320 as shown in FIG. 8, and supplies a scan signal to each scan line 24. In this case, the scanning signal may be at least one of a single scan method, a progressive scan method, a dual scan method, an interlaced scan method, or another scanning method. The pixel 322 is transferred to the pixel 322 in the image display unit 320.

The data driver 340 is connected to the plurality of data lines 326 extending in the vertical direction in the image display unit 320, and supplies data signals to the data lines 326. The data signal includes a data voltage and may be implemented as a data current according to the structure of the pixel circuit.

The first power line 350 and the second power line 360 supply power to the pixel 322 in the image display unit 320. For example, a positive voltage is applied to the first power line 350 and a negative voltage is applied to the second power line 360. Although not shown in FIG. 8, the second power supply line 360 includes a common electrode layer (not shown) extending from the left side of the image display unit 320 to an approximately front surface of the image display unit 320.

The pad part 370 represents a connection part through which each component of the display panel 400 is electrically connected to another external circuit. In the present exemplary embodiment, the pad part 370 is electrically connected to the first coupling part 522 of the flexible circuit board 500.

The flexible circuit board 500 is electrically connected to other electrical elements or circuits such as a controller for supplying a control signal to the display panel 400 or a power supply for supplying power. To this end, the flexible circuit board 500 includes a base film 510, a circuit pattern 520, and a bending pattern 530.

The circuit pattern 520 includes a first coupling part 522 formed at one end and a second coupling part 524 formed at the other end. In addition, the circuit pattern 520 includes a connection hole 526 to which an electrical element mounted on the flexible circuit board 500 or a terminal of an integrated circuit is coupled. In addition, the circuit pattern 520 includes a bending pattern 530 formed in the bending portion 550, that is, a portion folded to extend from one main surface to the other main surface of the display panel 400. Here, the bending part 550 includes a portion in which the bending wires in the bending pattern 530 are formed to have an acute angle 560, as indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 9.

In addition, the flexible circuit board 500 is implemented as a flexible circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention described above with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7 of the present specification. Accordingly, the bending pattern 530 is a sum of the individual widths of the plurality of wirings, such as the bending pattern of the flexible circuit board according to the exemplary embodiment described above with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7. It may be formed to be equal to or wider than the width of any one of the selected wiring. On the other hand, the bend pattern 530 may be formed such that the overall width of the plurality of wirings thereof is the same as the width of any one selected wiring of the circuit pattern 520. On the other hand, the bend pattern 530 may be formed such that the sum of the individual cross-sectional areas of its plurality of bent wires is equal to the cross-sectional area of any one selected wire of the circuit pattern 520. On the other hand, the bend pattern 530 may be formed such that the thickness of the wiring thereof is thinner than the thickness of any one selected wiring of the circuit pattern 520. On the other hand, the bending pattern 530 is formed such that the resistance value of any one selected wiring of the circuit pattern 520 is substantially the same as the resistance value before and after forming the plurality of wirings of the bending pattern 530. Can be.

As described above, in the present embodiment, any one selected wiring of the circuit pattern is divided into a plurality of wirings in the bending portion and extends, or one selected wiring of the circuit pattern extends in a bending portion with a thickness smaller than the thickness thereof. By using the flexible circuit board, signals and power can be transmitted more reliably to the display panel of the display device. According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a problem that a signal and a power are disconnected or a signal and / or a power are not properly transmitted in the flexible circuit board. Thus, the reliability of the display device is improved.

Meanwhile, the flexible circuit board according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be implemented as a flexible circuit board having a double-sided structure in which circuit patterns are formed on both sides of the base film in addition to the cross-sectional structure in which a circuit pattern is formed on one surface of the base film. In this case, applying the bending pattern according to the present invention to the circuit pattern of the flexible circuit board of the double-sided structure having a thickness thicker than the thickness of the flexible circuit board of the cross-sectional structure, it is more likely to occur in the bending portion of the flexible circuit board of the double-sided structure. It is possible to more reliably prevent cracks in the wiring.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the scan driver and the data driver of the display device can be directly mounted on the glass substrate on which the image display is formed, and the same layers as the scan lines, the data lines, and the transistors are formed on the substrate on which the image display is formed. It can be replaced by the driving circuit formed. On the other hand, the scan driver and / or the data driver may be formed in a chip on flexible board, or chip on film (COF) structure. In other words, the scan driver and / or data driver may be mounted in the form of a chip or the like on a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) or a film that is adhered to and electrically connected to the substrate.

As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described in detail, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation by a person of ordinary skill in the art within the scope of the technical idea of this invention is carried out. This is possible.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of cracks in the wiring of the bending part of the flexible circuit board. In addition, it is possible to prevent a problem in that the signal and power are disconnected or the signal and / or power are not properly transferred in the flexible circuit board. In addition, the reliability of the display device using the flexible circuit board can be improved.

Claims (18)

Base film; And A circuit pattern including a first coupling portion formed on one side of the base film, a second coupling portion formed on the other side thereof, and a plurality of wires electrically connecting the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion to each other; , At least one of the plurality of wires of the circuit pattern may include a first wire connected to the first coupling part, a second wire connected to the second coupling part, and the first wire and the second wire. A flexible circuit board comprising a third wiring formed by dividing into a plurality of wirings therebetween. The method of claim 1, The individual width of the third wiring is narrower than the width of at least one of the first wiring and the second wiring. The method of claim 1, The sum of the individual widths of the third wirings is substantially equal to the width of at least one of the first wirings and the second wirings. The method of claim 1, And a maximum width between the outermost wirings of the third wiring is substantially equal to the width of at least one of the first wiring and the second wiring. The method of claim 1, And a thickness of the third wiring is thinner than a thickness of at least one of the first wiring and the second wiring. The method of claim 1, And a resistance value between both ends of the at least one wiring among the plurality of wirings in the circuit pattern is substantially the same as before and after forming the third wiring. The method of claim 1, And an integrated circuit mounted on the base film and electrically connected to the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion through the circuit pattern. The method of claim 1, And a bonding means formed between the base film and the circuit pattern. The method of claim 1, And a insulating layer formed on the circuit pattern while exposing the first and second coupling portions. The method of claim 9, And a bonding means formed between the circuit pattern and the insulating layer. The method of claim 1, The circuit pattern is formed on both sides of the base film. A display panel including a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of pixels respectively connected to the plurality of scan lines and the plurality of data lines; The display device provided with the flexible circuit board as described in any one of Claims 1-11 connected to the said display panel. The method of claim 12, And the bending part of the flexible circuit board is a part folded at an acute angle with respect to the display panel. The method of claim 12, The display panel includes a scan driver configured to supply a scan signal to the plurality of scan lines. The method of claim 14, The display panel includes a data driver to supply a data signal to the plurality of data lines. The method of claim 15, And a controller connected to the flexible circuit board to supply a control signal to the display panel. The method of claim 16, And a power supply unit configured to supply power to the display panel through the flexible circuit board. The method of claim 17, And the at least one wire of the flexible circuit board is a power line to which the power is transferred.

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