Electronic ink display device

Abstract

An electronic ink display device includes a thin film transistor array substrate, at least two front panels, a protective film and a sealing adhesive. The at least two front panels are directly spliced on the thin film transistor array substrate, and the at least two front panels have a gap between adjacent two of the at least two front panels. Each of the at least two front panels includes an electronic ink material layer. The protective film is disposed on the at least two front panels to completely cover the at least two front panels. The sealing adhesive is used to fill the gap and is located between the thin film transistor array substrate and the protective film. Directly splicing the at least two front panels on the single thin film transistor array substrate can achieve an extremely narrow splicing seam line, and there is no unevenness of the image screen.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an electronic ink display device, and more particularly to an electronic ink display device that splices at least two front panel laminates (FPLs) onto a single thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic ink display (EIM) technology, with its low power consumption, high contrast, and wide viewing angles, is suitable for static display applications. However, the current approach to applying EIM technology to large advertising billboards involves splicing multiple EIM modules together. This method is costly due to the high manufacturing cost of multiple modules and the need for mechanical components to assist in splicing, further increasing costs. Additionally, noticeable seams exceeding 2 mm between adjacent EIM modules result in image unevenness and negatively impact the viewing experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to provide an electronic ink display device comprising a thin-film transistor array substrate, at least two front panels, a protective film, and a first sealing adhesive. The at least two front panels are spliced ​​together on the thin-film transistor array substrate, with a gap between adjacent front panels. Each of the at least two front panels includes an electronic ink material layer. The protective film is disposed on the at least two front panels to completely cover them. The first sealing adhesive is used to fill the gap and is located between the thin-film transistor array substrate and the protective film.

[0004] In some embodiments, the electronic ink display device further includes a second sealing material surrounding at least two front panels and distributed between the thin-film transistor array substrate and the protective film.

[0005] In some embodiments, each of the at least two front panels further includes a transparent substrate and a transparent electrode layer, the transparent substrate having a protective film attached thereto. The transparent electrode layer is located between the transparent substrate and the electronic ink material layer. The electronic ink material layer is located between the transparent electrode layer and the thin-film transistor array substrate.

[0006] In some embodiments, each of the at least two front panels further includes a conductive material sandwiched between a transparent electrode layer and a thin-film transistor array substrate, and sandwiched between an electronic ink material layer and a second sealing adhesive.

[0007] In some embodiments, adjacent pairs of the at least two front panels have a gap in a first direction, and a seam is formed between the display area of ​​the electronic ink material layer of one of the at least two front panels and the display area of ​​the electronic ink material layer of the other of the at least two front panels in the first direction, and the length of the seam in the first direction is less than 1 mm.

[0008] In some embodiments, the protective film is a water-blocking film.

[0009] In some embodiments, the material of the first sealing adhesive is a heat-curing, single-component, non-conductive oxygen barrier adhesive.

[0010] In some embodiments, the transparent substrate is made of optically transparent adhesive.

[0011] The present invention aims to provide an electronic ink display device comprising a thin-film transistor array substrate, a first transparent substrate, a second transparent substrate, a first transparent electrode layer, a second transparent electrode layer, a first electronic ink material layer, a second electronic ink material layer, and a sealing adhesive. The first and second transparent substrates are bonded to each other on the thin-film transistor array substrate, with a gap between them. The first transparent electrode layer is located between the first transparent substrate and the thin-film transistor array substrate. The second transparent electrode layer is located between the second transparent substrate and the thin-film transistor array substrate. The first and second transparent electrode layers are bonded to each other on the thin-film transistor array substrate, with a gap between them. The first electronic ink material layer is located between the first transparent electrode layer and the thin-film transistor array substrate. The second electronic ink material layer is located between the second transparent electrode layer and the thin-film transistor array substrate. The first and second electronic ink material layers are bonded to each other on the thin-film transistor array substrate, with a gap between them. The sealing adhesive is used to fill the gaps.

[0012] In some embodiments, there is a gap between the first electronic ink material layer and the second electronic ink material layer in a first direction, and there is a seam between the display area of ​​the first electronic ink material layer and the display area of ​​the second electronic ink material layer in a first direction, and the length of the seam in the first direction is less than 1 mm.

[0013] To make the above features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0014] A better understanding of the invention can be obtained from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, according to industry standard practice, the features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the features can be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic ink display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the seam of an electronic ink display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] [Symbol Explanation]

[0018] 10: Thin-film transistor array substrate

[0019] 20: Front panel

[0020] 21: Electronic ink material layer

[0021] 22:Transparent substrate

[0022] 23: Transparent electrode layer

[0023] 24: Conductive materials

[0024] 30: Protective film

[0025] 40: First sealing material

[0026] 50: Second sealing material

[0027] 60: Gap

[0028] 100: Electronic ink display device

[0029] AA: Display area

[0030] SS: Seam

[0031] X, Y: Direction Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments of the present invention will be discussed in detail below. However, it will be understood that the embodiments provide many applicable concepts that can be implemented in a wide variety of specific contexts. The discussed and disclosed embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The terms "first" and "second" as used herein do not specifically refer to order or sequence, but are used only to distinguish elements or operations described using the same technical terms.

