Display module and display device

Abstract

The utility model provides a display module and a display device. The display module comprises a display panel, an IC chip, a PCB substrate and an FPC substrate. According to the display module, the first groove is formed in the lower edge of the display panel, and the IC chip is embedded in the lower edge of the display panel through the first groove, so that the PCB substrate and the FPC substrate can be sequentially stacked on the IC chip, the occupied space of the IC chip on the surface of the lower edge of the display panel is saved, the surface utilization rate of the lower edge of the display module is increased, and the display efficiency is improved. The size of the lower frame of the display module can be further shortened, and the screen-to-body ratio of the display module is increased.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] With the improvement of living standards, smart electronic devices are becoming more and more common, such as mobile phones, bracelets and watches. With the gradual recognition of the "full screen" activity, the competition for electronic devices is becoming more and more fierce, and consumers are pursuing higher and higher appearance of electronic devices, which makes the whole machine manufacturers want to make the border of electronic devices to the extreme to improve the screen-to-body ratio of electronic devices. Such electronic devices require the use of ultra-narrow border display modules. COG (Chip On Glass, which means that the chip is directly bound to the glass) structure display module is often limited by the binding size and position of the driver IC (integrated circuit) and FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit), and the border cannot be further reduced. For example, due to the impedance matching problem of the wiring, the FPC binding position in the current conventional COG display module is designed below the driver IC, but this position connection method makes the lower border size of the glass substrate in the COG display module wider, which does not meet the consumer's pursuit of ultra-narrow borders. Utility Model Content

[0003] The present application aims to solve one of the technical problems in the related art at least to some extent.

[0004] To this end, the first objective of the present application is to provide a display module and a display device that can reduce the size of the lower frame of the display panel and increase the screen-to-body ratio of the display module.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a first embodiment of the present application provides a display module, including:

[0006] The display panel comprises a first groove arranged at a lower edge of the display panel;

[0007] An IC chip is disposed in the first groove and is electrically connected to the display panel;

[0008] A PCB substrate, disposed on the first groove and electrically connected to the display panel;

[0009] The FPC substrate is arranged on the PCB substrate and is electrically connected to the PCB substrate.

[0010] Optionally, the depth of the first groove is not less than the thickness of the IC chip.

[0011] Optionally, the lower edge of the display panel further includes a second groove, the PCB substrate is arranged in the second groove, and the first groove is arranged in the second groove.

[0012] Optionally, the depth of the second groove is not less than the thickness of the FPC substrate.

[0013] Optionally, the sum of the depths of the first groove and the second groove is less than the thickness of the bottom edge of the display panel.

[0014] Optionally, the first groove has a first bottom wall, the IC chip is arranged on the first bottom wall, and is electrically connected to the display panel through the first bottom wall.

[0015] Optionally, the second groove has a second bottom wall, the PCB substrate is disposed on the second bottom wall, and is electrically connected to the display panel through the second bottom wall.

[0016] Optionally, the PCB substrate has a first upper surface and a first lower surface relative to each other, the first lower surface is close to the second bottom wall and is electrically connected to the display panel through the second bottom wall, and the first upper surface is away from the second bottom wall and is electrically connected to the FPC substrate.

[0017] Optionally, the IC chip and the display panel, the PCB substrate and the display panel, and the FPC substrate and the PCB substrate are all electrically connected via an ACF.

[0018] A second aspect of the present application provides a display device comprising any of the display modules described above.

[0019] The display module and display device provided by the present application have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0020] The present application provides a display module and a display device, wherein the display module includes a display panel, an IC chip, a PCB substrate, and an FPC substrate. By providing a first groove at the bottom edge of the display panel, and using the first groove to embed the IC chip in the bottom edge of the display panel, the PCB substrate and the FPC substrate can be stacked on the IC chip in sequence, thereby eliminating the space occupied by the IC chip on the bottom edge surface of the display panel, improving the surface utilization rate of the bottom edge of the display module, and further shortening the size of the bottom frame of the display module, thereby improving the screen-to-body ratio of the display module.

[0021] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the description below, and in part will become apparent from the description below, or will be learned through the practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 The figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display module according to the prior art.

[0024] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display module according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 3 and Figure 4 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure taken along the AA cutting line.

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 3 or Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of area B.

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 3 or Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of area C.

[0028] 100 display panel; 101 extension portion; 1011 first groove; 1012 second groove; 102 display area; 110 first terminal group; 120 second terminal group; 200 IC chip; 210 bump electrode; 300 FPC substrate; 310 connector; 400 PCB substrate; 410 output terminal; 500 ACF; 501 conductive particles. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as limiting the present application.

