Flexible circuit board and display device

Abstract

The invention discloses a flexible circuit board and a display device. The flexible circuit board comprises a component area which is arranged to be connected with a plurality of components; the connection area comprises a plurality of wires, and the wires are arranged to connect the component with an external device; in the direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board, the thickness of the component area is larger than that of the connecting area; the transition region is arranged to connect the connection region and the component region; wherein a reinforcing part is arranged in the transition area, and the reinforcing part is arranged to reinforce the strength of the flexible circuit board.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to but is not limited to display technology, and in particular to a flexible circuit board and a display device. Background Art

[0002] Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) is an active light-emitting display device with the advantages of self-luminescence, wide viewing angle, high contrast, low power consumption, and extremely high response speed. With the continuous development of display technology, display devices using OLED as the light-emitting element and thin film transistor (TFT) for signal control have become the mainstream products in the current display field. Summary of the invention

[0003] The following is a summary of the subject matter described in detail herein. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0004] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a flexible circuit board, comprising: a component area, configured to be connected to a plurality of components; a connection area, comprising a plurality of traces, wherein the traces are configured to connect the components to an external device; in a direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board, the thickness of the component area is greater than the thickness of the connection area; a transition area, configured to connect the connection area and the component area; wherein a reinforcement portion is provided in the transition area, and the reinforcement portion is configured to reinforce the strength of the flexible circuit board.

[0005] In an exemplary embodiment, in a direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board, the connection area, the component area and the transition area each include at least two conductive layers; the thickness of the component area is greater than the thickness of the connection area, including: the number of conductive layers in the connection area is less than the number of conductive layers in the component area.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment, in a direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board, the component area includes a first conductive layer, a first substrate layer, a second conductive layer, a second substrate layer and a third conductive layer stacked in sequence, and the connection area includes the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

[0007] In an exemplary embodiment, in a direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board, the transition region includes the first conductive layer, the first substrate layer, the second conductive layer and the second substrate layer, and the reinforcement portion is located on the second substrate layer.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, in a direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board, the transition zone includes the first conductive layer, the first substrate layer, the second conductive layer, the second substrate layer and the third conductive layer; the reinforcement portion is located in the third conductive layer, or the reinforcement portion is located in the third conductive layer and the second substrate layer.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the reinforcement portion includes a plurality of first sub-reinforcement portions, and along a direction from the component region to the connection region, the sizes of the first sub-reinforcement portions gradually increase, and the number of the first sub-reinforcement portions gradually increases.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, the reinforcement portion includes a plurality of first sub-reinforcement portions, and along a direction from the component region to the connection region, the sizes of the first sub-reinforcement portions gradually decrease, and the number of the first sub-reinforcement portions gradually decreases.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, the reinforcement portion includes a plurality of second sub-reinforcement portions that penetrate the transition zone, and the plurality of second sub-reinforcement portions are arranged in sequence along the extension direction of the transition zone. In the direction from the component area to the connection area, the size of the second sub-reinforcement portions along the arrangement direction gradually decreases.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, when the reinforcing portion is located in the third conductive layer and the second substrate layer, the thickness of the transition region decreases in a step-like manner in a direction from the component region to the connection region.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, along the arrangement direction, at least two of the second reinforcement sub-portions are in contact with each other at one end close to the component region; or, along the arrangement direction, a plurality of the second reinforcement sub-portions are spaced apart from each other.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, along the arrangement direction, a side of a plurality of the second reinforcement sub-portions close to the component region is an integrated structure.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, a portion of the integrated structure of the plurality of second reinforcement sub-portions is located on the second substrate layer and the third conductive layer, and the remaining portion of the plurality of second reinforcement sub-portions is located on the second substrate layer.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, the flexible circuit board extends along a first direction, the component area is located on one side of the connection area in a second direction, and the first direction and the second direction intersect; along the second direction, the size of the transition zone is greater than or equal to 2.5 mm and less than or equal to 4.5 mm.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, along the first direction, the size of the transition area and the size of the connection area are smaller than the size of the component area.

[0018] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display device, including a display substrate and the flexible circuit board as described above.

[0019] The flexible circuit board provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a transition zone between the connection zone and the component zone, and provides a reinforcement part in the transition zone to reinforce the strength of the flexible circuit board, so that the stress concentration degree at the junction of the connection zone and the component zone of the flexible circuit board is reduced, and the anti-deformation ability is improved, which helps to prevent the wiring from breaking near the junction and improve the service life of the flexible circuit board. When the flexible circuit board of the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to a display device, the display abnormality of the display device caused by the wiring breakage on the flexible circuit board can be avoided, which helps to improve the stability of the display effect and also helps to improve the service life of the display device.

[0020] Other features and advantages of the present application will be described in the following description, and partly become apparent from the description, or be understood by implementing the present application. Other advantages of the present application can be realized and obtained by the schemes described in the description and the drawings.

