Foldable supporting plate, flexible screen module and foldable electronic equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides a foldable supporting plate, a flexible screen module and foldable electronic equipment. The foldable supporting plate comprises a foldable supporting part which is in a bent state when the foldable supporting plate is folded along the folding axis. The foldable supporting part comprises a first supporting layer and a second supporting layer which are arranged in a stacked mode. The side, facing the second supporting layer, of the first supporting layer is provided with a first groove and / or a second protrusion, the side, facing the first supporting layer, of the second supporting layer is provided with a first protrusion and / or a second groove, the first protrusion is used for being embedded into the first groove, and the second protrusion is used for being embedded into the second groove. The face, facing the second supporting layer, of the part, except the first groove and the second protrusion, of the first supporting layer is a plane, and the face, facing the first supporting layer, of the part, except the first protrusion and the second groove, of the second supporting layer is a plane. According to the technical scheme, the problem of poor appearance of the screen can be solved while the screen can be bent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of electronic devices, and more specifically, to a foldable support plate, a flexible screen module and a foldable electronic device. Background Art

[0002] Users have an increasing demand for electronic devices that are large and easy to carry, so electronic devices with flexible displays (i.e., foldable electronic devices) have received widespread attention. The flexible display can be unfolded when in use to provide a larger display area, and can be folded and closed when not in use to reduce the space occupied by the foldable electronic device.

[0003] However, the screens of current foldable electronic devices are prone to creases, horizontal lines and other poor appearance phenomena, which affect the user experience. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present application provides a foldable support plate, a flexible screen module and a foldable electronic device, which can improve the poor appearance of the screen while ensuring that the screen can be folded.

[0005] In a first aspect, a foldable support plate is provided, comprising: a first support portion, a second support portion and a foldable support portion, the foldable support portion being located between the first support portion and the second support portion, and the foldable support portion being in a bent state when the foldable support plate is folded along a folding axis; the foldable support portion comprises a first support layer and a second support layer which are stacked; the first support layer comprises a first substrate and a plurality of first grooves and / or a plurality of second protrusions arranged on the first substrate, the first substrate comprising a first surface facing the second support layer, each of the plurality of first grooves being recessed from the first surface in a direction away from the second support layer, each of the plurality of second protrusions being protruded from the first surface in a direction close to the second support layer, and the first substrate having a plurality of protrusions arranged on the first substrate. The surface of the portion other than the first grooves and the plurality of second protrusions facing the second supporting layer is a plane; the second supporting layer includes a second substrate and a plurality of first protrusions and / or a plurality of second grooves arranged on the second substrate, the second substrate includes a second surface facing the first supporting layer, each of the plurality of first protrusions is formed by protruding from the second surface toward the first supporting layer, and each of the plurality of second grooves is formed by being recessed from the second surface toward the direction away from the first supporting layer, and the surface of the portion of the second substrate other than the plurality of first protrusions and the plurality of second grooves facing the first supporting layer is a plane; the first surface is attached to the second surface, the plurality of first protrusions are used to be fitted one by one with the plurality of first grooves, and the plurality of second protrusions are used to be fitted one by one with the plurality of second grooves.

[0006] In the embodiment of the present application, the foldable support plate can ensure its bendability while taking into account good anti-extrusion and impact performance, and improve the flatness of the screen, thereby improving the poor appearance of the screen. Specifically, the foldable support portion is a layered structure. During the bending process of the foldable support plate, the upper support layer and the lower support layer of the foldable support portion can be respectively stretched and bent to form a bending morphology, thereby ensuring the bendability of the screen. When the foldable support plate is in a flattened state, the upper support layer and the lower support layer can form an interaction force through the engagement of the protrusions and the grooves, thereby improving the anti-crease performance of the folding area, thereby improving the poor appearance of the creases produced on the screen. The engagement structure of the protrusions and the grooves greatly reduces the gap size of the foldable support plate. The foldable support portion has no large-area concave area as a whole, thereby improving the stiffness continuity of the foldable support portion, thereby reducing the horizontal lines on the screen. In addition, the protrusions and multiple grooves engage with each other to form an interaction force, which can improve the support stiffness of the foldable support part and avoid the influence of simple depressions on the extrusion and impact strength of the display screen, thereby improving the anti-extrusion and impact performance of the foldable support part and the flatness of the screen, and increasing the service life of the screen.

[0007] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, there is no gap between the first protrusion and the first groove that are interlocked; and / or there is no gap between the second protrusion and the second groove that are interlocked.

[0008] There is no gap between the interlocking grooves and protrusions, which can improve the horizontal lines on the screen and improve the flatness of the screen.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, there is a first gap between the first protrusion and the first groove that are interlocked, and the first gap is filled with a filler; and / or there is a second gap between the second protrusion and the second groove that are interlocked, and the second gap is filled with a filler.

[0010] The filler fills the gap, which can reduce the size of the gap between the interlocking protrusions and grooves. In addition, the filler also applies a compressive load to the foldable support plate, which can further increase the support stiffness of the upper and lower support layers.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, an elastic modulus of the filler is smaller than an elastic modulus of the foldable support portion.

[0012] In this way, the bending performance of the foldable support portion can be further improved.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the material of the filler is any one of the following materials: acrylate, polyurethane, silicone, epoxy resin or non-Newtonian fluid.

[0014] The filler is made of the above-mentioned material, which can fill the pores existing in the foldable support part without affecting the bendability of the foldable support plate.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the filler is filled in the first gap and / or the second gap by inkjet printing, and is cured by at least one of photocuring, thermal curing, or moisture curing.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first supporting layer includes the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second protrusions, and the second supporting layer includes the plurality of first protrusions and the plurality of second grooves, wherein, in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis, one or more of the plurality of second protrusions are arranged between two adjacent first grooves among the plurality of first grooves, and / or, one or more of the plurality of first grooves are arranged between two adjacent second protrusions among the plurality of second protrusions; in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis, one or more of the plurality of first protrusions are arranged between two adjacent second grooves among the plurality of second grooves, and / or, one or more of the plurality of second grooves are arranged between two adjacent first protrusions among the plurality of first protrusions.

[0017] The above arrangement can increase the interaction force between the first supporting layer and the second supporting layer.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis, the first protrusions and the second grooves are arranged alternately, and the second protrusions and the first grooves are arranged alternately, wherein a cross-section of a solid portion between two adjacent first grooves among the multiple first grooves or a solid portion between two adjacent second grooves among the multiple second grooves in a plane perpendicular to the folding axis is one of the following shapes: rectangle, trapezoid, parallelogram, triangle, convex shape or L-shape.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the cross-sectional shape of the first protrusion or the first groove in the first plane and / or the second plane is a rectangle, a trapezoid, a triangle, a parallelogram or an arc; and / or the cross-sectional shape of the second protrusion or the second groove in the first plane and / or the second plane is a rectangle, a trapezoid, a triangle, a parallelogram or an arc; the first plane is perpendicular to the folding axis, and the second plane is parallel to the folding axis and perpendicular to the plane where the foldable support plate is in the unfolded state.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the cross-sectional shape of the first protrusion or the first groove in the third plane is rectangular, elliptical or racetrack-shaped; and / or the cross-sectional shape of the second protrusion or the second groove in the third plane is rectangular, elliptical or racetrack-shaped; the third plane is parallel to the plane where the foldable support plate is in the unfolded state.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, a depth of the first groove is less than or equal to a thickness of the first substrate; and / or a depth of the second groove is less than or equal to a thickness of the second substrate.

[0022] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the length direction of the first protrusion and the length direction of the first groove are parallel to the folding axis; and / or the length direction of the second protrusion and the length direction of the second groove are parallel to the folding axis.

[0023] This is beneficial to the bending of the foldable support plate. When the lengths of the protrusions and the grooves are small, the foldable support plate can have a higher bending stiffness, which can further improve the folding performance, the anti-extrusion impact performance, etc.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the foldable support plate also includes a first transition support portion and a second transition support portion, the first transition support portion is located between the first support portion and the foldable support portion, and the second transition support portion is located between the second support portion and the foldable support portion; the first transition support portion and the second transition support portion are in a bent state when the foldable support plate is folded along the folding axis, and the bending curvature of the first transition support portion and the bending curvature of the second transition support portion are both smaller than the bending curvature of the foldable support portion.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first transition support portion and / or the second transition support portion include a third support layer and a fourth support layer that are stacked, the third support layer and the first support layer are located on the same layer, and the fourth support layer and the second support layer are located on the same layer; the third support layer includes a third substrate and a plurality of third grooves and / or a plurality of fourth protrusions arranged on the third substrate, the third substrate includes a third surface facing the fourth support layer, each of the plurality of third grooves is recessed from the third surface in a direction away from the fourth support layer, and each of the plurality of fourth protrusions is protruded from the third surface in a direction close to the fourth support layer, and the third substrate has a plurality of third grooves and / or a plurality of fourth protrusions. The surface of the portion outside the third protrusions facing the fourth supporting layer is a plane; the fourth supporting layer includes a fourth substrate and a plurality of third protrusions and / or a plurality of fourth grooves arranged on the fourth substrate, the fourth substrate includes a fourth surface facing the third supporting layer, each of the plurality of third protrusions is protruded from the fourth surface in a direction close to the third supporting layer, and each of the plurality of fourth grooves is recessed from the fourth surface in a direction away from the third supporting layer, and the surface of the portion of the fourth substrate other than the plurality of third protrusions and the plurality of fourth grooves facing the third supporting layer is a plane; the third surface is attached to the fourth surface, the plurality of third protrusions are used to be fitted one by one with the plurality of third grooves, and the plurality of fourth protrusions are used to be fitted one by one with the plurality of fourth grooves.

[0026] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the protrusions or grooves provided on the first transition support portion or the second transition support portion are different from the protrusions or grooves provided on the foldable support portion in at least one of shape, size and density, so as to achieve a stiffness transition between the first support portion and the foldable support portion and / or between the second support portion and the foldable support portion.

[0027] The above design can make the stiffness of the first transition support part or the second transition support part different from the stiffness of the foldable support part, which is conducive to achieving the stiffness transition between the foldable support part and the first support part or the second support part 220, and avoiding the problem of easy breakage caused by sudden change in stiffness.

[0028] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first transition support portion and the foldable support portion and / or the second transition support portion and the foldable support portion are connected by at least one of the following methods: snap-on, bonding, welding, or integral molding.

[0029] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first transition support portion and the first support portion and / or the second transition support portion and the second support portion are connected by at least one of the following methods: snap-on, bonding, welding or integral molding.

