Electronic paper display module and electronic device

Abstract

An electronic paper module comprises an electronic paper display screen body, at least one connecting part and at least one electronic paper driving chip. The electronic paper display screen body comprises an FPL assembly and a TFT substrate. The connecting part is in electric signal communication with a circuit on the TFT substrate; the connecting part is in electric signal communication with the electronic paper driving chip; and the electronic paper driving chip is not arranged on the electronic paper display screen main body. The connecting component is an FPC flexible circuit board, and the electronic paper driving chip is arranged on the FPC flexible circuit board. Or the PCB is in electric signal communication with the FPC flexible circuit board; and the electronic paper driving chip is arranged on the PCB. According to the electronic paper module, the driving chip is arranged outside the TFT substrate, the TFT typesetting design utilization rate can be increased, in products of the same size, the area of a display screen is larger, the effective display area is enlarged, meanwhile, the one-time bonding process can be reduced, the manufacturing procedure is simpler, and the cost is lower.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the field of electronic paper manufacturing, and particularly relates to an electronic paper display module. BACKGROUND

[0002] Electronic paper (ePaper): a reflective display technology that simulates the visual characteristics of real paper, displays content relying on ambient light rather than backlight, has ultra-low power consumption and high readability under sunlight; does not consume power when maintaining static picture, and is suitable for devices that need to be displayed for a long time (such as electronic books and electronic tags).

[0003] An electronic paper display screen assembly generally comprises three layers of a TFT glass substrate, an FPL film sheet and a PS protective layer.

[0004] TFT glass substrate: driving substrate containing circuit elements; FPL film sheet: middle display layer, encapsulating electronic ink; PS protective layer: sealing protective layer, covering the edge of the FPL.

[0005] TFT: Thin Film Transistor, a semiconductor driving technology that precisely controls the on-off state of each pixel through a thin film transistor array. In electronic paper, it serves as a bottom substrate to carry driving circuits.

[0006] FPL: Front Plane Layer, a core display medium layer of the electronic paper display module, directly containing electronic ink microcapsules (electrophoretic particles) to determine the final imaging effect.

[0007] The internal structure of the FPL is layered, generally comprising: a surface protective layer, i.e., a PS protective layer, located at the outermost layer of the FPL, made of plastic or flexible protective film material, used for physical protection (anti-scratching, anti-impact) and environmental sealing.

[0008] Conductive substrate layer: usually a polyester film (such as PET) or a glass substrate with an ITO transparent conductive layer on the surface, forming an electrode circuit to drive the electronic ink. The flexibility of the substrate determines the bendable characteristics of the electronic paper.

[0009] Electronic ink layer, i.e., E-Ink layer: microcapsule electrophoretic units embedded inside the substrate, containing color particles with positive / negative charges, changing position in response to electric field changes to form black and white or color pixels.

[0010] OCA layer (Optically Clear Adhesive) OCA is a high-transmittance, low-refractive solid-state optical adhesive, mainly used for bonding different optical layers (such as TFT backplane, electronic ink film, etc.) in electronic paper module, while ensuring maximum light transmittance, reducing reflection and scattering of display interface.

[0011] EPD (Electrophoretic Display) is one of the core display technologies of electronic paper (E-Paper). As shown in Figure 11 The existing EPD module design is to bond the driving chip, i.e. driving IC, on the TFT, and then bond the FPC, resulting in a very wide terminal area of the entire EPD module, affecting the utilization rate of TFT layout design, affecting the product size, and affecting the production efficiency of the product. SUMMARY

[0012] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is to avoid the low utilization rate of electronic paper layout and the complex manufacturing process in the prior art, and to provide an electronic paper module with the driving chip disposed outside the TFT substrate, which can increase the utilization rate of TFT layout design, increase the area of the display screen in the same size product, expand the effective display area, and reduce the process of one bonding, making the manufacturing process simpler and the cost lower.

[0013] The technical solution of the present application to solve the above technical problem is an electronic paper module, comprising an electronic paper display screen main body, at least one connecting component, and at least one electronic paper driving chip; the electronic paper display screen main body comprises an FPL assembly and a TFT substrate; the connecting component is in electrical signal communication with the circuit on the TFT substrate; the connecting component is in electrical signal communication with the electronic paper driving chip. The electronic paper driving chip is not disposed on the electronic paper display screen main body. The TFT substrate is a TFT layer.

