Support plate, foldable display module and foldable display device

Abstract

The present application discloses a support plate, a foldable display module and a foldable display device. The support plate includes at least one bendable portion and a non-bendable portion connected to the bendable portion; the Young's modulus of the bendable portion is smaller than that of the non-bendable portion, and at least the surface of the bendable portion facing the flexible display panel is a smooth surface. According to the embodiments of the present application, creases can be reduced, peeling and even breakage can be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a support plate, a foldable display module and a foldable display device. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the development of electronic technology and semiconductor technology, people have higher and higher requirements for the miniaturization and visualization of electronic devices such as mobile phones, media players, game consoles, digital cameras, etc., that is, on the one hand, users hope that the storage volume of electronic devices is as small as possible for easy carrying, and on the other hand, they hope that the visualization effect of electronic devices, such as the area of ​​the display screen, will not be reduced due to the reduction of the storage volume of the electronic device.

[0003] Therefore, the industry is in urgent need of realizing a foldable display device to ensure that the volume of the electronic device is reduced after being folded and stored, and to ensure excellent visualization effects after being stretched, such as a large-area display screen. Therefore, electronic devices with foldable display screens have received widespread attention. Among them, the foldable screen can be unfolded when in use to provide a larger display area, and switched to a folded state when not in use, which is convenient for users to carry and improves the portability of the display device.

[0004] Currently, folding technology is used in notebooks, mobile phones, Pads, and rollable TVs. Generally, stainless steel or alloy materials are used as the supporting structure of the foldable display. In related technologies, the supporting structure is patterned, resulting in at least part of the film layer having creases, peeling, or even breakage due to uneven force during the bending process. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a support plate, a foldable display module and a foldable display device, which can reduce creases, avoid peeling or even breakage and other undesirable phenomena.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a support plate comprising at least one bendable portion and a non-bendable portion connected to the bendable portion; the Young's modulus of the bendable portion is smaller than that of the non-bendable portion, and at least the surface of the bendable portion facing the flexible display panel is a smooth surface.

[0007] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, materials of both the bendable portion and the non-bendable portion include fibers, and the mass fraction of the fibers in the bendable portion is less than the mass fraction of the fibers in the non-bendable portion;

[0008] Preferably, the material of the bendable portion and the non-bendable portion further comprises resin.

[0009] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the support plate further includes a transition portion, the transition portion being connected between the bendable portion and the non-bending portion;

[0010] The transition portion includes a first transition portion and a second transition portion, the first transition portion is connected between the bendable portion and the second transition portion, the second transition portion is connected between the first transition portion and the non-bending portion, the Young's modulus of the first transition portion gradually decreases in a direction away from the bendable portion, and the Young's modulus of the second transition portion gradually decreases in a direction away from the non-bending portion;

[0011] Preferably, in a direction away from the bendable portion, the Young's modulus of the first transition portion decreases linearly;

[0012] Preferably, in a direction away from the non-bending portion, the Young's modulus of the second transition portion decreases linearly.

[0013] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the maximum value of the Young's modulus of the first transition portion is equal to the Young's modulus of the bendable portion, and the maximum value of the Young's modulus of the second transition portion is equal to the Young's modulus of the non-bending portion;

[0014] Preferably, the minimum value of the Young's modulus of the first transition portion is equal to the minimum value of the Young's modulus of the second transition portion;

[0015] Preferably, in the first direction, the width of the first transition portion is equal to the width of the second transition portion, or the width of the first transition portion is smaller than the width of the second transition portion, and the first direction is the arrangement direction of the bendable portion, the transition portion, and the non-bending portion.

[0016] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, materials of the first transition portion and the second transition portion both include fibers, the mass fraction of the fibers in the first transition portion is less than the mass fraction of the fibers in the bendable portion, and the mass fraction of the fibers in the second transition portion is less than the mass fraction of the fibers in the non-bending portion;

[0017] Preferably, the material of the first transition portion and the second transition portion further comprises resin.

