Display device

Abstract

The application relates to a display device, which comprises a display panel and a protective film arranged on the light-emitting side of the display panel; the protective film comprises a substrate layer and a functional layer, the functional layer is arranged on at least one side of the substrate layer, the functional layer comprises a main body layer and a microstructure arranged on the side of the main body layer away from the substrate layer; wherein the microstructure comprises a plurality of microspheres, the microspheres have opposite first and second sides, the first side is in contact with the surface of the main body layer, the polarity of the first side is opposite to that of the second side, and the polarity of the first side is the same as that of the surface of the main body layer. The protective film surface of the application has regularly arranged microstructures, has a good anti-glare effect, and can effectively improve the flash point problem existing in the existing anti-glare protective film.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display technology, and more particularly to a display device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of technology, people's lives and work are inseparable from smart terminals, giving rise to portable foldable products with large screens. Unlike ordinary non-foldable products, the extra-large screen of foldable products means their applications are not limited to personal communication or entertainment; they are often given the functions of tablets and laptops and can be used in various scenarios, such as conference rooms. However, in the multi-lit environment of a conference room, the high reflectivity of the screen surface can greatly affect the user's visual experience. Therefore, anti-glare protective films are usually applied to the screen surface to eliminate glare and improve the user experience. However, existing anti-glare products have the problem of flickering, which also affects the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a display device, which includes a protective film located on the light-emitting side of the display panel. The protective film has a good anti-glare effect and can effectively improve the flash point problem of existing anti-glare protective films.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a display device, including a display panel and a protective film disposed on the light-emitting side of the display panel;

[0005] The protective film includes:

[0006] Substrate layer; and

[0007] A functional layer is located on the side of the substrate layer away from the display panel. The functional layer includes a main layer and microstructures located on the side of the main layer away from the substrate layer.

[0008] The microstructure includes a plurality of microspheres arranged in an array. Each microsphere has a first side and a second side. The first side is in contact with the surface of the main body layer. The polarity of the first side is opposite to that of the second side, and the polarity of the first side is the same as that of the surface of the main body layer.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first side of the microsphere has a first hydrophilic group, the second side of the microsphere has a hydrophobic group, and the surface of the host layer is a hydrophilic surface.

[0010] In some embodiments, the microspheres are silica nanoparticles with the first hydrophilic group and the hydrophobic group attached to their surface, wherein one hemisphere of the silica nanoparticle has the first hydrophilic group, and the opposite hemisphere has the hydrophobic group.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first hydrophilic group includes a silanol group, and the hydrophobic group includes a fluorocarbon chain.

[0012] In some embodiments, the material of the host layer includes a host material having a second hydrophilic group, the second hydrophilic group including at least one of carboxyl, amino, or hydroxyl groups.

[0013] In some embodiments, the material of the host layer includes the host material and a fluorine-containing compound.

[0014] In some embodiments, the host material includes at least one of acrylate polymers or epoxy resin polymers.

[0015] In some embodiments, the mass ratio of the microspheres to the material of the main layer in the functional layer ranges from 0.01% to 1%.

[0016] In some embodiments, the microspheres are connected to the surface of the host layer by chemical bonds.

[0017] In some embodiments, the protective film further includes an anti-reflective layer disposed on the side of the functional layer away from the substrate layer, and the surface of the anti-reflective layer away from the functional layer has a raised shape corresponding to the microstructure surface.

[0018] This application provides a display device, which includes a protective film located on the light-emitting side of the display panel. The protective film includes a functional layer, which includes a main layer and microstructures located on the surface of the main layer. The microstructures include a plurality of microspheres arranged in an array. Each microsphere has a first side and a second side with opposite polarities. The polarity of the first side is the same as the surface polarity of the main layer. Therefore, the first side of the microstructure contacts the surface of the main layer due to the same polarity, while the second side of the microstructure repels the surface of the main layer due to the opposite polarity. This driving force enables the microspheres to be orderly distributed on the surface of the main layer, forming an anti-glare microstructure and giving the protective film an anti-glare function. At the same time, since the multiple microspheres can be evenly and regularly arranged on the surface of the main layer to form a regular microstructure, the flash point problem caused by the irregular anti-glare structure of existing anti-glare products is avoided. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a protective film provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of microspheres for a protective film provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another protective film provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the preparation process of a protective film provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the preparation process of another protective film provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0026] 10. Display device; 100. Protective film; 110. Substrate layer; 120. Functional layer; 121. Main body layer; 1211. Coating slurry; 122. Microstructure; 123. Microsphere; 1231. First side; 1232. Second side; 124. Silica nanoparticles; 125. First hydrophilic group; 126. Hydrophobic group; 130. Anti-reflective layer; 200. Display panel; 210. Flexible display layer; 220. Cover layer; 230. Backing layer; 240. Support layer; 250. Optical adhesive layer; 260. Adhesive layer; 270. Dustproof film. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the protection scope of this application.

