Flexible cover plate, display module and display device

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application provide a flexible cover plate, a display module and a display device, which belong to the field of display devices, and include: the cover plate structure includes: a first cover plate layer, the first cover plate layer includes two opposite surfaces; a second cover plate layer, the second cover plate layer is located on at least one surface of the first cover plate layer; the second cover plate layer is directly attached to the first cover plate layer, and the second cover plate layer is configured to be able to bend along with the first cover plate layer, and the elastic modulus of the second cover plate layer is greater than or equal to 1GPa and less than or equal to 100GPa. The flexible cover plate, display module and display device provided by the embodiments of the present application can improve the impact resistance and surface hardness of the flexible cover plate, while also ensuring the folding performance of the flexible cover plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of display devices, and in particular, to a flexible cover plate, a display module, and a display device. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, foldable products have been used more and more widely, and there is great research prospect around their bending shape, bending radius, and improvement of impact resistance.

[0003] At present, foldable products often use a combination of flexible folding covers such as CPI, PET or UTG to achieve bendability. The thinner flexible cover design is often not conducive to improving the impact resistance of the product. In order to ensure the excellent folding performance of the product, such as a smaller folding radius and a longer folding life, the industry often sacrifices the mechanical performance of the product. Therefore, compared with straight-screen mobile phones, the mechanical performance of foldable products, especially the ball-dropping and pen-dropping performance, is poor. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a flexible cover plate, a display module and a display device, aiming to improve the impact resistance and surface hardness of the flexible cover plate, while also ensuring the folding performance of the flexible cover plate.

[0005] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a flexible cover, including:

[0006] At least one cover structure;

[0007] The cover plate structure comprises: a first cover plate layer, wherein the first cover plate layer comprises two opposite surfaces;

[0008] a second cover plate layer, the second cover plate layer being located on at least one surface of the first cover plate layer;

[0009] The second cover plate layer is directly attached to the first cover plate layer, and the second cover plate layer is configured to be able to bend along with the first cover plate layer, and the elastic modulus of the second cover plate layer is greater than or equal to 1 GPa and less than or equal to 100 GPa.

[0010] Optionally, the first cover layer includes a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other;

[0011] The second cover layer is located on the first surface or the second surface;

[0012] Alternatively, the second cover layer is located on both the first surface and the second surface.

[0013] Optionally, the flexible cover plate includes a bending area and a non-bending area arranged on at least one side of the bending area;

[0014] The thickness of the second cover layer in the bending area is less than or equal to the thickness of the second cover layer in the non-bending area.

[0015] Optionally, an orthographic projection of the second cover plate layer on the first cover plate layer does not overlap with the bending area.

[0016] Optionally, the bending area includes two first side edges and a center line between the two first side edges, the two first side edges are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the center line, and the non-bending area is connected to the first side edges;

[0017] Wherein, in the bending area, the thickness of the second cover layer close to the first side edge is greater than the thickness of the second cover layer close to the center line.

[0018] Optionally, the second cover plate layer includes a plurality of sub-regions between the first side edge and the center line, and the thickness of each sub-region is different;

[0019] The thickness of the second cover plate layer in the same sub-region is the same, and the thickness of the sub-region closer to the center line is smaller.

[0020] Optionally, the thickness of the second cover layer gradually decreases from the first side to the center line.

[0021] Optionally, when the thickness of the second cover layer in the bending area is less than the thickness of the second cover layer in the non-bending area, the second cover layer includes a recessed area in the bending area, and the flexible cover further includes:

[0022] A filling layer, wherein the filling layer is located on a side of the second cover layer facing away from the first cover layer, and the filling layer fills the recessed area.

[0023] Optionally, the second cover plate layer is located on both the first surface and the second surface of the first cover plate layer, the second cover plate layer located on the first surface is a third cover plate layer, and the second cover plate layer located on the second side is a fourth cover plate layer;

[0024] Wherein, the thickness of the third cover layer in the bending area is equal to the thickness of the third cover layer in the non-bending area;

[0025] The thickness of the fourth cover layer in the bending area is smaller than the thickness of the fourth cover layer in the non-bending area.

[0026] Optionally, the thickness of the second cover plate layer is greater than or equal to 5 μm and less than or equal to 300 μm.

