Display module and display device

Abstract

This application discloses a display module and display device. The support structure of the display module includes a first support layer and a second support layer. The second support layer is located on the side of the first support layer away from the display panel. The first support layer is located in the bending area and extends to the non-bending area. The second support layer includes a first sub-part and a second sub-part and a third sub-part located on opposite sides of the first sub-part. The first sub-part is located in the bending area, and the second and third sub-parts are located in the non-bending area. The elastic modulus of the first sub-part is smaller than that of the second sub-part, and the elastic modulus of the first sub-part is smaller than that of the third sub-part. The support structure of this application includes a first support layer that covers the entire surface and a second support layer that is segmented, avoiding the need for openings in the support structure. This improves mechanical strength, reduces the marks in the bending area, and effectively reduces the risk of breakage and delamination in the bending area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a display module and display device. Background Technology

[0002] Foldable display products have gradually become popular in the consumer electronics field, but compared with traditional flat smart display products, their mechanical strength, imprint, weight and other performance aspects still need to be improved.

[0003] To improve the bending characteristics of the display module, holes are usually drilled in the support structure. However, the drilling design will affect the mechanical strength of the support structure, leave marks, and cause problems such as breakage and delamination in the bending area during folding. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a display module and display device to avoid opening holes in the support structure, thereby improving mechanical strength, reducing the imprint in the bending area, and effectively reducing the risk of breakage and delamination in the bending area.

[0005] This application provides a display module, the display module including a bent area and non-bent areas located on opposite sides of the bent area, the display module further including:

[0006] Display panel; A support structure is disposed on the side away from the light-emitting side of the display panel. The support structure includes at least one first support layer and at least one second support layer, wherein the second support layer is located on the side of the first support layer away from the display panel. The first support layer is located in the bending area and extends into the non-bending area; The second support layer includes a first sub-part and a second sub-part and a third sub-part located on opposite sides of the first sub-part. The first sub-part is located in the bending region, and the second and third sub-parts are located in the non-bending region. The elastic modulus of the material of the first sub-part is less than that of the material of the second sub-part, and the elastic modulus of the material of the first sub-part is less than that of the material of the third sub-part.

[0007] In some embodiments, the elastic modulus of the material of the first sub-part is less than the elastic modulus of the material of the first support layer.

[0008] In some embodiments, the viscosity of the material of the first sub-part is greater than the viscosity of the material of the second sub-part, and the viscosity of the material of the first sub-part is greater than the viscosity of the material of the third sub-part; And / or, the viscosity of the material of the first sub-part is greater than the viscosity of the material of the first support layer.

[0009] In some embodiments, the materials of the second sub-part and the third sub-part are the same as the material of the first support layer, and the material of the first sub-part is different from the material of the first support layer.

[0010] In some embodiments, the material of the first support layer, the material of the second sub-part, or the material of the third sub-part includes carbon fiber material; And / or, the material of the first sub-part includes an adhesive.

[0011] In some embodiments, when the support structure includes two or more first support layers, the angle between the extending directions of the carbon fibers of two adjacent first support layers is greater than 0°. And / or, when the support structure includes two or more second support layers, the angle between the extending directions of the carbon fibers of two adjacent second support layers is greater than 0°.

[0012] In some embodiments, the support structure includes a first support layer consisting of two or three stacked layers, and a second support layer consisting of two or three stacked layers. In some embodiments, the thickness of the first support layer is greater than or equal to 10 μm and less than or equal to 50 μm; the thickness of the second support layer is greater than or equal to 10 μm and less than or equal to 100 μm.

[0013] In some embodiments, the length L1 of the first sub-part in the direction from the second sub-part to the third sub-part is greater than ½πR, where R is the bending radius of the display module.

[0014] This application also provides a display device, which includes the display module described above.

