Display module and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a display module and a method for manufacturing the same. The display module includes: a display panel having a first binding area; a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed on the display panel and having a second binding area; and a flexible circuit board (FPC) connecting the first binding area and the second binding area. The FPC has an orthographic projection along the thickness direction of a portion of the PCB located on the display panel. This effectively reduces the distance between the edge of the display panel and the edge of the PCB farthest from the edge of the display panel, thereby reducing the size of the display module beyond the edge of the display panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of display modules, and in particular to a display module and a method for preparing the same. Background Art

[0002] The popularity of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology in the mobile phone and wearable markets is now showing a trend of gradually penetrating the market for larger-sized products, such as laptops, in-car displays, and tablets. For notebook computers (NBs), in the absence of foldable displays, flattened rigid OLEDs are expected to become a mainstream form factor for mid- and low-end NBs from a cost perspective.

[0003] In current display modules, the printed circuit board and the display panel are connected via a flexible circuit board. Specifically, the display module is arranged in sequence with the display panel, the flexible circuit board, and the printed circuit board in the width direction. This arrangement results in a relatively large size of the display module in the width direction. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a display module and a method for manufacturing the same to solve or alleviate one or more technical problems in the prior art.

[0005] As one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, an embodiment of the present application provides a display module, including:

[0006] A display panel having a first binding area;

[0007] a printed circuit board, disposed on the display panel, and having a second binding area; and

[0008] a flexible circuit board, connected to the first binding area and the second binding area respectively;

[0009] The orthographic projection of a portion of the printed circuit board along the thickness direction is located on the display panel.

[0010] In one embodiment, the display panel further has a first connection area disposed opposite to the first binding area;

[0011] A portion of the printed circuit board is disposed on the first connection area.

[0012] In one embodiment, the printed circuit board has a second connection area and a component area. The component area is located on the side opposite to the second connection area, and the position of the component area corresponds to the position of the second connection area. The second connection area is connected to the display panel.

[0013] In one embodiment, the second connection area and the second bonding area are located on the same side of the printed circuit board.

[0014] In one embodiment, the width of the printed circuit board whose orthographic projection along the thickness direction is located outside the display panel is in the range of 2.3 mm to 3 mm.

[0015] In one embodiment, the flexible circuit board includes:

[0016] substrate;

[0017] A first thickened layer is disposed on the substrate; and

[0018] The binding layer is located on the first thickening layer and connected to the first binding area; the binding layer is located on the first thickening layer; wherein the binding layer also passes through the first thickening layer and is connected to the substrate.

[0019] In one embodiment, a second thickened layer is provided on the printed circuit board, and the second binding area is located on the second thickened layer.

[0020] As another aspect of the embodiments of the present application, the embodiments of the present application provide a method for preparing a display module, comprising:

[0021] placing a printed circuit board on the display panel, wherein an orthographic projection of a portion of the printed circuit board in a thickness direction is located on the display panel;

[0022] connecting the flexible circuit board to the first binding area of ​​the display panel;

[0023] The flexible circuit board is connected to the second bonding area of ​​the printed circuit board.

[0024] In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0025] A first thickening layer is provided on the substrate of the flexible circuit board, and a binding layer is provided on the first thickening layer, wherein the binding layer is connected to the first binding area and the binding layer is further connected to the substrate through the first thickening layer.

[0026] In one embodiment, the method further includes: providing a second thickening layer on the printed circuit board, and providing the second binding area on the second thickening layer.

[0027] The embodiments of the present application adopt the above technical solution to achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0028] In this embodiment, the printed circuit board is disposed on the display panel, and at the same time, the orthographic projection of a portion of the printed circuit board in the thickness direction is located on the display panel, that is, the printed circuit board and the display panel can be partially overlapped in the thickness direction, thereby effectively reducing the maximum distance between the edge of the display panel and the printed circuit board in the width direction, that is, reducing the size of the portion of the display module outside the edge of the display panel, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the size of the display module.

[0029] The above summary is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments and features described above, further aspects, embodiments and features of the present application will be readily apparent by reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the multiple drawings represent the same or similar components or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings only depict some embodiments disclosed in this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application.

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a display module according to related art is shown.

[0032] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a display module according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0033] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible circuit board in the display module.

[0034] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the printed circuit board in the display module.

[0035] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a display module according to another embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0036] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible circuit board in the display module is shown.

[0037] Figure 7 for Figure 5 The structure diagram of the printed circuit board in the display module is shown.

[0038] Description of reference numerals:

[0039] 100, display panel; 101, first binding area; 102, first connection area; 200, printed circuit board; 201, second binding area; 202, second connection area; 203, second thickening layer; 204, component area; 300, flexible circuit board; 301, main body; 302, first thickening layer; 303, binding layer; 400, heat dissipation film; 500, polarizer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Hereinafter, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the described embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0041] In related art, Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a display module according to related art is shown.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the display module includes a display panel 100, a flexible circuit board 300 and a printed circuit board 200 arranged in sequence along the width direction, wherein the display panel 100 and the printed circuit board 200 are connected by the flexible circuit board 300 arranged therebetween, thereby realizing the control and adjustment of the display panel 100 through the printed circuit board 200.

