Display module and display device

Abstract

The display module comprises a curved cover plate and a display panel. The curved cover plate comprises a cover plate main body part and a cover plate bending part connected to the cover plate main body part. The display panel has a bendable part, a panel main body part and a panel auxiliary part located on both sides of the bendable part; the thickness of the bendable part is smaller than the thickness of the panel main body part and the panel auxiliary part; the panel main body part has oppositely arranged light-emitting surfaces and back surfaces; the light-emitting surface of the panel main body part is attached to the curved cover plate; the bendable part is bent so that the panel auxiliary part is arranged on the back surface of the panel main body part. The panel auxiliary part and the back surface of the panel main body part are connected by a first bending support layer; at least part of the bendable part and the back surface of the panel main body part are connected by a second bending support layer; the thickness of the second bending support layer is greater than the thickness of the first bending support layer. The display module can improve the fixation and protection of the bendable part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and more specifically, to a display module and a display device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display technology, more and more mobile terminals are adopting OLED modules with a large 88° bend on all four sides. Under narrow bezel conditions, the 88° bend on the short side results in the bottom bezel of the display module bending into a teardrop shape. Under this structural form, the conventional uniform thickness one-piece bending support layer can no longer meet the structural requirements.

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a display module and display device that improves the fixation and protection of the bendable part.

[0005] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a display module is provided, comprising:

[0006] A curved cover plate, the curved cover plate including a cover plate main body and a cover plate bending portion connected to the cover plate main body;

[0007] The display panel has a bendable portion, a panel main body portion and a panel auxiliary portion located on both sides of the bendable portion; the thickness of the bendable portion is less than the thickness of the panel main body portion and the panel auxiliary portion; the panel main body portion has a light-emitting surface and a back surface disposed opposite to each other; the light-emitting surface of the panel main body portion is in contact with the curved cover plate; the bendable portion is bent such that the panel auxiliary portion is disposed on the back surface of the panel main body portion;

[0008] The panel auxiliary part is connected to the back of the panel main body through a first bending support layer; at least a portion of the bendable part is connected to the back of the panel main body through a second bending support layer; the thickness of the second bending support layer is greater than the thickness of the first bending support layer.

[0009] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the second bending support layer includes an adhesive layer, a buffer layer, and an adhesive layer stacked sequentially.

[0010] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the material of the buffer layer is foam; the compression rebound stress of the foam is less than 0.1 MPa, and the permanent compression deformation loss is less than 10%.

[0011] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, at least a portion of the buffer layer remains in a non-deformable state; other areas of the foam layer are in a compressed state.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display module further includes a composite structure layer, which is attached to the back side of the panel body.

[0013] The second bending support layer includes a contoured part and an adhesive layer located on both sides of the contoured part; the surface of the contoured part near the main body of the panel matches the surface of the composite structure layer away from the main body of the panel.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second bending support layer has a front side surface and a back side surface disposed opposite to each other, and the back side surface is bonded to the bendable portion.

[0015] Along the direction from the panel auxiliary portion to the bendable portion, the back surface includes a first connecting surface, a gradient connecting surface, and a second connecting surface connected in sequence.

[0016] The first connecting surface and the second connecting surface are planes, and the gradient connecting surface makes the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface smoothly connected.

[0017] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the angle between the second connecting surface and the plane containing the main body of the cover plate is a first angle;

[0018] The angle between the tangent plane of the front surface at the end away from the panel auxiliary part and the plane where the cover plate main body is located is the second angle.

[0019] The first included angle is smaller than the second included angle.

[0020] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the thickness of the second bending support layer at the end near the panel auxiliary portion is less than the thickness of the second bending support layer at the end away from the panel auxiliary portion.

[0021] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the thickness of the second bending support layer gradually changes along the direction away from the panel auxiliary portion.

[0022] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the contouring member has a chamfer at the end away from the panel auxiliary portion.

[0023] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the material of the profiling component is silicone.

[0024] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the portion of the bendable portion near the panel auxiliary portion is connected to the back side of the panel main body portion via the second bending support layer.

[0025] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a display device is provided, including the display module described above.