[0015] This application discloses a display module and display device. The support structure of the display module includes a first support layer and a second support layer. The second support layer is located on the side of the first support layer away from the display panel. The first support layer is located in the bending area and extends to the non-bending area. The second support layer includes a first sub-part and a second sub-part and a third sub-part located on opposite sides of the first sub-part. The first sub-part is located in the bending area, and the second and third sub-parts are located in the non-bending area. The elastic modulus of the material of the first sub-part is less than that of the material of the second sub-part, and the elastic modulus of the material of the first sub-part is less than that of the material of the third sub-part. The support structure of this application includes a first support layer that covers the entire surface and a second support layer that is segmented. The elastic modulus of the first sub-part of the second support layer located in the bending area is less than that of the second and third sub-parts located on both sides in the non-bending area. This improves the overall mechanical strength of the display module while effectively reducing the bending area marks. It also avoids opening holes in the support structure, effectively reducing the risk of breakage and delamination in the bending area. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] To gain a more complete understanding of this application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals in the following description denote the same parts.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display module in the prior art; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display module provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the support structure of a display module provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a plan view of a support structure for a display module provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another display module provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram comparing the cracking risk of a display module in the prior art with that of the display module provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 10. Display module; 100. Display panel; 101. Support layer; 102. Opening; 110. First adhesive layer; 120. First backplate layer; 130. Second adhesive layer; 140. Second backplate layer; 150. Third adhesive layer; 160. Optical film layer; 170. Transparent optical adhesive; 180. Cover plate; 200. Support structure; 210 (210a, 210b), First support layer; 220 (220a, 220b, 220c), Second support layer; 221. First sub-section; 222. Second sub-section; 223. Third sub-section; NA. Bending area; AA. Non-bending area. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the protection scope of this application.

[0021] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a display module in the prior art, comprising a display panel 100, a support layer 101, a first backplate layer 120, a second backplate layer 140, a first adhesive layer 110, a second adhesive layer 130, and a third adhesive layer 150. Specifically, the support layer 101 is located on the side opposite to the light-emitting side of the display panel 100; the first backplate layer 120 is located between the display panel 100 and the support layer 101; the second backplate layer 140 is located between the first backplate layer 120 and the support layer 101; the first adhesive layer 110 is located between the display panel 100 and the first backplate layer 120; the second adhesive layer 130 is located between the first backplate layer 120 and the second backplate layer 140; and the third adhesive layer 150 is located between the second backplate layer 140 and the support layer 101. The support layer 101 has patterned openings 102 at positions corresponding to the bending area NA to improve bending characteristics. However, the perforated design of the support layer 101 will reduce the overall mechanical strength of the support layer 101. In addition, during the long-term bending process of the display module, the adhesive layer above the hole area of ​​the support layer 101 is prone to deformation, resulting in visible hole marks on the surface of the display module, which affects the display quality. Furthermore, during the repeated folding of the display module, the bending area NA is prone to breakage and delamination.

[0022] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a display module 10, please refer to... Figure 2 The display module 10 includes a bending region NA and non-bending regions AA located on opposite sides of the bending region NA; the display module 10 also includes a display panel 100 and a support structure 200; the support structure 200 is disposed on the side away from the light-emitting side of the display panel 100, and the support structure 200 includes at least one first support layer 210 and at least one second support layer 220, the second support layer 220 being located on the side of the first support layer 210 away from the display panel 100; wherein, the first support layer 210 is located in the bending region The second support layer 220 includes a first sub-part 221 and a second sub-part 222 and a third sub-part 223 located on opposite sides of the first sub-part 221. The first sub-part 221 is located in the bending region NA, and the second sub-part 222 and the third sub-part 223 are located in the non-bending region AA. The elastic modulus of the material of the first sub-part 221 is less than that of the material of the second sub-part 222, and the elastic modulus of the material of the first sub-part 221 is less than that of the material of the third sub-part 223.

[0023] The support structure 200 of this application consists of a first support layer 210 covering the entire surface and a second support layer 220 arranged in segments. The first support layer 210 is a full-surface film layer covering the bending area NA and the non-bending area AA to ensure the bending characteristics of the support structure 200, improve mechanical strength, and reduce creases. The second support layer 220 includes a first sub-section 221, a second sub-section 222, and a third sub-section 223 arranged in segments. The elastic modulus of the material in the first sub-section 221 located in the bending area NA is lower than that of the materials in the second sub-sections 222 and 223 located in the non-bending area AA, thereby improving the bending characteristics of the bending area NA of the support structure 200. Furthermore, the segmented design avoids drilling holes in the support structure 200, thus preventing creases in the bending area caused by drilling. Therefore, using the support structure 200 of this application can effectively improve the bending characteristics and mechanical strength of the display module 10, improve creases in the bending area, and reduce the risk of breakage and delamination in the bending area NA. In addition, it can also avoid the risk of dust, impurities and other foreign objects caused by drilling entering the bottom of the display panel 100 and damaging the screen through the opening.

