Bending gasket, display module and assembly method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bending gasket for use in a display module. The gasket comprises a first flexible substrate layer, a first adhesive layer and a second adhesive layer disposed on opposite sides of the first flexible substrate layer, and a reinforcing film layer disposed between the second adhesive layer and the first flexible substrate layer. The reinforcing film layer comprises a photocurable layer formed by curing a curable material. The present invention also relates to a display module and a method for assembling the display module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of display product manufacturing, and in particular to a bent gasket, a display module and an assembling method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Folding phones, at the pinnacle of innovation among mobile phone brands, are attracting consumers with their novel appearance and revolutionary technological innovations. Their design also differs significantly from that of standard phones, including their display module design. To meet their folding requirements, their display cover panels are made of ultra-thin, flexible materials. This design places higher demands on factory processes. For example, the bending spacer (Bending Spacer) requires a certain amount of pressure to ensure a tight fit between the folded portion of the panel and the Bending Spacer. Conventional phones offer excellent support for the Bending Spacer due to the strength of their cover glass. However, the flexible cover of folding phones offers limited support. Without adequate support, uneven pressure on the folded portion of the panel when attached to the Bending Spacer can affect adhesion and even damage the IC. To mitigate this, folding phones incorporate reinforcing plates on the back of the backing film. However, adding a reinforcing plate to the Bracket complicates the Bracket's laminated design. For example, the metal laminates of the Bracket are bonded together using double-sided tape, and the more layers there are, the greater the chance of delamination. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a bent gasket, a display module and an assembly method thereof, which solves the problem that the support function is achieved by a reinforcing plate, but the assembly difficulty is increased.

[0004] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted in an embodiment of the present invention is: a bending gasket, applied to a display module, including a first flexible substrate layer, a first adhesive layer and a second adhesive layer are respectively provided on opposite sides of the first flexible substrate layer, a reinforcing film layer is provided between the second adhesive layer and the first flexible substrate layer, and the reinforcing film layer includes a photocurable layer formed by curing a curable material.

[0005] Optionally, the photocurable layer is in a semi-cured state.

[0006] Optionally, the first flexible substrate layer is made of a light-transmitting material.

[0007] Optionally, the reinforcement film layer is composed of the photocurable layer, and a second flexible substrate layer is provided between the reinforcement film layer and the second adhesive layer.

[0008] Optionally, the thickness of the first flexible substrate layer is 1 / 4 of the thickness of the bending gasket.

[0009] Optionally, in a first direction, the reinforcement film layer includes the patterned photocurable layer and a non-curable layer made of a non-curable material, and the first direction is a direction parallel to the first flexible substrate layer.

[0010] Optionally, the non-cured layer is made of the same material as the first flexible substrate layer.

[0011] Optionally, the reinforcement film layer includes a central area and an edge area surrounding the central area, the edge area is provided with the non-cured layer, and the central area is provided with the patterned photocurable layer and the non-cured layer.

[0012] Optionally, the photocurable layer and the non-curable layer located in the central area are staggered in a grid shape.

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a display module, including a display panel, wherein the display panel includes a display area, a binding area, and a bending area located between the display area and the binding area, the bending area is bent so that the binding area is located on the backlight side of the display area, and when the bending area is in a bent state, the above-mentioned bending gasket is adhered between the display area and the binding area.

[0014] Optionally, a back film is provided between the bending gasket and the display area, wherein the curing layer is cured from a semi-cured state to a fully cured state after being attached to the back film.

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for assembling a display module, which is used for assembling the above-mentioned display module, and includes the following steps:

[0016] Laminating a back film on the backlight side of the display area;

[0017] The bending gasket is attached to the side of the back film away from the display area, wherein the photocurable layer of the bending gasket is in a semi-cured state;

[0018] curing the semi-cured photocurable layer to form the fully-cured photocurable layer;

[0019] The bending area is bent so that the binding area is bent to the backlight side of the display area and is bonded to the bending gasket.

