Display module and display device

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides a display module and a display device, which relates to the field of display technology, and aims to solve the problem in the related art that the support member is prone to bending failure of the display module due to the deviation between the actual etching depth and the design depth of the second bending portion. The display module includes a flexible display panel and a support member, the support member is arranged on one side of the flexible display panel, the support member includes a first bending portion and a second bending portion located on opposite sides of the first bending portion; wherein the first bending portion and the second bending portion have opposite bending directions when the display module is in a folded state; the thickness of the second bending portion is equal at each position, the thickness of the second bending portion is greater than or equal to 1 / 2 of the thickness of the flexible display panel of the display module, and less than or equal to 2 times the thickness of the flexible display panel, and an opening is provided on the first bending portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a display module and a display device. Background Art

[0002] A display module with a water-drop shape generally includes a support and a flexible display panel on the support. The support includes a first bending portion and a second bending portion located in a bending area and having opposite bending directions when the display module is in a folded state.

[0003] In the related technology, the second bending portion needs to be made into a blind hole through an etching process. However, the current etching process for making blind holes has an etching depth tolerance of approximately ±20um. When the actual etching depth of the second bending portion deviates greatly from the designed depth, it often leads to bending failure of the display module, thereby affecting the reliability of the flexible display panel. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a display module and a display device, which are used to solve the problem in the related art that the support member is prone to bending failure of the display module due to a deviation between the actual etching depth and the designed depth of the second bending portion.

[0005] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a display module, which includes a flexible display panel and a support member, wherein the support member is arranged on one side of the flexible display panel, and the support member includes a first bending portion and a second bending portion located on two opposite sides of the first bending portion; wherein the first bending portion and the second bending portion have opposite bending directions when the display module is in a folded state; the thickness of the second bending portion is equal at each position, the thickness of the second bending portion is greater than or equal to 1 / 2 of the thickness of the flexible display panel of the display module, and less than or equal to 2 times the thickness of the flexible display panel, and an opening is provided on the first bending portion.

[0006] In some embodiments, the thickness of the second bending portion is greater than or equal to 20 um and less than or equal to 90 um.

[0007] In some embodiments, the support member also includes a flat portion located on the side of the second bending portion away from the first bending portion; the display module also includes glass arranged on the side of the flexible display panel away from the support member, the glass includes a first part and a second part, the thickness of the second part is greater than the thickness of the first part, wherein the first bending portion is located within the range of the orthographic projection of the first part on the support member, and the flat portion is located within the range of the orthographic projection of the second part on the support member.

[0008] In some embodiments, the glass also includes a transition portion located between the first portion and the second portion and connected to the first portion and the second portion, the thickness of the transition portion on a side close to the first portion is less than the thickness of the transition portion on a side close to the second portion; the edge of the orthographic projection of the transition portion on the support overlaps with the edge of the second bending portion, the edge of the orthographic projection of the first portion on the support overlaps with the edge of the first bending portion, and the edge of the orthographic projection of the second portion on the support overlaps with the edge of the flat portion.

[0009] In some embodiments, the glass has grooves at the positions of the first part and the transition part, and the cover plate also includes a filling portion located in the groove, and the surface of the filling portion away from the support member is flush with the surface of the second part away from the support member.

[0010] In some embodiments, the elastic modulus of the filling part is less than the elastic modulus of the glass.

[0011] In some embodiments, the glass has grooves at the positions of the first part and the transition part, and the cover plate also includes a covering layer located on the side of the glass away from the support member, the covering layer covers the second part and partially fills the groove, and the surface of the covering layer away from the support member is flat.

[0012] In some embodiments, the elastic modulus of the cover layer is less than the elastic modulus of the glass.

[0013] In some embodiments, the support member also includes a flat portion located on the side of the second bending portion away from the first bending portion; the display module also includes an adhesive layer arranged between the flexible display panel and the support member, the adhesive layer includes two adhesive portions arranged at intervals, and each adhesive portion covers the second bending portion and the flat portion located on the same side of the first bending portion.

[0014] In some embodiments, the display module further includes an adhesive tape disposed on a side of the support member away from the flexible display panel, and the first bending portion is located within a range of an orthographic projection of the adhesive tape on the support member.

[0015] In some embodiments, the edge of the orthographic projection of the tape on the support member is located within the area of ​​the second bending portion.

[0016] In some embodiments, the opening includes a plurality of blind holes, and the openings of the blind holes are arranged on a side of the first bending portion away from the flexible display panel of the display module.

[0017] In some embodiments, the opening includes a plurality of through holes extending through the support member in a thickness direction thereof.

[0018] In some embodiments, the thickness of the first bending portion other than the opening is equal to the thickness of the second bending portion.

