Flexible supporting structure and flexible display device

Abstract

The invention provides a flexible supporting structure and a flexible display device. The flexible supporting structure is used for supporting and adsorbing the flexible display panel when the flexible display panel is unfolded, the flexible supporting structure comprises a substrate layer and an adsorption layer arranged on the substrate layer, the adsorption layer comprises a base part and a plurality of suction cup microstructures protruding out of the base part in the direction away from the substrate layer, and the suction cup microstructures are arranged on the substrate layer. And one end, far away from the base part, of each suction cup microstructure comprises a concave part which is concave towards the substrate layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a flexible support structure and a flexible display device including the flexible support structure. Background Art

[0002] The development of flexible display technology has greatly promoted the development of display technology towards a more portable and diversified direction. In recent years, with the development of rollable flexible display screens, rollable flexible display devices have been proposed, in which the display screens rolled up on a reel can be unfolded outwards for use when needed. Since the rollable flexible display device can roll up and store the flexible display screen, it can save space to the maximum extent and is easy for users to carry, becoming one of the hot spots in the development of future display technology. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a flexible support structure is provided for supporting and adsorbing a flexible display panel when the flexible display panel is unfolded, the flexible support structure comprising: a substrate layer and an adsorption layer arranged on the substrate layer, wherein the adsorption layer comprises a base and a plurality of suction cup microstructures protruding from the base in a direction away from the substrate layer, and an end of each suction cup microstructure away from the base comprises a recessed portion recessed toward the substrate layer.

[0004] In some embodiments, the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end away from the base is larger than the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end close to the base, or the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end away from the base is smaller than the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end close to the base, or the suction cup microstructure has a constant size in a direction perpendicular to the base.

[0005] In some embodiments, the depth of the recessed portion of the suction cup microstructure is less than or equal to the height of the suction cup microstructure.

[0006] In some embodiments, the adsorption layer is made of silica gel or rubber material with an elastic modulus of 1 MPa-10 MPa and a thickness of 50 um-200 um.

[0007] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of each suction cup microstructure is 20um-100um, and the center distance between adjacent suction cup microstructures is 50um-150um.

[0008] In some embodiments, the plurality of suction cup microstructures are evenly distributed throughout the adsorption layer.

[0009] In some embodiments, the flexible support structure further includes a spacer layer arranged between the substrate layer and the adsorption layer, and the spacer layer is made of foam or PET film or PI film, and has a thickness of 25um-100um.

[0010] In some embodiments, the flexible support structure further includes a first bonding layer arranged between the adsorption layer and the spacer layer, and the thickness of the first bonding layer is 30 um-100 um.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first adhesive layer includes: a silicone adhesive film, which is in direct contact with the adsorption layer, and the peeling force between the silicone adhesive film and the adsorption layer is greater than 1200gf / 25mm; a PET film layer, arranged on the side of the silicone adhesive film away from the adsorption layer; and an acrylic adhesive film, arranged on the side of the PET film layer away from the silicone adhesive film and in direct contact with the spacer layer.

[0012] In some embodiments, the flexible support structure further includes a mesh plate layer arranged on a side of the substrate layer facing away from the adsorption layer.

[0013] In some embodiments, the mesh plate layer includes: a plurality of strip portions, which are arranged at intervals along a first direction, each strip portion extends along a second direction, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the first direction is a curling direction of the flexible support structure; a plurality of connecting portions, which are arranged between adjacent strip portions for connecting adjacent strip portions, a plurality of first openings, which are arranged between adjacent strip portions and connecting portions, each first opening extends along the second direction, and a plurality of second openings, which are arranged in a plurality of connecting portions, each second opening extends along the second direction, and the plurality of second openings are staggered with the plurality of first openings.

[0014] In some embodiments, the width of each strip-shaped portion in the first direction is 0.4 mm-1.0 mm, and the distance between two adjacent strip-shaped portions is 1.0 mm-2.0 mm.

[0015] In some embodiments, a side of the connecting portion facing away from the substrate layer is etched, and a thickness of the connecting portion is 40%-50% of a thickness of the strip portion.

[0016] In some embodiments, the length of the first opening in the second direction is 6 mm-14 mm, and the length of the second opening in the second direction is 6 mm-14 mm.

[0017] In some embodiments, the width of the connecting portion between two adjacent first openings is 0.2 mm-0.5 mm, and the width of the connecting portion between two adjacent second openings is 0.2 mm-0.5 mm.