[0014] The connecting component can be an FPC flexible circuit board.

[0015] The at least one electronic paper driving chip can be disposed on the FPC flexible circuit board.

[0016] The electronic paper module can further comprise a PCB board, and the PCB board is in electrical signal communication with the FPC flexible circuit board. The at least one electronic paper driving chip can be disposed on the PCB board.

[0017] The electronic paper display screen main body can be rectangular, and the connecting component can be disposed below the electronic paper display screen main body.

[0018] The FPL assembly can comprise an OCA layer A, a PET layer, an ITO layer, an E-Ink layer, and an OCA layer B disposed in sequence.

[0019] The FPL assembly can include a surface protection layer.

[0020] The electronic paper driving chip can include at least one pixel driving chip.

[0021] The electronic paper driving chip can include at least one gate GOA driving chip.

[0022] One of the beneficial effects of the technical solution in the present application is that the electronic paper driving chip is not arranged on the electronic paper display screen body, leaving more space for the electronic paper display screen body, which can accommodate more display pixels. With the same size product, the effective display size is larger.

[0023] One of the beneficial effects of the technical solution in the present application is that the connecting component is an FPC flexible circuit board, which facilitates the connection between the electronic paper display screen body and the outside.

[0024] One of the beneficial effects of the technical solution in the present application is that the electronic paper driving chip is arranged on the FPC flexible circuit board, which not only saves the space of the electronic paper display screen body, but also simplifies the connection process. The chip is arranged on the FPC flexible circuit board, and only one binding between the FPC flexible circuit board and the electronic paper display screen body is needed.

[0025] One of the beneficial effects of the technical solution in the present application is that the PCB board and the FPC flexible circuit board are in electrical signal communication; the electronic paper driving chip is arranged on the PCB board, and the manufacturing cost of the chip connection is further reduced.

[0026] One of the beneficial effects of the technical solution in the present application is that the connecting component is arranged below the electronic paper display screen body, which facilitates the connection with the outside.

[0027] One of the beneficial effects of the technical solution in the present application is that the FPL assembly includes multiple layers, ensuring that the FPL assembly works normally and reliably.

[0028] One of the beneficial effects of the technical solution in the present application is that the electronic paper driving chip can be different driving chips, such as a pixel driving chip or a gate GOA driving chip, which can be made with peripheral circuits according to different application requirements, and the design and configuration of the product are more flexible. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 is a connection schematic diagram of one of the electronic paper module embodiments; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of one of the electronic paper module embodiments; Figure 3 is a side view schematic diagram of one of the electronic paper module embodiments; Figure 4is a side view schematic diagram of one of the electronic paper module embodiments; Figure 5 is a connection schematic diagram of one of the electronic paper module embodiments; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of one of the electronic paper module embodiments; Figure 7 is a side view schematic diagram of one of the electronic paper module embodiments; Figure 8 is a side view schematic diagram of one of the electronic paper module embodiments; Figure 9 is a connection schematic diagram of one of the electronic paper module embodiments; Figure 10 is a connection schematic diagram of one of the electronic paper module embodiments; Figure 11 is a connection schematic diagram of the prior art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The embodiments of the present application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] It should be noted that the following description is merely exemplary of the application and is not intended to limit the application. The description of the preferred embodiments of the application is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the application. Based on the embodiments described in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0032] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are merely for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and technical features numbered with Arabic numerals 1, 2, 3, etc., and "A" and "B" such numbering, are only for the purpose of description, and are only for the convenience of description, and do not represent a time or spatial sequence relationship; cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features limited by "first", "second", and technical features numbered with Arabic numerals 1, 2, 3, etc. can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "several" is two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0033] As Figure 1 An electronic paper module, comprising an electronic paper display screen body, at least one connecting component, and at least one electronic paper driving chip. The electronic paper display screen body comprises an FPL assembly and a TFT substrate. The connecting component is in electrical signal communication with the circuit on the TFT substrate, and the connecting component is in electrical signal communication with the electronic paper driving chip.

[0034] The electronic paper driving chip is not arranged on the electronic paper display screen body, leaving more space for the electronic paper display screen body, so that more display pixels can be placed, and the effective display size is larger for products of the same size.

[0035] As Figure 2 An electronic paper module, wherein the connecting component is an FPC flexible circuit board. The connecting component is an FPC flexible circuit board, which facilitates the connection between the electronic paper display screen body and the outside.