[0019] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a display device, which includes a display module as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0020] For the support member provided in the embodiment of the present application, since the thickness of the second bending portion is set in the range of 1 / 2 to 2 times the thickness of the flexible display panel, the thickness of the second bending portion is effectively reduced, thereby reducing the bending stiffness of the second bending portion, thereby ensuring that the support member can be smoothly bent during the folding process of the display module. In addition, since no opening is set on the second bending portion, the problem of bending failure of the display module due to the influence of the etching depth tolerance can be effectively avoided, and the increase in the production cost of the support member caused by the opening on the second bending portion is avoided. In addition, since the opening is set on the first bending portion, the stress to which the support member is subjected during the bending process or in the bent state can be reduced, thereby ensuring that the support member forms a good supporting effect on the flexible display panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of a display module provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0022] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of a support member in a bent state provided by some embodiments of the present application;

[0023] Figure 3 is a partial structural diagram of a support member provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0024] Figure 4 is a partial structural diagram of a support member provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0025] Figure 5A is a structural diagram of a display module provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5B is a structural diagram of a display module provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0027] Figure 6 is a structural diagram of a display module provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0028] Figure 7 is a structural diagram of a display module provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0029] Figure 8 is a structural diagram of a display module provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0030] Fig. 9A is a bar graph of the pressure exerted on the adhesive layer located on the second bending portion in the display module in the related art and the display module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Fig. 9B It is a bar graph of longitudinal strains of multiple layers in a display module in the related art and a display module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Fig. 9C is a bar graph of normal stress of a display module in the related art and a display module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Fig.9D It is a bar chart of strains of multiple layers in a display module in the related art and a display module provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. The described technical solutions are only used to explain and illustrate the ideas of the present application and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of protection of the present application.

[0035] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first", "second" and similar words do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different technical features. The term "plurality" and similar words mean two or more, unless otherwise clearly defined.

[0036] “A and / or B” includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0037] The use of "suitable for" or "configured to" in this application is meant to be open and inclusive language, which does not exclude devices that are suitable for or configured to perform additional tasks or steps. In addition, the use of "based on" is meant to be open and inclusive, because the process, step, calculation or other action "based on" one or more stated conditions or values ​​can be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond the stated values ​​in practice.

[0038] In this application, the word "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, illustration, or description." Any embodiment described as "exemplary" in this application is not necessarily to be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to implement and use the present application.

[0039] The various embodiments of the present application are similar, and features in different embodiments and / or different examples may be combined with each other.

[0040] In the related art, the thickness of the support member is at least 120um, which is usually greater than 2.5 times the thickness of the flexible display panel in the display module. Based on the second bending portion mentioned in the background art, a blind hole needs to be made by etching process, the main purpose of which is to reduce the bending stiffness of the second bending portion of the display module in the water drop-shaped bending state, thereby reducing the risk of peeling of the glue layer on the second bending portion and the flexible display panel.

[0041] However, during the blind hole manufacturing process, if the etching depth is too large, the risk of peeling of the glue layer will be too high, while if the etching depth is too small, the flexible display panel will crack and the risk of peeling will be too high. Therefore, it is necessary to simulate and optimize a reasonable etching depth (i.e., the design depth of the blind hole) during the design stage of the support. However, the current etching process for making blind holes usually only has a depth tolerance of ±20um. Therefore, when the actual etching depth and the design depth deviate greatly, the display module often fails due to bending, thereby affecting the reliability of the flexible display panel.

[0042] Based on this, some embodiments of the present application provide a display module 100, such as Figure 1 As shown, the display module 100 includes a flexible display panel 20 and a support member 10, which is disposed on one side of the flexible display panel 20 and is used to support the flexible display panel 20. The support member 10 can be disposed on the backlight side of the flexible display panel 20 to avoid affecting the light output of the flexible display panel 20.

[0043] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the support member 10 includes a first bending portion 11 and second bending portions 12 located on two opposite sides of the first bending portion 11 .

[0044] When the display module 100 is folded along its fold, the support member 10 is also bent synchronously. Figure 2 As shown, the support member 10 is bent as a whole about the fold of the display module 100. When the display module 100 is in a folded state, the support member 10 includes a first bending area 101, a second bending area 102, and a flat area 103 located on a side of the second bending area away from the first bending area 101. The first bending portion 11 is located in the first bending area 101, and the second bending portion 12 is located in the second bending area 102. The curvature of the second bending portion 12 is smaller than the curvature of the first bending portion 11, that is, the bending degree of the second bending portion 12 is smaller than the bending degree of the first bending area 101.

[0045] The first bending portion 11 and the second bending portion 12 have opposite bending directions when the display module 100 is in a folded state. That is, when the display module 100 is folded, the support member 10 also bends synchronously, and the bending direction of the first bending portion 11 is opposite to the bending direction of the second bending portion 12. For example, the first bending portion 11 bends inwardly, and the second bending portion 12 bends outwardly.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, when the display module 100 is folded along its fold, the support member 10 is bent along a bending axis as a whole, and the bending axis can coincide with the bending axis 1001 of the first bending portion 11. When the display module 100 is folded and in a folded state, the bending direction of the first bending portion 11 is toward the inside of the display module 100, and the bending direction of the second bending portion 12 is toward the outside of the display module 100.

