Flexible display panel, folding screen and folding electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to a flexible display panel, a folding screen and a folding electronic device, the flexible display panel comprises a panel layer and a substrate layer, the panel layer is provided with a display surface used for light emitting display, the substrate layer is connected with one side, back to the display surface, of the panel layer, the substrate layer is made of a glass material or a metal material, and the substrate layer is made of a metal material. The substrate layer can be bent along with the panel layer in a set direction, and the substrate layer is used for supporting the panel layer so that the display surface can be kept smooth. According to the flexible display panel, the folding screen and the folding type electronic equipment, the overall stacking thickness of the folding screen can be reduced, then the bending stress between the layer structures in the folding process of the folding screen is reduced, the probability of poor dislocation between the layer structures is reduced, the damage probability of the folding screen is reduced, and the service life of the folding screen is prolonged. And the effect of improving the folding performance is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of electronic technology, and in particular to flexible display panels, folding screens and foldable electronic devices. Background Art

[0002] With the development of electronic device technologies such as mobile phones and tablet computers, the structural forms of electronic devices are becoming more and more diverse. For example, foldable electronic devices have gained popularity among users with their relatively novel folding performance.

[0003] Foldable electronic devices have high requirements for foldable screens. Because the foldable screen can be folded, its overall hardness is not high. In the related art, a support plate is usually set on the back of the foldable screen to support the foldable screen.

[0004] However, under this structural setting, there will be misalignment between the various layers of the structure during the folding process of the folding screen, resulting in poor folding performance or even damage to the folding screen and inability to display normally. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a flexible display panel, a folding screen, and a foldable electronic device that can improve folding performance.

[0006] In one aspect, the present application provides a flexible display panel, comprising:

[0007] A panel layer having a display surface for emitting light for display;

[0008] The substrate layer is connected to the side of the panel layer facing away from the display surface. The substrate layer is made of glass or metal. The substrate layer can be bent along a predetermined direction with the panel layer, and the substrate layer is used to support the panel layer so that the display surface remains smooth.

[0009] In one of the embodiments, the flexible display panel further includes an adhesive layer, and the panel layer is bonded to the substrate layer via the adhesive layer.

[0010] In one embodiment, the adhesive layer includes a double-sided adhesive and has a first adhesive surface and a second adhesive surface opposite to each other, the first adhesive surface is bonded to a side of the panel layer opposite to the display surface, and the second adhesive surface is bonded to the substrate layer;

[0011] Alternatively, the adhesive layer is formed by curing glue, and the glue is spin-coated on the substrate and adhered to the side of the panel layer facing away from the display surface along with the substrate.

[0012] In one of the embodiments, the bending modulus of the substrate layer is 70 Gpa to 220 Gpa, and the thickness of the substrate layer is 10 μm to 30 μm.

[0013] In one embodiment, when the material of the substrate layer is glass, the glass material is ultra-thin glass with a thickness of 20 μm to 30 μm;

[0014] Alternatively, when the material of the substrate layer is a metal material, the metal material includes stainless steel, titanium alloy or aluminum alloy.

[0015] In one of the embodiments, a receiving groove is provided at a position of the substrate layer for bending, and the flexible display panel further includes a filling body, which is filled in the receiving groove, and the hardness of the filling body is less than the hardness of the substrate layer.

[0016] On the other hand, the present application provides a folding screen, comprising the flexible display panel as described above.

[0017] In one of the embodiments, the folding screen includes a polarizer, a flexible glass and a protective film, and the polarizer, the flexible glass and the protective film are sequentially arranged on a side of the panel layer facing away from the substrate layer.

[0018] In one embodiment, the thickness of the flexible glass is 85 μm to 95 μm.

[0019] On the other hand, the present application provides a foldable electronic device, which includes the flexible display panel as described above, or the foldable electronic device includes the foldable screen as described above.

[0020] In one embodiment, the foldable electronic device includes a shell component and foam, the side of the flexible display panel facing away from the display surface is connected to the shell component, one side of the foam is in contact with the substrate layer, and the other side is in contact with the shell component.

[0021] In one embodiment, the foldable electronic device also includes an optical module, which is arranged in the space enclosed by the shell assembly and the flexible display panel. The foam is provided with a first light-through hole, and external light can pass through the flexible display panel and enter the optical module through the first light-through hole.

[0022] In one embodiment, when the material of the substrate layer is glass, the light transmittance of the glass is greater than or equal to 85%.

[0023] In one embodiment, when the substrate layer is made of metal, the substrate layer is provided with a second light through hole, the second light through hole is opposite to the first light through hole and is used for allowing external light to pass through and enter the optical module.