[0024] In some embodiments, the elastic modulus of the material of the first sub-part 221 is less than the elastic modulus of the material of the first support layer 210, so as to improve the mechanical strength of the bending region NA by utilizing the first support layer 210, and at the same time improve the bending performance of the bending region NA by utilizing the first sub-part 221. Through the synergy of the two, the overall mechanical strength and bending characteristics of the display module 10 are balanced.

[0025] In some embodiments, the viscosity of the material of the first sub-part 221 is greater than that of the material of the second sub-part 222, the viscosity of the material of the first sub-part 221 is greater than that of the material of the third sub-part 223, and the viscosity of the material of the first sub-part 221 is greater than that of the material of the first support layer 210. The first sub-part 221 is made of a material with a low elastic modulus and good adhesion properties. On the one hand, this can improve the bending performance of the bending region NA, and on the other hand, it can enhance the adhesion strength between the first sub-part 221 and the second sub-part 222, the third sub-part 223 and the first support layer 210, thereby improving the overall bending performance and mechanical strength of the support structure 200 and reducing the risk of breakage and delamination.

[0026] In some embodiments, the materials of the second sub-part 222 and the third sub-part 223 may be the same as the material of the first support layer 210, while the material of the first sub-part 221 may be different from the material of the first support layer 210. The first support layer 210 is a full-coverage film layer, covering the bending area NA and the non-bending area AA, used to enhance the overall mechanical strength of the support structure 200. The second sub-part 222 and the third sub-part 223 are located in the non-bending area AA and are used to enhance the mechanical strength of the non-bending area AA. Therefore, the materials of the second sub-part 222, the third sub-part 223, and the first support layer 210 can be selected from materials with relatively high elastic modulus and relatively high strength to ensure the overall mechanical strength of the display module 10. The first sub-part 221 is mainly used to improve the bending characteristics of the bending area NA, requiring a material with relatively low elastic modulus and good adhesion to improve the bending performance of the bending area NA.

[0027] In some embodiments, while ensuring the performance of the display module 10, the materials of the second sub-part 222 and the third sub-part 223 may be different from the material of the first support layer 210. Specifically, this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0028] In some embodiments, the material of the first support layer 210 can be carbon fiber material, and the materials of the second sub-part 222 and the third sub-part 223 can also be carbon fiber material; wherein, the carbon fiber material can be a carbon fiber composite material, such as a resin-based carbon fiber composite material (composed of resin and carbon fiber), but is not limited thereto. Carbon fiber material has advantages such as high flexibility, high specific strength and high specific modulus, excellent resistance to deformation and fatigue, good thermal conductivity, good corrosion resistance and chemical stability, and significant lightweight. Using carbon fiber material as the material of the first support layer 210, the second sub-part 222 and the third sub-part 223 can significantly improve the bending performance and mechanical strength of the display module 10, while improving the imprint, and can reduce the weight of the module, thereby achieving a thinner and lighter display module 10.

[0029] In some embodiments, the material of the first sub-part 221 includes an adhesive, which may be a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a multi-layer composite pressure-sensitive adhesive (MLC), an ultraviolet (UV) curable adhesive, etc., but is not limited to these. The use of an adhesive in the first sub-part 221 can improve the bending performance of the bending region NA, and can also bond the first support layer 210, the second sub-part 222, and the third sub-part 223, thereby improving the impact resistance of the bending region NA.

[0030] Furthermore, the material of the first sub-part 221 can be a material with low elasticity, good adhesion, and certain impact resistance. The tensile fracture strain range of the material of the first sub-part 221 is 5% to 300% to ensure the bending performance and impact resistance of the bending zone NA and reduce the risk of fracture of the bending zone NA.

[0031] Understandably, please refer to Figures 2-3 The support structure 200 can be formed by first laying a first support layer 210, and then laying a second sub-part 222 and a third sub-part 223 on one side surface of the first support layer 210. The second sub-part 222 and the third sub-part 223 are spaced apart and have a gap between them. By filling or coating the gap with the material of the first sub-part 221, the material of the first sub-part 221 is cured under certain conditions, that is, a second support layer 220 composed of the first sub-part 221, the second sub-part 222 and the third sub-part 223 is formed on the surface of the first support layer 210. The second sub-part 222 and the third sub-part 223 are located on opposite sides of the first sub-part 221, and the second sub-part 222 and the third sub-part 223 are bonded by the first sub-part 221.