[0026] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a partial structural diagram of a display module in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the front view structure of a curved cover plate in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second bent support layer in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second bent support layer in another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in which the second bending support layer is pre-fixed on the base membrane in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of a display panel in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 8 This is a partial structural diagram of a display module in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of the display module in another embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0037] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore detailed descriptions of them will be omitted. Furthermore, the drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0038] Although relative terms such as "up" and "down" are used in this specification to describe the relative relationship of one component of an icon to another, these terms are used only for convenience, such as according to the orientation of the examples shown in the accompanying drawings. It is understood that if the device of the icon is flipped upside down, the component described as "up" will become the component described as "down." When a structure is "up" of another structure, it may mean that the structure is integrally formed on the other structure, or that the structure is "directly" mounted on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" mounted on the other structure through another structure.

[0039] The terms “a,” “one,” “the,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “including” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that there may be other elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc., are used only as markers and are not a limitation on the number of objects.

[0040] This disclosure provides a display module, see [link to relevant documentation] Figure 1 The display module includes a curved cover plate CG, a display panel PNL, and a bent support layer BS. The display panel PNL is attached to the back of the curved cover plate CG for support and protection. Exemplarily, the light-emitting surface of the display panel PNL is connected to the back of the curved cover plate CG by an optical adhesive layer OCA. In one embodiment of this disclosure, an anti-reflection layer POL, such as a polarizer or color filter layer, is provided between the display panel PNL and the optical adhesive layer OCA to reduce the reflection of external light by the display module, improve the purity of the emitted light, increase the color gamut of the display module, and thus improve the display effect of the display module.

[0041] In this disclosure, the display panel PNL has a light-emitting surface and a back surface that are disposed opposite to each other; light emitted from the sub-pixels of the display panel PNL is emitted from the light-emitting surface to display an image.

[0042] See Figure 1 and Figure 2The curved cover plate CG includes a cover plate main body CG1 and a cover plate curved portion CG2 connected to the cover plate main body CG1; the cover plate curved portion CG2 is located at the edge of the curved cover plate CG. Optionally, the cover plate main body CG1 is a flat cover plate.

[0043] The bending angle of the cover plate bending portion CG2 can be determined according to requirements; when the curved cover plate CG includes multiple cover plate bending portions CG2, the bending angles of any two cover plate bending portions CG2 can be the same or different. In one embodiment of this disclosure, the bending angle of at least one cover plate bending portion CG2 is not less than 75°, for example, it can be close to 90°. In one example, the bending angle of at least one cover plate bending portion CG2 is 88°. In this disclosure, the angle between the tangent of the end of the cover plate bending portion CG2 (located at one end of the edge of the curved cover plate CG) and the plane where the cover plate main body portion CG1 is located is taken as the bending angle of the cover plate bending portion CG2.

[0044] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the curved cover plate CG may have two oppositely arranged cover plate curved portions CG2, so that the display module presents a hyperbolic screen.

[0045] In another embodiment of this disclosure, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 The curved cover plate CG can have four edges, and each of the four edges is a curved part of the cover plate CG2, so that the display module presents a four-curved screen.

[0046] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the curved cover plate CG is generally rectangular, having a long side and a short side. The short side of the curved cover plate CG can be bent to form a curved portion CG2. It is understood that the long side of the curved cover plate CG can be a planar structure or the curved portion CG2.

[0047] See Figure 7 The display panel PNL may include a substrate F100, a driving circuit layer F200, and a pixel layer F300 stacked sequentially. The pixel layer contains sub-pixels for display, and the driving circuit layer contains pixel driving circuits for driving each sub-pixel to emit light.

[0048] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the display panel PNL may further include a back film layer, on which a substrate F100 is attached. Thus, the back film layer provides support for the PNL and protection for the substrate F100 and other film layers.

[0049] The substrate F100 can be a flexible substrate, and its material can be an easily bendable organic material or a composite structure of organic and inorganic materials. For example, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the material of the substrate F100 can be polyimide (PI). As another example, the material of the substrate F100 may include multiple polyimide layers, with silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or other inorganic materials sandwiched between the polyimide layers. It is understood that in other embodiments of this disclosure, the substrate may also be made of other materials, so that the substrate is a flexible substrate.

[0050] The driving circuit layer F200 is provided with pixel driving circuits for driving sub-pixels. In the driving circuit layer F200, any pixel driving circuit may include a transistor F200M and a storage capacitor. Further, the transistor F200M can be a thin-film transistor, which can be selected from top-gate, bottom-gate, or dual-gate thin-film transistors; the active layer of the thin-film transistor can be made of amorphous silicon semiconductor material, low-temperature polycrystalline silicon semiconductor material, metal-oxide semiconductor material, organic semiconductor material, or other types of semiconductor material; the thin-film transistor can be an N-type or P-type thin-film transistor.