[0047] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the thickness of the second bending portion 12 at each position is equal, and the thickness of the second bending portion 12 is greater than or equal to 1 / 2 of the thickness of the flexible display panel 20, and less than or equal to 2 times the thickness of the flexible display panel 20. That is, the thickness of the second bending portion 12 is significantly reduced compared with the thickness of the second bending portion in the related art, so that the bending stiffness of the second bending portion 12 can be reduced, ensuring that the second bending portion 12 can be bent smoothly during the folding process of the display module 100. Furthermore, since the thickness of each position on the second bending portion 12 is equal, no opening (such as a blind hole) is provided on the second bending portion 12, which can avoid the second bending portion 12 having different opening depths at different positions due to the influence of the etching depth tolerance during the process of making the opening, and make the stiffness distribution on the second bending portion 12 obviously uneven, thereby causing the flexible display panel to crack and peel, or the adhesive layer on the second bending portion 12 to peel, etc., causing the display module to bend and fail. At the same time, since the setting of the opening on the second bending portion 12 is cancelled, the corresponding process steps can be reduced, thereby saving the production cost of the support member 10.

[0048] In addition, an opening 110 is provided on the first bending portion 11. In this way, the stress (including the squeezing force and the tensile force between the internal structures of the support member 10, and the rebound force formed by the support member 10 after bending) to which the support member 10 is subjected during the bending process or in the bent state can be reduced, so that the support member 10 is not prone to plastic deformation and creep during long-term bending and multiple bending processes, so that the surface of the support member 10 facing the flexible display panel 20 can maintain a high degree of flatness, so as to ensure a good support effect for the flexible display panel 20.

[0049] Therefore, for the support member 10 provided in the above embodiment, since the thickness of the second bending portion 12 is effectively reduced, the bending stiffness of the second bending portion 12 is reduced, so that the display module 100 can be smoothly bent during the folding process. In addition, since no opening is provided on the second bending portion 12, the problem of bending failure of the display module due to the influence of the etching depth tolerance can be effectively avoided, and the increase in the manufacturing cost of the support member 10 caused by the opening provided on the second bending portion 12 is avoided. In addition, since the opening 110 is provided on the first bending portion 11, the stress to which the support member 10 is subjected during the bending process or in the bent state can be reduced, thereby ensuring that the support member 10 forms a good supporting effect on the flexible display panel 20.

[0050] In some embodiments, the thickness of the second bending portion 12 is greater than or equal to 20 um and less than or equal to 90 um.

[0051] Compared with the supporting member in the related art having a thickness of at least 120 um, the thickness of the second bending portion 12 is significantly reduced, thereby reducing the bending stiffness of the second bending portion 12 and ensuring that the second bending portion 12 can be bent smoothly during the folding of the display module 100.

[0052] In some examples, the thickness of the second bending portion 12 may be 20um, 30um, 40um, 50um, 60um, 65um, 70um, 75um, 80um, 85um, 90um, etc.

[0053] In some embodiments, the thickness of the second bending portion 12 is greater than or equal to 60 um and less than or equal to 90 um.

[0054] In this way, on the one hand, it can effectively ensure that the second bending portion 12 has a certain bending rigidity, and on the other hand, it can also ensure that the second bending portion 12 has good stiffness, thereby ensuring that it can provide good support for the flexible display panel 20.

[0055] In some examples, the thickness of the second bending portion 12 may also be 63um, 67um, 73um, 77um, 83um, 87um, etc.

[0056] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the opening 110 includes a plurality of blind holes, and the opening of each blind hole is disposed on a side of the first bending portion 11 away from the flexible display panel 20 of the display module 100 .

[0057] This arrangement can effectively prevent the opening of the blind hole from contacting the flexible display panel 20 after the display module 100 is folded, thereby reducing the risk of imprinting the flexible display panel 20.

[0058] As a feasible method, the blind hole can be made on a surface of the first bent portion 11 which is away from the flexible display panel 20. For example, the blind hole can be made by etching.

[0059] In some examples, each blind hole may be circular, streamlined, elliptical, etc., multiple blind holes may be arranged along the width direction of the first bending portion 11 (in the non-bending state) to form a blind hole group, and multiple blind hole groups may be arranged along the length direction of the first bending portion 11 (in the non-bending state). The length direction of the first bending portion 11 is consistent with the direction of the first bending portion 11 toward the second bending portion 12, and the width direction of the first bending portion 11 is perpendicular to its length direction.

[0060] In some embodiments, Figure 4 As shown, the opening 110 includes a plurality of through holes that penetrate the support member 10 in the thickness direction.

[0061] In this way, the through hole can effectively reduce the stress on the support member 10 during the bending process or in the bent state. During the bending process of the first bending portion 11, the through hole can withstand a large deformation effect, which can form an effective buffering effect, ensuring that the support member 10 is not prone to plastic deformation and creep during long-term bending and multiple bending processes, thereby achieving a good supporting effect on the flexible display panel 20.

[0062] As a feasible approach, the through hole may be manufactured by using an etching process.

[0063] The etching process includes dry etching and wet etching, which can be flexibly selected according to actual circumstances.

