Protective cover plate and manufacturing method, display device

Abstract

A protective cover plate. The protective cover plate (300) comprises an ultrathin glass layer (310) having two opposite major surfaces (311), and at least one layer of thermoplastic protective film (320) attached to at least one of the major surfaces (311).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a protective cover plate and its manufacturing method, and a display device. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, many new designs have emerged for terminal displays, among which foldable terminals have shone brightly.

[0003] In existing technologies, polymer materials are generally used as the first surface, but their poor optical properties, low hardness, and severe creases have limited their continued development. UTG (Ultra-Thin Glass), as an inorganic material, has significant advantages in terms of high hardness, good optical properties, chemical stability, and crease mitigation, and represents the future trend. Summary of the Invention

[0004] On one hand, a protective cover is provided. The protective cover includes an ultra-thin glass layer and at least one thermoplastic protective film. The ultra-thin glass layer has two opposing main surfaces. The thermoplastic protective film is adhered to at least one main surface.

[0005] In some embodiments, the thickness of at least one layer of the thermoplastic protective film is greater than or equal to 10 μm.

[0006] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the main surface is a plane, the plane comprising a plurality of edges, and the warpage of the plane being less than or equal to one-tenth of the longest edge of the plane.

[0007] In some embodiments, a first layer of the thermoplastic protective film is attached to the first main surface; the protective cover further includes a functional film located on the surface of the first layer of the thermoplastic protective film opposite to the ultrathin glass layer.

[0008] In some embodiments, the functional film includes: a hardening film and / or an anti-fingerprint film.

[0009] In some embodiments, the thickness of the functional membrane is 0.1 μm to 20 μm.

[0010] In some embodiments, a second layer of the thermoplastic protective film is attached to the second main surface.

[0011] In some embodiments, the thickness of the thermoplastic protective film is 10 μm to 500 μm.

[0012] In some embodiments, the Young's modulus of the thermoplastic protective film is 5 MPa to 10 GPa.

[0013] In some embodiments, the material of the thermoplastic protective film includes at least one of polyamide, polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyurethane, polyethylene, polyester resin, and transparent polyimide; or, the material of the thermoplastic protective film includes at least one of thermoplastic polyurethane, polyamide, polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene, polyester resin, and transparent polyimide.

[0014] In some embodiments, the thickness of the ultrathin glass layer is 10μm to 100μm.

[0015] On the other hand, a display device is provided. The display device includes a display panel and a protective cover as described in any of the above embodiments. The protective cover is located on the display side of the display panel.

[0016] On another front, a method for manufacturing a protective cover is provided. The method includes: forming a thermoplastic protective film on a substrate; and transferring the thermoplastic protective film onto at least one main surface of an ultrathin glass layer using a hot-press transfer process.

[0017] In some embodiments, the step of forming a thermoplastic protective film on a substrate includes: forming a first layer of the thermoplastic protective film on a first substrate.

[0018] The step of transferring the thermoplastic protective film onto at least one main surface of the ultrathin glass layer by hot pressing transfer printing includes: transferring the first layer of the thermoplastic protective film onto the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer by hot pressing transfer printing.

[0019] In some embodiments, the step of forming the first layer of the thermoplastic protective film on the first base layer includes: coating a thermoplastic material on a first carrier layer and curing it to form a first thermoplastic protective layer; cutting the first carrier layer and the first thermoplastic protective layer to form a first laminated structure, the first laminated structure including: the first base layer and the first layer of the thermoplastic protective film.

[0020] In some embodiments, after the step of forming the first layer of the thermoplastic protective film on the first base layer, the method includes: forming a functional film on the surface of the first layer of the thermoplastic protective film away from the first base layer.

[0021] The step of transferring the first layer of thermoplastic protective film onto the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer by means of a hot-press transfer process includes: transferring the first layer of thermoplastic protective film covered with the functional film onto the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer by means of a hot-press transfer process.

[0022] In some embodiments, the step of forming a functional film on the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film away from the first base layer includes: coating a functional material on the surface of the first thermoplastic protective layer away from the first support layer, and curing it to form a functional layer.

[0023] The step of cutting the first load-bearing layer and the first thermoplastic protective layer to form a first laminated structure includes: cutting the first load-bearing layer, the first thermoplastic protective layer and the functional layer to form a first laminated structure, wherein the first laminated structure includes: a first base layer, a first layer of the thermoplastic protective film and the functional film.

[0024] In some embodiments, after the step of forming a functional film on the surface of the first layer of thermoplastic protective film away from the first base layer, the method includes: forming a first temporary protective film on the surface of the functional film away from the first layer of thermoplastic protective film.

[0025] The step of transferring the first layer of thermoplastic protective film covering the functional film to the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer by hot pressing transfer process includes: removing the first base layer; bonding the surface of the first layer of thermoplastic protective film facing the first base layer to the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer under set temperature and set pressure conditions; and removing the first temporary protective film.

[0026] In some embodiments, after the step of removing the first base layer and before the step of bonding the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film facing the first base layer to the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer, the method includes: treating the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film facing the first base layer to introduce acidic functional groups.

[0027] In some embodiments, after the step of transferring the first layer of thermoplastic protective film covering the functional film onto the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer by a hot-press transfer process, the method includes: cutting the first layer of thermoplastic protective film and the functional film so that the edges of the first layer of thermoplastic protective film and the functional film are flush with the edges of the ultrathin glass layer.

[0028] Alternatively, before the step of transferring the first layer of thermoplastic protective film covering the functional film onto the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer via a hot-press transfer process, the method includes: cutting the first layer of thermoplastic protective film and the functional film so that the first layer of thermoplastic protective film, the functional film and the ultrathin glass layer have the same shape and are equal in size.

[0029] In some embodiments, the step of forming a thermoplastic protective film on a base layer includes: forming a second layer of the thermoplastic protective film on a second base layer.

[0030] The step of transferring the thermoplastic protective film onto at least one main surface of the ultrathin glass layer by hot-pressing transfer printing includes: transferring a second layer of the thermoplastic protective film onto a second main surface of the ultrathin glass layer by hot-pressing transfer printing.

[0031] In some embodiments, the step of forming the second layer of the thermoplastic protective film on the second base layer includes: coating a thermoplastic material on the second support layer and curing it to form the second thermoplastic protective layer; cutting the second support layer and the second thermoplastic protective layer to form a second laminated structure, the second laminated structure including the second base layer and the second layer of the thermoplastic protective film.

[0032] In some embodiments, after the step of forming the second layer of the thermoplastic protective film on the second base layer, the method includes: forming a second temporary protective film on the surface of the second layer of the thermoplastic protective film facing away from the second base layer.

[0033] The step of transferring the second layer of thermoplastic protective film to the second main surface of the ultrathin glass layer by hot pressing transfer process includes: removing the second base layer; bonding the surface of the second layer of thermoplastic protective film facing the second base layer to the surface of the ultrathin glass layer under set temperature and set pressure conditions; and removing the second temporary protective film.

[0034] In some embodiments, after the step of removing the second base layer and before the step of bonding the surface of the second thermoplastic protective film facing the second base layer to the surface of the ultrathin glass layer, the method includes: treating the surface of the second thermoplastic protective film facing the second base layer to introduce acidic functional groups.