[0027] Optionally, the material of the first cover layer includes at least one of the following: PET, CPI and UTG.

[0028] Optionally, the elastic modulus of the second cover plate layer is the same as the elastic modulus of the first cover plate layer.

[0029] Optionally, the material of the second cover plate layer is hot melt adhesive.

[0030] Optionally, the at least one layer of cover plate structure includes a first cover plate structure and a second cover plate structure which are stacked;

[0031] Wherein, a connecting adhesive layer is provided between the first cover plate structure and the second cover plate structure.

[0032] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a display module, including a support layer, a display panel disposed on the support layer, and a flexible cover plate provided in the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application and disposed on the display panel.

[0033] Optionally, the display module includes a bending area and a non-bending area arranged on at least one side of the bending area;

[0034] An etched groove is provided on a side of the support layer close to the display panel, and the orthographic projection of the etched groove on the flexible cover plate is located within the bending area;

[0035] A filling layer is disposed between the support layer and the panel layer, and the filling layer at least partially fills the etched groove.

[0036] Optionally, the etched groove partially penetrates or completely penetrates the support layer.

[0037] A third aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a display device, including the flexible cover provided in the first aspect of the embodiments of the present application, or including the display module provided in the second aspect of the embodiments of the present application.

[0038] Beneficial effects:

[0039] The present application provides a flexible cover plate, a display module and a display device, by providing at least one cover plate structure including a first cover plate layer and a second cover plate layer, the second cover plate layer is located on at least one surface of the first cover plate layer, and the second cover plate layer is directly adhered to the first cover plate layer, and the second cover plate layer can be bent following the first cover plate layer. The flexible cover plate with a composite structure formed by the first cover plate layer and the second cover plate layer can improve the impact resistance and surface hardness of the flexible cover plate, and can also ensure the folding performance of the flexible cover plate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments of the present application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0041] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a flexible cover plate proposed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible cover plate in which a second cover plate layer is provided on another surface of a first cover plate layer according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible cover plate in which a second cover plate layer is provided on two surfaces of a first cover plate layer according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible cover plate without a second cover plate layer provided in a bending area, as proposed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible cover plate provided in an embodiment of the present application, in which a second cover plate layer is provided on another surface of a first cover plate layer and no second cover plate layer is provided in a bending area;

[0046] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible cover plate provided in an embodiment of the present application, in which a second cover plate layer is provided on two surfaces of a first cover plate layer and no second cover plate layer is provided in a bending area;

[0047] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible cover plate in which the second cover plate layer gradually decreases in thickness in a bending area, as proposed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible cover plate in which a second cover plate layer is provided on another surface of a first cover plate layer and the thickness of the second cover plate layer gradually decreases in a bending area, as proposed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Fig. 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible cover plate in which a second cover plate layer is provided on two surfaces of a first cover plate layer and the thickness of the second cover plate layer gradually decreases in a bending area, as proposed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Fig.10 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible cover plate in which a second cover plate layer with a reduced thickness gradient in a bending area is provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Fig.11It is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible cover plate in which a second cover plate layer is provided on another surface of a first cover plate layer and the thickness gradient of the second cover plate layer decreases in a bending area, as proposed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Fig.12 It is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible cover plate in which a second cover plate layer is provided on two surfaces of a first cover plate layer and the thickness gradient of the second cover plate layer decreases in a bending area, as proposed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Fig.13 This is a structural schematic diagram of a flexible cover plate in which the third cover plate layer is a structure of uniform thickness and the fourth cover plate layer is a structure of unequal thickness, as proposed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Fig.14 This is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible cover plate with a filling layer disposed on a second cover plate layer, as proposed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Fig.15 is a structural schematic diagram of a flexible cover plate including a first cover plate structure and a second cover plate structure proposed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] Fig.16 is a structural schematic diagram of a display module proposed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Fig.17 is a schematic structural diagram of another display module proposed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Fig.18 It is a schematic structural diagram of a support layer with etched grooves proposed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Fig.19 This is a schematic structural diagram of a support layer for filling an etched groove with a filling layer proposed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Fig. 20 This is a structural schematic diagram of a filling layer partially filling an etched groove and the etched groove penetrating a support layer, as proposed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Fig.21 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present application in which a filling layer completely fills an etched groove, and the etched groove penetrates a supporting layer.