[0064] In some examples, each through hole can be circular, streamlined, elliptical, etc., multiple through holes can be arranged along the width direction of the first bending portion 11 to form a through hole group, and multiple through hole groups can be arranged along the length direction of the first bending portion 11.

[0065] In some examples, the first bending portion 11 may include multiple arrangement areas, and in the same arrangement area, all through hole groups are arranged in the same manner, and all through holes in each through hole group are arranged in the same manner. In different arrangement areas, the arrangement of the through hole groups is different, and the arrangement of the through holes in the through hole groups is also different.

[0066] In some examples, the through holes on the first bending portion 11 are symmetrically arranged about the bending axis 1001. This is conducive to ensuring that the first bending portion 11 relieves the stress on the support member 10 during the bending process or in the bent state, thereby ensuring the support stability of the support member 10 for the flexible display panel 20.

[0067] In some embodiments, Figure 4 As shown, the first bending portion 11 faces the second bending portion 12 along the first direction X, and the first direction X is consistent with the length direction of the first bending portion 11 in the non-bending state. The first bending portion includes a connecting portion 111 located between two adjacent openings 110 (such as through holes) along the first direction X.

[0068] Figure 4 The opening 110 is a strip-shaped through hole, and an angle is formed between the extending direction of the through hole and the first direction X. For example, the through hole extends along a second direction Y perpendicular to the first direction X.

[0069] When the opening 110 is a strip-shaped through hole, the connecting portion 111 between two adjacent through holes is a strip-shaped connecting portion; in the second direction Y, a spacer portion 112 is provided between two adjacent openings 110, and the spacer portion 112 is connected to the adjacent connecting portion 111, so that the first bending portion 11 as a whole forms a continuous structure.

[0070] In some examples, in the first direction X, the sizes of all the openings 110 are equal, which is beneficial to improving the structural stability of the first bending portion 11 .

[0071] As a feasible method, two adjacent openings 110 are staggered in the first direction X. That is, for two adjacent openings 110 in the first direction X, one is arranged above in the second direction Y, and the other is arranged below in the second direction Y, so that the two openings 110 are staggered with each other.

[0072] In some examples, in the first direction X, the size of the spacer 112 may be equal to the sum of the size of the two connecting portions 111 and the size of the opening 110 located between the two connecting portions 111 .

[0073] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the thickness of the first bending portion 11 other than the opening 110 is equal to the thickness of the second bending portion 12. The thickness of the first bending portion 11 other than the opening 110 refers to the thickness of the area of ​​the first bending portion 11 where no opening is provided.

[0074] In this case, except for the first bending portion 11 where the opening 110 is set, the support member 10 is a plate-like structure with uniform thickness. This can achieve overall thinning of the support member 10 on the one hand, which is beneficial to the lightweight design of the display module 100. On the other hand, it is also beneficial to achieve stable support of the flexible display panel 20 by the support member 10.

[0075] In some embodiments, Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the support member 10 also includes a flat portion 13 located on the side of the second bending portion 12 away from the first bending portion 11 , and the thickness of the first bending portion 11 outside the opening 110 is equal to the thickness of the flat portion 13 and the second bending portion 12 .

[0076] With this arrangement, the surfaces of the flat portion 13 , the second bent portion 12 and the first bent portion 11 can serve together as a supporting surface for placing the flexible display panel 20 , thereby providing good support for the flexible display panel 20 .

[0077] When the thickness of the first bent portion 11 other than the opening 110 is equal to the thickness of the second bent portion 12 and the flat portion 13, any one of the thickness of the first bent portion 11 other than the opening 110, the thickness of the second bent portion 12 and the thickness of the flat portion 13 is also the same as the thickness of the support member 10. For ease of description, the thickness of the support member 10 is directly used for description in some embodiments below.

[0078] In some examples, two flat portions 13 are provided, and the two flat portions 13 are respectively disposed on both sides of the first bending portion 11 and are located on a side of the second bending portion 12 adjacent thereto and away from the first bending portion 11 .

[0079] In some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, a plurality of flat portions 13, a plurality of second bending portions 12 and a first bending portion 11 together enclose a space; wherein the bending axis of the first bending portion 11 is located inside the space, and the bending axis of the second bending portion 12 is located outside the space. That is, the center of curvature corresponding to the arc segment on the first bending portion 11 is located inside the space, and the center of curvature corresponding to the arc segment on the second bending portion 12 is located outside the space.

[0080] When the display module 100 is folded, the support member 10 under the flexible display panel 20 can maintain contact with the flexible display panel 20, so that the support member 10 can stably support the flexible display panel 20 both in the dynamic bending process and in the bent state, to ensure that the flexible display panel 20 can display a stable image both in the bending process and in the bent state, thereby ensuring the reliability of the flexible display panel 20 when in use.