[0051] It is understood that any two transistors in a pixel driving circuit can be of the same or different types. For example, in one embodiment, some transistors in a pixel driving circuit can be N-type transistors and some transistors can be P-type transistors. Further exemplarily, in another embodiment of this disclosure, in a pixel driving circuit, the active layer material of some transistors can be low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) semiconductor material, and the active layer material of some transistors can be metal-oxide-semiconductor (MODS) semiconductor material. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the thin-film transistor is a LPS transistor. In other embodiments of this disclosure, some thin-film transistors are LPS transistors, and some thin-film transistors are MODS transistors.

[0052] Optionally, the driving circuit layer F200 may include a semiconductor layer F203, a gate insulating layer F204, a gate layer F205, an interlayer dielectric layer F206, and a source / drain metal layer F207, stacked between the substrate F100 and the pixel layer F300. Each thin-film transistor and storage capacitor can be formed from the semiconductor layer F203, gate insulating layer F204, gate layer F205, interlayer dielectric layer F206, and source / drain metal layer F207. The positional relationship of each layer can be determined based on the thin-film transistor's layer structure. Further, the semiconductor layer F203 can be used to form the channel region of the transistor; the gate layer can be used to form gate layer traces such as scan leads, reset control leads, and light emission control leads, or it can be used to form the gate of the transistor, or it can be used to form part or all of the electrode plates of the storage capacitor; the source / drain metal layer can be used to form source / drain metal layer traces such as data leads and driving power leads, or it can be used to form part of the electrode plates of the storage capacitor. In this disclosure, the overall extension direction of the data leads can be defined as the column direction of the display module, and the overall extension direction of the scan leads can be defined as the row direction of the display module.

[0053] For example, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the driving circuit layer F200 may include a semiconductor layer F203, a gate insulating layer F204, a gate layer F205, an interlayer dielectric layer F206, and a source / drain metal layer F207 stacked sequentially, and the thin film transistor formed therein is a top-gate thin film transistor.

[0054] For example, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the driving circuit layer F200 may include a gate layer F205, a gate insulating layer F204, a semiconductor layer F203, an interlayer dielectric layer F206, and a source / drain metal layer F207 stacked sequentially, so that the thin film transistor formed is a bottom-gate thin film transistor.

[0055] In some embodiments, the gate layer may be two or three layers. For example, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the gate layer F205 may include a first gate layer and a second gate layer, and the gate insulating layer F204 may include a first gate insulating layer for isolating the semiconductor layer F203 and the first gate layer, and a second gate insulating layer for isolating the first gate layer and the second gate layer. Exemplarily, the driving circuit layer F200 may include a semiconductor layer F203, a first gate insulating layer, a first gate layer, a second gate insulating layer, a second gate layer, an interlayer dielectric layer F206, and a source / drain metal layer F207, which are sequentially stacked on one side of the substrate F100. As another example, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the gate layer F205 may include a first gate layer and a second gate layer, and the semiconductor layer F203 may be sandwiched between the first gate layer and the second gate layer; the gate insulating layer F204 may include a first gate insulating layer for isolating the semiconductor layer F203 and the first gate layer, and a second gate insulating layer for isolating the second gate layer and the semiconductor layer F203. For example, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the driving circuit layer F200 may include a first gate layer, a first gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer F203, a second gate insulating layer, a second gate layer, an interlayer dielectric layer F206, and a source / drain metal layer F207, which are sequentially stacked on one side of the substrate F100. This allows the formation of a transistor with a dual-gate structure. As another example, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the semiconductor layer F203 may include a low-temperature polysilicon semiconductor layer and a metal-oxide-semiconductor layer; the gate layer includes a first gate layer and a second gate layer; and the gate insulating layer includes first and second gate insulating layers. The driving circuit layer F200 may include the following layers sequentially stacked on one side of the substrate F100: a low-temperature polysilicon semiconductor layer, a first gate insulating layer, a first gate layer, a metal-oxide-semiconductor layer, a second gate insulating layer, a second gate layer, an interlayer dielectric layer F206, and a source / drain metal layer F207. For example, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the semiconductor layer F203 may include a low-temperature polysilicon semiconductor layer and a metal-oxide-semiconductor layer; the gate layer includes a first to a third gate layer, and the gate insulating layer includes a first to a third gate insulating layer. The driving circuit layer F200 may include, in sequence, a low-temperature polysilicon semiconductor layer, a first gate insulating layer, a first gate layer, an insulating buffer layer, a second gate layer, a second gate insulating layer, a metal-oxide-semiconductor layer, a third gate insulating layer, a third gate layer, an interlayer dielectric layer F206, and a source / drain metal layer F207, which are stacked on one side of the substrate F100.