[0043] The connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the display panel 100 can be located at the end of the printed circuit board 200 closest to the display panel 100 or at the end of the printed circuit board 200 further away from the display panel 100. The components on the printed circuit board 200 can face upward or downward. The rigid display panel 100 can be fabricated directly onto a glass substrate for integrated circuits, while the flexible substrate is composed of at least one inorganic / organic laminate. This simplifies the manufacturing process for rigid products and reduces costs. Furthermore, the flattened display module eliminates the need for a bending step, simplifying the process and avoiding the resulting losses associated with the bending step, further controlling costs.

[0044] In terms of positional relationship, the printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100 are usually rigid and arranged in parallel or approximately / close to parallel. The flexible circuit board 300 is usually flexible and can be bent. A safety distance is usually set between the edge of the printed circuit board 200 and the edge of the display panel 100 to prevent the printed circuit board 200 from bending or shaking during the production process, causing the printed circuit board 200 to hit the edge of the display panel 100 and cause the display panel 100 to break. The flexible circuit board 300 is located above this safety distance, spanning the edge of the printed circuit board 200 and the edge of the display panel 100 and connecting to both.

[0045] based on Figure 1 For the display module shown in or similar display modules, the display module has a problem of being large in size, especially in the width direction, that is, the size of the lower frame of the display panel 100 is large, wherein the lower frame of the display module mainly includes the following parts, such as Figure 1As shown in the figure, ① the edge dimension of the display panel 100 in the width direction; ② the minimum distance between the edge of the display panel 100 and the edge of the printed circuit board 200 in the width direction; and ③ the width dimension of the printed circuit board 200. The width dimension of the display module is mainly the sum of ①, ②, and ③.

[0046] Regarding ①, the edge size of the display panel 100 in the width direction is determined according to the display panel 100 itself, and needs to be adjusted by adjusting the display panel 100.

[0047] Regarding ②, the minimum distance between the edge of the display panel 100 and the edge of the printed circuit board 200 in the width direction. The display module requires that the edge of the display panel 100 and the edge of the printed circuit board 200 maintain a specified safety distance to prevent the printed circuit board 200 from hitting the edge of the display panel 100 due to bending of the flexible circuit board 300 or shaking of the printed circuit board 200 during the production process, causing the edge of the display panel 100 to crack.

[0048] Regarding the width of the printed circuit board 200 (③). Since the flexible circuit board 300 and printed circuit board 200 must be pressed together using a pressing jig to achieve the connection, a clearance area must be reserved between the first connection point between the flexible circuit board 300 and the printed circuit board 200 and the components. Specifically, if the first connection point and the components are on the same side, a safe distance must be provided between them to serve as a clearance area. If the first connection point and the components are on opposite sides, the components and the first connection point must also be offset, and a safe distance must be provided at the offset locations to serve as a clearance area. Regardless of whether the first connection point and the components are on the same side or on opposite sides, the width of the resulting printed circuit board 200 remains similar. This ensures that direct damage to the components by the pressing jig or damage from high temperatures during pressing is avoided. The dimensions of the printed circuit board 200 (③) are relatively fixed and need to be determined based on the actual design of the printed circuit board 200.

[0049] and Figure 1 In the display module shown, since the flexible circuit board 300 is flexible and bendable, the printed circuit board 200 may produce irregular shaking due to its own weight during production, transportation, and logistics, causing the flexible circuit board 300 and the printed circuit board 200, as well as the flexible circuit board 300 and the display panel 100, to be pulled and fall off, resulting in damage.

[0050] Mainly focusing on ② the minimum distance between the edge of the display panel 100 and the edge of the printed circuit board 200 in the width direction and the maximum distance between the edge of the display panel 100 and the printed circuit board 200 in the width direction.

[0051] The inventors of the present application provide the following display panel 100, which can effectively reduce the maximum distance between the edge of the display panel 100 and the printed circuit board 200 in the width direction, that is, reduce the size of the portion outside the edge of the display panel 100 in the display module, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the size of the display module.

[0052] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display module according to an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the display module includes:

[0053] The display panel 100 has a first binding area 101;

[0054] The printed circuit board 200 is disposed on the display panel 100 and has a second binding area 201; and

[0055] The flexible circuit board 300 is connected to the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201 respectively;

[0056] The orthographic projection of a portion of the printed circuit board 200 along the thickness direction is located on the display panel 100 .

[0057] The display module of this embodiment may be a display module of a product such as a notebook computer, a car display, or a tablet computer, or may be other products.

[0058] The display panel 100 has a first binding area 101, which can be an integrated circuit or interface, welding point, etc. for connecting to the flexible circuit board 300; it can be directly manufactured on the glass substrate of the display panel 100 or set on the display panel 100 so as to be connected to the flexible circuit board 300.

[0059] The printed circuit board 200 has a second binding area 201. The first binding area 101 can be an integrated circuit or interface, welding point, etc. used to connect to the printed circuit board 200; it can be directly manufactured or set on the printed circuit board 200 so as to be connected to the flexible circuit board 300.