[0030] As living standards improve, smart electronic devices are becoming more and more common, and consumers are increasingly demanding the appearance of electronic devices, which makes machine manufacturers want to maximize the borders of electronic devices to increase the screen-to-body ratio of electronic devices. Such electronic devices require the use of display modules with ultra-narrow borders. Figure 1As shown, in the existing COG structure display module, in the direction extending along the lower edge of the display panel 100, the binding position of the FPC substrate 300 is often designed to be below the IC chip 200. This top-down sequential connection method will limit the binding size and position of the IC chip 200 and the FPC substrate 300, making the lower frame size of the display panel 100 in the COG display module larger, making it difficult to further reduce the lower frame.

[0031] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a display module and a display device, by sinking the IC chip 200 into the interior of the display panel 100, and arranging a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) substrate in the direction along the thickness of the display panel 100, so that the PCB substrate 400 covers the IC chip 200, thereby reserving space for the binding size and position of the FPC substrate 300, so that the size of the lower frame of the display panel can be further reduced, thereby improving the screen-to-body ratio of the display module.

[0032] According to a first aspect of the present application, a display module is provided, such as Figure 2 to Figure 6 As shown, the display module includes a display panel 100, an IC chip 200, a PCB substrate 400 and an FPC substrate 300. A first groove 1011 is provided at the lower edge of the display panel 100, and the IC chip 200 is disposed in the first groove 1011 and is electrically connected to the display panel 100; the PCB substrate 400 is disposed on the first groove 1011 and is electrically connected to the display panel 100; and the FPC substrate 300 is disposed on the PCB substrate 400 and is electrically connected to the PCB substrate 400.

[0033] For ease of description, the positional relationship of each component is described below by setting an XYZ coordinate system with reference to the XYZ coordinate system, wherein a first direction parallel to the surface of the display panel 100 is set as an X direction, a second direction parallel to the display panel 100 and perpendicular to the first direction is set as a Y direction, and a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction is set as a Z direction.

[0034] The display panel 100 has a TFT substrate, in which a plurality of metal wirings extending along a first direction and a second direction are provided (not shown in the figure). The intersecting parts of the metal wirings are connected to the corresponding minimum pixel units of the display area 102. The plurality of pixel units are arranged in an array to constitute the display area 102 of the display panel 100.

[0035] The lower edge of the display panel 100 also includes an extension portion 101 extending along the second direction, i.e., a portion of the TFT substrate extending and protruding outside the display area 102. The extension portion 101 is provided with a plurality of connection terminals, which are directly or indirectly connected to the metal wiring in the display area 102, respectively, so that the IC chip 200 and the PCB substrate 400 can be electrically connected to the display panel 100 through different connection terminals, thereby controlling the display image of the display area 102.

[0036] The first groove 1011 is embedded in the extension part 101 along the third direction and does not penetrate the extension part 101, so that the IC chip 200 can be accommodated in the first groove 1011 and electrically connected to the display panel 100 through the connection terminal arranged in the first groove 1011. The PCB substrate 400 is arranged on the first groove 1011, covers the first groove 1011 and the IC chip 200, and is electrically connected to the display panel 100 through the connection terminal arranged on the extension part 101, and at the same time, the IC chip 200 is confined in the cavity formed by the first groove 1011 and the PCB substrate 400.

[0037] Furthermore, if Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the above-mentioned connecting terminal may specifically include a first terminal group 110 and a second terminal group 120. The first terminal group 110 is disposed in the first groove 1011, so that the IC chip 200 can be electrically connected to the display panel 100 through the first terminal group 110. The second terminal group 120 is disposed on the extension portion 101 around the opening of the first groove 1011, so that when the PCB substrate 400 covers the first groove 1011, it can be electrically connected to the display panel 100 through the second terminal group 120.

[0038] Since the PCB substrate 400 covers the first groove 1011, the FPC substrate 300 can be directly located above the IC chip 200, and is spaced apart from the IC chip 200 by being electrically connected to the PCB substrate 400. That is, in the third direction, the IC chip 200, the PCB substrate 400, and the FPC substrate 300 can be stacked in sequence from bottom to top, which greatly reduces the extension size of the extension portion 101 extending along the second direction, thereby reducing the size of the lower frame of the display module and improving the screen-to-body ratio of the display module.

[0039] It should be noted that the display panel 100 includes but is not limited to a liquid crystal panel. For example, the display panel 100 may be a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel, or an electrophoretic display panel 100. The connection terminals include conductive metals such as Au, Ti, Ni, Al, Ag, Gr, Pt, or their alloy materials.

