Protective film for polarizing plate, polarizing plate, and flexible display module

Abstract

The application provides a protective film for a polarizer, the polarizer and a flexible display module. The polarizer comprises a protective layer and a body layer, the body layer comprises a first surface, and the protective layer is attached to the first surface. The protective layer comprises adjacent and separated first and second segments, the side of the first segment close to the second segment and the side of the second segment close to the first segment are in shape cooperation. The first surface comprises adjacent display and non-display areas, the first segment is located in the display area, and at least a part of the second segment is located in the non-display area. In this way, the liquid adhesive can be applied to the to-be-coated area after removing the second segment and retaining the first segment. The first segment can still protect the display area of the body layer, and the problem of adhesive contacting the protective layer of the polarizer is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display technology, and more particularly to a protective film for a polarizer, a polarizer, and a flexible display module. Background Technology

[0002] As users demand a better viewing experience from display products, shortening the bezel of display screens has become an important way to increase the screen-to-body ratio. Therefore, flexible display panels are commonly used in display products, and narrow bezel designs are achieved by bending the bending area of ​​the flexible display panel.

[0003] However, a problem arises that the bending area of ​​the flexible display panel is subject to bending tensile stress. When the bending area is subjected to external impact, or during inspection, debugging, transportation, equipment interference, or vibration of the display product, the bending area is prone to cracking. To address this, a liquid adhesive is usually applied to the front side of the bending area. The solidified adhesive provides support and protection for the area to be coated.

[0004] However, in related technologies, reference Figure 1 During the adhesive application process, since the adhesive 12 applied to the bending area of ​​the flexible display panel 11 is in contact with the body layer 13 of the polarizer (POL), the edge of the body layer 13 will have a siphon effect on the adhesive, causing the adhesive 12 to climb up the side of the body layer 93 and possibly climb up the protective layer 14 of the polarizer. Therefore, there is a problem of difficulty in removing the protective layer, and a problem of bringing up the solidified adhesive when removing the protective layer. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, embodiments of this application provide a protective film for a polarizer, a polarizer, and a flexible display module, thereby at least partially solving the problems.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a protective film for a polarizer, the polarizer comprising a body layer, the body layer comprising a first surface, the first surface comprising a display area and a non-display area, the protective film comprising a substrate layer and a protective layer, the protective layer being stacked and adhered to the substrate layer, the protective layer being adhered to the first surface, the outer dimensions of the protective layer being adapted to the outer dimensions of the first surface to protect the first surface; the protective layer comprising adjacent and separate first segments and second segments, the side of the first segment near the second segment having a shape matching the side of the second segment near the first segment.

[0007] Optionally, the second segment includes a second adhesive layer containing oleophobic or hydrophobic groups, wherein the oleophobic or hydrophobic groups remain on the body layer after the second segment is removed from the body layer; and / or, the first segment includes a first adhesive layer containing oleophobic or hydrophobic groups, wherein the oleophobic or hydrophobic groups remain on the body layer after the first segment is removed from the body layer.

[0008] Optionally, the second segment may include an adhesive portion and a protruding portion, wherein the adhesive portion is used to adhere to the body layer, and the protruding portion is used to extend out of the body layer.

[0009] Secondly, this application provides a polarizer, including a protective layer and a body layer. The body layer includes a first surface, and the protective layer is adhered to the first surface. The protective layer includes adjacent and separate first segments and second segments, wherein the side of the first segment near the second segment and the side of the second segment near the first segment are shaped to fit together. The first surface includes adjacent display areas and non-display areas, the first segment is located in the display area, and at least a portion of the second segment is located in the non-display area.

[0010] Optionally, the non-display area is covered by the second segment, and the display area is covered by the first segment;

[0011] Optionally, a portion of the second segment is located in the display area, and another portion is located in the non-display area.

[0012] Optionally, the width of the second segment is less than half the width of the first surface.

[0013] Optionally, the second segment includes a second adhesive layer containing oleophobic or hydrophobic groups, wherein the oleophobic or hydrophobic groups remain on the body layer after the second segment is removed from the body layer; and / or, the first segment includes a first adhesive layer containing oleophobic or hydrophobic groups, wherein the oleophobic or hydrophobic groups remain on the body layer after the first segment is removed from the body layer.

