Display module and electronic device

Abstract

The application discloses a display module and electronic equipment, the display module comprises: a display screen; an elastic reinforcing layer arranged on the backlight side of the display screen; a metal mesh layer arranged on the side surface of the elastic reinforcing layer away from the display screen, the metal mesh layer comprises a plurality of arrayed metal meshes, the metal mesh is a polygon formed by a plurality of metal wires, the elastic reinforcing layer and the metal mesh layer are both in the orthographic projection of the plane where the display screen is located and cover the display screen; a circuit board arranged on the side surface of the metal mesh layer away from the elastic reinforcing layer, and the circuit board is provided with a grounding circuit electrically connected with the metal mesh layer. The display module of the application can help the module absorb the impact force when falling by arranging the elastic reinforcing layer and the metal mesh layer, so as to avoid the damage of the display screen.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of display technology. More specifically, it relates to a display module and an electronic device comprising the display module. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread use of electronic devices such as mobile phones and smart wearable devices, people are becoming increasingly dependent on electronic devices, and at the same time, they are demanding higher and higher reliability from these devices.

[0003] Most electronic devices (such as watches and wristbands) require their display modules to have reliable drop resistance and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection. Some customers have stringent testing methods and specifications, leading to numerous component breakages and ESD damage during testing, resulting in issues like bright lines, black spots, and no display. Current solutions primarily involve strengthening the protective glass, increasing the thickness and strength of the panel substrate, and applying foam. While this can mitigate drop breakage to some extent, adding these materials increases the overall module thickness and manufacturing complexity, hinders ESD optimization design, and fails to achieve multi-functionality, ultimately increasing costs and reducing product competitiveness. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a display module and an electronic device, wherein the display module has the characteristics of strong drop resistance and high electrostatic protection.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a display module is provided, comprising:

[0006] Display screen;

[0007] An elastic reinforcing layer is disposed on the backlight side of the display screen;

[0008] A metal mesh layer is disposed on the side of the elastic reinforcing layer away from the display screen. The metal mesh layer includes multiple arrayed metal meshes, each of which is a polygon formed by multiple metal lines. The orthographic projections of the elastic reinforcing layer and the metal mesh layer onto the plane of the display screen both cover the display screen.

[0009] A circuit board is disposed on the surface of the metal mesh layer away from the elastic reinforcing layer, and the circuit board is provided with a grounding circuit electrically connected to the metal mesh layer.

[0010] Optionally, the metal mesh is rhomboid in shape, with a first connecting line between a pair of opposite corners of the rhomboid metal mesh, and a protrusion with a sharp angle on the first connecting line.

[0011] Optionally, the protruding portions extend toward both sides of the connecting line to form a rhombus shape.

[0012] Optionally, the metal mesh is square in shape, and multiple diagonal parallel lines are provided between a set of opposite sides of the square metal mesh.

[0013] Optionally, the metal mesh is square in shape, and the square metal mesh has a four-pointed star structure formed by metal wires, with the four vertices of the four-pointed star structure located on the four sides of the square metal mesh.

[0014] Optionally, the metal mesh is square in shape, and the square metal mesh has a cross-shaped structure formed by metal wires inside. The four vertices of the cross-shaped structure are located on the four sides of the square metal mesh, and a second connecting line is provided between the four vertices of the cross-shaped structure. The second connecting line has a protrusion with a sharp corner.

[0015] Optionally, the elastic reinforcing layer includes a carbon fiber material layer, which comprises a resin and carbon fibers impregnated in the resin.

[0016] Optionally, the circuit board is a flexible circuit board, comprising a first solder mask layer, a ground layer, a substrate layer, a wiring layer, and a second solder mask layer stacked sequentially.

[0017] Optionally, the metal mesh layer is attached to the first solder mask layer of the flexible circuit board, the first solder mask layer has a window, and the metal mesh layer passes through the window to connect to the ground layer.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, an electronic device is provided, which includes the above-described display module.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0020] The display module of this invention, by incorporating an elastic reinforcing layer and a metal mesh layer, helps absorb the impact force during drop tests, preventing screen breakage and thus reducing module damage. Furthermore, the metal mesh layer's mesh structure further disperses stress distribution during drops, preventing module breakage. Simultaneously, the metal mesh layer's electrostatic shielding structure allows it to be connected to the circuit board's grounding circuit using its conductivity, simultaneously enhancing the display module's electrostatic protection capabilities. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 A top view of the present invention is shown.