[0035] In some embodiments, after the step of transferring the second layer of thermoplastic protective film onto the second main surface of the ultrathin glass layer by hot pressing transfer process, the method includes: cutting the second layer of thermoplastic protective film so that the edge of the second layer of thermoplastic protective film is flush with the edge of the ultrathin glass layer.

[0036] Alternatively, before the step of transferring the second layer of thermoplastic protective film onto the second main surface of the ultrathin glass layer via hot pressing transfer process, the method includes: cutting the second layer of thermoplastic protective film so that the second layer of thermoplastic protective film has the same shape and size as the ultrathin glass layer.

[0037] In some embodiments, the set temperature is 40°C to 200°C, and the set pressure is 1 MPa to 20 MPa. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in some embodiments of this disclosure will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only drawings of some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings. In addition, the drawings described below can be regarded as schematic diagrams and are not intended to limit the actual size of the product, the actual flow of the method, the actual timing of the signals, etc. involved in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a display device according to some embodiments;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a display device according to some embodiments;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of a display device according to some embodiments;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of a display panel according to some embodiments;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0045] Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0046] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0047] Figure 9 A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0048] Figure 10 This is a structural diagram of a display device according to some embodiments;

[0049] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0050] Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0051] Figure 13 A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0052] Figure 14A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0053] Figure 15 This is a structural diagram of a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0054] Figure 16 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0055] Figure 17 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0056] Figure 18 A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0057] Figure 19 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0058] Figure 20 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0059] Figure 21 A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0060] Figure 22A A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0061] Figure 22B A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0062] Figure 23 A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0063] Figure 24 A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0064] Figure 25 A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0065] Figure 26 A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0066] Figure 27 This is a structural diagram of a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0067] Figure 28 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0068] Figure 29A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0069] Figure 30 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0070] Figure 31 A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0071] Figure 32 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0072] Figure 33 A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0073] Figure 34A A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0074] Figure 34B A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0075] Figure 35 A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0076] Figure 36 A step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments;

[0077] Figure 37 This is a step diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a protective cover according to some embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0078] The technical solutions in some embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided in this disclosure are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0079] Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprise" and its other forms, such as the third-person singular "comprises" and the present participle "comprising," are interpreted as open-ended and encompassing, meaning "including, but not limited to." In the description of the specification, terms such as "some embodiments," "example," or "some examples" are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic associated with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. The illustrative representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics mentioned may be included in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0080] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0081] In describing some embodiments, the term "connection" and its derivative expressions may be used. For example, the term "connection" may be used in describing some embodiments to indicate that two or more components have direct physical or electrical contact with each other. The embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to the content of this document.

[0082] "At least one of A, B and C" includes the following combinations of A, B and C: only A, only B, only C, combinations of A and B, combinations of A and C, combinations of B and C, and combinations of A, B and C.

[0083] "A and / or B" includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0084] As used herein, depending on the context, the term “if” may optionally be interpreted as meaning “when”, “in the event of”, “in response to determination”, or “in response to detection”. Similarly, depending on the context, the phrase “if it is determined that…” or “if [the stated condition or event] is detected” may optionally be interpreted as meaning “in the event of determination that…”, “in response to determination that…”, “when [the stated condition or event] is detected”, or “in response to the detection of [the stated condition or event]”.

[0085] In addition, the use of “based on” implies openness and inclusivity, because processes, steps, calculations or other actions “based on” one or more of the stated conditions or values ​​may in practice be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond those stated.

[0086] It should be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being on another layer or substrate, it can mean that the layer or element is directly on the other layer or substrate, or that there is an intermediate layer between the layer or element and the other layer or substrate.

[0087] This document describes exemplary embodiments with reference to cross-sectional views and / or plan views, which are idealized exemplary drawings. In the drawings, the thickness of layers and regions is enlarged for clarity. Therefore, variations in shape relative to the drawings are contemplated due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Thus, exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limited to the shapes of the regions shown herein, but rather include shape deviations due to, for example, manufacturing processes. For example, etched regions shown as rectangular would typically have curved features. Therefore, the regions shown in the drawings are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to show the actual shapes of the regions of the device, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0088] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide a display device 100; please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 The display device 100 involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may be, for example, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, an e-reader, a remote control, a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an in-vehicle device, a smart TV, a wearable device, a television set, etc.

[0089] The display device 100 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a self-emissive display device, such as an electroluminescent display device or a photoluminescent display device. If the display device 100 is an electroluminescent display device, it can be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display device or a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) display device. If the display device 100 is a photoluminescent display device, it can be a quantum dot photoluminescent display device. This disclosure does not limit the type of the display device 100.

[0090] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3The display device 100 includes a display panel 200 and a protective cover 300, wherein the protective cover 300 is located on the display side of the display panel 200.

[0091] Please see Figure 2 When the display device 100 can be a liquid crystal display device, the display panel 200 is a liquid crystal display panel 200A. The main structure of the liquid crystal display panel 200A includes an array substrate 21, a cell substrate 22, and a liquid crystal layer 23 disposed between the array substrate 21 and the cell substrate 22.

[0092] Each sub-pixel of the array substrate 21 includes a thin-film transistor 211 and a pixel electrode 212 located on the first substrate 210. The thin-film transistor 211 includes an active layer, a source, a drain, a gate, and a gate insulating layer. The source and drain are respectively in contact with the active layer, and the pixel electrode 212 is electrically connected to the drain of the thin-film transistor 211. In some embodiments, the array substrate 21 further includes a common electrode 213 disposed on the first substrate 210. The pixel electrode 212 and the common electrode 213 may be disposed on the same layer. In this case, both the pixel electrode 212 and the common electrode 213 are comb-like structures including multiple strip-shaped sub-electrodes. The pixel electrode 212 and the common electrode 213 may also be disposed on different layers. In this case, such as Figure 2 As shown, a first interlayer insulating layer 214 is disposed between the pixel electrode 212 and the common electrode 213. When the common electrode 213 is disposed between the thin-film transistor 211 and the pixel electrode 212, as... Figure 2 As shown, a second interlayer insulating layer 215 is also disposed between the common electrode 213 and the thin-film transistor 211. In some embodiments, the array substrate 21 does not include the common electrode 213, in which case the common electrode 213 may be located in the cell substrate 22.

[0093] Please see Figure 2 The array substrate 21 also includes a planarization layer 216 disposed on the side of the thin film transistor 211 and the pixel electrode 212 away from the first substrate 210.

[0094] Please see Figure 2 The cell substrate 22 includes a color filter layer 221 disposed on the second substrate 220. In this case, the cell substrate 22 can also be referred to as a color filter (CF) substrate. The color filter layer 221 includes at least red photoresist units, green photoresist units, and blue photoresist units, each of which is directly opposite a subpixel on the array substrate 21. The cell substrate 22 also includes a black matrix pattern 222 disposed on the second substrate 220, which separates the red, green, and blue photoresist units.

[0095] Please see Figure 2 The liquid crystal display panel 200A also includes an upper polarizer 24 disposed on the side of the cell substrate 22 away from the liquid crystal layer 23 and a lower polarizer 25 disposed on the side of the array substrate 21 away from the liquid crystal layer 23.

[0096] Please see Figure 2 When the display panel 200 is a liquid crystal display panel 200A, the protective cover 300 is located on the side of the upper polarizer 24 that is away from the liquid crystal layer 23.