[0024] The flexible display panel, folding screen and folding electronic device of the present application, the flexible display panel includes a panel layer and a substrate layer arranged on the side of the panel layer facing away from the display surface, the substrate layer of the flexible display panel is set to a glass material or a metal material, so that the substrate layer can not only meet the bending requirements along with the panel layer around a predetermined direction to adapt to the bending requirements, but also has sufficient strength to maintain the overall support performance of the flexible display panel, so that the panel layer maintains a smooth display surface without local depression under the support of the substrate layer, so as to ensure the display effect of the panel layer. Therefore, in the electronic device adopting the flexible display panel, there is no need to configure a support plate for the folding screen in the related art to ensure that the display surface is smooth without local depression, that is, the flexible display panel of the present application can reduce the increase in the thickness of the folding screen caused by the support plate, which is conducive to thinning the overall stacking thickness of the folding screen, and then reduce the bending stress between the layer structures during the folding process of the folding screen, reduce the probability of poor displacement between the layer structures, so as to reduce the probability of damage to the folding screen, and achieve the effect of improving the folding performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a foldable electronic device provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of folding a foldable electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of a folding screen in the related art.

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible display panel of a folding screen in a foldable electronic device provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of another implementation of a flexible display panel for a folding screen in a foldable electronic device provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of another flexible display panel for a folding screen provided in an embodiment.

[0032] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible display panel for a folding screen provided in accordance with an embodiment.

[0033] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of a folding screen according to another embodiment.

[0034] Fig. 9 This is a schematic structural diagram of another implementation scheme of a flexible display panel in a folding screen of an embodiment.

[0035] Fig.10 A schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0036] Fig.11 A schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device provided in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0037] Fig.12 This is a structural block diagram of the electronic device provided in this application.

[0038] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0039] 100. Foldable electronic device; 10. Shell assembly; 11. First shell; 12. Second shell; 20. Folding screen; 201. Flexible display panel; 2011. Panel layer; 20111. Organic light emitting diode layer; 20112. Thin film encapsulation layer; 2012. Substrate layer; 20121. Second light through hole; 2013. Adhesive layer; 2014. Receiving groove; 2015. Filling body; 202. Polarizer; 203. Flexible glass; 204. Protective film; 30. Folding mechanism; 40. Foam; 401. First light through hole; 50. Optical module; 200. External light; 210. Display panel; 211. First non-bending portion; 212. Bending portion; 213. Second non-bending portion; 230. Support plate; 231. First support portion; 232. Bending support portion; 233. Second support portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present application, the present application will be described more fully below with reference to the relevant drawings. The preferred embodiments of the present application are provided in the drawings. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosure of the present application more thorough and comprehensive.

[0041] As used herein, "terminal equipment" refers to a device that can receive and / or send communication signals, including but not limited to a device that is connected via any one or more of the following connection methods:

[0042] (1) Connection via wired lines, such as Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN), Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), digital cable, and direct cable connection;

[0043] (2) Via wireless interfaces, such as cellular networks, wireless local area networks (WLAN), digital television networks such as DVB-H networks, satellite networks, and AM-FM broadcast transmitters.

[0044] Terminal devices configured to communicate via a wireless interface may be referred to as "mobile terminals". Examples of mobile terminals include, but are not limited to, the following electronic devices:

[0045] (1) Satellite phone or cellular phone;

[0046] (2) Personal Communications System (PCS) terminals that can combine cellular radio telephones with data processing, fax, and data communications capabilities;

[0047] (3) Radiotelephone, pager, Internet / Intranet access, Web browser, notepad, calendar, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver;

[0048] (4) conventional laptop and / or handheld receivers;

[0049] (5) Conventional laptop and / or palmtop radiotelephone transceivers, etc.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , an embodiment of the present application provides a foldable electronic device 100, which includes a shell assembly 10 and a foldable screen 20 connected to the shell assembly 10. The shell assembly 10 forms a receiving cavity (not shown in the figure), and the foldable electronic device 100 may also include a circuit board (not shown in the figure) and a battery (not shown in the figure), and both the circuit board and the battery may be arranged in the receiving cavity of the shell assembly 10. The circuit board may integrate the processor, power management module, storage unit and baseband chip of the foldable electronic device 100. The foldable screen 20 is connected to the processor in communication, and the battery can power the foldable screen 20 and the electronic components on the circuit board. In some embodiments, the foldable electronic device 100 may also include a camera module (not shown in the figure), which is connected to the circuit board in communication, and the battery can power the camera module. It can be understood that the foldable electronic device 100 of the embodiment of the present application includes but is not limited to a mobile phone or a tablet computer.