[0020] The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the bending gasket is additionally provided with a reinforcing film layer, and the reinforcing film layer includes a photocurable layer formed by a curable material. While ensuring the flexible attachment of the bending gasket, the strength of the bending gasket can be improved by the reinforcing film layer, so that when assembling with the display panel, the setting of the reinforcing plate can be omitted, thereby eliminating the corresponding adhesive layer, simplifying the assembly steps, and reducing the difficulty of assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a display module in the related art;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a bent gasket in the related art;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the deformation state of a bent gasket under stress without support in the related art;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the stress state of a bent gasket under the support of a reinforcing plate in the related art;

[0025] Figure 5 Schematic diagram showing the structure of the bending gasket in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0026] Figure 6 express Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the stress state of the bent gasket in FIG;

[0027] Figure 7 Schematic diagram showing the structure of the bending gasket in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0028] Figure 8 express Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the stress state of the bent gasket in FIG;

[0029] Figure 9 Schematic diagram showing the structure of the reinforcement film layer in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0030] Figure 10 Schematic diagram showing the structure of the reinforcement film layer in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0031] Figure 11 Schematic diagram showing the structure of the reinforcement film layer in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 3 ;

[0032] Figure 12 A schematic structural diagram of a display module according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate and simplify the description of the present invention. They are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0035] refer to Figures 1-4 In the related art, the bending gasket includes a substrate layer 202 and adhesive layers 201 located on opposite sides of the substrate layer 202. The display panel includes a display area, a binding area 12, and a bending area 11 located between the display area and the binding area 12. A back film 4 is provided on the back of the display area. A reinforcing plate 3 is provided on the side of the back film 4 away from the display area. A bending gasket 2 is provided between the reinforcing plate 3 and the binding area 12. Due to the flexibility of the cover of a foldable mobile phone, its support is generally poor. If a certain level of support is not guaranteed, then when the folded part of the panel (i.e., the binding area 12) is pressed and adhered to the bending gasket 2, it is easy to be unevenly stressed, affecting the adhesion effect. Figure 3 The diagram shows the deformation of the bending gasket 2 under the condition of no support, which may even affect the IC. Therefore, in order to avoid this situation, the folding phone adds a reinforcing plate 3 on the Bracket (back film) to play a supporting role. Figure 4 It can be seen that the support of the reinforcing plate 3 prevents the bending gasket 2 from being deformed by force. However, adding the reinforcing plate 3 to the back film 4 complicates the lamination design of the back film 4. The folded portion of the panel is attached to the bending gasket 2 with double-sided tape, the bending gasket 2 is attached to the reinforcing plate 3 with double-sided tape, and the reinforcing plate 3 is attached to the back film 4 with double-sided tape. The more layers there are, the greater the chance of delamination. In addition, in order to fill the gap in the back film 4, the design of the protective film of the back film 4 also needs to be unconventional.

[0036] refer to Figure 5-Figure 11In response to the above problems, this embodiment provides a bending gasket applied to a display module, including a first flexible substrate layer 21, wherein a first adhesive layer 23 and a second adhesive layer 24 are respectively provided on opposite sides of the first flexible substrate layer 21, and a reinforcing film layer 22 is provided between the second adhesive layer 24 and the first flexible substrate layer 21. The reinforcing film layer 22 includes a photocurable layer 221 formed by curing a curable material.

[0037] This embodiment Figure 2 On the basis of the bending gasket shown, a reinforcing film layer 22 is added, and the reinforcing film layer includes a photocuring layer 221, which does not affect the attachment of the bending gasket to the display panel and improves the strength of the bending gasket. Figure 6 and Figure 8 The diagram shows the stress state of the bent gasket. The setting of the reinforcing film layer 22 can replace the reinforcing plate to play a supporting role, that is, the reinforcing plate in the related art is integrated with the bent gasket into an integrated structure, and the light-cured layer 221 is formed by coating a curable material on the first flexible substrate layer 21 and curing it, without the need for bonding with an adhesive layer such as a double-sided tape. Figure 1 The stacked assembly method reduces the probability of delamination during the assembly process and reduces the difficulty of assembly.

[0038] Illustratively, the curable material may be UV glue (ultraviolet light curing glue), but is not limited thereto.

[0039] In this embodiment, the photocurable layer 221 is in a semi-cured state.

