Cover module and display device including the same

Abstract

To provide a cover module and a display device including the same.SOLUTION: A display device comprises a display panel and a cover module disposed on the display panel. The cover module includes an adhesive layer disposed on the display panel, and a coating layer disposed on the adhesive layer. The coating layer is disposed on an outermost part of the display device and a surface hardness of the display device is identical to that of the coating layer. Thus, a cover module having excellent flexibility and high surface hardness is provided. A display device including the cover module is also provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1a

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a cover module and a display device including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Flexible display devices that can be folded and unfolded are being developed by replacing the glass substrate or high-hardness substrate with a film. These display devices are thin, light, and shock-resistant, and can be manufactured in various shapes, including folding, unfolding, and rolling.

[0003] The various optical elements of such a display device must have good flexibility and a low radius of curvature in consideration of usability, etc. In addition, since the cover module that covers the display panel is located at the outermost part of the display device, it must have high hardness so that it cannot be pressed by hand. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a cover module that does not include a substrate layer and therefore has excellent flexibility and high surface hardness, and a display device including the same.

[0005] An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a cover module that includes a coating layer containing a release agent, and thereby has high reliability even when bent, folded, slid, or rolled, and a display device including the same.

[0006] An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a cover module and a display device including the same, which can realize a uni-material product in which material components are simplified and unified by including a coating layer disposed on a display panel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An aspect of the present disclosure includes a display panel and a cover module disposed on the display panel, the cover module including an adhesive layer disposed on the display panel and a coating layer disposed on the adhesive layer, the coating layer being disposed on the outermost side of the display device, and a display device having a surface hardness identical to the hardness of the coating layer can be provided.

[0008] An embodiment of the present disclosure can provide a cover module that includes an adhesive layer and a coating layer disposed on the adhesive layer, the coating layer being disposed on the outermost side of the display device, and the surface hardness of the cover module being the same as the hardness of the coating layer.

[0009] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a cover module having excellent flexibility and high surface hardness and a display device including the same can be provided by not including a base layer.

[0010] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, by including a coating layer containing a release agent, it is possible to provide a cover module and a display device including the same that are highly reliable even when bent, folded, slid, and rolled.

[0011] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a cover module and a display device including the same, which can realize a uni-material product in which material components are simplified and unified by including a coating layer disposed on a display panel. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1a] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the structure of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 1b] 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a cover module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a cover module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4]1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a cover module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a cover module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a cover module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram comparing characteristics of cover modules according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram illustrating a process for forming a coating layer of a cover module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for bonding a coating layer to a stiffness reinforcement layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Some aspects of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to exemplary drawings. When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, identical components may be assigned the same numerals as much as possible, even if they appear in different drawings. Furthermore, when describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known structures or functions may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, such detailed description may be omitted. When using terms such as "include," "have," and "be made" as mentioned in this specification, other terms may be added unless "only" is used. When referring to a component in the singular, the plural may also be included unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0014] Furthermore, in describing components of the present disclosure, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. are used only to distinguish the component from other components, and do not limit the nature, order, sequence, or number of the corresponding components.

[0015] In describing the positional relationship of components, when two or more components are described as being "coupled," "coupled," or "connected," it should be understood that the two or more components may be directly "coupled," "coupled," or "connected," but that the two or more components may also be "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" through an additional "intervening" component. Here, the other component may be included in one or more of the two or more components that are "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" to each other.

[0016] In describing the temporal flow relationship associated with components, operating methods, manufacturing methods, etc., when the temporal or flow sequence relationship is described using, for example, "after," "following," "next," or "before," the terms "immediately" or "directly" are not used, and therefore cases where the relationship is not consecutive may also be included.

[0017] On the other hand, when a numerical value or its corresponding information (e.g., level, etc.) for a component is mentioned, the numerical value or its corresponding information may be interpreted as including an error range that may occur due to various factors (e.g., process factors, internal or external impact, noise, etc.), even if not otherwise explicitly stated.

[0018] Various aspects of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1a is a diagram illustrating a schematic structure of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 1 a, a display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a display panel 110 and a cover module 160 disposed on the display panel 110 .

[0021] The cover module 160 may include a first adhesive layer 120, a polarizer 130 disposed on the first adhesive layer 120, a second adhesive layer 140 disposed on the polarizer 130, and a coating layer 150 disposed on the second adhesive layer 140.

[0022] The display panel 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be various display panels such as an organic light-emitting display panel, a touch screen panel, or a liquid crystal display panel. However, for convenience of explanation, the following description will focus on the case where the display panel 110 is an organic light-emitting display panel.

[0023] The first adhesive layer 120 can adhere the polarizer 130 onto the display panel 110 , and the second adhesive layer 140 can adhere the coating layer 150 onto the polarizer 130 .

[0024] However, the structure of the display device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the coating layer 150 may directly have adhesive properties, thereby eliminating the configuration of the second adhesive layer 140.

[0025] The polarizer 130 may be used to improve the optical characteristics of the display device 100, for example, to prevent reflection of external light or to implement polarization.

[0026] Although not shown in FIG. 1a, polarizer 130 can be a single layer or multiple layers.