[0014] Optionally, the second segment may include an adhesive portion and a protruding portion, wherein the adhesive portion is used to adhere to the body layer, and the protruding portion is used to extend out of the body layer.

[0015] Thirdly, this application provides a flexible display module, including the aforementioned polarizer.

[0016] Based on the polarizer provided in this application, the problems of liquid adhesive applied to the area to be coated on the flexible display panel climbing onto the protective layer of the polarizer during the manufacturing process of flexible display modules, resulting in difficulty in removing the protective layer, and the problem of solidified adhesive being brought up when removing the protective layer can be solved. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings are intended only to illustrate and explain this application and do not limit the scope of this application.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a partial structural diagram of a flexible display module in related technologies;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a protective film provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a polarizer provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another polarizer structure provided by an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a flexible display module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a flexible display module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a top view schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of a flexible display module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 8 This is a top view schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of a flexible display module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible display module provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0028] 21-First segment, 22-Second segment, 21C-First adhesive layer, 22C-Second adhesive layer, 23-Substrate layer;

[0029] 30 - Polarizing film, 33 - Body layer, 34 - Release film, 3A - Display area;

[0030] 40 - Flexible display panel, 4A - Area to be coated;

[0031] 50 - Support layer, 51 - First part, 52 - Second part, 53 - Opening;

[0032] 60 - Adhesive; 70 - Optical adhesive; 80 - Glass cover plate; 90 - Copper foil. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To provide a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives, and effects of the embodiments of this application, the specific implementation methods of the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] In this document, “illustrative” means “serving as an example, illustration or description”, and any illustration or implementation described herein as “illustrative” should not be construed as a more preferred or advantageous technical solution.

[0035] To keep the drawings concise, each drawing only schematically shows the parts relevant to this application, and they do not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, to make the drawings concise and easy to understand, in some drawings, components with the same structure or function are only schematically shown as one or more, or only one or more are labeled.

[0036] First, it's important to clarify that in manufacturing a polarizer, a body layer is provided first. A protective layer is then adhered to the first surface of the body layer, and a release film is adhered to the second surface. During the fabrication of the flexible display module, the release film and protective layer are removed sequentially, leaving the body layer in the flexible display module to provide the polarization function. The first and second surfaces are located on opposite sides of the body layer. Correspondingly, the protective film for the polarizer includes a substrate layer and a protective layer. The protective layer is stacked and adhered to the substrate layer. The protective layer can be peeled off from the substrate layer and then adhered to the first surface of the polarizer's body layer, thus becoming the protective layer for the polarizer and protecting the body layer.

[0037] This application provides a protective film for a polarizer 30, the polarizer 30, and a flexible display module fabricated based on the polarizer 30. The polarizer 30 provided in this application can be manufactured using the protective film provided in this application. The polarizer 30 provided in this application solves the problems encountered during the fabrication of a flexible display module, such as the liquid adhesive 60 applied to the coating area 4A of the flexible display panel 40 climbing onto the protective layer of the polarizer 30, leading to difficulties in removing the protective layer, and the problem of the solidified adhesive 60 being brought up during the removal of the protective layer.

[0038] refer to Figure 2The protective film for polarizer 30 provided in this application includes a substrate layer 23 and a protective layer. The protective layer is stacked and adhered to the substrate layer 23. The outer dimensions of the protective layer are adapted to the outer dimensions of the first surface to protect the first surface. The protective layer includes adjacent and separate first segments 21 and second segments 22. The side of the first segment 21 near the second segment 22 and the side of the second segment 22 near the first segment 21 are shaped to match.

[0039] Therefore, when using the protective film provided in this application to manufacture the polarizer 30, the first segment 21 or the second segment 22 can cover the non-display area of ​​the polarizer body. In the process of manufacturing the flexible display module, before applying the adhesive 60, the first segment 21 or the second segment 22 located in the non-display area can be removed first, while the second segment 22 or the first segment 21 located in the display area 3A can be temporarily retained to protect the first surface. At the same time, the problem of the adhesive 60 contacting the protective layer of the polarizer 30 can be avoided.