[0018] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, at least a surface of the transition portion facing the flexible display panel is a smooth surface;

[0019] Preferably, the bendable portion includes a first surface facing the flexible display panel, and when the support plate is in the unfolded state, the first surface is a plane;

[0020] Preferably, the first transition portion includes a second surface facing the flexible display panel, and when the support plate is in the unfolded state, the second surface is a plane;

[0021] Preferably, the second transition portion includes a third surface facing the flexible display panel, and when the support plate is in the unfolded state, the third surface is a plane;

[0022] Preferably, when the support plate is in the unfolded state, the first surface, the second surface and the third surface are located in the same plane.

[0023] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the mass fraction of the fibers in the bendable portion is in the range of 5% to 10%;

[0024] Preferably, the mass fraction of the fibers in the non-bending portion is in the range of 30% to 50%;

[0025] Preferably, the mass fraction of the fibers in the first transition portion ranges from 0.01% to 5%;

[0026] Preferably, the mass fraction of the fibers in the second transition portion is in the range of 0.01% to 30%.

[0027] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the fiber includes at least one of the following: carbon fiber, glass fiber, boron fiber, carbon nanotube fiber;

[0028] Preferably, the resin includes at least one of the following: acrylate-based resin, epoxy-based resin, siloxane resin, rubber resin, polyurethane-based resin, polyimide-based resin, silicone resin.

[0029] Based on the same inventive concept, in a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a foldable display module, including a flexible display panel and a support plate as in any embodiment of the first aspect;

[0030] The support plate is located on a side away from the light emitting surface of the flexible display panel.

[0031] Based on the same inventive concept, in a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a foldable display device, characterized in that it includes a foldable display module as in any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0032] According to the support plate, foldable display module and foldable display device provided by the embodiments of the present application, since the Young's modulus of the bendable portion is small, the bendable portion is easy to bend, and the bendability and resilience of the support plate in the bendable portion can be ensured. Since the Young's modulus of the non-bending portion is large, the rigidity and strength of the non-bending portion are large, so the non-bending portion of the support plate can effectively support the flexible display panel so that the flexible display panel has good flatness, thereby improving the reliability of the foldable display device. In addition, at least the surface of the bendable portion facing the flexible display panel is a smooth surface, that is, the patterning of the support plate can be avoided, and the glue accumulation phenomenon near the support plate can be reduced, thereby improving the bendability and resilience of the flexible display panel, reducing creases, and avoiding undesirable phenomena such as peeling or even breaking. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Other features, objects and advantages of the present application will become more apparent by reading the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar features and the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0034] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a support plate provided by the related art is shown;

[0035] Figure 2 Show Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross section along the AA direction;

[0036] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a structure of a support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application in an unfolded state;

[0037] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing a distribution of Young's modulus of a support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 5 Another structural schematic diagram showing a support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application in an unfolded state;

[0039] Figure 6 Another schematic diagram showing the distribution of the Young's modulus of the support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing a structure of a foldable display module provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0041] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of a foldable display device provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present application will be described in detail below. In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only configured to explain the present application and are not configured to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can be implemented without the need for some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is only to provide a better understanding of the present application by illustrating the examples of the present application.

[0043] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the statement "include..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0044] It should be understood that when describing the structure of a component, when a layer or a region is referred to as being "on" or "over" another layer or another region, it may mean that it is directly on the other layer or another region, or that other layers or regions are included between it and the other layer or another region. Moreover, if the component is turned over, the layer or a region will be "below" or "beneath" another layer or another region.

[0045] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0046] In the embodiments of the present application, the term “connection” may refer to a direct connection between two components, or may refer to a connection between two components via one or more other components.

[0047] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made in the present application without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is intended to cover modifications and changes of the present application that fall within the scope of the corresponding claims (technical solutions for protection) and their equivalents. It should be noted that the implementation methods provided in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other without contradiction.

[0048] Before describing the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application, in order to facilitate the understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the present application first specifically describes the problems existing in the related art:

[0049] With the development of flexible display technology, flexible display screens have been applied to display devices with a folding structure.

[0050] In some display devices of the related art, a support structure capable of supporting the flexible display screen to a certain extent is provided on the back of the flexible display screen, for example, a stainless steel plate (SUS) or a titanium (Ti) alloy is used as the support structure of the flexible display screen. Figure 1 As shown, the support plate 10 as a whole may be made of a stainless steel plate or a titanium (Ti) alloy, etc. The support plate 10 may include a bending area 11 and a non-bending area 12. In order to ensure the bendability of the support plate 10, the bending area 11 may be patterned. For example, the bending area 11 may include a plurality of etched areas 111, and the area surrounding the etched area 111 may be a non-etched area. The etched area 111 may include a recess or a Figure 2 vias shown.