[0030] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the foldable support portion also includes a fifth support layer stacked with the first support layer and the second support layer, and the second support layer is arranged between the first support layer and the fifth support layer; the second support layer also includes a plurality of fifth protrusions and / or a plurality of sixth grooves arranged on the second substrate, and the second substrate also includes a fifth surface facing the fifth support layer, each of the plurality of fifth protrusions is protruded from the fifth surface in a direction close to the fifth support layer, and each of the plurality of sixth grooves is recessed from the fifth surface in a direction away from the fifth support layer, and a portion of the second substrate except the plurality of fifth protrusions and the plurality of sixth grooves faces the fifth support layer. The surface of the supporting layer is a plane; the fifth supporting layer includes a fifth substrate and a plurality of fifth grooves and / or a plurality of sixth protrusions arranged on the fifth substrate, the fifth substrate includes a sixth surface facing the second supporting layer, each of the plurality of fifth grooves is formed by being recessed from the sixth surface in a direction away from the second supporting layer, and each of the plurality of sixth protrusions is formed by being protruded from the sixth surface in a direction close to the second supporting layer, and the surface of the portion of the fifth substrate other than the plurality of fifth grooves and the plurality of sixth protrusions facing the second supporting layer is a plane; the fifth surface is attached to the sixth surface, the plurality of fifth protrusions are used to be fitted one-to-one with the plurality of fifth grooves, and the plurality of sixth protrusions are used to be fitted one-to-one with the plurality of sixth grooves.

[0031] The foldable support part can be composed of more than two support layers, which can reduce the gap size of the foldable support part and enhance the supporting effect of the flexible display screen in the flattened state. It has a significant improvement effect on problems such as screen creases and horizontal lines, and can also enhance the screen's resistance to extrusion and impact.

[0032] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the material of the foldable support portion is titanium alloy or stainless steel, and the material of the first support portion and the second support portion is carbon fiber.

[0033] The non-bending area adopts lightweight materials, which can significantly reduce the weight of the foldable support plate while ensuring the flatness and anti-extrusion impact of the foldable support plate.

[0034] In a second aspect, a flexible screen module is provided, comprising a flexible display screen and the foldable support plate described in the first aspect and any one of the implementations of the first aspect, wherein the foldable support plate is attached to the flexible display screen and is used to provide support force for the flexible display screen.

[0035] According to a third aspect, a foldable electronic device is provided, comprising a flexible display and the foldable support plate according to the first aspect and any one of the implementations of the first aspect, wherein the foldable support plate is attached to the flexible display and is used to provide support force for the flexible display.

[0036] In a fourth aspect, a foldable electronic device is provided, comprising the flexible screen module described in the second aspect.

[0037] The beneficial effects of the devices involved in the second to fourth aspects mentioned above can be referred to the relevant description of the first aspect, and will not be repeated for the sake of brevity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0039] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of two possible folding states of a foldable electronic device.

[0040] Figure 3 It is a schematic exploded diagram of a foldable electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0041] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0042] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the foldable support plate in a bent state.

[0043] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0044] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of another foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0045] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of another foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0046] Fig. 9 It is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0047] Fig.10 It is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of another foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0048] Fig.11 It is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of another foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0049] Fig.12 It is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0050] Fig.13 It is a schematic structural diagram of the groove on the foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0051] Fig.14 It is a force diagram of the foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0052] Fig.15 It is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0053] Fig.16 It is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0054] Fig.17 It is a schematic structural diagram of another foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0055] Fig.18 It is a schematic structural diagram of another foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0056] Fig.19 It is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible screen module provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0057] Fig. 20 It is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0058] Fig.21 It is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0059] Fig. 22 It is a schematic structural diagram of the folding area of ​​the foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0060] Fig.23 It is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0061] Fig.24 It is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0062] Fig.25It is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] The technical solution in this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0064] It should be noted that, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, “ / ” means or, for example, A / B can mean A or B; the “and / or” in this article is merely a way to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist, for example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone.

[0065] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined as "first", "second", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, "multiple" refers to two or more than two, "at least one" and "one or more" refer to one, two or more. The singular expressions "one", "a kind", "said", "above", "the", and "this" are intended to also include expressions such as "one or more", unless there is a clear indication to the contrary in the context.

[0066] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" etc. described in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Thus, the phrases "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in some other embodiments", "in some other embodiments", etc. that appear at different places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways.

[0067] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the terms "upper", "lower", "inside", "outside", "vertical", "horizontal", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships that are defined relative to the orientations or positions of the components schematically placed in the drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts. They are used for description and clarification relative to the drawings, rather than indicating or implying that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. It may change accordingly according to the change in the orientation of the components placed in the drawings, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the "vertical" involved in the present application is not vertical in the strict sense, but is within the allowable error range. "Parallel" is not parallel in the strict sense, but is within the allowable error range.

[0068] In the embodiments of the present application, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same components or parts. For the same parts in the embodiments of the present application, only one of the parts or parts may be marked with a reference numeral in the figure. It should be understood that the reference numerals are also applicable to other identical parts or parts. In addition, the various parts in the drawings are not drawn according to the actual scale, and the sizes and dimensions of the parts shown in the drawings are only exemplary and should not be understood as limiting the present application.

[0069] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0070] In the embodiment of the present application, the foldable electronic device 100 can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a smart watch, an e-reader, a laptop computer, a wearable device, or other electronic device with a folding function. The embodiment of the present application does not impose any special restrictions on the specific form of the foldable electronic device 100. For the convenience of description and understanding, the following description is based on the foldable electronic device 100 being a foldable mobile phone as an example.

[0071] It should be understood that Figures 1 to 3 Only some components of the foldable electronic device 100 are schematically shown, and the shapes, sizes and structures of these components are not limited to the following. Figures 1 to 3 In some other embodiments, the foldable electronic device 100 may further include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0072] For the convenience of description, the following definition is that the direction parallel to the folding axis of the foldable electronic device 100 is the X direction, the direction parallel to the screen and perpendicular to the folding axis of the foldable electronic device 100 when the foldable electronic device 100 is in the unfolded state is the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the screen when the foldable electronic device 100 is in the unfolded state is the Z direction, which is perpendicular to the X direction and perpendicular to the Y direction. The definitions of the X, Y, and Z directions here also apply to the various drawings to be described later. It should be noted that the above definitions of the X, Y, and Z directions are only for the convenience of describing the positional relationship and connection relationship between the various components in the embodiments of the present application, and should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0073] refer to Figure 1 The foldable electronic device 100 may include a flexible display screen 110 and a housing 120. The housing 120 is formed with a receiving space for receiving various components of the foldable electronic device 100. The flexible display screen 110 is disposed in the receiving space formed by the housing 120 and connected to the housing 120. The housing 120 may also protect the foldable electronic device 100 and support the entire device.

[0074] The flexible display screen 110 is used to display images. Figure 1 The flexible display screen 110 is schematically represented by a structure filled with a dot matrix pattern. The flexible display screen 110 has the characteristics of strong flexibility and bendability, and can provide users with a new interaction method based on the bendable characteristics. The display panel of the flexible display screen 110 can adopt, for example, any one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), an active-matrix organic light emitting diode or an active-matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED), a flexible light-emitting diode (FLED), a quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED), etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0075] In the embodiment of the present application, the flexible display screen 110 has a light emitting surface capable of displaying images, and a side surface of the flexible display screen 110 arranged opposite to the light emitting surface can be referred to as the back side of the flexible display screen 110. The back side of the flexible display screen 110 is accommodated in the accommodation space formed by the housing 120 and is not visible to the user.

[0076] The housing 120 may include a first housing 121 and a second housing 122, and the first housing 121 and the second housing 122 may rotate relative to each other around a folding axis 1301 of the foldable electronic device 100. For example, the first housing 121 may rotate relative to the second housing 122 around the folding axis 1301, and / or the second housing 122 may rotate relative to the first housing 121 around the folding axis 1301, so that the foldable electronic device 100 is converted between a folded state and an open state.

[0077] In some embodiments, the foldable electronic device 100 may further include a hinge mechanism 130, which is used to connect the first housing 121 and the second housing 122 to enable the first housing 121 and the second housing 122 to rotate relative to each other around a folding axis 1301. Accordingly, the electronic components provided on the first housing 121 or the electronic components provided on the second housing 122 can rotate around the folding axis 1301.

[0078] Since the first shell 121 and the second shell 122 are hinged by the hinge mechanism 130, the first shell 121 and the second shell 122 can be in a stacked state or in an unfolded state with an angle. For example, when the foldable electronic device 100 is folded, the angle between the first shell 121 and the second shell 122 can be close to 0°. For another example, when the foldable electronic device 100 is opened, the angle between the first shell 121 and the second shell 122 can be close to 180°.

[0079] In one example, the hinge mechanism 130 may include a main shaft, a first connecting component, and a second connecting component. The first connecting component may be fixed to the first housing 121, and the second connecting component may be fixed to the second housing 122. The first connecting component and the second connecting component may rotate relative to the main shaft. The mutual movement of the first connecting component and the second connecting component may drive the mutual movement of the first housing 121 and the second housing 122, thereby realizing the opening and closing function of the foldable electronic device 100.

[0080] In some embodiments, the flexible display screen 110 may include a first display portion 111 corresponding to the first housing 121, a second display portion 112 corresponding to the second housing 122, and a third display portion 113 corresponding to the hinge mechanism 130, wherein the third display portion 113 is located between the first display portion 111 and the second display portion 112, and the third display portion 113 is a foldable display portion. Exemplarily, the first display portion 111 is fixed to the first housing 121, the second display portion 112 is fixed to the second housing 122, and the third display portion 113 is fixed to the hinge mechanism 130. Under the action of the hinge mechanism 130, the first housing 121 and the second housing 122 can be close to or away from each other, and accordingly, the first display portion 111 and the second display portion 112 can be close to or away from each other, and the third display portion 113 will bend, so that the flexible display screen 110 can be folded or unfolded.

[0081] Figure 1 The foldable electronic device 100 is shown in an unfolded state, and accordingly, the flexible display screen 110 is in an unfolded state, and the first display portion 111 and the second display portion 112 are located on the same plane, which can facilitate users to use the large screen.

[0082] Figure 2 Two possible folding states of the foldable electronic device 100 are shown. In the embodiment of the present application, the foldable electronic device 100 being in the folded state may mean that the foldable electronic device 100 is currently bent, and the bending degree of the foldable electronic device 100 reaches the maximum. At this time, the first display portion 111 and the second display portion 112 can be regarded as being located on different planes.