[0060] In this embodiment, the printed circuit board 200 is disposed on the display panel 100. Specifically, the printed circuit board 200 is fixed to the display panel 100. This fixing method can be direct contact and fixation between the printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100, or indirect fixation between the printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100, such as fixing the printed circuit board 200 to the display panel 100 via adhesive. The printed circuit board 200 may be in direct contact or non-contact with the display panel 100, as long as the printed circuit board 200 is fixed to the display panel 100. The printed circuit board 200 can be mounted on the display panel 100 by bolting, or by bonding, snap-fitting, or other connection methods. In the method in which the printed circuit board 200 is mounted on the display panel 100, adhesive can be applied to the side surfaces of the edge of the display panel 100 to adhere the printed circuit board 200 to the display panel 100, thereby achieving the printed circuit being mounted on the display panel 100. Alternatively, adhesive or fasteners may be provided on the edge of the printed circuit board 200 to affix or fasten the printed circuit board 200 to the back of the display panel 100. There are many ways to arrange the printed circuit board 200 on the display panel 100, which will not be described in detail here. Figure 2 In this embodiment, adhesive is applied between the top surface of the printed circuit board 200 and the back surface of the display panel 100 to bond the two together. This method is cost-effective and effective, and does not require any modifications to the display panel 100 or printed circuit board 200. Specifically, the second connection between the display panel 100 and the printed circuit board 200 is located on the side of the printed circuit board 200 opposite the components, and the position of the second connection corresponds to the position of the components. In this embodiment, the corresponding arrangement can be an overlap or inclusion relationship in the orthographic projection of the two in the thickness direction, for example, the orthographic projection of the component in the thickness direction is located within the orthographic projection of the second connection in the thickness direction, or the orthographic projection of the component in the thickness direction is located within the orthographic projection of the second connection in the thickness direction, or partial overlap. This allows the reserved clearance area between the first connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the printed circuit board 200 and the components to be used as the connection location for the second connection, thereby eliminating the need to increase the width of the printed circuit board 200 and effectively allowing the printed circuit board 200 to be placed on the display panel 100.

[0061] The connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101, as well as the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, are both electrical connections. Specifically, the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 can be electrically connected by binding, enabling electrical conduction between the flexible circuit board 300 and the display panel 100 when an external power source is provided. Similarly, the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201 can be electrically connected by binding, enabling electrical conduction between the flexible circuit board 300 and the printed circuit board when an external power source is provided. The flexible circuit board 300 is provided with a third binding area corresponding to the first binding area 101 and a fourth binding layer 303 corresponding to the second binding area 201. The fourth binding area is the binding layer 303 described in the following embodiments. The connection between the first binding area 101 and the third binding area, and the connection between the second binding area 201 and the fourth binding area, enables signal exchange between the printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100. For example, the display of the display panel 100 can be controlled by the printed circuit board 200.

[0062] In this embodiment, the orthographic projection of a portion of the printed circuit board 200 along the thickness direction is located on the display panel 100. In some examples, a portion of the printed circuit board 200 is disposed on the back surface of the display panel 100. Alternatively, the printed circuit board 200 may be connected to the display panel 100 via its edge or the edge of the display panel 100, with a portion of the printed circuit board 200 located below the display panel 100, for example, by applying adhesive to the edge of the display panel 100 to adhere the printed circuit board 200 to the display panel 100, with a portion of the printed circuit board 200 located below the display panel 100.

[0063] In this embodiment, the printed circuit board 200 is disposed on the display panel 100, and at the same time, the orthographic projection of part of the printed circuit board 200 in the thickness direction is located on the display panel 100, that is, in the thickness direction, the printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100 can be partially overlapped, thereby effectively reducing the maximum distance between the edge of the display panel 100 and the printed circuit board 200 in the width direction, that is, reducing the size of the portion of the display module outside the edge of the display panel 100, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the size of the display module.

[0064] Moreover, in related technologies, such as Figure 1In the illustrated technology, a safe distance is maintained between the display panel 100 and the printed circuit board 200 by placing a flexible circuit board 300 thereon. Both the display panel 100 and the printed circuit board 200 have their own weights, forcing the flexible circuit board 300 to withstand the forces acting upon them. In particular, due to its own weight, the printed circuit board 200 may experience irregular oscillations during production, handling, and logistics, placing certain pressure on the flexible circuit board 300 and shortening its service life. In this embodiment, by placing the printed circuit board 200 on the display panel 100, a corresponding connection is established between the printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100, thereby reducing or even eliminating the pressure on the flexible circuit board 300 and extending its service life.

