Unequal-thickness glass, preparation method thereof and foldable electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a preparation method of unequal-thickness glass, which comprises the following steps: providing bendable glass which comprises a first part and a bendable part connected with the first part; the bendable part is etched, the bending angle and the bending radius of the bendable part are changed in the etching process, the unequal-thickness glass is manufactured, the unequal-thickness glass comprises a second part and a transition part, the second part and the transition part are formed by the first part and the bendable part, the transition part is connected with the first part and the second part, and the transition part is connected with the first part and the second part. The thickness of the transition part is smaller than that of the first part, the thickness of the second part is smaller than that of the transition part, and the surface roughness of the transition part is smaller than 10 nm. The invention further provides unequal-thickness glass and foldable electronic equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of electronic equipment, and specifically relates to unequal thickness glass and a preparation method thereof and a foldable electronic device. Background Art

[0002] The flexible screen of a foldable electronic device is usually covered with a glass cover, which protects the flexible screen and prolongs its service life. In addition to glass covers of equal thickness, glass covers of unequal thickness have also been developed, which have a wider range of application scenarios. However, the surface of the currently processed glass covers of unequal thickness is rough, with fine cracks and obvious light and shadow differences, which affects the use of glass covers of unequal thickness. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, the present application provides glass of unequal thickness, a preparation method thereof, and a foldable electronic device.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present application provides a method for preparing glass of unequal thickness, comprising:

[0005] Providing a bendable glass, the bendable glass comprising a first portion and a bendable portion connected to the first portion;

[0006] The bendable portion is etched, and the bending angle and the bending radius of the bendable portion are changed during the etching to obtain unequal thickness glass, wherein the unequal thickness glass includes the first portion, the second portion formed by the bendable portion, and a transition portion, wherein the transition portion connects the first portion and the second portion, the thickness of the transition portion is less than the thickness of the first portion, the thickness of the second portion is less than the thickness of the transition portion, and the surface roughness of the transition portion is less than 10 nm.

[0007] In a second aspect, the present application provides a glass of unequal thickness, comprising a first portion, a second portion and a transition portion, wherein the transition portion connects the first portion and the second portion, the thickness of the transition portion is less than the thickness of the first portion, the thickness of the second portion is less than the thickness of the transition portion, and the surface roughness of the transition portion is less than 10 nm.

[0008] In a third aspect, the present application provides a foldable electronic device, comprising a display device, wherein the display device comprises the unequal thickness glass produced by the preparation method described in the first aspect or the unequal thickness glass described in the second aspect, and a flexible screen arranged on the surface of the unequal thickness glass, the flexible screen having a bending zone, and the second part of the unequal thickness glass is arranged corresponding to the bending zone.

[0009] The present application changes the bending angle and bending radius of the bendable portion during the etching process, thereby achieving a transition connection between the first portion and the thinned bendable portion while achieving thinning of the bendable portion, so that the light and shadow effects of the unequal thickness glass have no obvious step difference, and at the same time, the surface roughness of the transition portion in the unequal thickness glass is small, and the surface performance of the unequal thickness glass is excellent; the preparation method of the unequal thickness glass is simple, and the unequal thickness glass with excellent performance can be obtained through simple operations, which is conducive to the use of the unequal thickness glass in foldable electronic devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the implementation modes of the present application, the drawings required for use in the implementation modes of the present application will be described below.

[0011] Figure 1 A flow chart of a method for preparing glass of unequal thickness provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0012] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of a bendable glass provided in accordance with one embodiment of the present application.

[0013] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the bendable glass in a bent state provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0014] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of the bendable glass in a bent state provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0015] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the state of bendable glass during etching provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0016] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of bendable glass during etching provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0017] Figure 7 A schematic cross-sectional view of glass of unequal thickness provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Figure 8 A schematic cross-sectional view of glass of unequal thickness provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0019] Fig. 9 A schematic cross-sectional view of glass of unequal thickness provided in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Fig.10 A schematic cross-sectional view of glass of unequal thickness provided in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Fig.11 A schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram of an exploded view of a display device provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of the composition of a foldable electronic device provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0024] Description of labels:

[0025] Bendable glass-110, first part-11, bendable part-10, connector-30, etching liquid-40, glass of unequal thickness-100, second part-12, transition part-13, first appearance surface-111, second appearance surface-112, third appearance surface-131, fourth appearance surface-132, fifth appearance surface-121, sixth appearance surface-122, display device-200, flexible screen-210, bending area-211, non-bending area-212, foldable electronic device-300, RF circuit-310, memory-320, input unit-330, display unit-340, sensor-350, audio circuit-360, WiFi module-370, processor-380, power supply-390. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following are exemplary embodiments of the present application. It should be noted that, for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present application. These improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0027] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples to realize the different structures of the present application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, the parts and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are only examples, and the purpose is not to limit the present application. In addition, the present application can repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples, and this repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity, which itself does not indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, the various specific processes and material examples provided by the present application, but those of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0028] See also Figure 1 , is a flow chart of a method for preparing glass of unequal thickness provided in one embodiment of the present application, comprising:

[0029] S101: providing a bendable glass, wherein the bendable glass comprises a first portion and a bendable portion connected to the first portion.