[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the depth of the first groove 1011 is not less than the thickness of the IC chip 200 .

[0041] Since the depth of the first groove 1011 is not less than the thickness of the IC chip 200, the IC chip 200 can be completely embedded in the extension portion 101 through the first groove 1011. When the PCB substrate 400 subsequently covers the first groove 1011, the PCB substrate 400 can be directly located on the extension portion 101 without contacting the IC chip 200, thereby facilitating electrical connection between the PCB substrate 400 and the connection terminals on the extension portion 101.

[0042] It should be noted that since the first groove 1011 does not penetrate the extension portion 101 , the depth of the first groove 1011 should be less than the thickness of the extension portion 101 , that is, the depression depth of the first groove 1011 in the third direction should be between the thickness of the IC chip 200 and the thickness of the extension portion 101 .

[0043] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the lower edge of the display panel 100 further includes a second groove 1012 , and the PCB substrate 400 is disposed in the second groove 1012 .

[0044] Since the PCB substrate 400 is disposed in the second groove 1012, the second groove 1012 is also embedded in the extension portion 101, and the first groove 1011 should be located within the concave range of the second groove 1012 to ensure that the PCB substrate 400 can cover the first groove 1011. By providing the second groove 1012 on the extension portion 101, the location of the PCB substrate 400 on the extension portion 101 can be limited, thereby improving the connection stability between the PCB substrate 400 and the extension portion 101.

[0045] Similarly, if Figure 6 As shown, the PCB substrate 400 needs to be electrically connected to the display panel 100 through the second terminal group 120 , so that the second terminal group 120 also needs to be disposed in the second groove 1012 .

[0046] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the depth of the second groove 1012 is not less than the thickness of the PCB substrate 400 .

[0047] Since the PCB substrate 400 is arranged in the second groove 1012, when the depth of the second groove 1012 in the third direction is greater than the thickness of the PCB substrate 400, the PCB substrate 400 can be completely embedded in the extension portion 101 through the second groove 1012, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the lower edge frame of the display module, making the display module thinner.

[0048] Furthermore, the sum of the depths of the first groove 1011 and the second groove 1012 should be smaller than the thickness of the lower edge of the display panel 100 to prevent the first groove 1011 from penetrating the extension portion 101 .

[0049] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the first groove 1011 has a first bottom wall, and the IC chip 200 is disposed on the first bottom wall and is electrically connected to the display panel 100 through the first bottom wall.

[0050] Since the first groove 1011 is embedded in the extension portion 101 along the third direction and does not penetrate the extension portion 101, a first bottom wall is formed at the bottom of the first groove 1011, providing bottom support for the IC chip 200 embedded in the first groove 1011. At the same time, the first terminal group 110 is arranged on the first bottom wall, so that the IC chip 200 can be electrically connected to the display area 102 of the display panel 100 through the first bottom wall.

[0051] As an example, a plurality of bump electrodes 210 are provided on one side of the IC chip 200 close to the first bottom wall. The plurality of bump electrodes 210 correspond one-to-one to the first terminal group 110 provided on the first bottom wall, and the electrical connection between the bump electrode 210 and the first terminal group 110 is achieved through the conductive particles 501 in the ACF 500 (Anisotropic Conductive Film), that is, the electrical connection between the IC chip 200 and the display panel 100.

[0052] Similarly, if Figure 6 As shown, the second groove 1012 is embedded in the extension portion 101 along the third direction and does not penetrate the extension portion 101, thereby forming a second bottom wall at the bottom of the second groove 1012, providing bottom support for the PCB substrate 400 embedded in the second groove. At the same time, the second terminal group 120 is arranged on the second bottom wall, so that the PCB substrate 400 can be electrically connected to the display area 102 of the display panel 100 through the second bottom wall.

[0053] As an example, the PCB substrate 400 has a first upper surface and a first lower surface relative to each other, wherein the first lower surface is a surface close to the second bottom wall, and correspondingly, the first upper surface is a surface away from the second bottom wall. By arranging a plurality of output terminals 410 on the first lower surface, arranging a second terminal group 120 on the second bottom wall, and making the arrangement positions of the output terminals 410 correspond to the arrangement positions of the second terminal group 120 one by one, and then realizing the electrical connection between the output terminals 410 and the second terminal group 120 through the conductive particles 501 in the ACF 500, that is, the electrical connection between the PCB substrate 400 and the display panel 100 is realized.