[0081] In some embodiments, Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, based on the support member 10 including a flat portion 13, the display module 100 also includes a cover plate 30 located on the side of the flexible display panel 20 away from the support member 10, and the glass 31 in the cover plate 30 includes a first part 311 and a second part 313, the thickness of the second part 313 is greater than the thickness of the first part 311, wherein the first bending portion 11 is located within the range of the orthographic projection of the first part 311 on the support member 10, and the flat portion 13 is located within the range of the orthographic projection of the second part 313 on the support member 10.

[0082] In this arrangement, since the thickness of the second portion 313 is relatively large and the flat portion 13 is located within the range of the positive projection of the second portion 313 on the support member 10, this can compensate for the problem of reduced stiffness of the support member 10 at the position due to the thinning of the thickness of the flat portion 13, thereby facilitating the overall stability of the display module 100.

[0083] The first portion 311 has the same thickness at each position, and the second portion 313 has the same thickness at each position.

[0084] In some examples, the thickness of the second portion 313 may be greater than or equal to twice the thickness of the first portion 311 .

[0085] In some examples, the thickness of the first portion 311 is greater than or equal to 30um and less than or equal to 40um. This can prevent the first portion 311 from being too thick and thus prone to breakage during its bending process. On the other hand, it can prevent the first portion 311 from being too thin and thus difficult to provide good protection for the flexible display panel below.

[0086] For example, the thickness of the second portion 313 may be 70 um, and the thickness of the first portion 311 may be 30 um, which can effectively ensure that the display module 100 has good stiffness at the flat portion 13 and also ensure the stability of the glass 31 .

[0087] In some embodiments, Figure 5A and Figure 5BAs shown, the glass 31 further includes a transition portion 312 located between the first portion 311 and the second portion 313 and connected to the first portion 311 and the second portion 313, and the thickness of the transition portion 312 on the side close to the first portion 311 is less than the thickness of the transition portion 312 on the side close to the second portion 313. The edge of the transition portion 312 overlaps with the edge of the positive projection of the second bending portion 12 on the support 10, the edge of the first bending portion 11 overlaps with the edge of the positive projection of the first portion 311 on the support 10, and the edge of the flat portion 13 overlaps with the edge of the positive projection of the second portion 313 on the support 10. In this case, the first portion 311 is opposite to the first bending portion 11, the transition portion 312 is opposite to the second bending portion 12, and the second portion 313 is opposite to the flat portion 13.

[0088] This arrangement allows the positions of the first bending portion 11 and the first part 311 to correspond, and the position of the flat portion 13 and the second part 313 to correspond, so that during the bending process of the display module 100, the flexible display panel 20 and the support member 10 are better coordinated, which is beneficial to ensuring the overall stability of the display module 100.

[0089] In some examples, the surface of the transition portion 312 away from the support member 10 includes at least one of a plane and a curved surface. Since the thickness of the first portion 311 is less than the thickness of the second portion 313, a height difference is formed between the first portion 311 and the second portion 313. By setting the surface of the transition portion 312 away from the support member 10 to a plane and / or a curved surface, a smooth transition between the first portion 311 and the second portion 313 can be ensured, and the flexible display panel 20 is facilitated to bend at the position of the first portion 311.

[0090] When the surface of the transition portion 312 away from the support member 10 includes a curved surface, the contact area between the surface of this portion and the subsequently formed covering layer 32 is larger, which is beneficial to improve the tightness of the connection between the two.

[0091] In some examples, the surface of the transition portion 312 away from the support member 10 is a plane.

[0092] As a feasible method, the glass 31 may be ultra-thin glass. For example, the glass 31 may be made of ultra-fine grain (UFG) material. The above material has the characteristics of high strength, high hardness and excellent fatigue life, which is conducive to ensuring that the display module 100 has good stiffness at the flat portion 13.

[0093] In some embodiments, Figure 5AAs shown, the glass 31 has a groove K at the first portion 311 and the transition portion 312. For example, the glass 31 is recessed at the first portion 311 and the transition portion 312 to form the groove K. The cover plate 30 further includes a filling portion 33 located in the groove K, and the surface of the filling portion 33 away from the support member 10 is flush with the surface of the second portion 313 away from the support member 10.

[0094] This arrangement can make the surface of the cover plate 30 away from the support member 10 flat, thereby ensuring the user experience. In addition, since the filling portion 33 is only filled in the groove K, it is helpful to reduce the thickness of the cover plate 30, thereby facilitating the thinning of the display module 100.

[0095] In some examples, the elastic modulus of the filling portion 33 is less than the elastic modulus of the glass 31 .

[0096] Such arrangement, on the one hand, can ensure that the cover plate 30 has relatively high stiffness at the position corresponding to the flat portion 13 of the support member 10, thereby effectively compensating for the problem that the thinning of the thickness at the position of the flat portion 13 easily leads to reduced stiffness at this position; on the other hand, it is also conducive to the bending of the cover plate 30 at the position corresponding to the filling portion 33, thereby ensuring the smooth bending of the display module 100.

[0097] In some examples, the filling portion 33 may be made of organic materials such as polyurethane or acrylic.