[0051] The inventors found that since the support plate is made of stainless steel or titanium (Ti) alloy, it has greater rigidity, and the glue material of the film layer near the support plate is easily accumulated at the junction of the etched area and the non-etched area due to uneven force during the bending process, and the accumulated glue will become thicker and thicker, and other glue layers will also accumulate and become thicker at the corresponding positions, eventually causing each film layer to produce creases, peeling, or even breakage due to uneven force during the bending process.

[0052] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a support plate, a foldable display module and a foldable display device, which can ensure the bending resistance and resilience of the support plate at the bendable portion, and avoid patterning of the support plate, thereby reducing the glue accumulation phenomenon near the support plate, thereby improving the bending resistance and resilience of the flexible display panel, reducing creases, and avoiding undesirable phenomena such as peeling or even breaking. In addition, the non-bending portion of the support plate can effectively support the flexible display panel so that the flexible display panel has good flatness, thereby improving the reliability of the foldable display device.

[0053] The following first introduces the support plate provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0054] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a structure of a support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application in an unfolded state. Figure 3 As shown, the support plate 20 may include at least one bendable portion 21 and a non-bending portion 22 connected to the bendable portion 21. The bendable portion 21 may refer to a portion of the support plate 20 that bends when folded, and the non-bending portion 22 may refer to a portion of the support plate 20 that does not bend when folded. The support plate 20 may be used to support a flexible display panel. For example, the flexible display panel may include a bendable display area and a non-bending display area. The bendable portion 21 may correspond to the bendable display area supporting the flexible display panel, and the non-bending portion 22 may correspond to the non-bending display area supporting the flexible display panel.

[0055] like Figure 3As shown, when the support plate 20 is in the unfolded state, the bendable portion 21 and the non-bending portion 22 can form a plane support, which is convenient for the flexible display panel to perform a plane display. When the support plate is in the bent state, the bendable portion 21 of the support plate 20 can be bent. At this time, the non-bending portion 22 supports the non-bending display area of ​​the flexible display panel, and the bendable portion 22 can be supported on the bending display area of ​​the flexible display panel to ensure that the bending activity of the flexible display panel is not restricted, and at the same time, the bending display area of ​​the flexible display panel can have a better bending flatness, thereby achieving a good bending display.

[0056] It should be noted that the number of bendable portions 21 is determined by the number of folds of the foldable display module. If the foldable display module is folded only once (i.e., single fold), the support plate 20 may include one bendable portion 21. If the foldable display module is folded twice (i.e., double fold), the support plate 20 may include two bendable portions 21.

[0057] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the Young's modulus of the support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application. The Young's modulus may refer to a physical quantity of a component's ability to resist deformation. The larger the Young's modulus, the stronger the ability to resist deformation, and the less likely the part is to bend. The smaller the Young's modulus, the weaker the ability to resist deformation, and the easier the part is to bend.

[0058] like Figure 4 As shown, the Young's modulus of the bendable portion 21 is smaller than that of the non-bending portion 22. Since the Young's modulus of the bendable portion 21 is smaller, the bendable portion is easy to bend, and the bending resistance and recovery of the support plate in the bendable portion can be ensured. Since the Young's modulus of the non-bending portion 22 is larger, the non-bending portion 22 has greater rigidity and strength, and therefore the non-bending portion 22 of the support plate can effectively support the flexible display panel so that the flexible display panel has good flatness, thereby improving the reliability of the foldable display device.

[0059] In addition, at least the surface of the bendable portion 21 facing the flexible display panel is a smooth surface. Figure 3 As shown, the surface of the bendable portion 21 facing the flexible display panel is the first surface S1, and at least the first surface S1 of the bendable portion 21 is a smooth surface. The smooth surface may mean that the bendable portion 21 is not patterned, or it may be understood that the bendable portion 21 has no etched area, and the bendable portion 21 has no depression, groove or through hole. When the support plate 20 is in the unfolded state, the first surface S1 of the bendable portion 21 may be a flat surface.