[0021] Other aspects will be apparent upon reading and understanding the drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The accompanying drawings are used to provide an understanding of the technical solution of the present application and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present application, they are used to explain the technical solution of the present application and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solution of the present application.

[0023] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a display device;

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a planar structure of a display device;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of a display area in a display substrate;

[0026] Figure 4 In an exemplary embodiment Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the flexible circuit board along the AA direction;

[0027] Figure 5 In an exemplary embodiment Figure 2 A top view of the flexible circuit board in the dotted line area B;

[0028] Figure 6 In an exemplary embodiment Figure 5 Cross-sectional view along CC direction;

[0029] Figure 7 In yet another exemplary embodiment Figure 2 A top view of the flexible circuit board in the dotted line area B;

[0030] Figure 8 In an exemplary embodiment Figure 7 Cross-sectional view along CC direction;

[0031] Fig. 9 In yet another exemplary embodiment Figure 2 A top view of the flexible circuit board in the dotted line area B;

[0032] Fig.10 In an exemplary embodiment Fig. 9 Cross-sectional view along CC direction;

[0033] Fig.11 In yet another exemplary embodiment Figure 2 A top view of the flexible circuit board in the dotted line area B;

[0034] Fig.12 In an exemplary embodiment Fig.11 Cross-sectional view along CC direction;

[0035] Fig.13 In yet another exemplary embodiment Fig.11 Cross-sectional view along CC direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The present disclosure describes multiple embodiments, but the description is exemplary rather than restrictive, and it is apparent to those skilled in the art that there may be more embodiments and implementations within the scope of the embodiments described in the present disclosure. Although many possible feature combinations are shown in the drawings and discussed in the specific embodiments, many other combinations of the disclosed features are possible. Unless specifically limited, any feature or element of any embodiment may be used in combination with any other feature or element in any other embodiment, or may replace any other feature or element in any other embodiment.

[0037] The present disclosure includes and contemplates combinations of features and elements known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiments, features, and elements disclosed in the present disclosure may also be combined with any conventional features or elements to form a unique invention scheme defined by the claims. Any features or elements of any embodiment may also be combined with features or elements from other invention schemes to form another unique invention scheme defined by the claims. Therefore, it should be understood that any feature shown and / or discussed in the present disclosure may be implemented individually or in any appropriate combination. Therefore, except for the limitations made according to the attached claims and their equivalents, the embodiments are not subject to other limitations. In addition, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of protection of the attached claims.

[0038] In addition, when describing representative embodiments, the specification may have presented the method and / or process as a specific sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the specific order of the steps described herein, the method or process should not be limited to the steps in the specific order described. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, other orders of steps are also possible. Therefore, the specific order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be interpreted as a limitation to the claims. In addition, the claims for the method and / or process should not be limited to the steps performed in the order written, and those skilled in the art can easily understand that these orders can be changed and still remain within the spirit and scope of the disclosed embodiments.

[0039] In the drawings, the size of one or more components, the thickness of a layer, or an area is sometimes exaggerated for the sake of clarity. Therefore, one embodiment of the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the size, and the shape and size of one or more components in the drawings do not reflect the true proportion. In addition, the drawings schematically show ideal examples, and one embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to the shapes or values ​​shown in the drawings.

[0040] The ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", and "third" in this specification are provided to avoid confusion of constituent elements, and are not intended to limit the quantity. The "plurality" in this disclosure means two or more.

[0041] In this specification, for the sake of convenience, the words and phrases indicating the orientation or positional relationship such as "middle", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like are used to illustrate the positional relationship of the constituent elements with reference to the drawings. This is only for the convenience of describing this specification and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present disclosure. The positional relationship of the constituent elements is appropriately changed according to the orientation of the constituent elements being described. Therefore, it is not limited to the words and phrases described in the specification, and can be appropriately replaced according to the circumstances.

[0042] In this specification, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate, or the internal communication of two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the meanings of the above terms in this disclosure can be understood according to the circumstances.

[0043] In this specification, "electrical connection" includes the case where components are connected together through an element having some electrical function. There is no particular limitation on the "element having some electrical function" as long as it can transmit electrical signals between connected components. Examples of "element having some electrical function" include not only electrodes and wiring, but also switching elements such as transistors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, and other elements having various functions.

[0044] In this specification, "parallel" means a state where the angle formed by two straight lines is greater than -10° and less than 10°, and therefore, also includes a state where the angle is greater than -5° and less than 5°. In addition, "perpendicular" means a state where the angle formed by two straight lines is greater than 80° and less than 100°, and therefore, also includes a state where the angle is greater than 85° and less than 95°.

