Display panel and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application discloses a display panel and a manufacturing method thereof, which comprises: a flexible display panel body, comprising a non-bending part and at least one bending part, the bending part comprising a bending trace; and a coating layer covering at least part of the bending part, so that the display side surface of the bending part is a flat surface. In the present application, the flexible display panel body is repeatedly bent at the bending part to form a bending trace on the bending part, and then a coating layer is formed on at least the display side surface of the bending part, so that the display side surface of the bending part is a flat surface. By first bending to fix the bending trace and then forming the coating layer to make the display side surface flat, the bending trace is no longer generated or is difficult to become serious in the subsequent use process of the user, so that the display side surface remains flat in the use process of the user, and the performance and user experience of the bending display panel are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of displays, specifically to a display panel and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of display technology, display panels have been widely used in people's lives, such as the display screens of mobile phones, computers, and televisions. Foldable or bendable display panels have been developed, such as foldable organic light-emitting display panels (OLEDs).

[0003] However, in foldable or bendable display panels, repeated bending will cause bending marks on the display side surface, resulting in an uneven feel when touched by the user's fingers, and causing abnormal display images, thus reducing the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a display panel and its manufacturing method, which can solve the problem that in current foldable or bendable display panels, after repeated bending, bending marks will appear on the display side surface of the display panel, causing unevenness when touched by the user's fingers, and making the displayed image abnormal, thus reducing the user experience.

[0005] This application provides a display panel, including:

[0006] A flexible display panel body includes a non-bending portion and at least one bending portion, the bending portion including a bending mark;

[0007] A coating is applied to at least a portion of the bent portion to make the display side surface of the bent portion a flat surface.

[0008] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the display side surface of the bent portion and the display side surface of the non-bent portion are on the same plane.

[0009] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the coating covers at least a portion of the display side surface of the non-bent portion and the display side surface of the bent portion, wherein the display side surface of the bent portion and the display side surface of the non-bent portion are in the same plane.

[0010] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the creep recovery rate of the coating is greater than or equal to 90%.

[0011] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the material of the coating includes at least one of polysiloxane, epoxy resin, and polyurethane.

[0012] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the flexible display panel body includes:

[0013] Base;

[0014] An array layer and a light-emitting layer are disposed on the substrate;

[0015] An encapsulation layer is disposed on the array layer and the light-emitting layer;

[0016] A protective cover is disposed on the side of the encapsulation layer away from the substrate;

[0017] The coating is applied to the surface of the protective cover away from the substrate.

[0018] Accordingly, this application also provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising the following steps:

[0019] A flexible display panel body is provided, the flexible display panel body including a non-bending portion and at least one bending portion;

[0020] The flexible display panel body is repeatedly bent at the bending portion to form bending marks at the bending portion;

[0021] A coating is formed at least on the display side surface of the bent portion to make the display side surface of the bent portion a flat surface.

[0022] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, after the coating is formed on the display side surface of the bent portion, the display side surface of the bent portion and the display side surface of the non-bent portion are on the same plane.

[0023] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, after the coating is formed on at least a portion of the display side surface of the non-bent portion and the display side surface of the bent portion, the display side surface of the bent portion and the display side surface of the non-bent portion are in the same plane.

[0024] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the creep recovery rate of the coating is greater than or equal to 90%.

[0025] This application provides a display panel and its manufacturing method. The display panel includes: a flexible display panel body, including a non-bending portion and at least one bending portion, the bending portion including bending marks; and a coating covering at least a portion of the bending portion to make the display side surface of the bending portion a flat surface. In this application, the flexible display panel body is first repeatedly bent at the bending portion to form bending marks, and then a coating is formed at least on the display side surface of the bending portion to make the display side surface of the bending portion a flat surface. By first bending to fix the bending marks and then forming the coating, the surface of the display side is made flat. During subsequent user use, bending marks no longer occur or are unlikely to become severe, so that the display side surface remains flat during user use, improving the performance of the flexible display panel and the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the curvature of the bend mark and the number of bends, provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a first schematic diagram of a display panel provided in Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a second schematic diagram of a display panel provided in Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0030] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the process steps of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0031] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the first intermediate process of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the second intermediate process of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to Embodiment 1 of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. In addition, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for illustration and explanation of this application and are not intended to limit this application. In this application, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" generally refer to the upper and lower positions of the device in actual use or operation, specifically the drawing directions in the accompanying drawings; while "inner" and "outer" refer to the outline of the device.

