Manufacturing Methods of Display Panel, Display Device and Sealant Assembly

Abstract

The present application provides a display panel, which includes a display area and a non-display area surrounding the periphery of the display area. The display panel further includes an array substrate, a sealant assembly, and a color filter substrate that are stacked. The sealant assembly is located in the non-display area and includes a sealant and a plurality of photothermal elements dispersed in the sealant. When the array substrate and the color filter substrate are aligned, the sealant is pre-cured under the irradiation of ultraviolet light, and the photothermal elements generate heat under the irradiation of ultraviolet light to simultaneously thermally cure the sealant. Therefore, the technical solution of the present application simultaneously pre-cures and thermally cures the sealant, simplifies the manufacturing process, speeds up the curing speed of the sealant, thereby avoiding the contamination of liquid crystal molecules caused by incomplete pre-curing of the sealant, and improving the reliability of the display panel. The present application also provides a display device and a method for manufacturing a sealant assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of display technologies, and in particular, to a display panel, a display device having the display panel, and a method for manufacturing a sealant assembly. Background Art

[0002] Liquid crystal displays have been widely used in the display field due to their advantages such as thin body, low power consumption, and low price. A liquid crystal display generally includes a display panel and a backlight module. The display panel includes a color filter substrate, an array substrate, liquid crystal, and a sealant. Among them, the sealant is used to seal the liquid crystal between the color filter substrate and the array substrate, and bond the color filter substrate and the array substrate. After the sealant is coated, generally, an ultraviolet (UV) light pre-curing process and a high-temperature heating curing process need to be performed on the sealant in sequence to solidify the sealant.

[0003] In the prior art, since a dense signal line is provided in the area where the sealant is located, part of the UV light is blocked from irradiating the sealant, resulting in incomplete pre-curing of the sealant, and further causing the separation of the color filter substrate and the array substrate. Moreover, the sealant with incomplete pre-curing is easily mixed with the diffused liquid crystal, resulting in contamination of the liquid crystal and causing display defects at the periphery of the display panel.

[0004] Therefore, how to solve the problem of incomplete pre-curing of the sealant in the prior art is an urgent problem to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above deficiencies of the prior art, the purpose of the present application is to provide a display panel, a display device having the display panel, and a method for manufacturing a sealant assembly, aiming to solve the problem of incomplete pre-curing of the sealant in the prior art.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a display panel. The display panel includes a display area and a non-display area surrounding the periphery of the display area. The display panel further includes an array substrate, a sealant assembly, and a color filter substrate that are stacked. The sealant assembly is located in the non-display area, and the sealant assembly includes a sealant and a plurality of photothermal elements dispersed in the sealant. When the array substrate and the color filter substrate are aligned, the sealant is pre-cured under the irradiation of ultraviolet light, and the photothermal elements generate heat under the irradiation of ultraviolet light to simultaneously perform thermal curing on the sealant.

[0007] In summary, when the display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application is boxed with the array substrate and the color film substrate, the frame-sealing glue is pre-cured under the irradiation of ultraviolet light, and the photothermal element generates heat under the irradiation of ultraviolet light to thermally cure the frame-sealing glue. The technical solution of the present application simultaneously pre-cures and thermally cures the frame-sealing glue, simplifies the manufacturing process, speeds up the curing speed of the frame-sealing glue, and thus avoids the contamination of the liquid crystal molecules due to incomplete pre-curing of the frame-sealing glue. Moreover, when thermally curing the frame-sealing glue, the area where the temperature rises is only the area where the frame-sealing glue component is located, without the need to heat the entire display panel at high temperature, thereby avoiding the failure of the liquid crystal molecules at high temperatures, and thus improving the display effect and reliability of the display panel.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, the frame sealant assembly further includes a plurality of supporting elements dispersed in the frame sealant, and the supporting elements are used to maintain a distance between the array substrate and the color filter substrate located in the non-display area.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the photothermal element includes a photothermal layer and a support disposed in the photothermal layer, the photothermal layer generates heat under ultraviolet light, and the support is used to maintain a distance between the array substrate and the color film substrate located in the non-display area.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, the doping ratio of the photothermal element is 15% to 25%.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, the material of the photothermal element includes one or more of metal nanoparticles, synthetic graphene, graphite-phase sodium nitride nanomaterials, titanium dioxide, and titanium trioxide.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, the array substrate includes a first substrate and a plurality of conductive elements, the first substrate is disposed on a side of the sealant assembly facing away from the color film substrate and is spaced apart from the sealant assembly, and a plurality of the conductive elements are spaced apart on a side of the first substrate facing the sealant assembly and are located in the non-display area. The color film substrate includes a second substrate and a light shielding layer, the second substrate is disposed on a side of the sealant assembly facing away from the array substrate and is spaced apart from the sealant assembly, and the light shielding layer is disposed on a side of the second substrate facing the sealant assembly and is located in the non-display area.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, an orthographic projection of the plurality of conductive elements on the first substrate is offset from an orthographic projection of the light shielding layer on the first substrate.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, the orthographic projections of the plurality of conductive elements on the first substrate are connected to the orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer on the first substrate.