[0056] In some embodiments, the source / drain metal layer can be two or three layers. For example, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the source / drain metal layer may include a first source / drain metal layer and a second source / drain metal layer sequentially stacked on the side of the interlayer dielectric layer F206 away from the substrate, with an insulating layer, such as a passivation layer and / or a planarization layer, sandwiched between the first and second source / drain metal layers. As another example, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the source / drain metal layer may include a first source / drain metal layer, a second source / drain metal layer, and a third source / drain metal layer sequentially stacked on the side of the interlayer dielectric layer F206 away from the substrate; an insulating layer, such as a passivation layer and / or a resin layer, may be sandwiched between the first and second source / drain metal layers; an insulating layer, such as a passivation layer and / or a planarization layer, may be sandwiched between the second and third source / drain metal layers.

[0057] Optionally, the driving circuit layer F200 may also include a passivation layer, which may be disposed on the surface of the source / drain metal layer F207 away from the substrate F100 in order to protect the source / drain metal layer F207.

[0058] Optionally, the driving circuit layer F200 may further include a buffer material layer F201 disposed between the substrate F100 and the semiconductor layer F203, wherein the semiconductor layer F203, the gate layer F205, etc., are all located on the side of the buffer material layer away from the substrate F100. The material of the buffer material layer may be an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide or silicon nitride. The buffer material layer may be a single inorganic material layer or a multilayer stacked inorganic material layer.

[0059] Optionally, the driving circuit layer F200 may further include a planarization layer F208 located between the source / drain metal layer F207 and the pixel layer F300, wherein the planarization layer F208 can provide a planarized surface for the pixel electrode. Optionally, the material of the planarization layer F208 may be an organic material.

[0060] Optionally, the pixel layer is provided with light-emitting elements as sub-pixels, and each light-emitting element emits light under the control of the pixel driving circuit. In this disclosure, the light-emitting elements can be organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), micro light-emitting diodes (Micro LEDs), quantum dot-organic light-emitting diodes (QD-OLEDs), quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs), or other types of light-emitting elements. Exemplarily, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the light-emitting element is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), then the display panel is an OLED display panel. Below, taking an organic light-emitting diode as an example, a feasible structure of the pixel layer is described exemplarily.

[0061] Optionally, the pixel layer F300 can be disposed on the side of the driving circuit layer F200 away from the substrate F100, and may include a pixel electrode layer F301, a pixel definition layer F302, a support pillar layer F303, an organic light-emitting functional layer F304, and a common electrode layer F305 stacked sequentially. The pixel electrode layer F301 has multiple pixel electrodes in the display area of ​​the display panel; the pixel definition layer F302 has multiple through-holes in the display area, each corresponding to one of the multiple pixel electrodes, with each pixel opening exposing at least a portion of the corresponding pixel electrode. The support pillar layer F303 includes multiple support pillars in the display area, and the support pillars are located on the surface of the pixel definition layer F302 away from the substrate F100, so as to support the fine metal mask (FMM) during the vapor deposition process. The organic light-emitting functional layer F304 at least covers the pixel electrodes exposed by the pixel definition layer F302. The organic light-emitting functional layer F304 may include an organic electroluminescent material layer, and may include one or more of the following: a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an electron blocking layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer. The individual layers of the organic light-emitting functional layer F304 can be prepared by a vapor deposition process, and a fine metal mask or an open mask can be used to define the pattern of each layer during vapor deposition. A common electrode layer F305 can cover the organic light-emitting functional layer F304 in the display area. Thus, the pixel electrode, the common electrode layer F305, and the organic light-emitting functional layer F304 located between the pixel electrode and the common electrode layer F305 form an organic light-emitting diode F300D, and any one of the organic light-emitting diodes can serve as a sub-pixel of the display panel.

[0062] In some embodiments, the pixel layer F300 may also include a light extraction layer located on the side of the common electrode layer F305 away from the substrate F100 to enhance the light extraction efficiency of the organic light-emitting diode.