[0097] Please see Figure 3 When the display device 100 is an electroluminescent display device, the display panel 200 is an electroluminescent display panel 200B. In this case, the display panel 200 is a flexible display panel. OLED display panels have advantages such as thinness, flexibility, vibrant colors, high contrast, and fast response time, and are currently one of the mainstream display panels.

[0098] Please see Figure 3 The electroluminescent display panel 200B may include a display substrate 26 and an encapsulation layer 27 for encapsulating the display substrate 26. Here, the encapsulation layer 27 may be an encapsulation film or an encapsulation substrate.

[0099] Please see Figure 3 The aforementioned sub-pixel includes a driving circuit and a light-emitting device disposed on a third substrate 260. The driving circuit includes a plurality of thin-film transistors 211. The light-emitting device includes an anode 261, a light-emitting functional layer 262, and a cathode 263. The anode 261 and the drain of one of the plurality of thin-film transistors 211 serving as a driving transistor are electrically connected. The electroluminescent display panel 200B also includes a pixel defining layer 264, which includes a plurality of opening regions, and the light-emitting functional layer 262 is disposed in one opening region. In some embodiments, the light-emitting functional layer 262 includes a light-emitting layer. In other embodiments, in addition to including a light-emitting layer, the light-emitting functional layer 262 includes one or more of an electron transport layer (ETL), an electron injection layer (EIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), and a hole injection layer (HIL).

[0100] Please see Figure 3 The electroluminescent display panel 200B also includes a planarization layer 265 disposed between the driving circuit and the anode 261.

[0101] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3The electroluminescent display panel 200B includes an active film layer 266, a first gate metal layer Gate1, a second gate metal layer Gate2, a first source-drain metal layer SD1, and a second source-drain metal layer SD2, sequentially disposed on a third substrate 260. The active film layer 266 and the first gate metal layer Gate1 are used to form at least a portion of the thin-film transistors 211 in the driving circuit. While the active film layer 266 and the first gate metal layer Gate1 are used to form a portion of the thin-film transistors 211 in the driving circuit, the active film layer 266 and the second gate metal layer Gate2 can be used to form the remaining transistors 211 in the driving circuit, and the first gate metal layer Gate1 and the second gate metal layer Gate2 are used to form capacitors in the driving circuit. The first source-drain metal layer SD1 and the second source-drain metal layer SD2 include multiple signal lines for transmitting signals to the driving circuit, such as data lines, initialization signal lines, power signal lines, etc., which are not listed here.

[0102] When the display device 100 is an electroluminescent display device, the protective cover 300 is located on the side of the encapsulation layer 27 away from the third substrate 260.

[0103] Please see Figure 4 The display panel 200 includes a display area AA and a peripheral area BB located on at least one side of the display area AA. In some examples, the peripheral area BB is arranged around the display area AA. The display area AA contains multiple subpixels 210, which are arranged within the display area AA according to a specified rule. Each subpixel 210 is the smallest unit for displaying an image within the display panel 200. Each subpixel 210 can display a single color, such as red, green, or blue. By adjusting the brightness of subpixels 210 of different colors, color combinations and overlays can achieve the display of multiple colors.

[0104] The above describes the display panel 200; the following describes the protective cover 300.

[0105] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide a protective cover 300; please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The protective cover 300 can be located on the display side of the display panel 200.

[0106] Please see Figure 5 and Figure 6 The protective cover 300 includes an ultra-thin glass layer 310 and at least one thermoplastic protective film 320. The ultra-thin glass layer 310 has two opposing main surfaces 311, and at least one main surface 311 is covered with the thermoplastic protective film 320.

[0107] In some examples, please refer to Figure 5A thermoplastic protective film 320 is disposed on one main surface 311 of the ultrathin glass layer 310. In other embodiments, please refer to... Figure 6 A thermoplastic protective film 320 is provided on both main surfaces 311 of the ultrathin glass layer 310. The thermoplastic protective film 320 is thermoplastic and becomes adhesive under heating conditions.

[0108] The protective cover 300 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure can have good impact resistance on the main surface of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by providing a thermoplastic protective film 320 on at least one main surface 311 of the ultrathin glass layer 310, thereby improving the impact resistance of the protective cover 300.

[0109] The following is an example illustrating the manufacturing method of the protective cover.

[0110] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for manufacturing a protective cover plate; please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 8 The method for manufacturing the protective cover includes the following steps S1 and S2.

[0111] S1. Form a thermoplastic protective film 320 on the base layer 400. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 9 .

[0112] For example, in step S1, a thermoplastic protective film 320 can be formed by a coating process. The thermoplastic protective film 320 is formed before being transferred to the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0113] S2. The thermoplastic protective film 320 is transferred to at least one main surface 311 of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by a hot-press transfer process.

[0114] The thermoplastic protective film 320 is thermoplastic, therefore, in step S2, under hot pressing conditions, the thermoplastic protective film 320 is adhesive, so when the thermoplastic protective film 320 is transferred onto the main surface 311 of the ultrathin glass layer 310, the thermoplastic protective film 320 can adhere to the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0115] In one implementation, the protective cover 300 includes an ultrathin glass layer 310 and a thermosetting protective film located on one side of the ultrathin glass layer 310, wherein the thermosetting protective film comprises a thermosetting material. In this case, during the fabrication of the protective cover 300, the thermosetting material needs to be coated onto the ultrathin glass layer 310 and then dried to form a film. However, during the drying process of the thermosetting material, shrinkage forces are generated on the ultrathin glass layer 310, which can easily cause the ultrathin glass layer 310 to warp. To prevent the ultrathin glass layer 310 from warping, the coating thickness of the thermosetting material must be reduced, which leads to a reduction in the thickness of the thermosetting protective film. However, the lower the thickness of the thermosetting protective film, the worse the impact resistance of the protective cover 300, and the more easily the ultrathin glass layer 310 breaks.

[0116] Furthermore, the protective cover plate 300 is mostly irregularly shaped; therefore, the ultra-thin glass layer 310 is also mostly irregularly shaped, for example... Figure 7 As shown. When the thermosetting material is applied to the CC region, since the CC region does not have an ultra-thin glass layer 310, the thermosetting material will be sprayed onto the substrate, causing substrate contamination.

[0117] In the manufacturing method of the protective cover 300 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure, the thermoplastic protective film 320 is thermoplastic, and the thermoplastic protective film 320 is formed on the surface of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by a hot pressing transfer process.

[0118] The thermoplastic protective film 320 is formed before the transfer, so there is no need to coat the surface of the ultrathin glass layer 310 with thermoplastic material. After the thermoplastic protective film 320 is transferred to the ultrathin glass layer 310, it is not easy to cause the ultrathin glass layer 310 to warp.

[0119] In addition, since the thermoplastic protective film 320 is formed on the main surface 311 of the ultra-thin glass layer 310 by hot pressing transfer, it is not easy to cause the ultra-thin glass layer 310 to warp. Therefore, the thermoplastic protective film 320 can have a larger thickness. The larger the thickness of the thermoplastic protective film 320, the better the impact resistance. Therefore, the protective cover 300 can have better impact resistance.

[0120] In some embodiments, the thickness of at least one thermoplastic protective film 320 is greater than or equal to 10 μm. See also... Figure 5 and Figure 6 The thickness of the thermoplastic protective film 320 is H1, where H1 ≥ 10 μm, which ensures that the protective cover 300 has good impact resistance.