[0062] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 10, cover plate structure; 101, first cover plate layer; 102, second cover plate layer; 1021, third cover plate layer; 1022, fourth cover plate layer; 103, filling layer; 104, first cover plate structure; 105, second cover plate structure; 20, support layer; 201, etched groove; 30, display panel; 40, buffer layer; 50, connecting adhesive layer; 60, filling layer; 701, first connecting layer; 702, second connecting layer; 703, third connecting layer; A, bending area; B, non-bending area; C, recessed area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0064] In the related art, the introduction of ultra-thin glass (UTG) into the cover structure of the display module can improve the mechanical properties of the display module. However, the current solution is to achieve the bending of UTG by reducing the thickness of UTG. Therefore, the mechanical strength of the display module is still relatively weak when using a simple UTG solution. Moreover, UTG is relatively thin, and the risk of breakage during use is relatively high. In addition, the production process of UTG is relatively complex and the cost is relatively high.

[0065] In view of this, the present application provides a flexible cover plate, a display module and a display device, by setting at least one cover plate structure including a first cover plate layer and a second cover plate layer, the second cover plate layer is located on at least one surface of the first cover plate layer, and the second cover plate layer is directly adhered to the first cover plate layer, and the second cover plate layer can be bent following the first cover plate layer. The flexible cover plate with a composite structure formed by the first cover plate layer and the second cover plate layer can improve the impact resistance and surface hardness of the flexible cover plate, and at the same time can also ensure the folding performance of the flexible cover plate.

[0066] Reference Figure 1 As shown, a flexible cover plate disclosed in an embodiment of the present application includes at least one layer of cover plate structure 10. Exemplarily, the flexible cover plate may include one layer of cover plate structure 10, two layers of cover plate structure 10, three layers of cover plate structure 10, etc. Moreover, when the flexible cover plate includes multiple layers of cover plate structure 10, the multiple layers of cover plate structure 10 are stacked, for example, the first layer of cover plate structure is at the top, the second layer of cover plate structure is below the first layer of cover plate structure, and the third layer of cover plate structure is below the second layer of cover plate structure.

[0067] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the cover plate structure 10 includes a first cover plate layer 101 and a second cover plate layer 102 disposed on the first cover plate layer 101 . The first cover plate layer 101 has two opposite surfaces, and the second cover plate layer 102 is located on at least one surface of the first cover plate layer 101 .

[0068] Exemplarily, the first cover layer 101 includes a first surface and a second surface. The second cover layer 102 can be located on the first surface of the first cover layer 101, or on the second surface of the first cover layer 101, or on both the first surface and the second surface of the first cover layer 101.

[0069] The first cover layer 101 can be a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure. When the first cover layer 101 is a single-layer structure, the material of the first cover layer 101 can be CPI (transparent polyimide), PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or UTG. When the first cover layer 101 is a multi-layer structure, the material of each layer of the first cover layer 101 can be selected from CPI, PET or UTG respectively; for example, the first cover layer 101 can be a composite structure formed by a layer of CPI material and a layer of PET material, or a composite structure formed by a layer of PET material and a layer of UTG material, or a composite structure formed by a layer of CPI material and a layer of UTG material, or a composite structure formed by a layer of CPI material, a layer of PET material and a layer of UTG material.

[0070] The thickness of the first cover layer 101 is greater than or equal to 10 μm and less than or equal to 100 μm. For example, the thickness of the first cover layer 101 may be 10 μm, 15 μm, 20 μm, 25 μm, 30 μm, 50 μm, 100 μm, etc.

[0071] The second cover layer 102 is made of a material with a certain foldability and viscosity, so that the second cover layer 102 can be directly attached to the first cover layer 101, and the second cover layer 102 can be folded following the first cover layer 101. In this way, after the second cover layer 102 is compounded with the first cover layer 101, the formed cover structure 10 has high toughness and hardness. Exemplarily, the second cover layer 102 can be made of a material that is in a molten state at a certain temperature (for example, 100°C) and is in a solidified state at room temperature (for example, 25°C). During the preparation process, the temperature of the second cover layer 102 material is heated to 100°C, so that the second cover layer 102 can be directly bonded to the first cover layer 101 without the need for other connecting materials, thereby making the preparation process of the flexible cover easier; and at room temperature, the second cover layer 102 will solidify, so as not to affect the normal use of the flexible cover.