[0051] It should be noted that the foldable electronic device 100 further includes a folding mechanism 30, so as to utilize the folding mechanism 30 to meet the folding use requirements of the foldable electronic device 100. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the foldable screen 20 of the foldable electronic device 100 can be bent around the ZZ direction, and the ZZ direction can be understood as the extension direction of the folding axis of the foldable electronic device 100, wherein the folding axis of the foldable electronic device 100 is the folding axis of the folding mechanism 30.

[0052] Since the folding screen 20 in the foldable electronic device 100 can meet the folding use requirements, during the folding process of the foldable electronic device 100, the layer structure in the folding screen 20 will also rotate around the ZZ direction. For ease of description, the direction around which the folding screen 20 rotates is referred to as the "predetermined direction" below, that is, each layer structure of the folding screen 20 can adapt to the rotational movement around the predetermined direction.

[0053] In order to facilitate understanding of the technical solution of the present application, the problems existing in the folding screen 20 in the related art will be explained below in combination with the structure of a foldable electronic device 100 in the related art, but this shall not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the technical solution of the present application.

[0054] For example, combined with Figure 3 As shown, in the related art, the folding screen 20 includes a display panel 210 and a support plate 230 .

[0055] The display panel 210 includes a first non-bending portion 211, a bending portion 212, and a second non-bending portion 213. The first non-bending portion 211 is connected to the second non-bending portion 213 via the bending portion 212, and the bending portion 212 is used for bending or unfolding the display panel 210.

[0056] The side of the display panel 210 used for light output display is the display surface, and the support plate 230 is arranged on the back side of the display panel 210 (i.e., the side facing away from the display surface). The support plate 230 includes a first support portion 231, a bending support portion 232, and a second support portion 233. Among them, the first support portion 231 corresponds to the first non-bending portion 211, the bending support portion 232 corresponds to the bending portion 212, and the second support portion 233 corresponds to the second non-bending portion 213, so that the first non-bending portion 211, the bending portion 212, and the second non-bending portion 213 can all be supported by the support plate 230. The support of the display panel 210 by the support plate 230 is used to provide the overall hardness of the folding screen 20.

[0057] For the folding screen 20 in the related art, for example, if there is no support plate 230, when the display panel 210 is pressed, the pressed part of the display panel 210 will be sunken inward. If there is a support plate 230 on the back of the display panel 210, the support plate 230 can support the display panel 210, and when the display panel 210 is pressed, the support plate 230 supports the pressed part of the display panel 210 to prevent the pressed part of the display panel 210 from sunken inward.

[0058] The inventors found that: in the folding screen 20 in the related art, although the support plate 230 can support the display panel 210, the support plate 230 will also increase the overall thickness of the folding screen 20. Since there are multiple layers of stacked structures in the display panel 210, during the folding process, the layer structures will shift relative to each other due to the different stresses of bending, and the thicker the folding screen 20, the more serious the shift between the layer structures. Therefore, in the related art, the existence of the support plate 230 will make the folding screen 20 easily damaged during the folding process.

[0059] In this regard, in the foldable electronic device 100 of the embodiment of the present application, the foldable screen 2020 includes a flexible display panel 201. Figure 4 As shown, the flexible display panel 201 includes a panel layer 2011 and a substrate layer 2012. The side of the panel layer 2011 used for emitting light is the display surface, and the substrate layer 2012 is connected to the side of the panel layer 2011 facing away from the display surface. The substrate layer 2012 is made of glass or metal. The substrate layer 2012 can be bent along a predetermined direction with the panel layer 2011, so as to meet the folding and bending requirements of the flexible display panel 201. The substrate layer 2012 is used to support the panel layer 2011 so that the display surface remains smooth.

[0060] It should be noted that the panel layer 2011 maintains a smooth display surface under the support of the substrate layer 2012, including the case where the display surface remains smooth when the panel layer 2011 is flattened, and also includes the case where the display surface remains smooth when the panel layer 2011 is folded and bent. Among them, when the display layer 2011 is folded and bent, although the display surface is a bent surface at the corresponding bending position, the bent surface remains smooth based on the support of the substrate layer 2012 on the panel layer 2011, that is, the display surface presents a smooth curved surface after bending without any local protrusions, thereby avoiding wrinkles after the panel layer 2011 is bent.