[0018] In some embodiments, the mesh plate layer is made of stainless steel or titanium alloy, has a tensile strength greater than 450 MPa, and a thickness of 0.1 mm-0.4 mm.

[0019] In some embodiments, the flexible support structure further includes a protection layer arranged on a side of the substrate layer facing away from the adsorption layer.

[0020] In some embodiments, the protective layer is a foam material with a thickness of 30um-100um.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a flexible display device is also provided, comprising: a shell having an opening; a first scroll, which is rotatably disposed in the shell; a second scroll, which is rotatably disposed in the shell, the second scroll being parallel to and spaced apart from the first scroll; a flexible display panel, a first end of which is connected to the first scroll and wound around the first scroll; and a flexible support structure according to any one of the aforementioned embodiments, a first end of which is connected to the second scroll and wound around the second scroll; wherein the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are configured such that when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure extend out of the shell from the opening, the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure can gradually fit the flexible display panel to support and adsorb the flexible display panel.

[0022] In some embodiments, the flexible display device also includes a roller group arranged at the junction of the rolling area and the flattening area, wherein the roller group is configured such that when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure extend out of the shell from the opening, the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure is evenly adsorbed to the entire surface of the flexible display panel through rolling by the roller group.

[0023] In some embodiments, the roller group is also configured to: when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are expanded from the opening to the outside of the shell, the adsorption force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure is controlled by adjusting the position of the roller group in a direction perpendicular to the flexible display panel.

[0024] In some embodiments, the roller group is also configured to: when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are rolled up from the opening into the shell, the separation angle between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure is controlled by adjusting the position of the roller group in a direction parallel to the flexible display panel, thereby controlling the separation force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure.

[0025] In some embodiments, when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are rolled up from the opening into the housing, a separation angle between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure is greater than 10 degrees.

[0026] In some embodiments, the roller set includes a plurality of rollers, and the plurality of rollers are arranged along a direction parallel to the first reel and the second reel.

[0027] In some embodiments, the rollers of the plurality of rollers are made of POM or metal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0030] Figure 2A A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0031] Figure 2B A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0032] Figure 2C A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0033] Figure 2D A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0034] Figure 2E A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0035] Figure 2F A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0036] Figure 2G A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0037] Figure 2H A schematic diagram of the structure of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0038] Figure 3 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a first bonding layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0039] Figure 4 A schematic top view of a mesh plate layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0040] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing a flexible display device in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0041] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing a storage state of a flexible display device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0042] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the rolling side of the flexible display device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0043] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a roller of a flexible display device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0044] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a separate rolling-up of a flexible display panel and a flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure is shown;

[0045] Fig.10 A curve diagram showing the separation force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure changes with the separation angle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0047] The flexible screen of the rollable flexible display device is rolled up in the shell. When the flexible screen is pulled out of the shell, it will bend by itself under its own bending force, and the display screen cannot maintain a flat unfolded state, so the image displayed on the display screen will be distorted, which is not conducive to the user's viewing. At the same time, due to the lack of support on the back of the flexible screen, when the user performs a touch operation on the flexible screen, the flexible screen will bend, which is not conducive to the user's operation.

[0048] Related technology proposes a method of combining a detachable and rollable display screen with a support member, which uses a zipper-like meshing structure on the upper and lower frames to achieve switching between flattening and rolling up. The disadvantage is that the meshing structure is only on the upper and lower edges, and the degree of improvement for the arch in the middle of the screen is limited.

[0049] The present disclosure provides a flexible support structure, which includes an adsorption layer with a suction cup microstructure. In a rolled-up state, the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are respectively rolled up on two scrolls. When the flexible display panel is unfolded, the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure is adsorbed on the entire surface of the flexible display panel, thereby improving the flatness of the flexible display panel and providing reliable support for the flexible display panel.

[0050] Figure 1 FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure includes: a substrate layer 105 and an adsorption layer 101 arranged on the substrate layer 105 . Figure 2A-2G FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the base 1011 is located on the side of the adsorption layer 101 facing the substrate layer. Figure 2A-2G As shown, the adsorption layer 101 includes a base 1011 and a plurality of suction cup microstructures 1012 protruding from the base 1011 in a direction away from the substrate layer, and one end of each suction cup microstructure 1012 away from the base 1011 includes a recess 1013 recessed toward the substrate layer.