[0098] In other embodiments, Figure 5B As shown, the glass 31 is recessed at the first portion 311 and the transition portion 312 to form a groove K, and the cover plate 30 further includes a covering layer 32 located on the side of the glass 31 away from the support 10, the covering layer 32 covers the second portion 313 and partially fills the groove K, and the surface of the covering layer 32 away from the support 10 is a plane. For example, the covering layer 32 includes a portion filled in the groove K and a portion located outside the groove K and covering the glass 31, and the surface of the portion located outside the groove K and covering the glass 31 away from the support 10 is a plane.

[0099] This is conducive to the production of the covering layer 32, and can also make the surface of the cover plate 30 away from the support member 10 have good flatness, thereby helping to ensure the user experience.

[0100] In some examples, the elastic modulus of cover layer 32 is less than the elastic modulus of glass 31 .

[0101] Since a portion of the covering layer 32 is filled in the groove K, on ​​the one hand, this can ensure that the cover plate 30 has relatively high stiffness at the position corresponding to the flat portion 13 of the support member 10, thereby effectively compensating for the problem of reduced stiffness at the position due to the thinning of the thickness at the position of the flat portion 13; on the other hand, it is also beneficial for the cover plate 30 to bend at the position corresponding to the filling portion 33, thereby ensuring the smooth bending of the display module 100.

[0102] In some examples, the cover layer 32 may be made of organic materials such as polyurethane or acrylic.

[0103] In some embodiments, Figure 6 As shown, based on the support member 10 including flat portions 13 located on both sides of the first bending portion 11, and each flat portion 13 is located on the side of the corresponding second bending portion 12 away from the first bending portion 11, the display module 100 also includes an adhesive layer 40 arranged between the flexible display panel 20 and the support member 10. The adhesive layer 40 can bond the flexible display panel 20 and the support member 10, thereby ensuring the coordination between the two during bending or unfolding, and enabling the support member 10 to provide continuous and stable support for the flexible display panel 20.

[0104] In some examples, such as Figure 6 As shown, the adhesive layer 40 includes two adhesive portions 41 arranged at intervals, and each adhesive portion 41 covers the second bending portion 12 and the flat portion 13 located on the same side of the first bending portion 11. That is, the two adhesive portions 41 in the adhesive layer 40 are disconnected at the position of the first bending portion 11. This is conducive to reducing the bending stress of the adhesive layer 40 and ensuring the stability of the adhesive layer 40. In addition, since the thickness of the second bending portion 12 is the same at each position, the rigidity of the second bending portion 12 is evenly distributed. Therefore, for the adhesive portion 41 covering the second bending portion 12, the rebound force from the second bending portion 12 is relatively uniform, which is conducive to reducing the risk of peeling of the adhesive layer 40. In addition, since the rebound force from the second bending portion 12 on the adhesive portion 41 is relatively uniform and the two adhesive portions 41 are disconnected at the position of the first bending portion 11, this can also effectively reduce the risk of cracking of the adhesive portion 41.

[0105] In some examples, the orthographic projection of the adhesive portion 41 on the support member 10 is outside the area where the first bending portion 11 is located. For example, the edge of the orthographic projection of the adhesive portion 41 on the support member 10 overlaps with the boundary between the first bending portion 11 and the second bending portion 12.

[0106] In some examples, the adhesive layer 40 may include optical clear adhesive (OCA).

[0107] In some embodiments, Figure 7 As shown, the display module 100 further includes a tape 50 disposed on the side of the support 10 away from the flexible display panel 20, and the first bending portion 11 is located within the orthographic projection range of the tape 50 on the support 10. That is, the tape 50 is at least attached to the area where the first bending portion 11 is located.

[0108] By providing the adhesive tape 50, on the one hand, it is possible to effectively prevent foreign matter (such as dust or particles) from entering the opening 110 of the first bending portion 11, thereby preventing the bending performance of the support member 10 from being affected by foreign matter; on the other hand, it also plays a certain wear-resistant role, preventing the support member 10 from directly contacting the rotating structural member of the display module 100 and causing wear on the first bending portion 11.

[0109] In some examples, the edge of the first bent portion 11 coincides with the edge of the orthographic projection of the adhesive tape 50 on the support member 10 , that is, the adhesive tape 50 is disposed opposite to the first bent portion 11 .

[0110] In other examples, the edge of the positive projection of the tape 50 on the support member 10 surrounds the edge of the first bending portion 11, that is, the setting area of ​​the tape 50 is larger than the area corresponding to the first bending portion 11, which is conducive to improving the arrangement stability of the tape 50.

[0111] In some embodiments, Figure 7 As shown, the edge of the orthographic projection of the adhesive tape 50 on the support member 10 is located within the region of the second bent portion 12. That is, the edge of the orthographic projection of the adhesive tape 50 on the support member 10 does not exceed the region where the second bent portion 12 is located.

[0112] In this case, since the surface of one side of the second bending portion 12 away from the flexible display panel 20 is a plane, the adhesive tape 50 has good bonding stability when attached to the second bending portion 12. In addition, since no opening is provided on the second bending portion 12, it is possible to avoid the adhesive tape 50 from being attached to all areas where the second bending portion 12 is located, thereby reducing the layout area of ​​the adhesive tape 50, thereby saving the material usage of the adhesive tape 50 and helping to save the manufacturing cost of the display module 100.