[0121] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the main surface 311 is a plane, the plane comprising a plurality of edges, and the warpage of the plane being less than or equal to one-tenth of the longest edge in the plane.

[0122] In some examples, part of the main surface 311 is planar, while the remaining part can be curved.

[0123] In other examples, please refer to Figure 7 The entire surface of the main surface 311 is planar. The main surface 311 includes multiple edges, including a first edge 3111 and a second edge 3112. The length of the first edge 3111 is greater than the length of the second edge 3112. The length of the first edge 3111 is L1. The warpage of the plane is less than or equal to 0.1L1, meaning the maximum warpage height of the plane is less than or equal to 0.1L1.

[0124] Therefore, the protective cover 300 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure can still have zero warpage or a small warpage even when the thermoplastic protective film 320 has a large thickness. Thus, when the protective cover 300 is disposed on the display panel 200, it allows for better adhesion between the protective cover 300 and the display panel 200, improving the display effect of the display panel 200.

[0125] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 10 The first main surface 311A ​​is covered with a first layer of thermoplastic protective film 320A.

[0126] The first thermoplastic protective film 320A is attached to the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310 to protect the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0127] When the protective cover 300 is disposed on the display panel 200, the second main surface 311B of the ultra-thin glass layer 310 can face the display panel 200, while the first main surface 311A ​​faces away from the display panel 200. At this time, the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultra-thin glass layer 310 is susceptible to impact. Therefore, by attaching a first layer of thermoplastic protective film 320A to the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultra-thin glass layer 310, the protective cover 300 can have better impact resistance.

[0128] Based on this, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 11 Step S1, the step of forming a thermoplastic protective film 320 on the base layer 400, includes: S11, forming a first layer of thermoplastic protective film 320A on the first base layer 410. In step S11, the first layer of thermoplastic protective film 320A can be formed on the first base layer 410 by a coating process.

[0129] Please see Figure 11Step S2, the step of transferring the thermoplastic protective film 320 onto at least one main surface 311 of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by hot pressing transfer process, includes: S21, transferring the first layer of thermoplastic protective film 320A onto the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by hot pressing transfer process.

[0130] Specifically, before transferring the first thermoplastic protective film 320A onto the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310, the first base layer 410 can be removed, thereby allowing the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A facing the first base layer 410 to adhere to the first main surface 311A. Alternatively, the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A facing away from the first base layer 410 can also adhere to the first main surface 311A, and after the transfer, the first base layer 410 can be removed.

[0131] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 12 S11, the step of forming a first thermoplastic protective film 320A on the first base layer 410 includes the following steps S111 and S112.

[0132] S111. A thermoplastic material is coated on the first bearing layer 411 and cured to form a first thermoplastic protective layer 321A.

[0133] Among them, see Figure 13 The first bearing layer 411 has a large area and may include multiple first base layers 410.

[0134] In step S111, a solution containing a thermoplastic material can be coated onto the first support layer 411 and then dried to evaporate the solvent in the solution, thereby solidifying the thermoplastic material to form the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A.

[0135] In some examples, the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A can be prepared by roll-to-roll.

[0136] Please refer to Figure 13 and Figure 14 The first thermoplastic protective layer 321A may include multiple first thermoplastic protective films 320A. Therefore, in some embodiments of this disclosure, multiple first thermoplastic protective films 320A can be formed by a single coating process, eliminating the need to fabricate a separate first thermoplastic protective film 320A for each ultrathin glass layer 310. This reduces the number of coating processes and thus lowers costs.

[0137] In addition, the first support layer 411 can be set as a rectangle so that the base will not be contaminated when the thermoplastic material is coated on the first support layer 411.

[0138] For ease of explanation, please refer to Figure 13 The first thermoplastic protective layer 321A and the first load-bearing layer 411 can be defined as the initial stacked structure 500.

[0139] S112. Cut the first load-bearing layer 411 and the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A to form a first laminated structure 510. The first laminated structure 510 includes: a first base layer 410 and a first thermoplastic protective film 320A.

[0140] Please see Figure 13 The initial stacked structure 500 can be divided into multiple first stacked structures 510.

[0141] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 15 The protective cover 300 also includes a functional film 330, which is located on the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A away from the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0142] By providing a functional film 330 on the first thermoplastic protective film 320A, the protective cover 300 can have other functions.

[0143] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 15 The thickness H2 of the functional membrane 330 is 0.1μm~20μm.

[0144] The greater the thickness of the functional membrane 330, the less easily it is bent. In some examples of this disclosure, 0.1 μm ≤ H2 ≤ 20 μm, thus avoiding an excessively large thickness H2 of the functional membrane 330 (e.g., greater than 20 μm) that would make the protective cover 300 difficult to bend. Furthermore, it also avoids an excessively small thickness H2 of the functional membrane 330 (e.g., less than 0.1 μm), which would prevent the functional membrane from having the required function.

[0145] In some examples, the thickness H2 of the functional membrane 330 is 3 μm to 20 μm.

[0146] Based on this, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 16 After step S11, which forms the first thermoplastic protective film 320A on the first base layer 410, step S12, which forms a functional film 330 on the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A away from the first base layer 410, is included.

[0147] Please see Figure 16 Step S21, transferring the first layer of thermoplastic protective film 320A to the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by hot pressing transfer process, includes: S22, transferring the first layer of thermoplastic protective film 320A covered with functional film 330 to the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by hot pressing transfer process.

[0148] In this case, the functional film 330 has already been formed on the first thermoplastic protective film 320A before the hot-press transfer. In some examples, the functional film 330 can be formed by a coating process.

[0149] In step S22, the first base layer 410 on the first thermoplastic protective film 320A can be removed first, thereby exposing the first thermoplastic protective film 320A, and then the side of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A facing the first base layer 410 can be attached to the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0150] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 17 S12, the step of forming a functional film 330 on the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A away from the first base layer 410 includes: S121, coating a functional material on the surface of the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A away from the first support layer 411, and curing it to form a functional layer 331.

[0151] Please refer to Figure 17 Step S121 can be completed after step S111.

[0152] In some examples, please refer to Figure 18 In step S121, the functional layer 331 can be formed by a coating process. For example, a solution comprising the functional material is coated onto the surface of the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A opposite to the first support layer 411. The solvent in the solution is then evaporated, thereby allowing the functional material to cure and form the functional layer 331.

[0153] At this time, please refer to Figure 18 The initial stacked structure 500 includes a first load-bearing layer 411, a first thermoplastic protective layer 321A, and a functional layer 331.

[0154] Please see Figure 17 Step S112, cutting the first load-bearing layer 411 and the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A to form the first laminated structure 510, includes: S113, cutting the first load-bearing layer 411, the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A, and the functional layer 331 to form the first laminated structure 510. The first laminated structure 510 includes: a first base layer 410, a first thermoplastic protective film 320A, and a functional film 330. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 18 The initial stacked structure 500 can be divided into multiple first stacked structures 510.

[0155] In some embodiments, the functional film 330 includes: a hardening film and / or an anti-fingerprint film.

[0156] In some examples, the functional film 330 may consist only of a hardened film that protects the first thermoplastic protective film 320A from scratches during use of the display device 100.

