Support structure, display module and display device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a support structure, a manufacturing method thereof, a display module and a display device. The support structure comprises: a patterning layer, a metal layer and a first organic layer which are sequentially stacked along a first direction; the patterning layer is provided with a first bending area and a first flat plate area; the first flat plate area is located on opposite sides of the first bending area, and the first bending area is provided with a plurality of openings; the thickness of the metal layer is less than 30 microns, the elastic modulus of the metal layer is greater than 480 Gpa and less than 1 Tpa; and the elastic modulus of the first organic layer is greater than 10 Mpa and less than 5 Gpa. The first organic layer protects the metal layer in the embodiments of the present application, reduces wrinkles or scratches of the metal layer, and the bending area is cooperatively arranged with the patterning layer, which not only improves the mass productivity of the support structure, but also enhances the bending performance of the support structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display device technology, and in particular to a support structure, a display module, and a display device. Background Technology

[0002] The development of display devices is progressing rapidly, often undergoing minor adjustments in function or structure based on actual market demands. With the advancement of display technology, various new forms of display devices are emerging in response to constantly changing market needs. To balance portability and display quality in mobile electronic devices, foldable and rollable flexible display devices have been proposed. Compared to flat, rigid display devices, flexible display devices can be folded, rolled, or bent like paper, offering greater portability and convenience, while also enabling large-screen displays in a flattened state. However, while flexible display panels achieve foldable screens through flexible structures, their relatively low rigidity often results in drop and impact resistance of the display module and the entire device failing to meet practical application requirements. This remains an area for improvement in current foldable display devices.

[0003] It should be noted that the information in the background section of the invention is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the invention, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a support structure, a display module, and a display device, aiming to improve the bending performance and impact resistance of foldable display devices.

[0005] In one aspect, embodiments of this application provide a support structure, including: a patterned layer, a metal layer, and a first organic layer stacked sequentially along a first direction;

[0006] The patterned layer is provided with a first bending area and a first flat area; the first flat area is located on opposite sides of the first bending area, and the first bending area is provided with a plurality of openings;

[0007] The metal layer has a thickness of less than 30 μm and an elastic modulus greater than 480 GPa and less than 1 TPa; the first organic layer has an elastic modulus greater than 10 MPa and less than 5 GPa.

[0008] Optionally, it further includes: a second organic layer located between the patterned layer and the metal layer;

[0009] The elastic modulus of the second organic layer is greater than 10 MPa and less than 5 GPa.

[0010] Optionally, the ratio between the thickness of the first organic layer and / or the second organic layer and the thickness of the metal layer is greater than 1 / 3 and less than 2 / 3.

[0011] Optionally, the elastic modulus of the metal layer is greater than that of the patterned layer, and the tensile strength of the metal layer is greater than that of the patterned layer.

[0012] Optionally, the patterned layer may be made of carbon fiber.

[0013] The metal layer has a tensile strength greater than 1800 MPa and less than 5 GPa; the patterned layer has an elastic modulus greater than 70 GPa and less than 150 GPa; and the patterned layer has a tensile strength greater than 700 MPa and less than 2 GPa.

[0014] Optionally, the metal layer may be made of at least one of the following: stainless steel, copper, or aluminum.

[0015] Optionally, the material of the first organic layer includes at least one of the following: polymethyl methacrylate, polyimide, thermoplastic polyurethane rubber, and silicone.

[0016] The thickness of the first organic layer is greater than 5 μm and less than 20 μm.

[0017] The supporting structure provided in this application has the following advantages:

[0018] The support structure provided in this application can achieve bending and support by using a patterned layer and a metal layer in combination. Furthermore, a first organic layer can protect the two surfaces of the metal layer, reducing or preventing wrinkles or surface scratches, thus preventing a decrease in bending performance and structural support effectiveness due to wrinkles or surface scratches. This achieves a balance between the bending performance and structural support effect of the support structure. Moreover, the support structure can be applied to foldable flexible display devices, helping to improve the bending performance and impact resistance of foldable flexible display devices.