[0040] Before the bending gasket is attached to the back film of the display module, the photocurable layer 221 is cured into a semi-cured state (having certain flexibility and ductility, but not liquid and non-flowing) to ensure the flexibility of the bending gasket. The back film is generally rigid (such as an aluminum plate). The flexible bending gasket is bonded to the rigid back film to ensure the bonding quality. After the bending gasket is bonded to the back film of the display module, the photocurable layer 221 is cured to convert the photocurable layer 221 from a semi-cured state to a fully cured state, thereby enhancing the strength of the bending gasket. In addition, during the curing process, the side of the bending gasket away from the back film will become flatter, which is conducive to bonding with the display panel.

[0041] In this embodiment, for example, the first flexible substrate layer 21 is made of a light-transmitting material.

[0042] In some embodiments, during the manufacturing process of the bending gasket, after the curable material coated on the first flexible substrate layer 21 is cured into a semi-cured state, the second adhesive layer 24 is attached, and after the second adhesive layer 24 is attached and connected to the back film, light is introduced into the semi-cured photocurable layer 221 through the first flexible substrate layer 21, thereby curing the photocurable layer 221 into a fully cured state to increase the strength of the bending gasket. The first flexible substrate layer 21 is made of a light-transmitting material to facilitate the introduction of light.

[0043] For example, the first flexible substrate layer 21 may be made of PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) material, but is not limited thereto.

[0044] In this embodiment, for example, the thickness of the first flexible substrate layer 21 is 1 / 4 of the thickness of the bending gasket.

[0045] When the bending gasket is assembled with the display panel, the first flexible substrate layer 21 is arranged close to the folded portion of the display panel (i.e., the binding area 12). In order not to affect the flexible attachment between the bending gasket and the folded portion of the display panel, the thickness of the first flexible substrate layer 21 can be the same as that of the substrate layer in the related art (refer to Figure 5 The invention also includes the bent gasket in the embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto.

[0046] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 In this embodiment, the reinforcing film layer 22 is exemplarily composed of the photocuring layer 221 , and a second flexible substrate layer 25 is provided between the reinforcing film layer 22 and the second adhesive layer 24 .

[0047] The reinforcing film layer 22 is composed of the photocurable layer 221, that is, the orthographic projection of the photocurable layer 221 in a direction perpendicular to the first flexible substrate layer 21 completely covers the first flexible substrate layer 21. During the manufacturing process of the bending gasket, a curable material is coated on the second flexible substrate layer 25 and cured to form the photocurable layer 221. When the bending gasket is bonded to the back film in the display module, the second flexible substrate layer 25 is arranged close to the back film. The arrangement of the second flexible substrate layer 25 ensures the flatness of the second adhesive layer 24, avoids excessive deformation of the semi-cured photocurable layer 221 during the bonding process, and improves the bonding quality.

[0048] Exemplarily, the second flexible substrate is made of an opaque material to facilitate setting of alignment marks for identification and positioning when attached to the back film.

[0049] refer to Figure 7-11In an exemplary embodiment, in a first direction, the reinforcing film layer 22 includes the patterned photocurable layer 221 and the non-curable layer 222 made of a non-curable material, and the first direction is parallel to the first flexible substrate layer 21.

[0050] The reinforcing film layer 22 includes a patterned photocurable layer 221 and a non-curable layer 222 formed of a non-curable material. The degree of reinforcement of the reinforcing film layer 22, that is, the strength of the bending gasket, can be adjusted by changing the proportion of the photocurable layer 221 in the overall reinforcing film layer 22 and the graphic design.

[0051] The distribution of the photocurable layer 221 and the non-curable layer 222 can be various, that is, the pattern formed by the photocurable layer 221 and the non-curable layer 222 can be set according to actual needs. Figures 9-11 Various patterns are exemplified, but are not limited thereto.

[0052] In this embodiment, the non-cured layer 222 is made of the same material as the first flexible substrate layer 21, such as PET, but the present invention is not limited thereto. When manufacturing the bending gasket, the first flexible substrate layer 21 and the non-cured layer 222 can be integrally formed to simplify the process.

[0053] In this embodiment, the reinforcing film layer 22 includes a central area 10 and an edge area 20 surrounding the central area 10, the edge area 20 is provided with the non-cured layer 222, and the central area 10 is provided with the patterned photocuring layer 221 and the non-cured layer 222.

[0054] Since, in some embodiments, the photocurable layer 221 is in a semi-cured state before being attached to the back film of the display module, the non-cured layer 222 provided in the edge region 20 plays a protective role for the photocurable layer 221 located in the central region 10, especially when the photocurable layer 221 is provided in the central region 10 close to the edge region 20, refer to Figures 9-11 .