[0032] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 The second sub-part 222 and the third sub-part 223 are symmetrically arranged about the first sub-part 221 to ensure the stability of the overall performance of the display module 10.

[0033] In some embodiments, the support structure 200 includes at least one first support layer 210. For example, the support structure 200 may include one first support layer 210, or two first support layers 210 stacked together, or three or more first support layers 210. Preferably, the support structure 200 includes two or three stacked first support layers 210 to avoid excessive number of first support layers 210, resulting in excessive total thickness and the risk of breakage and delamination.

[0034] In some embodiments, the support structure 200 includes at least one second support layer 220. For example, the support structure 200 may include one second support layer 220, or two stacked second support layers 220, or three stacked second support layers 220, or four or more second support layers 220. Preferably, the support structure 200 includes two or three stacked second support layers 220 to avoid the support structure 200 being too thick, which would cause an excessive increase in the overall thickness of the module.

[0035] Understandably, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3When the support structure 200 includes multiple layers of second support layers 220, the second sub-parts 222 of the multiple layers of second support layers 220 are correspondingly arranged in the thickness direction of the display module 10, the third sub-parts 223 of the multiple layers of second support layers 220 are correspondingly arranged in the thickness direction of the display module 10, and the first sub-parts 221 of the multiple layers of second support layers 220 are correspondingly arranged in the thickness direction of the display module 10. The first sub-parts 221 of the multiple layers of second support layers 220 can be a single unit; that is, multiple second sub-parts 222 and multiple third sub-parts 223 are first laid down, and then the material of the first sub-parts is filled into the space between the multiple second sub-parts 222 and the multiple third sub-parts 223 in one go to form the first sub-part 221.

[0036] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 When the support structure 200 includes two or more first support layers 210, the angle between the extension directions of the carbon fibers of two adjacent first support layers 210 is greater than 0°, that is, the extension directions of the carbon fibers of two adjacent first support layers 210 intersect, so as to balance the mechanical properties of the support structure 200 in different directions, thereby improving the bending performance and impact resistance of the foldable display module 10.

[0037] For details, please refer to Figure 2 The support structure 200 includes a first support layer 210a and a first support layer 210b stacked together, with the first support layer 210a located on the side of the first support layer 210b away from the second support layer 220. Both the first support layer 210a and the first support layer 210b are carbon fiber layups. The carbon fibers of the first support layer 210a extend along a first direction, and the carbon fibers of the second support layer 220b extend along a second direction. The angle between the first direction and the second direction is greater than 0°. For example, the angle between the first direction and the second direction can be 90°, i.e., a 0° / 90° orthogonal layup; or the angle between the first direction and the second direction can be 45°, i.e., a ±45° twill layup, but it is not limited to these.

[0038] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 When the support structure 200 includes two or more second support layers 220, the angle between the extension directions of the carbon fibers of two adjacent second support layers 220 is greater than 0°, that is, the extension directions of the carbon fibers of two adjacent second support layers 220 intersect, so as to balance the mechanical properties of the support structure 200 in different directions, thereby improving the bending performance and impact resistance of the foldable display module 10.

[0039] For details, please refer to Figure 2The support structure 200 includes a second support layer 220a, a second support layer 220b, and a second support layer 220c stacked together. The second support layer 220b is located between the second support layers 220a and 220c, and the second support layer 220a is disposed close to the first support layer 210. The materials of the second support layers 220a, 220b, and 220c are all carbon fiber lay-ups. The carbon fibers of the second support layer 220a extend along a first direction, the carbon fibers of the second support layer 220b extend along a second direction, and the carbon fibers of the second support layer 220c extend along a third direction. The angle between the first direction and the second direction is greater than 0°, and the angle between the second direction and the third direction is greater than 0°. For example, the angle between the first direction and the second direction can be 90°, or the angle between the third direction and the second direction can be 90°, i.e., a 0° / 90° orthogonal ply form is adopted; or, the angle between the first direction and the second direction can be 45°, or the angle between the third direction and the second direction can be 45°, i.e., a ±45° twill ply form is adopted, but not limited to these.