[0019] In another aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a method for manufacturing a supporting structural member, comprising:

[0020] A metal layer is provided; the thickness of the metal layer is less than 30 μm, and the elastic modulus of the metal layer is greater than 480 GPa and less than 1 TPa;

[0021] A second organic layer and a first organic layer are respectively formed on both sides of the metal layer; wherein the elastic modulus of the second organic layer and / or the elastic modulus of the first organic layer is greater than 10 MPa and less than 5 GPa;

[0022] A patterned layer is provided; the patterned layer is provided with a first bending area and a first flat area; the first flat area is located on opposite sides of the first bending area, and the first bending area is provided with a plurality of openings;

[0023] The patterned layer is bonded to the side surface of the first organic layer opposite to the metal layer.

[0024] The method for manufacturing the support structure provided in this application has the following advantages:

[0025] (1) The support structure obtained by this manufacturing method has all the advantages of the support structure in any of the above embodiments.

[0026] (2) The manufacturing method is simple and can produce a second organic layer and a first organic layer on both sides of the metal layer through coating and other processes, which has the advantage of being able to be mass-produced on a large scale.

[0027] In another aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a display module, including: a flexible display panel and a support structure as described in any of the above embodiments;

[0028] The flexible display panel is provided with a second bending area and a second flat area;

[0029] Wherein, the orthographic projection of the first bending area on the flexible display panel overlaps with the second bending area, and the orthographic projection of the first flat area on the flexible display panel overlaps with the second flat area.

[0030] Optionally, the flexible display panel includes: a display layer and a flexible substrate;

[0031] The patterned layer is located on the side of the flexible substrate away from the display layer, and the metal layer is located between the patterned layer and the flexible substrate.

[0032] Optionally, it also includes: a limiting structure located on the side of the supporting structure away from the flexible display panel;

[0033] The limiting structure is configured to restrict the first bending area and the second bending area from being in a first bending state or a flattened state.

[0034] In the first bending state, the light-emitting surfaces of the second flat plate areas on both sides of the second bending area are opposite each other and the included angle between the two second flat plate areas is less than 180°;

[0035] The elastic modulus of the second organic layer is greater than that of the first organic layer.

[0036] Optionally, it also includes: a limiting structure located on the side of the supporting structure away from the flexible display panel;

[0037] The limiting structure is configured to restrict the first bending area and the second bending area from being in a second bending state or a flattened state.

[0038] In the second bending state, the light-emitting surfaces of the second flat plate areas on both sides of the second bending area are opposite to each other and the included angle between the two second flat plate areas is less than 180°.

[0039] The elastic modulus of the second organic layer is less than that of the first organic layer.

[0040] In another aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a display device, including:

[0041] Such as the support structure in any of the above embodiments, or the display module in any of the above embodiments.

[0042] The display device provided in this application includes the support structure in any of the above embodiments and also has all the advantages of the above support structure. Attached Figure Description

[0043] The accompanying drawings are for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0044] Figure 1 A cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of a support structure in one embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0045] Figure 2 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a planar structure of a patterned layer in one embodiment of the present application.

[0046] Figure 3 A cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of another support structure in one embodiment provided in this application is shown;

[0047] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the steps of a method for manufacturing a support structure according to one embodiment of this application is shown.

[0048] Figure 5 This illustration shows a cross-sectional structural diagram of a display module according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 6 A cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of another display module in one embodiment provided in this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0050] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0051] Related technologies propose using flexible, bendable support structures to support flexible display devices, such as carbon fiber plates or stainless steel plates (SUS).

[0052] The inventors discovered that if the support structure is made of a soft and thin material such as carbon fiber, it may not provide sufficient support. However, if the support structure is made of a rigid and thick material such as stainless steel, it may reduce the number of times the flexible display device can be bent or reduce the maximum bendable angle of the flexible display device.

[0053] The inventors also discovered that if a bendable carbon fiber plate is used as the supporting structure of a flexible display device, and an ultra-thin stainless steel plate is added, the drop resistance of the flexible display device can be improved without affecting the bending performance as much as possible. However, in order to ensure the bending performance, the thickness of the ultra-thin stainless steel plate needs to be set to be small enough. When the thickness of the stainless steel plate is set to be small enough, wrinkles or surface scratches are very likely to occur. In fact, this will seriously reduce the number of times the flexible display device can be bent and reduce the bending performance of the flexible display device.