[0063] Optionally, the display panel may further include a thin-film encapsulation layer F400. The thin-film encapsulation layer F400 is disposed on the surface of the pixel layer F300 away from the substrate F100, and may include alternately stacked inorganic and organic encapsulation layers. The inorganic encapsulation layer effectively blocks external moisture and oxygen, preventing water and oxygen from invading the organic light-emitting functional layer F304 and causing material degradation. Optionally, the edge of the inorganic encapsulation layer may be located in the peripheral area. The organic encapsulation layer is located between two adjacent inorganic encapsulation layers to achieve planarization and reduce stress between the inorganic encapsulation layers. The edge of the organic encapsulation layer may be located between the edge of the display area and the edge of the inorganic encapsulation layer. Exemplarily, the thin-film encapsulation layer F400 includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer F401, an organic encapsulation layer F402, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer F403, sequentially stacked on the side of the pixel layer F300 away from the substrate F100.

[0064] Optionally, the display panel may also include a touch function layer F500, which is located on the side of the thin film encapsulation layer F400 away from the substrate F100, and is used to realize touch operation of the display panel.

[0065] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the display panel PNL in its non-bent state is shown. See also Figure 3 The display panel PNL includes a display area AA and a peripheral area BB surrounding the display area AA. The display area AA contains sub-pixels for display and pixel driving circuits for driving the sub-pixels. The peripheral area BB has a bonding area B1 located on one side of the display area AA. The bonding area B1 contains pads for bonding external circuits (e.g., flexible circuit boards, flip-chip films, circuit boards, etc.) or driver chips. In one embodiment of this disclosure, the bonding area B1 is located at one end of the display panel PNL in the column direction, meaning that the bonding area B1 and the display area AA are arranged along the column direction. In one embodiment of this disclosure, the display module is generally rectangular, and the bonding area B1 is located near one of the short sides of the display module.

[0066] A bendable portion B2 is provided between the binding area B1 and the display area AA. The bendable portion B2 can be bent to reduce the bezel of the display module. In this disclosure, the display panel PNL can be divided into three parts; the part located on one side of the bendable portion B2 and where the display area AA is located can be defined as the panel main body PNL1; the part located on the bendable portion B2 away from the display area AA can be defined as the panel auxiliary portion PNL2. Thus, the display panel PNL includes the panel main body PNL1, the bendable portion B2, and the panel auxiliary portion PNL2 connected in sequence, wherein the binding area B1 is located in the panel auxiliary portion PNL2, and the display area AA is located in the panel main body PNL1.

[0067] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 1 The bendable portion B2 can be thinned to reduce bending stress. For example, in the bendable portion B2, the substrate can be partially removed to thin it, or some inorganic material can be removed to thin it, or the back film layer can be thinned or removed. This disclosure does not limit the method of thinning the bendable portion B2, as long as the thickness of the bendable portion B2 is less than the thickness of the panel body portion PNL1 and the panel auxiliary portion PNL2. In one example, in the bendable portion B2, the back film layer of the display panel PNL is removed.

[0068] In one embodiment of this disclosure, a protective layer PL is further provided at the bendable portion B2. The protective layer PL is disposed on the surface of the display panel PNL away from the substrate to protect the bendable portion B2, for example, to prevent the bendable portion B2 from being damaged or interfered with by external electromagnetic signals.

[0069] Optionally, see Figure 1 The backlight surface of the display panel PNL is provided with a composite structural layer SCF to provide buffer protection for the display panel PNL. Specifically, the composite structural layer SCF can cover the main body of the panel PNL1 but not the auxiliary panel PNL2 and the bendable portion B2, so as to avoid increasing the bending radius of the display panel PNL at the bendable portion B2. In the display module, the main body of the panel PNL1 is attached to the curved cover plate CG with optical adhesive, and its end is bent along the shape constrained by the curved portion CG2 of the cover plate to improve the display effect.

[0070] The bendable portion B2 can be bent, such that the panel auxiliary portion PNL2 is disposed on the back side of the panel main body portion PNL1; furthermore, at least a portion of the bendable portion B2 is also disposed on the back side of the panel main body portion PNL1. In one embodiment of this disclosure, see... Figure 1 The orthographic projection of the panel body portion PNL1 onto the plane of the cover plate body portion CG1 overlaps with the cover plate body portion CG1 and at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the cover plate curved portion CG2 onto the plane of the cover plate body portion CG1. The portion of the bendable portion B2 near the panel body portion PNL1 is bent, such that the portions of the panel auxiliary portion PNL2 and the portion of the bendable portion B2 near the panel auxiliary portion PNL2 are bent to the back side of the panel body portion PNL1. Thus, the orthographic projection of the bendable portion B2 onto the plane of the cover plate body portion CG1 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the cover plate curved portion CG2 onto the plane of the cover plate body portion CG1.

