Foldable display module and display device

Abstract

The application relates to a foldable display module and a display device. The foldable display module comprises a flexible display panel, two housings located at a first side of the flexible display panel and rotationally connected around a first axis, the two housings being capable of unfolding or folding the flexible display panel when rotating around the first axis, a sliding assembly for supporting the flexible display panel, the sliding assembly comprising two sliding pieces arranged between the flexible display panel and the housings, the two sliding pieces being one-to-one connected to one housing and slidingly connected to the corresponding housing in a first direction, and an elastic piece, at least one sliding piece and the corresponding housing being connected with the elastic piece; wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the first axis and parallel to the part of the flexible display panel supported by the sliding piece. The application can improve the reverse arch phenomenon of the bending area when the flexible display panel is folded, and improve the service life of the display device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of display, in particular to a foldable display module and a display device. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of display technology, foldable display devices have appeared in the market. The display devices with folding function can switch the screen size by folding, for example, the folding screen is unfolded to obtain a larger display size in use to improve the experience, and the folding screen is folded to reduce the screen size in non-use to facilitate carrying. However, after repeated folding, the bending area of the folding screen will appear bending arching problem, which increases the risk of screen failure. SUMMARY

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a foldable display module and a display device to improve the bending arching phenomenon of the bending area of the folding screen when folding, and to improve the service life of the display device.

[0004] According to an aspect of the present application, a foldable display module is provided, comprising:

[0005] a flexible display panel;

[0006] two housings located at a first side of the flexible display panel and rotationally connected around a first axis, the two housings being capable of unfolding or folding the flexible display panel when rotating around the first axis;

[0007] a sliding assembly for supporting the flexible display panel, the sliding assembly comprising two sliding members arranged between the flexible display panel and the housings, the two sliding members being one-to-one connected to one of the housings and slidingly connected to the corresponding housing in a first direction; and

[0008] an elastic member connected between at least one of the sliding members and the corresponding housing;

[0009] wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the first axis and parallel to the part of the flexible display panel supported by the sliding members.

[0010] In the above scheme, two sliding members are connected to one shell in one-to-one correspondence, and the sliding members are connected to the corresponding shells in sliding connection in the first direction. In the folding process of the flexible display panel, the layer structure on the first side of the flexible display panel (i.e., the part of the layer structure connected to the sliding member) has a movement freedom in the first direction that is not constrained by the shell, and can follow the movement of each layer structure on the first side of the flexible display panel away from the first side. The dislocation amount of the relative movement between each layer structure of the flexible display panel is reduced, thereby improving the stress condition of each layer structure in the bending area of the flexible display panel and reducing the bending degree of the bending area, thereby improving the arching phenomenon when the flexible display panel is folded inward or outward.

[0011] In addition, since at least one of the sliding members and the corresponding shell is connected with an elastic member, the elastic member can provide an elastic force resisting the movement of the sliding member in the first direction away from the first axis when the foldable display module is configured to be folded inward. In this way, during the folding process of the flexible display panel, when the layer structure on the first side of the flexible display panel moves away from the first axis with the sliding member, the elastic member can prevent the movement speed of the sliding member from being too fast, making the movement process more stable. During the process of unfolding the flexible display panel from the inward folding state, when the sliding member moves towards the first axis with the layer structure on the first side of the flexible display panel, at least two elastic members apply elastic force to different positions of the sliding member towards the first axis, which can assist the sliding member to move towards the direction close to the first axis, making the sliding member more easily return to the original position.

[0012] In some embodiments, when the foldable display module is configured to be in a fully unfolded state, the elastic member is in a free state without elastic deformation. In this way, the elastic member can avoid applying additional force to the layer structure on the first side of the display panel in the normal unfolded use state.

[0013] In some embodiments, at least two elastic members are connected between each sliding member and the corresponding shell. A part of the at least two elastic members and another part of the at least two elastic members are used to apply pulling force and pushing force in the same direction in the first direction to the sliding member, respectively. In this way, the at least two elastic members can apply force to the sliding member at different positions, which makes the stability of the sliding member better when moving, and is not prone to shaking compared with the case of arranging only one elastic member.

[0014] In some embodiments, the shell is provided with two first stop portions on the side facing the flexible display panel, the two first stop portions are arranged towards each other in the first direction, the sliding member is located between the two first stop portions, and the at least two elastic members are connected between the first direction end faces of the sliding member and the first stop portions, respectively.

[0015] In some embodiments, the sliding member is configured with a receiving cavity and an opening communicating with the receiving cavity, the housing is provided with a protrusion extending into the receiving cavity from the opening, and at least two elastic members are respectively connected between the protrusion and the part of the cavity wall opposite to the protrusion and spaced apart along the first direction;

[0016] Preferably, the sliding member is supported on the housing, or the protrusion is provided with an expanded neck portion at the end thereof in the protruding direction, the sliding member is supported on the expanded neck portion, and the support plate is provided with a avoiding cavity corresponding to the expanded neck portion, and the expanded neck portion extends into the avoiding cavity.

[0017] In some embodiments, at least two elastic members are connected between each sliding member and the corresponding housing, and the at least two elastic members are respectively located at the two ends of the sliding member along the second direction; the second direction is parallel to the first axis.

[0018] In some embodiments, the housing is configured with a second guide rail extending along the first direction, and the end of the sliding member along the first axis direction is provided with two rotating wheels rotatably connected to the sliding member about an axis and engaged with the two side walls of the second guide rail, respectively.

[0019] Preferably, each rotating wheel is provided with two elastic members corresponding thereto, each elastic member is configured as a torsion spring, one end of each elastic member is connected to the rotating wheel, and the other end is connected to the sliding member to apply an elastic force to the rotating wheel to resist the rotation of the rotating wheel; and / or

[0020] The two ends of the sliding member along the first axis are each provided with a mounting cavity, and each rotating wheel is rotatably supported on the cavity wall of the mounting cavity through a pin shaft; and / or

[0021] The rotating wheel is configured as a gear, and the side walls of the two second guide rails are configured with gear teeth for engaging with the gear.