[0054] In view of the analysis of the above problems, this application proposes a support structure and its manufacturing method, a display module, and a display device. The metal layer is protected by a first organic layer to reduce wrinkles or scratches on the metal layer, and a patterned layer is used to provide openings to provide bending areas. This not only improves the mass production of the support structure, but also enhances the bending life and bending performance of the support structure. It can be applied to various foldable devices, including foldable flexible display devices, to achieve support and fixation of foldable devices and improve the bending performance and impact resistance of foldable devices.

[0055] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0056] Figure 1 A cross-sectional structural diagram of a support structure according to one embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1As shown, this application provides a support structure that can be applied to foldable flexible display devices to support the flexible display panel in the flexible display device in either a folded or unfolded state.

[0057] The supporting structure includes a patterned layer 11, a metal layer 13, and a first organic layer 14, which are stacked sequentially along a first direction.

[0058] The patterned layer 11 or the metal layer 13 can be used to support the flexible display panel 22, serving as a structural support, and can also be bent in the first bending area 111.

[0059] In order to balance the bending performance and support performance of the supporting structure, in some optional embodiments, the elastic modulus of the patterned layer 11 and the elastic modulus of the metal layer 13 may not be equal.

[0060] In this embodiment, bending performance can be quantified by the number of bendable cycles or the maximum recoverable bending angle of the bending or folding area. Specifically, the more bendable cycles or the larger the maximum recoverable bending angle of the bending or folding area, the stronger the bending performance. Bending performance can also be quantified by the elastic modulus; the higher the elastic modulus, the stronger the bending performance.

[0061] In this embodiment, the support performance can be quantified by the strength of the flat or non-folded area. Specifically, the higher the strength of the flat or non-folded area, the stronger the support performance.

[0062] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, the features used for quantification, such as elastic modulus and tensile strength, unless otherwise specified, are used to characterize the material's own properties, and thus the feature of the target object is used to characterize the material used in the target object. For example, "elastic modulus of the patterned layer" can represent "elastic modulus of the material used in the patterned layer".

[0063] Furthermore, the strength of the flat or non-folded region can be expressed by at least one of the following: tensile strength, yield strength, compressive strength, shear strength, flexural strength, and impact strength.

[0064] For example, tensile strength, also known as tensile resistance, is considered to be the higher the strength of a material when it is greater.

[0065] In the embodiments of this application, material properties such as elastic modulus and tensile strength can specifically refer to the properties exhibited by the material at room temperature. Room temperature can be 25°C.

[0066] Figure 2A schematic diagram of the planar structure of a patterned layer 11 in one embodiment of this application is shown. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the first flat plate area 112 is located on opposite sides of the first bending area 111, and the first bending area 111 is provided with a plurality of openings 101.

[0067] The first bending region 111 may be a rectangular region including patterned openings or an array of openings. For example, the array of openings may be multiple rectangular openings, circular openings, or elliptical openings.

[0068] In some alternative embodiments, the opening 101 may include a through hole and / or a non-through hole.

[0069] The first bending area 111 can correspond to the bending area of ​​the flexible display panel 22, and the first flat area 112 can correspond to the non-bending area of ​​the flexible display panel 22.

[0070] By providing an opening in the first bending zone 111, the patterned layer 11 and the supporting structure can be made easier to bend, and the fatigue of the material can be reduced.

[0071] To further improve the bending performance of the patterned layer 11 and the support structure, in some alternative embodiments, the opening direction of the non-through holes in the first bending region 111 may be consistent with the folding direction of the flexible display device to which the support structure is applied.

[0072] In one alternative example, the first bend 111 may include a rectangle.

[0073] To enable the metal layer 13 to bend and support the patterned area of ​​the patterned layer 11, a thin metal layer with high material strength is required. Specifically, the thickness of the metal layer is less than 30 μm, and the elastic modulus of the metal layer is greater than 480 GPa and less than 1 TPa.

[0074] In some alternative embodiments, the material of the metal layer 13 may include at least one of the following: stainless steel, copper, and aluminum.

[0075] To ensure the protective effect of the first organic layer 14 on the metal layer 13 and its anti-wrinkle effect, the elastic modulus of the first organic layer 14 needs to be relatively low. Therefore, the elastic modulus of the first organic layer is greater than 10 MPa and less than 5 GPa.