[0071] See Figure 1The back side of the panel auxiliary part PNL2 and part of the back side of the bendable part B2 are connected to the back side of the panel main part PNL1 through the bending support layer BS. Specifically, the back side of the panel auxiliary part PNL2 and part of the back side of the bendable part B2 are adhered to the composite structural layer SCF on the back side of the panel main part PNL1 through the bending support layer BS. In related technologies, the bending support layer BS is a one-piece structure of uniform thickness; however, in the area where the bendable part B2 is located, due to the bending effect of the cover plate bending part CG2, the gap between the bendable part B2 and the panel main part PNL1 is not uniform, but presents an uneven bubbling structure, for example, a teardrop-shaped cross-section. When the panel auxiliary part PNL2 and the bendable part B2 are connected to the back side of the panel main part PNL1 with a bending support layer of uniform thickness BS, the bendable part B2 will generate large rebound stress and is prone to film peeling.

[0072] In this disclosure, the bending support layer BS includes a first bending support layer BS1 and a second bending support layer BS2, wherein the thickness of the second bending support layer BS2 is greater than the thickness of the first bending support layer BS1. The surfaces of the first bending support layer BS1 and the second bending support layer BS2 near the panel body portion PNL1 are connected to the surfaces of the composite structural layer SCF away from the panel body portion PNL1. The surface of the first bending support layer BS1 away from the panel body portion PNL1 is connected to the panel auxiliary portion PNL2, and the surface of the second bending support layer BS2 away from the panel body portion PNL1 is connected to a portion of the bendable portion B2. Thus, by providing a thicker second bending support layer BS2, the bending shape of the bendable portion B2 can be conformed to as much as possible, improving the shape fixation and protection of the bendable portion B2, reducing the rebound stress at the bendable portion B2, and lowering the risk of film peeling.

[0073] Optionally, the portion of the bendable portion B2 near the panel auxiliary portion PNL2 is connected to the back side of the panel main body portion PNL1 via the second bending support layer BS2.

[0074] Optionally, the portion of the bendable part B2 near the panel body part PNL1 can be bent without being supported by the second bending support layer BS2, so that the bendable part B2 has the smallest possible bending radius.

[0075] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the bending angle of the cover plate bending portion CG2 adjacent to the bendable portion B2 can be greater than 75°, for example, it can be 88°. In this case, the bendable portion B2 has a larger bending angle and a larger width, and the display module of this disclosure can more effectively reduce the rebound stress of the bendable portion B2.

[0076] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the boundary line between the second bending support layer BS2 and the first bending support layer BS1 is a straight line to facilitate the adhesion of the bending support layer BS. Of course, in other embodiments of this disclosure, a gap may be provided between the second bending support layer BS2 and the first bending support layer BS1, or a gap may be provided locally, or the two may be interlocked, etc., and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0077] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first bending support layer BS1 includes an adhesive layer, a base layer, and an adhesive layer stacked sequentially, such that the first bending support layer BS1 has a double-sided tape structure. The base layer can be a thin and strong base layer such as a polyethylene terephthalate layer to reduce the thickness of the display module. Of course, the material of the base layer can also be other materials, as long as it allows the back side of the panel auxiliary part PNL2 to adhere to the back side of the panel main part PNL1.

[0078] In some embodiments of this disclosure, see Figure 4 The second bending support layer BS2 includes an adhesive layer HH, a buffer layer DD, and another adhesive layer HH stacked sequentially. The buffer layer is a compressible material layer, allowing each local location to adaptively adjust its compression state according to the rebound stress of the connected bendable portion B2. This ensures that the overall shape of the buffer layer DD matches the shape required for bending the bendable portion B2. In other words, in these embodiments of the present disclosure, a compressible buffer layer can be used to accommodate the unevenness of the gap between the bendable portion B2 and the panel body portion PNL1.

[0079] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the material of the buffer layer can be foam, that is, the buffer layer is a foam layer.