[0065] In one example, since the second binding area 201 and the flexible circuit board 300 need to be connected, the orthographic projection of the second binding area 201 in the thickness direction is located outside the display panel 100. Figure 2 , the edge of the display panel 100 is on the right side, and a portion of the printed circuit board 200 is disposed on the back side of the display panel 100. Figure 2 This is reflected in the fact that part of the printed circuit board 200 extends to the left beyond the edge of the display panel 100. In this display module, the lower frame of the display module is composed of the following parts: ① the width of the edge of the display panel 100; ② the minimum distance from the display panel 100 to the second binding area 201; ③ the width of the second binding area 201. The size of the lower frame of the display module is equivalent to the sum of ①, ② and ③. The maximum distance between the edge of the display panel 100 and the printed circuit board 200 in the width direction is equivalent to the sum of ② and ③. Figure 1 Compared with the lower frame of the display module of the embodiment, in the lower frame of the display module of this embodiment, the width of the second binding area 201 is about 1 mm to 2 mm. The minimum width of the printed circuit board 200 in the related art is 7.5 mm. The former is much smaller than the latter, which can significantly reduce the width of the lower frame of the display module, that is, reduce the size of the display module. In addition, Figure 1 In the related art, the minimum distance between the edge of the display panel 100 and the edge of the printed circuit board 200 in the width direction is about 1 mm. However, in this embodiment, the minimum distance between the display panel 100 and the second binding area 201 depends mainly on the accuracy of the fourth binding area of ​​the flexible circuit board 300 and the position accuracy of the second binding area 201 when the printed circuit board 200 is manufactured. The total distance can be within 0.5 mm, thereby further reducing the bottom frame of the display panel 100. In other words, for Figure 1The maximum distance between the edge of the display panel 100 and the printed circuit board 200 in the width direction of the display panel 100 is shown in FIG. Figure 2 The sum of ② and ③ is much smaller than Figure 1 The sum of ② and ③ can significantly reduce the width dimension of the display module.

[0066] In one embodiment, the display panel 100 further has a first connection area 102 disposed opposite to the first binding area 101;

[0067] A portion of the printed circuit board 200 is disposed on the first connection area 102 .

[0068] In this embodiment, the first binding area 101 is provided on the front surface of the display panel 100 , and the first connection area 102 is provided on the back surface of the display panel 100 .

[0069] If the connection between the printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100 is not strong enough during transportation or vibration of the display module, the printed circuit board 200 may easily fall off the display panel 100, affecting the connection between the flexible circuit board 300, the printed circuit board 200, and the display panel 100, thereby damaging the display module.

[0070] To address the above issues, in this embodiment, a first connection region 102 is defined on the display panel 100, opposite the first binding region 101. A sufficiently large area on the back of the display panel 100 is provided to define the first connection region 102. This prevents the first connection region 102 from interfering with the first binding region 101. By arranging a portion of the printed circuit board 200 on the first connection region 102, the connection range between the printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100 is increased, thereby enhancing the connection strength between the printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100. This prevents the printed circuit board 200 from easily falling off the display panel 100 due to insufficient connection strength between the two, thereby affecting the connection between the flexible circuit board 300, the printed circuit board 200, and the display panel 100, and causing damage to the display module.

[0071] In one example, glue is provided on the first connection area 102 , and the printed circuit board 200 is adhered to the first connection area 102 via the glue.

[0072] In one embodiment, the printed circuit board 200 has a second connection area 202 and a component area 204 . The component area 204 is located on the side opposite to the second connection area 202 , and the position of the component area 204 corresponds to the position of the second connection area 202 . The second connection area 202 is connected to the display panel 100 .

[0073] Because components such as resistors, capacitors, diodes, or transistors are typically installed on the printed circuit board 200, these components typically occupy a certain area on the main body of the printed circuit board 200. The component area 204 in this embodiment is used to accommodate these components and includes the portion of the printed circuit board 200 that contains these components. Components are typically installed on one surface of the printed circuit board 200, meaning that the component area 204 is located on one surface of the printed circuit board 200.

[0074] Because the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201 of the printed circuit board 200 need to be pressed together using a pressing jig to achieve connection between them, to prevent direct damage to components by the pressing jig or damage to components by the high temperature during pressing, the printed circuit board 200 is designed to avoid misalignment between the first binding area 101 and the components. Because the back of the first binding area 101 needs to be pressed together, no other components or second connection areas 202 can be placed in the area that partially or completely overlaps the surface opposite the first binding area 101. In this case, the area corresponding to the surface opposite the component area 204 can be placed on the display panel 100 as the second connection area 202. Specifically, the second connection area 202 is connected to the first connection area 102, which does not affect the components or the connection between the first binding area 101 and the flexible printed circuit board. There is no need to add another area on the printed circuit board 200 to serve as the second connection area 202.

[0075] The position of the component area 204 corresponds to the position of the second connection area 202, and the two can overlap or partially overlap with each other after rotation. In order to avoid mutual influence between the second connection area 202 domain and the first binding area 101, the second connection area 202 domain and the first binding area 101 do not overlap with each other, including the area without overlap after rotation.

[0076] In one embodiment, the second connection region 202 and the second binding region 201 are located on the same side of the printed circuit board 200 .

[0077] In order to further reduce the size of the printed circuit board 200 in the width direction and make the flexible circuit board 300 simpler in design without complicated design, in this embodiment, since the component area 204 and the second connection area 202 are located on opposite sides and correspond to each other in position, and by locating the second connection area 202 and the second binding area 201 on the same side of the printed circuit board 200, when the second connection area 202 is connected to the display panel 100, the position of the second binding area 201 and the position of the first binding area 101 are both facing each other, that is, Figure 2As shown, they are all exposed upward, which makes it convenient for the flexible circuit board 300 to connect the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201, so that the connection between the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201 can be more stable, and the design of the flexible circuit board 300 is also simpler, without the need for too many bending or folding operations.