[0040] Specifically, the sides of the first segment 21 closest to the second segment 22 and the sides of the second segment 22 closest to the first segment 21 are shape-fitted. In one example, the side of the first segment 21 closest to the second segment 22 is a straight edge, and therefore the side of the second segment 22 closest to the first segment 21 is also a straight edge. In another example, the side of the first segment 21 closest to the second segment 22 includes a straight edge segment and a concave arc segment, and the side of the second segment 22 closest to the first segment 21 includes a straight edge segment and a convex arc segment. The straight edge segments of both segments correspond, and the concave arc segments and convex arc segments correspond in shape-fitting manner.

[0041] The structure of the protective film and its beneficial effects will be explained more clearly below by introducing a polarizer 30 using the protective film provided in this application.

[0042] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The polarizer 30 provided in this application includes a protective layer and a body layer 33. The body layer 33 includes a first surface, and the protective layer is adhered to the first surface. The protective layer includes adjacent and separate first segments 21 and second segments 22. The side of the first segment 21 near the second segment 22 and the side of the second segment 22 near the first segment 21 are shaped to fit together. The first surface includes adjacent display area 3A and non-display area. The first segment 21 is located in the display area 3A, and at least a portion of the second segment 22 is located in the non-display area. Refer to the figure and the area within the dashed box in the figure to see the display area 3A.

[0043] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6The flexible display module provided in this application includes the aforementioned polarizer 30. Further, the flexible display module may also include a flexible display panel 40, a support layer 50, an adhesive 60, and the polarizer 30 of any one of claims 4-9. The support layer 50 and the body layer 33 are respectively adhered to the front and back sides of the flexible display panel 40. The support layer 50 includes an opening 53. The flexible display panel 40 includes a coating area 4A on the front side, which corresponds to the opening 53 and is adjacent to the polarizer 30. The body layer 33 of the polarizer 30 includes a second surface opposite to the first surface. Thus, the second surface of the body layer 33 can be adhered to the back side of the flexible display panel 40. Since the opening 53 corresponds to the coating area 4A of the flexible display panel 40, the coating area 4A can be bent. The solidified adhesive 60 covers the coating area 4A, providing support and protection.

[0044] Furthermore, in one example, the support layer 50 includes a first portion 51 and a second portion 52 spaced apart, with an opening 53 located between the first portion 51 and the second portion 52.

[0045] As can be seen from the above technical solution, when using the polarizer 30 provided by the above technical solution to manufacture a flexible display module, when the polarizer 30 is pasted onto the flexible display panel 40, the second segment 22 can be brought close to the area to be coated 4A, and then the second segment 22 can be removed. Then, the liquid adhesive 60 can be applied to the area to be coated 4A close to the body layer 33. Even if the body layer 33 has a siphon effect on the liquid adhesive 60, the liquid adhesive 60 can only climb up to the area corresponding to the second segment 22 of the body layer 33, and it is difficult to contact the first segment 21. In this way, the first segment 21 can still protect the display area 3A of the body layer 33, and at the same time, it also avoids the problem of the adhesive 60 contacting the protective layer of the polarizer 30.

[0046] Additionally, regarding "adjacent and separate first segment 21 and second segment 22", it can be understood that the first segment 21 and the second segment 22 are adjacent and in contact, but have no connection relationship. Instead, they are independent of each other. The first segment 21 will not hinder the removal of the second segment 22, and the second segment 22 will not hinder the removal of the first segment 21.

[0047] Of course, the polarizer 30 also includes a release film 34, which is adhered to the second surface of the body layer 33 to protect the body layer 33. Only after the release film 34 is removed can the second surface of the body layer 33 be adhered to the flexible display panel 40.

[0048] In one example, reference Figure 8The non-display area of ​​the body layer 33 can be covered by the second segment 22, while the display area 3A of the body layer 33 is covered by the first segment 21. In this way, the display area and the non-display area are each completely covered by one segment, so even after removing the second segment 22, it can still be ensured that the display area 3A is completely covered by the first segment 21.

[0049] In another instance, refer to Figure 7 The second segment 22 has a portion located in the display area 3A and another portion in the non-display area. That is, the width of the first segment 21 is smaller than the width of the display area 3A, and it can only cover a portion of the display area 3A; the other portion of the display area 3A needs to be covered by the second segment 22. This allows the second segment 22 to have a larger width, at least greater than the width of the display area 3A, which not only facilitates the manufacture of the second segment 22 but also makes its removal easier.