[0051] By providing a plurality of suction cup microstructures 1012 on the adsorption layer 101, the entire surface of the flexible display panel can be adsorbed, the flatness of the flexible display panel can be improved, and reliable support can be provided for the flexible display panel. Each suction cup microstructure 1012 is provided with a concave portion 1013, which can form vacuum negative pressure adsorption by squeezing, and the adsorption and separation process can be repeated without losing the adhesive force.

[0052] In some embodiments, Figure 2A As shown, the size of the end of the suction cup microstructure 1012 away from the base 1011 is larger than the size of the end of the suction cup microstructure 1012 close to the base 1011 (hereinafter referred to as the "wide at the top and narrow at the bottom" situation). Optionally, the side surface of the suction cup microstructure 1012 can be a curved surface (such as Figure 2A As shown), it can also be a plane or other shapes. In some embodiments, as Figure 2B As shown, the size of the end of the suction cup microstructure 1012 away from the base 1011 is smaller than the size of the end of the suction cup microstructure 1012 close to the base 1011 (hereinafter referred to as the "narrow top and wide bottom" situation). Optionally, the side of the suction cup microstructure 1012 can be a plane (such as Figure 2B As shown), it may also be a curved surface or other shapes. In some embodiments, as Figure 2C-2G As shown, the suction cup microstructure 1012 has a constant size in a direction perpendicular to the base 1011 (hereinafter referred to as the "same width from top to bottom" situation).

[0053] like Figure 2A-2C As shown, the concave portion 1013 of the suction cup microstructure 1012 may be a curved surface; Figure 2D-2G As shown, the concave portion 1013 of the suction cup microstructure 1012 can be composed of a planar bottom wall and side walls. In the case where the concave portion of the planar suction cup microstructure 1012 is composed of a planar bottom wall and side walls, the cross section of the concave portion can be a trapezoid ( Figure 2D and Figure 2E The situation shown), rectangle ( Figure 2F and Figure 2G For the case where the cross section of the recess is a trapezoid or an arc, the orthographic projection of the recess 1013 on the base 1011 can be located inside the orthographic projection of the suction cup microstructure 1012 on the base 1011 ( Figure 2E , Figure 2F and Figure 2G ), or the orthographic projection of the recess on the base 1011 may coincide with the orthographic projection of the suction cup microstructure 1012 on the base 1011 ( Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C and Figure 2D situation shown).

[0054] In some embodiments, Figure 2A-2F The depth of the recess 1013 of the suction cup microstructure 1012 may be less than the height of the suction cup microstructure 1012, that is, the recess 1013 is only located in a portion of the suction cup microstructure 1012, and the suction cup microstructure 1012 is not hollow. Figure 2G As shown, the depth of the concave portion 1013 of the suction cup microstructure 1012 is equal to the height of the suction cup microstructure 1012, that is, the concave portion 1013 runs through the entire suction cup microstructure 1012, and the suction cup microstructure 1012 is hollow. Figure 2H A schematic diagram of the structure of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2H The middle suction cup microstructure 1012 is a hollow cylinder, and the depth of the recess 1013 may be smaller than the height of the suction cup microstructure 1012 (for example, Figure 2F ), or may be equal to the height of the suction cup microstructure 1012 (e.g. Figure 2G shown).

[0055] Understandably, Figure 2D-2G The recessed portion 1013 structure can also be applied to Figure 2A The suction cup microstructure 1012 shown as wide at the top and narrow at the bottom or Figure 2B The upper narrow and lower wide suction cup microstructure 1012 is not described in detail herein.

[0056] The adsorption layer 101 of the flexible support structure disclosed in the present invention can be made of silicone or rubber material, and the elastic modulus can be 1Mpa-10MPa, for example, 1Mpa, 3Mpa, 5Mpa, 7Mpa, 9Mpa, 10MPa, and the thickness can be 50um-200um, for example, 50um, 80um, 100um, 150um, 200um.

[0057] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of each suction cup microstructure 1012 may be 20um-100um, such as 20um, 40um, 60um, 80um, 100um, and the center distance between adjacent suction cup microstructures 1012 may be 50um-150um, such as 50um, 80um, 100um, 120um, 150um. Here, the "outer diameter of the suction cup microstructure" refers to the maximum size of the suction cup microstructure 1012 in a direction parallel to the base 1011. Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C The letter D indicates the outer diameter of the suction cup microstructure 1012 in three cases: wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, and the same width at the top and bottom; the “center distance between adjacent suction cup microstructures” refers to the distance between the centers of two adjacent suction cup microstructures 1012.