[0022] In some embodiments, the housing is provided with a first guide rail extending along the first direction, and the sliding member is provided with a sliding block capable of sliding along the first guide rail to enable the sliding member to slide along the first direction.

[0023] Preferably, the first guide rail is located on the side of the housing facing the sliding member, and the sliding block is located on the side of the sliding member facing the housing.

[0024] Or the housing is provided with two second stop portions, the two second stop portions each extend along the first direction and are arranged opposite to each other along the first axis direction, the sliding member is located between the two second stop portions, the two first guide rails are each provided on the surface of the second stop portion facing the sliding member, and the sliding block is provided on the end surface of the sliding member facing the two second stop portions.

[0025] In some embodiments, the sliding member comprises a plurality of sliding blocks, the plurality of sliding blocks are arranged at intervals in the first direction, and two adjacent sliding blocks in the first direction are elastically connected, and one elastic member is arranged between the sliding block at the end of the first direction and the shell;

[0026] Preferably, among the two adjacent sliding blocks, at least one is provided with an extension part extending towards the other in the first direction;

[0027] Preferably, the two adjacent sliding blocks are defined as a first sliding block and a second sliding block, and the first sliding block and the second sliding block are both provided with an extension part, the extension part on the first sliding block is defined as a first extension part, and the extension part on the second sliding block is defined as a second extension part; the plurality of first extension parts are arranged at intervals in the first axis direction, and at least part of the second extension parts are inserted between two adjacent first extension parts.

[0028] According to a second aspect of the present application, a display device is provided, comprising the foldable display module as described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a bending area when a folding screen in the related art is folded;

[0030] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of the foldable display module provided by the first embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the connection structure between one of the shells and the sliding member in the foldable display module provided by the first embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the connection structure between the other shell and the sliding member in the foldable display module provided by the first embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 5 A top view of the connection structure between the shell and the sliding member in the foldable display module provided by the first embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the connection structure between the two shells in the foldable display module provided by the first embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the connection structure between the sliding member and the shell in the foldable display module provided by the first embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of another connection structure between the sliding member and the shell in the foldable display module provided by the first embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 9This is a schematic diagram of another connection structure between the sliding component and the housing in the foldable display module provided in Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0038] Figure 10 for Figure 9 A front sectional view;

[0039] Figure 11 for Figure 10 A partial enlarged view of the sliding component;

[0040] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the sliding component and the housing in the foldable display module provided in Embodiment 2 of this application;

[0041] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of another connection structure between the sliding component and the housing in the foldable display module provided in Embodiment 2 of this application;

[0042] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of another connection structure between the sliding component and the housing in the foldable display module provided in Embodiment 2 of this application;

[0043] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of another connection structure between the sliding component and the housing in the foldable display module provided in Embodiment 2 of this application;

[0044] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the sliding component and the housing in the foldable display module provided in Embodiment 3 of this application;

[0045] Figure 17 for Figure 16 Top view;

[0046] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of another connection structure between the sliding component and the housing in the foldable display module provided in Embodiment 3 of this application;

[0047] Figure 19 for Figure 18 Top view;

[0048] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the sliding component and the housing in the foldable display module provided in Embodiment 4 of this application.

[0049] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0050] 100. Foldable display module;

[0051] 10. Flexible display panel; 11. Adhesive layer; 12. Straight section; 13. Bending section;

[0052] 20, 20a, 20b, 20c, sliding member; 21, sliding block; 22, rotating wheel; 221, pin shaft; 23, mounting cavity; 231, accommodating cavity; 24, first mounting surface; 25, avoiding cavity; 26, interval; 27, sliding block; 270, spring; 271, weight-reducing notch; 272, extension; 273, avoiding groove; 28, first sliding block; 281, first extension; 29, second sliding block; 291, second extension;

[0053] 30, 30a, housing; 31, first guide rail; 311, flange structure; 32, second guide rail; 321, gear tooth; 33, second stop; 34, first stop; 35, rotating assembly; 351, end stop; 352, first gear; 36, protrusion; 361, expanded neck portion;

[0054] 40, elastic member; 41, elastic block;

[0055] 50, screen body; 51, recessed area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the present application, the present application will be described with reference to the drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the present application are shown. The present application may, however, be carried out in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and fully convey the scope of the application to those skilled in the art.

[0057] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in the description of the application herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0058] In describing a position relationship, unless otherwise defined, when an element such as a layer, film or substrate is referred to as being "on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements can also be present. In addition, when a layer is referred to as being "under" or "beneath" another layer, it can be directly under the other layer, or one or more intervening layers can also be present. It will also be understood that when a layer is referred to as being "between" two layers, it can be the only layer between the two layers, or one or more intervening layers can also be present.

[0059] In the case where "include", "have" and "contain" are used in the description herein, unless an explicit limiting term such as "only", "consisting of" or the like is used, another component can be added. Unless otherwise mentioned, the singular form of the term can include the plural form, and it cannot be understood as the number of one.

[0060] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present application, a first element can be called a second element, and similarly, a second element can be called a first element.

[0061] It should also be understood that when interpreting elements, although not explicitly described, the elements are interpreted to include an error range that should be within an acceptable deviation range of a specific value determined by a person skilled in the art. For example, "about", "approximately" or "essentially" can mean within one or more standard deviations, without limitation.

[0062] In addition, the drawings are not drawn to scale 1:1, and the relative sizes of the elements are only drawn by example in the drawings, not necessarily according to the true scale.

[0063] With the continuous development of display technology, the folding screen has become a development trend of future mobile electronic products. The display device using the folding screen can be freely unfolded and folded, enhancing the user experience. The folding screen can provide more display area in the unfolded state, improving the display effect. In the folded state, it is convenient for users to carry.