[0045] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display device. Figure 1As shown, the display device may include a timing controller, a data driver, a scan driver, a light emitting driver and a pixel array, the timing controller is respectively connected to the data driver, the scan driver and the light emitting driver, the data driver is respectively connected to a plurality of data signal lines (D1 to Dn), the scan driver is respectively connected to a plurality of scan signal lines (S1 to Sm), and the light emitting driver is respectively connected to a plurality of light emitting signal lines (E1 to Eo). The pixel array may include a plurality of sub-pixels Pxij, i and j may be natural numbers, at least one sub-pixel Pxij may include a circuit unit and a light emitting element connected to the circuit unit, the circuit unit may include at least a pixel driving circuit, and the pixel driving circuit is respectively connected to the scan signal line, the data signal line and the light emitting signal line. In an exemplary embodiment, the timing controller may provide a grayscale value and a control signal suitable for the specification of the data driver to the data driver, may provide a clock signal suitable for the specification of the scan driver, a scan start signal, etc. to the scan driver, and may provide a clock signal suitable for the specification of the light emitting driver, an emission stop signal, etc. to the light emitting driver. The data driver can generate data voltages to be provided to data signal lines D1, D2, D3, ... and Dn using grayscale values ​​and control signals received from the timing controller. For example, the data driver can sample grayscale values ​​using a clock signal, and apply data voltages corresponding to grayscale values ​​to data signal lines D1 to Dn in units of pixel rows, where n can be a natural number. The scan driver can generate scan signals to be provided to scan signal lines S1, S2, S3, ... and Sm by receiving clock signals, scan start signals, etc. from the timing controller. For example, the scan driver can sequentially provide scan signals with conduction level pulses to scan signal lines S1 to Sm. For example, the scan driver can be constructed in the form of a shift register, and can sequentially transmit scan start signals provided in the form of conduction level pulses to the next level circuit under the control of the clock signal to generate scan signals, where m can be a natural number. The light-emitting driver can generate emission signals to be provided to light-emitting signal lines E1, E2, E3, ... and Eo by receiving clock signals, emission stop signals, etc. from the timing controller. For example, the light emitting driver may sequentially provide an emission signal having a cut-off level pulse to the light emitting signal lines E1 to Eo. For example, the light emitting driver may be constructed in the form of a shift register, and may generate an emission signal in a manner of sequentially transmitting an emission stop signal provided in the form of a cut-off level pulse to a next stage circuit under the control of a clock signal, and o may be a natural number.

[0047] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a planar structure of a display device. Figure 2As shown, the display device may include a display substrate 11 and a flexible circuit board 12 bound and connected to the display substrate 11. The display substrate 11 may include a display area AA and a peripheral area PA surrounding the display area AA, a plurality of binding pads 111 may be provided on one side of the peripheral area PA in the second direction Y, the plurality of binding pads 111 may be arranged along a first direction X, the flexible circuit board 12 may be bound and connected to the display substrate 11 through the corresponding binding pads 111, the first direction X and the second direction Y may intersect each other, for example, the first direction X and the second direction Y may be perpendicular to each other. The flexible circuit board 12 may include a connection area 121 and a component area 122. The component area 122 may be arranged with a plurality of components. For example, the integrated circuit (IC), flash memory, resistors, capacitors and other components of the flexible circuit board 12 may be arranged in the component area 122. The component area 122 may be arranged to be connected to the display substrate 11. The connection area 121 may be arranged to be connected to the main board of the display device (not shown). Connection lines for the plurality of components to communicate with the main board of the display device may be arranged in the connection area 121, so as to facilitate signal transmission between the main board, such as power signals, data signals and control signals. In the first direction X, the size of the connection area 121 may be smaller than the size of the component area 122.

[0048] In an exemplary embodiment, the peripheral area PA may include a bending area (not shown) disposed between the display area AA and the plurality of binding pads 111, the bending area may extend along the first direction X, and the display substrate 11 may be bent along the bending area, so that the display substrate 11 located on the side of the bending area away from the display area AA is bent to the back of the display substrate 11, which helps to achieve a narrow frame. After being bent, the flexible circuit board 12 may be bent to the back of the display substrate 11, and the main board of the display device may be disposed on the back of the display substrate 11 so as to be connected to the bent connection area 121.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment, the shape of the display area 100 can be a quadrilateral, a circle, an ellipse, a polygon of other shapes or an irregular shape, etc., the corner shape of the display area 100 can be rounded, and the shape of the edge of the display area can be a straight line, a curve, a broken line, etc., which is not limited by the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a planar structure of a display area in a display substrate. Figure 3As shown, the display area AA of the display substrate 11 may include a plurality of pixel units P arranged in a matrix, and at least one pixel unit P may include a first sub-pixel P1 emitting a first color light, a second sub-pixel P2 emitting a second color light, and a third sub-pixel P3 emitting a third color light. Each sub-pixel may include a circuit unit and a light-emitting element, and the circuit unit may include at least a pixel driving circuit, and the pixel driving circuit is respectively connected to the scanning signal line, the data signal line, and the light-emitting signal line, and the pixel driving circuit is configured to receive the data voltage transmitted by the data signal line under the control of the scanning signal line and the light-emitting signal line, and output a corresponding current to the light-emitting element. The light-emitting element in each sub-pixel is respectively connected to the pixel driving circuit of the sub-pixel, and the light-emitting element is configured to emit light of corresponding brightness in response to the current output by the connected pixel driving circuit.