[0058] For the case where the orthographic projection of the recess 1013 on the base 1011 is located inside the orthographic projection of the suction cup microstructure 1012 on the base 1011 (for example Figure 2E , Figure 2F and Figure 2G As shown), the wall thickness of the side wall of the suction cup microstructure is greater than 15μm, for example, 16μm, 18μm, 20μm, to ensure the strength of the suction cup microstructure.

[0059] In some embodiments, multiple suction cup microstructures 1012 are evenly distributed on the entire adsorption layer. It should be noted that the adsorption layer 101 of the present disclosure can be evenly arranged with suction cup microstructures 1012 of the same structure on the entire surface, or can be arranged with suction cup microstructures 1012 of different structures in different areas, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0060] It should be noted that Figures 2A-2H Some specific implementations of the suction cup microstructure are given, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. As long as the suction cup microstructure 1012 is provided with a recess 1013 at one end away from the base 1011 so as to be able to form vacuum negative pressure adsorption during squeezing, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making any creative work shall fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0061] In some embodiments, Figure 1As shown, the flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure may further include a spacer layer 103 arranged between the substrate layer 105 and the adsorption layer 101. The spacer layer 103 may be a flat film made of foam or PET or PI, and the thickness may be 25um-100um, for example, 25um, 40um, 60um, 80um, 100um. By providing the spacer layer, the surface flatness of the flexible support structure can be effectively improved.

[0062] In some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure may further include a first adhesive layer 102 arranged between the adsorption layer 101 and the spacer layer 103 . Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a first bonding layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, the first adhesive layer 102 may include: a silicone adhesive film 1021, the silicone adhesive film is in direct contact with the adsorption layer, and the peeling force between the silicone adhesive film 1021 and the adsorption layer is greater than 1200gf / 25mm, for example, 1300gf / 25mm, 1400gf / 25mm, 1500gf / 25mm; a PET film layer 1022, arranged on the side of the silicone adhesive film 1021 away from the adsorption layer; and an acrylic film 1023, arranged on the side of the PET film layer 1022 away from the silicone adhesive film 1021 and in direct contact with the spacer layer. The thickness of the first adhesive layer 102 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be 30um-100um, for example, 30um, 45um, 60um, 75um, 90um, 100um. By setting a three-layer structure of the first adhesive layer, different adhesive materials can be arranged according to the specific materials of the adsorption layer 101 and the spacer layer 103 to be bonded, so as to achieve a better bonding effect. The peeling force between the silicone adhesive film 1021 of the first adhesive layer 102 and the adsorption layer 101 is greater than 1200gf / 25mm, so that the adsorption layer 101 is strong enough to prevent the adsorption layer 101 from falling off during repeated adsorption and separation with the flexible display panel.

[0063] In some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure may further include a mesh plate layer 107 arranged on a side of the substrate layer 105 away from the adsorption layer 101 . Figure 4 FIG. 2 shows a schematic top view of a mesh plate layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4As shown, the mesh plate layer 107 may include: a plurality of strip portions 1071, which are arranged at intervals along a first direction D1, each strip portion 1071 extends along a second direction D2, the second direction D2 is perpendicular to the first direction D1, and the first direction D1 is a curling direction of the flexible support structure; a plurality of connecting portions 1072, which are arranged between adjacent strip portions 1071 for connecting adjacent strip portions 1071; a plurality of first openings 1073, which are arranged between adjacent strip portions 1071 and connecting portions 1072, each first opening 1073 extends along the second direction D2; and a plurality of second openings 1074, which are arranged in the plurality of connecting portions 1072, each second opening extends along the second direction D2, and the plurality of second openings 1074 are staggered with the plurality of first openings 1071.

[0064] Utilizing the above-mentioned setting of the mesh plate layer 107, the strip portion 1071 can provide sufficient strength for the flexible support structure, while the connecting portion 1072 and the first opening 1073 and the second opening 1074 can make the mesh plate layer 107 have sufficient flexibility, thereby providing sufficient flexibility for the flexible support structure, facilitating the curling and unfolding operations of the flexible support structure along the first direction.