[0023] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the present invention is shown.

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a metal mesh layer according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a metal mesh according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0026] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a metal mesh layer according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0027] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a metal mesh according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0028] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a metal mesh layer according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a metal mesh according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of a metal mesh layer according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0031] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a metal mesh according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0032] Figure 11 A partial structural schematic diagram of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To more clearly illustrate the present invention, the following description, in conjunction with preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings, further explains the invention. Similar components in the drawings are indicated by the same reference numerals. Those skilled in the art should understand that the specific description below is illustrative rather than restrictive and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] This application provides an electronic device, which can be a computer, mobile phone, all-in-one machine, smart wearable device, or other device composed of electronic components such as integrated circuits, transistors, and vacuum tubes, and functioning by applying electronic technology (software). This invention primarily targets electronic devices with touch and display functions, exemplarily including: laptops, tablets, mobile phones, smartwatches, wristbands, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, portable camcorders, viewfinders, navigators, large-area wall displays, and information query devices, such as business query devices for e-government, banks, hospitals, and power companies.

[0035] Figure 1 Taking a smart bracelet as an example, the general structure of a common electronic device is illustrated. The electronic device 1 includes a display module 10, which comprises a stacked display screen 11, an elastic reinforcing layer 12, a metal mesh layer 13, and a circuit board 14. The electronic device may also include a protective cover 20 and a housing 30, wherein the protective cover 20 and the housing 30 can together form a receiving space, within which the display module 10 is housed. In addition, other components of the electronic device 1 may also be housed within this receiving space, such as a battery assembly and a sound component.

[0036] The housing 30 of the electronic device 1 forms the appearance of the electronic device 1, and its cross-section is approximately U-shaped. The display module 10 is disposed within the U-shaped housing 30, and the housing 30 can protect the components including the display module 10. A protective cover 20 can be disposed at the opening of the housing 30 and fixed to the opening of the housing 30 by an adhesive such as foam adhesive to cover at least a portion of the opening of the housing 30 for sealing the housing 30. The display screen 11 of the display module 10 is attached to the inner surface of the protective cover 20, and the light-emitting surface of the display screen 11 is attached to the protective cover 20. The protective cover 20 can be bonded to the display surface of the display screen 11 by optically clear adhesive (OCA).

[0037] An elastic reinforcing layer 12 is disposed on the surface of the display screen 11 away from the light-emitting side, i.e., the elastic reinforcing layer 12 is disposed on the backlight side of the display screen 11, and the elastic reinforcing layer 12 is made of a material with good flexibility. A metal mesh layer 13 is disposed on the surface of the elastic reinforcing layer 12 away from the display screen 11, and the metal mesh layer 13 includes multiple arrayed metal meshes, each metal mesh being a polygon formed by multiple metal wires. The orthographic projections of the elastic reinforcing layer 12 and the metal mesh layer 13 onto the plane of the display screen 11 both cover the display screen 11. Preferably, the elastic reinforcing layer 12 and the metal mesh layer 13 have the same area, and the area of ​​the display screen 11 is smaller than the area of ​​the elastic reinforcing layer 12 and the metal mesh layer 13, that is, the edges of the elastic reinforcing layer 12 and the metal mesh layer 13 extend beyond the edge of the display screen 11 and are located on its outer side. The elastic reinforcing layer 12 and the metal mesh layer 13 can be bonded and fixed together with an adhesive.

[0038] The circuit board 14 has a metal mesh layer 13 on the side surface away from the elastic reinforcing layer 12, and the circuit board 14 has a grounding circuit electrically connected to the metal mesh layer 13.