[0072] Furthermore, in the cured state, the second cover layer 102 and the first cover layer 101 need to have a certain bonding strength, that is, the adhesive strength between the two. For example, the bonding strength between the second cover layer 102 and the first cover layer 101 may be 1-30N / 15mm.

[0073] The elastic modulus of the second cover layer 102 is greater than or equal to 1 GPa and less than or equal to 100 GPa. For example, the elastic modulus of the second cover layer 102 can be 1 GPa, 10 GPa, 20 GPa, 30 GPa, 40 GPa, 50 GPa, 100 GPa, etc. In addition, the elastic modulus of the first cover layer 101 needs to be substantially the same as the elastic modulus of the second cover layer 102, so that when the cover structure 10 is bent, the second cover layer 102 and the first cover layer 101 can be bent together better.

[0074] In addition, the folding recovery of the second cover plate layer 102 after curing needs to be maintained at 70%-100% to meet the foldability of the flexible cover plate.

[0075] It should be noted that the flexible cover includes a folded state and an unfolded state. In the unfolded state, the second cover layer 102 is arranged on the first cover layer 101 symmetrically about the first cover layer 101, and any flexible cover provided in the embodiment of the present application meets this setting.

[0076] Through the flexible cover disclosed in the embodiment of the present application, after the second cover layer 102 and the first cover layer 101 are compounded, the cover structure 10 formed by the two has strong impact resistance and surface hardness, and the folding performance of the cover structure 10 can also be guaranteed.

[0077] In an optional implementation, the embodiment of the present application provides a flexible cover plate, in which the material of the second cover plate layer is hot melt adhesive.

[0078] The reason why hot melt adhesive is used for the second cover layer 102 is that the hot melt adhesive material has a certain foldability, and after thermal curing, the hot melt adhesive has higher stiffness, stronger impact resistance and higher elastic modulus, and has fatigue resistance and low creep characteristics. Therefore, after the second cover layer 102 of the hot melt adhesive material is compounded with the first cover layer 101, the cover structure 10 formed by the two has stronger impact resistance and surface hardness, and the hot melt adhesive material can also meet the folding of small radius such as R0.5 or R1, so it will not affect the folding performance of the cover structure 10.

[0079] Specifically, when hot melt adhesive is selected as the material of the second cover layer 102, the curing parameters of the second cover layer 102, namely, the curing temperature is 50°C-150°C, the curing time is 5min-200min, and the elastic modulus of the second cover layer 102 after curing is 1GPa-70GPa.

[0080] In an optional embodiment, referring to Figure 4 As shown, the flexible cover includes a bending area A and a non-bending area B arranged on at least one side of the bending area A, and the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A is less than the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the non-bending area B.

[0081] Specifically, the thickness of the second cover layer 102 may be greater than or equal to 5 μm and less than or equal to 300 μm. For example, the thickness of the second cover layer 102 may be 5 μm, 10 μm, 15 μm, 20 μm, 25 μm, 50 μm, 100 μm, 150 μm, 200 μm, 250 μm, 300 μm, etc. In specific applications, those skilled in the art may determine the thickness of the second cover layer 102 according to requirements, and no specific limitation is made in the embodiments of the present application.

[0082] Furthermore, the second cover layer 102 may be of equal thickness or unequal thickness on the first cover layer 101. Figure 1 As shown, the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A can be equal to the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the non-bending area B. At this time, the second cover layer 102 is an equal thickness structure on the first cover layer 101; at the same time, referring to Figure 4 As shown, the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A can also be smaller than the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the non-bending area B. At this time, the second cover layer 102 is an unequal thickness structure on the first cover layer 101, and when the second cover layer 102 is an unequal thickness structure, the cover structure 10 itself has better folding performance.

[0083] At the same time, when the second cover layer 102 is provided on both surfaces of the first cover layer 101, the second cover layers 102 on both surfaces of the first cover layer 101 can be structures of equal thickness or structures of unequal thickness; or, the second cover layer 102 on one surface of the first cover layer 101 can be a structure of equal thickness, and the second cover layer 102 on the other surface of the first cover layer 101 can be a structure of unequal thickness.