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment, the first sub-pixel P1 may be a red sub-pixel (R) emitting red light, the second sub-pixel P2 may be a blue sub-pixel (B) emitting blue light, and the third sub-pixel P3 may be a green sub-pixel (G) emitting green light. In an exemplary embodiment, the shape of the sub-pixels may be rectangular, rhombus, pentagonal or hexagonal, and the three sub-pixels may be arranged in a horizontal parallel, vertical parallel or triangular manner, which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0052] In an exemplary embodiment, a pixel unit may include four sub-pixels. For example, the four sub-pixels may include a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, a blue sub-pixel, and a white sub-pixel emitting white (W) light. For another example, the four sub-pixels may include a red sub-pixel, a blue sub-pixel, and two green sub-pixels. In an exemplary embodiment, the four sub-pixels may be arranged in a horizontal parallel arrangement, a vertical parallel arrangement, a square shape, a diamond shape, etc., which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0053] Figure 4 In an exemplary embodiment Figure 2 The cross-sectional view of the flexible circuit board along the AA direction. Figure 4 As shown, in the direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board 12, the first thickness H1 of the connection area 121 is less than the second thickness H2 of the component area 122, the first thickness H1 may be the maximum dimension of the connection area 121 in the direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board 12, and the second thickness H2 may be the maximum dimension of the component area 122 in the direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board 12. A plurality of components (not shown) may be arranged on at least one side surface of the component area 122.

[0054] In an exemplary embodiment, the flexible circuit board 12 of the component area 122 may include at least three conductive layers. For example, the flexible circuit board 12 of the component area 122 may include three to six conductive layers. By increasing the number of conductive layers, the wiring space can be increased and the area of ​​the flexible circuit board 12 can be reduced. The flexible circuit board 12 of the connection area 121 may include two conductive layers. The thickness of the connection area 121 is smaller, which is helpful for subsequent bending and buckling with the main board. The material of the conductive layer may include copper. The number of conductive layers included in the connection area 121 is smaller, and the strength is lower than that of the component area 122. Figure 4 In the figure, it is taken as an example that the component area 122 includes three conductive layers (ie, a three-layer board) and the connection area 121 includes two conductive layers (ie, a two-layer board), and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, the flexible circuit board 12 may include a first conductive layer 202 and a second conductive layer 203 disposed on both sides of a first substrate layer 201. A first auxiliary conductive layer 204, a first cover layer (CVL) 206 and a first electromagnetic interference (EMI) layer 207 may be sequentially disposed on a side of the first conductive layer 202 away from the first substrate layer 201. The first cover layer 206 may be connected to the first auxiliary conductive layer 204 through a first adhesive layer 205. A second substrate layer 209, a third conductive layer 210, a second auxiliary conductive layer 211, a second cover layer 213 and a second electromagnetic shielding layer 214 may be sequentially disposed on a side of the second conductive layer 203 away from the first substrate layer 201. The second substrate layer 209 may be connected to the second conductive layer 203 through a second adhesive layer 208. The second cover layer 213 may be connected to the second auxiliary conductive layer 211 and the second conductive layer 203 through a third adhesive layer 212. The second adhesive layer 208, the second substrate layer 209, the third conductive layer 210 and the second auxiliary conductive layer 211 may be located in the component area 122, and the remaining film layers may cover the connection area 121 and the component area 122. The materials of the first substrate layer 201, the second substrate layer 209, the first cover layer 206 and the second cover layer 213 may be polyimide (PI), the first conductive layer 202, the second conductive layer 203 and the third conductive layer 210 may be copper-plated, and the first auxiliary conductive layer 204 and the second auxiliary conductive layer 211 may be copper-plated, which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0056] like Figure 4As shown, during the preparation process of the flexible circuit board 12, the third conductive layer 210 located in the connection area 121 is directly removed, resulting in a height difference of H2-H1 at the junction of the connection area 121 and the component area 122. The formed step difference is relatively large. When the flexible circuit board 12 is under stress, stress is easily concentrated at the junction, and the deformation at the junction is more obvious, which is a weak stress area of ​​the entire flexible circuit board 12. When the user is operating the display device, he needs to click on the screen, such as typing or playing games. After being pressed, the screen will deform slightly and transfer the force to the flexible circuit board 12 located inside the display device. Each click of the user will cause the flexible circuit board 12 to undergo a micro-motion of deformation and recovery. In each micro-motion, the deformation degree of the flexible circuit board 12 at the junction is the largest. After experiencing multiple micro-motions, the conductive layer at the junction is prone to cracks first due to reaching the fatigue limit, causing the wiring near the junction to break. The communication between the mainboard and the screen of the display device is generally carried out through the flexible circuit board 12 for signal transmission. The wiring breakage of the flexible circuit board 12 will cause the display of the display device to be abnormal. In the context of requiring the display device to have low weight, small volume and large screen ratio, the spatial layout of the display device is more compact, the size of the flexible circuit board 12 is smaller, the size of the connection area 121 along the second direction Y is smaller, and the wiring length of the connection area 121 is shorter, which is more prone to wiring breakage and display abnormality.