[0034] This application provides a display panel, comprising: a flexible display panel body including a non-bending portion and at least one bending portion, the bending portion including a bending mark; and a coating covering at least a portion of the bending portion to make the display-side surface of the bending portion a flat surface. This application also provides a method for manufacturing the aforementioned display panel, which will be described in detail below. It should be noted that the order of description of the following embodiments is not intended to limit the preferred order of embodiments.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the curvature of the bend mark and the number of bends, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 The horizontal axis represents the number of bends, and the vertical axis represents the curvature of the bend marks. The inventor repeatedly bent the flexible display panel; the bend marks appeared in short-term bends and became severe quickly. In subsequent bends, the severity of the bend marks only changed slightly. Figure 1 The data shows that when curvature is used to describe creases, the curvature measured after 10,000 bends reaches 0.43, while after 100,000 bends, the crease curvature is 0.51. It is evident that after 10,000 bends, or even a few thousand bends, the severity of the creases is similar to that of creases formed over long-term use. This describes the non-linear development of creases. Based on this process of crease change, the inventors have proposed the embodiments of this application.

[0037] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 2 This is a first schematic diagram of a display panel provided in Embodiment 1 of this application; Figure 3 This is a second schematic diagram of a display panel provided in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0038] This application provides a display panel 200, which includes a flexible display panel body 100 and a coating 30. The flexible display panel body 100 includes a non-bent portion FF1 and at least one bent portion FF2, and the bent portion FF2 includes a bending mark 101. The coating 30 covers at least a portion of the bent portion FF2 so that the display side surface of the bent portion FF2 is a flat surface.

[0039] Specifically, the bending part FF2 can be a foldable part.

[0040] Specifically, the display side surface refers to the side surface of the flexible display panel body 100 or display panel 200 that displays the image, or the side surface that is visible to the user's eyes.

[0041] Specifically, a coating 30 is formed on at least the display side surface of the bent portion FF2 to fill at least the depressions or uneven positions in the bending mark 101, so that the display side surface of the bent portion is a flat surface.

[0042] In this embodiment, the flexible display panel body 100 is first repeatedly bent at the bending portion FF2 to form a bending mark 101 at the bending portion FF2. Then, a coating 30 is formed at least on the display side surface of the bending portion FF2 to make the display side surface of the bending portion FF2 a flat surface. By first bending and fixing the bending mark 101 and then forming the coating 30, the surface of the display side is made flat. During subsequent user use, the bending mark 101 will no longer be generated or will be difficult to become serious, so that the display side surface remains flat during user use and avoids abnormal display images caused by the bending mark 101, thereby improving the performance of the flexible display panel and the user experience.

[0043] In some embodiments, the display-side surface of the bent portion FF2 and the display-side surface of the non-bent portion FF1 are on the same plane.

[0044] Specifically, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, after the coating 30 is formed on the display side surface of the bent portion FF2, the display side surface of the bent portion FF2 and the display side surface of the non-bent portion FF1 are on the same plane.

[0045] In some embodiments, coating 30 covers at least a portion of the display side surface of the non-bent portion FF1 and the display side surface of the bent portion FF2, wherein the display side surface of the bent portion FF2 and the display side surface of the non-bent portion FF1 are in the same plane.

[0046] Specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, after coating 30 is formed on at least a portion of the display side surface of the non-bent portion FF1 and the display side surface of the bent portion FF2, the display side surface of the bent portion FF2 and the display side surface of the non-bent portion FF1 are in the same plane.