[0157] In some examples, the thickness of the hardened film is 0.1 μm to 20 μm.

[0158] In some examples, the thickness of the hardened film is 3 μm to 20 μm.

[0159] Based on this, in step S121, a solution including the hardening material is applied to the surface of the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A facing away from the first support layer 411. Then, the solvent in the solution is evaporated, thereby allowing the hardening material to solidify and form a hardened layer. At this time, the hardened layer is the aforementioned functional layer 331.

[0160] In some examples, the material of the hardened film includes at least one of polyester resin (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), triacetate, cellulose ester (TAC), polycyclic olefin (COP), and polyimide (PI).

[0161] In some examples, the functional film 330 may consist only of an anti-fingerprint film. By providing an anti-fingerprint film, fingerprints formed on the surface of the protective cover 300 during the use of the display device 100 can be reduced, thereby improving the user experience.

[0162] In some examples, the thickness of the anti-fingerprint film is 0.1μm to 20μm.

[0163] In some examples, the thickness of the anti-fingerprint film is 3μm to 20μm.

[0164] In some examples, anti-fingerprint films can be derived from polyfunctional (meth)acrylate polymers having (meth)acrylate groups, possessing 6 Polyfunctional urethane (meth)acrylate oligomers with 15 (meth)acrylate groups as functional groups, possessing 2 Polyfunctional (meth)acrylate monomers and fluorinated (meth)acrylate monomers with six (meth)acrylate groups. The (meth)acrylate group indicates that it can simultaneously have either methacrylate or acrylate groups.

[0165] Based on this, in step S121, a solution including the anti-fingerprint material is applied to the surface of the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A facing away from the first support layer 411. Then, the solvent in the solution is evaporated, thereby allowing the anti-fingerprint material to solidify and form an anti-fingerprint layer. At this time, the anti-fingerprint layer is the aforementioned functional layer 331.

[0166] In some examples, the functional film 330 includes a hardened film and an anti-fingerprint film. In this case, the anti-fingerprint film is disposed on the surface of the hardened film opposite to the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A, so that the functional film 330 can both protect the first thermoplastic protective film 320A and have the function of preventing fingerprints.

[0167] Based on this, please refer to Figure 19 Step S121, the step of coating a functional material on the surface of the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A away from the first support layer 411 and curing it to form a functional layer 331, includes the following steps: S1211 and S1212.

[0168] S1211. A hardening material is applied to the surface of the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A that is away from the first bearing layer 411, and cured to form a hardened layer.

[0169] S1212. Apply an anti-fingerprint material to the surface of the hardened layer that is away from the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A, and cure to form an anti-fingerprint layer.

[0170] In other examples, anti-fingerprint materials can be doped into the hardened film, so that the hardened film can both protect the first thermoplastic protective film 320A and have anti-fingerprint function.

[0171] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 20 After step S12, which involves forming a functional film 330 on the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A away from the first base layer 410, step S13 includes forming a first temporary protective film 610 on the surface of the functional film 330 away from the first thermoplastic protective film 320A.

[0172] Please see Figure 21 The first laminated structure 510 formed in step S13 includes a first base layer 410, a first thermoplastic protective film 320A, a functional film 330, and a first temporary protective film 610.

[0173] The first temporary protective film 610 can protect the functional film 330, thereby preventing the functional film 330 from being scratched before the first thermoplastic protective film 320A is transferred to the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0174] In some examples, please refer to Figure 22A S13, the step of forming a first temporary protective film 610 on the surface of the functional film 330 away from the first thermoplastic protective film 320A includes: S131, attaching the first temporary protective film 611 to the side of the functional layer 331 away from the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A.

[0175] Step S131 can be executed after step S121.

[0176] At this time, please refer to Figure 21 The initial stacked structure 500 includes a first load-bearing layer 411, a first thermoplastic protective layer 321A, a functional layer 331, and a first temporary protective layer 611.

[0177] Step S113, cutting the first load-bearing layer 411, the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A, and the functional layer 331 to form the first laminated structure 510, further includes: S114, cutting the first load-bearing layer 411, the first thermoplastic protective layer 321A, the functional layer 331, and the first temporary protective layer 611 to form the first laminated structure 510. At this time, the formed first laminated structure 510 is as follows: Figure 23 As shown, the first laminated structure 510 includes a first base layer 410, a first thermoplastic protective film 320A, a functional film 330, and a first temporary protective film 610.

[0178] Step S114 is executed after step S131.

[0179] Please see Figure 20 and Figure 22A Step S22, the step of transferring the first thermoplastic protective film 320A covered with the functional film 330 to the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by hot pressing transfer process, includes the following steps S221~S224.

[0180] S221, Remove the first base layer 410, please refer to Figure 24 At this point, the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A facing away from the functional film 330 is exposed.

[0181] In some embodiments, after step S221, removing the first base layer 410, the process includes: S222, treating the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A facing the first base layer 410 to introduce acidic functional groups.

[0182] In step S222, the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A can be treated by processes such as pickling and plasma treatment, thereby increasing the number of acidic functional groups (such as -COOH, -C2H2O4, etc.) on the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A.

[0183] S223. Under set temperature and set pressure conditions, the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A facing the first base layer 410 is bonded to the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0184] In particular, step S222 is performed before step 233, when the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A facing the first base layer 410 is bonded to the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0185] Please see Figure 25 In step S223, the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A facing away from the functional film 330 is bonded to the first main surface 311A.

[0186] Furthermore, the surface of the ultrathin glass layer 310 has abundant catenary-OH structures. In step S223, under hot-pressing conditions, the catenary-OH structures can undergo aliphatic exchange reactions with acidic functional groups, that is, the catenary-OH structures combine with acidic functional groups, thereby increasing the bonding force between the ultrathin glass layer 310 and the first thermoplastic protective film 320A, and increasing the adhesion effect between the ultrathin glass layer 310 and the first thermoplastic protective film 320A.

[0187] In addition, the ultrathin glass layer 310 also contains silicon dioxide (SiO2). The dipole effect between the polymer lipid groups in the first thermoplastic protective film 320A and the silicon dioxide layer can also increase the bonding force between the ultrathin glass layer 310 and the first thermoplastic protective film 320A.

[0188] S224. Remove the first temporary protective film 610. In step S224, after removing the first temporary protective film 610, a structure is formed as follows: Figure 15 The protective cover plate 300 shown.

[0189] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 22A S22. After the step of transferring the first thermoplastic protective film 320A covered with the functional film 330 to the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by hot pressing transfer process, the process includes: S231. Cutting the first thermoplastic protective film 320A and the functional film 330 so that the edges of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A and the functional film 330 are flush with the edges of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0190] Please see Figure 26 The ultrathin glass layer 310 is usually irregularly shaped, while the stacked structure formed by the first thermoplastic protective film 320A and the functional film 330 is a rectangular structure. After the first thermoplastic protective film 320A covering the functional film 330 is transferred to the ultrathin glass layer 310, the edge of the stacked structure is outside the area where the ultrathin glass layer 310 is located. Cutting the stacked structure in step S231 can make the edge of the stacked structure flush with the edge of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0191] In some examples, step S224 can be performed before step S231. In other examples, step S224 can be performed after step S231, in which case, in step S231, the first temporary protective film 610 is cut at the same time as the first thermoplastic protective film 320A is cut, and after cutting, step S224 is performed to remove the first temporary protective film 610.