[0057] The present disclosure provides a flexible circuit board, including:

[0058] A component area, which is set to connect with multiple components;

[0059] A connection area, comprising a plurality of traces, wherein the traces are configured to connect the component to an external device; in a direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board, the thickness of the component area is greater than the thickness of the connection area;

[0060] A transition area, configured to connect the connection area and the component area;

[0061] Wherein, a reinforcement portion is arranged in the transition zone, and the reinforcement portion is arranged to reinforce the strength of the flexible circuit board.

[0062] The flexible circuit board provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a transition zone between the connection zone and the component zone, and provides a reinforcement part in the transition zone to reinforce the strength of the flexible circuit board, so that the stress concentration degree at the junction of the connection zone and the component zone of the flexible circuit board is reduced, and the anti-deformation ability is improved, which helps to prevent the wiring from breaking near the junction and improve the service life of the flexible circuit board. When the flexible circuit board of the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to a display device, the display abnormality of the display device caused by the wiring breakage on the flexible circuit board can be avoided, which helps to improve the stability of the display effect and also helps to improve the service life of the display device.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment, the “external device” may be a main board of a display device, which is not limited by the present disclosure.

[0064] Figure 5 In an exemplary embodiment Figure 2 The top view of the flexible circuit board in the dotted area B. Figure 5 As shown, the flexible circuit board 12 includes a connection area 121, a component area 122 and a transition area 123, and the transition area 123 is located between the connection area 121 and the component area 122. The connection area 121, the component area 122 and the transition area 123 each include at least two conductive layers, the number of conductive layers in the connection area 121 is less than the number of conductive layers in the component area 122, and the transition area 123 includes a reinforcement part 220, which is configured to reinforce the strength of the flexible circuit board 12, which can reduce the stress concentration near the junction of the connection area 121 and the component area 122, and improve the deformation resistance of the flexible circuit board 12 at the junction, thereby preventing the wiring from breaking near the junction and improving the service life of the flexible circuit board 12. Figure 5 When the flexible circuit board 12 of the structure shown is applied to a display device, display abnormality of the display device caused by broken wiring on the flexible circuit board 12 can be avoided, which helps to improve the stability of the display effect and also helps to increase the life of the display device.

[0065] like Figure 5 As shown, the flexible circuit board 12 can extend along the first direction X, the component area 122 is located on one side of the connection area 121 in the second direction Y, and the transition area 123 is located between the connection area 121 and the component area 122. In the first direction X, the size of the transition area 123 can be equal to the size of the connection area 121 and smaller than the size of the component area 122. In the second direction Y, the size S of the transition area 123 can be greater than or equal to 2.5 millimeters (mm) and less than or equal to 4.5 mm. For example, the size S of the transition area 123 can be greater than or equal to 3 millimeters (mm) and less than or equal to 4 mm, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0066] like Figure 5As shown, the reinforcement portion 220 includes a plurality of first sub-reinforcement portions 221. In the direction from the component region 122 to the connection region 121, the size of the first sub-reinforcement portions 221 gradually increases, and the number of the first sub-reinforcement portions 221 gradually increases. The difference in size between the plurality of first sub-reinforcement portions 221 arranged along the first direction X may be less than or equal to 10%. For example, the sizes of the plurality of first sub-reinforcement portions 221 arranged along the first direction X may be equal. Figure 5 In the figure, the shapes of the multiple first sub-reinforcement parts 221 are all circular. In other embodiments, the shapes of the multiple first sub-reinforcement parts 221 can be one or more of the following shapes: ellipse, triangle, rectangle, rhombus, quadrilateral and polygon of other shapes, and irregular shapes, etc. The edge of the first sub-reinforcement part 221 can be in the shape of a straight line, a broken line and a curve, etc. The corner of the first sub-reinforcement part 221 can be in the shape of a rounded corner, etc. The parameters such as the shape and size of the multiple first sub-reinforcement parts 221 can be set as needed, and the present disclosure does not limit this. By setting the size and number of the multiple first sub-reinforcement parts 221 arranged in the direction from the component area 122 to the connection area 121 to gradually increase, the stress on the transition area 123 can be dispersed, and a smooth transition of stress can be achieved between the connection area 121 and the component area 122, reducing the degree of deformation of the junction of the connection area 121 and the component area 122 in each micro-motion, strengthening the structural strength of the junction, making it difficult for the wiring near the junction to break, and reducing the probability of display abnormality of the display device.