[0061] In the embodiment of the present application, since the substrate layer 2012 can be bent along with the panel layer 2011 in a predetermined direction to meet the folding and bending requirements of the flexible display panel 201. And since the substrate layer 2012 of the flexible display panel 201 is set to a glass material or a metal material, the substrate layer 2012 can not only meet the requirements of bending along with the panel layer 2011 in a predetermined direction, but also has sufficient strength to maintain the overall support performance of the flexible display panel 201. The panel layer 2011 maintains a smooth display surface under the support of the substrate layer 2012 without local depression, so as to ensure the display effect of the panel layer 2011. Therefore, in the electronic device using the flexible display panel 201, it is not necessary to configure the support plate 230 for the folding screen 20 in the related art to reduce the overall stacking thickness of the folding screen 20, thereby reducing the bending stress between the layer structures during the folding process of the folding screen 20, reducing the probability of poor displacement between the layer structures, so as to reduce the probability of damage to the folding screen 20, and achieving the effect of improving the folding performance.

[0062] Combination Figure 5 As shown, the flexible display panel 201 further includes an adhesive layer 2013, and the panel layer 2011 is bonded to the substrate layer 2012 via the adhesive layer 2013. Thus, when the flexible display panel 201 is produced, the panel layer 2011 can be conveniently connected to the substrate layer 2012 by using the adhesive layer 2013. Thus, the panel layer 2011 and the substrate layer 2012 are stably connected by using the adhesive layer 2013, so that the panel layer 2011 and the substrate layer 2012 are not easily delaminated.

[0063] Continue to combine Figure 5 As shown, the adhesive layer 2013 includes a double-sided adhesive and has a first adhesive surface and a second adhesive surface opposite to each other. The first adhesive surface is bonded to the side of the panel layer 2011 that faces away from the display surface, and the second adhesive surface is bonded to the substrate layer 2012. In this embodiment, the panel layer 2011 and the substrate layer 2012 are bonded by double-sided adhesive. The double-sided adhesive has reliable adhesion and low cost, which is conducive to reducing the production cost of the flexible display panel 201.

[0064] It should be noted that the adhesive layer 2013 is not limited to double-sided adhesive. In some embodiments, the adhesive layer 2013 is formed by curing glue, and the glue is spin-coated on the substrate and bonded to the side of the panel layer 2011 facing away from the display surface. In this embodiment, since the glue is spin-coated on the substrate, when the panel layer 2011 is bonded to the substrate by the glue, even if the glue overflows, the overflowed glue will not be attached to the display surface of the panel layer 2011. In addition, compared with spin-coating the glue on the side of the panel layer 2011 facing away from the display surface, the substrate is a structural layer without a display function, and there is no need to worry about whether the glue overflows, thereby reducing the requirements for the glue coating process.

[0065] In some embodiments, the flexural modulus of the substrate layer 2012 is 70 Gpa to 220 Gpa, and the thickness of the substrate layer 2012 is 10 μm to 30 μm.

[0066] The bending modulus of the substrate layer 2012 is related to the thickness of the substrate layer 2012. Therefore, in this embodiment, on the one hand, the thickness of the substrate layer 2012 is set to 10 μm~30 μm to maintain the appropriate thickness of the substrate layer 2012, thereby maintaining the thinness of the flexible display panel 201. On the other hand, based on this thickness range, the bending modulus of the substrate layer 2012 is set to 70 Gpa~220 Gpa, so that the bending modulus of the substrate layer 2012 is neither too large to bend with the panel layer 2011, nor too small to provide insufficient support for the panel layer 2011. Therefore, under this structural setting, while taking into account the overall thinness of the flexible display panel 201, the support performance of the substrate layer 2012 to the panel layer 2011 is also improved.

[0067] The bending modulus of the substrate layer 2012 may be 70 Gpa, 90 Gpa, 110 Gpa, 130 Gpa, 170 Gpa, 190 Gpa, 210 Gpa or 220 Gpa, and the thickness of the substrate layer 2012 may be 10 μm, 15 μm, 20 μm, 25 μm or 30 μm, which is not limited herein.

[0068] It should be noted that, in view of the fact that the material of the substrate layer 2012 can be glass or metal, and the glass material and the metal material have different bending moduli, when satisfying the support performance of the substrate layer 2012 to the panel layer 2011, different choices can be made for the substrate layer 2012 of glass material and metal material. For example, when the material of the substrate layer 2012 is glass, the glass material is ultra-thin glass with a thickness of 20μm~30μm. In this embodiment, ultra-thin glass is selected as the substrate layer 2012. On the one hand, it can take into account the support of the panel layer 2011. On the other hand, the thin thickness of the ultra-thin glass is conducive to maintaining the thinness and bending performance of the flexible display panel 201. The thickness of the glass material can be specifically 20μm, 23μm, 25μm, 28μm or 30μm. The thickness of the glass material is not limited here.