[0050] In one possible embodiment, the width of the second segment 22 is less than half the width of the first surface. This ensures that the width of the display area 3A covered by the first segment 21 is greater than half the width of the display area 3A. Therefore, even if the second segment 22 is removed during the fabrication of the flexible display module, the first segment 21 can still effectively protect the display area 3A.

[0051] Furthermore, the width of the second segment 22 is greater than 0.3 mm. This facilitates the fabrication of the second segment 22 and avoids the problem of difficulty in fabrication due to its small width. In this application, the width of the first segment 21, the width of the second segment 22, and the width of the first surface all refer to width dimensions that are consistent with the distribution direction of the first segment 21 and the second segment 22.

[0052] In one possible implementation, refer to Figure 4 The second segment 22 includes a second adhesive layer 22C, which contains oleophobic or hydrophobic groups. When the second segment 22 is removed from the body layer 33, the oleophobic or hydrophobic groups can remain on the body layer 33. Thus, refer to... Figure 6 After the second segment 22 is removed, the oleophobic or hydrophobic groups can block the adhesive 60, preventing the adhesive 60 from contacting the first segment 21.

[0053] Furthermore, the first segment 21 may include a first adhesive layer 21C, which may also contain oleophobic or hydrophobic groups. When the first segment 21 is removed from the body layer 33, the oleophobic or hydrophobic groups may remain on the body layer 33.

[0054] Because the width of the second segment 22 is small, in order to facilitate its removal, the second segment 22 may include an adhesive portion and a protruding portion. The adhesive portion is used to adhere to the body layer 33, and the protruding portion extends out of the body layer 33. Therefore, the second segment 22 can be easily removed by pulling the protruding portion.

[0055] The structure of the flexible display module will be further described below.

[0056] In one example, reference Figure 5 or Figure 6 The distance L between the body layer 33 and the opening 53 is greater than 0.15 mm. Since the liquid adhesive 60 is drawn into the body layer 33 upon contact, the thickness of the solidified adhesive 60 near the body layer 33 is greater than the thickness away from it. Since the coating area 4A corresponding to the opening 53 requires a uniform thickness of adhesive 60, ensuring a distance greater than 0.15 mm between the body layer 33 and the opening 53 helps guarantee a uniform thickness of the solidified adhesive 60 in the coating area 4A corresponding to the opening 53. This allows the coating area 4A to be bent towards the back of the flexible display panel 40, ultimately achieving a narrow bezel effect for the display device. In other words, it can also be understood that the first portion 51 of the support layer 50 protrudes from the body layer 33 by more than 0.15 mm on the side near the coating area 4A.

[0057] Further reference Figure 5 or Figure 6 To achieve a narrow bezel design, the distance L between the body layer 33 and the opening 53 can be less than 0.35mm. In other words, it can also be understood that on the side of the body layer 33 near the area to be coated 4A, the first part 51 of the support layer 50 extends out of the body layer 33 by less than 0.35mm.

[0058] In addition, this application also provides a method for manufacturing a flexible display module, for manufacturing a flexible display module, referring to Figure 5 and... Figure 6 The flexible display module includes a flexible display panel 40, a support layer 50, an adhesive 60, and the polarizer 30 provided in this application. The specific structure can be referred to the above description, and will not be repeated here.

[0059] The specific production method includes:

[0060] The second surface of the body layer 33 is attached to the front surface of the flexible display panel 40, with the second segment 22 close to the area to be coated 4A and the first segment 21 far away from the area to be coated 4A.

[0061] Remove the second segment 22; this exposes a portion of the first surface.

[0062] Then, liquid adhesive 60 is applied to the area 4A to be coated on the flexible display panel 40, and the adhesive 60 is brought into contact with the side of the body layer 33 near the area 4A to be coated. At this point, since the second segment 22 has been removed, even if the liquid adhesive 60 climbs up to the first surface due to the siphon effect, the adhesive 60 will have difficulty contacting the first segment 21. Note that the side of the body layer 33 refers to the surface connecting the first surface and the second surface.

