Display panel and display device

Abstract

The application discloses a display panel and a display device. The display panel comprises a first substrate, a pixel layer and a second substrate which are sequentially stacked, and a plurality of pixel units are arranged in the pixel layer. The pixel unit comprises an isolation wall, a first electrode, a second electrode and a stretchable capsule. The stretchable capsule is filled with a second solution. The second solution contains a colorant and an ion intercalation material. By accurately controlling the voltage and current applied by the electrode, the degree of electrochemical reaction can be adjusted, and the dynamic regulation of the expansion and contraction state of the stretchable capsule can be realized. Since the colorant cannot pass through the capsule wall of the stretchable capsule, the volume change of the stretchable capsule can directly change the distribution of the colorant, so as to change the optical reflectivity or color display effect of the pixel unit. By adjusting the expansion degree of the stretchable capsule, the space proportion of the colorant in the accommodation cavity can be accurately controlled, and the fine regulation of the gray scale level can be realized, so that the pixel unit presents multiple gray scales.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of display device technology, and particularly relates to display panels and display devices. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the mainstream reflective display technology is electrophoretic electronic ink screen. While it has advantages such as bistable operation and low power consumption, it also suffers from problems such as low refresh rate, image retention, and dull colors when achieving colorization. Other display technologies, such as LCD / OLED, have drawbacks such as high power consumption, the need for backlighting, and eye-damaging blue light. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a display panel and display device that aims to solve the technical problem of traditional e-ink screens in balancing energy consumption and display effect.

[0004] A first aspect of this application provides a display panel, comprising: a first substrate, a pixel layer, and a second substrate stacked sequentially, wherein the pixel layer is provided with a plurality of pixel units.

[0005] The pixel unit includes: a barrier wall, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a telescopic bladder.

[0006] The isolation wall, together with the first substrate and the second substrate, forms a sealed accommodating cavity, which is filled with a first solution.

[0007] The first electrode and the second electrode are respectively disposed on the first substrate and the second substrate, and are in contact with the first solution.

[0008] The telescopic bladder is fixed inside the accommodating cavity, and the telescopic bladder is filled with a second solution; the second solution contains a colorant and an ion-intercalating material.

[0009] Specifically, when the first electrode and the second electrode discharge the ion-intercalating material, some ions in the ion-intercalating material are deintercalated; when the first electrode and the second electrode charge the ion-intercalating material, the deintercalated ions are reintercalated into the ion-intercalating material.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first solution is a transparent solution containing sodium ions, the second solution contains dissolved molybdenum disulfide, and the second solution contains a colorant.

[0011] In one embodiment, sodium sulfate is dissolved in the first solution.

[0012] In one embodiment, the wall of the expandable bladder is composed of a flexible anion-selective permeable membrane.

[0013] In one embodiment, the colorant comprises carbon black nanoparticles.

[0014] In one embodiment, both the second substrate and the isolation wall are made of transparent materials.

[0015] In one embodiment, the display panel further includes a reflective layer disposed between the first electrode and the first substrate, wherein the orthographic projection of the accommodating cavity on the first substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the reflective layer on the first substrate.

[0016] In one embodiment, the first electrodes of each pixel unit are arranged independently.

[0017] In one embodiment, the second electrodes of each pixel unit are electrically connected to each other.

[0018] A second aspect of this application provides a display device, including a display panel and a driving unit as described above, wherein the driving unit is connected to the display panel and is used to provide a driving voltage.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this application embodiment compared with the prior art are as follows: By precisely controlling the voltage and current applied to the first and second electrodes, the degree of electrochemical reaction can be adjusted, thereby achieving dynamic control of the expansion and contraction state of the expansion bladder. Since the colorant cannot pass through the bladder wall, the volume change of the expansion bladder can directly change the distribution of the colorant, thereby changing the optical reflectivity or color display effect of the pixel unit. This process is fast-responding, energy-efficient, and can maintain its state without continuous power supply, exhibiting excellent stability and significantly improving the energy consumption and visual performance of the display panel. By adjusting the expansion degree of the expansion bladder, the spatial proportion of the colorant in the accommodating cavity can be precisely controlled, thereby achieving fine control of grayscale levels and enabling the pixel unit to present multiple grayscale levels. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display panel provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the pixel unit arrangement provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the expansion process of a telescopic bladder according to an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a display device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure descriptions: 10, display panel; 20, display device; 30, driving unit; 100, first substrate; 200, pixel layer; 300, second substrate; 400, pixel unit; 410, isolation wall; 420, first electrode; 430, second electrode; 440, telescopic bladder; 500, reflective layer. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0026] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0027] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0028] Furthermore, 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. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a display panel according to an embodiment of this application is shown. For ease of explanation, only the parts relevant to this embodiment are shown, and the details are as follows:

[0030] A display panel 10 includes: a first substrate 100, a pixel layer 200, and a second substrate 300 stacked sequentially, wherein the pixel layer 200 has a plurality of pixel units 400. Specifically, as shown in the figure... Figure 2 As shown, multiple pixel units 400 can be arranged in an array. Each pixel unit 400 corresponds to one pixel.

[0031] The pixel unit 400 includes: a barrier wall 410, a first electrode 420, a second electrode 430, and a telescopic bladder 440.

[0032] The isolation wall 410, together with the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 300, forms a sealed accommodating cavity, which is filled with a first solution.

[0033] The first electrode 420 and the second electrode 430 are respectively disposed on the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 300, and are in contact with the first solution.

[0034] The telescopic capsule 440 is fixed within the accommodating cavity, and the telescopic capsule 440 is filled with a second solution. The second solution contains a colorant and an ion-intercalating material.

[0035] Specifically, when the first electrode 420 and the second electrode 430 provide a first voltage to discharge the ion-intercalated material, some ions in the ion-intercalated material are deintercalated; when the first electrode 420 and the second electrode 430 provide a second voltage to charge the ion-intercalated material, the deintercalated ions are reintercalated into the ion-intercalated material.

[0036] It should be noted that when the first electrode 420 and the second electrode 430 provide a first voltage, causing the ion-intercalated material to discharge (i.e., releasing the charge stored in the ion-intercalated material by configuring the voltage on the first electrode 420 and the second electrode 430), the ion-intercalated material undergoes a first electrochemical reaction, which increases the ion concentration of the second solution inside the expansion capsule 440. This causes the expansion capsule 440 to experience an osmotic pressure difference between its inside and outside, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the expansion capsule 440 absorbs external solvent molecules, causing it to expand and increase in volume. When the discharge process stops and enters the charging stage (i.e., by adjusting the voltage on the first electrode 420 and the second electrode 430 to increase the charge stored in the ion-intercalated material), the ion-intercalated material undergoes a second electrochemical reaction, and ions are re-intercalated into the ion-intercalated material, reducing the ion concentration inside the expansion capsule 440. Consequently, the osmotic pressure difference decreases, and the elastic recoil force of the expansion capsule 440 and the osmotic pressure difference allow the expansion capsule 440 to gradually release internal solvent molecules, causing its volume to shrink.

[0037] By precisely controlling the voltage and current applied to the first electrode 420 and the second electrode 430, the degree of electrochemical reaction can be adjusted, thereby achieving dynamic control of the expansion and contraction state of the expansion bladder 440. Since the colorant cannot pass through the bladder wall of the expansion bladder 440, the volume change of the expansion bladder 440 can directly change the distribution of the colorant, thereby changing the optical reflectivity or color display effect of the pixel unit 400. This process is fast-responding, low-energy-consuming, and can maintain its state without continuous power supply, exhibiting excellent stability and significantly improving the energy consumption and visual performance of the display panel. By adjusting the degree of expansion of the expansion bladder 440, the spatial proportion of the colorant in the accommodating cavity can be precisely controlled, thereby achieving fine control of grayscale levels, enabling the pixel unit 400 to display multiple grayscale levels.

[0038] When the second electrodes 430 of each pixel unit 400 are electrically connected to each other and the voltage on the second electrode 430 remains unchanged, the second electrode 430 can be used as a common electrode. It is understood that by configuring the voltage on the first electrode 420, a voltage difference is formed between the first electrode 420 and the second electrode 430, which can realize the charging and discharging of the ion-intercalated material.

[0039] In some embodiments, the first substrate and the second substrate can be made of transparent glass or transparent resin. Specifically, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) material can be used.

[0040] In some embodiments, the material of the first electrode may be platinum (Pt) or indium tin oxide (ITO), and the material of the second electrode may be indium tin oxide (ITO).

[0041] In one embodiment, the first solution is a transparent solution containing sodium ions, and the second solution contains dissolved molybdenum disulfide.