[0047] In some embodiments, the creep recovery rate of coating 30 is greater than or equal to 90%.

[0048] Specifically, the creep recovery rate (or creep recovery rate) of coating 30 is greater than or equal to 90%, which helps prevent bending marks from forming again on the coating surface when the user bends or folds the display panel 200 in the future.

[0049] In some embodiments, the material of coating 30 includes at least one of polysiloxane, epoxy resin, and polyurethane.

[0050] In some embodiments, the flexible display panel body 100 includes a substrate 10, an array layer and a light-emitting layer, an encapsulation layer, and a protective cover plate 20. The array layer and the light-emitting layer are disposed on the substrate 10; the encapsulation layer is disposed on the array layer and the light-emitting layer; and the protective cover plate 20 is disposed on the side of the encapsulation layer away from the substrate 10. A coating 30 is formed on the surface of the protective cover plate 20 away from the substrate.

[0051] Specifically, the flexible display panel body may include a protective cover plate 20 or a protective window. After the flexible display panel body 100 is repeatedly bent, bending marks 101 are formed on the protective cover plate 20 or the protective window. A coating 30 is formed on the surface of the protective cover plate or the protective window, so that the display side surface of the final product of the display panel 200 is a flat surface.

[0052] Furthermore, a composite support layer can be provided on the side of the substrate away from the encapsulation layer in the flexible display panel body. The composite support layer may include a backplane layer, a buffer layer, and other layer structures.

[0053] Specifically, the substrate can be a flexible substrate or a glass substrate, without limitation.

[0054] Specifically, the protective cover or protective window can be a glass cover or a UTG, and there is no limitation here.

[0055] Implementation of Column 2

[0056] Please see Figures 4 to 6 ,as well as Figure 2 and Figure 3 ; Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the process steps of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to Embodiment 1 of this application; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the first intermediate process of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to Embodiment 1 of this application; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the second intermediate process of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to Embodiment 1 of this application; Figure 2 This can be understood as a first schematic diagram of the third intermediate process of a method for manufacturing a display panel provided in Embodiment 1 of this application; Figure 3 This can be understood as a second schematic diagram of the third intermediate process of a display panel manufacturing method provided in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0057] The display panel 200 in any of the above embodiments can be manufactured using the display panel manufacturing method of this embodiment.

[0058] This application provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, the method comprising the steps of S100, S200, and S300.

[0059] S100 provides a flexible display panel body, the flexible display panel body including a non-bending portion and at least one bending portion.

[0060] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, a flexible display panel body 100 is provided, which includes a non-bending portion FF1 and at least one bending portion FF2.

[0061] Specifically, the bending part FF2 can be a foldable part.

[0062] S200 involves repeatedly bending the flexible display panel body at the bending point to create bending marks.

[0063] Specifically, such as Figure 6 As shown, the flexible display panel body 100 is repeatedly bent at the bending portion FF2 to form a bending mark 101 at the bending portion FF2.

[0064] S300, at least on the display side surface of the bent portion, a coating is formed so that the display side surface of the bent portion is a flat surface.

[0065] Specifically, such as Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, a coating 30 is formed on at least the display side surface of the bent portion FF2 to make the display side surface of the bent portion FF2 a flat surface.

[0066] Specifically, the display side surface refers to the side surface of the flexible display panel body 100 or display panel 200 that displays the image, or the side surface that is visible to the user's eyes.

[0067] Specifically, a coating 30 is formed on at least the display side surface of the bent portion FF2 to fill at least the depressions or uneven positions in the bending mark 101, so that the display side surface of the bent portion is a flat surface.

[0068] In this embodiment, the flexible display panel body 100 is first repeatedly bent at the bending portion FF2 to form a bending mark 101 at the bending portion FF2. Then, a coating 30 is formed at least on the display side surface of the bending portion FF2 to make the display side surface of the bending portion FF2 a flat surface. By first bending and fixing the bending mark 101 and then forming the coating 30, the surface of the display side is made flat. During subsequent user use, the bending mark 101 will no longer be generated or will be difficult to become serious, so that the display side surface remains flat during user use and avoids abnormal display images caused by the bending mark 101, thereby improving the performance of the flexible display panel and the user experience.