[0033] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic ink display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic ink display device 100 includes a single thin-film transistor array substrate 10, a plurality of front panels 20, a protective sheet 30, a first sealing adhesive 40, and a second sealing adhesive 50. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The number of front panels 20 shown is two, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In embodiments of the present invention, the number of front panels 20 is two or more.

[0034] Multiple front panels 20 are tiled together on a single thin-film transistor array substrate 10. There is a gap 60 between adjacent front panels 20.

[0035] Each front panel 20 includes an electronic ink material layer 21, a transparent substrate 22, a transparent electrode layer 23, and a conductive material 24. The transparent electrode layer 23 is located between the transparent substrate 22 and the electronic ink material layer 21. The electronic ink material layer 21 is located between the transparent electrode layer 23 and the thin-film transistor array substrate 10.

[0036] Specifically, two adjacent transparent substrates 22 of the front panel 20 are spliced ​​together on the thin-film transistor array substrate 10, with a gap 60 between them. Two adjacent transparent electrode layers 23 of the front panel 20 are spliced ​​together on the thin-film transistor array substrate 10, with a gap 60 between them. Two adjacent electronic ink material layers 21 of the front panel 20 are spliced ​​together on the thin-film transistor array substrate 10, with a gap 60 between them. A protective film 30 is disposed on the two adjacent transparent substrates 22 of the front panel 20 to completely cover them.

[0037] The electronic ink material layer 21 has a display material (i.e., electronic ink) that is actuated by charged particles and has a bistable state. When an image signal is input to the electronic ink display device 100, the electronic ink will act according to the input electric field to display an image by reflecting light, and this image will continue to be retained without the need for an additional power input.

[0038] In embodiments of the present invention, to avoid obscuring the display screen, the transparent substrate 22 may be formed by curing a light-transmitting adhesive material. For example, the material of the transparent substrate 22 is optically clear adhesive (OCA) to attach the protective film 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments of the present invention, the material of the transparent substrate 22 may also be polyethylene terephthalate (PET), plastic, acrylic, or other suitable materials.

[0039] The transparent electrode layer 23 can be made of indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), or other transparent conductive materials.

[0040] The conductive material 24 is sandwiched between the transparent electrode layer 23 and the thin film transistor array substrate 10, and the conductive material 24 is sandwiched between the electronic ink material layer 21 and the second sealing adhesive 50.

[0041] When the electric field between the pixel electrodes of the thin-film transistor array substrate 10 and the transparent electrode layer 23 of the front panel 20 changes, the electronic ink moves upward or downward according to the direction of the electric field, thereby causing each pixel to exhibit different colors and / or optical properties. In embodiments of the present invention, the thin-film transistor array substrate 10 is a glass substrate or a flexible substrate.

[0042] A protective film 30 is disposed on a plurality of front panels 20 to completely cover the plurality of front panels 20. Specifically, the protective film 30 is disposed on the plurality of front panels 20, the first sealing material 40, and the second sealing material 50, the protective film 30 completely covering the plurality of front panels 20 and the first sealing material 40, and the protective film 30 partially covering the second sealing material 50. In an embodiment of the present invention, the protective film 30 is a water vapor barrier film.

[0043] The first sealing material 40 is used to fill the gap 60 and is located between the thin-film transistor array substrate 10 and the protective film 30. The first sealing material 40 can prevent moisture from penetrating into the electronic ink material layer 21 and enhance the moisture resistance of the electronic ink display device 100.

[0044] The second sealing material 50 surrounds the plurality of front panels 20 and is distributed between the thin-film transistor array substrate 10 and the protective film 30. In other words, the second sealing material 50 is adjacent to the plurality of front panels 20, the thin-film transistor array substrate 10, and the protective film 30. The second sealing material 50 can prevent moisture from penetrating into the electronic ink material layer 21 and enhance the moisture resistance of the electronic ink display device 100.

[0045] The first sealing adhesive 40 is bonded to the first sidewall of the electronic ink material layer 21, and the second sealing adhesive 50 is bonded to the second sidewall of the electronic ink material layer 21. The first sidewall and the second sidewall are located on opposite sides of the electronic ink material layer 21.