[0028] This application provides a display device 10, please refer to... Figure 1 The display device 10 includes a display panel 200 and a protective film 100 disposed on the light-emitting side of the display panel 200.

[0029] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a protective film 100 provided in an embodiment of this application. The protective film 100 includes a substrate layer 110 and a functional layer 120. The functional layer 120 is located on at least one side of the substrate layer 110. The functional layer 120 includes a main layer 121 and microstructures 122 located on the side of the main layer 121 away from the substrate layer 110. The microstructures 122 include a plurality of microspheres 123. Each microsphere 123 has a first side 1231 and a second side 1232 facing each other. The first side 1231 is in contact with the surface of the main layer 121. The polarity of the first side 1231 is opposite to that of the second side 1232, and the polarity of the first side 1231 is the same as the surface polarity of the main layer 121.

[0030] In this application, the functional layer 120 can be formed on the surface of the substrate layer 110 by coating. Specifically, as shown... Figure 5 As shown, the coating slurry 1211 can be mixed with the microspheres 123 and then coated on the surface of the substrate layer 110. After the coating slurry 1211 is cured, it forms the main layer 121. After the microspheres 123 are at least partially floated out of the coating slurry surface and cured, they form the microstructure 122. The main layer 121 and the microstructure 122 together constitute the functional layer 120.

[0031] In this application, the first side 1231 of the microstructure 122 and the surface of the main layer 121 are attracted to each other due to their similar polarity and come into contact. The second side 1232 of the microstructure 122 and the surface of the main layer 121 are repelled due to their opposite polarity. This driving force enables the microspheres 123 to be distributed in an orderly manner on the surface of the main layer 121, forming a raised array structure, constituting an anti-glare microstructure, and giving the protective film 100 an anti-glare function. At the same time, since multiple microspheres 123 can be evenly and regularly arranged on the surface of the main layer 121 to form a regularly distributed microstructure 122, the flash point problem caused by diffuse scattering is avoided.

[0032] In this application, the polarity may refer to hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity.

[0033] In some embodiments, please refer to Figures 2-3 The first side 1231 of the microsphere 123 has a first hydrophilic group 125, the second side 1232 of the microsphere 123 has a hydrophobic group 126, and the surface of the main layer 121 is a hydrophilic surface. Specifically, the hydrophilic surface of the main layer 121 means that the surface of the main layer 121 has a second hydrophilic group; more specifically, the material constituting the main layer 121 may have a second hydrophilic group, thus making the surface of the main layer 121 hydrophilic.

[0034] In this embodiment, the first side 1231 of the microsphere 123, having a first hydrophilic group 125, is attracted to and contacts the second hydrophilic group on the surface of the main layer 121 due to their similar polarity. The second side 1232 of the microsphere 123, having a hydrophobic group 126, is repelled by the second hydrophilic group on the surface of the main layer 121. Under this driving force, the first side 1231 of the microsphere 123 can be directed towards and in contact with the surface of the main layer 121, while the second side 1232 of the microsphere 123 is located away from the surface of the main layer 121, thereby achieving a regular arrangement of the microspheres 123 and forming a regularly distributed microstructure 122.

[0035] In some embodiments, the microspheres 123 and the surface of the host layer 121 can be connected by chemical bonds. Specifically, the first hydrophilic group 125 of the first side 1231 of the microspheres 123 can chemically react with the second hydrophilic group on the surface of the host layer 121 to form a stable chemical bond, so that the first side 1231 of the microspheres 123 and the surface of the host layer 121 are connected by chemical bonds, thereby making the microstructure 122 more stably formed on the surface of the host layer 121.