[0015] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application further provides a display device, which includes a backlight module and the above-mentioned display panel, and the display panel is disposed on the light-emitting side of the backlight module.

[0016] In summary, the display device provided by the embodiment of the present application includes a backlight module and a display panel. When the array substrate and the color filter substrate are aligned, the sealant is pre-cured under the irradiation of ultraviolet light, and the photothermal element generates heat under the irradiation of ultraviolet light to thermally cure the sealant. The technical solution of the present application pre-cures and thermally cures the sealant simultaneously, simplifies the manufacturing process, speeds up the curing speed of the sealant, and thus avoids the contamination of liquid crystal molecules caused by incomplete pre-curing of the sealant. Moreover, when the sealant is thermally cured, the temperature-rising area is only the area where the sealant assembly is located, and there is no need to heat the entire display panel at a high temperature, avoiding the failure of liquid crystal molecules at high temperatures, and thus improving the display effect and reliability of the display panel.

[0017] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application further provides a method for manufacturing a sealant assembly for manufacturing the sealant assembly of the above-mentioned display panel. The method for manufacturing the sealant assembly includes:

[0018] Provide a sealant;

[0019] Add a plurality of photothermal elements to the sealant;

[0020] Stir the sealant and the plurality of photothermal elements dispersed in the sealant to form a sealant assembly.

[0021] In summary, the method for manufacturing a sealant assembly provided by the embodiment of the present application is used to form a sealant assembly. The sealant assembly can be pre-cured and thermally cured simultaneously, simplifies the manufacturing process, speeds up the curing speed of the sealant, and thus avoids the contamination of liquid crystal molecules caused by incomplete pre-curing of the sealant. Moreover, when the sealant is thermally cured, the temperature-rising area is only the area where the sealant assembly is located, and there is no need to heat the entire display panel at a high temperature, avoiding the failure of liquid crystal molecules at high temperatures, and thus improving the display effect and reliability of the display panel. Description of the Drawings

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the accompanying drawings required for the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other accompanying drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the layer structure of the display device disclosed in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 Front view structure schematic diagram of the display panel disclosed in the second embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 3 First layer structure schematic diagram of the display panel disclosed in the second embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the influence of the doping ratio of the photothermal element on the curing rate disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0027] Figure 5 For Figure 3 Planar structure schematic diagram of the light-shielding layer of the display panel shown;

[0028] Figure 6 Second layer structure schematic diagram of the display panel disclosed in the second embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 7 For Figure 6 Internal structure schematic diagram of the photothermal element of the display panel shown;

[0030] Figure 8 Flow schematic diagram of the manufacturing method of the sealant assembly disclosed in the third embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0032] 1 - Display area; 2 - Non-display area; 10 - Display panel; 10a - Display panel; 11 - Array substrate;

[0033] 13 - Liquid crystal layer; 15 - Color filter substrate; 17 - Sealant assembly; 30 - Backlight module; 100 - Display device;

[0034] 111 - First substrate; 113 - Driving circuit layer; 115 - Conductive element; 117 - Insulating layer; 118 - Pixel electrode; 131 - Liquid crystal molecules; 151 - Second substrate; 153 - Black matrix layer; 154 - Light-shielding layer; 154a - Light-incident hole; 155 - First color filter; 156 - Second color filter; 157 - Third color filter; 158 - Planarization layer; 159 - Common electrode layer; 171 - Sealant; 173 - Photo-thermal element; 173a - Photo-thermal layer; 173b - Support; 175 - Support element; S110 - S130 - Steps of the manufacturing method of the sealant assembly. Detailed implementation manners

[0035] To facilitate the understanding of the present application, the present application will be described more comprehensively below with reference to the relevant drawings. Preferred embodiments of the present application are shown in the drawings. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure of the present application more thorough and comprehensive.

[0036] The descriptions of the following embodiments refer to the attached drawings, which are used to illustrate specific embodiments in which the present application can be implemented. The serial numbers assigned to the components herein, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the described objects and do not have any sequential or technical meanings. The terms "connection" and "coupling" used in the present application, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (couplings). The directional terms mentioned in the present application, such as "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", "side", etc., are only references to the directions in the attached drawings. Therefore, the directional terms are used to better and more clearly illustrate and understand the present application, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus cannot be construed as a limitation to the present application.

[0037] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances. It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of the present application and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "include", "may include", "comprise", or "may comprise" used in the present application indicate the existence of the corresponding functions, operations, elements, etc. disclosed, and do not limit the existence of one or more other functions, operations, elements, etc. In addition, the term "include" or "comprise" means the existence of the corresponding features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof disclosed in the specification, and does not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, and is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. It should also be understood that the meaning of "at least one" described herein is one or more, such as one, two, or three, etc., and the meaning of "a plurality" is at least two, such as two or three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which this application belongs. The terms used in the description of this application herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit this application.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic diagram of the layer structure of the display device disclosed in the first embodiment of the present application. In the embodiment of the present application, the display device 100 may include a display panel 10 and a backlight module 30 arranged in a stacked manner. The display panel 10 is disposed on the light-emitting side of the backlight module 30, and the display panel 10 is configured to display an image under the backlight provided by the backlight module 30.