[0069] For another example, when the material of the substrate layer 2012 is a metal material, the metal material includes stainless steel, titanium alloy or aluminum alloy. For the substrate layer 2012 of the same thickness, the substrate layer 2012 made of these metal materials has a greater bending modulus than the bending modulus of the film layer made of materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyimide (PI) in the display panel 210 in the related art, so that the substrate layer 2012 of the present application can provide a greater support force for the panel layer 2011, so that the flexible display panel 201 has a good anti-extrusion ability as a whole, and is not easy to be dented when pressed.

[0070] Combination Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, a receiving groove 2014 is provided at a position of the substrate layer 2012 for bending (i.e., corresponding to the bending position of the folding screen 20), so that the hardness of the substrate layer 2012 at the position where the receiving groove 2014 is provided is lower than that at other positions. In other words, the substrate layer 2012 at the position where the receiving groove 2014 is provided is easier to bend, so as to improve the bending performance of the folding screen 20.

[0071] Furthermore, combined with Figure 7As shown, the flexible display panel 201 further includes a filling body 2015, which is filled in the receiving groove 2014, and the hardness of the filling body 2015 is less than the hardness of the substrate layer 2012. In this way, on the one hand, the filling body 2015 fills the receiving groove 2014, so that the filled substrate layer 2012 remains flat, thereby preventing the folding mechanism 30 of the foldable electronic device 100 from causing poor top printing on the panel layer 2011 through the position of the receiving groove 2014 of the substrate layer 2012 due to unevenness; on the other hand, since the hardness of the filling body 2015 is less than the hardness of the substrate layer 2012, the hardness of the position where the filling body 2015 is set on the substrate layer 2012 is still lower than the hardness of other positions where the receiving groove 2014 is not set, thereby ensuring that the position where the filling body 2015 is set on the substrate layer 2012 is easier to bend, so as to adapt to the improvement of the bending performance of the folding screen 20.

[0072] It should be noted here that the filling body 2015 is received in the receiving groove 2014 , that is, the filling body 2015 does not protrude from the receiving groove 2014 , thereby preventing the filling body 2015 from pressing the panel layer 2011 to reduce the poor top response of the panel layer 2011 .

[0073] In some embodiments, the filling body 2015 may partially fill the receiving groove 2014. In other embodiments, the filling body 2015 may completely fill the receiving groove 2014, that is, the surface of the filling body 2015 exposed to the receiving groove 2014 is flush with the surface of the substrate layer 2012.

[0074] The material of the filling body 2015 can be an elastic material such as silicone, rubber or resin, and the material of the filling body 2015 is not limited here.

[0075] To better understand the Folding Screen 20, please combine Figure 8 As shown, the folding screen 20 includes a polarizer 202, a flexible glass 203 and a protective film 204. The polarizer 202, the flexible glass 203 and the protective film 204 are sequentially arranged on the side of the panel layer 2011 facing away from the substrate layer 2012. In this way, the polarizer 202 is used to polarize the light emitted by the panel layer 2011. The flexible glass 203 and the protective film 204 can protect the polarizer 202 and the panel layer 2011. It can be understood that the flexible glass 203 and the protective film 204 can adapt to the need for the folding screen 20 to bend.

[0076] In some embodiments, the flexible glass 203 is a glass material layer that can adapt to the folding requirements of the folding screen 20, and it can be ultra-thin glass. For example, the thickness of the flexible glass 203 is 85 μm to 95 μm, so that the flexible glass 203 can obtain a better folding effect to meet the folding requirements of the folding screen 20. At the same time, since the protective film 204 is provided on the surface of the flexible glass 203, the flexible glass 203 and the protective film 204 can provide better protection for the flexible display panel 201.

[0077] In some embodiments, the thickness of the protective film 204 is 30 microns to 40 microns. After the protective film 204 is covered on the flexible glass 203, it has little effect on the overall thickness of the folding screen 20. Since the thickness of the flexible glass 203 is very thin, although the thickness of the protective film 204 is 30 microns to 40 microns, it can still meet the protection needs of the flexible glass 203.

[0078] In some embodiments, the material of the protective film 204 is one or more flexible or bendable polymer materials, wherein the polymer material may be acrylate resin, methacrylate resin, polyisoprene, vinyl resin, polyurethane resin, cellulose resin or perylene resin.