[0078] In one embodiment, the width of the printed circuit board 200 whose orthographic projection along the thickness direction is located outside the display panel 100 ranges from 2.3 mm to 3 mm.

[0079] In the display module of the related art, the width of the display module outside the display panel 100 is the width of the printed circuit board 200 ( Figure 1 ③) plus the minimum distance between the edge of the display panel 100 and the edge of the printed circuit board 200 in the width direction ( Figure 1 ② in the figure). The minimum width of the printed circuit board 200 is 7 mm to 8 mm, and the safety distance between the printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100 (i.e., the minimum distance between the edge of the display panel 100 and the edge of the printed circuit board 200 in the width direction, Figure 1 The minimum width of ②) is 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm to prevent interference between the second binding area 201 and the first binding area 101 of the display panel 100 due to material tolerance and binding process tolerance. Therefore, the width of the display module outside the display panel 100 is 7.5 mm to 9 mm in total.

[0080] In this embodiment, the width of the display module outside the display panel 100 is the width of the second binding area 201 ( Figure 2 ③) plus the minimum distance between the edge of the second binding area 201 and the display panel 100 ( Figure 2 ② in the figure). The width of the second binding area 201 can be set to 2 mm to 2.5 mm to ensure that the second binding area 201 can be connected to the flexible circuit board 300. The minimum distance between the edge of the second binding area 201 and the display panel 100 is 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm to avoid interference between the second binding area 201 and the first binding area 101 of the display panel 100 due to material tolerances and binding process tolerances. Therefore, in this embodiment, the width of the printed circuit board 200 whose orthographic projection along the thickness direction is located outside the display panel 100 is in the range of 2.3 mm to 3 mm. This ensures that there will be no interference between the second binding area 201 and the first binding area 101 of the display panel 100 due to material tolerances and binding process tolerances on the display panel 100, while also ensuring that the second binding area 201 can be stably and reliably connected to the flexible circuit board 300.

[0081] Compared with the display panel 100 of the related art, the width of the display panel 100 outside the display panel 100 of this embodiment can be reduced by 5 mm to 7 mm, which means that when the width of the display panel 100 and the width of the printed circuit board 200 remain unchanged, the display module can be reduced by 5.2 mm to 6 mm.

[0082] In one embodiment, the flexible circuit board 300 includes:

[0083] Base 301;

[0084] The first thickening layer 302 is provided on the substrate 301.

[0085] a binding layer 303 , the binding layer 303 being located on the first thickening layer 302 and connected to the first binding region 101 ; and

[0086] The binding layer 303 also passes through the first thickening layer 302 and is connected to the substrate 301 .

[0087] To implement any of the above-described embodiments, and in particular to achieve the binding of the flexible circuit board 300 to the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201, the flexible circuit board 300 needs to be optimized. Since both the display panel 100 and the printed circuit board 200 are rigid and inflexible, and the printed circuit board 200 is disposed on the back of the display panel 100 and the first binding area 101 is disposed on the front of the display panel 100, the second binding area 201, while disposed in the same direction as the first binding area 101, is not located at the same height. This means that after the flexible circuit board 300 is connected to the first binding area 101, it needs to be bent and pressed downward to connect to the second binding area 201. This adversely affects the manufacturing process of the flexible circuit board 300, the reliability of the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101, and the reliability of the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201.

[0088] First, from the aspect of the manufacturing process of the flexible circuit board 300, since the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201 are relatively close in the horizontal direction, the minimum value of the distance in the display panel 100 in the related art is about 1 mm ( Figure 1 ②), the minimum value of the distance in the display panel 100 of the above embodiment can be achieved within 0.5 mm ( Figure 2②). If the flexible circuit board 300 is conventionally designed with uniform thickness, after being connected to the first binding area 101, the flexible circuit board 300 needs to be bent and pressed downward to connect to the second binding area 201. However, the shape of the flexible circuit board 300 after being bent and pressed cannot be guaranteed. Moreover, the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201 must achieve a certain degree of precision. Therefore, the bending of the flexible circuit board 300 will affect the yield of the binding process between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and the binding process between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, and may even make it impossible to accurately align the flexible circuit board 300 with the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201.

[0089] Secondly, the bending deformation of the flexible circuit board 300 due to downward pressure will generate reverse tensile stress at the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201. This reverse tensile stress will continue to exist throughout the product life cycle, affecting the reliability and trustworthiness of the binding between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and the binding between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201. This creates the risk of the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and / or the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201 falling off, resulting in a reduction in the service life of the display module.

[0090] To this end, in this embodiment, a first thickening layer 302 is provided on the substrate 301 of the flexible circuit board 300. The first thickening layer 302 can be a single layer of pre-preg semi-cured adhesive, or a sandwich structure of adhesive-polyester resin (PET)-adhesive, or adhesive-polyimide (PI)-adhesive. To facilitate the provision of the binding layer 303, the first thickening layer 302 further includes a polyimide layer provided on its surface as a carrier for the binding layer 303.

[0091] like Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible circuit board 300 in the display module, the left side of the flexible circuit board 300 in the figure is the area bound to the first binding area 101, the right side of the flexible circuit board 300 is the binding layer 303 bound to the second binding area 201, and the thickened part of the first thickened layer 302 is the binding layer 303 on the right, and the thickened part is facing downward.