[0080] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the compressive rebound stress of the buffer layer DD is less than 0.1 MPa, and the permanent compression deformation loss is less than 10%. This ensures that the buffer layer DD has good compressibility and good shape retention capability, which in turn facilitates adaptive adjustment of the compression degree at various local locations and helps it maintain elasticity to achieve permanent fixation of the bendable portion B2.

[0081] In one embodiment of this disclosure, at least a portion of the buffer layer DD remains in a non-deformable state, while other portions of the buffer layer are compressed. The fact that at least a portion of the buffer layer DD remains non-deformable means that at least a portion of the buffer layer is essentially neither compressed nor stretched, i.e., its deformation rate is near 0. Thus, the maximum thickness of the second bending support layer BS2 can be determined first based on the maximum thickness of the space required between the bendable portion B2 and the composite structural layer SCF when bending, thereby determining the maximum thickness of the buffer layer DD. After assembly, the buffer layer DD can remain non-deformable at the point where the required space between the bendable portion B2 and the composite structural layer SCF is the thickest; in other portions of the buffer layer, it can be compressed to accommodate the unevenness of the gap between the bendable portion B2 and the composite structural layer SCF. This arrangement ensures, on the one hand, that the buffer layer will not be stretched due to insufficient thickness, thus preventing it from tearing under tensile stress; on the other hand, it minimizes the overall compression of the buffer layer, thereby reducing the overall rebound force on the bendable portion B2, keeping it in the optimal position and reducing stress. Of course, in other embodiments of this disclosure, a thicker buffer layer can be used so that all parts of the buffer layer are under compression, and the rebound force on the bendable portion B2 can be reduced by adjusting the compressive rebound stress of the buffer layer.

[0082] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the adhesive layer HH located on both sides of the buffer layer DD is used as a double-sided adhesive layer.

[0083] In one embodiment of this disclosure, when assembling the display module, the first bending support layer BS1 and the second bending support layer BS2 can be pre-attached to the composite structure layer SCF, and then the composite structure layer SCF is attached to the back of the panel body part PNL1.

[0084] In other embodiments of this disclosure, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 5 The second bending support layer BS2 includes a contoured part EE and adhesive layers HH located on both sides of the contoured part EE. The surface of the contoured part EE near the panel body portion PNL1 matches the surface of the composite structural layer SCF away from the panel body portion PNL1. The two sides of the contoured part EE can be connected to the composite structural layer SCF and the bendable portion B2 respectively via the adhesive layers HH. The shape of the contoured part EE can be determined based on the space between the bendable portion B2 and the panel body portion PNL1, ensuring that the shape of the second bending support layer BS2 and the space between the bendable portion B2 and the panel body portion PNL1 are matched. This avoids excessive rebound stress in the bendable portion B2 that could cause film peeling and ensures good bonding strength between the second bending support layer BS2 and the composite structural layer SCF.

[0085] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the material of the contouring part EE can be silicone; this allows the contouring part EE to adapt to the space between the bendable part B2 and the panel body part PNL1, thereby fixing and protecting the bendable part B2, and also allows the contouring part EE to have a certain degree of elasticity.

[0086] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the thickness of the profile EE is not less than 0.25 mm, so as to facilitate the preparation of the profile by injection molding profile process.

[0087] In this disclosure, the second bending support layer has a front side surface and a back side surface disposed opposite to each other; the front side surface is bonded to the composite structural layer SCF, and the back side surface is bonded to the bendable portion.

[0088] In one embodiment of this disclosure, along the direction from the panel auxiliary portion to the bendable portion, the back surface includes a first connecting surface, a gradient connecting surface, and a second connecting surface connected in sequence; the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface are planar, and the gradient connecting surface allows the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface to be smoothly connected. This allows the bendable portion B2 to bend smoothly, avoiding stress concentration and reducing the risk of film peeling.

[0089] Further, see Figure 9 The angle between the second connecting surface and the plane containing the cover plate main body CG1 is a first angle θ1; the angle between the tangent plane of the front surface at the end away from the panel auxiliary part PNL2 and the plane containing the cover plate main body CG1 is a second angle θ2; the first angle θ1 is smaller than the second angle θ2. This allows the bendable part B2 to connect more smoothly to the end of the second bending support layer BS2 away from the panel auxiliary part PNL2, avoiding stress concentration and reducing rebound stress.