[0083] Figure 2 (a) in the figure shows the state where the screen of the foldable electronic device 100 is folded inward, that is, the inward folded state. In the inward folded state, the first shell 121, the second shell 122 and the hinge mechanism 130 can form a screen-holding area for accommodating the flexible display screen 110. In other words, the flexible display screen 110 can be accommodated in the interval space between the first shell 121 and the second shell 122. At this time, the first display portion 111 is opposite to the second display portion 112, the first shell 121 is opposite to the second shell 122, and the third display portion 113 is bent.

[0084] Figure 2(b) in the figure shows a state where the screen of the foldable electronic device 100 is folded outward, i.e., in the outward folded state. In the outward folded state, the first display portion 111, the second display portion 112, and the third display portion 113 can form a housing area for accommodating the first shell 121, the second shell 122, and the hinge mechanism 130. In other words, the first shell 121, the second shell 122, and the hinge mechanism 130 can be accommodated in the interval space between the first display portion 111 and the second display portion 112. At this time, the first display portion 111 and the second display portion 112 are opposite to each other, the first shell 121 and the second shell 122 are opposite to each other, and the third display portion 113 is bent.

[0085] In the embodiment of the present application, the foldable electronic device 100 can switch between a folded state and an unfolded state. When the foldable electronic device 100 is in the folded state, the space occupied by the foldable electronic device 100 is relatively small; when the foldable electronic device 100 is in the unfolded state, the foldable electronic device 100 can display a relatively large screen to increase the viewing range of the user.

[0086] It should be understood that Figure 1 and Figure 2 It is only schematically shown that the foldable electronic device 100 includes two foldable parts (a first shell 121 and a second shell 122), that is, the foldable electronic device 100 has a folding axis. In some other embodiments, the foldable electronic device 100 may also include three or more foldable parts, and accordingly, the foldable electronic device 100 has two or more folding axes, so that the user can fold it multiple times along multiple folding axes. As the number of foldable parts of the foldable electronic device 100 increases, the occupied space of the foldable electronic device 100 can be further reduced in the folded state while maintaining the same screen size in the unfolded state; or the displayed screen area can be further enlarged in the unfolded state while occupying the same space in the folded state.

[0087] Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded view of a foldable electronic device 100. Figure 3As shown, the foldable electronic device 100 may further include a foldable support plate 140, which is accommodated in the space between the housing of the foldable electronic device 100 and the flexible display screen 110. The foldable support plate 140 has certain strength, rigidity and relatively good bending performance, and can be used as an under-screen support plate of the flexible display screen 110 to provide support force for the flexible display screen 110, thereby facilitating the flatness and anti-extrusion and impact performance of the flexible display screen 110. If the supporting force of the foldable support plate 140 is insufficient, the flexible display screen 110 may result in stratification. In the embodiment of the present application, the foldable support plate 140 can be bonded to the flexible display screen 110, and then a flexible screen module can be formed.

[0088] Exemplarily, the foldable support plate 140 may include a first support portion 141 corresponding to the first display portion 111, a second support portion 142 corresponding to the second display portion 112, and a third support portion 143 corresponding to the third display portion 113, the third support portion 143 is located between the first support portion 141 and the second support portion 142, and the third support portion 143 is a foldable support portion, which is used to bend together with the third display portion 113. Exemplarily, the first support portion 141 may be correspondingly bonded to the first display portion 111 of the flexible display screen 110, and the first support portion 141 may be located between the first display portion 111 and the first housing 121. The second support portion 142 may be correspondingly bonded to the second display portion 112 of the flexible display screen 110, and the second support portion 142 may be located between the second display portion 112 and the second housing 122. The third supporting portion 143 may be bonded to the third display portion 113 of the flexible display screen 110 , and the third supporting portion 143 may be located between the third display portion 113 and the hinge mechanism 130 .

[0089] When the flexible display screen 110 is working normally, the electronic devices (such as light-emitting diodes, semiconductors, etc.) in the flexible display screen 110 will accumulate charges. If too much charge accumulates on the flexible display screen 110, it may affect the normal use of the flexible display screen 110. The foldable support plate 140 can be electrically connected to the flexible display screen 110, so that the foldable support plate 140 can be used to transfer excess charge on the flexible display screen 110, which is beneficial to improve the radio frequency performance of the foldable electronic device 100. In one example, the foldable support plate 140 and the flexible display screen 110 can be adhered together by a conductive adhesive layer (such as conductive foam, conductive double-sided mesh adhesive, etc.).

[0090] In order to take into account both the display effect and the bending performance, the third support portion 143 of the foldable support plate 140 is currently usually designed to include a structure of multiple depressions (such as through holes or blind holes), that is, part of the material of the foldable support portion is removed. However, this design will cause the screen to easily have creases, horizontal lines and other poor appearance phenomena, affecting the user experience. For example, the foldable support portion containing a depression structure has a low rigidity, and when the screen is restored from a bent state to a flat state, the screen is prone to horizontal lines. The film layer of the foldable display portion and the foldable support portion is prone to creep (referring to the phenomenon that the strain of a solid material increases with time under the condition of maintaining a constant stress, and its occurrence is the result of the long-term action of stress lower than the yield strength of the material) during cyclic bending and use, which makes the screen prone to creases.

[0091] In view of this, the present application provides a foldable support plate, a flexible screen module and a foldable electronic device, wherein the foldable support plate has excellent mechanical properties and can improve the poor appearance of the screen while ensuring that the screen can be folded.

[0092] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 4 The foldable support plate 200 shown can be applied to Figures 1 to 3 In the electronic device 100 shown, the foldable support plate 200 may be Figure 3 An example of a foldable support plate 140 in FIG.

[0093] like Figure 4 As shown, the foldable support plate 200 includes a first support portion 210, a second support portion 220 and a foldable support portion 230. The foldable support portion 230 is located between the first support portion 210 and the second support portion 220, and the foldable support portion 230 can be bent. When the foldable support portion 230 is in a bent state, the foldable support plate 200 can be folded, for example, the first support portion 210 and the second support portion 220 are opposite (i.e., stacked); when the foldable support portion 230 is in a flat state, the foldable support plate 200 can be unfolded, for example, the first support portion 210 and the second support portion 220 are located on the same plane.

[0094] refer to Figure 4 The foldable support portion 230 includes a first support layer 231 and a second support layer 232 , and the first support layer 231 and the second support layer 232 are stacked.

[0095] The first support layer 231 includes a first base 2311 and a plurality of first grooves 2312 disposed on the first base 2311. Each of the plurality of first grooves 2312 is formed by being recessed from a surface 2301 (hereinafter referred to as the first surface) of the first base 2311 facing the second support layer 232 toward a direction away from the second support layer 232. The surface of the portion between two adjacent first grooves 2312 in the plurality of first grooves 2312 facing the second support layer 232 is a plane. In other words, no other grooves or protrusions are disposed between two adjacent first grooves 2312.

[0096] The second supporting layer 232 includes a second base 2321 and a plurality of first protrusions 2322 disposed on the second base 2321. Each of the plurality of first protrusions 2322 is formed by protruding from a surface 2302 (hereinafter referred to as the second surface) of the second base 2321 facing the first supporting layer 231 toward a direction close to the first supporting layer 231. The surface of the portion between two adjacent first protrusions 2322 of the plurality of first protrusions 2322 facing the first supporting layer 231 is a plane. In other words, no other grooves or protrusions are disposed between two adjacent first protrusions 2322.

[0097] In other words, the first supporting layer 231 includes a first base 2311 and a plurality of first grooves 2312 recessed from a first surface 2301 of the first base 2311 in a direction away from the second supporting layer 232, and the first surface 2301 is a surface of the first base 2311 facing the second supporting layer 232. The second supporting layer 232 includes a second base 2321 and a plurality of first protrusions 2322 protruding from a second surface 2302 of the second base 2321 in a direction close to the first supporting layer 231, and the second surface 2302 is a surface of the second base 2321 facing the first supporting layer 231. The surface of the first base 2311, except for the plurality of first grooves 2312, facing the second supporting layer 232 is a plane. The surface of the second base 2321, except for the plurality of first protrusions 2322, facing the first supporting layer 231 is a plane.

[0098] The plurality of first protrusions 2322 are fitted one by one with the plurality of first grooves 2312. The first surface 2301 is attached to the second surface 2302. In the embodiment of the present application, a protrusion and a groove that are fitted together can be referred to as a support unit 201, for example, a group of first protrusions 2322 and first grooves 2312 that are fitted together is a support unit 201.

[0099] In the embodiment of the present application, the foldable support portion 230 of the foldable support plate 200 is composed of two support layers, wherein the upper support layer (e.g., the first support layer 231) and the lower support layer (e.g., the second support layer 232) can interact with each other through the engagement of protrusions and grooves, thereby ensuring that the screen can be folded while improving the problem of poor screen appearance. Specifically, since the foldable support portion 230 is a layered structure, during the bending process of the foldable support plate 200, the upper support layer and the lower support layer of the foldable support portion 230 can be stretched and bent respectively to form a bending morphology, and the bendability of the foldable support plate 200 is improved, which can ensure the bendability of the screen. When the foldable support plate 200 is in a flattened state, the upper support layer and the lower support layer can form an interaction force through the engagement of protrusions and grooves, which can improve the creep of the folding area, thereby improving the anti-crease performance of the folding area, and accordingly, can improve the poor appearance of the creases produced on the screen. The interlocking structure of the protrusions and grooves greatly reduces the gap size of the foldable support plate 200. The foldable support part 230 as a whole has no large-area recessed area, which can improve the stiffness continuity of the foldable support part 230 and thereby reduce the horizontal lines on the screen. Accordingly, the poor appearance of the horizontal lines produced on the screen can be improved.

[0100] In addition, the multiple first protrusions 2322 and the multiple first grooves 2312 at the foldable support part 230 engage with each other to form an interaction force, which can improve the support stiffness of the foldable support part 230 and avoid the influence of simple depression on the extrusion and impact strength of the display screen, thereby improving the anti-extrusion and impact performance of the foldable support part 230 and the flatness of the screen, thereby increasing the service life of the screen.

[0101] In summary, the foldable support plate 200 provided in the embodiment of the present application can ensure its bendability while taking into account good anti-extrusion and impact performance, and improve the flatness of the screen and the poor appearance of the screen.

[0102] For example, Figure 5 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the foldable support plate 200 in a bent state. Figure 5 As shown, when the foldable support plate 200 is in a bent state, the first support portion 210 and the second support portion 220 are in a flat state, and the foldable support portion 230 is in a bent state. When the foldable support plate 200 is used to form a flexible screen module, the flexible display screen (such as the flexible display screen 110) can be arranged on the inner side of the bend of the foldable support plate 200 (such as Figure 5 The foldable support plate 200 shown below) or the bent outer side (e.g. Figure 5 As can be understood, Figure 5The bending state shown is only an example. In some other embodiments, the first supporting layer 231 may be located on the inner side of the bend, and the second supporting layer 232 may be located on the outer side of the bend.