[0036] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 The microspheres 123 can be silica nanoparticles 124 with the first hydrophilic group 125 and the hydrophobic group 126 attached to their surfaces. One hemisphere of the silica nanoparticle 124 has the first hydrophilic group 125, and the opposite hemisphere has the hydrophobic group 126. The silica nanoparticles 124 have small particle size, are lightweight, and have stable performance. During the coating process, they are advantageous for floating on the surface of the coating slurry 1211 to form the microstructure 122. Meanwhile, the silica nanoparticles 124 have a spherical structure. By having one hemisphere of the silica nanoparticles 124 have the first hydrophilic group 125 and the opposite hemisphere have the hydrophobic group 126, after coating the substrate layer 110 with a coating slurry 1211 containing the microspheres 123, the hemisphere of the silica nanoparticles 124 with the first hydrophilic group 125 will contact the surface of the coating slurry, and the hemisphere of the silica nanoparticles 124 with the hydrophobic group 126 will face away from the surface of the coating slurry. Ultimately, the surface of the main layer 121 forms hemispherical protrusions of similar or identical size, which is beneficial for forming microstructures 122 with consistent size and regular arrangement, so as to further improve the flash point problem.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first hydrophilic group 125 on the surface of the silica nanoparticles 124 includes silanol groups (Si-OH), and the hydrophobic group 126 on the surface of the silica nanoparticles 124 includes fluorocarbon chains.

[0038] The material of the main body layer 121 includes a main material having a second hydrophilic group, wherein the second hydrophilic group of the main material includes at least one of carboxyl (-COOH), amino (-NH2), or hydroxyl (-OH).

[0039] In this embodiment, the silanol groups on the surface of the silica nanoparticles 124 can react chemically with the carboxyl, amino, or hydroxyl groups in the host material to form stable chemical bonds, so that the first side 1231 of the microspheres 123 is connected to the surface of the host layer 121 by chemical bonds.

[0040] In some embodiments, the material of the main body layer 121 includes at least one of an acrylate polymer or an epoxy resin polymer. The acrylate polymer may include the second hydrophilic group: a carboxyl group (-COOH) or an amino group (-NH2), etc.; the epoxy resin polymer may include the second hydrophilic group: a hydroxyl group (-OH) or a carboxyl group (-COOH), etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0041] In some embodiments, the mass ratio of the microspheres 123 to the material of the main layer in the functional layer 120 ranges from 0.01% to 1%, that is, from 0.01:100 to 1:100. When the content of the microspheres 123 is within the above range, it is beneficial to form the regular microstructure 122, so that the functional layer 120 has a better anti-glare function and avoids the flash point problem; when the content of the microspheres 123 is lower than the above range, it may not have an anti-glare effect; when the content of the microspheres 123 is higher than the above range, it may affect the optical properties of the protective film 100, such as transmittance and reflectivity.

[0042] In some embodiments, the microspheres 123 in the microstructure 122 have the same diameter to facilitate the formation of a microstructure 122 with uniform size. The diameter of the microspheres 123 ranges from 0.1 μm to 5 μm. When the diameter of the microspheres 123 is within the above range, it is beneficial to form a regular microstructure 122, so that the functional layer 120 has better anti-glare function and avoids flash point problems.

[0043] In this application, the material of the substrate layer 110 may be polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), cellulose triacetate (TAC), transparent polyimide (CPI), ultrathin flexible glass (UTG), etc., and the thickness of the substrate layer 110 ranges from 25 μm to 100 μm.

[0044] In this application, the thickness of the functional layer 120 ranges from 3 μm to 50 μm. The functional layer 120 has the functions of improving hardness and preventing glare. In some embodiments, the functional layer 120 may also have functions such as anti-fingerprint and anti-reflection, but is not limited thereto.

[0045] In some embodiments, the material of the main body layer 121 further includes an anti-fingerprint material, which includes fluorinated compounds, such as perfluoropolyethers, fluorosilanes, etc., so that the functional layer 120 also has an anti-fingerprint function.