[0076] For example, the first organic layer 14 may be made of an organic polymer material with a room temperature modulus greater than 10 MPa and less than 5 GPa, which has the characteristic of low resistance to elastic deformation, thereby ensuring the wrinkle resistance of the metal layer 13 and the scratch resistance of the surface away from the patterned layer.

[0077] Through the above embodiments, bending and support can be achieved by using the patterned layer 11 and the metal layer 13 in combination. Furthermore, the first organic layer 14 can protect the surface of the metal layer 13 away from the patterned layer, reducing or preventing wrinkles or surface scratches on the metal layer 13. This prevents a decrease in bending performance and structural support effect due to wrinkles or surface scratches, thus achieving a balance between the bending performance and structural support effect of the support structure. Moreover, the support structure can be applied to foldable flexible display devices, helping to improve the bending performance and impact resistance of foldable flexible display devices.

[0078] Furthermore, through the above embodiments, after the first organic layer 14 is fabricated on the mother plate of the metal layer 13, multiple metal layers 13 can be obtained by cutting. This can prevent wrinkles or surface scratches on the metal layer 13 during the fabrication of the support structure, thereby improving the material processing yield of the metal layer 13 and thus improving the mass production of the support structure.

[0079] To provide scratch protection to both sides of the metal layer and further enhance its wrinkle resistance, some optional embodiments may include a second organic layer 12 located between the patterned layer and the metal layer.

[0080] The elastic modulus of the second organic layer is greater than 10 MPa and less than 5 GPa.

[0081] Furthermore, the thickness of the second organic layer 12 can be the same as the thickness of the first organic layer 14.

[0082] In order to better protect the metal layer 13 with the organic layer and to minimize the impact on the bending performance of the metal layer 13, in some alternative embodiments, the ratio between the thickness of the first organic layer and / or the second organic layer and the thickness of the metal layer is greater than 1 / 3 and less than 2 / 3.

[0083] Furthermore, in some alternative embodiments, the ratio between the thickness of the second organic layer 12 and the thickness of the first organic layer 14 and the thickness of the metal layer 13 can be 1 / 2.

[0084] For example, the thickness of the second organic layer 12 and the thickness of the first organic layer 14 can be 10 μm, and the thickness of the metal layer 13 can be 20 μm.

[0085] In some alternative embodiments, the metal layer 13 can be protected against scratches by attaching a second organic layer 12 and / or a first organic layer 14 to both sides of the metal layer 13.

[0086] To further improve the wrinkle resistance and scratch resistance of the metal layer, in some optional embodiments, the second organic layer 12 and / or the first organic layer 14 may be obtained by coating both sides of the metal layer 13 with a fluid organic polymer and then curing it. For example, the metal layer 13 in this embodiment may be a Coating SUS coated with an organic layer.

[0087] In this embodiment, the patterned layer and metal layer serve as supporting layers. Higher strength and stiffness in these layers make them more prone to wrinkling or surface scratches during the recovery process after bending, compared to materials with lower strength and stiffness. Therefore, this application prioritizes using a protective layer to protect the metal layer, which has higher strength and stiffness, while the patterned layer, with relatively lower stiffness, is used to create openings to form the bending area. To this end, in an optional embodiment, this application also provides a supporting structure in which the elastic modulus of the metal layer 13 is greater than that of the patterned layer 11, and the tensile strength of the metal layer 13 is greater than that of the patterned layer 11.

[0088] In order to better meet the requirements of support and bending in terms of the elastic modulus and tensile strength of the patterned layer 11, in an optional embodiment, this application also provides a support structure, wherein the material of the patterned layer 11 includes carbon fiber.

[0089] The tensile strength of the metal layer is greater than 1800 MPa and less than 5 GPa.

[0090] The elastic modulus of the patterned layer is greater than 70 GPa and less than 150 GPa, and the tensile strength of the patterned layer is greater than 700 MPa and less than 2 GPa.

[0091] In one alternative implementation, the thickness of the patterned layer 11 may be less than the thickness of the metal layer 13, and the weight of the patterned layer 11 may be less than the weight of the metal layer 13.

[0092] In one alternative implementation, the elastic modulus and / or tensile strength of the patterned layer 11 can be adjusted by modifying the carbon fiber manufacturing process.