[0103] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 6 The foldable support plate 300 shown is Figure 4 The difference of the foldable support plate 200 shown is that the first support layer 231 may also be provided with protrusions, and the second support layer 232 may also be provided with grooves, and the protrusions on the first support layer 231 are embedded in the grooves on the second support layer 232.

[0104] refer to Figure 6 As shown, the foldable support portion 230 includes a first support layer 231 and a second support layer 232 which are stacked.

[0105] The first supporting layer 231 includes a first base 2311 and a plurality of first grooves 2312 and a plurality of second protrusions 2313 disposed on the first base 2311. Each of the plurality of first grooves 2312 is formed by being recessed from the first surface 2301 of the first base 2311 in a direction away from the second supporting layer 232, and each of the plurality of second protrusions 2313 is formed by being protruded from the first surface 2301 of the first base 2311 in a direction close to the second supporting layer 232. The surface of the portion of the first base 2311 other than the plurality of first grooves 2312 and the plurality of second protrusions 2313 facing the second supporting layer 232 is a plane. That is, the surface of the portion between the first groove 2312 and the adjacent first groove 2312 or second protrusion 2313 facing the second supporting layer 232 is a plane, which can be understood as no other grooves or protrusions are disposed. The surface of the portion between the second protrusion 2313 and the adjacent second protrusion 2313 or first groove 2312 facing the second supporting layer 232 is a plane, which can be understood as no other grooves or protrusions are provided.

[0106] The second supporting layer 232 includes a second base 2321 and a plurality of first protrusions 2322 and a plurality of second grooves 2323 disposed on the second base 2321. Each of the plurality of first protrusions 2322 is formed by protruding from the second surface 2302 of the second base 2321 toward the direction close to the first supporting layer 231, and each of the plurality of second grooves 2323 is formed by being recessed from the second surface 2302 of the second base 2321 toward the direction away from the first supporting layer 231. The surface of the portion of the second base 2321 other than the plurality of first protrusions 2322 and the plurality of second grooves 2323 facing the first supporting layer 231 is a plane. That is, the surface of the portion between the second groove 2323 and the adjacent second groove 2323 or the first protrusion 2322 facing the first supporting layer 231 is a plane, which can be understood as no other grooves or protrusions are disposed. The surface of the portion between the first protrusion 2322 and the adjacent first protrusion 2322 or second groove 2323 facing the first support layer 231 is a plane, which can be understood as no other grooves or protrusions are provided.

[0107] The plurality of first protrusions 2322 are fitted one by one with the plurality of first grooves 2312, and the plurality of second protrusions 2313 are fitted one by one with the plurality of second grooves 2323. The first surface 2301 is attached to the second surface 2302. Here, a group of fitted first protrusions 2322 and first grooves 2312 is a support unit 201, and a group of fitted second protrusions 2313 and second grooves 2323 is also a support unit 201.

[0108] In this embodiment, the upper support layer (for example, the first support layer 231) and the lower support layer (for example, the second support layer 232) of the foldable support part 230 are both provided with protrusions and grooves. The two support layers can have a larger interaction area through the engagement of the protrusions and grooves, which can further improve the mechanical properties of the foldable support part, such as bendability, anti-extrusion and impact performance, support stiffness, etc., and can also further improve or avoid the poor appearance of the screen.

[0109] In some embodiments, taking the case where the foldable support plate 300 is in a flattened state as an example, for the first support layer 231, in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis (eg Figure 6 In the Y direction shown in FIG. 1 , one or more second protrusions 2313 are disposed between two adjacent first grooves 2312, and / or one or more first grooves 2312 are disposed between two adjacent second protrusions 2313. For the second supporting layer 232, in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis (e.g. Figure 6In the Y direction shown in FIG. 1 , one or more first protrusions 2322 are disposed between two adjacent second grooves 2323, and / or one or more second grooves 2323 are disposed between two adjacent first protrusions 2322. The first protrusions 2322 and the first grooves 2312 are disposed in the thickness direction of the foldable support plate 300 (e.g. Figure 6 The second protrusion 2313 and the second groove 2323 correspond to the positions in the thickness direction of the foldable support plate 300 (eg, Figure 6 The position corresponds to the Z direction shown.

[0110] For example, taking the case where the foldable support plate 300 is in a flattened state, for the first support layer 231, the first groove 2312 and the second protrusion 2313 are in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis (for example Figure 6 For the second supporting layer 232, the first protrusions 2322 and the second grooves 2323 are arranged alternately in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis (e.g. Figure 6 The plurality of layers are arranged alternately in the Y direction (as shown).

[0111] In the embodiment of the present application, there are various forms of protrusions and grooves on the first supporting layer 231 or the second supporting layer 232 .

[0112] As an example, see Figure 6 As shown, for the adjacent first grooves 2312 and second protrusions 2313 on the first supporting layer 231, a step may be formed between the side wall 231a of the first groove 2312 close to the second protrusion 2313 and the side wall 231b of the second protrusion 2313 close to the first groove 2312. Exemplarily, a second protrusion 2313 may be provided between two adjacent first grooves 2312, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the solid portion between the two first grooves 2312 in a plane perpendicular to the folding axis is substantially a "convex" shape.

[0113] Similarly, for the adjacent second grooves 2323 and first protrusions 2322 on the second supporting layer 232, a step may be formed between the side wall 232a of the second groove 2323 close to the first protrusion 2322 and the side wall 232b of the first protrusion 2322 close to the second groove 2323. Exemplarily, a first protrusion 2322 may be provided between two adjacent second grooves 2323, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the solid portion between the two second grooves 2323 in a plane perpendicular to the folding axis is substantially a "convex" shape.

[0114] As another example, see Figure 7As shown, for the adjacent first grooves 2312 and second protrusions 2313 on the first supporting layer 231, the sidewall 231a of the first groove 2312 close to the second protrusion 2313 and the sidewall 231b of the second protrusion 2313 close to the first groove 2312 are located in the same plane. Exemplarily, a second protrusion 2313 may be provided between two adjacent first grooves 2312, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the solid portion between the two first grooves 2312 in a plane perpendicular to the folding axis may be a rectangle, a trapezoid, a parallelogram or a triangle.

[0115] Similarly, for the adjacent second grooves 2323 and first protrusions 2322 on the second supporting layer 232, the side wall 232a of the second groove 2323 close to the first protrusion 2322 and the side wall 232b of the first protrusion 2322 close to the second groove 2323 may be located in the same plane. Exemplarily, a first protrusion 2322 may be disposed between two adjacent second grooves 2323, wherein the cross-section of the solid portion between the two second grooves 2323 in a plane perpendicular to the folding axis may be a rectangle, a trapezoid, a parallelogram or a triangle.

[0116] As another example, see Figure 8 As shown, a second protrusion 2313 is disposed between two adjacent first grooves 2312, wherein one of the first grooves 2312 (eg Figure 8 The side wall 231c on the first groove 2312 located on the right side of the second protrusion 2313 and the side wall 231e on the second protrusion 2313 and the side wall 231e on the first groove 2312 located on the same plane. Figure 8 As shown, a step is formed between the side wall 231d of the first groove 2312 located on the left side of the second groove 2313 and the side wall 231f of the second groove 2313 and the other first groove 2312. Exemplarily, the cross-sectional shape of the solid portion between the two adjacent first grooves 2312 in a plane perpendicular to the folding axis is substantially L-shaped.

[0117] Similarly, a first protrusion 2322 is disposed between two adjacent second grooves 2323, wherein one of the second grooves 2323 (eg Figure 8 The side wall 232c of the second groove 2323 located on the left side of the first protrusion 2322 and the side wall 232e of the first protrusion 2322 and the second groove 2323 located on the left side of the first protrusion 2322 are located in the same plane. Figure 8A step is formed between the side wall 232d of the second groove 2323 located on the right side of the first groove 2322 and the side wall 232f of the first groove 2322 and the other second groove 2323. Exemplarily, the cross-sectional shape of the solid portion between the two adjacent second grooves 2323 in a plane perpendicular to the folding axis is substantially L-shaped.

[0118] In the embodiment of the present application, the grooves and protrusions in the support unit 201 are matched. That is, the first protrusion 2322 is matched with the first groove 2312, and the second protrusion 2313 is matched with the second groove 2323. The matching involved here includes shape and size.

[0119] In one example, the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion (e.g., the first protrusion 2322 or the second protrusion 2313) in the support unit 201 or the groove (e.g., the first groove 2312 or the second groove 2323) in the support unit 201 in a plane perpendicular to the folding axis (which may be referred to as the first plane in this application) may be a rectangle (e.g., Fig. 9 As shown), trapezoidal (as Fig.10 or Fig.11 ), triangle, parallelogram, arc, etc.

[0120] In one example, the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion (e.g., the first protrusion 2322 or the second protrusion 2313) in the support unit 201 or the groove (e.g., the first groove 2312 or the second groove 2323) in the support unit 201 in a plane parallel to the unfolded screen (referred to as the third plane in this application) may be a rectangle (e.g., Fig. 9 or Fig.10 As shown), oval, racetrack (as shown Fig.11 If the groove is elliptical or track-shaped, it is helpful to reduce the stress concentration near the groove when the foldable support plate is bent.

[0121] In one example, the cross-sectional shape of a protrusion in the support unit 201 (e.g., the first protrusion 2322 or the second protrusion 2313) or a groove in the support unit 201 (e.g., the first groove 2312 or the second groove 2323) in a plane parallel to the folding axis and perpendicular to the unfolded screen (referred to as the second plane in this application) can be a rectangle, a trapezoid, a triangle, a parallelogram, an arc, etc.

[0122] In some embodiments, the groove in the support unit 201 (eg, the first groove 2312 or the second groove 2323 ) is a through hole or a blind hole.

[0123] As an example, Figures 4 to 8As shown, the first groove 2312 is a through hole. Specifically, the first groove 2312 runs through the thickness of the first substrate 2311, or in other words, the first groove 2312 connects the two surfaces of the first substrate 2311 in the thickness direction thereof (i.e., the first surface 2301 and the surface arranged opposite to the first surface 2301). Accordingly, the depth of the first groove 2312 is equal to the thickness of the first substrate 2311.

[0124] As an example, Figures 6 to 8 As shown, the second groove 2323 is a through hole. Specifically, the second groove 2323 penetrates the thickness of the second base 2321 , and accordingly, the depth of the second groove 2323 is equal to the thickness of the second base 2321 .