[0040] In the embodiment of the present application, the backlight module 30 may be a side-light type backlight module or a direct-lit backlight module, and the present application does not make specific limitations thereon.

[0041] Understandably, the display device 100 can be used in electronic devices including but not limited to tablet computers, laptop computers, desktop computers, mobile phones, in-vehicle displays, etc. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the specific type of the display device 100 is not particularly limited, and those skilled in the art can design accordingly according to the specific usage requirements of the display device 100, which will not be elaborated herein.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment, the display device 100 may further include other necessary components and parts such as a driving board, a power supply board, a high-voltage board, and a key control board. Those skilled in the art can supplement accordingly according to the specific type and actual function of the display device 100, which will not be elaborated herein.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 which is a front view structural schematic diagram of the display panel disclosed in the second embodiment of the present application. In the embodiment of the present application, the display panel 10 includes a display area 1 and a non-display area 2 surrounding the periphery of the display area 1. The display area 1 is used to perform image display, and the non-display area 2 is used to arrange other components or modules for auxiliary display and signal lines.

[0044] In the embodiment of the present application, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 which is a first layer structure schematic diagram of the display panel disclosed in the second embodiment of the present application. The display panel 10 includes an array substrate 11, a liquid crystal layer 13, and a color filter substrate 15 that are sequentially stacked. That is, the array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15 are opposite and spaced apart, and the liquid crystal layer 13 is disposed between the array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15. The liquid crystal layer 13 is located in the display area 1, and the liquid crystal layer 13 includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules 131. The array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15 are used to form a preset electric field, and the preset electric field drives the deflection of the liquid crystal molecules 131 to control the transmittance of the liquid crystal layer 13, so that the display panel 10 displays different gray levels.

[0045] In an embodiment of the present application, the display panel 10 further includes a sealant assembly 17 located in the non-display area 2. The sealant assembly 17 is disposed between the array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15 and is located on the peripheral side of the liquid crystal layer 13 to seal the liquid crystal layer 13 between the array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15. The sealant assembly 17 includes a sealant 171 and a plurality of photothermal elements 173 dispersed in the sealant 171. When the array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15 are aligned, the sealant 171 is pre-cured under the irradiation of ultraviolet (UV) light, and the photothermal elements 173 generate heat under the irradiation of ultraviolet light to simultaneously thermally cure the sealant 171, further increasing the hardness of the sealant 171. Herein, aligning the substrates means the process of aligning the array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15 and bonding the array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15 together through the sealant assembly 17. The pre-curing means that the liquid sealant 171 undergoes UV light curing under ultraviolet irradiation to become the solid sealant 171. It can be understood that the hardness of the sealant 171 during pre-curing is less than the hardness of the sealant 171 after thermal curing.

[0046] In the related art, when the array substrate and the color filter substrate are aligned, the liquid crystal molecules diffusing around will quickly contact the liquid sealant, and the liquid crystal molecules will mix with the liquid sealant, thereby causing the liquid crystal molecules to be contaminated. Therefore, generally, the sealant is first pre-cured to prevent the liquid crystal molecules from mixing with the sealant, and then the sealant is heated at a high temperature for curing to bond the array substrate and the color filter substrate.

[0047] It can be understood that in the prior art, due to insufficient light quantity of UV light, the sealant is not completely pre-cured, which easily causes the color film substrate to separate from the array substrate. Moreover, when the incompletely pre-cured sealant is transported to the thermal curing station, the diffused liquid crystal will mix with the sealant, resulting in liquid crystal contamination. At the same time, thermal curing requires high-temperature heating of the entire display panel, and the liquid crystal will reach the phase change point and fail at high temperatures. The technical solution of the present application can simultaneously perform pre-curing and thermal curing on the sealant 171, simplify the manufacturing process of the display panel 10, and save costs. Moreover, the present application simultaneously performing pre-curing and thermal curing speeds up the curing speed of the sealant 171. When the liquid crystal molecules 131 do not contact the sealant 171, the sealant 171 has been cured, avoiding the mixing of the sealant 171 and the liquid crystal molecules 131, and thus the liquid crystal molecules 131 will not be contaminated, so as to avoid display defects at the periphery of the display panel 10. In addition, the heat generated by the optothermal element 173 only raises the temperature of the area where the sealant assembly 17 is located, but does not raise the temperature of the entire display panel 10. Therefore, the liquid crystal molecules 131 will not fail, avoiding the reduction of the display effect of the display panel 10.