[0040] It is understandable that carbon fiber layup is a carbon fiber composite material, which is composed of carbon fiber and resin. When the support structure 200 includes multiple first support layers 210 (carbon fiber layup) and multiple second support layers 220 (carbon fiber layup), the individual carbon fiber layup layers can be tightly bonded together by hot pressing, without the need to set an adhesive layer between the individual carbon fiber layup layers. This can further improve the bending performance of the support structure 200, reduce the overall thickness of the support structure 200, and reduce the risk of fracture and delamination in the bending zone NA.

[0041] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 The length of the first sub-part 221 in the direction from the second sub-part 222 to the third sub-part 223 is L1, where L1 > ½πR, and R is the bending radius of the display module 10. Further, R ranges from 1mm to 5mm; for example, R can be 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, etc., but is not limited to these values. When the length L1 of the first sub-part 221 is within the above range, the bending performance and bending life of the bending area NA of the display module 10 can be guaranteed.

[0042] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2In the support structure 200, the total thickness of the first support layer 210 is less than or equal to the total thickness of the second support layer 220. The total thickness of the first support layer 210 should not be too thick to ensure the mechanical strength of the module while preventing breakage and delamination during repeated bending. For the second support layer 220, the second sub-part 222 and the third sub-part 223 require a certain total thickness to ensure the mechanical strength of the non-bending area AA, and the first sub-part 221 requires a certain total thickness to ensure the impact resistance of the bending area NA. Therefore, the total thickness of the second support layer 220 is relatively thick. When the support structure 200 includes one first support layer 210 or one second support layer 220, the total thickness refers to the thickness of one first support layer 210 or one second support layer 220. When the support structure 200 includes multiple first support layers 210 or multiple second support layers 220, the total thickness refers to the sum of the thicknesses of the multiple first support layers 210 or the sum of the thicknesses of the multiple second support layers 220.

[0043] In some embodiments, the thickness of the support structure 200 is greater than or equal to 60 μm and less than or equal to 300 μm to improve mechanical strength and reduce marks while ensuring the bending performance of the display module 10, and to reduce the risk of breakage and delamination in the bending area NA. For example, the thickness of the support structure 200 can be 60 μm, 80 μm, 100 μm, 120 μm, 140 μm, 160 μm, 180 μm, 200 μm, 220 μm, 240 μm, 260 μm, 280 μm, 300 μm, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0044] In some embodiments, the total thickness of the first support layer 210 in the support structure 200 is greater than or equal to 20 μm and less than or equal to 100 μm, in order to improve mechanical strength, reduce marks, and lower the risk of breakage and delamination in the bending area NA while ensuring the bending performance of the display module 10. For example, the total thickness of the first support layer 210 can be 20 μm, 40 μm, 60 μm, 80 μm, 100 μm, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0045] In some embodiments, the thickness of the first support layer 210 is greater than or equal to 10 μm and less than or equal to 50 μm. The first support layer 210 is a carbon fiber layup covering the entire surface. By using a thinner first support layer 210 (carbon fiber layup) to lay the entire surface, the risk of breakage and delamination in the bending zone NA can be reduced. For example, the thickness of the first support layer 210 can be 10 μm, 20 μm, 30 μm, 40 μm, 50 μm, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0046] In some embodiments, the total thickness of the second support layer 220 in the support structure 200 is greater than or equal to 40 μm and less than or equal to 200 μm, in order to improve mechanical strength and reduce marks while ensuring the bending performance of the display module 10, and at the same time reduce the risk of breakage and delamination in the bending area NA. For example, the total thickness of the second support layer 220 can be 40 μm, 60 μm, 80 μm, 100 μm, 120 μm, 140 μm, 160 μm, 180 μm, 200 μm, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0047] In some embodiments, the thickness of the second support layer 220 is greater than or equal to 10 μm and less than or equal to 100 μm; for example, the thickness of the second support layer 220 may be 10 μm, 20 μm, 40 μm, 60 μm, 80 μm, 100 μm, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0048] For details, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The support structure 200 includes a first support layer 210a and a first support layer 210b stacked together, wherein the thickness of the first support layer 210a and the first support layer 210b is both in the range of 10 μm to 50 μm. The support structure 200 also includes a second support layer 220a, a second support layer 220b, and a second support layer 220c stacked together. The second support layer 220a is disposed close to the first support layer 210a, and the thickness of the second support layer 220a can be greater than the thickness of the second support layer 220b and the thickness of the second support layer 220c. The thickness of the second support layer 220a is in the range of 20 μm to 100 μm, the thickness of the second support layer 220b is in the range of 10 μm to 50 μm, and the thickness of the second support layer 220c is in the range of 10 μm to 50 μm.