[0060] By avoiding patterning of the support plate, the glue accumulation near the support plate can be reduced, thereby improving the bending resistance and recovery of the flexible display panel, reducing creases, and avoiding peeling or even breakage and other undesirable phenomena.

[0061] As an example, when the support plate 20 is in the unfolded state, the first surface S1 of the bendable portion 21 may be a plane, the fourth surface S4 of the non-bending portion 22 may also be a plane, and the first surface S1 and the fourth surface S4 may be located in the same plane. The fourth surface S4 is the surface of the non-bending portion 22 facing the flexible display panel. The first surface S1 and the fourth surface S4 can also be understood as the supporting surfaces of the bendable portion 21 and the non-bending portion 22. The first surface S1 and the fourth surface S4 together form the supporting surface of the support plate 20 for supporting the flexible display panel. The two are located in the same plane, which can ensure the flatness of the support plate.

[0062] The inventors have found that fibers can be added to the materials of the bendable portion 21 and the non-bending portion 22, and the Young's modulus of the bendable portion 21 and the non-bending portion 22 can be controlled by controlling the mass fraction of the fibers contained in the bendable portion 21 and the non-bending portion 22. The mass fraction of the fibers is positively correlated with the Young's modulus, that is, the greater the mass fraction of the fibers, the greater the Young's modulus, and the smaller the mass fraction of the fibers, the smaller the Young's modulus. Therefore, the materials of the bendable portion 21 and the non-bending portion 22 can both include fibers, and the mass fraction of the fibers in the bendable portion 21 is less than the mass fraction of the fibers in the non-bending portion 22, so that the Young's modulus of the bendable portion 21 can be less than the Young's modulus of the non-bending portion 22.

[0063] The mass fraction of the fibers in the bendable portion 21 may be equal to the mass percentage of the fibers in the total mass of the bendable portion 21 . The mass fraction of the fibers in the non-bending portion 22 may be equal to the mass percentage of the fibers in the total mass of the non-bending portion 22 .

[0064] Optionally, the mass fraction of the fibers in the bendable portion 21 ranges from 5% to 10%. For example, the mass fraction of the fibers in the bendable portion 21 may be 5%, 8%, 10%, and the like.

[0065] Optionally, the mass fraction of the fibers in the non-bending portion 22 ranges from 30% to 50%. For example, the mass fraction of the fibers in the non-bending portion 22 may be 30%, 40%, 50%, and the like.

[0066] As an example, the resin and the fiber can be mixed to obtain a support plate having a flexible composite material. The resin slurry can be mixed with the fiber, and then the flexible composite support plate can be obtained by heating, curing, pressing, cooling and other steps. It is understandable that the mass fraction of the fiber in different regions can be controlled to achieve different Young's moduli in different regions of the support plate.

[0067] Exemplarily, the bendable portion 21 and the non-bending portion 22 may be an integral structure.

[0068] For example, the resin may include a polymer-based resin.

[0069] Exemplarily, the resin may include at least one of the following: an acrylate-based resin, an epoxy-based resin, a siloxane resin, a rubber resin, a polyurethane-based resin, a polyimide-based resin, and a silicone resin.

[0070] Exemplarily, the fiber may include at least one of the following: carbon fiber, glass fiber, boron fiber, carbon nanotube fiber.

[0071] The above are only some specific examples of resins and fibers and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0072] The inventors also found that during the bending process of the support plate of the related technology, the adhesive material of the film layer near the support plate is easily accumulated due to the uneven stress at the junction of the bending area and the non-bending area, and the accumulated adhesive material becomes thicker as the number of bending times increases, which may also cause the film layers to produce creases, peeling, or even breakage due to uneven force during the bending process.

[0073] Figure 5 Another structural schematic diagram showing the support plate provided in the embodiment of the present application in an unfolded state. Figure 5 As shown, the support plate 20 may further include a transition portion 23, and the transition portion 23 may be connected between the bendable portion 21 and the non-bending portion 22. That is, the bendable portion 21 and the non-bending portion 22 are connected through the transition portion 23.

[0074] As another example, the transition portion 23 may include a first transition portion 231 and a second transition portion 232 connected to each other. The first transition portion 231 is connected between the bendable portion 21 and the second transition portion 232 , and the second transition portion 232 is connected between the first transition portion 231 and the non-bending portion 22 .