[0030] S102: Etching the bendable portion, wherein the bending angle and bending radius of the bendable portion change during etching to obtain glass of unequal thickness, wherein the glass of unequal thickness includes a first portion, a second portion formed by the bendable portion, and a transition portion, wherein the transition portion connects the first portion and the second portion, wherein the thickness of the transition portion is smaller than the thickness of the first portion, and the thickness of the second portion is smaller than the thickness of the transition portion, and wherein the surface roughness of the transition portion is smaller than 10 nm.

[0031] In the related art, mechanical processing or etching methods are often used when preparing unequal thickness glass. Mechanical processing will make the surface roughness of the thinned area large, and it is also easy to produce cracks, which affects the strength of the unequal thickness glass; the etching method will make there be a significant height difference between the thinned area and the non-thinned area, so that the unequal thickness glass has obvious sharp edges and the appearance effect has obvious light and shadow step difference, which affects the appearance effect of the unequal thickness glass. In the present application, by changing the bending angle and bending radius of the bendable portion 10 in etching, while thinning the bendable portion 10, a transition zone is generated between the non-thinned area and the thinned area, thereby realizing the transition connection of the first part 11 and the second part 12, avoiding the visual step difference caused by the direct connection between the first part 11 and the second part 12, so that the light and shadow effect of the unequal thickness glass 100 has no obvious step difference, and no obvious etching marks are produced, so that the surface roughness of the transition part 13 in the unequal thickness glass 100 is low, the surface performance is excellent, and it is conducive to the use of the unequal thickness glass 100.

[0032] In S101, see Figure 2 , is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a bendable glass provided in one embodiment of the present application, wherein the bendable glass 110 includes a first portion 11 and a bendable portion 10 connected to the first portion 11. In one embodiment of the present application, the first portion 11 is disposed on one side of the bendable portion 10. In another embodiment of the present application, Figure 2 As shown, the first portion 11 is disposed on two opposite sides of the bendable portion 10 .

[0033] In one embodiment of the present application, the bendable glass 110 may include, but is not limited to, at least one of aluminosilicate glass, soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, and the like. The above-mentioned bendable glass 110 has good mechanical properties and good light transmittance, which is conducive to obtaining unequal thickness glass 100 with excellent performance. In one embodiment of the present application, the bendable glass 110 may be high aluminosilicate glass. This can further improve the performance of the unequal thickness glass 100. In one embodiment, the mass content of aluminum oxide in the high aluminosilicate glass is greater than 15%, and the mass content of silicon oxide is greater than 58%. In another embodiment, the mass content of aluminum oxide in the high aluminosilicate glass is greater than 20%, and the mass content of silicon oxide is greater than 65%. In one embodiment of the present application, the transmittance of the bendable glass 110 in the visible light wavelength range is greater than or equal to 85%, which is conducive to the use of the prepared unequal thickness glass 100 in the foldable electronic device 300. In one embodiment of the present application, the transmittance of the bendable glass 110 in the visible light wavelength range is greater than or equal to 90%.

[0034] In one embodiment of the present application, a glass substrate may be provided, and the bendable glass 110 may be obtained by thinning the glass substrate. Specifically, the thinning may be performed according to the use requirements of the unequal thickness glass 100 and the requirements of the bending angle and bending radius during the etching process. In one embodiment, the thinning may be performed using an etching liquid 40, and the etching liquid 40 may be an acid solution or an alkaline solution. Specifically, the thinning may be performed by spraying the etching liquid 40 or soaking the etching liquid 40; one surface of the glass substrate may be thinned, or two surfaces of the glass substrate may be thinned opposite to each other. In one embodiment of the present application, the thickness of the bendable glass 110 may be 70 μm to 220 μm, which is beneficial to the bending of the bendable portion 10 during the etching process, while also ensuring the strength of the obtained unequal thickness glass 100. Specifically, the thickness of the bendable glass 110 may be, but is not limited to, 70 μm, 90 μm, 100 μm, 115 μm, 130 μm, 150 μm, 165 μm, 180 μm, 200 μm, 210 μm, or 220 μm. In one embodiment, the thickness of the bendable glass 110 may be 70 μm to 150 μm. In another embodiment, the thickness of the bendable glass 110 may be 100 μm to 180 μm. In yet another embodiment, the thickness of the bendable glass 110 may be 150 μm to 220 μm.

[0035] In S102, the bendable portion 10 is etched, and the bending angle and bending radius of the bendable portion 10 are changed during the etching process, so as to obtain the glass 100 with different thicknesses. Figure 3, is a schematic diagram of the structure of the bendable glass in a bent state provided in one embodiment of the present application, wherein the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 is α, and the bending radius is R. It can be understood that the bendable portion 10 is bent during etching to change the bending angle and bending radius of the bendable portion 10, wherein the degree of bending and the number of bending times can be selected as needed. In one embodiment of the present application, the first portion 11 is arranged on opposite sides of the bendable portion 10, and the angle between the planes where the first portions 11 on both sides of the bendable portion 10 are located is β, and α and β are complementary angles, that is, α is 180°-β. It can be understood that, Figure 1 The bending angle α of the bendable portion 10 is 0° and β is 180°. Figure 4 , is a schematic structural diagram of a bendable glass in a bent state provided in another embodiment of the present application, wherein the bending angle α of the bendable portion 10 is 180° and β is 0°.