[0067] Figure 6 In an exemplary embodiment Figure 5 Cross-sectional view along CC direction, Figure 6 and Figure 4 The difference is only in the transition area 123. The arrangement of the connection area 121 and the component area 122 can refer to the above Figure 4 The description will not be repeated here.

[0068] like Figure 6 As shown, in the direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board 12, the thickness of the transition area 123 can be equal to the thickness of the component area 122, both of which are the second thickness H2. The film layer setting of the transition area 123 can be the same as the film layer setting of the component area 122. A plurality of first sub-reinforcement portions 221 can be located in the third conductive layer 210 and the second auxiliary conductive layer 211 in the transition area 123, the third conductive layer 210 and the second auxiliary conductive layer 211 where the first sub-reinforcement portion 221 is not set can be removed, and the third adhesive layer 212 can be filled between the plurality of first sub-reinforcement portions 221.

[0069] In other embodiments, the component area 122 may also include at least one conductive layer located on the side of the third conductive layer 210 away from the second substrate layer 209, and multiple first sub-reinforcement parts 221 may pass through the at least one conductive layer. The surface of the second substrate layer 209 may be exposed between the multiple first sub-reinforcement parts 221. The film layers where the first sub-reinforcement parts 221 are located can be set as needed, and the present disclosure does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0070] Figure 7 In yet another exemplary embodiment Figure 2 A top view of the flexible circuit board in the dotted line area B. Figure 7 and Figure 5 The difference between the two is that the arrangement of the multiple first sub-strengthening parts 221 is different. The rest of the content can refer to the above description. Figure 5 The description will not be repeated here.

[0071] like Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1 , along the direction from the component region 122 to the connection region 121, the size of the first sub-reinforcement portion 221 gradually decreases, and the number of the first sub-reinforcement portion 221 gradually decreases. The shapes and sizes of the plurality of first sub-reinforcement portions 221 may refer to the aforementioned Figure 5 By gradually reducing the size and number of the plurality of first sub-strengthening parts 221 arranged in the direction from the component area 122 to the connection area 121, the stress on the transition area 123 can be dispersed, and a smooth transition of stress between the connection area 121 and the component area 122 is achieved, thereby reducing the degree of deformation of the junction between the connection area 121 and the component area 122 in each micro-motion, and reinforcing the structural strength of the junction, so that the wiring near the junction is not easy to break, thereby reducing the probability of display abnormalities in the display device.

[0072] Figure 8 In an exemplary embodiment Figure 7 Cross-sectional view along CC direction, Figure 8 and Figure 6 The only difference between the two is that the sizes of the adjacent first sub-reinforcement parts 221 are different. The rest of the content can refer to the above description. Figure 6 The description will not be repeated here.

[0073] Fig. 9 In yet another exemplary embodiment Figure 2 A top view of the flexible circuit board in the dotted area B. Fig. 9 and Figure 5 The difference lies in the setting of the strengthening unit 220. The rest of the content can refer to the above description of Figure 5 The description will not be repeated here.

[0074] like Fig. 9As shown, the reinforcement portion 220 may include a plurality of second sub-reinforcement portions 222, which may be arranged in sequence along the first direction X, and the second sub-reinforcement portions 222 may be in the shape of a strip extending along the second direction Y, and the second sub-reinforcement portions 222 may penetrate the transition region 123 along the second direction Y, and the size of the second sub-reinforcement portions 222 along the first direction X gradually decreases in the direction from the component region 122 to the connection region 121. Fig. 9 In the embodiment, the ends of the plurality of second sub-reinforcement portions 222 close to the component region 122 may contact each other to form a sawtooth-shaped reinforcement portion 220. In other embodiments, the plurality of second sub-reinforcement portions 222 may be arranged at intervals along the first direction X, and the minimum distance between adjacent second sub-reinforcement portions 222 may be a first spacing, and the size of the first spacing may be set as required, for example, at least two first spacings may be set to be equal, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Fig. 9 In the figure, the shape of the plurality of second sub-reinforcement parts 222 is a trapezoid as an example for illustration. In other embodiments, the shapes and sizes of the plurality of second sub-reinforcement parts 222 can be set as needed. The edges of the second sub-reinforcement parts 222 can be in the shape of a straight line, a broken line, a curve, etc. The corners of the second sub-reinforcement parts 222 can be in the shape of a rounded corner, etc., and the present disclosure does not limit this. By setting the plurality of second sub-reinforcement parts 222 in the shape of a strip extending along the second direction Y, and in the direction from the component area 122 to the connection area 121, the size of the second sub-reinforcement parts 222 along the first direction X gradually decreases, the stress on the transition area 123 can be dispersed, and a smooth transition of stress can be achieved between the connection area 121 and the component area 122, thereby reducing the degree of deformation of the junction of the connection area 121 and the component area 122 in each micro-motion, and strengthening the structural strength of the junction, so that the wiring near the junction is not easy to break, and the probability of display abnormality of the display device is reduced.