[0093] In order to better meet the requirements of support and bending in terms of elastic modulus and tensile strength of metal layer 13, in an optional embodiment, the material of metal layer includes at least one of the following: stainless steel, copper, and aluminum.

[0094] Preferably, the material of the metal layer 13 may include stainless steel.

[0095] In some alternative embodiments, the thickness of the metal layer 13 can be between 15 and 30 μm. For example, the thickness of the metal layer 13 can be 20 μm.

[0096] In one alternative implementation, the elastic modulus and / or tensile strength of the metal layer 13 can be adjusted by adjusting the material of the metal and / or the manufacturing process, such as the tempering temperature.

[0097] To ensure that the elastic modulus and tensile strength of the second organic layer 12 or the first organic layer 14 better meet the requirements of the protective metal layer 13, in an optional embodiment, this application also provides a support structure, wherein the material of the first organic layer 14 includes at least one of the following: polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyimide (PI), thermoplastic polyurethane rubber (TPU), and silicone.

[0098] The thickness of the first organic layer is greater than 5 μm and less than 20 μm.

[0099] In one alternative embodiment, the thickness of the second organic layer 12 or the first organic layer 14 may be 10 μm.

[0100] In some alternative implementations, the elastic modulus of the second organic layer and the first organic layer may be equal, and correspondingly, the material of the second organic layer may be the same as that of the first organic layer.

[0101] In order to accommodate different screen folding methods of display modules, in another optional embodiment, the elastic modulus of the second organic layer 12 and the first organic layer 14 may not be equal, and correspondingly, the material of the second organic layer 12 may be different from that of the first organic layer.

[0102] In order to facilitate the application of the support structure to the foldable flexible display device with the screen folding inward, the elastic modulus of the second organic layer 12 can be greater than that of the first organic layer 14.

[0103] In one alternative embodiment, the elastic modulus of the second organic layer 12 can be greater than 1 GPa and less than 5 GPa, and the specific material may include relatively rigid polymethyl methacrylate or polyimide. Correspondingly, the elastic modulus of the first organic layer 14 can be greater than 10 MPa and less than 50 MPa, and the specific material may include relatively soft thermoplastic polyurethane rubber or silicone.

[0104] In order to facilitate the application of the supporting structure to the foldable flexible display device with the screen folded outward, the elastic modulus of the second organic layer 12 can be less than that of the first organic layer 14.

[0105] In one alternative embodiment, the elastic modulus of the second organic layer 12 can be greater than 10 MPa and less than 50 MPa, and the specific material may include relatively soft thermoplastic polyurethane rubber or silicone. Correspondingly, the elastic modulus of the first organic layer 14 can be greater than 1 GPa and less than 5 GPa, and the specific material may include relatively rigid polymethyl methacrylate or polyimide.

[0106] In this context, screen inward folding can be achieved by folding the light-emitting surfaces of the display device together, while screen outward folding can be achieved by folding the light-emitting surfaces of the display device away from each other.

[0107] The folding area of ​​a flexible display device is typically strip-shaped and located between two flat areas. In order to accommodate the folding structure of a flexible display device, in one optional embodiment, this application also provides a support structure, wherein the shape of the first bending area 111 includes a rectangle.

[0108] The first flat plate area 112 is located on both sides of the long side of the rectangle.

[0109] In this embodiment, the first flat panel area 112 can be arranged on both sides of the first bending area 111 along the rectangular short side direction of the first bending area 111, which helps to limit and support the flexible display panel 22 when the flexible display device is folded through the strip folding area.

[0110] Figure 3 A cross-sectional structural diagram of another support structure member according to one embodiment of this application is shown. For example... Figure 3 As shown, in some alternative embodiments, the support structure may further include an adhesive layer 15 for bonding the second organic layer 12 to the patterned layer 11.

[0111] In some alternative embodiments, after coating the metal layer 13 with a fluid organic polymer on both sides and curing it to form a second organic layer 12 and a first organic layer 14, the side containing the second organic layer 12 is bonded to the patterned layer 11 through an adhesive layer 15 to obtain a support structure.

[0112] The adhesive layer 15 may include pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA). Further, the pressure-sensitive adhesive may also include optical adhesive (OCA).

[0113] In some optional examples, the material of the adhesive layer 15 may include acrylic, PU, ​​or silicone.