[0125] As another example, Fig.12 As shown, the first groove 2312 is a blind hole. That is, the first groove 2312 connects the first surface 2301 of the first substrate 2311 and the inner layer without penetrating the entire thickness of the board. Accordingly, the depth of the first groove 2312 is less than the thickness of the first substrate 2311.

[0126] As another example, the second groove 2323 is a blind hole. That is, the second groove 2323 connects the second surface 2302 of the second substrate 2321 and the inner layer without penetrating the entire thickness of the board. Accordingly, the depth of the second groove 2323 is less than the thickness of the second substrate 2321.

[0127] In some embodiments, Fig.13 As shown, the groove in the support unit 201 (such as the first groove 2312 or the second groove 2323) can be a closed groove, a semi-closed groove (or an open groove), a through groove, etc. Exemplarily, taking the first groove 2312 set on the first support layer 231 as an example, the closed groove can be understood as the first groove 2312 being closed at both ends in the length direction, and the side wall of the first groove 2312 is in a closed loop shape. The semi-closed groove can be understood as the first groove 2312 being closed at one end in the length direction and open at the other end. The through groove can be understood as the first groove 2312 being connected at both ends in the length direction.

[0128] In some embodiments, the length direction of the protrusions and the length direction of the grooves in the support unit 201 are parallel to the folding axis. In other words, the protrusions and the grooves extend in a direction parallel to the folding axis. This can facilitate the bending of the foldable support plate. When the lengths of the protrusions and the grooves are small, the foldable support plate can have a higher bending stiffness, which can further improve the crease performance, anti-extrusion impact performance, etc.

[0129] In the embodiment of the present application, the shapes of the grooves in different support units 201 may be the same or different. The shapes of the protrusions in different support units 201 may be the same or different.

[0130] In the foldable support plate 300 provided in the embodiment of the present application, the foldable support portion 230 includes two support layers, and the first support layer 231 and the second support layer 232 both contain multiple recessed and raised portions. The two support layers interact with each other by embedding each other. In the combined structure, the raised portion of the lower support layer can be embedded in the recessed portion of the upper support layer, and the raised portion of the upper support layer can also be embedded in the recessed portion of the lower support layer. The combined structure has a seamless feature, or has a smaller gap (for example, the width of the gap does not exceed 0.05 mm), for example Fig.14 As shown in (a) in the figure. During the bending process, the upper and lower support layers can be stretched and bent respectively to form a bending shape, thereby ensuring bendability. When the foldable support plate 300 is applied to the flexible screen module, it will be subjected to in-plane pressure. Specifically, the assembled flexible screen module can apply a compressive load to the foldable support plate 300 in a flattened state, which will further increase the support stiffness of the upper and lower support layers and reduce the gap size, for example Fig.14 As shown in (b) in the figure, the upper and lower combined structures can interlock with each other to form an interaction force, thereby forming a greater support stiffness, thereby improving the crease performance and anti-extrusion / impact performance of the folding area and improving the poor appearance of the screen.

[0131] In some embodiments, Fig.15 As shown in (a) in FIG. 2 , in the support unit 201, the gap between the interlocking protrusions and the grooves is filled with a filler 260. The filler 260 can be used to enhance the support stiffness of the support layer (such as the first support layer 231 or the second support layer 232). For example, there is a first gap between the interlocking first protrusion 2322 and the first groove 2312, and the first gap is filled with a filler 260. For another example, there is a second gap between the interlocking second protrusion 2313 and the second groove 2323, and the second gap is filled with a filler 260.

[0132] It can be understood that the gap between the interlocking protrusion and groove refers to the distance between the outer wall of the protrusion and the inner wall of the groove at corresponding positions when the protrusion and the groove are in the interlocking state, such as the distance between the side walls of the relatively set protrusion and the side walls of the groove, or the distance between the top wall of the relatively set protrusion and the bottom wall of the groove.

[0133] In some embodiments, the filler 260 may include an elastomer and / or a non-Newtonian fluid. An elastomer refers to a polymer material that deforms significantly under weak stress and can quickly recover to a state close to its original size after stress relaxation. A non-Newtonian fluid is a fluid that does not satisfy Newton's experimental law of viscosity, specifically a fluid that does not satisfy a linear relationship between shear stress and shear deformation rate.

[0134] As an example but not limitation, when the filler 260 is an elastomer, it may include at least one material selected from the group consisting of acrylate, polyurethane, silicone, and epoxy resin.

[0135] In some embodiments, the filler 260 can be filled into the gaps (eg, the first gap and / or the second gap) in the support unit 201 by inkjet printing, and cured by at least one of photocuring, thermal curing, or moisture curing to form an elastomer.

[0136] In some embodiments, the elastic modulus of the filler 260 is smaller than the elastic modulus of the foldable support portion 230 , which can further improve the bending performance of the foldable support portion 230 .

[0137] In the embodiment of the present application, the filler 260 fills the gap, which can reduce the size of the gap in the support unit 201. Fig.15 When the foldable support plate shown in (a) is applied to the flexible screen module, it will be subjected to in-plane pressure, such as Fig.15 Specifically, the assembled flexible screen module can apply a compressive load to the foldable support plate in a flattened state, and the compressed filler 260 will also apply a compressive load to the foldable support plate, which can further improve the support stiffness of the upper and lower support layers. In addition, the upper and lower combined structures can bite each other to form an interaction force, thereby forming a greater support stiffness, which can further improve the crease performance and anti-extrusion / impact performance of the folding area and improve the poor appearance of the screen.

[0138] In some embodiments, reference Fig.16 As shown, the protrusions in different support units 201 have the same shape and size, and the grooves in different support units 201 have the same shape and size. For example, the protrusions (i.e., the aforementioned second protrusions 2313) provided on the first support layer 231 have the same shape and size; the protrusions (i.e., the aforementioned first protrusions 2322) provided on the second support layer 232 have the same shape and size; the protrusions provided on the first support layer 231 and the protrusions provided on the second support layer 232 have the same shape and size. For another example, the grooves provided on the second support layer 232 have the same shape and size; the grooves provided on the first support layer 231 have the same shape and size; the grooves provided on the first support layer 231 and the grooves provided on the second support layer 232 have the same shape and size.

[0139] The protrusions or grooves at different positions have the same shape and geometric size, which is conducive to simplifying the processing technology.

[0140] In other embodiments, reference Fig.17 As shown, the protrusions in different support units 201 may have different shapes and / or geometric dimensions, and the grooves in different support units 201 may have different shapes and / or geometric dimensions. For example, the first protrusions 2322 located at different positions on the second support layer 232 may have different shapes and / or dimensions; the second protrusions 2313 located at different positions on the first support layer 231 may have different shapes and / or dimensions; the second protrusions 2313 located on the first support layer 231 and the first protrusions 2322 located on the second support layer 232 may have different shapes and / or dimensions. For another example, the second grooves 2323 located at different positions on the second support layer 232 may have different shapes and / or dimensions; the first grooves 2312 located at different positions on the first support layer 231 may have different shapes and / or dimensions; the first grooves 2312 located on the first support layer 231 and the second grooves 2323 located on the second support layer 232 may have different shapes and / or dimensions.

[0141] The protrusions or grooves at different positions have different shapes and / or geometric dimensions, which is conducive to adjusting the rigidity of the foldable support part 230 according to actual needs.

[0142] In some embodiments, the foldable support portion 230 includes a plurality of support units 201 arranged along a folding axis direction and a plurality of support units 201 arranged along a direction perpendicular to the folding axis direction.

[0143] In some embodiments, the projections of two adjacent support units 201 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis in the second plane overlap or do not overlap. The second plane is perpendicular to the plane where the unfolded foldable support plate is located and parallel to the folding axis. In other words, the support units are staggered in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis, which is conducive to uniform force on the foldable support part.

[0144] Fig.18 A schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Fig.18 The foldable support plate 400 shown is Figure 4 The foldable support plate 200 or Figure 6 The foldable support plate 300 shown in the figure is different in that a transition support portion is provided between the foldable support portion 230 and the first support portion 210 and between the foldable support portion 230 and the second support portion 220. Fig.18 Provide a detailed introduction.

[0145] like Fig.18 As shown, the foldable support plate 400 includes a first support portion 210, a first transition support portion 240, a foldable support portion 230, a second transition support portion 250, and a second support portion 220 connected in sequence, wherein the first transition support portion 240 is located between the first support portion 210 and the foldable support portion 230, and the second transition support portion 250 is located between the second support portion 220 and the foldable support portion 230. The first transition support portion 240 and the second transition support portion 250 are respectively used to play a transition role between the foldable support portion 230 and the first support portion 210 and between the foldable support portion 230 and the second support portion 220, so as to achieve stiffness transition, reduce stiffness mutation phenomenon, and reduce the risk of fracture of the foldable support plate 400.

[0146] When the foldable support plate 400 is in the unfolded state, the first support portion 210, the first transition support portion 240, the foldable support portion 230, the second transition support portion 250, and the second support portion 220 may all be in a flat state. Here, being in a flat state may mean that any two different positions may be considered to be located on the same plane.

[0147] When the foldable support plate 400 is in the folded state, the first support portion 210 and the second support portion 220 are in a flat state. The foldable support portion 230 may be in a curved state, and the degree of curvature is the largest. The first transition support portion 240 and the second transition support portion 250 are in a curved state (or slightly curved state), and the degree of curvature is less than the degree of curvature of the foldable support portion 230. Exemplarily, the degree of curvature may be represented by a curvature. The first transition support portion 240 may play a transition role between the flat state of the first support portion 210 and the curved state of the foldable support portion 230, and the second transition support portion 250 may play a transition role between the flat state of the second support portion 220 and the curved state of the foldable support portion 230.

[0148] Fig.19 The schematic structure of a flexible screen module provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Fig.19 The flexible screen module 500 shown includes a flexible display screen 110 and Fig.18 The foldable support plate 400 is shown. Exemplarily, the flexible screen module 500 is currently in an inwardly folded state, and the flexible screen module 500 can form a water drop-shaped gap in the area close to the folding axis.

[0149] like Fig.19As shown, the flexible display screen 110 includes a first display portion 111, a first transition display portion 114, a foldable display portion 113, a second transition display portion 115, and a second display portion 112 connected in sequence. The first transition display portion 114 can be connected between the first display portion 111 and the foldable display portion 113, and is used to transition between the state of the first display portion 111 and the state of the foldable display portion 113. The second transition display portion 115 can be connected between the second display portion 112 and the foldable display portion 113, and is used to transition between the state of the second display portion 112 and the state of the foldable display portion 113.