[0036] See also Figure 5 , is a schematic diagram of the state of the bendable glass during etching provided by an embodiment of the present application, wherein the connector 30 is connected to the first part 11 of the bendable glass 110, and the bending angle and bending radius of the bendable part 10 are changed by controlling the connector 30 connected to the first part 11, so that the bending of the bendable part 10 during etching is more convenient. The connector 30 may have a positioning groove so that part of the first part 11 is connected to the connector 30 and fixed on the connector 30. Specifically, the first part 11 and the connector 30 may be connected by a connecting part such as an adhesive tape. In an embodiment of the present application, the length of the portion where the connector 30 is connected to the first part 11 may be 15mm to 50mm. Specifically, the length of the portion where the connector 30 is connected to the first part 11 may be, but is not limited to, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 30mm, 35mm, 40mm, 45mm or 50mm, etc.

[0037] In one embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching varies in the range of 0° to 180°. That is, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching is selected in the range of 0° to 180°. Specifically, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching may be, but is not limited to, 0°, 10°, 20°, 30°, 45°, 50°, 60°, 75°, 90°, 100°, 120°, 135°, 140°, 150°, 160°, 170° or 180°, etc. In one embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching varies in the range of 10° to 180°. In this way, there is no need to set a protective layer on the surface of the first portion 11 and there is no need to perform stripping after etching, which reduces the process flow and preparation cost. In another embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching varies in the range of 20° to 180°. In one embodiment of the present application, the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 during etching varies in the range of 0.5mm to 5mm. In one embodiment of the present application, the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 during etching varies in the range of 1mm to 5mm. In another embodiment of the present application, the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 during etching varies in the range of 2mm to 5mm. In one embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching varies in the range of 0° to 180°, and the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 varies in the range of 0.5mm to 5mm. In another embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching varies in the range of 10° to 180°, and the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 varies in the range of 0.5mm to 5mm. In yet another embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching varies in the range of 10° to 90°, and the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 varies in the range of 2mm to 5mm. In another embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching varies in the range of 150° to 180°, and the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 varies in the range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 after being bent during etching is changed from α1 to α2. When the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 after being bent is α1, the bending angle can be changed after etching for a period of time; the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 after being bent 10 can also be changed from α1 to α2 during the etching process, and etching can be performed while the bending angle changes; etching can also be terminated after etching for a period of time when the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 after being bent is α2; specific selections can be made according to needs, and a gradually connected transition portion 13 can be obtained, thereby optimizing the light and shadow effects of the unequal thickness glass 100, while avoiding the influence of etching marks, and improving the surface performance of the unequal thickness glass 100. In one embodiment of the present application, the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 after being bent during etching changes from R1 to R2. When the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 after being bent is R1, the bending radius can be changed after etching for a period of time; the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 after being bent can also be changed from R1 to R2 during etching, and etching is performed simultaneously with the change of the bending radius; etching can also be terminated after etching for a period of time when the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 after being bent is R2; the specific method can be selected according to needs, and a gradually connected transition portion 13 can be obtained, the light and shadow effect of the unequal thickness glass 100 can be optimized, and the influence of etching marks can be avoided, and the surface performance of the unequal thickness glass 100 can be improved. In one embodiment of the present application, the bending angle and the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 during etching have opposite changing trends. In one embodiment, when the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 decreases, the bending radius increases; when the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 increases, the bending radius decreases.

[0039] In the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching can be increased or decreased, and the increase and decrease can be performed alternately, and the number of increases and decreases when the increase and decrease are performed alternately is not limited; the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 during etching can be increased or decreased, and the increase and decrease can be performed alternately, and the number of increases and decreases when the increase and decrease are performed alternately is not limited; the increase can be a linear increase or a nonlinear increase, and the decrease can be a linear decrease or a nonlinear decrease.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present application, the rate of change of the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching is 1° / min to 10° / min. It is understandable that the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 can increase at a rate of 1° / min to 10° / min, or can decrease at a rate of 1° / min to 10° / min. In one embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching varies within the range of 0° to 180°, and the rate of change is 1° / min to 10° / min. In another embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching varies within the range of 10° to 180°, and the rate of change is 1° / min to 10° / min. In one embodiment, the rate of increase of the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching gradually increases. In another embodiment, the rate of decrease of the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching gradually decreases.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching increases from 10° to 90° to 150° to 180°, and the changing speed of the bending angle is 1° / min to 10° / min. In another embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching increases from 10° to 90° to 150° to 180°, and the changing speed of the bending angle is 1° / min to 10° / min, and the changing speed of the bending angle gradually increases. In one embodiment, the changing speed of the bending angle can gradually increase from 1° / min to 5° / min to 5° / min to 10° / min. In another embodiment of the present application, when the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching increases from 10° to 20° to 20° to 40°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 1° / min to 2° / min; when the bending angle increases from 20° to 40° to 50° to 60°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 2° / min to 3° / min; when the bending angle increases from 50° to 60° to 60° to 70°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 3° / min to 4° / min; when the bending angle increases from 60° to 70° to 70° to 90°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 4° / min to 5° / min; when the bending angle increases from 70° to 90° to 90°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 5° / min to 6° / min; When the bending angle is 0°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 5° / min to 6° / min; when the bending angle increases from 90° to 100° to 100° to 110°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 6° / min to 7° / min; when the bending angle increases from 100° to 110° to 110° to 120°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 7° / min to 8° / min; when the bending angle increases from 110° to 120° to 120° to 140°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 8° / min to 9° / min; when the bending angle increases from 120° to 140° to 140°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 9° / min to 10° / min.