[0114] To accommodate the foldable design, the room temperature modulus of the adhesive layer 15 can be less than 100 kPa, and its thickness can be between 10 and 100 μm. For example, the room temperature modulus of the adhesive layer 15 can be 50 kPa, and its thickness can be 20 μm.

[0115] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the steps of a method for manufacturing a support structure according to one embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 4 As shown, based on the same inventive concept, this application also provides a method for manufacturing a supporting structural member, including:

[0116] Step S601: Provide a metal layer 13. The thickness of the metal layer is less than 30 μm, and the elastic modulus of the metal layer is greater than 480 GPa and less than 1 TPa.

[0117] In step S602, a second organic layer 12 and a first organic layer 14 are respectively fabricated on both sides of the metal layer 13.

[0118] Wherein, the elastic modulus of the second organic layer and / or the elastic modulus of the first organic layer is greater than 10 MPa and less than 5 GPa.

[0119] Step S603, provide patterned layer 11.

[0120] The patterned layer 11 is provided with a first bending area 111 and a first flat area 112. The first flat area 112 is located on opposite sides of the first bending area 111, and the first bending area 111 is provided with a plurality of openings.

[0121] Step S604: The patterned layer 11 is bonded to the side surface of the first organic layer 14 facing away from the metal layer 13.

[0122] The support structure produced by the above embodiments possesses all the advantages of the support structure in any of the above embodiments. Furthermore, the manufacturing method is simple, enabling the formation of a second organic layer 12 and a first organic layer 14 on both sides of the metal layer 13 through processes such as coating, thus allowing for large-scale mass production.

[0123] Figure 5 A cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of a display module according to one embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 5 As shown, based on the same inventive concept, this application also provides a display module, including: a flexible display panel 22 and a support structure as described in any of the above embodiments or a support structure manufactured using the manufacturing method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0124] Among them, the supporting structure can be used to support and fix the flexible display panel 22 in both flattened and bent states.

[0125] The flexible display panel 22 is provided with a second bending area 201 and a second flat area 202;

[0126] The first bending area 111 is projected onto the flexible display panel 22 and overlaps with the second bending area 201, while the first flat area 112 is projected onto the flexible display panel 22 and overlaps with the second flat area 202.

[0127] The first bending area 111 and the second bending area 201 can be located in the bending area of ​​the display module that can be bent or folded.

[0128] Through the above embodiments, including the support structure in any of the above embodiments, not only do they have all the advantages of the above support structure, but they also support and fix the flexible display panel 22 in the flat and bent states, thereby improving the bending performance and impact resistance of the foldable flexible display module, including increasing the number of bends and service life of the display module, and increasing the drop resistance of the display module.

[0129] Figure 6 A cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of another display module according to one embodiment of this application is shown. For example... Figure 6 As shown, in order to better limit and support the flexible display panel 22, the supporting structure is considered to... In an optional embodiment, this application also provides a display module, wherein the flexible display panel 22 includes: a display layer 221 and a flexible substrate 222.

[0130] In some optional embodiments, the flexible display panel 22 may be a flexible OLED display panel or a MicroLED display panel, and correspondingly, the display module may be a flexible OLED display module or a MicroLED display module.

[0131] For example, the display layer 221 of the OLED display panel may include: a cathode, an anode, a hole injection layer (HIL), an electron injection layer (EIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an electron transport layer (ETL), an electron blocking layer (EBL), a hole blocking layer (HBL), an emissive layer (EML), etc.

[0132] In some optional embodiments, the flexible substrate 222 may be made of materials such as PI, and a TFT array circuit may be disposed on the flexible substrate 222.

[0133] In some alternative embodiments, the flexible display panel 22 may further include an encapsulation layer (not shown) located on the side of the display layer 221 away from the flexible substrate 222.

[0134] The encapsulation layer can be a stacked structure composed of an inorganic layer, an organic layer, and an inorganic layer. For example, the inorganic layer, organic layer, and inorganic layer can be SiON, acrylic, and SiN, respectively.

[0135] In some optional embodiments, the flexible display panel 22 may further include: a protective film located between the display layer 221 and the flexible substrate 222, and a polarizing plate or color filter layer located between the display layer 221 and the touch layer.

[0136] In some optional embodiments, the display module may further include: a touch layer located on the side of the flexible display panel 22 away from the supporting structure, an optical adhesive located on the side of the touch layer away from the flexible display panel 22, and a protective substrate.