[0064] However, the internal structure layers of the folding screen are prone to slip and dislocation during folding, causing some layer structures to slip to both sides, and then causing the membrane layer in the bending area of the screen body to be extruded and deformed. When the folding screen is unfolded, it greatly affects the stress of the membrane layer in the bending area. As shown in Figure 1 As shown is the state of the screen body 50 after folding back and then folding out, a concave area 51 appears in the bending area, and when the screen body 50 is folded out again, it is prone to the phenomenon of reverse arching. In other words, the folding screen of the related art is prone to bending arching and other abnormalities in the bending area after a long time of repeated folding and unfolding, which can easily cause the screen body of the folding screen to fail, reducing the service life of the display device.

[0065] To solve the above problems, the embodiment of the present application sets a sliding member that can slide relative to the shell on one side of the flexible display panel connected to the shell. The sliding member can move with the deformation of the flexible display panel during folding, thereby improving the stress on the bending area during folding, effectively avoiding arching and arching, and improving the service life of the foldable display module.

[0066] Embodiment one

[0067] Figure 2 The structure diagram of the foldable display module provided by Embodiment One of the present application is shown in Figure 3FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a connection structure between one of the housings and the sliding member in the foldable display module according to Embodiment One of the present application, Figure 4 FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a connection structure between another of the housings and the sliding member in the foldable display module according to Embodiment One of the present application, Figure 5 FIG. 4 is a top view of a connection structure between the housing and the sliding member in the foldable display module according to Embodiment One of the present application.

[0068] With reference to Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 The foldable display module 100 provided by the present embodiment comprises a flexible display panel 10, two housings 30, a sliding assembly and an elastic member 40.

[0069] The two housings 30 are located at the first side F of the flexible display panel 10 and are rotationally connected around the first axis O. When the two housings 30 rotate around the first axis O, the flexible display panel 10 can be unfolded or folded. The sliding assembly is used to support the flexible display panel 10. The sliding assembly comprises two sliding members 20 arranged between the flexible display panel 10 and the housings 30. The two sliding members 20 are one-to-one connected to one of the housings 30, and the sliding member 20 is slidingly connected to the corresponding housing 30 along the first direction F. The elastic member 40 is connected between at least one of the sliding members 20 and the corresponding housing 30.

[0070] It can be understood that, in the present embodiment, the flexible display panel 10 is defined to have a first side F and a second side S arranged oppositely. The second side S can be the display side of the flexible display panel 10 used for displaying a picture in a use state, and the first side F can be the side away from the display side. The direction perpendicular to the first axis O and parallel to the part of the flexible display panel 10 supported by the sliding member 20 is defined as the first direction D. In addition, when the housing 30 drives the flexible display panel 10 to fold, the way of folding the two end portions of the second side S of the flexible display panel 10 towards each other is defined as inner folding, which is indicated by the reference sign "N", and the way of folding the two end portions of the first side F of the flexible display panel 10 towards each other is defined as outer folding, which is indicated by the reference sign "W".

[0071] In the above scheme, two sliding pieces 20 are connected to one shell 30 in one-to-one correspondence, and the sliding piece 20 is slidingly connected to the corresponding shell 30 in the first direction D. In the folding process of the flexible display panel 10, the layer structure on the first side of the flexible display panel 10 (i.e., the part of the layer structure connected to the sliding piece) has a movement freedom in the first direction D that is not constrained by the shell 30, and can follow the movement of each layer structure of the flexible display panel 10 away from the first side F. The dislocation amount of the relative movement between each layer structure of the flexible display panel 10 is reduced, thereby improving the stress condition of each layer structure in the bending area of the flexible display panel 10, reducing the bending degree of the bending area, and thereby improving the arching phenomenon when the flexible display panel 10 is folded inward or outward.

[0072] In addition, since at least one of the sliding piece 20 and the corresponding shell 30 is connected to the elastic piece 40, the elastic piece 40 can provide an elastic force resisting the movement of the sliding piece 20 in the first direction D away from the first axis O when the foldable display module 100 is configured to be folded inward. Thus, in the folding process of the flexible display panel 10, when the layer structure on the first side F of the flexible display panel 10 moves away from the first axis O with the sliding piece 20, the elastic piece 40 can prevent the movement speed of the sliding piece 20 from being too fast, making the movement process more stable. In the process of unfolding the flexible display panel 10 from the inward folding, when the layer structure on the first side F of the flexible display panel 10 moves towards the first axis O with the sliding piece 20, the elastic piece 40 applies an elastic force to different positions of the sliding piece 20 towards the first axis O, which can assist the sliding piece 20 to move towards the first axis O, making the sliding piece 20 more easily return to the original position.

[0073] In the embodiments of the present application, when the foldable display module 100 is configured to be folded outward, the elastic piece 40 connected between each sliding piece 20 and the corresponding shell 30 can provide an elastic force resisting the movement of the sliding piece 20 in the first direction D towards the first axis. Thus, in the folding process of the flexible display panel 10, when the layer structure on the first side F of the flexible display panel 10 moves towards the first axis O with the sliding piece 20, the elastic piece 40 applies an elastic force to different positions of the sliding piece 20 away from the first axis O, which can prevent the movement speed of the sliding piece 20 from being too fast, making the movement process more stable. In the process of unfolding the flexible display panel 10 from the outward folding, when the layer structure on the first side F of the flexible display panel 10 moves away from the first axis O with the sliding piece 20, the elastic piece 40 applies an elastic force to different positions of the sliding piece 20 away from the first axis O, which can assist the sliding piece 20 to move away from the first axis O, making the sliding piece 20 more easily return to the original position.