[0048] In an exemplary embodiment, the phenomenon that the optothermal element 173 generates heat under the irradiation of ultraviolet light is the photothermal effect (Photothermal Effect, PTT). Photothermal effect: It refers to the interaction between the photon energy and the lattice of the material when the material is irradiated by light. The lattice will vibrate, thereby increasing the temperature of the material.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment, the material of the sealant 171 includes, but is not limited to, epoxy resin (Epoxy Resign) that undergoes cross-linking under ultraviolet light irradiation, and single liquid resin (SingleLiquid Resin) and phenol resin (Phenol Resin) that are thermally cured, etc. The material of the optothermal element 173 includes one or more of metal nanoparticles, synthetic graphene, graphite phase sodium nitride nanomaterials, titanium dioxide, titanium trioxide, etc.

[0050] In summary, when the display panel 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application is aligned with the color filter substrate 15, the sealant 171 is pre-cured under the irradiation of ultraviolet light, and the photothermal element 173 generates heat under the irradiation of ultraviolet light to thermally cure the sealant 171. The technical solution of the present application pre-cures and thermally cures the sealant 171 at the same time, simplifies the manufacturing process, speeds up the curing speed of the sealant 171, and thus avoids the contamination of the liquid crystal molecules 131 caused by incomplete pre-curing of the sealant 171. Moreover, when the sealant 171 is thermally cured, the area where the temperature rises is only the area where the sealant assembly 17 is located, and there is no need to heat the entire display panel 10 at a high temperature, avoiding the failure of the liquid crystal molecules 131 at high temperatures, and thus improving the display effect and reliability of the display panel 10.

[0051] As Figure 3 shown, in the embodiment of the present application, the sealant assembly 17 further includes a plurality of support elements 175 dispersed in the sealant 171, and the support elements 175 are used to maintain the thickness of the periphery of the display panel 10, that is, the support elements 175 are used to maintain the distance between the array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15 located in the non-display area 2.

[0052] It can be understood that when the array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15 are aligned, the area where the sealant 171 is located (i.e., the periphery of the display panel 10) is prone to uneven thickness, resulting in poor display of the display panel 10. Therefore, by providing the support elements 175 in the sealant 171, the thickness of the area where the sealant 171 is located is ensured to be consistent.

[0053] It can also be understood that since the hardness of the photothermal element 173 is small, the photothermal element 173 cannot support between the array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15. Therefore, it is necessary to provide the support elements 175 in the sealant 171 to support the array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15.

[0054] In an exemplary embodiment, the overall shape of the support element 175 may be spherical. The material of the support element 175 may be glass fiber, silicon, plastic, or the like.

[0055] In an exemplary embodiment, the size of the support element 175 is larger than the size of the photothermal element 173, so as to achieve support between the array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15.

[0056] In the embodiment of the present application, the doping ratio of the photothermal element 173 is 15% to 25%, for example, 15%, 16%, 19%, 20%, 22%, 25%, or other values, and the present application does not make specific limitations thereto. Among them, the doping ratio of the photothermal element 173 refers to the weight ratio of the photothermal element 173 to the sealing adhesive 171.

[0057] To verify the influence of the doping ratio of the photothermal element 173 on the curing rate of the sealing adhesive 171, the present application conducts experimental verification tests on the photothermal element 173 with a diameter of 4 um. Please refer to Figure 4 Table 1, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the influence of the doping ratio of the photothermal element disclosed in the embodiment of the present application on the curing rate, and Table 1 shows the influence of the doping ratio of the photothermal element on the curing rate. From Figure 4 and Table 1, it can be seen that when the doping ratio of the photothermal element 173 is at least 15%, the curing rate of the sealing adhesive 171 is relatively high; when the doping ratio of the photothermal element 173 is 25% to 35%, the curing rate of the sealing adhesive 171 basically no longer increases and remains at a relatively high value, but as the doping ratio of the photothermal element 173 increases, the cost of forming the sealing adhesive 171 also increases. Therefore, considering the curing rate and cost, the present application sets the doping ratio of the photothermal element 173 to 15% to 25%. Among them, the curing rate = (enthalpy value of the liquid sealing adhesive - enthalpy value of the cured sealing adhesive) / enthalpy value of the liquid sealing adhesive × 100%, where the enthalpy value represents heat.

[0058] Table 1 Influence of the doping ratio of the photothermal element on the curing rate

[0059] Doping ratio 0.5％ 1％ 1.5％ 5％ 10％ 15％ 20％ 25％ 30％ 35％ Curing rate 0.09％ 2.14％ 25.1％ 46.9％ 65.3％ 93.2％ 97.8％ 98.9％ 98.9％ 98.9％

[0060] In an exemplary embodiment, the overall shape of the photothermal element 173 may be spherical. The diameter of the photothermal element 173 is 1 um to 10 um, for example, 1 um, 3 um, 4 um, 5 um, 6 um, 8 um, 10 um, or other values, and the present application does not make specific limitations thereto.