[0042] When a voltage is applied to the first and second solutions through the first electrode 420 and the second electrode 430 for discharge, sodium ions undergo an intercalation reaction with molybdenum disulfide to form a sodium-intercalated molybdenum disulfide compound. Simultaneously, the ion concentration of the second solution inside the expansion bladder 440 decreases, reducing osmotic pressure. Under the action of elastic restoring force, the expansion bladder 440 displaces solvent, shrinking in volume. The colorant is confined to a smaller space, causing the pixel area to lighten in color or regain transparency. During charging, sodium ions are deintercalated, and the expansion bladder 440 absorbs solvent and expands due to the increased ion concentration of the second solution. This causes the colorant to be evenly distributed throughout the cavity as the solution volume expands, resulting in the pixel area displaying the color corresponding to the colorant. The entire cycle is reversible and stable. Color switching relies on the coordinated regulation of ion migration and osmotic pressure, requiring no mechanical moving parts, and exhibiting high durability and fast response characteristics. Through array-based layout, each pixel is independently controlled, achieving dynamic display of the full-frame image, suitable for low-power, high-contrast electronic paper applications.

[0043] In one embodiment, sodium sulfate is dissolved in the first solution.

[0044] By adjusting the amount of sodium sulfate in the first solution, the ion concentration difference between the first and second solutions can be controlled, so that after the osmotic pressure of the second solution reaches its minimum value during the second electrochemical reaction of the ion-intercalated material, the osmotic pressure of the first and second solutions remains consistent.

[0045] In one embodiment, the wall of the expandable bladder 440 is composed of a flexible anion-selective permeable membrane.

[0046] Anion-selective permeable membranes allow water molecules to pass through and anions to pass through selectively, while blocking colorant molecules and molybdenum disulfide particles, thus preventing color crosstalk caused by colorant diffusion. Flexible anion-selective permeable membranes possess good mechanical flexibility and chemical stability, maintaining structural integrity during repeated expansion and contraction.

[0047] The size of the retractable bladder 440 in its initial state (when it is not affected by external forces) is about one-tenth of that of the accommodating cavity.

[0048] Understandably, when the osmotic pressure on the inside and outside of the bladder 440 is the same, the bladder 440 will remain in its initial state, thereby controlling the colorant within a small range.

[0049] In one embodiment, the colorant comprises carbon black nanoparticles.

[0050] Carbon black nanoparticles possess excellent light absorption properties, enabling high blackness displays at low concentrations and effectively improving pixel contrast. Their nanoscale particle size facilitates uniform dispersion in the secondary solution, preventing sedimentation and aggregation, and ensuring long-term stability.

[0051] In some embodiments, the colorant may also be organic pigment particles or metal oxide nanoparticles to adapt to different color gamut requirements. By adjusting the microcavity volume change rate, the synergistic optimization of color saturation and brightness can be achieved, further expanding display performance. For example, organic pigment particles or metal oxide nanoparticles can be used to achieve red, green, and blue color displays.

[0052] In one embodiment, the second substrate 300, the second electrode 430, and the isolation wall 410 are all made of transparent materials.

[0053] The use of transparent materials facilitates light transmission, ensuring that light can pass unobstructed through areas without the expansion bladder 440 in display mode, thus improving overall light transmittance and visual clarity. The transparent isolation wall 410 also effectively separates adjacent pixel units 400, preventing mutual interference during microcavity expansion and ensuring sharp pattern edges.

[0054] In some embodiments, an isolation gap is provided between adjacent pixel units 400. In some embodiments, the isolation gap can be filled with the required material as needed, for example, a low refractive index material or a light-absorbing material can be injected to improve contrast. The introduction of the isolation gap further optimizes the optical independence between pixels, avoids color aliasing caused by microcavity edge deformation, and significantly improves image clarity, especially in high-resolution displays. This structural design combines mechanical buffering and optical isolation, improving the overall reliability of the device.

[0055] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the display panel 10 also includes a reflective layer 500, which is disposed between the first electrode 420 and the first substrate 100. The orthogonal projection of the accommodating cavity on the first substrate 100 is located within the orthogonal projection of the reflective layer 500 on the first substrate 100.

[0056] The reflective layer 500 can efficiently reflect incident light back towards the observer, significantly enhancing display brightness, especially in well-lit environments, enabling low-power or even backlight-free displays. This reflective layer 500 can be made of a high-reflectivity metal film or other white, highly reflective materials, such as a barium sulfate coating, to ensure multiple reflections of light to improve white brightness.