[0065] In some embodiments, Figure 4 As shown, the width C1 of each strip-shaped portion 1071 in the first direction D1 can be 0.4mm-1.0mm, for example, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.6mm, 0.7mm, 0.8mm, 0.9mm, 1.0mm, and the spacing C2 between two adjacent strip-shaped portions 1071 can be 1.0mm-2.0mm, for example, 1.0mm, 1.2mm, 1.4mm, 1.6mm, 1.8mm, 2.0mm.

[0066] In some embodiments, the side of the connecting portion 1072 facing away from the substrate layer 105 can be etched, and after etching, the thickness of the connecting portion 1072 can be 40%-50% of the thickness of the strip portion 1071, that is, the connecting portion 1072 is partially etched, and the partially etched connecting portion can further increase the flexibility of the mesh layer, thereby increasing the flexibility of the flexible support structure.

[0067] In some embodiments, Figure 4 As shown, the length C3 of the first opening 1073 in the second direction D2 can be 6mm-14mm, for example, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, and the length C3 of the second opening 1074 in the second direction D2 can also be 6mm-14mm, for example, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm. Figure 4The schematic diagram shows that the first opening 1073 and the second opening 1074 have the same length C3, which does not represent a limitation of the present disclosure. In a specific embodiment, the lengths of the first opening 1073 and the second opening 1074 may be the same or different. Figure 4 The shapes of the first opening 1073 and the second opening 1074 are only schematically shown. In a specific embodiment, the shapes of the first opening 1073 and the second opening 7074 can be the same or different, and can be arranged in the same manner. Figure 4 The first opening 1073 and the second opening 1074 may have different shapes, as long as they are elongated openings extending along the second direction D2.

[0068] In some embodiments, Figure 4 As shown, the width C4 of the connecting portion 1072 between two adjacent first openings 1073 can be 0.2mm-0.5mm, for example, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, and the width C4 of the connecting portion 1072 between two adjacent second openings 1074 can be 0.2mm-0.5mm, for example, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm. Figure 4 It is schematically shown that the width of the connecting portion 1072 between two adjacent first openings 1073 is the same as the width of the connecting portion 1072 between two adjacent second openings 1074. In a specific embodiment, the width of the connecting portion 1072 between two adjacent first openings 1073 and the width of the connecting portion 1072 between two adjacent second openings 1074 may be the same or different.

[0069] The mesh plate layer provided in the present disclosure may be made of stainless steel or titanium alloy, with a tensile strength greater than 450 MPa, such as 500 MPa, 550 MPa, 600 MPa, 650 MPa, 700 MPa, and a thickness of 0.1 mm-0.4 mm, such as 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm. In the process of preparing the mesh plate layer, the connecting portion and the first opening and the second opening may be etched by etching or laser technology, wherein the connecting portion is partially etched, and the first opening and the second opening are completely etched.

[0070] In some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure may further include a protective layer 109 arranged on the side of the substrate layer 105 away from the adsorption layer 101. The protective layer 109 may be a foam material with a flat surface, and the thickness may be 30um-100um, for example, 30um, 40um, 60um, 80um, 90um, 100um. By providing the protective layer 109, the flexible support structure is prevented from being damaged due to the friction of the coil layer when curling.

[0071] In addition, if Figure 1 As shown, the flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure may also include a second adhesive layer 104 arranged between the substrate layer 105 and the spacer layer 103, a third adhesive layer 106 arranged between the substrate layer 105 and the mesh plate layer 107, and a fourth adhesive layer 108 arranged between the mesh plate layer 107 and the protective layer 109. The second adhesive layer 104, the third adhesive layer 106 and the fourth adhesive layer 108 may be acrylic double-sided adhesive layers, and the adhesive layer thickness may be 25um-50um, for example 25um, 30um, 35um, 40um, 45um, 50um.

[0072] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a flexible display device is provided. Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing a flexible display device in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a storage state of a flexible display device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, wherein reference numeral 30 indicates a flexible display panel, reference numeral 10 indicates a rolled-up side of the flexible display device, on which the flexible display panel is rolled up when the flexible display device is rolled up; reference numeral 20 indicates a fixed side of the flexible display device, on which one end of the flexible display panel is fixed.

[0073] Figure 7 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the rolling side of the flexible display device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the flexible display device provided by the present disclosure includes: a housing 100, on which an opening is opened; a first scroll 200, which is rotatably disposed in the housing 100; a second scroll 300, which is rotatably disposed in the housing 100, and which is parallel to and spaced from the first scroll 200; a flexible display panel 30, a first end of which is connected to the first scroll 200 and is wound on the first scroll 200; and a flexible support structure according to any one of the aforementioned embodiments, a first end of which is connected to the second scroll 300 and is wound on the second scroll 300. The flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are configured such that when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure extend from the opening to the outside of the housing, the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure can gradually fit with the flexible display panel to support and adsorb the flexible display panel.