[0055] Furthermore, the non-cured layer 222 is provided in the edge region 20 to facilitate setting of alignment marks, so as to facilitate identification and positioning when attached to the backing film.

[0056] It should be noted that the positioning mark can be provided by providing an ink layer in the edge area 20 of the second adhesive layer 24 for identification and positioning.

[0057] In this embodiment, the photocurable layer 221 and the non-curable layer 222 located in the central area 10 are staggered in a grid shape.

[0058] In an exemplary embodiment, the photocurable layer 221 and the non-curable layer 222 located in the central area 10 are staggered in a grid shape.

[0059] refer to Figures 9-11 The non-cured layer 222 includes a plurality of non-cured portions 220 in a block-like structure that are spaced apart and formed on the first flexible substrate layer 21. The photocured layer 221 includes a hollow portion and a solid portion, and the non-cured portion is filled in the hollow portion.

[0060] For example, the solid portion includes a first strip structure and a second strip structure arranged in an intersecting manner, wherein a plurality of the first strip structures and a plurality of the second strip structures define a plurality of arrangement areas of the non-solidified portions. The first strip structure may be linear or curved.

[0061] The solid parts are connected into an integral structure, thereby improving the overall strength of the bending gasket.

[0062] Illustratively, the plurality of first strip structures and the plurality of second strip structures are arranged vertically or non-vertically, which can be specifically set according to actual needs.

[0063] Exemplarily, the orthographic projection areas of the plurality of non-cured layers 222 on the first flexible substrate layer 21 are the same, so as to facilitate uniform stress on the entire bending gasket.

[0064] refer to Figure 9 , exemplarily, the first strip structure and the second strip structure are arranged perpendicularly and cross-wise, and the first strip structure is parallel to one edge of the bending gasket, and the second strip structure is parallel to one edge of the bending gasket.

[0065] The orthographic projection of each non-cured portion 220 on the first flexible substrate layer 21 is a square structure, with the four corners of the square structure being chamfered at right angles. The photocurable layer 221 includes a first portion and a second portion. Along the extension direction of the first stripe structure or the second stripe structure, the first portion is positioned between two adjacent non-cured layers 222, and the second portion is positioned between two adjacent first portions. The second portion has a square structure.

[0066] Figure 11 The distribution of the photocured and non-cured layers in Figure 9 The difference between the distribution of the photocured layer and the non-cured layer is that the corners of the non-cured portion are concave, so that the second portion has a circular structure.

[0067] refer to Figure 10Exemplarily, the first strip structure and the second strip structure are arranged perpendicularly and crosswise, and the extension direction of the first strip structure forms an angle with any side of the bent gasket, and the extension direction of the second strip structure forms an angle with any side of the bent gasket. The photocurable layer 221 includes a first portion and a second portion. Along the extension direction of the first strip structure or the second strip structure, the first portion is arranged between two adjacent non-cured layers 222, and the second portion is arranged between two adjacent first portions. The non-cured portion 220 has a square structure, and the two opposite corners of the directional structure are concave, so that at least part of the second portion has a circular structure.

[0068] refer to Figure 12 An embodiment of the present invention further provides a display module, including a display panel, wherein the display panel includes a display area, a binding area 12, and a bending area 11 located between the display area and the binding area 12, wherein the bending area 11 is bent so that the binding area 12 is located on the backlight side of the display area, and when the bending area 11 is in a bent state, the above-mentioned bending gasket 2 is adhered between the display area and the binding area 12.

[0069] The bending gasket 2 is provided with the reinforcing film layer 22, which includes a light-cured layer 221. The reinforcing film layer 22 is used as a reinforcing plate to provide support to resist deformation of the bending gasket when it is subjected to stress. Figure 1 The display module can omit the reinforcement plate setting, which can reduce the stacking setting.