[0069] In some embodiments, after the coating 30 is formed on the display side surface of the bent portion FF2, the display side surface of the bent portion FF2 and the display side surface of the non-bent portion FF1 are in the same plane.

[0070] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, after the coating 30 is formed on the display side surface of the bent portion FF2, the display side surface of the bent portion FF2 and the display side surface of the non-bent portion FF1 are on the same plane.

[0071] In some embodiments, after the coating 30 is formed on at least a portion of the display side surface of the non-bent portion FF1 and the display side surface of the bent portion FF2, the display side surface of the bent portion FF2 and the display side surface of the non-bent portion FF1 are in the same plane.

[0072] Specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, after coating 30 is formed on at least a portion of the display side surface of the non-bent portion FF1 and the display side surface of the bent portion FF2, the display side surface of the bent portion FF2 and the display side surface of the non-bent portion FF1 are in the same plane.

[0073] In some embodiments, the creep recovery rate of coating 30 is greater than or equal to 90%.

[0074] Specifically, the creep recovery rate (or creep recovery rate) of coating 30 is greater than or equal to 90%, which helps prevent bending marks from forming again on the coating surface when the user bends or folds the display panel 200 in the future.

[0075] In some embodiments, the material of coating 30 includes at least one of polysiloxane, epoxy resin, and polyurethane.

[0076] In some embodiments, the method of forming coating 30 includes spraying or coating.

[0077] Specifically, a coating 30 is formed on the display side surface of the flexible display panel body 100 by spraying or coating. No adhesive layer is required between the coating 30 and the flexible display panel body 100, which can prevent the coating 30 from separating from the flexible display panel body 100 and prevent the coating 30 from generating bending marks independently during subsequent bending.

[0078] In some embodiments, the method of forming coating 30 further includes curing the coating, after which the display side surface of the bent portion FF2 is a flat surface.

[0079] Specifically, a coating 30 can be formed on the display side surface of the flexible display panel body 100 by spraying or coating. At this time, the coating 30 is not yet cured. The coating 30 is cured by ultraviolet curing or high temperature curing. After the coating 30 is cured, the display side surface of the bent part FF2 is a flat surface.

[0080] In some embodiments, the conditions for "repeatedly bending the flexible display panel body at the bending portion" are: the temperature is greater than or equal to 60 degrees Celsius and the humidity is greater than or equal to 90%.

[0081] Specifically, repeatedly bending the flexible display panel body 100 under conditions of temperature greater than or equal to 60 degrees Celsius and humidity greater than or equal to 90% can quickly or in a short time make the bending marks reach a relatively stable or fixed state, thereby improving the efficiency of display panel manufacturing.

[0082] In some embodiments, the flexible display panel body 100 includes a substrate 10, an array layer and a light-emitting layer, an encapsulation layer, and a protective cover plate 20. The array layer and the light-emitting layer are disposed on the substrate 10; the encapsulation layer is disposed on the array layer and the light-emitting layer; and the protective cover plate 20 is disposed on the side of the encapsulation layer away from the substrate 10. A coating 30 is formed on the surface of the protective cover plate 20.

[0083] Specifically, the flexible display panel body may include a protective cover plate 20 or a protective window. After the flexible display panel body 100 is repeatedly bent, bending marks 101 are formed on the protective cover plate 20 or the protective window. A coating 30 is formed on the surface of the protective cover plate or the protective window, so that the display side surface of the final product of the display panel 200 is a flat surface.

[0084] Furthermore, a composite support layer can be provided on the side of the substrate away from the encapsulation layer in the flexible display panel body. The composite support layer may include a backplane layer, a buffer layer, and other layer structures.

[0085] Specifically, the substrate can be a flexible substrate or a glass substrate, without limitation.