[0074] like Figure 7As shown, the flexible display device provided by the present disclosure may further include a roller group 500 arranged at the junction of the rolling area and the flattening area, wherein the roller group 500 is configured as follows: when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure extend out of the shell 100 from the opening, the roller group 500 is rolled so that the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure is uniformly adsorbed to the entire surface of the flexible display panel.

[0075] By setting up a roller group, it can be ensured that the flexible display panel is evenly adsorbed by the adsorption layer of the supporting structure when the flexible display panel is pulled out and unfolded, thereby ensuring the flatness of the display surface. In addition, during the rolling up of the flexible display panel, the sliding friction between the flexible display panel and the flexible supporting structure can be reduced by rotating the rollers.

[0076] The roller assembly can be designed in a multi-section manner, that is, it includes a plurality of rollers, and the plurality of rollers can be arranged in a direction parallel to the first reel and the second reel. Arranging a plurality of rollers can prevent compression deformation due to excessive length.

[0077] Figure 8 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a roller of a flexible display device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 8 As shown, the roller may include a positioning shaft 501, a ball bearing 502 and a roller 503, wherein one end of the positioning shaft 501 is embedded in the bearing and the other end is fixed to the housing to achieve axial positioning of the roller; the ball bearing 502 is embedded in the roller 503 to reduce the friction force when the roller 503 rotates; the roller 503 can be made of POM or metal material with a low friction coefficient.

[0078] like Figure 7 As shown, the flexible display device provided by the present disclosure may further include a constant torsion spring assembly 400 arranged at both ends of the first reel 200 and the second reel 300, which may provide a constant torsion for rolling up the flexible display panel and the supporting structure.

[0079] Fig. 9A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a separate winding of a flexible display panel and a flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure is shown. When the flexible display panel 30 and the flexible support structure 40 are unfolded from an opening to the outside of the shell, an adsorption film print may be generated if the adsorption force is too large. If the adsorption force is too small, the flexible display panel cannot be completely adsorbed and a bulge may be generated. By adjusting the position of the roller group 500 in a direction perpendicular to the flexible display panel 30, the adsorption force between the flexible display panel 30 and the flexible support structure 40 can be controlled. When the flexible display panel 30 and the flexible support structure 40 are rolled up from the opening to the inside of the shell, by adjusting the position of the roller group 500 in a direction parallel to the flexible display panel 30, the separation angle θ between the flexible display panel 30 and the flexible support structure 40 can be controlled, thereby controlling the separation force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure.

[0080] Fig.10 FIG. 2 shows a curve diagram showing the separation force of the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as a function of the separation angle. Fig.10 As shown, the separation force between the flexible display panel and the flexible supporting structure decreases significantly as the separation angle increases. When the separation angle is greater than 10 degrees, the vacuum negative pressure adsorption state of the micro-suction cup can disappear, and the separation force between the flexible display panel and the flexible supporting structure is close to 0, which can avoid damage to the flexible display panel.

[0081] The flexible display device provided by the present disclosure has the following beneficial technical effects compared with the related art by providing a flexible support structure with an adsorption layer and realizing the combination or separation of the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure by rolling:

[0082] The flexible display device provided by the present invention can make the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure uniformly adsorbed on the entire surface, realize surface fixation, and make the flexible display panel have better flatness when unfolded. The related art adopts a zipper-like meshing structure, which is only at the upper and lower edges, and the improvement of the arch in the middle of the screen is limited; the adsorption layer adopted by the present invention is provided with a bionic suction cup microstructure, and the thickness of the entire adsorption layer can be less than 100um. The related art adopts a locking groove and a convex block structure to realize the unfolding of the curled panel, and a thickness of at least 2mm is required to ensure normal coupling, which will inevitably increase the thickness of the entire display device, which is not conducive to the thinness of the product; the flexible When the display panel and the flexible supporting structure are separated, the separation force of the display device provided by the present invention will be greatly reduced to close to 0 as the separation angle increases. The hard separation of the locking groove in the related art causes the flexible display panel to be subjected to a greater pulling force, and the force is uneven, which can easily cause damage to the flexible display panel. The flexible display device provided by the present invention only needs a roller to lightly roll the flexible display panel and the flexible supporting structure to achieve uniform adsorption of the entire surface of the flexible display panel and the flexible supporting structure, while the locking groove structure requires a greater pressing force to hard-combine the locking groove. The pressing process may damage the flexible display panel, and once misalignment or deviation occurs, it may not be pressed together.