[0061] In the embodiment of the present application, please refer to Figure 3, the array substrate 11 includes a first substrate 111, a driving circuit layer 113, and a plurality of conductive elements 115. The first substrate 111 is disposed on a side of the sealant assembly 17 facing away from the color filter substrate 15 and is located in the display area 1 and the non-display area 2, and is spaced apart from the sealant assembly 17. The driving circuit layer 113 is disposed on a side of the first substrate 111 facing the liquid crystal layer 13 and is located in the display area 1. The plurality of conductive elements 115 are spaced apart and disposed on a side of the first substrate 111 facing the sealant assembly 17 and are located in the non-display area 2. The conductive elements 115 can be in direct contact with the driving circuit layer 113 for electrical connection or can be electrically connected to the driving circuit layer 113 through a wire. The conductive elements 115 are used to transmit electrical signals to the driving circuit layer 113.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment, the array substrate 11 further includes an insulating layer 117. The insulating layer 117 covers the plurality of conductive elements 115 and the driving circuit layer 113 on the first substrate 111. The liquid crystal layer 13 is located between the insulating layer 117 and the color filter substrate 15. The insulating layer 117 is used to insulate the driving circuit layer 113 from the liquid crystal layer 13 and to insulate the plurality of conductive elements 115 from the sealant assembly 17.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment, the array substrate 11 further includes a plurality of pixel electrodes 118. The plurality of pixel electrodes 118 are arrayed and distributed on a side of the insulating layer 117 facing away from the driving circuit layer 113 and are located in the display area 1. The driving circuit layer 113 is electrically connected to the plurality of pixel electrodes 118 to control the potential of the pixel electrodes 118.

[0064] In an exemplary embodiment, the driving circuit layer 113 can control the potential of the plurality of pixel electrodes 118 in a passive matrix (PM) manner or an active matrix (AM) manner. Among them, passive driving means that the driving circuit layer 113 directly applies a pulsed current to the pixel electrodes 118; active driving means that the driving circuit layer 113 is equipped with a thin film transistor having a switching function and a capacitor for storing charge for each pixel electrode 118.

[0065] In an exemplary embodiment, the insulating layer 117 is provided with a plurality of vias (not shown in the figure) penetrating through the insulating layer 117, and connectors (not shown in the figure) are disposed in the vias. The connectors are respectively connected to the pixel electrodes 118 and the driving circuit layer 113 to electrically connect the pixel electrodes 118 and the driving circuit layer 113.

[0066] In an embodiment of the present application, please refer to Figure 3 , the color filter substrate 15 includes a second substrate 151, a black matrix layer 153, and a light-shielding layer 154. The second substrate 151 is disposed on a side of the sealant assembly 17 facing away from the array substrate 11 and is located in the display area 1 and the non-display area 2, and is spaced apart from the sealant assembly 17. The black matrix layer 153 is disposed on a side of the second substrate 151 facing the liquid crystal layer 13 and is located in the display area 1, and the light-shielding layer 154 is disposed on a side of the second substrate 151 facing the sealant assembly 17 and is located in the non-display area 2. The light-shielding layer 154 is used to block light to prevent the display panel 10 from having bright edges.

[0067] In an embodiment of the present application, the orthographic projections of the plurality of conductive elements 115 on the first substrate 111 are staggered from the orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer 154 on the first substrate 111, that is, the orthographic projections of the plurality of conductive elements 115 on the first substrate 111 do not coincide with the orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer 154 on the first substrate 111. Further, the orthographic projections of the plurality of conductive elements 115 on the first substrate 111 are connected to the orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer 154 on the first substrate 111, that is, there is no gap between the orthographic projections of the plurality of conductive elements 115 on the first substrate 111 and the orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer 154 on the first substrate 111. That is, the orthographic projections of the conductive elements 115 on the first substrate 111 and the orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer 154 on the first substrate 111 form a complement in the non-display area 2 and cover the entire area where the non-display area 2 is located.

[0068] It can be understood that, to improve the curing rate of the sealant 171, ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the sealant assembly 17 from the side where the array substrate 11 is located and the side where the color filter substrate 15 is located, that is, both the side of the sealant assembly 17 facing the array substrate 11 and the side facing the color filter substrate 15 receive ultraviolet light irradiation. The material of the conductive element 115 can be metal, which can block light. If the orthographic projections of multiple conductive elements 115 on the first substrate 111 coincide or partially coincide with the orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer 154 on the first substrate 111, then at least part of the sealant assembly 17 cannot be irradiated by ultraviolet light, that is, part of the sealant assembly 17 cannot be irradiated by the ultraviolet light entering from the side of the array substrate 11, nor can it be irradiated by the ultraviolet light entering from the side of the color filter substrate 15, resulting in a low curing rate of the sealant 171. Therefore, the orthographic projections of multiple conductive elements 115 on the first substrate 111 do not coincide with the orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer 154 on the first substrate 111, so that the entire sealant assembly 17 can be irradiated by ultraviolet light, that is, part of the sealant assembly 17 is irradiated by the ultraviolet light entering from the side of the array substrate 11, and the other part of the sealant assembly 17 is irradiated by the ultraviolet light entering from the side of the color filter substrate 15, improving the curing rate of the sealant 171. At the same time, to avoid bright edges on the display panel 10, there is no gap between the orthographic projections of multiple conductive elements 115 on the first substrate 111 and the orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer 154 on the first substrate 111 to block the backlight provided by the backlight module 30.