[0057] Understandably, when the expansion bladder 440 is contracted, light is reflected by the reflective layer 500 and penetrates the transparent second substrate 300 and the isolation wall 410, achieving a high-brightness white state display. When the expansion bladder 440 is expanded, the colorant fills the cavity with the solution and covers the entire optical path area, absorbing a large amount of incident light, thus presenting a high-contrast dark state. By precisely controlling the voltage applied to the driving electrode, the degree of microcavity expansion can be graded and controlled, thereby achieving grayscale display. Combined with the physical osmotic pressure driving mechanism, no continuous power supply is required to maintain the state; energy is only consumed during pixel switching, significantly reducing average power consumption.

[0058] In some embodiments, the reflective layer 500 may specifically be a barium sulfate coating.

[0059] In some embodiments, the reflective layer 500 is also a highly reflective color coating used to reflect light of a specific color.

[0060] In one embodiment, the first electrode 420 of each pixel unit 400 is independently configured. Each first electrode 420 can be connected to the corresponding pixel circuit to obtain the required voltage, thereby achieving independent addressing and precise driving, ensuring that the color state of each pixel unit 400 can be individually controlled.

[0061] In one embodiment, the second electrodes 430 of each pixel unit 400 are electrically connected to each other.

[0062] Understandably, connecting all the second electrodes 430 to a common voltage terminal can simplify the design of the drive circuit, reduce wiring complexity, and ensure that each pixel unit 400 has a stable reference potential during the electrochemical reaction process, thereby improving display uniformity and response consistency.

[0063] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of this application is shown. For ease of explanation, only the parts relevant to this embodiment are shown, and the details are as follows:

[0064] A display device 20 includes a display panel 10 as described in any of the above embodiments and a driving unit 30. The driving unit 30 is connected to the display panel 10 and is used to provide a driving voltage. The driving unit 30 can regulate the expansion state of the expansion bladders 440 in each pixel unit 400, generate a corresponding voltage pulse sequence according to the image signal, and precisely control the optical state transition of each pixel.

[0065] In some embodiments, the driving unit 30 includes a driving chip, logic control circuit, etc.

[0066] In some embodiments, the display device 20 may specifically be a smart device such as a mobile phone or a computer.

[0067] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0068] It should be understood that the apparatuses and methods disclosed in the several embodiments provided in this application can be implemented in other ways. The apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components being combined or integrated into another device. In addition, some features may be omitted or not performed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0069] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units. That is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Depending on the actual needs, some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this solution.

[0070] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit; they can also exist physically separately; or some units can be integrated into one unit while others exist physically separately. The integrated units described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional units.

[0071] It should be noted that all or part of the above embodiments provided in this application (e.g., part or all of any feature) can be arbitrarily combined or combined with each other.

[0072] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that, include: A first substrate, a pixel layer, and a second substrate are stacked sequentially, and the pixel layer is provided with multiple pixel units. The pixel unit includes: a partition wall, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a telescopic bladder; The isolation wall, together with the first substrate and the second substrate, forms a sealed accommodating cavity, which is filled with a first solution. The first electrode and the second electrode are respectively disposed on the first substrate and the second substrate, and are in contact with the first solution; The telescopic bladder is fixed inside the accommodating cavity, and the telescopic bladder is filled with a second solution; the second solution contains a colorant and an ion-intercalating material; Specifically, when the first electrode and the second electrode provide a first voltage to discharge the ion-intercalating material, some ions in the ion-intercalating material are deintercalated; when the first electrode and the second electrode provide a second voltage to charge the ion-intercalating material, the deintercalated ions are reintercalated into the ion-intercalating material.

2. The display panel as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first solution is a transparent solution containing sodium ions, and the second solution contains dissolved molybdenum disulfide.

3. The display panel as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Sodium sulfate is dissolved in the first solution.

4. The display panel as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The wall of the expandable bladder is composed of a flexible anion-selective permeable membrane.

5. The display panel as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The colorant includes carbon black nanoparticles.

6. The display panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The second substrate, the second electrode, and the isolation wall are all made of transparent materials.

7. The display panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The display panel further includes a reflective layer disposed between the first electrode and the first substrate, and the orthogonal projection of the accommodating cavity on the first substrate is located within the orthogonal projection of the reflective layer on the first substrate.

8. The display panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first electrode of each pixel unit is set independently.

9. The display panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The second electrodes of each pixel unit are electrically connected to each other.

10. A display device, characterized in that, It includes a display panel and a driving unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the driving unit is connected to the display panel and is used to provide a driving voltage.

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