[0027] When the polarizing plate 130 is made up of multiple layers, the polarizing plate 130 may include a polarizer and a protective layer formed on one or both sides of the polarizer, but the multi-layer structure of the polarizing plate 130 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to this, and a structure made up of two or more layers is sufficient.

[0028] However, the structure of the display device 100 according to the present disclosure is not limited to this, and may include a structure in which the polarizer 130 is not disposed on the display panel 110. In this case, at least one of the first adhesive layer 120 and the second adhesive layer 140 may be omitted.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1a, the display device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may have a coating layer 150 disposed on the outermost side.

[0030] In some embodiments, the coating layer 150 can prevent the display panel 110 from being damaged by an external force applied to the display device 100 .

[0031] The coating layer 150 can be disposed on the display surface of the display panel 110 .

[0032] Referring to FIG. 1a, a coating layer 150 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be attached to a display panel 110 through adhesive layers 120 and 140 without a separate substrate layer.

[0033] Generally, in the case of display devices that use a substrate layer, there are limitations on bending or folding the display device 100 depending on the characteristics of the substrate layer (e.g., transparent polyimide film, polyester film, acrylic film, urethane film, etc.), but since the display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure does not include a separate substrate layer, it may be easy to bend or fold the display device 100.

[0034] The coating layer 150 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be formed from a material having high flexibility and high hardness characteristics. Such a coating layer 150 is not damaged even under extreme curvature, and therefore the coating layer 150 can be applied to a foldable or rollable display device.

[0035] In some embodiments, the coating layer 150 according to the present disclosure may have a pencil hardness of 8H to 9H, which is comparable to that of glass. In other words, it may have high hardness.

[0036] However, when a general cover window made of glass is used to protect the display panel 110, there is a high risk of the cover window being damaged. To prevent this, a shatterproof film is applied to the cover window, which has a lower hardness than a cover window made of glass.

[0037] In one aspect, a typical cover window can be a structure including a substrate layer disposed over a display panel to protect the display panel.

[0038] When a shatterproof film is disposed on such a cover window, the cover window has a lower hardness than when the cover window is disposed on the outermost side of the display device. In this case, the display device cannot realize the surface hardness of the cover window made of glass, and the surface hardness of the display device including the cover window made of glass can be substantially equal to the hardness of the shatterproof film.

[0039] That is, a display device including a shatterproof film may have low surface hardness and be vulnerable to deformation and damage.

[0040] In some embodiments, the coating layer 150 according to embodiments of the present disclosure has a surface hardness similar to that of glass, which may reduce the probability of breakage when an external force or stimulus is applied to the display device 100.

[0041] The coating layer 150 may be between 50 μm and 300 μm thick.

[0042] If the thickness of the coating layer 150 is less than 50 μm, handling is difficult, and if the thickness of the coating layer 150 is more than 300 μm, manufacturing of the coating layer 150 may be difficult and flexibility may be reduced. Therefore, the flexibility of the coating layer 150 is reduced.

[0043] In some embodiments, the modulus of coating layer 150 can be between 200 MPa and 2000 MPa.

[0044] If the modulus of the coating layer 150 is lower than 200 MPa, the flexibility of the coating layer 150 may increase, resulting in a decrease in the surface hardness of the display device 100 including the coating layer 150. Furthermore, if the modulus of the coating layer 150 is higher than 2000 MPa, the coating layer 150 may be more likely to break.

[0045] In some embodiments, when folding a display device 100 including coating layer 150, the folding or bending radius may be between 1.5 R and 7.0 R. In some embodiments, the folding or bending radius is based on the size or thickness of the material, represented by R, as further described below.

[0046] For example, when the folding radius of the display device 100 is 1.5R to 3.0R, the thickness of the coating layer 150 may be 50 μm to 150 μm and the modulus of the coating layer 150 may be 200 MPa to 1000 MPa; when the folding radius of the display device 100 is 3.0R to 7.0R, the thickness of the coating layer 150 may be 150 μm to 300 μm and the modulus of the coating layer 150 may be 1000 MPa to 2000 MPa.

[0047] As such, the thickness and modulus of the coating layer 150 may be based on the folding radius of the display device 100. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the folding radius of the display device 100 is 1.5R to 3.0R, the coating layer 150 of the display device 100 has a thickness of 50 μm to 150 μm and a modulus of 200 MPa to 1000 MPa, and when the folding radius of the display device 100 is 3.0R to 7.0R, the coating layer 150 has a thickness of 150 μm to 300 μm and a modulus of 1000 MPa to 2000 MPa, thereby preventing a decrease in surface rigidity due to a thin coating layer 150 or a low modulus value, and preventing a decrease in the folding characteristics of the display device 100 depending on the folding radius due to a thick coating layer 150 or a high modulus value.

[0048] The coating layer 150 may include a base resin. The base resin of the coating layer 150 may include a siloxane resin. For example, the base resin may include at least one of acrylate siloxane or epoxy siloxane, but the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0049] In some embodiments, the coating layer 150 may be formed by adding an elastomer to a backbone of a base resin. Non-limiting examples of the elastomer may include at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermosetting elastomer, and a silicone elastomer.