[0074] In some embodiments, the elastic member 40 is in a free state without elastic deformation when the foldable display module 100 is configured in the fully unfolded state. In this way, the elastic member 40 can avoid exerting additional force on the layer structure of the first side F of the flexible display panel 10 in the normal unfolded use state.

[0075] In some embodiments, at least two elastic members 40 can be connected between each sliding member 20 and the corresponding housing 30, and a part of the at least two elastic members 40 and another part of the at least two elastic members 40 are used to respectively exert the same direction pulling force and pushing force along the first direction D on the sliding member 20. In this way, the at least two elastic members 40 can exert force on the sliding member 20 at different positions, and compared with the case of arranging only one elastic member 40, the stability of the sliding member 20 when moving is better, and the sliding member 20 is not prone to shaking.

[0076] In the embodiments of the present application, the flexible display panel 10 can include a plurality of layer structures along the thickness direction, for example, the flexible display panel 10 includes a display layer (not shown), an adhesive layer 11, a cover layer (not shown), and the like in the direction from the first side F to the second side S in sequence, and the display layer and the cover layer can be formed by stacking a plurality of materials.

[0077] In addition, the flexible display panel 10 includes flat portions 12 and bending portions 13 located between the flat portions 12, and the bending portions 13 are bending regions that are bent when the flexible display panel 10 is folded. The sliding assembly is used to support the flat portion 12, for example, two sliding members 20 included in a group of sliding assemblies can each support one flat portion.

[0078] The two sliding members 20 included in a group of sliding assemblies can be connected to different positions of the first side F of the flexible display panel 10, for example, the sliding member 20 can be pasted on the different positions of the first side F of the flexible display panel 10 through the adhesive layer 11. In some embodiments, the surface of the first side F of the flexible display panel 10 can also be provided with a reinforcing sheet or a support body, and the sliding member 20 can be pasted on the reinforcing sheet or the support body through the adhesive layer 11.

[0079] Figure 6 A connection structure diagram of two housings in the foldable display module provided for the first embodiment of the present application.

[0080] The two housings can rotate around the first axis O to unfold or fold the flexible display panel 10, which specifically means that the two housings 30 are connected to rotate around the first axis O, and can drive the flexible display panel 10 to fold towards the first side F or the second side S when rotating around the first axis O. For reference Figure 6As a possible implementation, the two housings 30 are each provided with a rotating assembly 35 at an end along the first axis O, and the two housings 30 are rotationally connected through the two rotating assemblies 35. The rotating assembly 35 includes two first gears 352 rotationally connected to the ends of the two housings 30 along the first direction D respectively, and the teeth of the two first gears 352 are in mesh with each other, and two end blocks 351 are respectively located at the axial ends of the two first gears 352, and each end block 351 is used to fixedly connect the axial ends of the two first gears 352 on the same side. When the two housings 30 have a tendency to rotate around the first axis O when being operated by the user, the corresponding first gears 352 of the two housings 30 are each rotated around its own axis and meshed, and the two housings 30 are rotated away from or close to each other, which can drive the part of the flexible display panel 10 connected to the housing 30 to also rotate around the first axis O, so as to realize the folding to the first side F or the second side S.

[0081] Of course, the rotational connection mode of the two housings 30 is not limited to this, and can also be hinged or other modes.

[0082] In the embodiment of the present application, as described above, the sliding member 20 is slidingly connected to the corresponding housing 30 along the first direction D, that is, each sliding member 20 is slidingly fitted to the housing 30 connected to the sliding member 20 along the first direction D. Here, the sliding fitting along the first direction D can be realized, for example, by linearly guiding the sliding member 20 by the housing 30.

[0083] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the connection structure of the sliding member and the housing in the foldable display module provided in the first embodiment of the present application, Figure 8 FIG. 2 is a schematic view of another connection structure of the sliding member and the housing in the foldable display module provided in the first embodiment of the present application, Figure 9 FIG. 3 is a schematic view of still another connection structure of the sliding member and the housing in the foldable display module provided in the first embodiment of the present application, Figure 10 FIG. 4 is a front view of the cross-sectional view of Figure 9 FIG. 5 is a front view of the cross-sectional view of Figure 11 FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the sliding member part in Figure 10 Referring to

[0084] , Figure 7 , Figure 8 The housing 30 is provided with a first guide rail 31 extending along the first direction D, and the sliding member 20 is provided with a sliding block 21 capable of sliding along the first guide rail 31, so that the sliding member 20 is slidingly fitted to the sliding member 20 along the first direction D.

[0085] Specifically, it can be as Figure 7As shown, the first guide rail 31 is located on the side of the shell 30 facing the sliding member 20, and the sliding block 21 is located on the side of the sliding member 20 facing the shell 30. In this way, the size of the shell 30 along the first axis O is reduced as much as possible without changing the external size of the sliding member 20. Specifically, the two ends of the shell 30 along the first axis O are provided with a flange structure 311 folded inwardly from the shell 30, and the flange structure 311 and the shell 30 together define the first guide rail 31. The sliding block 21 is formed by extending from the sliding member 20 toward the shell 30, and the shape of the sliding block 21 is adapted to the shape of the first guide rail 31.

[0086] With reference to Figure 8 As another possible implementation, the shell 30 is provided with two second stop portions 33, both of which extend along the first direction D and are arranged opposite to each other along the first axis O. The sliding member 20 is located between the two second stop portions 33, and the two first guide rails 31 are respectively formed on the surfaces of the second stop portions 33 facing the sliding member 20. The sliding block 21 is arranged on the end surface of the sliding member 20 facing the two second stop portions 33. In this way, the two ends of the shell 30 along the first axis O guide the sliding member 20, so that the guiding cooperation between the sliding member 20 and the shell 30 is more stable.