[0150] The first support portion 210 may be bonded to the first display portion 111 to provide mechanical support for the first display portion 111. The second support portion 220 may be bonded to the second display portion 112 to provide mechanical support for the second display portion 112. The first transition support portion 240 may be bonded to the first transition display portion 114 to provide mechanical support for the first transition display portion 114. The second transition support portion 250 may be bonded to the second transition display portion 115 to provide mechanical support for the second transition display portion 115. The foldable support portion 230 may be bonded to the foldable display portion 113 to provide mechanical support for the foldable display portion 113.

[0151] When the flexible display screen 110 is in the unfolded state, the first display portion 111 , the first transitional display portion 114 , the foldable display portion 113 , the second transitional display portion 115 and the second display portion 112 may all be in a flat state.

[0152] When the flexible display screen 110 is in a folded state, the first display portion 111 and the second display portion 112 are in a flat state. The foldable display portion 113 may be in a curved state, and the degree of curvature is the greatest. The first transition display portion 114 and the second transition display portion 115 are in a curved state (or slightly curved state), and the degree of curvature is less than that of the foldable display portion 113. The first transition display portion 114 may play a transition role between the flat state of the first display portion 111 and the curved state of the foldable display portion 113, and the second transition display portion 115 may play a transition role between the flat state of the second display portion 112 and the curved state of the foldable display portion 113.

[0153] In some embodiments, the foldable support plate 400 is in a Fig.19 In the folded state shown, the bending radius of the foldable support portion 230 may be R. The length of the foldable support portion 230 may be, for example, 2πR*(0.5-0.8). The length of the first transition support portion 240 or the second transition support portion 250 may be, for example, R*(1.5-1.2).

[0154] Fig. 20 Shows Fig.18 A schematic cross-sectional view of a foldable support plate 400 is shown.

[0155] like Fig. 20 As shown, the first transition support portion 240 and / or the second transition support portion 250 includes a third support layer 241 and a fourth support layer 242. The third support layer 241 and the fourth support layer 242 are stacked, the third support layer 241 and the first support layer 231 are located on the same layer, and the fourth support layer 242 and the second support layer 232 are located on the same layer.

[0156] The third supporting layer 241 includes a third base 2411 and a plurality of third grooves 2412 arranged on the third base 2411. Each of the plurality of third grooves 2412 is formed by being recessed from a surface of the third base 2411 facing the fourth supporting layer 242 (which may be referred to as the third surface in this application) toward a direction away from the fourth supporting layer 242.

[0157] The fourth supporting layer 242 includes a fourth base 2421 and a plurality of third protrusions 2422 arranged on the fourth base 2421, and each of the plurality of third protrusions 2422 is formed by protruding from a surface of the fourth base 2421 facing the third supporting layer 241 (which may be referred to as the third surface in this application) toward a direction close to the third supporting layer 241.

[0158] The plurality of third protrusions 2422 are engaged with the plurality of third grooves 2412 one by one. In the embodiment of the present application, a group of engaged third protrusions 2422 and third grooves 2412 constitutes a support unit 201 .

[0159] In some embodiments, the third support layer 241 further includes a plurality of fourth protrusions 2413 disposed on the third base 2411, each of the fourth protrusions 2413 being formed by protruding from the surface of the third base 2411 facing the fourth support layer 242 (i.e., the third surface) toward the fourth support layer 242. The fourth support layer 242 further includes a plurality of fourth grooves 2423 disposed on the fourth base 2421, each of the fourth grooves 2423 being formed by being recessed from the surface of the fourth base 2421 facing the third support layer 241 (i.e., the fourth surface) toward the direction away from the third support layer 241. The plurality of fourth protrusions 2413 are engaged with the plurality of fourth grooves 2423 one by one. In the embodiment of the present application, a group of engaged fourth protrusions 2413 and fourth grooves 2423 constitute a support unit 201.

[0160] In the embodiment of the present application, the first transition support portion 240 and / or the second transition support portion 250 include two support layers, and the two support layers interact with each other through the engagement of protrusions and grooves, which can ensure its bendability while taking into account good anti-extrusion and impact performance, and improve the flatness of the screen and improve the poor appearance of the screen. For a detailed analysis of the beneficial effects brought about by the structural features of the first transition support portion 240 and / or the second transition support portion 250, please refer to Figure 4 For the sake of brevity, the description of the effect of the foldable support portion 230 is not repeated here.

[0161] In the embodiment of the present application, regarding the form (e.g., shape, arrangement layout, etc.) of setting the third groove 2412 and / or the fourth protrusion 2413 on the third supporting layer 241, reference can be made to the above description of the form of setting the first groove 2312 and / or the second protrusion 2313 on the first supporting layer 231, and for the sake of brevity, no further description is given here. For example, the first supporting layer 231 mentioned above can be replaced by the third supporting layer 241, the first groove 2312 mentioned above can be replaced by the third groove 2412, and the second protrusion 2313 mentioned above can be replaced by the fourth protrusion 2413.

[0162] In the embodiment of the present application, regarding the form (e.g., shape, arrangement layout, etc.) of setting the third protrusion 2422 and / or the fourth groove 2423 on the fourth supporting layer 242, reference can be made to the above description of the form of setting the second groove 2323 and / or the first protrusion 2322 on the second supporting layer 232, which will not be described here for brevity. For example, the second supporting layer 232 mentioned above can be replaced by the fourth supporting layer 242, the second groove 2323 mentioned above can be replaced by the fourth groove 2423, and the first protrusion 2322 mentioned above can be replaced by the third protrusion 2422.

[0163] In some embodiments, the protrusions (e.g., the third protrusions 2422 and / or the fourth protrusions 2413) provided on the first transition support portion 240 (or the second transition support portion 250) and the protrusions (e.g., the first protrusions 2322 and / or the second protrusions 2313) provided on the foldable support portion 230 have different shapes and / or sizes. Correspondingly, the grooves (e.g., the third grooves 2412 and / or the fourth grooves 2423) provided on the first transition support portion 240 (or the second transition support portion 250) and the grooves (e.g., the first grooves 2312 and / or the second grooves 2323) provided on the foldable support portion 230 have different shapes and / or sizes. Since the shapes and sizes of the protrusions and grooves that fit together in the support unit are matched, the above description can also be replaced by that the support unit provided on the first transition support portion 240 (or the second transition support portion 250) and the support unit provided on the foldable support portion 230 have different shapes and / or sizes.

[0164] In some embodiments, the protrusions (e.g., the third protrusions 2422 and / or the fourth protrusions 2413) provided on the first transition support portion 240 (or the second transition support portion 250) and the protrusions (e.g., the first protrusions 2322 and / or the second protrusions 2313) provided on the foldable support portion 230 have different densities. Correspondingly, the grooves (e.g., the third grooves 2412 and / or the fourth grooves 2423) provided on the first transition support portion 240 (or the second transition support portion 250) and the grooves (e.g., the first grooves 2312 and / or the second grooves 2323) provided on the foldable support portion 230 have different densities. Since the mating pairs of protrusions and grooves in the support unit are matched, the above description can also be replaced by that the support unit provided on the first transition support portion 240 (or the second transition support portion 250) and the support unit provided on the foldable support portion 230 have different densities. For example, the density of the support units provided in the first transition support portion 240 (or the second transition support portion 250) is less than the density of the support units provided in the foldable support portion 230. The density involved here can be understood as the number of support units (such as protrusions or grooves) per unit area.

[0165] Here, the support unit 201 provided on the first transition support portion 240 (or the second transition support portion 250) is different from the support unit 201 provided on the foldable support portion 230 in at least one of the shape, size or density, so that the stiffness of the first transition support portion 240 (or the second transition support portion 250) can be different from the stiffness of the foldable support portion 230, which is conducive to achieving the stiffness transition between the foldable support portion 230 and the first support portion 210 (or the second support portion 220) and avoiding the problem of easy breakage caused by sudden change in stiffness.

[0166] In some embodiments, the gap between the protrusion and the groove on the first transition support portion 240 and / or the second transition support portion 250 may be filled with the aforementioned filler 260. For the filler 260, reference may be made to the above related description, which will not be repeated here for brevity.

[0167] In the embodiment of the present application, the material of the filler filled in the first transition support portion 240 (or the second transition support portion 250 ) and the material of the filler filled in the foldable support portion 230 may be the same or different.

[0168] In the embodiment of the present application, there are multiple ways to manufacture the foldable support plate 400.

[0169] As an example, the foldable support portion 230 and the first transition support portion 240 and / or the foldable support portion 230 and the second transition support portion 250 are connected by snap-fit. Fig.21 As shown, Fig.21(a) shows a schematic diagram before splicing. Fig.21 (b) in the figure shows a schematic diagram after splicing. The foldable support part 230 is provided with protrusions protruding toward the transition support part (for example, the first transition support part 240 or the second transition support part 250) at both ends perpendicular to the folding axis, the first transition support part 240 is provided with a recessed part recessed toward the first support part 210 at one end close to the foldable support part 230, and the second transition support part 250 is provided with a recessed part recessed toward the second support part 220 at one end close to the foldable support part 230. The foldable support part 230 is connected with the first transition support part 240 and the second transition support part 250 by the engagement of the protrusions and the recessed parts.

[0170] It can be understood that the setting positions of the protrusions and recesses are not limited to the above examples. In some other embodiments, the protrusions can also be set on the first transition support portion 240 and / or the second transition support portion 250, and the recesses can also be set on the foldable support portion 230.

[0171] In one embodiment, the protrusion and / or the recess may be provided in the first support layer 231 and / or the second support layer 232 in the foldable support portion 230. For example, Fig. 22 As shown, the foldable support portion 230 includes a protrusion, which is arranged on the second support layer 232, wherein the first support layer 231 and the second support layer 232 are combined together by the engagement between the aforementioned first protrusion 2322 and the first groove 2312 and / or the second protrusion 2313 and the second groove 2323, and the foldable support portion 230 and the transition support portion are previously combined together by the snap connection between the protrusion and the recessed portion.

[0172] As another example, the foldable support portion 230 and the first transition support portion 240 and / or the foldable support portion 230 and the second transition support portion 250 are bonded or welded together.

[0173] As another example, part of the foldable support portion 230 is integrally formed with part of the first transition support portion 240 or part of the second transition support portion 250. For example, the first support layer 231 is integrally formed with the third support layer 241, or the second support layer 232 is integrally formed with the fourth support layer 242. Exemplary, the processing technology of integral forming includes but is not limited to: 3D printing, laser cutting, etching, etc.

[0174] As an example, the first transition support portion 240 and the first support portion 210 and / or the second transition support portion 250 and the second support portion 220 are connected by snap-fit ​​connection.