[0039] Because the elastic reinforcing layer 12 has good flexibility, and its orthographic projection onto the plane of the display screen 11 completely covers the display screen 11, it helps the display module 10 absorb the impact force during drop tests, preventing damage to the display screen 11 and thus reducing module damage. Furthermore, the metal mesh layer 13, with its mesh structure, further disperses stress distribution during drops, preventing damage to the display module 10. The metal mesh layer 13 also enhances the elastic reinforcing layer 12; together, they improve the elastic reinforcing layer 12's ability to absorb impact, thereby increasing the display module 10's resistance to drop impacts. Meanwhile, because the metal mesh layer 13 has a stacked mesh structure with electrostatic shielding, it can also be connected to the grounding circuit of the circuit board 14 by utilizing its conductive properties, thereby simultaneously enhancing the electrostatic protection capability of the display module 10. It also has a certain discharge effect on the charge accumulation that is easily generated at the edge of the casing. In addition, because the metal mesh layer 13 (metal material) has good thermal conductivity, it can also provide good heat dissipation capability in combination with the air gaps in the mesh pattern of the layer. That is, the metal mesh layer 13 radiates the heat absorbed to the air in the mesh gaps, so that it achieves the purpose of multiple uses. In other words, the elastic reinforcing layer 12 and the metal mesh layer 13 can achieve the functions of drop resistance, electrostatic protection and heat dissipation.

[0040] In one example, display screen 11 is a touch display screen, comprising a stacked display panel and a touch layer. The display panel in display screen 11 is primarily used for displaying images on electronic device 1. The display panel can be a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a self-emissive display screen, or a micro-LED display screen (including miniLED or microLED). When the display screen is a self-emissive display screen, it can be an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) or a Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode (QLED).

[0041] In one example, when the display screen 11 is a self-emissive display screen, the display screen 11 may include a substrate, a driving backplane, an emissive layer, and an encapsulation layer. The substrate provides the foundation for other structures in the display screen; the driving backplane, emissive layer, and encapsulation layer can all be fabricated on the substrate. The substrate material can be glass; for flexible displays, the substrate material is typically a flexible material such as PI (polyimide) or PET (saturated polyester). The driving backplane is configured to drive the emissive layer to emit light. The driving backplane may include multiple pixel circuits (also called pixel driving circuits), and the emissive layer may include multiple light-emitting devices. One pixel circuit in the driving backplane is coupled to one light-emitting device in the emissive layer to control the intensity of the light emitted by that light-emitting device. The encapsulation layer covers the light-emitting device, providing protection. The encapsulation layer can be an encapsulation substrate or an encapsulation film. In some embodiments, the encapsulation layer includes at least one organic encapsulation layer and one inorganic encapsulation layer. The inorganic encapsulation layer mainly serves to block water and oxygen intrusion, while the organic encapsulation layer assists in encapsulation and planarization. The organic encapsulation layer can be made of organic materials such as acrylic polymers or silicone polymers.

[0042] The touch layer in the display screen 11 is used to input touch signals from the outside, such as a user's finger tap signal or a user's fingerprint image. The touch layer is stacked with the display panel in the display screen 11. The touch layer can be disposed on one side of the display panel, for example, when the display panel is a self-emissive display, the touch layer can be disposed on the side of the light-emitting surface of the display panel; in addition, the touch layer can also be disposed inside the display panel, for example, when the display panel is a liquid crystal display, the touch layer can be embedded in the liquid crystal layer (i.e., in cell), or the touch layer can be disposed between the color filter substrate and the upper polarizer (i.e., on cell).

[0043] The display panel of the display screen 11 can be flexible or rigid. When the display panel is a flexible touch display, the display panel can be bent. The touch layer can be set only on the unbent area of ​​the flexible display panel, or it can extend to the bent area of ​​the flexible display panel and bend together with the flexible display panel.

[0044] When a user uses electronic device 1, their finger slides back and forth on the touchscreen. This causes static electricity carried by the user and charges generated by friction to accumulate, forming a micro-electric field. Under the influence of this micro-electric field, the internal electrical components and signal transmission of electronic device 1 are affected, leading to malfunctions. However, when the metal mesh layer 13 covers the circuit board 14 and is connected to the grounding circuit of the circuit board 14, the metal mesh layer 13 acts as an electrostatic shield. Static electricity between the inside of electronic device 1 and the outside world is released through the metal mesh layer 13, preventing the formation of the micro-electric field and avoiding the effects of static electricity on electronic device 1.