[0087] With reference to Figure 9 、 Figure 10 、 Figure 11 As still another possible implementation, the shell 30 is configured with a second guide rail 32 extending along the first direction D. The end of the sliding member 20 along the first axis O is provided with two rotating wheels 22, both of which are rotatably connected to the sliding member 20 about an axis and are respectively engaged with the two side walls of the second guide rail 32. In this way, when the sliding member 20 has a tendency to move under the driving of the layer structure on the first side F of the flexible display panel 10, the sliding member 20 can only move along the extension direction of the second guide rail 32 due to the engagement of the two rotating wheels 22 with the two side walls of the second guide rail 32.

[0088] In some embodiments, the rotating wheel 22 is configured as a gear, and the side walls of the two second guide rails 32 are configured with gear teeth 321 for engaging with the gear. The engagement between the gear and the gear teeth 321 on the side walls has the characteristic of high cooperation precision, so that the guiding movement of the sliding member 20 and the shell 30 is more stable.

[0089] In the embodiments of the present application, the rotating connection between the rotating wheel 22 and the sliding member 20 can be, for example, Figure 9 、 Figure 10 、 Figure 11As shown, the sliding member 20 is provided with a mounting cavity 23 at each end thereof along the first axis direction O, and each rotating wheel 22 is rotatably supported on the cavity wall of the mounting cavity 23 through a pin shaft 221. It can be understood that at least part of the wheel body of the rotating wheel 22 is exposed outside the sliding member 20 from the mounting cavity 23, so as to facilitate engagement with the side wall of the second guide rail 32. As described above, the cavity is provided inside the sliding member 20, which can realize lightweight of the sliding member 20 and make the overall structure more compact.

[0090] In the embodiment of the present application, as described above, at least two elastic members 40 are connected between each sliding member 20 and the corresponding housing 30, that is, at least two elastic members 40 are provided for each sliding member 20. In some embodiments, the at least two elastic members 40 are connected at different positions of the sliding member 20. Since the sliding member 20 itself has a certain gravity, and also has a certain frictional force with the housing 30 in sliding contact, when the sliding member 20 moves close to the first axis O direction, it is easy to be affected by these factors and appear to be stuck. In the embodiment, at least two elastic members 40 are provided for each sliding member 20, and the at least two elastic members 40 are connected at different positions of the sliding member 20, so as to assist the sliding member 20 to return to the original position when the flexible display panel 10 is folded. In this process, the sliding member 20 can be forced at multiple positions, which makes the stability of the sliding member 20 better compared with the case of forcing at only one position.

[0091] In the embodiment, the elastic member 40 is taken as a spring for example, and it can be understood that the present application is not limited thereto, and the elastic member 40 can also be an elastic block made of a super-elastic material (such as polydimethylsiloxane PDMS, polyurethane TPU, and other materials that have recovery ability after deformation). In the case of other structural forms of the elastic member 40, the arrangement mode and position of the elastic member 40 are similar, which will not be described here.

[0092] For the arrangement mode of the elastic member 40, for example, among all the elastic members 40 connected to the same sliding member 20, part of the elastic members 40 apply pulling force to the sliding member 20, and part of the elastic members 40 apply pressure to the sliding member 20, and the pressure and the pulling force are both along the same direction.

[0093] As described above, among the at least two elastic members 40, one part of the elastic members 40 and another part of the elastic members 40 are used to respectively apply pulling force and pushing force along the first direction D and in the same direction to the sliding member 20.

[0094] In a specific implementation, when the foldable display module 100 is configured to be in the fully folded-in state, among the at least two elastic members 40 connected between each sliding member 20 and the corresponding housing 30, part of the elastic members 40 apply a pulling force to the sliding member 20 along the first direction D to approach the first axis O, and the rest of the elastic members 40 apply a pushing force to the sliding member 20 along the first direction D to approach the first axis O.

[0095] In a specific implementation, when the foldable display module 100 is configured to be in the fully folded-in state, among the at least two elastic members 40 connected between each sliding member 20 and the corresponding housing 30, part of the elastic members 40 apply a pulling force to the sliding member 20 along the first direction D to approach the first axis O, and the rest of the elastic members 40 apply a pushing force to the sliding member 20 along the first direction D to approach the first axis O.

[0096] In a specific implementation, the sliding member 20 can be configured as shown in Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , that is, the sliding member 20 has at least two first mounting surfaces 24 arranged in the first direction D, and the elastic members 40 are connected to the at least two first mounting surfaces 24 and the housing 30, that is, the elastic members 40 connected between each sliding member 20 and the corresponding housing 30 are connected between the first mounting surfaces and the housing 30. Since the first mounting surfaces 24 are arranged at least twice, that is, the positions at which the elastic members 40 apply force to the sliding member 20 have at least two in the first direction D, and among these elastic members 40, part of them apply pressure to the sliding member 20, and part of them apply pulling force to the sliding member 20, compared with all the elastic members 40 connected to the sliding member 20 applying a single type of pressure (or pulling force) to the sliding member 20, the stability of the sliding member 20 during movement can be improved.

[0097] As shown in Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , as one possible implementation, the housing 30 has two first stop portions 34 on the side facing the flexible display panel 10, the two first stop portions 34 are arranged opposite to each other along the first direction D, the sliding member 20 is located between the two first stop portions 34, and the two side end surfaces of the sliding member 20 along the first direction D form two first mounting surfaces 24, respectively; and the elastic members 40 are connected between the first mounting surfaces 24 and the first stop portions 34. In this way, when the elastic members 40 on the left side of the drawing in Figure 3 apply pressure to the sliding member 20, Figure 3 the elastic members 40 on the right side of the drawing in Figure 3 apply pulling force to the sliding member 20, and when the elastic members 40 on the left side of the drawing in Figure 3 apply pulling force to the sliding member 20, the elastic members 40 on the right side of the drawing in apply pressure to the sliding member 20, which can improve the stability of the sliding member 20 during movement.

[0098] The following describes the movement of the sliding member 20 during the folding process of the flexible display panel 10.