[0069] In an exemplary embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 5 , Figure 5 is Figure 3 a schematic plan view of the light-shielding layer of the display panel shown. A plurality of light-incident holes 154a penetrating the light-shielding layer 154 are formed on the light-shielding layer 154. The positions of the plurality of light-incident holes 154a correspond to the positions of the plurality of conductive elements 115, that is, the orthographic projections of the plurality of light-incident holes 154a on the first substrate 111 coincide with the orthographic projections of the plurality of conductive elements 115 on the first substrate 111. Therefore, ultraviolet light can be irradiated onto the sealant assembly 17 through the light-incident holes 154a. The orthographic projections of the regions where the plurality of conductive elements 115 are spaced apart on the first substrate 111 coincide with the orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer 154 on the first substrate 111. Through the above technical solutions, it can be achieved that the entire sealant assembly 17 can be irradiated by ultraviolet light and the display panel 10 can be prevented from having bright edges.

[0070] In an exemplary embodiment, the light incident aperture 154a may be a circular aperture or a polygonal aperture. For example, the light incident aperture 154a is a rectangular aperture, and its side length may be 3 um. The distance between the outermost light incident aperture 154a and the outer side surface of the sealant 171 is at least 5 um.

[0071] In an exemplary embodiment, the color filter substrate 15 further includes a plurality of first color resistors 155, a plurality of second color resistors 156, and a plurality of third color resistors 157. The plurality of first color resistors 155, the plurality of second color resistors 156, and the plurality of third color resistors 157 are disposed on a side of the second substrate 151 facing the liquid crystal layer 13 and within the display area 1. The plurality of first color resistors 155, the plurality of second color resistors 156, and the plurality of third color resistors 157 may be alternately arranged at intervals in sequence. That is, the plurality of first color resistors 155, the plurality of second color resistors 156, and the plurality of third color resistors 157 may be arranged in the following manner: the first color resistor 155, the second color resistor 156, the third color resistor 157, the first color resistor 155, the second color resistor 156, the third color resistor 157,..., the first color resistor 155, the second color resistor 156, the third color resistor 157, and adjacent color resistors are arranged at intervals. The black matrix layer 153 is disposed between adjacent color resistors, that is, the black matrix layer 153 is disposed between the first color resistor 155 and the second color resistor 156, the black matrix layer 153 is disposed between the second color resistor 156 and the third color resistor 157, and the black matrix layer 153 is disposed between the third color resistor 157 and the first color resistor 155.

[0072] In an exemplary embodiment, the first color resistor 155 is configured to convert the backlight into first color light, the second color resistor 156 is configured to convert the backlight into second color light, and the third color resistor 157 is configured to convert the backlight into third color light. The black matrix layer 153 is used to prevent color crosstalk between adjacent color resistors, that is, the black matrix layer 153 can be used to prevent color crosstalk between the first color resistor 155, the second color resistor 156, and the third color resistor 157.

[0073] In an exemplary embodiment, the backlight may be white light, the first color resistor 155 may be a red color resistor, the second color resistor 156 may be a green color resistor, and the third color resistor 157 may be a blue color resistor. Accordingly, the first color light may be red light, the second color light may be green light, and the third color light may be blue light to achieve full-color display.

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, the black matrix layer 153 and the light-shielding layer 154 may be integrally formed.

[0075] Such as Figure 3As shown, in the embodiment of the present application, the color filter substrate 15 further includes a planarization layer 158. The planarization layer 158 is disposed on the side of the black matrix layer 153 facing away from the second substrate 151 and on the side of the light-shielding layer 154 facing away from the second substrate 151, and is located in the display area 1 and the non-display area 2. That is, the planarization layer 158 covers the black matrix layer 153, the light-shielding layer 154, the plurality of first color filters 155, the plurality of second color filters 156, and the plurality of third color filters 157 on the second substrate 151. The planarization layer 158 also fills the light-incident holes 154a. The planarization layer 158 is used to make the surface of the color filter substrate 15 facing the liquid crystal layer 13 and the sealant assembly 17 flat.

[0076] In an exemplary embodiment, the sealant assembly 17 is connected between the planarization layer 158 and the insulating layer 117.

[0077] In the embodiment of the present application, the color filter substrate 15 further includes a common electrode layer 159. The common electrode layer 159 is disposed on the side of the planarization layer 158 facing away from the black matrix layer 153 and is located in the display area 1. The common electrode layer 159 and the plurality of pixel electrodes 118 form the preset electric field.