[0092] The binding layer 303 passes through the first thickened layer 302 and is connected to the substrate 301. This can be achieved by punching and copper electroplating. Holes are punched at corresponding positions on the first thickened layer 302, and copper electroplating can be used to electrically connect the binding layer 303 to the substrate 301.

[0093] The thickness of the first thickening layer 302 can be 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm. Actual measurements of the display module in the above embodiment show a height difference of 0.253 mm between the first binding area 101 on the display panel 100 and the second binding area 201 on the printed circuit board 200. The first thickening layer 302 can fill this height difference. Considering the potential differences between products, the thickness of the first thickening layer 302 is not further specified herein.

[0094] In this embodiment, the binding layer 303 of the flexible circuit board 300 is thickened by the first thickening layer 302 to fill the height difference between the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201. This allows the flexible circuit board 300 to be in a horizontal or nearly horizontal state when the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201 are bound. This effectively ensures the precise alignment of the flexible circuit board 300 with the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201, and prevents the flexible circuit board 300 from bending when pressed downward, which would affect the yield of the binding process between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and the binding process between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, and even prevent the flexible circuit board 300 from being accurately aligned with the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201.

[0095] At the same time, there is no need to bend the flexible circuit board 300, so that no reverse tensile stress will be generated at the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and at the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, thereby effectively improving the reliability and trustworthiness of the binding between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and at the binding between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, avoiding the risk of falling off at the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and / or at the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, and ensuring the service life of the display module.

[0096] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the printed circuit board 200 in the display module is shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown, the second binding area 201 is an area for binding with the binding layer 303 of the flexible circuit board 300. The double-sided tape is used to fix the printed circuit board 200 to the back of the display panel 100 so that the printed circuit board 200 has no movable components.

[0097] In one embodiment, a second thickening layer 203 is provided on the printed circuit board 200 , and the second binding area 201 is located on the second thickening layer 203 .

[0098] like Figure 5 As shown. The lower frame of the display panel 100 of this embodiment is still Figure 2 The structure is the same, and the difference between this embodiment and the above embodiment is that: in this embodiment, the third binding area and the fourth binding area of ​​the flexible circuit board 300 are designed to be of equal thickness, that is, the third binding area and the fourth binding area are located on the same horizontal plane or a similar horizontal plane. The second binding area 201 of the printed circuit board 200 is designed to be thickened to fill the height difference between the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201, and the thickened part is directed upward. Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a flexible circuit board 300 in the display module shown; Figure 7 for Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a printed circuit board 200 in a display module.

[0099] In this embodiment, a second thickening layer 203 is provided on the printed circuit board 200. The second thickening layer 203 may be a single layer of pre-preg semi-cured adhesive, or a sandwich structure of adhesive-polyester resin (PET)-adhesive, or a sandwich structure of adhesive-polyimide (PI)-adhesive. To facilitate the provision of the second binding area 201, the first thickening layer 302 further includes a polyimide layer provided on its surface as a carrier for the second binding area 201.

[0100] The second binding area 201 is connected to the printed circuit board 200 through the second thickened layer 203, which can be achieved by punching and copper electroplating. Holes are punched at corresponding positions on the second thickened layer 203, and the second binding area 201 can be connected to the printed circuit board 200 by copper electroplating.

[0101] The thickness of the second thickening layer 203 can be 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm. Actual measurements of the display module in the above embodiment show a height difference of 0.253 mm between the first binding area 101 on the display panel 100 and the second binding area 201 on the printed circuit board 200. The second thickening layer 203 can fill this height difference. Considering the potential differences between products, the thickness of the second thickening layer 203 is not further specified herein.

[0102] It should be noted that, similar to the above-described method of providing the first thickening layer 302 on the flexible circuit board 300, in some embodiments, the first thickening layer 302 can be provided on the flexible circuit board 300 and the second thickening layer 203 can be provided on the printed circuit board 200 at the same time, thereby simultaneously thickening the flexible circuit board 300 and the printed circuit board 200, thereby effectively filling the height difference between the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201. Detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0103] In this embodiment, the second thickening layer 203 is used to thicken the binding layer 303 of the flexible circuit board 300 to fill the height difference between the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201, so that the flexible circuit board 300 is in a horizontal or nearly horizontal state when the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201 are bound. This effectively ensures the precise alignment of the flexible circuit board 300 with the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201, and avoids the problem that the flexible circuit board 300 is bent when pressed downward, which would affect the yield of the binding process between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and the binding process between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, and even cause the flexible circuit board 300 to fail to accurately align with the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201.

[0104] At the same time, there is no need to bend the flexible circuit board 300, so that no reverse tensile stress will be generated at the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and at the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, thereby effectively improving the reliability and trustworthiness of the binding between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and the binding between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, avoiding the risk of falling off at the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and / or the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, and ensuring the service life of the display module.

[0105] In one embodiment, the display module further includes:

[0106] The heat dissipation film 400 is disposed on the back surface of the display panel 100 .

[0107] The heat dissipation film 400 is used to dissipate heat from the display panel 100 , thereby enabling the display panel 100 to have better heat dissipation performance, ensuring that the display module can have a longer service life during use and improving the service life of the display module.