[0192] In other embodiments, please refer to Figure 22B Before step S22, transferring the first thermoplastic protective film 320A covered with the functional film 330 to the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by hot pressing transfer process, the method includes: S232, cutting the first thermoplastic protective film 320A and the functional film 330 so that the first thermoplastic protective film 320A, the functional film 330 and the ultrathin glass layer 310 have the same shape and the same size.

[0193] Before the hot-press transfer process, the first thermoplastic protective film 320A and the functional film 330 are cut so that after the first thermoplastic protective film 320A covered with the functional film 330 is transferred to the ultra-thin glass layer 310, the edges of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A and the functional film 330 can be flush with the edges of the ultra-thin glass layer 310.

[0194] In addition to the first thermoplastic protective film 320A, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 27 A second thermoplastic protective film 320B is attached to the second main surface 311B of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0195] The first main surface 311A ​​and the second main surface 311B of the ultra-thin glass layer 310 are provided with thermoplastic protective film 320, which can further improve the impact resistance of the protective cover 300 and prevent the ultra-thin glass layer 310 from breaking.

[0196] Based on this, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 28 and Figure 29 S1, the step of forming a thermoplastic protective film 320 on the base layer 400 includes: S14, forming a second thermoplastic protective film 320B on the second base layer 420.

[0197] In step S14, a second thermoplastic protective film 320B can be formed on the second base layer 420 by a coating process.

[0198] Please see Figure 28Step S2, transferring the thermoplastic protective film 320 onto at least one main surface 311 of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by hot pressing transfer process, includes: S24, transferring the second thermoplastic protective film 320B onto the second main surface 311B of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by hot pressing transfer process.

[0199] Under hot-pressing conditions, the second thermoplastic protective film 320B becomes adhesive, thereby bonding it to the ultra-thin glass layer 310.

[0200] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 30 S14, the step of forming a second thermoplastic protective film 320B on the second base layer 420 includes the following steps S141 and S142.

[0201] S141. A thermoplastic material is coated on the second load-bearing layer 421 and cured to form a second thermoplastic protective layer 321B.

[0202] Among them, see Figure 31 The second bearing layer 421 has a large area and may include multiple second base layers 420.

[0203] In step S141, a solution comprising a thermoplastic material may be coated onto the second support layer 421 and then dried to evaporate the solvent in the solution, thereby solidifying the thermoplastic material to form the second thermoplastic protective layer 321B.

[0204] The second thermoplastic protective layer 321B may include multiple second thermoplastic protective films 320B. Therefore, in some embodiments of this disclosure, multiple second thermoplastic protective films 320B can be formed by a single coating process, eliminating the need to fabricate a separate second thermoplastic protective film 320B for each ultrathin glass layer 310. This reduces the number of coating processes and thus lowers costs.

[0205] S142, cut the second load-bearing layer 421 and the second thermoplastic protective layer 321B to form a second laminated structure 520, the second laminated structure 520 including a second base layer 420 and a second thermoplastic protective film 320B.

[0206] In step S142, please refer to Figure 31 Cutting the second load-bearing layer 421 and the second thermoplastic protective layer 321B can form a structure like... Figure 29 The second stacked structure 520 is shown.

[0207] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 32 and Figure 33S14. After the step of forming a second thermoplastic protective film 320B on the second base layer 420, the method includes: S15. Forming a second temporary protective film 620 on the surface of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B away from the second base layer 420.

[0208] Please see Figure 33 The second laminated structure 520 formed in step S15 includes a second base layer 420, a second thermoplastic protective film 320B, and a second temporary protective film 620.

[0209] The second temporary protective film 620 can protect the second thermoplastic protective film 320B, thereby preventing the second thermoplastic protective film 320B from being scratched before it is transferred to the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0210] In some examples, please refer to Figure 34A S15, the step of forming a second temporary protective film 620 on the surface of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B away from the second base layer 420 includes: S151, attaching the second temporary protective layer 621 to the side of the second thermoplastic protective layer 321B away from the second support layer 421, as can be seen in [reference]. Figure 35 .

[0211] Step S151 can be executed after step S141.

[0212] Step S142, cutting the second load-bearing layer 421 and the second thermoplastic protective layer 321B to form the second laminated structure 520, includes: S143, cutting the second load-bearing layer 421, the second thermoplastic protective layer 321B, and the second temporary protective layer 621 to form the second laminated structure 520. At this time, the second laminated structure 520 includes: a second base layer 420, a second thermoplastic protective film 320B, and a second temporary protective film 620.

[0213] The second stacked structure 520 formed in step S142 is as follows Figure 33 As shown.

[0214] Please see Figure 32 S24, the step of transferring the second thermoplastic protective film 320B to the second main surface 311B of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by hot pressing transfer process includes the following steps S241~S244.

[0215] S241, Remove the second base layer 420. At this point, please refer to... Figure 36 The surface of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B is exposed away from the second temporary protective film 620.

[0216] In some embodiments, after step S241, removing the second base layer 420, the process includes: S242, treating the surface of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B facing the second base layer 420 to introduce acidic functional groups.

[0217] The surface of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B facing the second base layer 420 is the surface of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B facing away from the second temporary protective film 620.

[0218] In step S242, the surface of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B can be treated by processes such as pickling and plasma treatment, thereby increasing the number of acidic functional groups (e.g., -COOH, -C2H2O4, etc.) on the surface of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B.

[0219] S243. Under set temperature and set pressure conditions, the surface of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B facing the second base layer 420 is bonded to the surface of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0220] Step S242 is performed before step S243, when the surface of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B facing the second base layer 420 is bonded to the surface of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0221] Please see Figure 37 The surface of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B facing away from the second temporary protective film 620 is bonded to the second main surface 311B.

[0222] The surface of the ultrathin glass layer 310 has abundant catenary-OH structures. In step S243, under hot-pressing conditions, the catenary-OH structures can undergo aliphatic exchange reactions with acidic functional groups, that is, the catenary-OH structures combine with acidic functional groups, thereby increasing the bonding force between the ultrathin glass layer 310 and the second thermoplastic protective film 320B, and increasing the adhesion effect between the ultrathin glass layer 310 and the second thermoplastic protective film 320B.

[0223] In addition, the ultrathin glass layer 310 also contains silicon dioxide (SiO2), and the dipole effect between the polymer lipid groups in the second thermoplastic protective film 320B and the silicon dioxide layer can also increase the bonding force between the ultrathin glass layer 310 and the second thermoplastic protective film 320B.

[0224] S244, Remove the second temporary protective film 620.

[0225] In step S244, after removing the second temporary protective film 620, a structure is formed as shown below. Figure 27 The protective cover plate 300 shown.

[0226] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 34AAfter step S24, transferring the second thermoplastic protective film 320B to the second main surface 311B of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by hot pressing transfer process, the process includes: S251, cutting the second thermoplastic protective film 320B so that the edge of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B is flush with the edge of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0227] The ultrathin glass layer 310 is usually irregularly shaped, while the second thermoplastic protective film 320B is rectangular before transfer. After the second thermoplastic protective film 320B is transferred to the ultrathin glass layer 310, the edge of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B is outside the area where the ultrathin glass layer 310 is located. Cutting the second thermoplastic protective film 320B in step S251 can make the edge of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B flush with the edge of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0228] In some examples, step S244 can be performed before step S251. In other examples, step S244 can be performed after step S251, in which case, in step S251, the second temporary protective film 620 is cut at the same time as the second thermoplastic protective film 320B is cut, and after cutting, step S244 is performed to remove the second temporary protective film 620.