[0079] In some embodiments, the material of the protective film 204 includes polyether sulfones (PES), polyacrylate (PAR), polyetherimide (PEI), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyallylate, polyimide (PI) or polycarbonate (PC).

[0080] It should be noted that in the folding screen 20 of the present application, adjacent layer structures can be bonded together by OCA optical adhesive (Optically Clear Adhesive). For example, the flexible glass 203 and the protective film 204 are bonded together by a first OCA optical adhesive layer. For another example, the flexible glass 203 and the polarizer 202 are bonded together by a second OCA optical adhesive layer. For another example, the polarizer 202 and the display surface of the panel layer 2011 are bonded together by a third OCA optical adhesive layer.

[0081] OCA optical adhesive (Optically Clear Adhesive) has the characteristics of colorless transparency, high light transmittance, high adhesion, high weather resistance, water resistance, high temperature resistance, and UV resistance. It has a controlled thickness and can provide uniform spacing.

[0082] It should be noted that the panel layer 2011 includes pixels and a driving circuit, and the driving circuit can be used to drive the pixels to display images, and the driving circuit includes one or more thin film transistors (TFTs). The driving circuit can drive an organic light emitting diode to display images.

[0083] In some embodiments, in combination Fig. 9 As shown, the panel layer 2011 includes an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) layer 20111 and a thin film encapsulation (TFE) layer 20112 which are sequentially stacked on the substrate layer 2012. The display surface of the panel layer 2011 is located on the side of the thin film encapsulation layer 20112 facing away from the organic light-emitting diode layer 20111.

[0084] Combination Fig.10 As shown, in some embodiments, the foldable electronic device 100 includes a foam 40. The side of the flexible display panel 201 facing away from the display surface is connected to the shell assembly 10, one side of the foam 40 is in contact with the substrate layer 2012, and the other side is in contact with the shell assembly 10. In this way, the foam 40 is used to provide a good buffering effect between the flexible display panel 201 and the shell assembly 10. It should be noted here that the contact between two structural members refers to the contact in the connection relationship, that is, there are no other structural members between the two contacting structural members except the structural members provided for connection to satisfy the non-connection function.

[0085] Referring again to FIG. 1 , the housing assembly 10 includes a first housing 11 and a second housing 12. The folding mechanism 30 is connected between the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, so that the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 can fold and move relative to each other, thereby driving the folding screen 20 to fold and move.

[0086] The foldable electronic device 100 may also include other structures.

[0087] For example, in some embodiments, the foldable electronic device 100 further includes an optical module 50. The optical module 50 is disposed in the space enclosed by the shell assembly 10 and the flexible display panel 201, and the foam 40 is provided with a first light-through hole 401, and the external light 200 can pass through the flexible display panel 201 and enter the optical module 50 through the first light-through hole 401. In this embodiment, the optical module 50 is disposed on the side of the flexible display panel 201 that is not facing the display surface, so that the optical module 50 can be prevented from occupying the area of ​​the display surface, so as to improve the screen-to-body ratio.

[0088] When the substrate layer 2012 is made of glass, the light transmittance of the glass is greater than or equal to 85%, so that the external light 200 can be incident on the optical module 50 .

[0089] Combination Fig.11 As shown, when the material of the substrate layer 2012 is metal, the substrate layer 2012 is provided with a second light hole 20121, which is opposite to the first light hole 401 and is used for allowing external light 200 to pass through to be incident on the optical module 50, thereby adapting the optical module 50 to receive the external light 200 to exert the corresponding light function.

[0090] It should be noted that the optical module 50 includes but is not limited to a camera, a fingerprint module or an ambient light sensor.

[0091] refer to Fig.12 , Fig.12 The foldable electronic device 100 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the embodiment of the present application. The foldable electronic device 100 may include a radio frequency (RF) circuit 501, a memory 502 including one or more computer-readable storage media, an input unit 503, a display unit 504, a sensor 505, an audio circuit 506, a wireless fidelity (WiFi) module 507, a processor 508 including one or more processing cores, and a power supply 509. Those skilled in the art can understand that Fig.12 The structure of the foldable electronic device 100 shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation on the foldable electronic device 100, and may include more or less components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0092] The radio frequency circuit 501 can be used to send and receive information, or receive and send signals during a call. In particular, after receiving the downlink information of the base station, it is handed over to one or more processors 508 for processing; in addition, the data related to the uplink is sent to the base station. Generally, the radio frequency circuit 501 includes but is not limited to an antenna, at least one amplifier, a tuner, one or more oscillators, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a transceiver, a coupler, a low noise amplifier (LNA), a duplexer, etc. In addition, the radio frequency circuit 501 can also communicate with the network and other devices through wireless communication. The wireless communication can use any communication standard or protocol, including but not limited to the Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), email, Short Messaging Service (SMS), etc.