[0063] Next, the first segment 21 can be removed. At this point, the entire first surface is exposed, and subsequent processes can then be performed on the first surface.

[0064] In one example, after the first segment 21 is removed, the first surface of the body layer 33 can be plasma cleaned to remove oil and water.

[0065] Further reference Figure 9 The flexible display module may also include a glass cover plate 80 and a copper foil 90. After plasma cleaning of the first surface of the body layer 33, the glass cover plate 80 can be attached to the first surface of the body layer 33 using optical adhesive 70. Then, the copper foil 90 can be attached to the first portion 51 of the support layer 50.

[0066] It should be clarified that when the first segment 21 includes oleophobic / hydrophobic groups, and when the second segment 22 includes oleophobic / hydrophobic groups, the oleophobic / hydrophobic groups remaining on the body layer 33 can also be removed by plasma cleaning.

[0067] In addition, the flexible display panel 40 may include a thin film encapsulation body. When the polarizer 30 is attached to the flexible display panel 40, the body layer 33 needs to cover or extend beyond the edge of the thin film encapsulation body.

[0068] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application.

[0069] It should be understood that although specific embodiments of this application have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, this should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. Various modifications and variations that can be made by those skilled in the art without inventive effort within the scope described in the claims still fall within the scope of protection of this application. Although this specification describes various embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other implementation methods that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0070] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A protective film for a polarizer, the polarizer (30) comprising a body layer (33), the body layer (33) comprising a first surface, the first surface comprising a display area (3A) and a non-display area, characterized in that, The protective film includes a substrate layer (23) and a protective layer. The protective layer is stacked and adhered to the substrate layer (23). The protective layer is used to adhere to the first surface. The outer dimensions of the protective layer are adapted to the outer dimensions of the first surface to protect the first surface. The protective layer includes adjacent and separate first segments (21) and second segments (22). The side of the first segment (21) near the second segment (22) and the side of the second segment (22) near the first segment (21) are shaped to match. The first segment (21) is located in the display area (3A), and at least a portion of the second segment (22) is located in the non-display area. The second segment (22) includes an adhesive portion and a protruding portion, wherein the adhesive portion is used to adhere to the body layer (33) and the protruding portion is used to protrude from the body layer (33); The second segment (22) includes a second adhesive layer (22C), which contains oleophobic or hydrophobic groups. When the second segment (22) is removed from the body layer (33), the oleophobic or hydrophobic groups can remain on the body layer (33); and / or, the first segment (21) includes a first adhesive layer (21C), which contains oleophobic or hydrophobic groups. When the first segment (21) is removed from the body layer (33), the oleophobic or hydrophobic groups can remain on the body layer (33).

2. A polarizer, characterized in that, The system includes a protective layer and a body layer (33), the body layer (33) including a first surface, the protective layer being adhered to the first surface; the protective layer including adjacent and separate first segments (21) and second segments (22), the side of the first segment (21) near the second segment (22) and the side of the second segment (22) near the first segment (21) being shaped to fit together; the first surface including adjacent display area (3A) and non-display area, the first segment (21) being located in the display area (3A), and at least a portion of the second segment (22) being located in the non-display area; The second segment (22) includes an adhesive portion and a protruding portion, wherein the adhesive portion is used to adhere to the body layer (33) and the protruding portion is used to protrude from the body layer (33); The second segment (22) includes a second adhesive layer (22C), which contains oleophobic or hydrophobic groups. When the second segment (22) is removed from the body layer (33), the oleophobic or hydrophobic groups can remain on the body layer (33); and / or, the first segment (21) includes a first adhesive layer (21C), which contains oleophobic or hydrophobic groups. When the first segment (21) is removed from the body layer (33), the oleophobic or hydrophobic groups can remain on the body layer (33).

3. The polarizer according to claim 2, characterized in that, The non-display area is covered by the second segment (22), and the display area (3A) is covered by the first segment (21).

4. The polarizer (30) according to claim 2, characterized in that, A portion of the second segment (22) is located in the display area (3A), and another portion is located in the non-display area.

5. The polarizer according to claim 2, characterized in that, The width of the second segment (22) is less than half the width of the first surface.

6. A flexible display module, characterized in that, The polarizer (30) includes any one of claims 2-5 above.

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