[0049] The support structure 200 of this application is composed of a thinner first support layer 210 and a segmented second support layer 220. The thinner first support layer 210 and the segmented second support layer 220 work together to balance the bending performance and mechanical strength of the display module 10, while avoiding openings, improving imprints, and reducing the risk of breakage and delamination in the bending area.

[0050] Figure 6 A prior art display module is shown (see reference). Figure 1 ) and the display module provided in the embodiments of this application (refer to Figure 2The diagram shows a comparison of cracking risks between the two structures. Except for the support structure, the other membrane structures are identical. In this embodiment, the support structure 200 includes a first support layer 210a (carbon fiber extension direction 0°, tensile strength 1416 MPa, thickness 15 μm), a first support layer 210b (carbon fiber extension direction 90°, tensile strength 755 MPa, thickness 24 μm), a second support layer 220a (carbon fiber extension direction 0°, tensile strength 1573 MPa, thickness 70 μm), a second support layer 220b (carbon fiber extension direction 90°, tensile strength 755 MPa, thickness 24 μm), a second support layer 220c (carbon fiber extension direction 0°, tensile strength 1416 MPa, thickness 15 μm), and a first sub-section 221 (MLC adhesive, L1=12mm, R=2mm). Figure 6 The vertical axis represents the maximum principal tensile strain (LE.MAX.PRINCIPAL). The bending and non-bending areas of the module are displayed through pointed extrusion, and the maximum principal tensile strain is tested, as shown below. Figure 6 As shown, the cracking risk of the display module provided in this application embodiment is significantly lower than that of the display module in the prior art. This proves that the support structure 200 provided in this application can effectively reduce the risk of breakage and delamination of the display module 10.

[0051] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 5 The display module 10 also includes a first backplate layer 120, which is located on the side of the display panel 100 near the support structure 200 to provide support and protection for the display panel 100. Furthermore, a first adhesive layer 110 is provided between the display panel 100 and the first backplate layer 120, and a second adhesive layer 130 is provided between the first backplate layer 120 and the support structure 200.

[0052] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 The display module 10 also includes a second backplate layer 140, which is located on the side of the first backplate layer 120 near the support structure 200, to further protect the side of the display panel 100 near the support structure 200 and improve impact resistance. Furthermore, a third adhesive layer 150 is provided between the second backplate layer 140 and the support structure 200.

[0053] It is understandable that in the existing display module structure (such as...) Figure 1In the example shown, because the support layer bending area NA has an opening, dust, impurities, and other foreign objects may enter the display module 10 through the opening 102, damaging the display panel 100 from the bottom and causing display abnormalities. The support structure 200 of this application includes a first support layer 210 covering the entire surface, and the support structure 200 adopts a segmented design without drilling, thus avoiding the problem of foreign objects entering the display module 10 and damaging the display panel 100. Furthermore, the existing display module 10 structure uses a second backplate layer 140 to prevent foreign objects from entering and damaging the display panel 100 due to drilling. The support structure 200 of this application does not require drilling, and the full coverage of the first support layer 210 improves the support strength and impact resistance of the back side of the display panel 100, enhancing the protection of the back side of the display panel 100. Therefore, one second backplate layer 140 can be reduced (e.g., ...). Figure 5 The structure shown is designed to reduce the overall thickness of the module and lower costs.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first backsheet layer 120 and the second backsheet layer 140 may be made of flexible materials, such as polyimide (PI), ultra-thin glass (UTG), etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0055] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 5 The display module 10 further includes at least one optical film layer 160, which is disposed on the light-emitting side of the display panel 100, i.e., the side of the display panel 100 away from the support structure 200, to improve the optical performance of the display module 10. The optical film layer 160 can be a polarizer, optical protective layer, optical functional layer, or other commonly used films in the art, and this application is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the optical film layer 160 is bonded to adjacent films using transparent optical adhesive 170 (Optically Clear Adhesive, OCA).