[0113] In some embodiments, Figure 8 As shown, the flexible display panel 20 includes a substrate 21, a first adhesive layer 22, a backplane 23, a second adhesive layer 24 and a display panel 25 arranged in sequence along its thickness direction. Among them, the adhesive layer 40 is located between the substrate 21 and the support 10, and the side of the display panel 25 away from the support 10 is its display side.

[0114] A polarizer 62 is also bonded to the display panel 25 via a third bonding layer 61 , and the polarizer 62 and the cover plate 30 are bonded via a fourth bonding layer 63 .

[0115] The cover plate 30 is also bonded to a flexible protective plate 72 via a fifth adhesive layer 71 . The flexible protective plate 72 can enhance the surface strength of the display module 100 . The flexible protective plate 72 can be made of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate.

[0116] The first adhesive layer 22 , the second adhesive layer 24 , the third adhesive layer 61 , the fourth adhesive layer 63 and the fifth adhesive layer 71 may all be made of OCA material.

[0117] As a feasible method, the flexible display panel 20 may further include a touch layer on the display panel 25, so that the flexible display panel 20 can perform touch operations while having the function of displaying images, and the display module 100 can also perform touch operations during bending or deformation, thereby improving the functionality and flexibility of use of the display module 100.

[0118] It is worth noting that in some of the drawings provided in this application (for example FIG. 5A to FIG. 8 ), the first bending portion 11, the second bending portion 12 and the flat portion 13 are divided by solid lines. In actual situations, there may not be the solid lines between the first bending portion 11 and the second bending portion 12 and between the second bending portion 12 and the flat portion 13 to divide the area. At the same time, virtual lines can be used to divide the area range corresponding to the first bending portion 11, the second bending portion 12 and the flat portion 13.

[0119] The present application conducts experimental tests on the display module in the related art and the display module 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application. For the display module in the related art, the thickness of the support member is 120um, and a blind hole is provided on the second bending portion of the support member. Since the depth of the blind hole is prone to an etching depth tolerance of ±20um during the opening process, the display module with the blind hole of the designed depth is used as one group of examples, and the display module with the actual etching depth of 20um less and 20um greater than the designed depth is used as the other two groups of examples; and for the display module 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application, the thickness of the support member 10 is 80um, and the thickness of each position on the second bending portion 12 of the support member 10 is equal.

[0120] See also 9A to 9D, the letter A in the figure refers to the first display module in the related art, in which the depth of the blind hole on the second bending portion of the support member is consistent with the design depth, the letter B refers to the second display module in the related art, in which the depth of the blind hole on the second bending portion of the support member is 20um less than the design depth, and the letter C refers to the third display module in the related art, in which the depth of the blind hole on the second bending portion of the support member is 20um greater than the design depth, wherein, except for the different depths of the blind holes, all other display modules from the first display module to the third display module are the same. The conditions (including the design depth of the blind hole) are the same; the letter D refers to the display module provided by some embodiments of the present application, in which the thickness of the support member 10 is 80um, and the thickness at each position on the second bending portion 12 of the support member 10 is equal; the letter E refers to the display module provided by other embodiments of the present application. Compared with the display module represented by the letter D, the adhesive layer included in the display module E is segmented, that is, the two adhesive portions in the adhesive layer are arranged at intervals, and each adhesive portion covers the second bending portion and the flat portion located on the same side of the first bending portion.

[0121] like Fig. 9A As shown in the figure, OCA0 to OCA5 correspond to Figure 8 The fifth adhesive layer 71, the fourth adhesive layer 63, the third adhesive layer 61, the second adhesive layer 24, the first adhesive layer 22 and the adhesive layer 40 in the structure shown, wherein OCA5 is closest to the support. For the first display module A to the display module E provided in other embodiments of the present application, from the perspective of the different pressures on the fifth adhesive layer (OCA0), the different pressures on the fifth adhesive layer (OCA0) in the display module D and the display module E are the smallest, so the risk of adhesive layer peeling is smaller; similarly, from the perspective of the different pressures on the fourth adhesive layer (OCA1), the third adhesive layer (OCA2) to the adhesive layer (OCA5), the maximum pressure on each adhesive layer in the display module D and the display module E is the smallest, so for the display module D provided in the embodiment of the present application, the risk of internal adhesive layer peeling is effectively reduced. In addition, since the adhesive layer in the display module E is segmented, the risk of peeling of the adhesive layer is significantly reduced, and the risk of peeling of the first adhesive layer 22 (OCA4) can also be effectively reduced.

[0122] like Fig. 9BAs shown, for the first display module A to the display module D provided in the embodiment of the present application, from the perspective of different longitudinal strains of the touch layer (DOT), the longitudinal strain of the touch layer (DOT) in the display module D is the smallest, and therefore, the risk of the touch layer rupture is the smallest, and therefore, the risk of the flexible display panel rupture is also the smallest; similarly, from the perspective of the encapsulation layer (TFE), the array substrate layer (ARRAY) and the substrate (PI), the longitudinal strain corresponding to the display module D is the smallest, and therefore, the risk of the flexible display panel rupture in the display module D is also the smallest.