[0084] Next, embodiments of the present application will introduce various structures in which the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A is less than the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the non-bending area B.

[0085] In an optional embodiment, the present application further provides a flexible cover plate, in which, with reference to Figure 4 As shown, the second cover layer 102 is not provided in the bending area A, and at this time, the orthographic projection of the second cover layer 102 on the first cover layer 101 does not overlap with the bending area A. That is to say, on the plane of the first cover layer 101, the second cover layer 102 will be disconnected in the bending area A. In this case, the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A is 0, so it can be understood that the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A is less than the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the non-bending area B.

[0086] Further, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, when the second cover layer 102 is distributed on the other surface of the first cover layer 101, or distributed on the two surfaces of the first cover layer 101, the second cover layer 102 may not be provided in the bending area A.

[0087] Specifically, in this case, the second cover layer 102 can be first made into a step-difference design, and the second cover layer 102 can be protected by a protective film. When the second cover layer 102 and the first cover layer 101 are composited, it is only necessary to use a bonding jig to bond the second cover layer 102 to the first cover layer 101, and make the position where the step difference of the second cover layer 102 corresponds to the bending area A, and then the second cover layer 102 is thermally cured to complete the composite of the first cover layer 101 and the second cover layer 102.

[0088] Through the flexible cover provided in the embodiment of the present application, the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A is set to 0, so that the cover structure 10 formed by the first cover layer 101 and the second cover layer 102 has better folding performance, and after the second cover layer 102 and the first cover layer 101 are composited, the impact resistance and surface hardness of the flexible cover are improved, while also ensuring the folding performance of the flexible cover.

[0089] In an optional implementation, the present application embodiment provides a flexible cover plate, in which, with reference to Figure 7 As shown, the bending zone A includes two first side edges (not shown in the figure) and a center line (not shown in the figure) located at the two first side edges, the two first side edges are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the center line, and the non-bending zone B is connected to the first side edges.

[0090] Specifically, in the flexible cover plate, both sides of the bending area A are non-bending areas B, so the two first side edges are respectively connected to the two non-bending areas B. Therefore, the first side edge can be understood as the boundary line between the bending area A and the non-bending area B, and the center line can be understood as the center line of the first cover plate layer 101.

[0091] At the same time, in the flexible cover plate, in the bending area A, the thickness of the second cover plate layer 102 close to the first side is greater than the thickness of the second cover plate layer 102 close to the center line. That is to say, unlike the flexible cover plate described above, in the flexible cover plate, the thickness of the second cover plate layer 102 in the bending area A is not 0, but the thickness of the second cover plate layer 102 in the bending area A is not the same, but decreases from the first side toward the center line.

[0092] For example, refer to Figure 7 As shown, the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A can gradually decrease from the first side toward the center line, and at this time, the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A is gradual. The second cover layer 102 can be formed on the first cover layer 101 by a mold, and the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A is gradually changed by the mold, and then after cooling, the first cover layer 101 and the second cover layer 102 can be composited.

[0093] Further, refer to Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, when the second cover layer 102 is distributed on the other surface of the first cover layer 101, or distributed on the two surfaces of the first cover layer 101, the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A can also be gradually reduced from the first side toward the center line.

[0094] It should be noted that during the preparation of the cover plate structure 10 , there will be glue overflow areas on both sides of the second cover plate layer 102 . Therefore, after cooling, the glue overflow areas need to be cut off by laser to form the final cover plate structure 10 .

[0095] For example, refer to Fig.10 As shown, the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A may not be gradual. In this case, the second cover layer 102 includes multiple sub-areas between the first side and the center line, and the thickness of each sub-area is different, and the closer the sub-area is to the center line, the smaller its thickness is, but the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the same sub-area is the same.

[0096] Further, refer to Fig.11 and Fig.12 As shown, when the second cover layer 102 is distributed on the other surface of the first cover layer 101, or distributed on the two surfaces of the first cover layer 101, the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A may not be gradual.