[0090] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the thickness of the second bending support layer BS2 at the end near the panel auxiliary portion PNL2 is less than the thickness of the second bending support layer BS2 at the end away from the panel auxiliary portion PNL2. This allows for a better match between the shape of the second bending support layer BS2, the space between the bendable portion B2 and the panel body portion PNL1. Furthermore, the thickness of the second bending support layer BS2 gradually changes along the direction away from the panel auxiliary portion PNL2. It is understood that the gradual change in the thickness of the second bending support layer BS2 can be a gradual increase in thickness, a gradual increase followed by a gradual decrease in thickness, or a back-and-forth alternation between gradual increase and gradual decrease in thickness, to ensure that the shape of the contoured part and the dimensions of the space between the bendable portion B2 and the panel body portion PNL1 are matched.

[0091] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 8 The contoured part has a chamfer BS2A at the end furthest from the panel auxiliary part PNL2. This facilitates the injection molding of the contoured part and prevents damage to the bendable part B2 from the corner.

[0092] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the adhesive layer HH attached to the surface of the contouring part EE can be a double-sided adhesive layer.

[0093] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the second bent support layer BS2 can be assembled and bonded using a fixture. See also Figure 6 To ensure accurate assembly positioning, the second bending support layer BS2 is supplied as sheet material. The second bending support layer BS2 can be pre-fixed to the base film F1, which has positioning holes F2 for positioning. Because the bottom of the contoured part is uneven, the base film may warp; therefore, pallet packaging can be used to package the second bending support layer BS2.

[0094] This disclosure also provides a display device, which includes any of the display modules described in the above-described display module embodiments. The display device can be a smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, or other type of display device. Since this display device has any of the display modules described in the above-described display module embodiments, it has the same beneficial effects, and will not be repeated here.

[0095] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A display module, characterized in that, include: A curved cover plate, the curved cover plate including a cover plate main body and a cover plate bending portion connected to the cover plate main body; The display panel has a bendable portion, a panel main body portion and a panel auxiliary portion located on both sides of the bendable portion; the thickness of the bendable portion is less than the thickness of the panel main body portion and the panel auxiliary portion; the panel main body portion has a light-emitting surface and a back surface disposed opposite to each other; the light-emitting surface of the panel main body portion is in contact with the curved cover plate; the bendable portion is bent such that the panel auxiliary portion is disposed on the back surface of the panel main body portion; The panel auxiliary part is connected to the back of the panel main body through a first bending support layer; the portion of the bendable part near the panel auxiliary part is connected to the back of the panel main body through a second bending support layer; the portion of the bendable part near the panel main body can be bent without being supported by the second bending support layer; the thickness of the second bending support layer is greater than the thickness of the first bending support layer.

2. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second bending support layer includes an adhesive layer, a buffer layer and an adhesive layer stacked in sequence.

3. The display module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The buffer layer is made of foam; the compressive rebound stress of the foam is less than 0.1 MPa, and the permanent compression deformation loss is less than 10%.

4. The display module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The buffer layer retains at least a portion of its area in a non-deformable state; the other areas of the foam layer are in a compressed state.

5. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The display module further includes a composite structure layer, which is attached to the back of the main body of the panel. The second bending support layer includes a contoured part and an adhesive layer located on both sides of the contoured part; the surface of the contoured part near the main body of the panel matches the surface of the composite structure layer away from the main body of the panel.

6. The display module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second bending support layer has a front side surface and a back side surface disposed opposite to each other, and the back side surface is bonded to the bendable portion; Along the direction from the panel auxiliary portion to the bendable portion, the back surface includes a first connecting surface, a gradient connecting surface, and a second connecting surface connected in sequence. The first connecting surface and the second connecting surface are planes, and the gradient connecting surface makes the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface smoothly connected.

7. The display module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The angle between the second connecting surface and the plane containing the main body of the cover plate is the first angle; The angle between the tangent plane of the front surface at the end away from the panel auxiliary part and the plane where the cover plate main body is located is the second angle. The first included angle is smaller than the second included angle.

8. The display module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The thickness of the second bending support layer at the end near the panel auxiliary portion is less than the thickness of the second bending support layer at the end away from the panel auxiliary portion.

9. The display module according to claim 8, characterized in that, The thickness of the second bending support layer gradually changes along the direction away from the panel auxiliary portion.

10. The display module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The contoured part has a chamfer at the end away from the panel auxiliary part.

11. The display module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The material of the contouring part is silicone.

12. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The portion of the bendable part near the panel auxiliary part is connected to the back of the panel main body through the second bending support layer.

13. A display device comprising the display module according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

Images