[0075] like Figure 6 As shown, in the direction away from the bendable portion 21, the Young's modulus of the first transition portion 231 gradually decreases, and in the direction away from the non-bending portion 22, the Young's modulus of the second transition portion 232 gradually decreases. It can be understood that the Young's modulus of the transition portion 23 gradually decreases from both ends to the center, which can effectively reduce the stress difference between the transition portion 23 and the bendable portion 21, and between the transition portion 23 and the non-bending portion 22. At the same time, the low-modulus transition portion 23 can effectively absorb stress, provide a stress buffer zone for the glue near the support plate, reduce the accumulation of glue near the support plate, thereby improving the bending resistance of the flexible display panel and reducing creases.

[0076] For example, the Young's modulus of the first transition portion 231 may decrease linearly in the direction away from the bendable portion 21. The Young's modulus of the second transition portion 232 may also decrease linearly in the direction away from the non-bending portion 22. This allows the transition of the Young's modulus of the first transition portion 231 and the second transition portion 232 to be smoother, thereby more effectively providing a stress buffer zone for the adhesive near the support plate, further improving the bending resistance of the flexible display panel and reducing creases.

[0077] Of course, according to actual needs, the Young's modulus of the first transition portion 231 can be set to decrease in a step-like manner in the direction away from the bendable portion 21, and the Young's modulus of the second transition portion 232 can be set to decrease in a step-like manner in the direction away from the non-bending portion 22. Alternatively, the Young's modulus of the first transition portion 231 and the second transition portion 232 can also be reduced in other ways.

[0078] In some optional embodiments, please continue to refer to Figure 6 , the maximum value of the Young's modulus of the first transition portion 231 is equal to the Young's modulus of the bendable portion 21, and the maximum value of the Young's modulus of the second transition portion 232 is equal to the Young's modulus of the non-bending portion 22. That is to say, in the direction away from the bendable portion 21, the Young's modulus of the first transition portion 231 gradually decreases from the Young's modulus of the bendable portion 21, and in the direction away from the non-bending portion 22, the Young's modulus of the second transition portion 232 gradually decreases from the Young's modulus of the non-bending portion 22. In this way, when bending, the stress of the bendable portion 21 can be released to the first transition portion 231, which can more effectively reduce the stress difference between the transition portion 23 and the bendable portion 21, and between the transition portion 23 and the non-bending portion 22.

[0079] Exemplarily, the minimum value of the Young's modulus of the first transition portion 231 is equal to the minimum value of the Young's modulus of the second transition portion 232 , thereby avoiding a stress difference at the junction of the first transition portion 231 and the second transition portion 232 .

[0080] like Figure 5 As shown, the bendable portion 21, the transition portion 23, and the non-bending portion 22 may be arranged along the first direction X. In the first direction X, the width of the first transition portion 231 may be equal to the width of the second transition portion 232. Alternatively, in the first direction X, the width of the first transition portion 231 may be smaller than the width of the second transition portion 232.

[0081] Taking the Young's modulus of the bendable portion 21 as E1, the Young's modulus of the non-bending portion 22 as E2, and the minimum value of the Young's modulus of the first transition portion 231 and the minimum value of the Young's modulus of the second transition portion 232 as E3 as an example, in the direction away from the bendable portion 21, the Young's modulus of the first transition portion 231 decreases from E1 to E3, and in the direction away from the non-bending portion 22, the Young's modulus of the second transition portion 232 decreases from E2 to E3, E3<E1<E2.

[0082] For example, the Young's modulus of the first transition portion 231 and the second transition portion 232 both decrease linearly. When the widths of the two portions are equal, since E1<E2, in the first direction X, the decrease in the Young's modulus of the first transition portion 231 per unit size is less than the decrease in the Young's modulus of the second transition portion 232 per unit size. When the width of the first transition portion 231 is less than the width of the second transition portion 232, the decrease in the Young's modulus of the first transition portion 231 per unit size may be equal to the decrease in the Young's modulus of the second transition portion 232 per unit size.

[0083] In some optional embodiments, the materials of the first transition section 231 and the second transition section 232 may also both include fibers, the mass fraction of the fibers in the first transition section 231 is less than the mass fraction of the fibers in the bendable section 21, and the mass fraction of the fibers in the second transition section 232 is less than the mass fraction of the fibers in the non-bending section 22.