[0175] As another example, the first transition support portion 240 and the first support portion 210 and / or the second transition support portion 250 and the second support portion 220 are bonded or welded together.

[0176] As another example, part of the first transition support portion 240 is integrally formed with at least part of the first support portion 210, and / or part of the second transition support portion 250 is integrally formed with at least part of the second support portion 220. For example, the third support layer 241 or the fourth support layer 242 in the first transition support portion 240 is integrally formed with the first support portion 210; the third support layer 241 or the fourth support layer 242 in the second transition support portion 250 is integrally formed with the second support portion 220.

[0177] In the embodiment of the present application, the material of the first support layer 231 may be the same as or different from the material of the second support layer 232. The material of the third support layer 241 may be the same as or different from the material of the fourth support layer 242. The material of the foldable support portion 230 may be the same as or different from the material of the transition support portion (e.g., the first transition support portion 240 or the second transition support portion 250).

[0178] In some embodiments, the material of the foldable support plate involved in the embodiments of the present application (for example, the foldable support plate 200, 300 or 400) may include one or more of the following materials: titanium alloy, stainless steel, carbon fiber.

[0179] In some embodiments, the material of the foldable support portion 230 may include titanium alloy and / or stainless steel.

[0180] In some embodiments, the material of the first transition support portion 240 and / or the second transition support portion 250 may include titanium alloy and / or stainless steel.

[0181] In some embodiments, the material of the first support portion 210 and / or the second support portion 220 may be a lightweight material such as carbon fiber.

[0182] The bending areas of the foldable support plate (such as the foldable support part 230, the first transition support part 240, and the second transition support part 250) are made of titanium alloy or stainless steel, and the non-bending areas (such as the first support part 210 and the second support part 220) are made of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber. This can greatly reduce the weight of the foldable support plate while ensuring the flatness and resistance to extrusion and impact of the foldable support plate.

[0183] In the above embodiment, Fig. 20The first transition support portion 240 and the second transition support portion 250 of the foldable support plate 400 are layered structures. In some other embodiments, the first transition support portion 240 and the second transition support portion 250 may not be layered, that is, a one-layer integral structure. For example, the first transition support portion 240 may be integrally formed with the first support portion 210, and the second transition support portion 250 may be integrally formed with the second support portion 220.

[0184] In some embodiments, the first support portion 210 and the second support portion 220 may adopt a layered structure, for example, a protrusion and groove engagement method, or may not adopt a layered structure, which is not limited in the present application.

[0185] For ease of understanding, Fig.23 FIG. 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application. Fig.23 As shown, the foldable support plate 600 includes two support layers, an upper support layer 601 and a lower support layer 602, and the upper support layer 601 and the lower support layer 602 are stacked. The middle part of the upper support layer 601 is provided with a protrusion and / or a groove, and the middle part of the lower support layer 602 is correspondingly provided with a groove and / or a protrusion. The middle part of the upper support layer 601 and the middle part of the lower support layer 602 are combined together by the engagement of the protrusion and the groove to form a foldable support portion 230. The parts on both sides of the middle part of the upper support layer 601 are respectively bonded to the parts on both sides of the middle part of the lower support layer 602 to form a first support portion 210 and a second support portion 220, respectively.

[0186] It can be understood that in some embodiments, if the foldable support plate 600 includes a first transition support portion 240 and a second transition support portion 250, the first transition support portion 240 is arranged between the first support portion 210 and the foldable support portion 230, and the second transition support portion 250 is arranged between the second support portion 22 and the foldable support portion 230.

[0187] In the embodiment of the present application, when the foldable support plate is in the folded state, the first transition support portion 240, the second transition support portion 250 and the foldable support portion 230 are all in a bent state, so the first transition support portion 240, the second transition support portion 250 and the foldable support portion 230 can be considered as the bending area of ​​the foldable support plate. The first support portion 210 and the second support portion 220 are in a flat state in any state, so the first support portion 210 and the second support portion 220 can be considered as the non-bending area of ​​the foldable support plate.

[0188] Fig.24 A schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Fig.24The foldable support plate 700 shown in the figure is different from the foldable support plates 200, 300, 400 or 600 described in the above embodiments in that the foldable support portion 230 of the foldable support plate 700 includes more than two support layers. Fig.24 Provide a detailed introduction.

[0189] refer to Fig.24 As shown, the foldable support portion 230 includes a first support layer 231 , a second support layer 232 and a fifth support layer 233 which are stacked, and the second support layer 232 is disposed between the first support layer 231 and the fifth support layer 233 .

[0190] The first supporting layer 231 includes a first base 2311 and a plurality of first grooves 2312 disposed on the first base 2311, each of the plurality of first grooves 2312 being recessed from a first surface 2301 of the first base 2311 in a direction away from the second supporting layer 232. The first surface 2301 is a surface of the first base 2311 facing the second supporting layer 232.

[0191] The second supporting layer 232 includes a second base 2321 and a plurality of first protrusions 2322 and a plurality of fifth protrusions 2324 disposed on the second base 2321. Each of the first protrusions 2322 is formed by protruding from the second surface 2302 of the second base 2321 toward the direction close to the first supporting layer 231. The second surface 2302 is the surface of the second base 2321 facing the first supporting layer 231. Each of the fifth protrusions 2324 is formed by protruding from the fifth surface 2303 of the second base 2321 toward the direction close to the third supporting layer 233. The fifth surface 2303 is the surface of the second base 2321 facing the third supporting layer 233.

[0192] The fifth supporting layer 233 includes a fifth base 2331 and a plurality of fifth grooves 2332 disposed on the fifth base 2331. Each of the plurality of fifth grooves 2332 is formed by being recessed from a sixth surface 2304 of the fifth base 2331 in a direction away from the second supporting layer 232. The sixth surface 2304 is a surface of the fifth base 2331 facing the second supporting layer 232.

[0193] The first protrusions 2322 are fitted one by one with the first grooves 2312, and the fifth protrusions 2324 are fitted one by one with the fifth grooves 2332. In the embodiment of the present application, a group of fitted first protrusions 2322 and first grooves 2312 is a supporting unit, and a group of fitted fifth protrusions 2324 and fifth grooves 2332 is a supporting unit.

[0194] In other embodiments, the second support layer 232 may further include a plurality of sixth grooves disposed on the second base 2321, each of the plurality of sixth grooves being recessed from the fifth surface 2303 in a direction away from the fifth support layer 233. The fifth support layer may further include a plurality of sixth protrusions disposed on the fifth base 2331, each of the plurality of sixth protrusions being protruded from the sixth surface 2304 in a direction close to the second support layer 232. The plurality of sixth protrusions are engaged one by one with the plurality of sixth grooves.

[0195] Here, the fifth surface 2303 is attached to the sixth surface 2304. The surface of the second base 2321, except for the plurality of fifth protrusions 2324 and the plurality of sixth grooves, facing the fifth supporting layer 233 is a plane. The surface of the fifth base 2331, except for the plurality of fifth grooves 2332 and the plurality of sixth protrusions, facing the second supporting layer 232 is a plane.

[0196] In the embodiment of the present application, the foldable support portion 230 can be formed by splicing more than two support layers, which can reduce the gap size of the foldable support portion 230, enhance the supporting effect of the flattened state on the flexible display screen, and significantly improve the problems of screen creases, horizontal lines, etc., and can also enhance the screen's resistance to extrusion and impact.

[0197] Understandably, Fig.24 The splicing method between the supporting layers shown is only exemplary, and the setting method of the protrusions and grooves can also be implemented in other ways. For example, for the splicing between the first supporting layer 231 and the second supporting layer 232, a protrusion can be set on the first supporting layer 231, a groove can be set on the second supporting layer 232, and the protrusion on the first supporting layer 231 is embedded in the groove on the second supporting layer 232. Alternatively, both the first supporting layer 231 and the second supporting layer 232 are provided with protrusions and grooves, the protrusion on the first supporting layer 231 is embedded in the groove on the second supporting layer 232, and the protrusion on the second supporting layer 232 is embedded in the groove on the first supporting layer 231. For another example, for the second supporting layer 232 and the fifth supporting layer 233, a protrusion can be set on the fifth supporting layer 233, a groove can be set on the second supporting layer 232, and the protrusion on the fifth supporting layer 233 is embedded in the groove on the second supporting layer 232. Alternatively, both the second supporting layer 232 and the fifth supporting layer 233 are provided with protrusions and grooves, the protrusions on the second supporting layer 232 are embedded in the grooves on the fifth supporting layer 233 , and the protrusions on the fifth supporting layer 233 are embedded in the grooves on the second supporting layer 232 .

[0198] In the embodiment of the present application, the shape, size, layout, etc. of the support unit formed between the first support layer 231 and the second support layer 232 and the support unit formed between the second support layer 232 and the fifth support layer 233 may be the same or different, and the present application does not limit this.

[0199] It is understood that the foldable support portion 230 may also include four or more support layers stacked in a stacked manner, wherein the splicing method between adjacent support layers may be similar to Fig.24 The splicing structure shown, for example, the support layer in the middle is provided with protrusions and / or grooves for splicing with the adjacent upper and lower support layers.

[0200] It is understood that the first transition support portion 240 and the second transition support portion 250 mentioned above can also be similar to Fig.24 The splicing structure shown will not be described in detail here.

[0201] In some embodiments, in addition to mechanical structural engagement, the various support layers in the foldable support portion 230 can also interact with each other in other ways, such as by mutual attraction through a magnetic device. For example, a magnetic attraction member is provided in the base of each support layer in the foldable support portion 230, and the various support layers can be combined together by the attraction between the magnetic attraction members.

[0202] Fig.25 A schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Fig.25 The foldable support plate 800 shown in the figure is different from the foldable support plate in the above-mentioned embodiment in that the foldable support portion 230 does not adopt the interlocking structure of the protrusion and the groove. Fig.25 Describe in detail.

[0203] like Fig.25 As shown, the foldable support portion 230 includes a first support layer 231 and a second support layer 232 that are stacked. The first support layer 231 includes a first base 2311 and a plurality of first grooves 2312 disposed on the first base 2311. The second support layer 232 includes a second base 2321 and a plurality of second grooves 2323 disposed on the second base 2321. The plurality of first grooves 2312 and the plurality of second grooves 2323 are staggered in the thickness direction of the foldable support plate 800. That is, the projections of the plurality of first grooves 2312 in the thickness direction do not overlap with the projections of the plurality of second grooves 2323 in the thickness direction.

[0204] Since the foldable support portion 230 is provided with a groove, the bending performance of the foldable support plate 800 can be guaranteed. And since the groove of the foldable support portion 230 does not penetrate the thickness of the foldable support plate 800, the creep of the folding area can be improved, thereby improving the appearance problems such as creases and horizontal lines in the folding area.