[0046] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 The protective film 100 further includes an anti-reflective layer 130. The anti-reflective layer 130 is located on the side of the functional layer 120 away from the substrate layer 110, and the surface of the anti-reflective layer 130 away from the functional layer 120 has a raised shape corresponding to the surface of the microstructure 122. Specifically, the anti-reflective layer 130 is deposited on the surface of the microstructure 122 and covers the microstructure 122. Since the surface of the microstructure 122 away from the main layer is an array of raised structures, and the anti-reflective layer 130 has a uniform thickness, the surface of the anti-reflective layer 130 has a raised shape corresponding to the surface of the microstructure 122. Therefore, the anti-reflective layer 130 allows the protective film 100 to simultaneously have an anti-reflective function without affecting its anti-glare function. The material of the anti-reflective layer 130 can be an inorganic material, such as niobium oxide or silicon dioxide.

[0047] This application also provides a method for preparing the protective film 100, please refer to... Figure 5 The method for preparing the protective film 100 includes:

[0048] S1. Provide a substrate layer 110;

[0049] S2. Mix the coating slurry 1211 containing the main material with the microspheres 123 to form a mixed slurry;

[0050] S3. The mixed slurry is applied to the surface of the substrate layer 110 to form a coating, and the coating is dried to form a functional layer 120.

[0051] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 After step S3, the following may also be included:

[0052] S4. Apply an anti-reflective material to the side of the functional layer 120 away from the substrate layer 110 to form an anti-reflective layer 130.

[0053] The protective film 100 described in this application will be further illustrated by specific embodiments below.

[0054] Example 1

[0055] In this embodiment, the protective film 100 has the functions of improving hardness, anti-glare and anti-fingerprint. The material of its substrate layer 110 is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the thickness of the substrate layer 110 is 65μm, and the thickness of the functional layer 120 is 35μm.

[0056] Preparation of the protective film 100: Coating slurry 1211 and microspheres 123 are mixed at a mass ratio of 100:0.2 to form a mixed slurry. The mixed slurry is coated onto the surface of the PET substrate layer 110 by a blade coating method. After drying at a high temperature of 80°C for 1 hour, the protective film 100 is obtained. The coating slurry 1211 contains acrylate, epoxy resin polymers, and anti-fingerprint (AF) components. The microspheres 123 have a diameter of 0.8 μm, with one half of the microspheres being hydrophilic and the other half being hydrophobic.

[0057] Example 2

[0058] In this embodiment, the protective film 100 has the functions of improving hardness, anti-glare, anti-fingerprint and anti-reflection. The material of its substrate layer 110 is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the thickness of the substrate layer 110 is 50μm, the thickness of the functional layer 120 is 3μm, and the thickness of the anti-reflection layer 130 is 10μm.

[0059] Preparation of the protective film 100: Coating slurry 1211 and microspheres 123 are mixed at a mass ratio of 100:0.1 to form a mixed slurry; the mixed slurry is coated onto the surface of the PET substrate layer 110 by a blade coating method, and dried at 80°C for 1 hour to obtain the functional layer 120; an anti-reflective (AR) material is coated onto the surface of the functional layer 120 away from the substrate layer 110 by magnetron sputtering to form an anti-reflective layer 130. The coating slurry 1211 contains acrylate, epoxy resin polymers, and anti-fingerprint (AF) components. The microspheres 123 have a diameter of 0.5 μm, with one half of the microsphere 123 being hydrophilic and the other half being hydrophobic.

[0060] In the specific embodiments described above, during the coating process, the hydrophilic spherical surfaces of the microspheres 123 contact the coating slurry 1211 due to their similar polarity, while the hydrophobic spherical surfaces of the microspheres 123 repel the coating slurry 1211 due to their opposite polarity. This driving force causes the microspheres 123 to be orderly distributed on the surface of the coating slurry 1211. The microspheres 123 are uniformly arranged on the surface of the coating slurry 1211. After high-temperature drying, the coating slurry 1211 forms the main layer 121. The microspheres 123 form an array of protrusions of similar size on the surface of the main layer 121, constituting an anti-glare (AG) microstructure 122, thus giving the protective film 100 anti-glare functionality. Simultaneously, due to the similar size and regular arrangement of the microspheres 123, the flash point problem caused by diffuse scattering is avoided. Furthermore, the functional layer 120 also contains anti-fingerprint components, thus giving the protective film 100 anti-fingerprint functionality. When an anti-reflective layer 130 is formed on the surface of the functional layer 120, the protective film 100 also has an anti-reflective function.