[0075] Fig.10 In an exemplary embodiment Fig. 9 The cross-sectional view along the CC direction illustrates a partial structure of a single second reinforcement sub-portion 222 . Fig.10 and Figure 4 The difference is only in the transition area 123. The arrangement of the connection area 121 and the component area 122 can refer to the above Figure 4 The description will not be repeated here.

[0076] like Fig.10As shown, in the direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board 12, the thickness of the transition area 123 can be equal to the thickness of the component area 122, both of which are the second thickness H2. The film layer setting of the transition area 123 can be the same as the film layer setting of the component area 122. A plurality of second sub-reinforcement portions 222 can be located in the third conductive layer 210 and the second auxiliary conductive layer 211 in the transition area 123, the third conductive layer 210 and the second auxiliary conductive layer 211 where the second sub-reinforcement portion 222 is not set can be removed, and the third adhesive layer 212 can be filled between the plurality of second sub-reinforcement portions 222.

[0077] In other embodiments, the component area 122 may also include at least one conductive layer located on the side of the third conductive layer 210 away from the second substrate layer 209, and the multiple second sub-reinforcement parts 222 may penetrate the at least one conductive layer. The surface of the second substrate layer 209 may be exposed between the multiple second sub-reinforcement parts 222. The film layers where the second sub-reinforcement parts 222 are located can be set as needed, and the present disclosure does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0078] Fig.11 In yet another exemplary embodiment Figure 2 A top view of the flexible circuit board in the dotted area B. Fig.11 and Fig. 9 The difference is that the number of the second sub-reinforcement parts 222 is small, and the plurality of second sub-reinforcement parts 222 are an integrated structure on the side close to the component area 122. The rest of the contents can refer to the aforementioned Fig. 9 The description will not be repeated here.

[0079] In an exemplary embodiment, the size of the integrated structure of the plurality of second reinforcement sub-parts 222 on the side close to the device region 122 and the size of the mutually separated portions of the plurality of second reinforcement sub-parts 222 may be set as needed, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0080] Fig.12 In an exemplary embodiment Fig.11 Cross-sectional view along CC direction, Fig.12 and Figure 4 The difference is only in the transition area 123. The arrangement of the connection area 121 and the component area 122 can refer to the above Figure 4 The description will not be repeated here.

[0081] like Fig.12As shown, in the direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board 12, the thickness of the transition area 123 can be less than the second thickness H2 of the component area 122 and greater than the first thickness H1 of the connection area 121. The plurality of second sub-reinforcement portions 222 can be located in the second adhesive layer 208 and the second substrate layer 209 in the transition area 123, and the third conductive layer 210 and the second auxiliary conductive layer 211 in the transition area 123 can be removed, so that the thickness of the transition area 123 is reduced. By setting the second thickness H2 of the component area 122, the thickness of the transition area 123 and the first thickness H1 of the connection area 121 to gradually decrease in sequence, the step difference between the component area 122 and the connection area 121 is reduced, which helps to reduce the stress concentration at the junction of the component area 122 and the connection area 121. By setting a plurality of second sub-reinforcement parts 222 on the second substrate layer 209, it helps to disperse the stress in the transition area 123, reduce the deformation degree of the transition area 123 in each micro-movement, and strengthen the structural strength of the junction, so that the wiring near the junction is not easy to break, thereby reducing the probability of display abnormalities in the display device.

[0082] In other embodiments, the component area 122 may further include at least one conductive layer located on the side of the third conductive layer 210 away from the second substrate layer 209 , and the transition area 123 may include a conductive layer less than the third conductive layer 210 , which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0083] Fig.13 In yet another exemplary embodiment Fig.11 Cross-sectional view along CC direction, Fig.13 and Fig.12 The difference is that the thickness of the transition area 123 decreases in a step-like manner along the direction from the component area 122 to the connection area 121, and the rest of the structure can refer to the above description. Fig.12 The description will not be repeated here.

[0084] like Fig.13 As shown, the plurality of second sub-reinforcement portions 222 may be located in the second adhesive layer 208, the second substrate layer 209, the third conductive layer 210, and the second auxiliary conductive layer 211 in the transition region 123. The integral structure of the plurality of second sub-reinforcement portions 222 close to the component region 122 may be located in the second adhesive layer 208, the second substrate layer 209, the third conductive layer 210, and the second auxiliary conductive layer 211, and the mutually separated portions of the plurality of second sub-reinforcement portions 222 may be located in the second adhesive layer 208 and the second substrate layer 209, so that the thickness of the transition region 123 is reduced in a step-like manner along the direction from the component region 122 to the connection region 121.