[0108] In addition, since the printed circuit board 200 is arranged on the back of the display panel 100 in this embodiment, the temperature of the display panel 100 may further increase during operation. At this time, the heat dissipation film 400 can effectively reduce the temperature of the back of the display panel 100, so that the display panel 100 can maintain better performance during operation.

[0109] In one embodiment, the display module further includes:

[0110] The polarizer 500 is disposed on the front surface of the display panel 100 .

[0111] The polarizer 500 is used to reflect ambient light and transmit light within the display panel 100 , thereby eliminating the influence of ambient light on the display panel 100 and effectively improving the display effect of the display panel 100 .

[0112] As another aspect of the embodiments of the present application, the embodiments of the present application provide a method for preparing a display module, comprising:

[0113] The printed circuit board 200 is arranged on the display panel, wherein the orthographic projection of a portion of the printed circuit board 200 along the thickness direction is located on the display panel;

[0114] Connecting the flexible circuit board 300 to the first binding area 101 of the display panel;

[0115] The flexible circuit board 300 is connected to the second bonding area 201 of the printed circuit board 200 .

[0116] The display module in any of the above embodiments can be manufactured by the method for manufacturing the display module of this embodiment.

[0117] The printed circuit board can be set on the display panel by means of bolt connection, or by means of bonding, snap connection or other connection methods. In the method of setting the printed circuit board on the display panel, adhesive can be set on the side of the edge of the display panel to bond the printed circuit board to the display panel, thereby achieving the setting of the printed circuit on the display panel. It is also possible to set adhesive, fasteners, etc. on the edge of the printed circuit board and stick or buckle it on the back of the display panel. There are many ways to set the printed circuit board on the display panel, which will not be repeated here. Figure 2 In the present invention, adhesive is provided between the upper surface of the printed circuit board and the back surface of the display panel to bond the two together. This method has low cost and good effect, and does not require improvement of the display panel and the printed circuit board.

[0118] Regarding connecting the flexible circuit board 300 to the first binding area 101 of the display panel, the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 can be bound by welding or patching, thereby achieving electrical connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 of the display panel, so that electrical signals can be transmitted between the flexible circuit board 300 and the display panel through the first binding area 101. Specifically, the process of binding the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 can be as follows:

[0119] The third binding area of ​​the flexible circuit board 300 is bonded to the first binding area 101 using anisotropic conductive adhesive; the third binding area of ​​the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 are heated and pressure is applied to the pressure head of the hot pressing equipment to complete the binding of the third binding area of ​​the flexible circuit board and the first binding area 101, so that the third binding area of ​​the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 can achieve electrical conduction.

[0120] Similarly, the flexible circuit board 300 is connected to the second binding area 201 of the printed circuit board. The flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201 can be bound by welding or patching, thereby achieving an electrical connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201 of the printed circuit board, so that the flexible circuit board 300 can transmit electrical signals between the second binding area 201 and the printed circuit board.

[0121] The process of binding the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201 may specifically be:

[0122] The fourth binding area of ​​the flexible circuit board 300 is bonded to the second binding area 201 using anisotropic conductive adhesive; the fourth binding area of ​​the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201 are heated and pressure is applied to the fourth binding area of ​​the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201 by the pressure head of the hot pressing equipment to complete the binding of the fourth binding area of ​​the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, so that the fourth binding area of ​​the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201 can achieve electrical conduction.

[0123] In this embodiment, the orthographic projection of a portion of the printed circuit board along the thickness direction is located on the display panel. In some examples, a portion of the printed circuit board is disposed on the back surface of the display panel. Alternatively, the printed circuit board may be connected to the display panel via its edge or the edge of the display panel, with a portion of the printed circuit board located below the display panel, for example, by applying adhesive to the edge of the display panel to adhere the printed circuit board to the display panel, with a portion of the printed circuit board located below the display panel.

[0124] In this embodiment, the printed circuit board is disposed on the display panel, and at the same time, the orthographic projection of a portion of the printed circuit board in the thickness direction is located on the display panel, that is, the printed circuit board and the display panel can be partially overlapped in the thickness direction, thereby effectively reducing the maximum distance between the edge of the display panel and the printed circuit board in the width direction, that is, reducing the size of the portion of the display module outside the edge of the display panel, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the size of the display module.

[0125] In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0126] A first thickening layer 302 is provided on the substrate 301 of the flexible circuit board 300 , and a binding layer 303 is provided on the first thickening layer 302 , wherein the binding layer 303 is connected to the first binding area 101 , and the binding layer 303 is connected to the substrate 301 through the first thickening layer 302 .

[0127] A first thickening layer 302 is provided on the base 301 of the flexible circuit board 300, wherein the first thickening layer 302 is formed by coating a single layer of pre-preg semi-cured adhesive layer of pre-impregnated polyester colloid, a sandwich structure of colloid-polyester resin (PET)-colloid, or a sandwich structure of colloid-polyimide (PI)-colloid on the base 301 of the flexible circuit board 300.