[0046] In embodiments of the present invention, the first sealing material 40 and the second sealing material 50 are made of the same material. In embodiments of the present invention, the first sealing material 40 is a heat-cured, one-component, non-conductive oxygen-barrier adhesive; in other words, the first sealing material 40 is a low oxygen transmission rate (OTR) (or high oxygen barrier) colloid, such as Henkel's Loctite epoxy resin adhesive, model 7301N.

[0047] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the seam SS of the electronic ink display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to it as well. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The front panel 20 is disposed on the thin film transistor array substrate 10 along the Y direction. Adjacent front panels 20 are spliced ​​along the X direction. Alternatively, adjacent front panels 20 can also be spliced ​​along a direction orthogonal to both the X and Y directions (i.e., direction Z, not shown).

[0048] Please refer to the above as well. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The two adjacent front panels 20 have a gap 60 in the X direction. The two adjacent electronic ink material layers 21 of the front panel 20 have a gap 60 in the X direction. The display area AA of one of the electronic ink material layers 21 of the front panel 20 and the display area AA of the other electronic ink material layer 21 of the front panel 20 have a seam SS in the X direction (i.e., the seam line seen when viewing the electronic ink display device 100), and the length of the seam SS in the X direction is less than 1 mm.

[0049] Based on the above, the size of the seam SS of the electronic ink display device 100 of the present invention is less than 1 mm, achieving an extremely narrow splicing seam and eliminating image unevenness (mura), thereby improving the viewing experience when applying electronic ink display technology to large advertising billboards.

[0050] In addition, the electronic ink display device 100 of the present invention directly splices multiple front panels 20 onto a single thin film transistor array substrate 10, rather than splicing multiple electronic ink display modules with huge costs, thus saving manufacturing costs.

[0051] The foregoing has outlined the features of several embodiments, thus enabling those skilled in the art to better understand the nature of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that this invention can be readily used as a basis to design or modify other processes and structures, thereby achieving the same objectives and / or advantages as the embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art will also understand that these equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An electronic ink display device, characterized in that, include: A thin-film transistor array substrate; At least two front panels are spliced ​​together on the thin film transistor array substrate, and there is a gap between adjacent front panels. Each of the at least two front panels includes an electronic ink material layer. A protective film is disposed on the at least two front panels to completely cover the at least two front panels; and A first sealing material is used to fill the gap and is located between the thin-film transistor array substrate and the protective film.

2. The electronic ink display device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A second sealing material surrounds the at least two front panels and is distributed between the thin-film transistor array substrate and the protective film.

3. The electronic ink display device according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the at least two front panels also includes: A transparent substrate, to which the protective film is attached; and A transparent electrode layer is located between the transparent substrate and the electronic ink material layer; The electronic ink material layer is located between the transparent electrode layer and the thin-film transistor array substrate.

4. The electronic ink display device according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the at least two front panels also includes: A conductive material is sandwiched between the transparent electrode layer and the thin-film transistor array substrate, and between the electronic ink material layer and the second sealing adhesive.

5. The electronic ink display device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least two front panels have the gap between adjacent pairs in a first direction, and a seam is formed between a display area of ​​the electronic ink material layer of one of the at least two front panels and a display area of ​​the electronic ink material layer of the other of the at least two front panels in the first direction, and the length of the seam in the first direction is less than 1 mm.

6. The electronic ink display device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective film is a water-blocking membrane.

7. The electronic ink display device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first sealing material is a heat-curing, single-component, non-conductive oxygen barrier adhesive.

8. The electronic ink display device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The transparent substrate is made of optically transparent adhesive.

9. An electronic ink display device, characterized in that, include: A thin-film transistor array substrate; A first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate are spliced ​​together on the thin film transistor array substrate, and there is a gap between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate; A first transparent electrode layer is located between the first transparent substrate and the thin-film transistor array substrate; A second transparent electrode layer is located between the second transparent substrate and the thin film transistor array substrate. The first transparent electrode layer and the second transparent electrode layer are spliced ​​together on the thin film transistor array substrate, and the gap exists between the first transparent electrode layer and the second transparent electrode layer. A first electronic ink material layer is located between the first transparent electrode layer and the thin-film transistor array substrate; A second electronic ink material layer is located between the second transparent electrode layer and the thin film transistor array substrate. The first electronic ink material layer and the second electronic ink material layer are spliced ​​together on the thin film transistor array substrate, and the gap exists between the first electronic ink material layer and the second electronic ink material layer. and A sealing adhesive is used to fill the gap.

10. The electronic ink display device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first electronic ink material layer and the second electronic ink material layer have a gap in a first direction, and a display area of ​​the first electronic ink material layer and a display area of ​​the second electronic ink material layer have a seam in the first direction, and the length of the seam in the first direction is less than 1 mm.

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