[0042] In one embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching is reduced from 150° to 180° to 10° to 90°, and the changing speed of the bending angle is 1° / min to 10° / min. In another embodiment of the present application, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching is reduced from 150° to 180° to 10° to 90°, and the changing speed of the bending angle is 1° / min to 10° / min and the changing speed of the bending angle gradually decreases. In one embodiment, the changing speed of the bending angle can be gradually reduced from 5° / min to 10° / min to 1° / min to 5° / min. In another embodiment of the present application, when the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching is reduced from 140° to 180° to 120° to 140°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 9° / min to 10° / min; when the bending angle is reduced from 120° to 140° to 110° to 120°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 8° / min to 9° / min; when the bending angle is reduced from 110° to 120° to 100° to 110°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 7° / min to 8° / min; when the bending angle is reduced from 100° to 110° to 90° to 100°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 6° / min to 7° / min; when the bending angle is reduced from 100° to 110° to 90° to 100°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 6° / min to 7° / min; When the bending angle decreases from 90° to 100° to 70° to 90°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 5° / min to 6° / min; when the bending angle decreases from 70° to 90° to 60° to 70°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 4° / min to 5° / min; when the bending angle decreases from 60° to 70° to 50° to 60°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 3° / min to 4° / min; when the bending angle decreases from 50° to 60° to 20° to 40°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 2° / min to 3° / min; when the bending angle decreases from 20° to 40° to 10° to 20°, the changing speed of the bending angle is 1° / min to 2° / min.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present application, when the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 changes in the range of 0° to 90° during etching, the changing speed of the bending angle is 1° / min to 5° / min. In one embodiment, when the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 changes in the range of 10° to 90° during etching, the changing speed of the bending angle is 1° / min to 5° / min. In another embodiment of the present application, when the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 changes in the range of 90° to 180° during etching, the changing speed of the bending angle is 5° / min to 10° / min. In one embodiment of the present application, at the beginning of etching, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 can be 0° to 30°, so that the etching can be ensured, and at the same time, the influence of the excessive bending angle of the bendable portion 10 on the performance of the bendable glass 110 can be avoided. In other words, the bending angle is small at the beginning of etching, and the bending angle begins to increase during etching, which is conducive to the bending of the bendable portion 10, and at the same time does not affect the performance of the bendable glass 110. In one embodiment of the present application, when etching starts, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 may be 10° to 30°.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present application, the rate of change of the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 during etching is 0.1mm / min to 0.5mm / min. It is understandable that the bending radius R of the bendable portion 10 can increase at a rate of 0.1mm / min to 0.5mm / min, or can decrease at a rate of 0.1mm / min to 0.5mm / min. In one embodiment of the present application, the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 during etching changes within the range of 0.5mm to 5mm, and the rate of change is 0.1mm / min to 0.5mm / min. In one embodiment of the present application, the bending radius of the bendable portion 10 during etching is reduced from 2mm to 5mm to 0.5mm to 1.5mm, and the rate of change of the bending radius is 0.1mm / min to 0.5mm / min. In one embodiment, the rate of decrease of the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching gradually increases. In another embodiment, the rate of increase of the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 during etching gradually decreases. When the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 increases, the bending of the bendable portion 10 becomes more obvious. Reducing the changing speed of the bending angle is beneficial to ensuring the mechanical properties of the manufactured glass 100 of unequal thickness.