[0229] In other embodiments, please refer to Figure 34B Before step S24, transferring the second thermoplastic protective film 320B to the second main surface 311B of the ultrathin glass layer 310 by hot pressing transfer process, the following steps are included: S252, cutting the second thermoplastic protective film 320B so that the second thermoplastic protective film 320B and the ultrathin glass layer 310 have the same shape and the same size.

[0230] Before hot pressing transfer, the second thermoplastic protective film 320B is cut so that after the second thermoplastic protective film 320B is transferred to the ultrathin glass layer 310, the edge of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B can be flush with the edge of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0231] Furthermore, in some examples, the cutting of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B in step S251 and the cutting of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A and the functional film 330 in step S231 can be performed simultaneously.

[0232] In some embodiments, the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310 is provided with only a first thermoplastic protective film 320A, and no functional film 330 is provided. In this case, the first thermoplastic protective film 320A and the second thermoplastic protective layer 321B can be formed in one process.

[0233] Based on this, the method for manufacturing the protective cover includes: coating a thermoplastic material onto the load-bearing layer and curing it to form a thermoplastic protective layer.

[0234] A protective layer is formed on the side of the thermoplastic protective layer that is away from the load-bearing layer.

[0235] Multiple third-layer structures are formed by cutting a load-bearing layer, a thermoplastic protective layer, and a protective layer. Each third-layer structure includes a base layer, a thermoplastic protective film 320, and a temporary protective film. The load-bearing layer may include multiple base layers, among which a first base layer 410 and a second base layer 420 are included. The multiple protective layers may include multiple temporary protective films, among which a first temporary protective film 610 and a second temporary protective film 620 are included. The thermoplastic protective layer may include multiple thermoplastic protective films, among which a first thermoplastic protective film 320A and a second thermoplastic protective film 320B are included. At this point, the multiple third-layer structures include a first-layer structure 510 and a second-layer structure 520. The first-layer structure 510 includes a first base layer 410, a first thermoplastic protective film 320A, and a first temporary protective film 610, while the second-layer structure 520 includes a second base layer 420, a second thermoplastic protective film 320B, and a second temporary protective film 620.

[0236] The first thermoplastic protective film 320A is transferred onto the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310 using a hot-press transfer process. In this step, the first base layer 410 is first removed, exposing the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A facing the first base layer 410. Then, the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A facing the first base layer 410 is treated to increase the number of acidic functional groups on this surface. Then, under a set temperature and pressure, the first thermoplastic protective film 320A is transferred to the first main surface 311A ​​of the ultrathin glass layer 310. Afterward, the first temporary protective film 610 is removed. Finally, the first thermoplastic protective film 320A is cut so that its edges are flush with the edges of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0237] The second thermoplastic protective film 320B is transferred to the second main surface 311B of the ultrathin glass layer 310 using a hot-press transfer process. In this step, the second base layer 420 is first removed, exposing the surface of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B facing the second base layer 420. Then, the surface of the second thermoplastic protective film 320B facing the second base layer 420 is treated to increase the number of acidic functional groups on this surface. Then, under a set temperature and pressure, the second thermoplastic protective film 320B is transferred to the second main surface 311B of the ultrathin glass layer 310. Afterward, the second temporary protective film 620 is removed. Finally, the second thermoplastic protective film 320B is cut so that its edges are flush with the edges of the ultrathin glass layer 310.

[0238] In some examples, the first thermoplastic protective film 320A and the second thermoplastic protective film 320B can be cut simultaneously.

[0239] In some embodiments, in the hot press transfer process, the temperature is set to 40°C to 200°C and the pressure is set to 1 MPa to 20 MPa.

[0240] Specifically, under conditions of temperature of 40℃~200℃ and pressure of 1Mpa~20Mpa, transferring the thermoplastic protective film 320 onto the ultra-thin glass layer 310 can give the thermoplastic protective film 320 and the ultra-thin glass layer 310 a strong bond, ensuring that the protective cover 300 has good stability.

[0241] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The thickness H1 of the thermoplastic protective film 320 is 10μm~500μm.

[0242] The thermoplastic protective film 320 includes a first thermoplastic protective film 320A and / or a second thermoplastic protective film 320B.

[0243] Specifically, 10μm≤H1≤500μm is used to avoid the plastic protective film 320 having an excessively large thickness H1 (e.g., greater than 500μm), which would make the plastic protective film 320 difficult to bend. In addition, the thickness H1 of the first thermoplastic protective film 320A is also avoided to be too small (e.g., less than 10μm), which would result in poor impact resistance of the protective cover plate 300.

[0244] In some examples, the thickness H1 of the thermoplastic protective film 320 is 160 μm to 350 μm.

[0245] In some embodiments, the Young's modulus of the thermoplastic protective film 320 is 5 MPa to 10 GPa.

[0246] The higher the Young's modulus of the thermoplastic protective film 320, the stronger its impact resistance and the less likely it is to bend. In some embodiments of this disclosure, an excessively high modulus (e.g., greater than 10 GPa) of the thermoplastic protective film 320 can be avoided, which would make the thermoplastic protective film 320 difficult to bend. Furthermore, an excessively low modulus (e.g., less than 5 MPa) of the thermoplastic protective film 320 can also be avoided, which would result in poor impact resistance of the protective cover 300.

[0247] In some embodiments, the material of the thermoplastic protective film 320 includes at least one of polyamide, polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyurethane, polyethylene, polyester resin, and transparent polyimide.

[0248] In other embodiments, the material of the thermoplastic protective film 320 includes at least one of thermoplastic polyurethane, polyamide, polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene, polyester resin, and transparent polyimide.

[0249] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The thickness H3 of the ultrathin glass layer 310 is 10μm~100μm.

[0250] The thickness H3 is 10μm≤H3≤100μm, which avoids the thickness H3 of the ultrathin glass layer 310 being too large (e.g., greater than 100μm), making the ultrathin glass layer 310 difficult to bend; it also avoids the thickness H3 of the ultrathin glass layer 310 being too small (e.g., less than 10μm), which would result in the ultrathin glass layer 310 having low strength.

[0251] The display device 100 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure includes the protective cover plate 300 provided in any of the above embodiments. Therefore, the display device 100 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure has all the beneficial effects of the protective cover plate 300 provided in any of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0252] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a protective cover, comprising: A thermoplastic protective film is formed on the substrate, wherein the thickness of the thermoplastic protective film is greater than or equal to 10 μm; The thermoplastic protective film is transferred to at least one main surface of an ultrathin glass layer using a hot-press transfer process; at least a portion of the main surface is a plane, the plane includes multiple edges, and the warpage of the plane is less than or equal to one-tenth of the longest edge of the plane.

2. The method for manufacturing the protective cover plate according to claim 1, wherein, The step of forming a thermoplastic protective film on the substrate includes: A first layer of the thermoplastic protective film is formed on the first base layer; The step of transferring the thermoplastic protective film onto at least one main surface of the ultrathin glass layer via a hot-press transfer process includes: The first layer of thermoplastic protective film is transferred to the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer using a hot-press transfer process.