[0137] In some alternative embodiments, the touch layer may also be integrated into the flexible display panel 22.

[0138] The protective substrate can be bonded to the flexible display panel 22 and the touch layer using optical adhesive.

[0139] The protective substrate can be a flexible, foldable protective substrate. Specifically, the protective substrate may include at least one of the following: flexible film layers such as CPI and PET, or flexible ultrathin glass (UTG).

[0140] The patterned layer 11 is located on the side of the flexible substrate 222 away from the display layer 221, and the metal layer 13 is located between the patterned layer 11 and the flexible substrate 222.

[0141] In some alternative embodiments, the flexible display panel 22 may be obtained by laser cutting a display motherboard. Exemplarily, a UV pico laser is preferred.

[0142] like Figure 6 As shown, in order to facilitate the application of the support structure to the foldable flexible display device with the screen folding inward, in an optional embodiment, this application also provides a display module, which further includes: a limiting structure 21 located on the side of the support structure away from the flexible display panel 22.

[0143] The limiting structure 21 is configured to restrict the first bending area 111 and the second bending area 201 from being in the first bending state or the flattened state.

[0144] For example, the limiting structure 21 may include an inward hinge limiting structure 21, which can switch between a flattened state and a closing state toward a first direction.

[0145] In the first bending state, the light-emitting surfaces of the second flat plate areas 202 on both sides of the second bending area 201 are opposite each other and the included angle between the two second flat plate areas 202 is less than 180°.

[0146] The elastic modulus of the second organic layer 12 is greater than that of the first organic layer 14.

[0147] In one alternative embodiment, the elastic modulus of the second organic layer 12 can be greater than 1 GPa and less than 5 GPa, and the specific material may include relatively rigid polymethyl methacrylate or polyimide. Correspondingly, the elastic modulus of the first organic layer 14 can be greater than 10 MPa and less than 50 MPa, and the specific material may include relatively soft thermoplastic polyurethane rubber or silicone.

[0148] In this embodiment, the flexible display panel has opposing light-emitting surfaces and backlighting surfaces. The light-emitting surface is the side facing the user of the display device and is used for emitting light for display. In this embodiment, the light-emitting surface is the surface of the flexible display panel facing away from the supporting structure, and the backlighting surface is the surface of the flexible display panel facing the supporting structure.

[0149] Accordingly, in an alternative embodiment, the opening of the non-through hole in the first bending region 111 may face the first direction.

[0150] like Figure 6 As shown, in order to facilitate the application of the support structure to the foldable flexible display device with the screen folded outward, in an optional embodiment, this application also provides a display module, which further includes: a limiting structure 21 located on the side of the support structure away from the flexible display panel 22.

[0151] The limiting structure 21 is configured to restrict the first bending area 111 and the second bending area 201 from being in a second bending state or a flattened state.

[0152] For example, the limiting structure 21 may include an outward hinge limiting structure 21 that can switch between a flattened state and a closing state in the opposite direction to the first direction.

[0153] In the second bending state, the light-emitting surfaces of the second flat plate areas 202 on both sides of the second bending area 201 are opposite to each other and the included angle between the two second flat plate areas 202 is less than 180°.

[0154] The elastic modulus of the second organic layer 12 is less than that of the first organic layer 14.

[0155] In one alternative embodiment, the elastic modulus of the second organic layer 12 can be greater than 10 MPa and less than 50 MPa, and the specific material may include relatively soft thermoplastic polyurethane rubber or silicone. Correspondingly, the elastic modulus of the first organic layer 14 can be greater than 1 GPa and less than 5 GPa, and the specific material may include relatively rigid polymethyl methacrylate or polyimide.

[0156] Accordingly, in another alternative embodiment, the opening of the non-through hole in the first bending region 111 may be opposite to the first direction.

[0157] Based on the same inventive concept, this application also provides a display device, comprising:

[0158] The support structure as described in any of the preceding embodiments, or the support structure manufactured using the manufacturing method described in any of the preceding embodiments, or the display module as described in any of the preceding embodiments.

[0159] For example, the display device may use an OLED display module as the screen.

[0160] For example, the display device may include the display device of electronic devices such as mobile phones, smartwatches, VR devices, tablet computers, and computer systems.