[0078] In an exemplary embodiment, the display panel 10 may be a display panel of a vertical alignment (VA) mode. In other embodiments, the display panel 10 may be a display panel of an in-plane switching (IPS) mode or a fringe field switching (FFS) mode, that is, the common electrode layer 159 and the pixel electrode 118 are disposed on the same side. The present application does not specifically limit the display mode of the display panel 10.

[0079] The present application also provides a second display panel. Please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 which is a schematic diagram of the second layer structure of the display panel disclosed in the second embodiment of the present application. The difference between the display panel 10a of the second structure and the display panel 10 of the first structure is that the sealant assembly 17 of the display panel 10a of the second structure does not include the support element 175, and the photothermal element 173 of the sealant assembly 17 of the display panel 10a of the second structure includes a support. For the description of the similarities between the display panel 10a of the second structure and the display panel 10 of the first structure, please refer to the relevant description of the display panel 10 of the first structure, which will not be repeated here.

[0080] In the embodiment of the present application, please refer toFigure 7 , Figure 7 is Figure 6 a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the photothermal element of the display panel shown. The photothermal element 173 includes a photothermal layer 173a and a support 173b disposed within the photothermal layer 173a. That is, the photothermal layer 173a wraps around the surface of the support 173b. When the array substrate 11 is aligned with the color filter substrate 15, the photothermal layer 173a generates heat under ultraviolet light irradiation to thermally cure the sealant 171, and the support 173b is used to maintain the thickness of the periphery of the display panel 10, that is, the support 173b is used to maintain the spacing between the array substrate 11 and the color filter substrate 15 in the non-display area 2.

[0081] It can be understood that by forming the support 173b within the photothermal layer 173a, the sealant assembly 17 may not include the support element 175, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process of the sealant assembly 17. Moreover, if the support element 175 is dispersed within the sealant 171, it will block the ultraviolet light, causing the photothermal element 173 to receive less ultraviolet light, thereby affecting the heat generation of the photothermal element 173 and thus affecting the curing rate of the sealant 171.

[0082] In an exemplary embodiment, the material of the photothermal layer 173a includes one or more of metal nanoparticles, synthetic graphene, graphite phase sodium nitride nanomaterials, titanium dioxide, titanium trioxide, etc. The overall shape of the support 173b may be spherical, and its material may be glass fiber, silicon, plastic, or the like.

[0083] In an exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the photothermal layer 173a may be 0.1 to 3 um, for example, 0.1 um, 0.4 um, 1 um, 1.5 um, 1.8 um, 2 um, 2.4 um, 3 um, or other values, and the present application does not make specific limitations thereon.

[0084] In summary, when the display panel 10a provided in the embodiment of the present application is aligned with the color filter substrate 15, the sealant 171 is pre-cured under the irradiation of ultraviolet light, and the photothermal element 173 generates heat under the irradiation of ultraviolet light to thermally cure the sealant 171. The technical solution of the present application simultaneously performs pre-curing and thermal curing on the sealant 171, simplifies the manufacturing process, speeds up the curing speed of the sealant 171, and thus avoids the contamination of the liquid crystal molecules 131 caused by incomplete pre-curing of the sealant 171. Moreover, when the sealant 171 is thermally cured, the area where the temperature rises is only the area where the sealant assembly 17 is located, and there is no need to heat the entire display panel 10a at a high temperature, avoiding the failure of the liquid crystal molecules 131 at high temperatures, and thus improving the display effect and reliability of the display panel 10.

[0085] Based on the same inventive concept, the third embodiment of the present application provides a method for manufacturing a sealant assembly for manufacturing Figures 3 to 6 the sealant assembly 17 shown. For the relevant content of the sealant assembly 17 involved in the method for manufacturing the sealant assembly provided in the third embodiment of the present application, please refer to the relevant description of the sealant assembly 17 in the second embodiment, which will not be repeated here. Please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 which is a schematic flow chart of the method for manufacturing the sealant assembly disclosed in the third embodiment of the present application. The method for manufacturing the sealant assembly may include the following steps.

[0086] S110. Provide the sealant 171.

[0087] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, a cold-sealed sealant is prepared, the cold-sealed sealant 171 is thawed at room temperature, and the thawed sealant 171 is filled into a glue tube.

[0088] S120. Add a plurality of photothermal elements 173 to the sealant 171.

[0089] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, a first weight of a plurality of photothermal elements 173 and a second weight of a plurality of support elements 175 are added to the thawed sealant 171 in the glue tube; or, a third weight of a plurality of photothermal elements 173 is added to the thawed sealant 171 in the glue tube, where the photothermal element 173 includes a photothermal layer 173a and a support 173b located in the photothermal layer 173a.

[0090] In an exemplary embodiment, the weight of the sealant 171 in the glue tube may be 50 g to 150 g, for example, 50 g, 70 g, 80 g, 100 g, 130 g, 140 g, 150 g, or other values, and the present application does not make specific limitations thereon.