[0093] The memory 502 can be used to store applications and data. The applications stored in the memory 502 contain executable codes. The applications can be composed of various functional modules. The processor 508 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the applications stored in the memory 502. The memory 502 can mainly include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area can store an operating system, an application required for at least one function (such as a sound playback function, an image playback function, etc.), etc.; the data storage area can store data created according to the use of the foldable electronic device 100 (such as audio data, a phone book, etc.), etc. In addition, the memory 502 can include a high-speed random access memory, and can also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other volatile solid-state storage devices. Accordingly, the memory 502 can also include a memory controller to provide the processor 508 and the input unit 503 with access to the memory 502.

[0094] The input unit 503 can be used to receive input digital, character information or user feature information (such as fingerprints), and generate keyboard, mouse, joystick, optical or trackball signal input related to user settings and function control. Specifically, in a specific embodiment, the input unit 503 may include a touch-sensitive surface and other input devices. The touch-sensitive surface, also known as a touch display screen or a touch pad, can collect user touch operations on or near it (such as operations performed by users using fingers, styluses, or any other suitable objects or accessories on or near the touch-sensitive surface), and drive corresponding connection devices according to a pre-set program. Optionally, the touch-sensitive surface may include a touch detection device and a touch controller. Among them, the touch detection device detects the user's touch orientation, detects the signal brought by the touch operation, and transmits the signal to the touch controller; the touch controller receives the touch information from the touch detection device, converts it into touch point coordinates, and then sends it to the processor 508, and can receive and execute commands sent by the processor 508.

[0095] The display unit 504 can be used to display information input by the user or information provided to the user and various graphical user interfaces of the foldable electronic device 100, which can be composed of graphics, text, icons, videos and any combination thereof. The display unit 504 can include the above-mentioned flexible display panel 201.

[0096] Furthermore, the touch-sensitive surface may cover the flexible display panel 201. When the touch-sensitive surface detects a touch operation on or near it, it is transmitted to the processor 508 to determine the type of touch event. The processor 508 then provides corresponding visual output on the flexible display panel 201 according to the type of touch event.

[0097] Although in Fig.12 In the embodiment, the touch sensitive surface and the flexible display panel 201 are implemented as two independent components to implement input and output functions, but in some embodiments, the touch sensitive surface and the flexible display panel 201 can be integrated to implement input and output functions. It can be understood that the screen can include an input unit 503 and a display unit 504.

[0098] The foldable electronic device 100 may also include at least one sensor 505, such as a light sensor, a motion sensor, and other sensors. Specifically, the light sensor may include an ambient light sensor and a proximity sensor, wherein the ambient light sensor may adjust the brightness of the flexible display panel 201 according to the brightness of the ambient light, and the proximity sensor may turn off the flexible display panel 201 and / or the backlight when the foldable electronic device 100 is moved to the ear. As a type of motion sensor, the gravity acceleration sensor can detect the magnitude of acceleration in each direction (generally three axes), and can detect the magnitude and direction of gravity when stationary, which can be used for applications that identify the posture of the mobile phone (such as horizontal and vertical screen switching, related games, magnetometer posture calibration), vibration recognition related functions (such as pedometer, tapping), etc.; as for other sensors such as gyroscopes, barometers, hygrometers, thermometers, infrared sensors, etc. that can also be configured in the foldable electronic device 100, they will not be repeated here.

[0099] The audio circuit 506 can provide an audio interface between the user and the foldable electronic device 100 through a speaker and a microphone. The audio circuit 506 can convert the received audio data into an electrical signal, transmit it to the speaker, and convert it into a sound signal for output; on the other hand, the microphone converts the collected sound signal into an electrical signal, which is received by the audio circuit 506 and converted into audio data, and then the audio data is output to the processor 508 for processing, and then sent to another foldable electronic device 100 through the radio frequency circuit 501, or the audio data is output to the memory 502 for further processing. The audio circuit 506 may also include an earphone socket to provide communication between an external earphone and the foldable electronic device 100.