[0056] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 5 The display module 10 also includes a cover plate 180, which is disposed on the side of the optical film layer 160 away from the display panel 100 to provide protection. The cover plate 180 may be made of a flexible material, such as polyimide (PI), ultra-thin glass (UTG), etc., but is not limited to these.

[0057] This application also provides a display device, which includes the display module 10 as described above.

[0058] In some embodiments, the display device of this application is a foldable display device. The display device further includes a middle frame and a hinge. The display module 10 is fixed to the middle frame and the hinge by an adhesive. Specifically, the structure of the middle frame and the hinge can refer to the prior art, and this application does not limit it.

[0059] In this application, the display device may be a mobile phone, computer, smart display, or other products, but is not limited to these.

[0060] This application discloses a display module and display device. The support structure of the display module includes a first support layer and a second support layer. The second support layer is located on the side of the first support layer away from the display panel. The orthographic projection of the first support layer on the display panel covers the bending area and extends to the non-bending area. The second support layer includes a first sub-part and a second sub-part and a third sub-part located on opposite sides of the first sub-part. The orthographic projection of the first sub-part on the display panel is located in the bending area, and the orthographic projections of the second and third sub-parts on the display panel are located in the non-bending area. The elastic modulus of the material of the first sub-part is less than that of the material of the second sub-part, and the elastic modulus of the material of the first sub-part is less than that of the material of the third sub-part. The support structure of this application includes a first support layer that covers the entire surface and a second support layer that is segmented. The elastic modulus of the first sub-part of the second support layer located in the bending area is less than that of the second and third sub-parts located in the non-bending area on both sides. This improves the overall mechanical strength of the display module while effectively reducing the bending area marks, and avoids opening holes in the support structure, effectively reducing the risk of breakage and delamination in the bending area.

[0061] In the description of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0062] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0063] The embodiments, implementation methods, and related technical features of this application can be combined and substituted for each other without conflict.

[0064] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application in any way. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of this application without departing from the scope of the technical solution of this application shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of this application.

Claims

1. A display module, characterized in that, The display module includes a bending area and non-bending areas located on opposite sides of the bending area. Display panel; A support structure is disposed on the side away from the light-emitting side of the display panel. The support structure includes at least one first support layer and at least one second support layer, wherein the second support layer is located on the side of the first support layer away from the display panel. The first support layer is located in the bending area and extends into the non-bending area; The second support layer includes a first sub-part and a second sub-part and a third sub-part located on opposite sides of the first sub-part. The first sub-part is located in the bending region, and the second and third sub-parts are located in the non-bending region. The elastic modulus of the material of the first sub-part is less than that of the material of the second sub-part, and the elastic modulus of the material of the first sub-part is less than that of the material of the third sub-part.

2. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic modulus of the material of the first sub-part is less than that of the material of the first support layer.

3. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The viscosity of the material in the first sub-part is greater than the viscosity of the material in the second sub-part, and the viscosity of the material in the first sub-part is greater than the viscosity of the material in the third sub-part; And / or, the viscosity of the material of the first sub-part is greater than the viscosity of the material of the first support layer.

4. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second sub-part and the third sub-part are made of the same material as the first support layer, while the first sub-part is made of a different material than the first support layer.

5. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material of the first support layer, the material of the second sub-part, or the material of the third sub-part includes carbon fiber material; And / or, the material of the first sub-part includes an adhesive.

6. The display module according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the support structure includes two or more first support layers, the angle between the extension directions of the carbon fibers of two adjacent first support layers is greater than 0°. And / or, when the support structure includes two or more second support layers, the angle between the extending directions of the carbon fibers of two adjacent second support layers is greater than 0°.

7. The display module according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The support structure includes a first support layer consisting of two or three stacked layers, and a second support layer consisting of two or three stacked layers.

8. The display module according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The thickness of the first support layer is greater than or equal to 10 μm and less than or equal to 50 μm; the thickness of the second support layer is greater than or equal to 10 μm and less than or equal to 100 μm.

9. The display module according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The length L1 of the first sub-part in the direction from the second sub-part to the third sub-part is greater than ½πR, where R is the bending radius of the display module.

10. A display device, characterized in that, Includes the display module as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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