[0070] Furthermore, a back film 4 is provided between the bending spacer 2 and the display area. Figure 1 In the display module, the back film 4 needs to be bonded to the reinforcing plate before being bonded to the bent gasket 2. However, the area of ​​the reinforcing plate's orthographic projection on the back film is smaller than that of the back film 4. This means that the reinforcing plate 3 is provided on the first region of the back film 4, leaving a step between the reinforcing plate 3 and the second region adjacent to the first region. Consequently, the protective film (i.e., the release film, which needs to be removed when bonding to the bent gasket) provided on the side of the reinforcing plate 3 away from the back film and the second region of the back film 4 is unconventionally positioned to fill this step. In this embodiment, however, since the reinforcing plate is eliminated, the entire bonding surface of the back film 4 is flat, and a conventional protective film can be used on the back film 4, reducing both the difficulty and the cost.

[0071] In an exemplary embodiment, a back film is provided between the bending gasket 2 and the display area, wherein the bending gasket 2 is cured from a semi-cured state to a fully cured state after being attached to the back film 4 .

[0072] Before being attached to the back film 4, the photocurable layer 221 is in a semi-cured state, which is beneficial to the attachment of the bending gasket 2 to the back film 4 (if the bending gasket undergoes local deformation or other conditions before attachment, due to the provision of the semi-cured curing layer, since the back film 4 is generally rigid and has a certain flatness, it will be flattened during the pressing process, which can avoid the impact of poor attachment), and improve the attachment quality. After the attachment is completed, the photocurable layer 221 is cured to transform it into a fully cured state, thereby increasing its strength and avoiding deformation. In addition, due to the provision of the first flexible substrate layer 21, it has a certain flexibility and does not affect the attachment to the display panel.

[0073] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for assembling a display module, which is used for assembling the above-mentioned display module, and includes the following steps:

[0074] Laminating a back film on the backlight side of the display area;

[0075] The bending gasket is attached to the side of the back film away from the display area, wherein the curing layer of the bending gasket is in a semi-cured state;

[0076] curing the semi-cured solidified layer to form the fully-cured solidified layer;

[0077] The bending area 11 is bent so that the binding area 12 is bent to the backlight side of the display area and is bonded to the bending gasket.

[0078] It will be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of the present invention, and such modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bending gasket, used in a display module, characterized in that: The invention comprises a first flexible substrate layer, wherein a first adhesive layer and a second adhesive layer are respectively provided on opposite sides of the first flexible substrate layer, a reinforcing film layer is provided between the second adhesive layer and the first flexible substrate layer, and the reinforcing film layer comprises a light-curable layer formed by curing a curable material; In a first direction, the reinforcement film layer includes the patterned photocurable layer and the non-curable layer made of a non-curable material. The first direction is a direction parallel to the first flexible substrate layer.

2. The bending gasket according to claim 1, characterized in that The photocurable layer is in a semi-cured state.

3. The bending gasket according to claim 1, characterized in that The first flexible substrate layer is made of light-transmitting material.

4. The bending gasket according to claim 1, characterized in that The reinforcing film layer is composed of the light-curing layer, and a second flexible substrate layer is provided between the reinforcing film layer and the second adhesive layer.

5. The bending gasket according to claim 1, characterized in that The thickness of the first flexible substrate layer is 1 / 4 of the thickness of the bending gasket.

6. The bending gasket according to claim 1, characterized in that The non-cured layer is made of the same material as the first flexible substrate layer.

7. The bending gasket according to claim 1, characterized in that The reinforcing film layer includes a central area and an edge area surrounding the central area. The edge area is provided with the non-cured layer, and the central area is provided with the patterned photocurable layer and the non-cured layer.

8. The bending gasket according to claim 7, characterized in that: The photocurable layer and the non-curable layer located in the central area are staggered in a grid shape.

9. A display module comprising a display panel, the display panel comprising a display area, a binding area, and a bending area located between the display area and the binding area, the bending area being bent so that the binding area is located on the backlight side of the display area, characterized in that: When the bending area is in a bent state, the bending gasket according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is adhered between the display area and the binding area.

10. The display module according to claim 9, wherein: A back film is provided between the bending gasket and the display area, wherein the curing layer is cured from a semi-cured state to a fully cured state after being attached to the back film.

11. A method for assembling a display module, used for assembling the display module according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Laminating a back film on the backlight side of the display area; The bending gasket according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is attached to a side of the back film away from the display area, wherein the photocurable layer of the bending gasket is in a semi-cured state; curing the semi-cured photocurable layer to form the fully-cured photocurable layer; The bending area is bent so that the binding area is bent to the backlight side of the display area and is bonded to the bending gasket.

Images