[0086] Specifically, the protective cover or protective window can be a glass cover or a UTG, and there is no limitation here.

[0087] It should be noted that, as mentioned earlier, the severity of creases 101 becomes relatively stable after a few bends. Therefore, if existing creases 101 are covered with a surface material that is less prone to forming them, not only will the creases 101 be covered, but new creases 101 will also be less likely to form during subsequent use. This can be done as follows: other film layers are normally combined into a module. The outermost material may have a hardened layer, but should not have an anti-fingerprint coating. For bending the produced module, static bending is recommended, and it is recommended to process it under high temperature / high humidity conditions. According to current results, under high temperature and high humidity conditions, creases generated by static bending will reach a stable state within a short time, such as 12 hours. The specific processing time can be adjusted as needed. The high temperature and high humidity conditions used can be 60 degrees Celsius and 90% relative humidity. After the creases 101 have stabilized, a surface material is coated onto the module surface using a coating method. This material should be one that is less prone to forming creases, such as the aforementioned siloxane, epoxy resin, TPU, etc. The coating thickness should be sufficient to cover the undulations of the bending mark 101 of the bent portion FF2. After coating, the bent portion FF2 should be flat, and the non-bent portions can overlap with the bent portion, or other designs can be adopted, such as a gradient thickness design. The curing method of the coating 30 can be heat curing, UV curing, or other curing methods. The recommended heat curing temperature should be less than 100 degrees Celsius, preferably below 80 degrees Celsius. If UV curing is used, the curing wavelength and energy should be adjusted according to the material. A replaceable protective film can be used on the surface material of the coating 30. Although this protective film will produce some creases, because the underlying film layer will not produce creases, the overall bending mark 101 of the module will be greatly reduced.

[0088] The above provides a detailed description of a display panel and its manufacturing method according to embodiments of this application. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that, include: A flexible display panel body includes a non-bending portion and at least one bending portion, the bending portion including a bending mark; A coating is applied to at least a portion of the bent portion to make the display side surface of the bent portion a flat surface. The flexible display panel body includes a substrate, an array layer and a light-emitting layer, an encapsulation layer and a protective cover plate. The array layer and the light-emitting layer are disposed on the substrate. The encapsulation layer is disposed on the array layer and the light-emitting layer. The protective cover plate is disposed on the side of the encapsulation layer away from the substrate. The coating is disposed on the surface of the protective cover plate away from the substrate. The bending marks are formed by repeated bending of the bending portion of the flexible display panel body, and the coating covers the bending marks.

2. The display panel as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The display side surface of the bent portion and the display side surface of the non-bent portion are on the same plane.

3. The display panel as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The coating covers at least a portion of the display side surface of the non-bent portion and the display side surface of the bent portion, wherein the display side surface of the bent portion and the display side surface of the non-bent portion are in the same plane.

4. The display panel as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The creep recovery rate of the coating is greater than or equal to 90%.

5. The display panel as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The coating material includes at least one of polysiloxane, epoxy resin, and polyurethane.

6. A method for manufacturing a display panel, characterized in that, The method for manufacturing the display panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 5 includes the following steps: A flexible display panel body is provided, the flexible display panel body including a non-bending portion and at least one bending portion; The flexible display panel body is repeatedly bent at the bending portion to form bending marks at the bending portion; A coating is formed at least on the display side surface of the bent portion to make the display side surface of the bent portion a flat surface.

7. The method for manufacturing a display panel as described in claim 6, characterized in that, After the coating is formed on the display side surface of the bent portion, the display side surface of the bent portion and the display side surface of the non-bent portion are on the same plane.

8. The method for manufacturing a display panel as described in claim 7, characterized in that, After the coating is formed on at least a portion of the display side surface of the non-bent portion and the display side surface of the bent portion, the display side surface of the bent portion and the display side surface of the non-bent portion are in the same plane.

9. The method for manufacturing a display panel as described in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The creep recovery rate of the coating is greater than or equal to 90%.

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