[0045] In one embodiment of the present application, the bendable glass 110 has a first bending state and a second bending state during etching; in the first bending state, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 is 10° to 90°, and the bending radius is 2mm to 5mm; in the second bending state, the bending angle of the bendable portion 10 is 150° to 180°, and the bending radius is 0.5mm to 1.5mm; during etching, the bendable glass 110 bends from the first bending state to the second bending state, or the bendable glass 110 bends from the second bending state to the first bending state. It can be understood that the bendable glass 110 can be in the first bending state or the second bending state at any time during etching; for example, during etching, the bendable glass 110 can be bent from the first bending state to the second bending state, or from the second bending state to the first bending state, or from the second bending state to the first bending state and then from the first bending state to the second bending state, or from the first bending state to the second bending state and then from the second bending state to the first bending state. The above are all examples. During etching, the bendable portion 10 can pass through the first bending state one or more times and the second bending state one or more times.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present application, please refer to Figure 6 , is a schematic diagram of a bendable glass during etching provided in one embodiment of the present application, wherein etching can be performed using an etching solution 40, the bendable portion is immersed in the etching solution 40, and the distance between the bendable portion 10 and the liquid surface of the etching solution 40 is d. It can be understood that the maximum distance between the portion of the bendable portion 10 immersed in the etching solution 40 and the liquid surface of the etching solution 40 is the distance d. In one embodiment of the present application, d can be 5 mm to 10 mm. Specifically, d can be, but is not limited to, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm or 10 mm, etc.

[0047] In one embodiment of the present application, the spacing d changes during etching. That is, during the etching process, while the bending angle and bending radius of the bendable portion 10 change, the spacing d may also change, which is more conducive to the formation of the transition portion 13, achieving a slow gradual change in thickness, and further improving the light and shadow effects of the unequal thickness glass 100. In one embodiment of the present application, the change rate of the spacing d is 0.1mm / min to 1mm / min. Specifically, the change rate of the spacing d may be, but is not limited to, 0.1mm / min, 0.2mm / min, 0.3mm / min, 0.4mm / min, 0.5mm / min, 0.6mm / min, 0.7mm / min, 0.8mm / min or 0.9mm / min, etc. It can be understood that the spacing d may increase or decrease during etching; when the spacing d increases, the number of bendable portions 10 etched increases; when the spacing d decreases, the number of bendable portions 10 etched decreases, which is more conducive to the formation of the transition portion 13 with a gradual thickness change. In one embodiment of the present application, the spacing d changes during etching, and the spacing d is 5 mm to 10 mm. In other words, the spacing d changes within the range of 5 mm to 10 mm.

[0048] In the present application, the bendable portion 10 includes a first surface and a second surface that are arranged opposite to each other. The first surface can be etched, the second surface can be etched, or the first surface and the second surface can be etched at the same time. When etching the first surface, a protective layer can be set on the second surface to prevent etching; when etching the second surface, a protective layer can be set on the first surface to prevent etching; after the bendable portion 10 is bent, the first surface can face the inner side of the bendable portion 10 or the second surface can face the inner side of the bendable portion 10. Of course, the positions of the first surface and the second surface of the bendable portion 10 after bending can also be adjusted by bending during etching. In one embodiment of the present application, the width of the etched bendable portion 10 can be 5mm to 35mm. Among them, the width of the bendable portion 10 is the size of the bendable portion 10 along the direction from the first portion 11 to the bendable portion 10 when the bendable portion 10 is not bent. Specifically, the width of the etched bendable portion 10 may be, but is not limited to, 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, or 35 mm, etc. The etching solution 40 used in etching may be an acid solution or an alkali solution, and may be, but is not limited to, an etching solution 40 comprising hydrofluoric acid. In one embodiment, the etching temperature may be 25°C to 30°C. Specifically, the etching temperature may be, but is not limited to, 25°C, 25.5°C, 26°C, 27°C, 27.5°C, 28°C, 29°C, or 30°C, etc. In one embodiment, the etching time is 1 min to 3 min. Specifically, the etching time may be, but is not limited to, 1 min, 1.5 min, 2 min, 2.5 min, or 3 min, etc. In the present application, after etching, cleaning may be performed to obtain unequal thickness glass 100; wherein one or more etchings may be performed to obtain unequal thickness glass 100 having the desired appearance effect.

[0049] The transition portion 13 in the unequal thickness glass 100 prepared in the present application alleviates the step difference between the first portion 11 and the second portion 12, so that the unequal thickness glass 100 has excellent light and shadow effects, and the surface etching marks are slight and the surface roughness is low, which is conducive to the use of the unequal thickness glass 100; at the same time, after the unequal thickness glass 100 is strengthened, the strengthening wrinkles caused by excessive thickness difference can be improved, which is more conducive to the strengthening of the unequal thickness glass 100, and further conducive to the use of the unequal thickness glass 100.

[0050] The present application also provides a glass 100 of unequal thickness. Figure 7, is a schematic cross-sectional view of unequal thickness glass provided in one embodiment of the present application, wherein the unequal thickness glass 100 comprises a first portion 11, a second portion 12 and a transition portion 13, the transition portion 13 connects the first portion 11 and the second portion 12, the thickness of the transition portion 13 is less than the thickness of the first portion 11, the thickness of the second portion 12 is less than the thickness of the transition portion 13, and the surface roughness of the transition portion 13 is less than 10 nm. The unequal thickness glass 100 can be prepared by the preparation method in any of the above embodiments.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present application, the thickness of the transition portion 13 gradually increases along the direction from the second portion 12 to the first portion 11. That is, along the direction from the second portion 12 to the first portion 11, the thickness of the transition portion 13 shows a gradual trend, thereby alleviating the step difference between the first portion 11 and the second portion 12, so that the light and shadow effect of the unequal thickness glass 100 is better.