3. The method for manufacturing the protective cover plate according to claim 2, wherein, The step of forming the first layer of the thermoplastic protective film on the first base layer includes: A thermoplastic material is coated onto the first load-bearing layer and cured to form a first thermoplastic protective layer; The first load-bearing layer and the first thermoplastic protective layer are cut to form a first laminated structure, the first laminated structure comprising: the first base layer and the first layer of the thermoplastic protective film.

4. The method for manufacturing the protective cover according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, After the step of forming the first layer of the thermoplastic protective film on the first base layer, the method includes: A functional film is formed on the surface of the first layer of thermoplastic protective film facing away from the first base layer; The step of transferring the first layer of thermoplastic protective film onto the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer via a hot-press transfer process includes: The first layer of thermoplastic protective film, which covers the functional film, is transferred to the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer using a hot-press transfer process.

5. The method for manufacturing the protective cover plate according to claim 4, wherein, The step of forming a functional film on the surface of the first layer of thermoplastic protective film away from the first base layer includes: A functional material is coated on the surface of the first thermoplastic protective layer opposite to the first load-bearing layer, and cured to form a functional layer; The step of cutting the first load-bearing layer and the first thermoplastic protective layer to form the first laminated structure includes: The first load-bearing layer, the first thermoplastic protective layer, and the functional layer are cut to form a first laminated structure, which includes: a first base layer, a first layer of the thermoplastic protective film, and the functional film.

6. The method for manufacturing the protective cover according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, After the step of forming a functional film on the surface of the first layer of thermoplastic protective film away from the first base layer, the method includes: A first temporary protective film is formed on the surface of the functional film opposite to the first layer of the thermoplastic protective film; The step of transferring the first layer of the thermoplastic protective film, which covers the functional film, onto the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer using a hot-press transfer process includes: Remove the first layer; Under set temperature and set pressure conditions, the surface of the first layer of thermoplastic protective film facing the first base layer is bonded to the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer; Remove the first temporary protective film.

7. The method for manufacturing the protective cover plate according to claim 6, wherein, After the step of removing the first substrate and before the step of bonding the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film facing the first substrate to the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer, the procedure includes: The surface of the first layer of thermoplastic protective film facing the first base layer is treated to introduce acidic functional groups.

8. The method for manufacturing the protective cover according to claim 6 or 7, wherein, After the step of transferring the first layer of the thermoplastic protective film covering the functional film onto the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer via a hot-press transfer process, the method includes: The first layer of thermoplastic protective film and the functional film are cut so that the edges of the first layer of thermoplastic protective film and the functional film are flush with the edge of the ultrathin glass layer; Alternatively, prior to the step of transferring the first layer of the thermoplastic protective film covering the functional film onto the first main surface of the ultrathin glass layer via a hot-press transfer process, the process includes: The first layer of thermoplastic protective film and the functional film are cut so that the first layer of thermoplastic protective film, the functional film and the ultrathin glass layer have the same shape and the same size.

9. The method for manufacturing the protective cover plate according to claim 1, wherein, The step of forming a thermoplastic protective film on the substrate includes: A second layer of the thermoplastic protective film is formed on the second base layer; The step of transferring the thermoplastic protective film onto at least one main surface of the ultrathin glass layer via a hot-press transfer process includes: The second layer of thermoplastic protective film is transferred to the second main surface of the ultrathin glass layer using a hot-press transfer process.

10. The method for manufacturing the protective cover plate according to claim 9, wherein, The step of forming the second layer of the thermoplastic protective film on the second base layer includes: A thermoplastic material is coated onto the second load-bearing layer and cured to form a second thermoplastic protective layer; The second load-bearing layer and the second thermoplastic protective layer are cut to form a second laminated structure, the second laminated structure including a second base layer and the second thermoplastic protective film.

11. The method for manufacturing the protective cover according to claim 9 or 10, wherein, After the step of forming the second layer of the thermoplastic protective film on the second base layer, the method includes: A second temporary protective film is formed on the surface of the second layer of thermoplastic protective film that is away from the second base layer; The step of transferring the second layer of thermoplastic protective film onto the second main surface of the ultrathin glass layer via a hot-press transfer process includes: Remove the second layer; Under set temperature and pressure conditions, the surface of the second layer of thermoplastic protective film facing the second base layer is bonded to the surface of the ultrathin glass layer; Remove the second temporary protective film.

12. The method for manufacturing the protective cover plate according to claim 11, wherein, After the step of removing the second base layer and before the step of bonding the surface of the second thermoplastic protective film facing the second base layer to the surface of the ultrathin glass layer, the procedure includes: The surface of the second layer of thermoplastic protective film facing the second base layer is treated to introduce acidic functional groups.

13. The method for manufacturing the protective cover according to claim 11 or 12, wherein, After the step of transferring the second layer of thermoplastic protective film onto the second main surface of the ultrathin glass layer via a hot-press transfer process, the method includes: The second layer of thermoplastic protective film is cut so that the edge of the second layer of thermoplastic protective film is flush with the edge of the ultrathin glass layer; Alternatively, prior to the step of transferring the second layer of the thermoplastic protective film onto the second main surface of the ultrathin glass layer via a hot-press transfer process, the process includes: The second layer of thermoplastic protective film is cut so that the second layer of thermoplastic protective film has the same shape and size as the ultrathin glass layer.

14. The method for manufacturing the protective cover according to claim 6 or 11, wherein, The set temperature is 40℃~200℃, and the set pressure is 1Mpa~20Mpa.

15. A protective cover, manufactured by the method for manufacturing a protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising: An ultra-thin glass layer with two opposing main surfaces; At least a portion of the main surface is a plane, the plane comprising a plurality of edges, and the warpage of the plane being less than or equal to one-tenth of the longest edge in the plane; At least one thermoplastic protective film, the thickness of which is greater than or equal to 10 μm; wherein, at least one main surface is covered with the thermoplastic protective film.

16. The protective cover according to claim 15, wherein, A first layer of the thermoplastic protective film is attached to the first of the main surfaces; The protective cover also includes a functional film located on the surface of the first thermoplastic protective film facing away from the ultrathin glass layer.

17. The protective cover according to claim 16, wherein, The functional film includes: a hardening film and / or an anti-fingerprint film.

18. The protective cover according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, The thickness of the functional membrane is 0.1 μm to 20 μm.

19. The protective cover according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein, The second thermoplastic protective film is attached to the second main surface.

20. The protective cover according to any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein, The thickness of the thermoplastic protective film is 10μm to 500μm.

21. The protective cover plate according to any one of claims 15 to 20, wherein, The Young's modulus of the thermoplastic protective film is 5 MPa to 10 GPa.

22. The protective cover plate according to any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein, The thermoplastic protective film is made of at least one of polyamide, polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyurethane, polyethylene, polyester resin, and transparent polyimide; or, The thermoplastic protective film is made of at least one of thermoplastic polyurethane, polyamide, polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene, polyester resin, and transparent polyimide.

23. The protective cover according to any one of claims 15 to 22, wherein, The thickness of the ultrathin glass layer is 10μm to 100μm.

24. A display device, comprising: Display panel; The protective cover as described in any one of claims 15 to 23 is located on the display side of the display panel.

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