[0161] Based on the same inventive concept, this application also provides an electronic device, which includes: the display device in any of the above embodiments.

[0162] For example, electronic devices may include: mobile phones, smartwatches, VR devices, tablets, computers, etc.

[0163] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0164] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, 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, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0165] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0166] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0167] In this application, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or terminal device that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or terminal device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or terminal device that includes that element.

[0168] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. Unless otherwise stated, "approximately," "around," "about," etc., are defined in a non-absolute sense, expressing values ​​within ±10% of a reference value.

[0169] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, the range of values ​​represented by definitions such as "between value A and value B" includes both value A and value B.

[0170] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0171] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "same layer" means that two or more defined objects are located on the same layer in a stacking relationship, or that they are all or partly on the same horizontal plane in the thickness direction of the stacking relationship.

[0172] In this article, the terms "and / or" and "and / or" are merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three kinds of relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0173] Finally, it should be noted that specific examples have been used in this document to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the technical solutions and core ideas of this application. Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, once they understand the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A supporting structural component, characterized in that, include: A patterned layer, a metal layer, and a first organic layer are sequentially stacked along a first direction; The patterned layer is provided with a first bending area and a first flat area; The first flat plate area is located on opposite sides of the first bending area, and the first bending area is provided with a plurality of openings; It also includes: a second organic layer, located between the patterned layer and the metal layer; The metal layer has a thickness of less than 30 μm and an elastic modulus greater than 480 GPa and less than 1 TPa; the first organic layer has an elastic modulus greater than 10 MPa and less than 5 GPa; and the second organic layer has an elastic modulus greater than 10 MPa and less than 5 GPa.

2. The supporting structural member according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ratio between the thickness of the first organic layer and / or the second organic layer and the thickness of the metal layer is greater than 1 / 3 and less than 2 / 3.

3. The supporting structural member according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic modulus of the metal layer is greater than that of the patterned layer, and the tensile strength of the metal layer is greater than that of the patterned layer.

4. The supporting structural member according to claim 3, characterized in that, The patterned layer is made of carbon fiber; The metal layer has a tensile strength greater than 1800 MPa and less than 5 GPa; the patterned layer has an elastic modulus greater than 70 GPa and less than 150 GPa; and the patterned layer has a tensile strength greater than 700 MPa and less than 2 GPa.

5. The supporting structural member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The metal layer is made of at least one of the following: stainless steel, copper, or aluminum.

6. The supporting structural member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The material of the first organic layer includes at least one of the following: polymethyl methacrylate, polyimide, thermoplastic polyurethane rubber, and silicone. The thickness of the first organic layer is greater than 5 μm and less than 20 μm.

7. A display module, characterized in that, include: Flexible display panel and support structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 6; The flexible display panel is provided with a second bending area and a second flat area; Wherein, the orthographic projection of the first bending area on the flexible display panel overlaps with the second bending area, and the orthographic projection of the first flat area on the flexible display panel overlaps with the second flat area.

8. The display module according to claim 7, characterized in that, The flexible display panel includes: a display layer and a flexible substrate; The patterned layer is located on the side of the flexible substrate away from the display layer, and the metal layer is located between the patterned layer and the flexible substrate.

9. The display module according to claim 8, characterized in that, Also includes: A limiting structure is located on the side of the supporting structure away from the flexible display panel; The limiting structure is configured to restrict the first bending area and the second bending area from being in a first bending state or a flattened state. In the first bending state, the light-emitting surfaces of the second flat plate areas on both sides of the second bending area are opposite each other and the included angle between the two second flat plate areas is less than 180°; The elastic modulus of the second organic layer is greater than that of the first organic layer.

10. The display module according to claim 8, characterized in that, Also includes: A limiting structure is located on the side of the supporting structure away from the flexible display panel; The limiting structure is configured to restrict the first bending area and the second bending area from being in a second bending state or a flattened state. In the second bending state, the light-emitting surfaces of the second flat plate areas on both sides of the second bending area are opposite to each other and the included angle between the two second flat plate areas is less than 180°. The elastic modulus of the second organic layer is less than that of the first organic layer.

11. A display device, characterized in that, include: The support structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, or the display module as described in any one of claims 7 to 10.

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