[0061] In some embodiments, please continue reading Figure 1 The display panel 200 includes a flexible display layer 210, a cover layer 220, a back sheet layer 230, and a support layer 240. The cover layer 220 is located between the flexible display layer 210 and the protective film 100, and is used to protect the flexible display layer 210. The back sheet layer 230 is located on the side of the flexible display layer 210 away from the cover layer 220, and is used to support the flexible display layer 210. The support layer 240 is located on the side of the back sheet layer 230 away from the flexible display layer 210, and is used to support the film layer above it. Further, an optical adhesive layer (OCA) 250 is also included between the cover layer 220 and the flexible display layer 210; an adhesive layer 260, such as pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), is also included between the support layer 240 and the back sheet layer 230; and a dustproof film 270 is also included on the side of the support layer 240 away from the back sheet layer 230. The flexible display layer 210 can be an OLED, but is not limited to this.

[0062] In this application, the display device 10 may be a foldable display product or a non-foldable display product, and no limitation is made herein.

[0063] This application provides a display device, which includes a protective film located on the light-emitting side of the display panel. The protective film includes a functional layer, which includes a main layer and microstructures located on the surface of the main layer. The microstructures include a plurality of microspheres arranged in an array. Each microsphere has a first side and a second side with opposite polarities. The polarity of the first side is the same as the surface polarity of the main layer. Therefore, the first side of the microstructure contacts the surface of the main layer due to the same polarity, while the second side of the microstructure repels the surface of the main layer due to opposite polarities. This driving force enables the microspheres to be orderly distributed on the surface of the main layer, forming an anti-glare microstructure and giving the protective film an anti-glare function. At the same time, since the multiple microspheres can be evenly and regularly arranged on the surface of the main layer to form a regular microstructure, the flickering problem caused by diffuse reflection is avoided.

[0064] In the description of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0065] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0066] The embodiments, implementation methods, and related technical features of this application can be combined and substituted for each other without conflict.

[0067] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application in any way. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and connections made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of this application without departing from the scope of the technical solution of this application shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of this application.

Claims

1. A display device, characterized in that, The display device includes a display panel and a protective film disposed on the light-emitting side of the display panel; The protective film includes: Substrate layer; and A functional layer is located on the side of the substrate layer away from the display panel. The functional layer includes a main layer and microstructures located on the side of the main layer away from the substrate layer. The microstructure comprises an array of multiple microspheres, each microsphere having a first side and a second side. The first side is in contact with the surface of the host layer, and the polarity of the first side is opposite to that of the second side, and the polarity of the first side is the same as that of the surface of the host layer. The first side of the microsphere has a first hydrophilic group, and the second side of the microsphere has a hydrophobic group. The surface of the host layer is a hydrophilic surface. Chemical bonds are formed between the first hydrophilic group and the hydrophilic surface of the host layer. The microspheres are silica nanoparticles with the first hydrophilic group and the hydrophobic group attached to their surface, wherein one hemisphere of the silica nanoparticle has the first hydrophilic group, and the opposite hemisphere has the hydrophobic group.

2. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first hydrophilic group includes a silanol group, and the hydrophobic group includes a fluorocarbon chain.

3. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material of the main layer includes a main material having a second hydrophilic group, the second hydrophilic group including at least one of carboxyl, amino or hydroxyl groups.

4. The display device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The material of the main layer includes the main material and a fluorine-containing compound.

5. The display device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The main material includes at least one of acrylate polymers or epoxy resin polymers.

6. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the functional layer, the mass ratio of the microspheres to the main layer material ranges from 0.01% to 1%.

7. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective film further includes an anti-reflective layer, which is disposed on the side of the functional layer away from the substrate layer, and the surface of the anti-reflective layer away from the functional layer has a raised shape corresponding to the surface of the microstructure.

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