[0123] like Fig. 9C As shown, for the first display module A to the display module D provided in the embodiment of the present application, the normal stress of the display module D is the smallest, and therefore the risk of the flexible display panel in the display module D being peeled off is also the smallest.

[0124] like Fig.9D As shown, for the first display module A and the display module D provided in the embodiment of the present application, from the strain of the touch layer (DOT), the strain of the touch layer (DOT) in the display module D is basically consistent with the strain of the touch layer (DOT) in the first display module A, and the strain of the encapsulation layer (TFE) in the display module D is basically consistent with the strain of the encapsulation layer (TFE) in the first display module A, and the strain of the array substrate layer (ARRAY) in the display module D is basically consistent with the strain of the array substrate layer (ARRAY) in the first display module A, so the display module D and the first display module A are almost consistent in impact resistance, which shows that the design of thinning the thickness of the support member has almost no effect on the impact resistance of the display module.

[0125] Some embodiments of the present application provide a display device, which includes the display module 100 described in any of the above embodiments.

[0126] Since the display device includes the display module 100 , it has all the technical effects of the display module 100 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0127] In some examples, the display device further includes a driver for driving the flexible display panel in the display module 100 to display images.

[0128] The display device may be a foldable mobile phone, a tablet personal computer, an e-book reader, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer, a notebook, a car device, a wearable device (such as a watch), or other electronic devices that need to be opened and closed synchronously.

[0129] The embodiments of the present application are introduced in detail above. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core idea of ​​the present application. At the same time, for technical personnel in this field, according to the idea of ​​the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation method and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. A display module, characterized in that: include: Flexible display panels; as well as A support member, disposed on one side of the flexible display panel, the support member comprising a first bending portion and second bending portions located on two opposite sides of the first bending portion; Among them, the first bending portion and the second bending portion have opposite bending directions when the display module is in a folded state; the thickness of the second bending portion is equal at each position, the thickness of the second bending portion is greater than or equal to 1 / 2 of the thickness of the flexible display panel of the display module, and less than or equal to 2 times the thickness of the flexible display panel, the thickness of the second bending portion is greater than or equal to 20μm, and less than or equal to 90μm, and an opening is provided on the first bending portion.

2. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support member further includes a flat portion located on a side of the second bending portion away from the first bending portion; The display module also includes a cover plate arranged on a side of the flexible display panel away from the support member, the cover plate includes glass, the glass includes a first part and a second part, the thickness of the second part is greater than the thickness of the first part, wherein the first bent portion is located within the range of the orthographic projection of the first part on the support member, and the flat portion is located within the range of the orthographic projection of the second part on the support member.

3. The display module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The glass further includes a transition portion located between the first portion and the second portion and connected to the first portion and the second portion, wherein a thickness of a side of the transition portion close to the first portion is smaller than a thickness of a side of the transition portion close to the second portion; The edge of the orthographic projection of the transition portion on the support overlaps with the edge of the second bent portion, the edge of the orthographic projection of the first portion on the support overlaps with the edge of the first bent portion, and the edge of the orthographic projection of the second portion on the support overlaps with the edge of the flat portion.

4. The display module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The glass has grooves at the positions of the first part and the transition part, and the cover plate also includes a filling part located in the groove, and a surface of the filling part away from the support member is flush with a surface of the second part away from the support member.

5. The display module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The elastic modulus of the filling part is smaller than the elastic modulus of the glass.

6. The display module according to claim 5, characterized in that: The glass has grooves at the positions of the first part and the transition part. The cover plate also includes a covering layer located on the side of the glass away from the support member. The covering layer covers the second part and partially fills the groove. The surface of the covering layer away from the support member is flat.

7. The display module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The elastic modulus of the cover layer is smaller than the elastic modulus of the glass.

8. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support member further includes a flat portion located on a side of the second bending portion away from the first bending portion; The display module also includes an adhesive layer arranged between the flexible display panel and the support member, the adhesive layer includes two adhesive portions arranged at intervals, and each adhesive portion covers the second bending portion and the flat portion located on the same side of the first bending portion.

9. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display module further includes an adhesive tape disposed on a side of the support member away from the flexible display panel, and the first bent portion is located within a range of an orthographic projection of the adhesive tape on the support member.

10. The display module according to claim 9, characterized in that: The edge of the orthographic projection of the adhesive tape on the support member is located within the region of the second bending portion.

11. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The openings include a plurality of blind holes, and openings of the blind holes are arranged on a side of the first bending portion away from the flexible display panel.

12. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The openings include a plurality of through holes that penetrate along the thickness direction of the support member.

13. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The thickness of the first bent portion other than the opening is equal to the thickness of the second bent portion.

14. A display device, characterized in that: Comprising a display module as described in any one of claims 1-13.

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