[0054] Furthermore, by arranging a plurality of input terminals on the first upper surface, and making the arrangement positions of the input terminals correspond one-to-one with the arrangement positions of the FPC terminals on the FPC substrate 300, the electrical connection between the input terminals and the FPC terminals is realized through the conductive particles 501 in the ACF 500, that is, the electrical connection between the PCB substrate 400 and the FPC substrate 300. The input terminals and the output terminals 410 are arranged on the same layer as the metal conductive layer in the FPC substrate 400 and are electrically connected to each other, so that the FPC substrate 300 can be electrically connected to the display panel 100 through the PCB substrate 400.

[0055] Therefore, by directly setting the input terminal on the PCB substrate 400 and electrically connecting the FPC terminal to the input terminal, the IC chip 200, the PCB substrate 400 and the FPC substrate 300 are connected in a stacked structure along the third direction, thereby directly removing the space occupied by the IC chip 200 on the surface of the extension portion 101, improving the space utilization of the lower edge of the display module, and enabling the size of the lower edge of the display module to be further shortened, thereby improving the screen-to-body ratio.

[0056] It should be noted that the bump electrode 210 , the input terminal and the output terminal 410 are made of conductive metals such as Au, Ti, Ni, Al, Ag, Gr, Pt or their alloy materials.

[0057] In addition, a connector 310 is also provided on the PCB substrate 400. The connector 310 is usually arranged on a side of the PCB substrate 400 away from the PCB terminal, so that the PCB can electrically connect other electronic units to the display panel 100 through the connector 310. The other electronic units may be, for example, a backlight unit for providing a light source to the display module.

[0058] The IC chip 200 may be a driver IC for driving the display panel 100 , and is used to provide an influence signal for the display panel 100 .

[0059] According to a second aspect of the present application, a display device is further provided, which includes the display module described in the above embodiment.

[0060] The display device may be a display device with a touch function, or a display device with a folding or rolling function, or a display device with both a touch function and a folding function, which is not limited here. The display device may be a flexible display device (also called a flexible screen) or a rigid display device (i.e., a display screen that cannot be bent), which is not specifically limited here.

[0061] The above display device can be any product or component with display function, such as TV, digital camera, mobile phone, tablet computer, etc.; the above display device can also be applied to the fields of identity recognition, medical equipment, etc., and the products that have been promoted or have good promotion prospects include security identity authentication, smart door locks, medical image acquisition, etc. The display device has the advantages of good support strength, narrow frame, low cost, good display effect, high stability, etc.

[0062] In summary, the present application provides a display module and a display device, wherein the display module includes a display panel 100, an IC chip 200, a PCB substrate 400, and an FPC substrate 300. By providing a first groove 1011 at the lower edge of the display panel 100, and using the first groove 1011 to embed the IC chip 200 in the lower edge of the display panel 100, the PCB substrate 400 and the FPC substrate 300 can be sequentially stacked on the IC chip 200, thereby eliminating the space occupied by the IC chip 200 on the surface of the lower edge of the display panel 100, improving the surface utilization rate of the lower edge of the display module, and further shortening the size of the lower frame of the display module, thereby improving the screen-to-body ratio of the display module.

[0063] In the description of the aforementioned embodiments, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0064] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

Claims

1. A display module, characterized in that: include: The display panel comprises a first groove arranged at a lower edge of the display panel; An IC chip is disposed in the first groove and is electrically connected to the display panel; A PCB substrate, disposed on the first groove and electrically connected to the display panel; The FPC substrate is arranged on the PCB substrate and is electrically connected to the PCB substrate.

2. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The depth of the first groove is not less than the thickness of the IC chip.

3. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower edge of the display panel further includes a second groove, and the PCB substrate is arranged in the second groove.

4. The display module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The depth of the second groove is not less than the thickness of the PCB substrate.

5. The display module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sum of the depths of the first groove and the second groove is less than the thickness of the lower edge of the display panel.

6. The display module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first groove has a first bottom wall, the IC chip is arranged on the first bottom wall, and is electrically connected to the display panel through the first bottom wall.

7. The display module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second groove has a second bottom wall, the PCB substrate is disposed on the second bottom wall, and is electrically connected to the display panel through the second bottom wall.

8. The display module according to claim 7, characterized in that: The PCB substrate has a first upper surface and a first lower surface relative to each other, the first lower surface is close to the second bottom wall and is electrically connected to the display panel through the second bottom wall, and the first upper surface is away from the second bottom wall and is electrically connected to the FPC substrate.

9. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The IC chip and the display panel, the PCB substrate and the display panel, and the FPC substrate and the PCB substrate are all electrically connected via an ACF.

10. A display device, characterized in that: A display module comprising any one of claims 1 to 9.

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