[0128] The binding layer 303 passes through the first thickened layer 302 and is connected to the substrate 301. This can be achieved by punching and copper electroplating. Holes are punched at corresponding positions on the first thickened layer 302, and copper electroplating can be used to electrically connect the binding layer 303 to the substrate 301.

[0129] In this embodiment, by providing a first thickened layer 302 on the base 301 of the flexible circuit board 300, the binding layer 303 on the flexible circuit board 300 is raised to compensate for the height difference between the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201. Consequently, the flexible circuit board 300 does not need to be bent during the connection between the binding layer 303 and the second binding area 201, and the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101. This avoids the problem of bending the flexible circuit board 300 downward, which would affect the yield of the binding process between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and the binding process between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, and even prevent the flexible circuit board 300 from being accurately aligned with the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201. It also effectively improves the reliability and trustworthiness of the binding between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and the binding between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, avoids the risk of falling off at the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and / or the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, and ensures the service life of the display module.

[0130] In one embodiment, the method further includes: disposing a second thickening layer 203 on the printed circuit board, and disposing the second binding area 201 on the second thickening layer 203 .

[0131] A second thickening layer 203 is provided on the substrate of the printed circuit board. The second thickening layer 203 is formed by coating a single layer of pre-preg semi-cured adhesive, such as an adhesive-polyester resin (PET)-adhesive sandwich structure, or an adhesive-polyimide (PI)-adhesive sandwich structure, on the printed circuit board. This allows the binding layer 303 on the flexible circuit board 300 to be raised in height to compensate for the height difference between the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201.

[0132] The second binding area 201 is connected to the printed circuit board through the second thickened layer 203, which can be achieved by punching and copper electroplating. Holes are punched at corresponding positions on the second thickened layer 203, and the second binding area 201 can be connected to the main body of the printed circuit board by copper electroplating.

[0133] This embodiment, by providing a second thickened layer 203 on the printed circuit board substrate, eliminates the need for bending the flexible circuit board 300 during the connection between the binding layer 303 and the second binding area 201, and the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101. This prevents bending the flexible circuit board 300, which would affect the yield of the binding process between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201, and even prevents the flexible circuit board 300 from being accurately aligned with the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201. Furthermore, the reliability and dependability of the binding between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201 are effectively improved, preventing the risk of detachment at the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the first binding area 101 and / or the connection between the flexible circuit board 300 and the second binding area 201, thereby ensuring the service life of the display module.

[0134] It should be noted that, similar to the above-described method of providing the first thickening layer 302 on the flexible circuit board 300, in some embodiments, the first thickening layer 302 can be provided on the flexible circuit board 300 and the second thickening layer 203 can be provided on the printed circuit board at the same time, thereby simultaneously thickening the flexible circuit board 300 and the printed circuit board, thereby effectively filling the height difference between the first binding area 101 and the second binding area 201. Detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0135] Other components of the display module of the above embodiment may adopt various technical solutions known to those skilled in the art now and in the future, and will not be described in detail here.

[0136] In the description of this specification, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do 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 should not be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0137] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0138] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "installed," "connected," "connect," and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection, electrical connection, or communication; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0139] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0140] The disclosure above provides many different embodiments or examples for realizing different structures of the present application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, the components and settings of specific examples are described above. Of course, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present application. In addition, the present application may repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples. Such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed.

[0141] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and such modifications or substitutions should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A display module, characterized in that: include: A display panel having a first binding area; a printed circuit board, disposed on the display panel and having a second binding area; as well as a flexible circuit board, connected to the first binding area and the second binding area respectively; Part of the printed circuit board's orthographic projection along the thickness direction is located on the display panel, and the display panel further has a first connection area disposed opposite to the first binding area; part of the printed circuit board is disposed on the first connection area.

2. The display module according to claim 1, wherein: The printed circuit board has a second connection area and a component area. The component area is located on the side opposite to the second connection area, and the position of the component area corresponds to the position of the second connection area. The second connection area is connected to the display panel.

3. The display module according to claim 2, wherein: The second connection area and the second binding area are located on the same side of the printed circuit board.

4. The display module according to claim 1, wherein: The width of the printed circuit board whose orthographic projection along the thickness direction is located outside the display panel is in the range of 2.3 mm to 3 mm.

5. The display module according to claim 1, wherein: The flexible circuit board comprises: substrate; A first thickened layer is provided on the substrate; and A binding layer is located on the first thickening layer and connected to the first binding area; the binding layer is located on the first thickening layer; wherein the binding layer also passes through the first thickening layer and is connected to the substrate.

6. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: A second thickening layer is provided on the printed circuit board, and the second binding area is located on the second thickening layer.

7. A method for preparing a display module, characterized in that: include: placing a printed circuit board on the display panel, wherein an orthographic projection of a portion of the printed circuit board in a thickness direction is located on the display panel; connecting the flexible circuit board to the first binding area of ​​the display panel; The flexible circuit board is connected to the second binding area of ​​the printed circuit board.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: A first thickening layer is provided on the substrate of the flexible circuit board, and a binding layer is provided on the first thickening layer, wherein the binding layer is connected to the first binding area, and the binding layer is further connected to the substrate through the first thickening layer.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further includes: disposing a second thickening layer on the printed circuit board, and disposing the second binding area on the second thickening layer.

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