[0100] Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) is a short-range wireless transmission technology. The foldable electronic device 100 can help users send and receive emails, browse web pages, and access streaming media through the wireless fidelity module 507, which provides users with wireless broadband Internet access. Fig.12 A wireless fidelity module 507 is shown, but it is understandable that it is not a necessary component of the foldable electronic device 100 and can be omitted as needed without changing the essence of the invention.

[0101] The processor 508 is the control center of the foldable electronic device 100. It uses various interfaces and lines to connect various parts of the entire foldable electronic device 100. By running or executing applications stored in the memory 502 and calling data stored in the memory 502, it executes various functions of the foldable electronic device 100 and processes data, thereby monitoring the foldable electronic device 100 as a whole. Optionally, the processor 508 may include one or more processing cores; preferably, the processor 508 may integrate an application processor and a modem processor, wherein the application processor mainly processes the operating system, user interface, and application programs, and the modem processor mainly processes wireless communications. It is understandable that the above-mentioned modem processor may not be integrated into the processor 508.

[0102] The foldable electronic device 100 also includes a power supply 509 for supplying power to various components. Preferably, the power supply 509 can be logically connected to the processor 508 through a power management system, so that the power management system can realize functions such as managing charging, discharging, and power consumption management. The power supply 509 can also include any components such as one or more DC or AC power supplies, recharging systems, power failure detection circuits, power converters or inverters, and power status indicators.

[0103] although Fig.12 Not shown, the foldable electronic device 100 may also include a Bluetooth module, etc., which will not be described in detail here. In specific implementation, the above modules can be implemented as independent entities, or can be arbitrarily combined and implemented as the same or several entities. The specific implementation of the above modules can refer to the previous method embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0104] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0105] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A flexible display panel, characterized in that: include: A panel layer having a display surface for emitting light for display; The substrate layer is connected to the side of the panel layer facing away from the display surface. The substrate layer is made of glass or metal. The substrate layer can be bent along a predetermined direction with the panel layer, and the substrate layer is used to support the panel layer so that the display surface remains smooth.

2. The flexible display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible display panel further includes an adhesive layer, and the panel layer is bonded to the substrate layer via the adhesive layer.

3. The flexible display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The adhesive layer includes a double-sided adhesive and has a first adhesive surface and a second adhesive surface opposite to each other, the first adhesive surface is bonded to a side of the panel layer opposite to the display surface, and the second adhesive surface is bonded to the substrate layer; Alternatively, the adhesive layer is formed by curing glue, and the glue is spin-coated on the substrate and adhered to the side of the panel layer facing away from the display surface along with the substrate.

4. The flexible display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bending modulus of the substrate layer is 70 Gpa to 220 Gpa, and the thickness of the substrate layer is 10 μm to 30 μm.

5. The flexible display panel according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the material of the substrate layer is glass, the glass material is ultra-thin glass with a thickness of 20 μm to 30 μm; When the material of the substrate layer is a metal material, the metal material includes stainless steel, titanium alloy or aluminum alloy.

6. The flexible display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: A receiving groove is provided at a position of the substrate layer for bending, and the flexible display panel further comprises a filling body, which is filled in the receiving groove, and the hardness of the filling body is less than the hardness of the substrate layer.

7. A folding screen, characterized in that: Comprising the flexible display panel as described in any one of claims 1-6.

8. The folding screen according to claim 7, characterized in that: The folding screen includes a polarizer, a flexible glass and a protective film, and the polarizer, the flexible glass and the protective film are sequentially arranged on a side of the panel layer facing away from the substrate layer.

9. The folding screen according to claim 8, characterized in that: The thickness of the flexible glass is 85 μm to 95 μm.

10. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that: The foldable electronic device comprises the flexible display panel as described in any one of claims 1-6, or the foldable electronic device comprises the foldable screen as described in any one of claims 7-9.

11. The foldable electronic device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The foldable electronic device includes a shell component and foam, the side of the flexible display panel facing away from the display surface is connected to the shell component, one side of the foam is in contact with the substrate layer, and the other side is in contact with the shell component.

12. The foldable electronic device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The foldable electronic device also includes an optical module, which is arranged in the space enclosed by the shell assembly and the flexible display panel. The foam is provided with a first light-through hole, and external light can pass through the flexible display panel and enter the optical module through the first light-through hole.

13. The foldable electronic device according to claim 12, characterized in that: When the material of the substrate layer is glass, the light transmittance of the glass is greater than or equal to 85%.

14. The foldable electronic device according to claim 12, characterized in that: When the substrate layer is made of metal, the substrate layer is provided with a second light-through hole, which is opposite to the first light-through hole and is used for allowing external light to pass through and enter the optical module.

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