[0085] In other embodiments, the component area 122 and the transition area 123 may further include at least one conductive layer located on the side of the third conductive layer 210 away from the second substrate layer 209. When the transition area 123 includes more conductive layers, the thickness of the transition area 123 in the direction from the component area 122 to the connection area 121 may present a greater number of stepped shapes, and the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0086] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 5 to 13 The structures in the embodiment can be combined with each other arbitrarily, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0087] The flexible circuit board provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure has little change to the original preparation process and is suitable for popularization and application. It can be applied not only to display devices but also to other types of electronic products, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0088] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a display device, including a display substrate and the flexible circuit board described in any of the above embodiments. The display device can be: an OLED display, a QLED display, an LED display, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a television, a monitor, a laptop computer, a digital photo frame, a navigator, or any other product or component with a display function, and the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0089] In an exemplary embodiment, the component area of ​​the flexible circuit board may be bound and connected to the display substrate, and the connection area of ​​the flexible circuit board may be connected to the mainboard of the display device, which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0090] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations of the present disclosure. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and vary the above embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A flexible circuit board, comprising: A component area, which is set to connect with multiple components; a connection area, comprising a plurality of traces, wherein the traces are configured to connect the components to an external device; In a direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board, the thickness of the component area is greater than the thickness of the connection area; A transition area, configured to connect the connection area and the component area; Wherein, a reinforcement portion is arranged in the transition zone, and the reinforcement portion is arranged to reinforce the strength of the flexible circuit board.

2. The flexible circuit board according to claim 1, wherein: In a direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board, the connection area, the component area and the transition area each include at least two conductive layers; The thickness of the component area is greater than the thickness of the connection area, which includes: the number of conductive layers in the connection area is less than the number of conductive layers in the component area.

3. The flexible circuit board according to claim 2, wherein: In a direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board, the component area includes a first conductive layer, a first substrate layer, a second conductive layer, a second substrate layer and a third conductive layer stacked in sequence, and the connection area includes the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

4. The flexible circuit board according to claim 3, wherein: In a direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board, the transition region includes the first conductive layer, the first substrate layer, the second conductive layer and the second substrate layer, and the reinforcement portion is located on the second substrate layer.

5. The flexible circuit board according to claim 3, wherein: In a direction perpendicular to the flexible circuit board, the transition zone includes the first conductive layer, the first substrate layer, the second conductive layer, the second substrate layer and the third conductive layer; the reinforcement portion is located in the third conductive layer, or the reinforcement portion is located in the third conductive layer and the second substrate layer.

6. The flexible circuit board according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The reinforcement portion includes a plurality of first sub-reinforcement portions. In a direction from the component region to the connection region, sizes of the first sub-reinforcement portions gradually increase, and the number of the first sub-reinforcement portions gradually increases.

7. The flexible circuit board according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The reinforcement portion includes a plurality of first sub-reinforcement portions. In a direction from the component region to the connection region, the sizes of the first sub-reinforcement portions gradually decrease, and the number of the first sub-reinforcement portions gradually decreases.

8. The flexible circuit board according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The reinforcement portion includes a plurality of second sub-reinforcement portions that penetrate the transition zone, and the plurality of second sub-reinforcement portions are arranged in sequence along the extension direction of the transition zone. In the direction from the component area to the connection area, the size of the second sub-reinforcement portions along the arrangement direction gradually decreases.

9. The flexible circuit board according to claim 8, wherein: When the reinforcing portion is located in the third conductive layer and the second base material layer, the thickness of the transition region decreases in a step-like manner in a direction from the component region to the connection region.

10. The flexible circuit board according to claim 8, wherein: Along the arrangement direction, at least two of the second reinforcement sub-portions are in contact with each other at one end close to the component region; or, along the arrangement direction, a plurality of the second reinforcement sub-portions are spaced apart from each other.

11. The flexible circuit board according to claim 8, wherein: Along the arrangement direction, a side of the plurality of second reinforcement sub-parts close to the component region is an integrated structure.

12. The flexible circuit board according to claim 11, wherein: Parts of the integrated structure of the plurality of second reinforcement sub-portions are located on the second base material layer and the third conductive layer, and the remaining parts of the plurality of second reinforcement sub-portions are located on the second base material layer.

13. The flexible circuit board according to claim 1, wherein: The flexible circuit board extends along a first direction, the component area is located on one side of the connection area in a second direction, and the first direction intersects with the second direction; In the second direction, a dimension of the transition zone is greater than or equal to 2.5 mm and less than or equal to 4.5 mm.

14. The flexible circuit board according to claim 13, wherein: Along the first direction, a size of the transition region and a size of the connection region are smaller than a size of the component region.

15. A display device comprising a display substrate and the flexible circuit board according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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