[0097] For example, the second cover layer 102 includes five sub-regions between the first side and the center line, wherein the first sub-region is closest to the first side, and the fifth sub-region is closest to the center line. The thickness of the first sub-region is 100 μm, the thickness of the second sub-region is 90 μm, the thickness of the third sub-region is 80 μm, the thickness of the fourth sub-region is 70 μm, and the thickness of the fifth sub-region is 60 μm. In this way, a structure in which the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A decreases from the first side to the center line can be formed.

[0098] Through the flexible cover plate provided in the embodiment of the present application, the thickness of the second cover plate layer 102 in the bending zone A decreases from the first side to the center line, so that the flexible cover plate has better folding performance, and the second cover plate layer 102 is distributed in the bending zone A, so that the flexible cover plate also has a certain impact resistance and surface hardness in the bending zone A, further improving the use effect of the flexible cover plate.

[0099] In an optional embodiment, the embodiment of the present application also provides a flexible cover plate, in which the second cover plate layer 102 is simultaneously located on the first surface and the second surface opposite to the first cover plate layer 101, the second cover plate layer 102 located on the first surface is the third cover plate layer 1021, and the second cover plate layer 102 located on the second surface is the fourth cover plate layer 1022.

[0100] Specifically, refer to Fig.13 As shown, the thickness of the third cover layer 1021 in the bending zone A is equal to the thickness of the third cover layer 1021 in the non-bending zone B, and the thickness of the fourth cover layer 1022 in the bending zone A is less than the thickness of the fourth cover layer 1022 in the non-bending zone B. That is to say, in this flexible cover, the second cover layer 102 is provided on both surfaces of the first cover layer 101, and the third cover layer 1021 in the second cover layer 102 is an equal thickness structure, and the fourth cover layer 1022 is an unequal thickness structure. Among them, the unequal thickness structure of the fourth cover layer 1022 may include any of the above-mentioned situations. For example, the thickness of the fourth cover layer 1022 in the bending zone A may be 0, or it may decrease from the first side toward the center, Fig.13 Only the case where the thickness of the fourth cover layer 1022 in the bending area A is 0 is shown.

[0101] Through the flexible cover provided in the embodiment of the present application, the third cover layer 1021 is a structure of equal thickness, and the fourth cover layer 1022 is a structure of unequal thickness, so that the folding cover has strong impact resistance and surface hardness as well as strong folding performance.

[0102] In an optional implementation, the embodiment of the present application further provides a flexible cover plate, in which the flexible cover plate further includes a filling layer 103 .

[0103] Specifically, refer to Figure 5 As shown, when the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the bending area A is less than the thickness of the second cover layer 102 in the non-bending area B, the second cover layer 102 includes a recessed area C in the bending area A, and the filling layer 103 is located on the side of the second cover layer 102 away from the first cover layer 101, and the filling layer 103 completely fills the recessed area C.

[0104] Specifically, when the second cover plate layer 102 has different structures, the shapes of the recessed areas C are also different. Figure 5 As shown, when the second cover layer 102 is not provided in the bending area A, the shape of the recessed area C is a trapezoid; Figure 7 As shown, when the thickness of the second cover layer 102 gradually decreases from the first side to the center line, the shape of the recessed area C is a triangle; Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the thickness of the second cover plate layer 102 decreases gradually from the first side to the center line, the shape of the recessed area C is a step shape. Figure 5 In the embodiment, the side edge of the second cover layer near the bending area is set as a bevel, so the shape of the recessed area C is trapezoidal. In other embodiments, the bevel may not be set at this position, and the shape of the recessed area C is rectangular.

[0105] When the cover plate structure 10 is connected to other structures (such as another cover plate structure 10 or the display panel 30), if the second cover plate layer 102 itself includes the recessed area C, the connection is not tight. Therefore, in order to better connect the cover plate structure 10 to other structures, refer to Fig.14 As shown, a filling layer 103 is provided on the side of the second cover plate layer 102 away from the back plate. The filling layer 103 can be made of inorganic materials, such as SiO2, or organic materials, such as acrylic or polyimide.

[0106] In an optional implementation, the present application also provides a flexible cover plate, in which, with reference to Fig.15 As shown, at least one cover plate structure 10 includes a first cover plate structure 104 and a second cover plate structure 105 which are stacked, and a connecting adhesive layer 50 is disposed between the first cover plate structure 104 and the second cover plate structure 105 .