[0045] In one example, the elastic reinforcing layer 12 includes a carbon fiber material layer comprising resin and carbon fibers impregnated in the resin. The carbon fiber material layer can significantly reduce the weight of the elastic reinforcing layer 12. The tensile strength of the elastic reinforcing layer 12 made of carbon fiber is several times that of ordinary steel, and its elastic modulus is superior to that of steel. It has excellent creep resistance, corrosion resistance and shock resistance, thereby significantly improving the drop test results of the display module 10.

[0046] It should be noted that the carbon fiber material layer can be a multi-layer composite carbon fiber material layer. This multi-layer composite carbon fiber material is formed by laminating and bonding multiple layers of carbon fiber reinforced composite materials. Each layer consists of many carbon fibers arranged in a certain direction, and then tightly connected together with resin or other adhesive materials. Carbon fibers and resin together constitute fiber composite materials, and their engineering properties depend not only on the performance of individual carbon fibers, but also on the resin properties, fiber density, and fiber orientation. In other words, the final performance of the carbon fiber material is a weighted average of the fiber properties and the properties of the filling resin.

[0047] Because carbon fiber material itself has high strength and impact resistance, when the display module 10 is impacted by external force, the carbon fiber material can absorb and disperse the impact energy, reducing the impact on the display module 10. At the same time, the metal mesh layer 13 can also improve the strength of the carbon fiber material layer, preventing secondary damage to the display screen 11 from cracks caused by the breakage of the carbon fiber material layer after impact. Preferably, when the elastic reinforcing layer 12 is a carbon fiber material layer, the metal mesh layer 13 is made of highly ductile rolled copper.

[0048] In one example, such as Figure 3 As shown, the metal mesh layer 13 includes multiple arrayed diamond-shaped metal meshes, such as... Figure 4 As shown, a first connecting line 131 is provided between a pair of corners of the rhomboid metal mesh, that is, in Figure 4 In the indicated direction, a horizontal first connecting line 131 is provided at the center of the rhomboid metal mesh. A pointed protrusion 132 is provided on the first connecting line 131, protruding towards the upper and lower sides of the first connecting line 131 respectively, thus forming two sharp corners. The edges of the rhomboid metal mesh and the first connecting line 131 are both formed of metal wire, and the protrusions 132 are also made of metal. Utilizing the conductive properties of the metal mesh layer 13, static charge is conducted and discharged. Furthermore, due to the sharp corners of the metal protrusions 132, the static charge is further released using their tip discharge characteristics, thereby enhancing the electrostatic discharge capability. In this structure of the metal mesh layer 13, since the protrusions 132 are located at the center of each metal mesh, it is easy to utilize the sharp corners of the protrusions 132 for tip discharge, ensuring its electrostatic discharge capability.

[0049] It should be noted that the number and size of the metal mesh in the metal mesh layer 13 can be determined according to the actual size of the product and the processing requirements, and this application does not limit this.

[0050] In one example, such as Figure 5 As shown, the metal mesh layer 13 includes multiple square metal meshes arranged in an array, such as... Figure 6 As shown, a set of opposite sides of a square metal mesh are provided with multiple diagonal parallel lines 133. In this embodiment, a diagonal line is provided within the metal mesh, and parallel lines parallel to the diagonal line are provided on both sides of the diagonal line, that is, the angle between the multiple diagonal parallel lines 133 and the edge line is 45 degrees. Figure 5 In the directions shown, the parallel lines of vertically adjacent metal grids are in the same direction, while the parallel lines of horizontally adjacent metal grids are perpendicular to each other. The edges and parallel lines of the square metal grid are both formed by metal wires. This type of metal grid layer 13 has a simpler structure and is easier to manufacture. Furthermore, the parallel lines 133 and the edges of the metal grid also have acute angles, which facilitates the tip discharge of electrostatic charges.

[0051] In one example, such as Figure 7 As shown, the metal mesh layer 13 includes multiple square metal meshes arranged in an array, such as... Figure 8 As shown, a four-pointed star structure 134 is provided within the metal mesh in the positive direction. The four-pointed star structure 134 is formed by metal wires, and the four vertices of the four-pointed star structure 134 are located on the four sides of the metal mesh in the positive direction. Each metal mesh of this structure has four connection points fixedly connected to the four-pointed star structure 134, which is relatively dense and has good cohesion. The overall toughness of the metal mesh layer 13 is also better, providing good drop protection. In addition, the shape of this structure of the metal mesh layer 13 is relatively simple, which is convenient for production. Furthermore, the air gap in the middle of the star structure is relatively large, which has better heat dissipation capacity. During the electrostatic discharge stage, it also has triangular acute angles for point discharge, which can also ensure its electrostatic discharge capability.