[0099] Combination Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 During the process of the flexible display panel 10 folding inward from a flat state, as the housing 30 drives the flexible display panel 10, when the sliding member 20 moves relative to the housing 30 along the first direction D, toward the direction away from the rotating assembly 35, under the influence of the layer structure on the first side F of the flexible display panel 10, the sliding member 20 is located... Figure 3 The elastic element 40 on the left side of the middle image is compressed, applying pressure toward the rotating assembly 35 to the sliding element 20; located in Figure 3 The elastic element 40 on the right side of the middle image extends, applying a pulling force toward the rotating assembly 35 to the sliding element 20, making the movement of the sliding element 20 more stable. In addition, since the layer structure of the first side F of the flexible display panel 10 can move with the individual layer structures of the second side S of the flexible display panel 10, the amount of lamination misalignment between the relative movement of the layers of the flexible display panel 10 is reduced, thereby improving the stress situation of each layer structure in the bending area of ​​the flexible display panel 10 and reducing the degree of bending in the bending area.

[0100] During the process of the housing 30 moving the flexible display panel 10 from an inwardly folded state to a flat state, when the sliding member 20 moves relative to the housing 30 along the first direction D towards the rotating assembly 35 under the influence of the layer structure on the first side F of the flexible display panel 10, it is located... Figure 3 The compression state of the elastic element 40 on the left side of the middle image gradually decreases, but it still applies pressure towards the rotating assembly 35 to the sliding element 20; located in Figure 3 The elongation of the elastic member 40 on the right side of the middle image gradually decreases, but it still applies a pulling force toward the rotating component 35 to the sliding member 20. With the assistance of this pulling force and pressure, the sliding member 20 will not get stuck due to its own weight or friction, and will move toward the rotating component 35 more smoothly and stably. During this process, the force applied by the elastic member 40 to the sliding member 20 will be balanced with the force along the bending direction of the flexible display panel 10, which improves the tendency of the flexible display panel 10 to deform downward in the bending area.

[0101] In addition, it is understandable that here is based on Figure 3 The sliding component 20 in the middle, namely Figure 2 The working process of sliding component 20 is illustrated using the sliding component 20 on the left side of the middle image as an example. Figure 2 The sliding member 20 on the right and the sliding member 20 on the left in the figure move in a similar manner.

[0102] Reference Figure 4, the elastic member 40 on the left side of the display panel 10 is compressed, and the elastic member 40 on the right side of the display panel 10 is elongated, so that the sliding member 20 is pulled towards the rotating assembly 35 and is pressed towards the rotating assembly 35, and the sliding member 20 moves towards the rotating assembly 35 stably. Figure 4 , the elastic member 40 on the left side of the display panel 10 is elongated, and the elastic member 40 on the right side of the display panel 10 is compressed, so that the sliding member 20 is pulled towards the rotating assembly 35 and is pressed towards the rotating assembly 35, and the sliding member 20 moves towards the rotating assembly 35 stably. Figure 4 , the elastic member 40 on the left side of the display panel 10 is elongated, and the elastic member 40 on the right side of the display panel 10 is compressed, so that the sliding member 20 is pulled towards the rotating assembly 35 and is pressed towards the rotating assembly 35, and the sliding member 20 moves towards the rotating assembly 35 stably.

[0103] , the elastic member 40 on the left side of the display panel 10 is elongated, and the elastic member 40 on the right side of the display panel 10 is compressed, so that the sliding member 20 is pulled towards the rotating assembly 35 and is pressed towards the rotating assembly 35, and the sliding member 20 moves towards the rotating assembly 35 stably. Figure 4 , the elastic member 40 on the left side of the display panel 10 is elongated, and the elastic member 40 on the right side of the display panel 10 is compressed, so that the sliding member 20 is pulled towards the rotating assembly 35 and is pressed towards the rotating assembly 35, and the sliding member 20 moves towards the rotating assembly 35 stably. Figure 4 , the elastic member 40 on the left side of the display panel 10 is elongated, and the elastic member 40 on the right side of the display panel 10 is compressed, so that the sliding member 20 is pulled towards the rotating assembly 35 and is pressed towards the rotating assembly 35, and the sliding member 20 moves towards the rotating assembly 35 stably.

[0104] It should be noted that, no matter the housing 30 is located on the left side or the right side, Figure 2 , the process of the housing 30 driving the display panel 10 from the unfolded state to the folded state is similar to the process of the housing 30 driving the display panel 10 from the unfolded state to the folded state, and the process of the housing 30 driving the display panel 10 from the unfolded state to the folded state is similar to the process of the housing 30 driving the display panel 10 from the unfolded state to the folded state, which will not be described here.

[0105] In the embodiment of the present application, the number of elastic members 40 located on the same side of the sliding member 20 in the first direction D can be one or more, for example, Figure 5As shown, three elastic members 40 are arranged on the same side of the first direction D of the sliding member 20, and the three elastic members 40 are arranged at intervals in the first axis direction O, so that the moving stability of the sliding member 20 can be improved. In addition, the positions of the elastic members 40 on both sides of the sliding member 20 in the first direction D are one-to-one corresponding, so as to avoid the elastic force of each elastic member 40 on the sliding member 20 generating torque on the sliding member 20.

[0106] With reference to Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 As another possible connection mode of the elastic member 40, at least two elastic members 40 are connected between each sliding member 20 and the corresponding housing 30, and the at least two elastic members 40 are respectively located at the two ends of the sliding member 20 in the second direction, and here the second direction is parallel to the first axis O.