[0107] Specifically, the first cover plate structure 104 can be any of the cover plate structures 10 described above in the embodiments of the present application, and the second cover plate structure 105 can also be any of the cover plate structures 10 described above in the embodiments of the present application. In order to better connect the first cover plate structure 104 and the second cover plate structure 105, a connecting adhesive layer 50 is provided between the first cover plate structure 104 and the second cover plate structure 105. The connecting adhesive layer 50 can be made of OCA (Optically Clear Adhesive) optical adhesive, and the connection between the first cover plate structure 104 and the second cover plate structure 105 is made tighter by using the connecting adhesive layer 50. Of course, the connecting adhesive layer 50 may not be provided between the first cover plate structure 104 and the second cover plate structure 105, and the connection between the two can be achieved only through the second cover plate layer 102 of hot melt adhesive material.

[0108] Based on the same inventive concept, the present application embodiment discloses a display module, referring to Fig.16 As shown, the display module includes a support layer 20 , a display panel 30 disposed on the support layer 20 , and any one of the flexible cover plates described in the embodiments of the present application disposed on the display panel 30 .

[0109] Specifically, the support layer 20 provides support for the display module, and the material of the support layer 20 can be SUS or carbon fiber. A buffer layer 40 can also be provided between the support layer 20 and the display panel 30, and the material of the buffer layer 40 can be selected from foam or PET. The support layer 20 and the buffer layer 40 are connected via a first connecting layer 701, the buffer layer 40 and the display panel 30 are connected via a second connecting layer 702, and the display panel 30 and the cover plate structure 10 are connected via a third connecting layer 703. Among them, the first connecting layer 701, the second connecting layer 702 and the third connecting layer 703 are all adhesive materials, such as OCA optical adhesive.

[0110] In addition, refer to Fig.17 As shown, in an optional implementation, the display panel 30 and the flexible cover plate may not be connected via the third connection layer 703 , but may be directly connected via the second cover plate layer 102 having adhesiveness.

[0111] The display module provided by the embodiment of the present application integrates a flexible cover plate formed by combining the second cover plate layer 102 and the first cover plate layer 101, so that the display module has stronger impact resistance and surface hardness, while also ensuring the folding performance of the display module.

[0112] In an optional implementation, the present application embodiment further provides a display module, in which, referring to Fig.18As shown, the display module includes a bending area A and a non-bending area B arranged on at least one side of the bending area A. An etched groove 201 is arranged on one side of the support layer 20 close to the display panel 30, and the orthographic projection of the etched groove 201 on the flexible cover is located within the range of the bending area A, and the etched groove 201 partially penetrates or completely penetrates the support layer 20.

[0113] Specifically, a filling layer 60 is disposed between the support layer 20 and the display panel 30 , and the filling layer 60 at least partially fills the etched groove 201 .

[0114] For example, refer to Fig.19 As shown, if the etched groove 201 does not completely penetrate the support layer 20, the filling layer 60 can completely fill the etched groove 201; Fig. 20 As shown, if the etched groove 201 completely penetrates the support layer 20, the filling layer 60 can partially fill the etched groove 201 that penetrates the support layer 20; Fig.21 As shown, when the etched groove 201 completely penetrates the support layer 20, the filling layer 60 can also completely fill the etched groove 201 that penetrates the support layer 20; those skilled in the art can make settings according to actual needs.

[0115] The material of the filling layer 60 can be hot melt adhesive. Since the hot melt adhesive material has a high elastic modulus, by compounding the filling layer 60 of the hot melt adhesive material with the support layer 20 having the etched groove 201, the mechanical properties of the entire display module can be improved, and the crease of the display module can also be reduced, so that the use effect of the display module is better.

[0116] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application further provides a display device, which includes any one of the flexible cover plates described in the embodiments of the present application, or includes any one of the display modules described in the embodiments of the present application.

[0117] Specifically, the display device may include an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode, organic light-emitting diode 20) display screen, mobile devices such as mobile phones, wearable devices such as watches, VR devices, etc. Those skilled in the art may make corresponding choices based on the specific purpose of the display device, which will not be repeated here.

[0118] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0119] It should also be noted that, in this article, the orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc. is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply that there is any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations, nor can they be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or terminal device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or terminal device. Without more restrictions, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or terminal device comprising the element.