[0036] As Figure 2 An electronic paper module, wherein the at least one electronic paper driving chip, i.e., IC, is arranged on the FPC flexible circuit board. The electronic paper driving chip is arranged on the FPC flexible circuit board, which not only saves the space of the electronic paper display screen body, but also simplifies the connection process. The chip is arranged on the FPC flexible circuit board, and only one binding between the FPC flexible circuit board and the electronic paper display screen body is needed.

[0037] In this application, the electronic paper driving chip, i.e., IC, arranged on the FPC flexible circuit board adopts COF (Chip On Film) Bonding technology. COF (Chip On Film) Bonding is a packaging technology for fixing the driving IC on the flexible circuit board, which is mainly used in the module process of high-resolution display screens.

[0038] Bonding is a way of wire bonding in chip production process, which is generally used to connect the internal circuit of the chip with the packaging pins or copper foil of the circuit board by gold wire or aluminum wire before packaging. The ultrasonic wave (generally 40-140 KHz) from the ultrasonic generator generates high-frequency vibration through the transducer, which is transmitted to the chopper through the amplitude bar. When the chopper contacts the lead and the welded part, under the action of pressure and vibration, the surface of the to-be-welded metal is rubbed, the oxide film is destroyed, and plastic deformation occurs, so that the two pure metal surfaces are in close contact, reaching the atomic distance combination, and finally forming a firm mechanical connection. Generally, after bonding (i.e., after the circuit is connected with the pins), the chip is packaged with black glue.

[0039] As Figure 3 and Figure 4, the FPL assembly includes OCA layer A, PET layer, ITO layer, E-Ink layer, OCA layer B arranged in sequence. The FPL assembly includes a surface protection layer, namely a PS protective film layer. The electronic paper driving chip, namely the IC, is arranged on the FPC flexible circuit board.

[0040] As Figure 5 An electronic paper module includes an electronic paper display screen body, at least one connecting component, and at least one electronic paper driving chip. The electronic paper display screen body includes an FPL assembly and a TFT substrate. The connecting component is in electrical signal communication with the circuit on the TFT substrate. The connecting component is in electrical signal communication with the electronic paper driving chip. The electronic paper driving chip is not arranged on the electronic paper display screen body.

[0041] As Figure 5 An electronic paper module further includes a PCB board in electrical signal communication with the FPC flexible circuit board. The electronic paper driving chip is arranged on the PCB board, and the manufacturing cost of chip connection is further reduced.

[0042] As Figure 5 An electronic paper module includes at least one electronic paper driving chip arranged on a PCB board. COB (Chip On Board) Bonding is a packaging process that directly fixes a bare chip to a printed circuit board (PCB) and realizes electrical connection through wire bonding technology, which is widely used in consumer electronics, display driving and other fields. Here, it is not expanded.

[0043] The present application adopts TFT and FPC bonding, and the driving IC adopts the COB scheme, which can effectively improve the utilization rate of TFT design, simultaneously improve the production efficiency of the EPD module, and simultaneously reduce the yield loss caused by COG (Chip On Glass glass on chip technology) defects.

[0044] As Figure 2 And Figure 6 An electronic paper module, the electronic paper display screen body is rectangular, and the connecting component is arranged below the electronic paper display screen body. The connecting component is arranged below the electronic paper display screen body, which is convenient for external connection.

[0045] As Figure 7 And Figure 8 The FPL assembly includes OCA layer A, PET layer, ITO layer, E-Ink layer, OCA layer B arranged in sequence. The FPL assembly includes a surface protection layer, namely a PS protective film layer. The electronic paper driving chip, namely the IC, is arranged on the FPC flexible circuit board. The FPL assembly includes multiple layers, which ensures that the FPL assembly works normally and reliably.

[0046] As Figure 9An electronic paper module includes an electronic paper display screen body, two connecting components, and two electronic paper driving chips. The two connecting components are connecting component A and connecting component B. The two electronic paper driving chips are electronic paper driving chip A and electronic paper driving chip B.

[0047] The connecting component A and the connecting component B can be FPC flexible circuit boards. The electronic paper driving chip A, i.e., IC-A, is arranged on the connecting component A, i.e., on the FPC flexible circuit board A. The electronic paper driving chip B is arranged on the connecting component B, i.e., on the FPC flexible circuit board B. The connecting component A and the connecting component B are arranged on two sides of the electronic paper display screen body.