[0107] For example, each rotating wheel 22 is provided with two elastic members 40, each elastic member 40 is configured as a torsion spring, and one end of each elastic member 40 is connected to the rotating wheel 22 and the other end is connected to the sliding member 20, so as to apply an elastic force to the rotating wheel 22 to resist the rotation of the rotating wheel 22. In this way, when the sliding member 20 moves in the first direction D and the rotating wheel 22 rotates, the elastic member 40 generates a torque or a rotating force, and there is a tendency to pull the rotating wheel 22 back to the initial position. It can be understood that the number of elastic members 40 corresponding to each rotating wheel 22 can also be one, and one end of the elastic member 40 is connected to the rotating wheel 22 and the other end is connected to the sliding member 20, so as to apply an elastic force to the rotating wheel 22 to resist the rotation of the rotating wheel 22.

[0108] Embodiment two

[0109] This embodiment improves the structure of the sliding member based on embodiment one, and the rest of the foldable display module 100 is similar to embodiment one and has been described in detail in embodiment one, which will not be repeated here.

[0110] Figure 12 A connection structure diagram of a sliding member and a housing in a foldable display module provided by embodiment two of the present application, Figure 13 A connection structure diagram of a sliding member and a housing in a foldable display module provided by embodiment two of the present application, Figure 14 A connection structure diagram of a sliding member and a housing in a foldable display module provided by embodiment two of the present application, Figure 15 A connection structure diagram of a sliding member and a housing in a foldable display module provided by embodiment two of the present application.

[0111] With reference to Figure 12The sliding member 20a has a receiving cavity 231 and an opening communicating with the receiving cavity 231. The housing 30a has a protrusion 36 that extends into the receiving cavity 231 from the opening. Two first mounting surfaces 24 are formed on the cavity wall of the receiving cavity 231, spaced apart along the first direction D. An elastic member 40 connects the first mounting surfaces 24 and the protrusion 36. In other words, at least two elastic members 40 are respectively connected between the protrusion 36 and the cavity wall of the receiving cavity 231, spaced apart along the first direction D and facing the protrusion 36. Thus, no elastic member 40 is provided between the outer contour surface of the sliding member 20a and the housing 30a, which maximizes the support area of ​​the sliding member 20a for the flexible display panel 10. Simultaneously, by creating the receiving cavity 231 inside the sliding member 20a, the weight of the sliding member 20a is achieved. This solution balances a large support area of ​​the sliding member 20a with lightweight design. The elastic element 40 is held between the protrusion 36 and the cavity wall facing each other in the first direction D.

[0112] As mentioned earlier, in addition to linear springs, elastic elements can also be made of hyperelastic materials (such as polydimethylsiloxane PDMS, polyurethane TPU, and other materials that have the ability to recover after deformation), such as elastic blocks 41. Figure 13 As shown, the elastic block 41 is clamped between the protrusion 36 and the surfaces of the accommodating cavity 231 facing each other in the first direction D.

[0113] In this embodiment of the application, the sliding member 20a can be as follows: Figure 12 , Figure 13 As shown, it is supported on the housing 30a.

[0114] Of course, to further increase the contact area between the protrusion 36 and the sliding member 20a and improve the smoothness of movement, it is also possible to... Figure 14 , Figure 15 As shown, a neck 361 is provided at the protruding end of the protruding portion 36, and the sliding member 20a is supported on the neck 361. The sliding member 20a is provided with a relief cavity 25 corresponding to the neck 361, and the neck 361 extends into the relief cavity 25. At this time, the sliding member 20 can have a gap 26 between it and the housing 30 to minimize the weight of the sliding member 20.

[0115] Furthermore, refer to Figure 15 When the elastic element is configured as an elastic block 41 made of a superelastic material, the elastic block 41 can be connected between the cavity wall of the clearance cavity 25 and the opposing surfaces of the neck 361, or disposed in the gap 26 formed between the sliding element 20 and the housing 30.

[0116] Example 3

[0117] This embodiment improves the structure of the sliding component based on Embodiment 1. The rest of the foldable display module 100 is similar to that in Embodiment 1 and has been described in detail in Embodiment 1, so it will not be repeated here.

[0118] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the sliding component and the housing in the foldable display module provided in Embodiment 3 of this application. Figure 17 for Figure 16 Top view, Figure 17 for Figure 16 Top view, Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of another connection structure between the sliding component and the housing in the foldable display module provided in Embodiment 3 of this application; Figure 19 for Figure 18 Top view.

[0119] Reference Figure 16 , Figure 17 The sliding member 20b includes multiple sliding blocks 27, which are spaced apart in the first direction D. Adjacent sliding blocks 27 are elastically connected in the first direction D. An elastic element 40 is provided between each sliding block 27 located at the end of the first direction D and the housing 30. In this way, the overall size of the sliding member 20b can be reduced, and the sliding member 20b can be made lighter.

[0120] For example, springs 270 can be connected between two adjacent sliding blocks 27 in the first direction D to achieve an elastic connection.

[0121] In some other embodiments, at least one sliding block 27 is provided with a weight-reduction notch 271. This can further reduce the weight of the sliding member 20b.

[0122] Furthermore, refer to Figure 18 , Figure 19 In each of two adjacent sliding blocks 27, at least one has an extension 272 extending toward the other along the first direction D. This reduces the distance between adjacent sliding blocks 27, ensuring that the sliding member 20b is lightweight while maintaining the surface flatness of the sliding member 20.

[0123] In some embodiments, if one of two adjacent sliding blocks 27 is provided with an extension 272, the other sliding block 27 is provided with a relief groove 273 at a position corresponding to the extension 272, so as to further reduce the distance between the two.

[0124] Example 4

[0125] The embodiment improves the structure of the sliding member based on Embodiment Three. The remaining parts of the foldable display module 100 are similar to Embodiment Three, and have been described in detail in Embodiment One, which will not be repeated here.

[0126] Figure 20 FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a connection structure between a sliding member and a housing in a foldable display module according to Embodiment Four.