[0120] The technical solution provided by the present application is described in detail above. The principle and implementation method of the present application are described in this article using specific examples. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the present application, and the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present application. At the same time, for those of ordinary skill in the art, according to the present application, there will be different forms of changes in the specific implementation methods and application scopes. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the implementation methods here, and the obvious changes or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A flexible cover plate, characterized in that: include: At least one cover structure; The cover plate structure comprises: a first cover plate layer, wherein the first cover plate layer comprises two opposite surfaces; a second cover plate layer, the second cover plate layer being located on at least one surface of the first cover plate layer; The second cover plate layer is directly attached to the first cover plate layer, and the second cover plate layer is configured to be able to bend along with the first cover plate layer, and the elastic modulus of the second cover plate layer is greater than or equal to 1 GPa and less than or equal to 100 GPa; The first cover layer includes a first surface and a second surface that are opposite; The second cover layer is located on the first surface or the second surface; Alternatively, the second cover layer is located on both the first surface and the second surface; The flexible cover plate comprises a bending area and a non-bending area arranged on at least one side of the bending area; The thickness of the second cover plate layer in the bending area is less than or equal to the thickness of the second cover plate layer in the non-bending area; The orthographic projection of the second cover plate layer on the first cover plate layer does not overlap with the bending area.

2. The flexible cover according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bending area includes two first side edges and a center line between the two first side edges, the two first side edges are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the center line, and the non-bending area is connected to the first side edges; Wherein, in the bending area, the thickness of the second cover layer close to the first side edge is greater than the thickness of the second cover layer close to the center line.

3. The flexible cover according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second cover plate layer includes a plurality of sub-regions between the first side edge and the center line, and the thickness of each sub-region is different; The thickness of the second cover plate layer in the same sub-region is the same, and the thickness of the sub-region closer to the center line is smaller.

4. The flexible cover according to claim 2, characterized in that: The thickness of the second cover plate layer gradually decreases from the first side to the center line.

5. The flexible cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: In the case where the thickness of the second cover plate layer in the bending area is less than the thickness of the second cover plate layer in the non-bending area, the second cover plate layer includes a recessed area in the bending area, and the flexible cover plate further includes: A filling layer, wherein the filling layer is located on a side of the second cover layer away from the first cover layer, and the filling layer fills the recessed area.

6. The flexible cover according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second cover plate layer is located on the first surface and the second surface of the first cover plate layer at the same time, the second cover plate layer located on the first surface is the third cover plate layer, and the second cover plate layer located on the second surface is the fourth cover plate layer; Wherein, the thickness of the third cover layer in the bending area is equal to the thickness of the third cover layer in the non-bending area; The thickness of the fourth cover layer in the bending area is smaller than the thickness of the fourth cover layer in the non-bending area.

7. The flexible cover according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the second cover plate layer is greater than or equal to 5 μm and less than or equal to 300 μm.

8. The flexible cover according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the first cover layer includes at least one of the following: PET, CPI and UTG.

9. The flexible cover according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic modulus of the second cover plate layer is the same as the elastic modulus of the first cover plate layer.

10. The flexible cover according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that: The material of the second cover plate layer is hot melt adhesive.

11. The flexible cover according to claim 10, characterized in that: The at least one cover plate structure comprises a first cover plate structure and a second cover plate structure which are stacked; Wherein, a connecting adhesive layer is provided between the first cover plate structure and the second cover plate structure.

12. A display module, characterized in that: The invention comprises a supporting layer, a display panel arranged on the supporting layer, and a flexible cover plate according to any one of claims 1 to 11 arranged on the display panel.

13. The display module according to claim 12, characterized in that: The display module comprises a bending area and a non-bending area arranged on at least one side of the bending area; An etched groove is provided on a side of the support layer close to the display panel, and the orthographic projection of the etched groove on the flexible cover plate is located within the bending area; A filling layer is disposed between the support layer and the display panel, and the filling layer at least partially fills the etched groove.

14. The display module according to claim 13, characterized in that: The etched groove partially penetrates or completely penetrates the support layer.

15. A display device, characterized in that: Comprising the flexible cover plate as described in any one of claims 1 to 11; Alternatively, it comprises a display module as described in any one of claims 12-14.

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