[0083] In the accompanying drawings, for clarity, the thickness of certain regions and layers may be exaggerated. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same or similar structures, and thus their detailed descriptions will be omitted. The described features, structures or characteristics may be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. In the description of the present disclosure, many specific details are provided so as to provide a full understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the technical solutions of the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, materials, etc. may be adopted. In other cases, known structures, materials or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid blurring the main technical ideas of the present disclosure.

[0084] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts in this article, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or part from another element, component, region, layer or part. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or part discussed above may be referred to as a second element, component, region, layer or part without departing from the teaching of the present disclosure.

[0085] Spatially relative terms such as "row", "column", "below", "above", "left", "right", etc. may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship between one element or feature and another (some) element or feature as illustrated in the figure. It will be understood that these spatially relative terms are intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, the element described as "below other elements or features" will be oriented as "above other elements or features". Therefore, the exemplary term "below" can cover both the orientation above and below. The device can be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used in this article are interpreted accordingly. In addition, it will also be understood that when a layer is referred to as "between two layers", it can be the only layer between the two layers, or one or more intermediate layers can also be present.

[0086] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing a specific embodiment and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "one", "one" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "include" and / or "comprise" specify the presence of the features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or parts when used in this specification, but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups or add one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. In the description of this specification, the description of the reference terms "one embodiment", "another embodiment" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily have to be directed to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. Furthermore, those skilled in the art may combine different embodiments or examples and features of different embodiments or examples described in this specification without mutual contradiction.

[0087] It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on another element or layer," "connected to another element or layer," "coupled to another element or layer," or "adjacent to another element or layer," it may be directly on another element or layer, directly connected to another element or layer, directly coupled to another element or layer, or directly adjacent to another element or layer, or there may be intermediate elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on another element or layer," "directly connected to another element or layer," "directly coupled to another element or layer," or "directly adjacent to another element or layer," there are no intermediate elements or layers. However, in no case should "on..." or "directly on..." be interpreted as requiring that one layer completely cover the layer below.

[0088] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to schematic illustrations (and intermediate structures) of idealized embodiments of the present disclosure. As such, variations in the illustrated shapes, for example as a result of manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances, should be expected. Therefore, embodiments of the present disclosure should not be interpreted as being limited to the specific shapes of the zones illustrated herein, but should include shape deviations, for example, due to manufacturing. Therefore, the zones illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shapes of the zones of the device and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0089] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the relevant art and / or the context of this specification, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless explicitly defined as such herein.

[0090] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, although the various steps of the method in the present disclosure are described in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in this particular order unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Additionally or alternatively, multiple steps may be combined into one step for execution, and / or a step may be decomposed into multiple steps for execution. In addition, other method steps may be inserted between steps. The inserted steps may represent improvements to the method such as described herein, or may be unrelated to the method. In addition, a given step may not be fully completed before the next step begins.

[0091] The above is only a specific implementation of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure, which should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A flexible support structure, used to support and absorb a flexible display panel when the flexible display panel is unfolded, the flexible support structure comprising: a substrate layer and an adsorption layer disposed on the substrate layer, The adsorption layer includes a base and a plurality of suction cup microstructures protruding from the base in a direction away from the substrate layer, and one end of each suction cup microstructure away from the base includes a concave portion concave toward the substrate layer.

2. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, wherein: The size of the suction cup microstructure at one end away from the base is larger than the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end close to the base, or the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end away from the base is smaller than the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end close to the base, or the suction cup microstructure has a constant size in a direction perpendicular to the base.

3. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, wherein: The depth of the concave portion of the suction cup microstructure is less than or equal to the height of the suction cup microstructure.

4. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, wherein: The adsorption layer is made of silica gel or rubber material, has an elastic modulus of 1Mpa-10MPa, and a thickness of 50um-200um.

5. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, wherein: The outer diameter of each suction cup microstructure is 20um-100um, and the center distance between adjacent suction cup microstructures is 50um-150um.

6. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of suction cup microstructures are evenly distributed on the entire adsorption layer.

7. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, further comprising a spacer layer arranged between the substrate layer and the adsorption layer, wherein the spacer layer is made of foam or PET film or PI film and has a thickness of 25um-100um. 8 . The flexible support structure according to claim 7 , further comprising a first bonding layer arranged between the adsorption layer and the spacer layer, wherein the thickness of the first bonding layer is 30 um-100 um.

9. The flexible support structure according to claim 8, wherein the first adhesive layer comprises: A silicone adhesive film, wherein the silicone adhesive film is in direct contact with the adsorption layer, and a peeling force between the silicone adhesive film and the adsorption layer is greater than 1200 gf / 25 mm; The PET film layer is arranged on a side of the silicone film away from the adsorption layer; as well as The acrylic adhesive film is arranged on the side of the PET film layer away from the silicone adhesive film and is in direct contact with the spacer layer.

10. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, further comprising a mesh plate layer arranged on a side of the substrate layer away from the adsorption layer.

11. The flexible support structure according to claim 10, wherein the mesh plate layer comprises: A plurality of strip-shaped portions, which are arranged at intervals along a first direction, each strip-shaped portion extends along a second direction, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the first direction is a curling direction of the flexible support structure; A plurality of connecting portions, which are arranged between adjacent strip-shaped portions and are used to connect the adjacent strip-shaped portions; A plurality of first openings, which are arranged between adjacent strip portions and connecting portions, and each first opening extends along the second direction; as well as A plurality of second openings are arranged in the plurality of connecting portions, each second opening extends along the second direction, and the plurality of second openings are arranged alternately with the plurality of first openings.

12. The flexible support structure according to claim 11, wherein: The width of each strip-shaped portion in the first direction is 0.4 mm-1.0 mm, and the distance between two adjacent strip-shaped portions is 1.0 mm-2.0 mm.

13. The flexible support structure according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The side of the connecting portion facing away from the substrate layer is etched, and the thickness of the connecting portion is 40%-50% of the thickness of the strip portion.

14. The flexible support structure according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The length of the first opening in the second direction is 6 mm-14 mm, and the length of the second opening in the second direction is 6 mm-14 mm.

15. The flexible support structure according to claim 14, wherein a width of the connecting portion between two adjacent first openings is 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm, and a width of the connecting portion between two adjacent second openings is 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

16. The flexible support structure according to claim 10, wherein: The mesh plate layer is made of stainless steel or titanium alloy, has a tensile strength greater than 450 MPa, and a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm.

17. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, further comprising a protection layer arranged on a side of the substrate layer facing away from the adsorption layer.

18. The flexible support structure according to claim 17, wherein: The protective layer is made of foam material with a thickness of 30um-100um.

19. A flexible display device, comprising: A shell, wherein an opening is formed on the shell; a first reel rotatably disposed in the housing; A second reel, the second reel is rotatably disposed in the housing, the second reel is parallel to the first reel and is spaced apart from the first reel; A flexible display panel, wherein a first end of the flexible display panel is connected to the first reel and is wound on the first reel; as well as The flexible support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the first end of the flexible support structure is connected to the second reel and is wound on the second reel; Among them, the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are configured as follows: when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure extend out of the shell from the opening, the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure can gradually fit with the flexible display panel to support and adsorb the flexible display panel.

20. The flexible display device according to claim 19, further comprising a roller group arranged at the junction of the rolling area and the flattening area, wherein the roller group is configured such that when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure extend out of the shell from the opening, the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure is evenly adsorbed to the entire surface of the flexible display panel through rolling by the roller group.

21. The flexible display device according to claim 20, wherein: The roller group is also configured to control the adsorption force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure by adjusting the position of the roller group in a direction perpendicular to the flexible display panel when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are expanded from the opening to the outside of the shell.

22. The flexible display device according to claim 21, wherein: The roller group is also configured to: when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are rolled up from the opening into the shell, the separation angle between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure is controlled by adjusting the position of the roller group in a direction parallel to the flexible display panel, thereby controlling the separation force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure.

23. The flexible display device according to claim 22, wherein: When the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are rolled up from the opening into the housing, a separation angle between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure is greater than 10 degrees.

24. The flexible display device according to any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein: The roller group includes a plurality of rollers, and the plurality of rollers are arranged along a direction parallel to the first reel and the second reel.

25. The flexible display device according to claim 24, wherein: The rollers of the plurality of rollers are made of POM or metal.

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