[0052] In one example, such as Figure 9 As shown, the metal mesh layer 13 includes multiple square metal meshes arranged in an array, such as... Figure 10As shown, a cross-shaped structure 135 is provided within the positively oriented metal mesh. The four vertices of the cross-shaped structure 135 are located on the four sides of the square metal mesh, respectively. A second connecting line 136 is provided between the four vertices of the cross-shaped structure 135, and a protrusion 132 with a sharp corner is provided on the second connecting line 136. The metal mesh units of this structure are positively distributed, resulting in a more uniform distribution of stress. Therefore, it can still meet the requirements for projects with less stringent drop specifications. This shape is extremely simple, which can significantly improve production yield and save costs. This solution can be considered for projects with high cost pressure. In addition, the air gap in the middle of this structure is also relatively large, resulting in good heat dissipation. During the electrostatic discharge stage, the sharp corner in the middle also allows for point discharge, ensuring its electrostatic discharge capability.

[0053] In one example, such as Figure 11 As shown, circuit board 14 is a flexible circuit board, including a first solder mask layer 141, a ground layer 142, a substrate layer 143, a trace layer 144, and a second solder mask layer 145 stacked sequentially. A metal mesh layer 13 is attached to the first solder mask layer 141. The first solder mask layer has a window 146, which exposes part of the grounding circuit of the ground layer 142, allowing the metal mesh layer 13 to pass through the window 146 and connect to the ground layer 142, thereby achieving an electrical connection between the grounding circuit of circuit board 14 and the metal mesh layer 13. Specifically, the metal mesh layer 13 can be connected to the grounding circuit by filling the window 146 with a conductive medium, or the metal mesh layer 13 can be directly connected to the grounding circuit.

[0054] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0055] It should also be noted that in the description of this invention, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0056] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is impossible to exhaustively list all the implementation methods here. All obvious variations or modifications derived from the technical solutions of the present invention are still within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A display module, characterized in that, include: Display screen; An elastic reinforcing layer is disposed on the backlight side of the display screen. The elastic reinforcing layer includes a carbon fiber material layer, which includes resin and carbon fibers impregnated in the resin. A metal mesh layer is disposed on the side of the elastic reinforcing layer away from the display screen. The metal mesh layer includes multiple arrayed metal meshes, each of which is a polygon formed by multiple metal lines. The orthographic projections of the elastic reinforcing layer and the metal mesh layer onto the plane of the display screen both cover the display screen. A circuit board is disposed on the surface of the metal mesh layer away from the elastic reinforcing layer, and the circuit board is provided with a grounding circuit electrically connected to the metal mesh layer.

2. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal mesh is rhomboid in shape, and a first connecting line is provided between a pair of opposite corners of the rhomboid metal mesh, with a protrusion having a sharp angle on the first connecting line.

3. The display module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protruding portions extend toward both sides of the connecting line, forming a rhombus shape.

4. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal mesh is square in shape, and multiple diagonal parallel lines are provided between a set of opposite sides of the square metal mesh.

5. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal mesh is square in shape, and a four-pointed star structure formed by metal wires is provided inside the square metal mesh. The four vertices of the four-pointed star structure are located on the four sides of the square metal mesh.

6. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal mesh is square in shape, and a cross-shaped structure formed by metal wires is provided inside the square metal mesh. The four vertices of the cross-shaped structure are located on the four sides of the square metal mesh, and a second connecting line is provided between the four vertices of the cross-shaped structure. The second connecting line has a protrusion with a sharp corner.

7. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circuit board is a flexible circuit board, comprising a first varnish layer, a ground layer, a substrate layer, a wiring layer, and a second varnish layer stacked in sequence.

8. The display module according to claim 7, characterized in that, The metal mesh layer is attached to the first green solder mask layer of the flexible circuit board. The first green solder mask layer has a window, and the metal mesh layer passes through the window to connect with the ground layer.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that, Includes the display module described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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