[0205] It should be noted that the layered splicing structure of the foldable support plate provided in the embodiment of the present application can also be applied to a flexible cover plate or protective film on the screen. The design method can refer to the above description. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0206] It should also be noted that the dividing lines between the first support portion 210, the first transition support portion 240, the foldable support portion 230, the second transition support portion 250, and the second support portion 220 in the drawings of the embodiments of the present application are merely exemplary and do not impose any limitations on the present application.

[0207] The embodiment of the present application also provides a flexible screen module, which includes a flexible display screen and a foldable support plate involved in the above embodiment, such as foldable support plates 200, 300, 400, 600, 700, 800, the flexible display layer and the foldable support plate are stacked, and the foldable support plate is used to provide support for the flexible display screen. The flexible display screen can be, for example, the flexible display screen 110 in the above embodiment.

[0208] In some embodiments, the flexible screen module may further include a flexible cover plate, the flexible display screen is disposed between the flexible cover plate and the foldable support plate, and the flexible cover plate is used to protect the flexible display screen.

[0209] The embodiment of the present application further provides a foldable electronic device, which includes the flexible screen module in the above embodiment. Exemplarily, the flexible screen module can be the flexible screen module 500 in the above embodiment.

[0210] In summary, the foldable support plate provided in the embodiment of the present application can take into account light weight, flatness of the supported display screen, bendability of the bending zone and support stiffness after flattening, which is beneficial to improving the comprehensive performance of the foldable electronic device.

[0211] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0212] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A foldable support plate, characterized in that: include: a first support portion, a second support portion and a foldable support portion, wherein the foldable support portion is located between the first support portion and the second support portion, and the foldable support portion is in a bent state when the foldable support plate is folded along a folding axis; The foldable support portion comprises a first support layer and a second support layer which are stacked; The first supporting layer comprises a first substrate and a plurality of first grooves and / or a plurality of second protrusions arranged on the first substrate, the first substrate comprises a first surface facing the second supporting layer, each of the plurality of first grooves is formed by being recessed from the first surface in a direction away from the second supporting layer, each of the plurality of second protrusions is formed by being protruded from the first surface in a direction close to the second supporting layer, and a surface of the first substrate other than the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second protrusions facing the second supporting layer is a plane; The second supporting layer comprises a second substrate and a plurality of first protrusions and / or a plurality of second grooves arranged on the second substrate, the second substrate comprises a second surface facing the first supporting layer, each of the plurality of first protrusions is formed by protruding from the second surface in a direction close to the first supporting layer, each of the plurality of second grooves is formed by being recessed from the second surface in a direction away from the first supporting layer, and a surface of the second substrate other than the plurality of first protrusions and the plurality of second grooves facing the first supporting layer is a plane; The first surface is attached to the second surface, the plurality of first protrusions are used to be fitted one by one with the plurality of first grooves, and the plurality of second protrusions are used to be fitted one by one with the plurality of second grooves.

2. The foldable support plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is no gap between the first protrusion and the first groove that fit together; and / or, There is no gap between the second protrusion and the second groove which are embedded.

3. The foldable support plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is a first gap between the first protrusion and the first groove that are fitted together, and the first gap is filled with a filler; and / or There is a second gap between the second protrusion and the second groove that are embedded with each other, and the second gap is filled with a filler.

4. The foldable support plate according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elastic modulus of the filler is smaller than the elastic modulus of the foldable support portion.

5. The foldable support plate according to claim 3, characterized in that: The filler is made of any one of the following materials: acrylate, polyurethane, silicone, epoxy resin or non-Newtonian fluid.

6. The foldable support plate according to claim 3, characterized in that: The filler is filled into the first gap and / or the second gap by inkjet printing, and is cured by at least one of light curing, heat curing or moisture curing.

7. The foldable support plate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first supporting layer includes the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second protrusions, and the second supporting layer includes the plurality of first protrusions and the plurality of second grooves, wherein: In a direction perpendicular to the folding axis, one or more of the plurality of second protrusions are arranged between two adjacent first grooves among the plurality of first grooves, and / or one or more of the plurality of first grooves are arranged between two adjacent second protrusions among the plurality of second protrusions; In a direction perpendicular to the folding axis, one or more of the plurality of first protrusions are arranged between two adjacent second grooves among the plurality of second grooves, and / or one or more of the plurality of first protrusions are arranged between two adjacent first protrusions among the plurality of first protrusions.

8. The foldable support plate according to claim 7, characterized in that: In a direction perpendicular to the folding axis, the first protrusions and the second grooves are arranged alternately, and the second protrusions and the first grooves are arranged alternately, wherein a cross-section of a solid portion between two adjacent first grooves among the plurality of first grooves or a solid portion between two adjacent second grooves among the plurality of second grooves in a plane perpendicular to the folding axis is one of the following shapes: rectangle, trapezoid, parallelogram, triangle, convex shape or L-shape.

9. The foldable support plate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The cross-sectional shape of the first protrusion or the first groove in the first plane and / or the second plane is a rectangle, a trapezoid, a triangle, a parallelogram or an arc; and / or The cross-sectional shape of the second protrusion or the second groove in the first plane and / or the second plane is a rectangle, a trapezoid, a triangle, a parallelogram or an arc; The first plane is perpendicular to the folding axis, and the second plane is parallel to the folding axis and perpendicular to the plane where the foldable support plate is in the unfolded state.

10. The foldable support plate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The cross-sectional shape of the first protrusion or the first groove in the third plane is rectangular, elliptical or racetrack-shaped; and / or The cross-sectional shape of the second protrusion or the second groove in the third plane is rectangular, elliptical or racetrack-shaped; The third plane is parallel to the plane where the foldable support plate is located when it is in the unfolded state.

11. The foldable support plate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The depth of the first groove is less than or equal to the thickness of the first substrate; and / or The depth of the second groove is less than or equal to the thickness of the second substrate.

12. The foldable support plate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The length direction of the first protrusion and the length direction of the first groove are parallel to the folding axis; and / or A length direction of the second protrusion and a length direction of the second groove are parallel to the folding axis.

13. The foldable support plate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The foldable support plate further comprises a first transition support portion and a second transition support portion, the first transition support portion is located between the first support portion and the foldable support portion, and the second transition support portion is located between the second support portion and the foldable support portion; The first transition support portion and the second transition support portion are in a bent state when the foldable support plate is folded along the folding axis, and the bending curvature of the first transition support portion and the bending curvature of the second transition support portion are both smaller than the bending curvature of the foldable support portion.

14. The foldable support plate according to claim 13, characterized in that: The first transition support portion and / or the second transition support portion comprises a third support layer and a fourth support layer which are stacked, wherein the third support layer and the first support layer are located at the same layer, and the fourth support layer and the second support layer are located at the same layer; The third supporting layer comprises a third substrate and a plurality of third grooves and / or a plurality of fourth protrusions arranged on the third substrate, the third substrate comprises a third surface facing the fourth supporting layer, each of the plurality of third grooves is formed by being recessed from the third surface in a direction away from the fourth supporting layer, each of the plurality of fourth protrusions is formed by being protruded from the third surface in a direction close to the fourth supporting layer, and a surface of the third substrate other than the plurality of third grooves and the plurality of fourth protrusions facing the fourth supporting layer is a plane; The fourth supporting layer comprises a fourth substrate and a plurality of third protrusions and / or a plurality of fourth grooves arranged on the fourth substrate, the fourth substrate comprises a fourth surface facing the third supporting layer, each of the plurality of third protrusions is formed by protruding from the fourth surface in a direction close to the third supporting layer, each of the plurality of fourth grooves is formed by being recessed from the fourth surface in a direction away from the third supporting layer, and a surface of the portion of the fourth substrate other than the plurality of third protrusions and the plurality of fourth grooves facing the third supporting layer is a plane; The third surface is attached to the fourth surface, the plurality of third protrusions are used to be fitted one by one with the plurality of third grooves, and the plurality of fourth protrusions are used to be fitted one by one with the plurality of fourth grooves.

15. The foldable support plate according to claim 14, characterized in that: The protrusions or grooves provided on the first transition support portion or the second transition support portion are different from the protrusions or grooves provided on the foldable support portion in at least one of shape, size and density, so as to achieve a stiffness transition between the first support portion and the foldable support portion and / or between the second support portion and the foldable support portion.

16. The foldable support plate according to claim 14, characterized in that: The first transition support portion and the foldable support portion and / or the second transition support portion and the foldable support portion are connected by at least one of the following methods: snap connection, bonding, welding or integral molding.

17. The foldable support plate according to claim 14, characterized in that: The first transition support portion and the first support portion and / or the second transition support portion and the second support portion are connected by at least one of the following methods: clamping, bonding, welding or integral molding.

18. The foldable support plate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The foldable support portion further comprises a fifth support layer stacked with the first support layer and the second support layer, wherein the second support layer is disposed between the first support layer and the fifth support layer; The second supporting layer further comprises a plurality of fifth protrusions and / or a plurality of sixth grooves arranged on the second substrate, the second substrate further comprises a fifth surface facing the fifth supporting layer, each of the plurality of fifth protrusions is formed by protruding from the fifth surface in a direction close to the fifth supporting layer, each of the plurality of sixth grooves is formed by being recessed from the fifth surface in a direction away from the fifth supporting layer, and a surface of the second substrate other than the plurality of fifth protrusions and the plurality of sixth grooves facing the fifth supporting layer is a plane; The fifth supporting layer comprises a fifth substrate and a plurality of fifth grooves and / or a plurality of sixth protrusions arranged on the fifth substrate, the fifth substrate comprises a sixth surface facing the second supporting layer, each of the plurality of fifth grooves is formed by being recessed from the sixth surface in a direction away from the second supporting layer, each of the plurality of sixth protrusions is formed by being protruded from the sixth surface in a direction close to the second supporting layer, and a surface of the fifth substrate other than the plurality of fifth grooves and the plurality of sixth protrusions facing the second supporting layer is a plane; The fifth surface is attached to the sixth surface, the plurality of fifth protrusions are used to be fitted one by one with the plurality of fifth grooves, and the plurality of sixth protrusions are used to be fitted one by one with the plurality of sixth grooves.

19. The foldable support plate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The material of the foldable support part is titanium alloy or stainless steel, and the material of the first support part and the second support part is carbon fiber.

20. A flexible screen module, characterized in that: It comprises a flexible display screen and a foldable support plate as described in any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the foldable support plate is attached to the flexible display screen, and the foldable support plate is used to provide support force for the flexible display screen.

21. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that: Comprising the flexible screen module as described in claim 20.

Images