[0091] In an exemplary embodiment, the mass ratio of the first weight to the sealant 171 may be 15% to 25%, the mass ratio of the second weight to the sealant 171 may be 1%, and the mass ratio of the third weight to the sealant 171 may be 16% to 26%.

[0092] S130. Stir the sealant 171 and the plurality of photothermal elements 173 dispersed in the sealant 171 to form a sealant assembly 17.

[0093] Specifically, place the rubber tube into a centrifuge and start the centrifuge. Through the uniform rotation of the centrifuge, the substances in the rubber tube are mixed evenly to form the sealant assembly 17, thereby completing the preparation of the sealant assembly 17.

[0094] In an exemplary embodiment, stir the sealant 171, the photothermal elements 173, and the support elements 175 to form a sealant assembly 17; or stir the sealant 171 and the photothermal elements 173 to form a sealant assembly 17, wherein the photothermal element 173 includes a photothermal layer 173a and a support 173b disposed in the photothermal layer 173a.

[0095] In summary, the method for manufacturing a sealant assembly provided in the embodiments of the present application includes: providing a sealant 171; adding a plurality of photothermal elements 173 to the sealant 171; stirring the sealant 171 and the plurality of photothermal elements 173 dispersed in the sealant 171 to form a sealant assembly 17. When the array substrate 11 is aligned with the color filter substrate 15, the sealant 171 is pre-cured under ultraviolet light irradiation, and the photothermal element 173 generates heat under ultraviolet light irradiation to thermally cure the sealant 171. The sealant assembly 17 formed by the method for manufacturing the sealant assembly can be pre-cured and thermally cured simultaneously, simplifying the manufacturing process, accelerating the curing speed of the sealant 171, and thus avoiding the contamination of the liquid crystal molecules 131 caused by incomplete pre-curing of the sealant 171. Moreover, when thermally curing the sealant 171, the region where the temperature rises is only the region where the sealant assembly 17 is located, and there is no need to heat the entire display panel at a high temperature, avoiding the failure of the liquid crystal molecules 131 at high temperature, and thus improving the display effect and reliability of the display panel.

[0096] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "schematic embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiments or examples are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0097] It should be understood that the application of the present application is not limited to the above examples. For those of ordinary skill in the art, improvements or transformations can be made according to the above description, and all such improvements and transformations should fall within the protection scope of the appended claims of the present application. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand all or part of the processes of implementing the above embodiments, and the equivalent changes made according to the claims of the present application still fall within the scope covered by the present application.

Claims

1. A display panel, comprising a display area and a non-display area surrounding the periphery of the display area, characterized in that, the display panel further comprises an array substrate, a sealant assembly and a color filter substrate which are stacked, the sealant assembly is located in the non-display area, and the sealant assembly comprises a sealant and a plurality of photothermal elements dispersed in the sealant; when the array substrate and the color filter substrate are aligned, the sealant is pre-cured under the irradiation of ultraviolet light, and the photothermal elements generate heat under the irradiation of ultraviolet light to simultaneously thermally cure the sealant; the photothermal element comprises a photothermal layer and a support disposed in the photothermal layer, the photothermal layer generates heat under the irradiation of ultraviolet light, and the support is used to maintain the distance between the array substrate and the color filter substrate located in the non-display area.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, the doping ratio of the photothermal element is 15% to 25%.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, the material of the photothermal element comprises one or more of metal nanoparticles, synthetic graphene, graphite phase sodium nitride nanomaterials, titanium dioxide, and titanium trioxide.

4. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, the array substrate comprises a first substrate and a plurality of conductive elements, the first substrate is disposed on a side of the sealant assembly facing away from the color filter substrate and is spaced apart from the sealant assembly, and the plurality of conductive elements are spaced apart and disposed on a side of the first substrate facing the sealant assembly and are located in the non-display area; the color filter substrate comprises a second substrate and a light-shielding layer, the second substrate is disposed on a side of the sealant assembly facing away from the array substrate and is spaced apart from the sealant assembly, and the light-shielding layer is disposed on a side of the second substrate facing the sealant assembly and is located in the non-display area.

5. The display panel according to claim 4, characterized in that, the orthographic projection of the plurality of conductive elements on the first substrate is offset from the orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer on the first substrate.

6. The display panel according to claim 5, characterized in that, the orthographic projection of the plurality of conductive elements on the first substrate is connected to the orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer on the first substrate.

7. A display device, characterized in that, comprising a backlight module and the display panel according to any one of claims 1-6, and the display panel is disposed on a light-emitting side of the backlight module.

8. A manufacturing method of a sealant assembly, characterized in that, used for manufacturing the sealant assembly of the display panel according to any one of claims 1-6, and the manufacturing method of the sealant assembly comprises: providing a sealant; adding a plurality of photothermal elements to the sealant; stirring the sealant and the plurality of photothermal elements dispersed in the sealant to form a sealant assembly.

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