[0052] In one embodiment of the present application, Figure 7 As shown, the first portion 11 has a first appearance surface 111 and a second appearance surface 112 that are oppositely arranged, the transition portion 13 has a third appearance surface 131 and a fourth appearance surface 132 that are oppositely arranged, and the second portion 12 has a fifth appearance surface 121 and a sixth appearance surface 122 that are oppositely arranged, the first appearance surface 111, the third appearance surface 131 and the fifth appearance surface 121 are on the same horizontal plane, the second appearance surface 112, the fourth appearance surface 132 and the sixth appearance surface 122 are on different horizontal planes, and the fourth appearance surface 132 connects the second appearance surface 112 and the sixth appearance surface 122. Please refer to Figure 8 , is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of unequal thickness glass provided by another embodiment of the present application, wherein the first appearance surface 111, the third appearance surface 131 and the fifth appearance surface 121 are different horizontal planes and the third appearance surface 131 connects the first appearance surface 111 and the fifth appearance surface 121, the second appearance surface 112, the fourth appearance surface 132 and the sixth appearance surface 122 are different horizontal planes and the fourth appearance surface 132 connects the second appearance surface 112 and the sixth appearance surface 122. It can be seen that, Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the direction from the first part 11 to the second part 12, the thickness of the transition part 13 gradually decreases; that is, the thickness of the transition part 13 gradually decreases from being equal to the thickness of the first part 11 to being equal to the thickness of the second part 12. The thickness reduction of the transition part 13 can be linear or nonlinear. It can be understood that when the bendable part 10 is etched on one side during etching, Figure 7 The unequal thickness glass 100 shown in the figure can be obtained when the bendable portion 10 is etched on both sides during etching. Figure 8 The unequal thickness glass 100 shown in the figure; wherein at least one of the bending angle, bending radius and spacing d during etching is always changed during the entire etching process or during a period of etching, then the Figure 7or Figure 8 The transition portion 13 of the unequal thickness glass 100 is shown. Fig. 9 and Fig.10 , is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of unequal thickness glass provided in another embodiment of the present application, wherein Fig. 9 The first appearance surface 111, the third appearance surface 131 and the fifth appearance surface 121 are on the same horizontal plane, the second appearance surface 112, the fourth appearance surface 132 and the sixth appearance surface 122 are on different horizontal planes, and the fourth appearance surface 132 is not connected to the second appearance surface 112 and the sixth appearance surface 122; Fig.10 and Fig. 9 The fourth appearance surface 132 is substantially the same, except that the fourth appearance surface 132 has multiple sub-appearance surfaces located at different horizontal planes. It can be understood that when etching, at least one of the bending angle, bending radius and spacing d changes and the bending state is maintained for a period of time for etching, a Fig. 9 or Fig.10 The transition portion 13 of the unequal thickness glass 100 is shown; Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The bendable portion 10 is etched on one side as an example. The bendable portion 10 can also be etched on both sides to obtain glass 100 of different thicknesses.

[0053] In one embodiment of the present application, the unequal thickness glass 100 includes a second portion 12, a first portion 11 and a transition portion 13 disposed on one side of the second portion 12, and the transition portion 13 connects the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. In another embodiment of the present application, the unequal thickness glass 100 includes a second portion 12, a first portion 11 disposed on two opposite sides of the second portion 12, and a transition portion 13 disposed on two opposite sides of the second portion 12, and the transition portion 13 connects the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. It can be understood that the bendable portion 10 that is always etched during etching forms the second portion 12, and the bendable portion 10 that is etched part of the time forms the transition portion 13.

[0054] In the present application, the surface roughness of the transition portion 13 is less than 10 nm, so that the unequal thickness glass 100 has excellent surface properties, which is conducive to the use of the unequal thickness glass 100. Specifically, the surface roughness Ra of the transition portion 13 may be, but is not limited to, less than or equal to 9.5 nm, less than or equal to 9 nm, less than or equal to 8.5 nm, less than or equal to 8 nm, less than or equal to 7 nm, less than or equal to 6 nm, or less than or equal to 5 nm. In one embodiment of the present application, the surface roughness of the second portion 12 is less than 10 nm. Specifically, the surface roughness Ra of the second portion 12 may be, but is not limited to, less than or equal to 9.5 nm, less than or equal to 9 nm, less than or equal to 8.5 nm, less than or equal to 8 nm, less than or equal to 7 nm, less than or equal to 6 nm, or less than or equal to 5 nm.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present application, the width of the transition portion 13 is 1 mm to 10 mm. The width of the transition portion 13 is the size of the transition portion 13 along the direction from the second portion 12 to the first portion 11. Specifically, the width of the transition portion 13 may be, but is not limited to, 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm or 10 mm, etc. In one embodiment of the present application, the width ratio of the transition portion 13 to the second portion 12 is 1:1 to 1:2, which is conducive to further improving the light and shadow effect of the unequal thickness glass 100. The width of the second portion 12 is the size of the second portion 12 along the direction from the second portion 12 to the first portion 11. Specifically, the width ratio of the transition portion 13 to the second portion 12 may be, but is not limited to, 1:1, 1:1.2, 1:1.5, 1:1.6, 1:1.9 or 1:2, etc.