[0084] Exemplarily, the material of the first transition portion 231 and the second transition portion 232 further includes resin.

[0085] The specific materials of the fiber and the resin in the transition portion 23 may be the same as the specific materials of the fiber and the resin in the bendable portion 21 and the non-bending portion 22 described above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0086] Optionally, the mass fraction of the fibers in the first transition portion is in the range of 0.01% to 5%, and the mass fraction of the fibers in the second transition portion is in the range of 0.01% to 30%.

[0087] In some optional embodiments, at least the surface of the transition portion 23 facing the flexible display panel is a smooth surface. The smooth surface may mean that the transition portion 23 is not patterned, or it can be understood that the transition portion 23 has no etched area, and the transition portion 23 has no structures such as depressions, grooves or through holes. When the support plate 20 is in the unfolded state, the surface of the transition portion 23 facing the flexible display panel may be a flat surface.

[0088] For example, Figure 5As shown, the first transition portion 231 includes a second surface S2 facing the flexible display panel, and the second transition portion 232 includes a third surface S3 facing the flexible display panel. When the support plate 20 is in the unfolded state, the second surface S2 can be a plane, and the third surface S3 can also be a plane.

[0089] Exemplarily, when the support plate 20 is in the unfolded state, the first surface S1 , the second surface S2 and the third surface S3 are located in the same plane to ensure the flatness of the support plate.

[0090] For example, when the support plate 20 is in the unfolded state, the first surface S1 , the second surface S2 , the third surface S3 and the fourth surface S4 may be located in the same plane to ensure the flatness of the support plate.

[0091] Exemplarily, the bendable portion 21 , the non-bending portion 22 , the first transition portion 231 and the second transition portion 232 may be an integral structure.

[0092] Based on the same inventive concept, Figure 7 As shown, the embodiment of the present application also provides a foldable display module 100. The foldable display module 100 may include a flexible display panel 30 and a support plate 20 as in any of the above embodiments. The support plate 20 is located on a side away from the light emitting surface of the flexible display panel 30.

[0093] The foldable display module provided in the embodiment of the present application has the beneficial effects of the support plate provided in the embodiment of the present application. For details, please refer to the specific description of the support plate in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0094] As an example, Figure 7 As shown, the foldable display module 100 may further include a first adhesive layer 41, a support film 42, a second adhesive layer 43, a polarizing plate 44, a third adhesive layer 45, and a flexible cover plate 46. The film layers of the first adhesive layer 41, the support film 42, the second adhesive layer 43, the polarizing plate 44, the third adhesive layer 45, and the flexible cover plate 46 may be positioned as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, no further details are given here.

[0095] Based on the same inventive concept, Figure 8 As shown, the embodiment of the present application also provides a foldable display device 200.

[0096] The foldable display device in the embodiment of the present application can be a mobile phone. It can include a flexible display panel with only a display function, or a flexible display panel with a touch function. The flexible display panel can, for example, be a flexible OLED display panel (Orghnic Light-Emitting Diode, organic light-emitting diode), a flexible liquid crystal display panel (Liquid Crysthl Displhy, LCD for short), or other types of flexible display panels. When the mobile phone is in a folded state, the space occupied by the mobile phone can be made smaller, thereby facilitating the storage and carrying of the mobile phone. When the mobile phone is in an unfolded state, the mobile phone can have a larger display area, thereby facilitating the user to operate and read the mobile phone.

[0097] For another example, the foldable display device can also be a tablet computer, wherein when the tablet computer is in a folded state, if the tablet computer is folded toward the display surface, a part of the tablet computer can be placed horizontally and configured to display a keyboard, thereby forming an office operation area, and the other part can be placed at an angle and configured to display images or text, thereby forming an office display area. In this way, it is convenient for users to perform mobile office operations or game operations. For another example, the foldable display device can also be an electronic paper book, in which case, by bending the electronic paper book, the electronic paper book can present a better folding effect imitating a book.