[0048] As Figure 10 An electronic paper module includes an electronic paper display screen body, two connecting components, and two electronic paper driving chips. The two connecting components are connecting component A and connecting component B. The two electronic paper driving chips are electronic paper driving chip A and electronic paper driving chip B.

[0049] The connecting component B can be an FPC flexible circuit board. The electronic paper driving chip B is arranged on the connecting component B, i.e., on the FPC flexible circuit board B. The connecting component A and the connecting component B are arranged on two sides of the electronic paper display screen body. A PCB board is further included, which is in electrical signal communication with the connecting component A, i.e., the FPC flexible circuit board A.

[0050] In some embodiments, the number of connecting components and electronic paper driving chips can be more. Multiple electronic paper driving chips can also be arranged on one connecting component. The specific number and position can be set according to actual needs.

[0051] In some embodiments, the electronic paper driving chip includes at least one pixel driving chip.

[0052] In some embodiments, the electronic paper driving chip includes at least one gate GOA driving chip. The electronic paper driving chip can be different driving chips, such as a pixel driving chip or a gate GOA driving chip. Peripheral circuits can be made according to different application requirements, and the design and configuration of the product are more flexible.

[0053] An electronic paper module includes an electronic paper display screen body, at least one connecting component, and at least one electronic paper driving chip. The electronic paper display screen body includes an FPL assembly and a TFT substrate. The connecting component is in electrical signal communication with a circuit on the TFT substrate. The connecting component is in electrical signal communication with the electronic paper driving chip. The electronic paper driving chip is not disposed on the electronic paper display screen body. The connecting component is a FPC flexible circuit board, and the electronic paper driving chip is disposed on the FPC flexible circuit board. Alternatively, a PCB board is in electrical signal communication with the FPC flexible circuit board, and the electronic paper driving chip is disposed on the PCB board. The electronic paper module with the driving chip disposed outside the TFT substrate can increase the utilization rate of TFT layout design, increase the area of the display screen in a product of the same size, expand the effective display area, reduce the process of one-time bonding, and simplify the manufacturing procedure and reduce the cost.

[0054] The optimized EPD module design, bonding using the COF or COB scheme, can effectively improve the utilization rate of TFT layout design, simultaneously reduce the size of the terminal area of the product and the overall size of the EPD, reduce the process of one-time bonding of the EPD module, improve the production efficiency of the product, and simultaneously reduce the COG process failure and improve the yield of the product due to only one FOG process.

[0055] As shown in the drawings, the above is only an embodiment of the present application, and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent flow transformation using the content of the application description and the drawings, or direct or indirect application in other related technical fields, is also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An electronic paper module, characterized by comprising: The electronic paper display module comprises an electronic paper display screen body, at least one connecting component, and at least one electronic paper driving chip. The electronic paper display screen body comprises an FPL assembly and a TFT substrate. The connecting component is in electrical signal communication with the circuit on the TFT substrate. The connecting component is in electrical signal communication with the electronic paper driving chip. The electronic paper driving chip is not arranged on the electronic paper display screen body.

2. The electronic paper module according to claim 1, wherein The connecting component is a FPC flexible circuit board.

3. The electronic paper module according to claim 2, wherein At least one electronic paper driving chip is arranged on the FPC flexible circuit board. 4.The electronic paper module according to claim 2, wherein The electronic paper module further comprises a PCB board in electrical signal communication with the FPC flexible circuit board. At least one electronic paper driving chip is arranged on the PCB board. 5.The electronic paper module according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by, The electronic paper display screen body is rectangular, and the connecting component is arranged below the electronic paper display screen body.

6. The electronic paper display module according to claim 1, wherein The FPL assembly comprises an OCA layer A, a PET layer, an ITO layer, an E-Ink layer, and an OCA layer B arranged in sequence.

7. The electronic paper display module according to claim 1, wherein The FPL assembly comprises a surface protection layer.

8. The electronic paper display module according to claim 1, wherein The electronic paper driving chip comprises at least one pixel driving chip.

9. The electronic paper display module according to claim 1, wherein The electronic paper driving chip comprises at least one gate GOA driving chip.

10. An electronic device, comprising: The electronic paper display module according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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