[0056] In one embodiment of the present application, the thickness of the first part 11 is 70 μm to 220 μm, which is beneficial to improve the strength of the unequal thickness glass 100 without increasing the weight of the unequal thickness glass 100 too much, and is beneficial to the use of the unequal thickness glass 100 in the foldable electronic device 300. Specifically, the thickness of the first part 11 may be, but is not limited to, 70 μm, 90 μm, 100 μm, 115 μm, 130 μm, 150 μm, 165 μm, 180 μm, 200 μm, 210 μm or 220 μm, etc. In one embodiment, the thickness of the first part 11 may be 70 μm to 150 μm. In another embodiment, the thickness of the first part 11 may be 100 μm to 180 μm. In yet another embodiment, the thickness of the first part 11 may be 150 μm to 220 μm.

[0057] In one embodiment of the present application, the thickness of the second portion 12 is 30 μm to 50 μm, which is beneficial to improve the bending performance of the unequal thickness glass 100 and is beneficial to the use of the unequal thickness glass 100 in the foldable electronic device 300. Specifically, the thickness of the second portion 12 may be, but is not limited to, 30 μm, 32 μm, 35 μm, 37 μm, 40 μm, 44 μm, 45 μm, 48 μm or 50 μm, etc. In one embodiment, the thickness of the second portion 12 may be 30 μm to 40 μm. In another embodiment, the thickness of the second portion 12 may be 40 μm to 50 μm. In yet another embodiment, the thickness of the second portion 12 may be 35 μm to 45 μm.

[0058] In one embodiment, the bendable glass has a thickness of 100 μm, and includes a bendable portion and first portions arranged on opposite sides of the bendable portion; the bendable portion is bent to a bending angle of 90° and a bending radius of 2 mm and is placed in a hydrofluoric acid etching solution for etching, during which the bending angle of the bendable portion increases from 90° to 180° (i.e., the extension directions of the two first portions are parallel), and the bending radius decreases from 2 mm to 0.5 mm, and then the bendable glass is taken out after etching for a period of time, and is cleaned to obtain Figure 8 The unequal thickness glass shown in the figure comprises a first part with a thickness of 100 μm, a second part with a thickness of 30 μm formed by a bendable part, and a transition part with a width of 10 mm, wherein the maximum thickness of the transition part is 100 μm, the minimum thickness is 30 μm, and the transition part connects the first part and the second part. The etching marks on the surfaces of the transition part and the second part are slight, and the surface roughness of the transition part and the second part is 8.3 nm as detected by a surface roughness detector.

[0059] In a pair of proportions, an acid-resistant film is set on the surface of the first part of the same bendable glass in the above embodiment for protection, and the bendable glass with the acid-resistant film is directly placed in a hydrofluoric acid etching solution, that is, the bendable glass is not bent and is not bent during etching. After double-sided etching, the acid-resistant film is taken out and removed, wherein the etching time is consistent with the embodiment, and unequal thickness glass is obtained after cleaning; the unequal thickness glass includes a transition portion and a thinning portion formed by the first portion and the bendable portion, the thickness of the thinning zone is 30 μm, and the width of the transition portion is 0.1 mm; the etching marks on the surface of the transition portion are obvious, and the surface roughness of the transition portion detected by a surface roughness detector is 94.7 nm. In another comparative example, it is substantially the same as the above comparative example, except that an acid-resistant film is also provided on one side surface of the bendable portion, thereby realizing single-sided etching and obtaining glass of unequal thickness; the glass of unequal thickness includes a transition portion and a thinning portion formed by the first portion and the bendable portion, the thickness of the thinning zone is 30 μm, and the width of the transition portion is 0.1 mm; etching marks are obvious on the surface of the transition portion, and the surface roughness of the transition portion is 95.6 nm detected by a surface roughness detector. In another comparative example, an acid-resistant film is provided on the surface of the first part and one side surface of the bendable part of the same bendable glass in the above embodiment for protection, the bendable part of the bendable glass provided with the acid-resistant film is bent to a bending angle of 180° and placed in a hydrofluoric acid etching solution, the bending angle and the bending radius are not changed during etching, and the glass is taken out after the etching is completed, wherein the etching time is consistent with that in the embodiment, and unequal thickness glass is obtained after cleaning; the unequal thickness glass includes a transition part and a thinning part formed by the first part and the bendable part, the thickness of the thinning area is 30 μm, and the width of the transition part is 0.1 mm; the etching marks on the surface of the transition part are obvious, and the surface roughness of the transition part is 101.2 nm detected by a surface roughness detector.

[0060] The unequal thickness glass obtained in the above comparative example has poor surface performance and obvious light and shadow step difference, which is not conducive to the use of unequal thickness glass; while the unequal thickness glass provided in the embodiment of the present application has good surface performance and good appearance light and shadow effect, which is conducive to the use of unequal thickness glass.