[0098] For another example, the foldable display device can also be a laptop computer, and the flexible display panel can extend to the keyboard area to expand the display area. In addition, the foldable display device can also be applied to the fields of bionic electronics, electronic skin, wearable devices, vehicle-mounted devices, Internet of Things devices, and artificial intelligence devices, as well as various application scenarios involving bending or folding, which will not be elaborated here.

[0099] According to the embodiments described above in the present application, these embodiments do not describe all the details in detail, nor do they limit the present application to the specific embodiments described. Obviously, many modifications and changes can be made based on the above description. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments in order to better explain the principles and practical applications of the present application, so that those skilled in the art can make good use of the present application and the modifications based on the present application. The present application is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. A support plate, characterized in that: It comprises at least one bendable portion and a non-bending portion connected to the bendable portion; The Young's modulus of the bendable portion is smaller than that of the non-bending portion, and at least the surface of the bendable portion facing the flexible display panel is a smooth surface; The support plate further includes a transition portion, the transition portion being connected between the bendable portion and the non-bending portion; The transition portion includes a first transition portion and a second transition portion connected to each other, the first transition portion is connected between the bendable portion and the second transition portion, the second transition portion is connected between the first transition portion and the non-bending portion, the Young's modulus of the first transition portion gradually decreases in a direction away from the bendable portion, and the Young's modulus of the second transition portion gradually decreases in a direction away from the non-bending portion; The maximum value of the Young's modulus of the first transition portion is equal to the Young's modulus of the bendable portion, the maximum value of the Young's modulus of the second transition portion is equal to the Young's modulus of the non-bending portion, and the minimum value of the Young's modulus of the first transition portion is equal to the minimum value of the Young's modulus of the second transition portion; The materials of the first transition portion and the second transition portion both include fibers, the mass fraction of the fibers in the first transition portion is less than the mass fraction of the fibers in the bendable portion, and the mass fraction of the fibers in the second transition portion is less than the mass fraction of the fibers in the non-bending portion; The material of the first transition portion and the second transition portion further includes resin.

2. The support plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The materials of the bendable portion and the non-bending portion both include fibers, and the mass fraction of the fibers in the bendable portion is less than the mass fraction of the fibers in the non-bending portion.

3. The support plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The material of the bendable portion and the non-bending portion further includes resin.

4. The support plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: In a direction away from the bendable portion, the Young's modulus of the first transition portion decreases linearly.

5. The support plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: In a direction away from the non-bending portion, the Young's modulus of the second transition portion decreases linearly.

6. The support plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: In a first direction, the width of the first transition portion is equal to the width of the second transition portion, or the width of the first transition portion is smaller than the width of the second transition portion, and the first direction is the arrangement direction of the bendable portion, the transition portion, and the non-bending portion.

7. The support plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: At least a surface of the transition portion facing the flexible display panel is a smooth surface.

8. The support plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The bendable portion includes a first surface facing the flexible display panel, and when the support plate is in an unfolded state, the first surface is a plane.

9. The support plate according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first transition portion includes a second surface facing the flexible display panel, and when the support plate is in an unfolded state, the second surface is a plane.

10. The support plate according to claim 9, characterized in that: The second transition portion includes a third surface facing the flexible display panel, and when the support plate is in the unfolded state, the third surface is a plane.

11. The support plate according to claim 10, characterized in that: When the support plate is in an unfolded state, the first surface, the second surface and the third surface are located in the same plane.

12. The support plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mass fraction of the fibers in the bendable portion is in the range of 5% to 10%.

13. The support plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mass fraction of the fibers in the non-bending portion is in the range of 30% to 50%.

14. The support plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The mass fraction of the fibers in the first transition portion is in the range of 0.01% to 5%.

15. The support plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The mass fraction of the fiber in the second transition portion is in the range of 0.01% to 30%.

16. The support plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The fiber includes at least one of the following: carbon fiber, glass fiber, boron fiber, carbon nanotube fiber.

17. The support plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The resin includes at least one of the following: acrylate-based resin, epoxy-based resin, siloxane resin, rubber resin, polyurethane-based resin, polyimide-based resin, and silicone resin.

18. A foldable display module, characterized in that: Comprising a flexible display panel and a support plate as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17; The support plate is located at a side away from the light emitting surface of the flexible display panel.

19. A foldable display device, characterized in that: Comprising the foldable display module according to claim 18.

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