[0127] With reference to Figure 20 In the sliding member 20c of the embodiment, each of the two adjacent sliding blocks 27 is provided with an extension 272 extending towards the other sliding block 27 in the first direction D. The two adjacent sliding blocks 27 are defined as a first sliding block 28 and a second sliding block 29. The first sliding block 28 and the second sliding block 29 are both provided with an extension. The extension on the first sliding block 28 is defined as a first extension 281, and the extension on the second sliding block 29 is defined as a second extension 291.

[0128] The plurality of first extensions 281 are arranged at intervals in the first axis direction, and at least part of the second extensions 291 are inserted between the two adjacent first extensions 281. In this way, the size of the support member in the first axis direction can be increased, so as to further increase the support area of the sliding member 20c on the flexible display panel 10.

[0129] Embodiment Five

[0130] The embodiment provides a display device including the foldable display module 100 of any of the above embodiments.

[0131] The display device in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to a mobile terminal, for example. Examples of the mobile terminal include a tablet personal computer (PC), a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player, a game console, or a wristwatch-type electronic device. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not intended to limit the type of mobile terminal to which the foldable display module can be applied. In some example embodiments, the foldable display module can be used not only in a large electronic device such as a television (TV) or an outdoor billboard, but also in a medium or small electronic device such as a PC, a notebook computer, a car navigation device, or a camera.

[0132] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined in any manner. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described, but it should be considered that any combination of the technical features is within the scope of the present disclosure, as long as the combination does not result in a contradiction.

[0133] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of several embodiments of the present application, which are described in more detail and in a specific manner, but should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A foldable display module, characterized in that, include: Flexible display panel; Two housings are located on the first side of the flexible display panel and are rotatably connected about a first axis. When the two housings rotate about the first axis, the flexible display panel can be unfolded or folded. A sliding assembly for supporting the flexible display panel includes two sliding members disposed between the flexible display panel and the housing. The two sliding members are connected to one of the housings in a one-to-one correspondence, and the sliding members are slidably connected to the corresponding housings along a first direction. as well as An elastic element is connected between at least one of the sliding elements and the corresponding housing; Wherein, the first direction is perpendicular to the first axis and parallel to the portion of the flexible display panel supported by the sliding member; Each of the sliding members and the corresponding housing is connected by at least two elastic members; the sliding member is configured with a receiving cavity and has an opening communicating with the receiving cavity; the housing has a protrusion that extends into the receiving cavity from the opening; the at least two elastic members are respectively connected between the protrusion and a portion of the cavity wall that is spaced apart along the first direction and faces the protrusion.

2. The foldable display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the foldable display module is configured in the fully unfolded state, the elastic element is in a free state without elastic deformation.

3. The foldable display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, Of at least two of the elastic elements, one portion of the elastic elements and the other portion of the elastic elements are used to apply a tensile force and a thrust force, respectively, along the first direction and in the same direction, to the sliding element.

4. The foldable display module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The housing has two first stop portions on the side facing the flexible display panel. The two first stop portions are arranged facing each other along the first direction. The sliding member is located between the two first stop portions. The at least two elastic members are respectively connected between the two end faces of the sliding member in the first direction and the first stop portions.

5. The foldable display module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The sliding member is supported on the housing; or the protruding end of the protruding part is provided with a neck, the sliding member is supported on the neck, the sliding member is provided with a relief cavity corresponding to the neck, and the neck extends into the relief cavity.

6. The foldable display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least two elastic elements are connected between each sliding member and the corresponding housing, and the at least two elastic elements are respectively located at both ends of the sliding member along the second direction; The second direction is parallel to the first axis.

7. The foldable display module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The housing is configured with a second guide rail extending along the first direction. The end of the sliding member along the first axis is provided with two rotating wheels. The two rotating wheels are rotatably connected to the sliding member around an axis and respectively mesh with the two side walls of the second guide rail.

8. The foldable display module according to claim 7, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned rotating wheels is provided with two of the aforementioned elastic elements, each of the aforementioned elastic elements being configured as torsion springs, with one end of each elastic element connected to the rotating wheel and the other end connected to the sliding member, so as to apply an elastic force to the rotating wheel to impede its rotation; and / or The sliding member has mounting cavities at both ends along the first axis, and each of the rotating wheels is rotatably supported on the cavity wall of the mounting cavity by a pin; and / or The rotating wheel is configured as a gear, and the sidewalls of the two second guide rails are provided with teeth for meshing with the gear.

9. The foldable display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing is provided with a first guide rail extending along the first direction, and the sliding member is provided with a slider that can slide along the first guide rail, so that the sliding member slides and engages with the sliding member along the first direction.

10. The foldable display module according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first guide rail is located on the side of the housing facing the sliding member, and the slider is located on the side of the sliding member facing the housing; Alternatively, the housing may have two second stops, both of which extend along the first direction and are arranged facing each other in the first axial direction. The sliding member is located between the two second stops, and the two first guide rails are respectively opened on the surfaces of the second stops facing the sliding member. The slider is disposed on the end face of the sliding member facing the two second stops.

11. The foldable display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sliding member includes a plurality of sliding blocks, which are spaced apart in the first direction. Adjacent sliding blocks in the first direction are elastically connected, and an elastic member is provided between the sliding block located at the end in the first direction and the housing.

12. The foldable display module according to claim 11, characterized in that, Of the two adjacent sliding blocks, at least one is provided with an extension extending toward the other along the first direction.

13. The foldable display module according to claim 12, characterized in that, The two adjacent sliding blocks are defined as a first sliding block and a second sliding block. Both the first sliding block and the second sliding block are provided with the extension portion. The extension portion on the first sliding block is defined as the first extension portion, and the extension portion on the second sliding block is defined as the second extension portion. The plurality of first extensions are arranged at intervals along the first axis, and at least a portion of the second extensions are inserted between two adjacent first extensions.

14. A display device, characterized in that, Includes the foldable display module as described in any one of claims 1-13.

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