[0061] The present application also provides a foldable electronic device 300, comprising any of the above-mentioned unequal thickness glass 100. The above-mentioned unequal thickness glass 100 has good bending performance and good light and shadow effects, and can be used in the foldable electronic device 300 to improve the performance of the foldable electronic device 300. The foldable electronic device 300 in the present application can be, but is not limited to, a portable foldable device with a variable display screen size, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, an e-reader, and a laptop computer. Please refer to Fig.11 and Fig.12 , is a schematic diagram of the structure of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state and an exploded schematic diagram of a display device provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the foldable electronic device 300 includes a display device 200, the display device 200 includes unequal thickness glass 100 and a flexible screen 210 disposed on the surface of the unequal thickness glass 100, the flexible screen 210 has a bending area 211, and the second portion 12 is disposed corresponding to the bending area 211. In an embodiment of the present application, the flexible screen 210 includes a bending area 211 and a non-bending area 212 adjacent to the bending area 211, and the first portion 11, the transition portion 13 and the non-bending area 212 are disposed correspondingly.

[0062] See also Fig.13 , is a schematic diagram of the composition of a foldable electronic device provided in one embodiment of the present application. The structure of the foldable electronic device 300 may include an RF circuit 310, a memory 320, an input unit 330, a display unit 340, a sensor 350, an audio circuit 360, a WiFi module 370, a processor 380, and a power supply 390. Among them, the RF circuit 310, the memory 320, the input unit 330, the display unit 340, the sensor 350, the audio circuit 360, and the WiFi module 370 are respectively connected to the processor 380; the power supply 390 is used to provide power for the entire foldable electronic device 300. Specifically, the RF circuit 310 is used to receive and send signals; the memory 320 is used to store data instruction information; the input unit 330 is used to input information, which may specifically include a touch panel and other input devices such as operation buttons; the display unit 340 may include a display screen, etc.; the sensor 350 includes an infrared sensor, a laser sensor, etc., for detecting user approach signals, distance signals, etc.; the speaker 361 and the microphone 362 are connected to the processor 380 through the audio circuit 360 for receiving and sending sound signals; the WiFi module 370 is used to receive and transmit WiFi signals; the processor 380 is used to process data information of the foldable electronic device 300.

[0063] The above is a detailed introduction to the contents provided in the implementation mode of the present application. This article explains and illustrates the principles and implementation modes of the present application. The above explanation is only used to help understand the method and core idea of ​​the present application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation mode and application scope. In summary, the contents of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present application.

Claims

1. A method for preparing glass of unequal thickness, characterized in that: include: Providing a bendable glass, the bendable glass comprising a first portion and a bendable portion connected to the first portion; The bendable portion is etched, and the bending angle and the bending radius of the bendable portion are changed during the etching to obtain unequal thickness glass, wherein the unequal thickness glass includes the first portion, the second portion formed by the bendable portion, and a transition portion, wherein the transition portion connects the first portion and the second portion, the thickness of the transition portion is less than the thickness of the first portion, the thickness of the second portion is less than the thickness of the transition portion, and the surface roughness of the transition portion is less than 10 nm.

2. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that The bending angle of the bendable portion during the etching varies in the range of 0° to 180°, and the bending radius varies in the range of 0.5 mm to 5 mm.

3. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the etching, the changing speed of the bending angle is 1° / min to 10° / min, and the changing speed of the bending radius is 0.1 mm / min to 0.5 mm / min.

4. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the etching, the bendable glass has a first bending state and a second bending state; In the first bending state, the bending angle of the bendable portion is 10° to 90°, and the bending radius is 2mm to 5mm; In the second bending state, the bending angle of the bendable portion is 150° to 180°, and the bending radius is 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm; During the etching, the bendable glass is bent from the first bending state to the second bending state, or the bendable glass is bent from the second bending state to the first bending state.

5. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bendable portion of the bendable glass is placed in the etching solution for etching, and during the etching, the distance between the bendable portion and the liquid surface of the etching solution is 5 mm to 10 mm.

6. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that: During the etching, a speed of change of the spacing is 0.1 mm / min to 1 mm / min.

7. A glass of unequal thickness, characterized in that: The unequal thickness glass includes a first part, a second part and a transition part, the transition part connects the first part and the second part, the thickness of the transition part is less than the thickness of the first part, the thickness of the second part is less than the thickness of the transition part, and the surface roughness of the transition part is less than 10nm.

8. The unequal thickness glass according to claim 7, characterized in that: The thickness of the transition portion gradually increases along a direction from the second portion to the first portion.

9. The unequal thickness glass according to claim 7, characterized in that: The thickness of the second portion is 30 μm to 50 μm, and the thickness of the first portion is 70 μm to 220 μm; In the direction from the second portion to the first portion, the width of the transition portion is 1 mm to 10 mm; A width ratio of the transition portion to the second portion is 1:1 to 1:

2.

10. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a display device, wherein the display device comprises the unequal thickness glass obtained by the preparation method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 or the unequal thickness glass according to any one of claims 7 to 9, and a flexible screen arranged on the surface of the unequal thickness glass, wherein the flexible screen has a bending area, and the second part of the unequal thickness glass is arranged corresponding to the bending area.

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