[0050] As described above, the coating layer 150 can be formed with high flexibility and high surface hardness by using a material in which an elastic polymer is added to a base resin such as a siloxane resin.

[0051] The first adhesive layer 120 and the second adhesive layer 140 may be formed of a transparent material. For example, the first adhesive layer 120 and the second adhesive layer 140 may be a transparent adhesive composition (Optical Clear Adhesive (OCA)), but the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0052] The modulus of the first adhesive layer 120 and the second adhesive layer 140 may be between 0.01 MPa and 1 MPa.

[0053] When the modulus of the first adhesive layer 120 and the second adhesive layer 140 is in the range of 0.01 MPa to 1 MPa, impact resistance can be increased and damage can be minimized when the display device 100 is bent or folded.

[0054] The modulus of the first adhesive layer 120 and the second adhesive layer 140 may be equal. However, the configuration of the display device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the modulus of the first adhesive layer 120 and the second adhesive layer 140 may be different.

[0055] In one embodiment, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 120 and the second adhesive layer 140 may be between 5 μm and 50 μm.

[0056] If the thickness of the first adhesive layer 120 and the second adhesive layer 140 is less than 5 μm, manufacturing may be difficult and thickness uniformity may be poor. If the thickness of the first adhesive layer 120 and the second adhesive layer 140 is more than 50 μm, flexibility and transparency may be reduced.

[0057] The modulus of the polarizer 130 may be 2.5 Gpa to 3.5 Gpa, for example, 3 Gpa. When the modulus of the polarizer 130 is 2.5 Gpa to 3.5 Gpa, the polarizer 130 can be manufactured to have flexibility and impact resistance while effectively reducing external light reflection.

[0058] The structure of the cover module 160 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0059] FIG. 1b is a diagram illustrating the structure of a cover module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 1b, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a cover module 160 may be included in the display device, and the cover module may include a rigid reinforcement layer 270, an adhesive layer 240 disposed on the rigid reinforcement layer 270, and a coating layer 150 disposed on the adhesive layer 240.

[0061] The rigidity reinforcing layer 270 can ensure the rigidity of the display surface.

[0062] The stiffening layer 270 according to the present disclosure can be glass, and can be chemically strengthened glass.

[0063] The folding radius of the display device 100 including the cover module 160 further including such a rigidity reinforcement layer 270 may be 3.0R to 7.0R. In some embodiments, the thickness of the rigidity reinforcement layer 270 may be 50 μm to 120 μm. For example, the thickness of the rigidity reinforcement layer 270 may be 70 μm to 90 μm. In addition, the chemical strengthening depth of the rigidity reinforcement layer 270 (also referred to as the Depth of Layer (DOL) of the compressive stress layer) may be 10 μm to 21 μm. For example, the chemical strengthening depth of the rigidity reinforcement layer 270 may be 12 μm to 16 μm. This ensures the rigidity of the rigidity reinforcement layer 270 and allows folding without damage.

[0064] The thickness of the adhesive layer 240 may be less than the thickness of the stiffening layer 270 and the thickness of the coating layer 150 .

[0065] For example, the thickness of the adhesive layer 240 may be 5 μm to 15 μm. If the thickness of the adhesive layer 240 is less than 5 μm, the adhesive layer 240 may be formed too thin, making it difficult to apply a rolling process. If the thickness of the adhesive layer 240 exceeds 15 μm, the adhesive layer 240, which has lower rigidity than the rigidity reinforcing layer 270, may have a greater effect, reducing the surface rigidity of the display device. That is, if the thickness of the adhesive layer 240 exceeds 15 μm, the surface rigidity of the display device may be reduced due to the adhesive layer 240, even if the display device includes the rigidity reinforcing layer 270 to increase the surface rigidity.

[0066] The structure in which the cover module 160 is applied to the display panel 110 is as follows.

[0067] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 2, a display panel 110 of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an active area (AA) where an image is displayed and a non-active area which is the remaining area excluding the active area (AA).

[0069] The display panel 110 may include at least one thin film transistor disposed on a substrate 201 in an active area (AA) and an organic light emitting device 210 disposed on the thin film transistor.

[0070] The thin film transistor may include an active layer 203 , a gate electrode 205 , a source electrode 207 and a drain electrode 208 .

[0071] The organic light emitting device 210 may include a first electrode 211 , an emitting layer 212 and a second electrode 213 .

[0072] In one embodiment, a buffer layer 202 can be disposed on the substrate 201 .

[0073] The buffer layer 202 may include an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx), or silicon oxynitride (SiON), but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 2, the buffer layer 202 is shown as a single layer structure, but the buffer layer 202 of the present invention may also have a multi-layer structure.

[0075] When the buffer layer 202 has a multi-layer structure, the buffer layer 202 may include silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxynitride (SiON), or the like, and may have a structure in which layers including at least two inorganic insulating materials are alternately arranged among the inorganic materials, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0076] In the following description, for convenience, the buffer layer 202 will be described as a single layer.

[0077] An active layer 203 of a thin film transistor may be disposed on the buffer layer 202 .

[0078] The active layer 203 may be any of various types of semiconductor layers, for example, an oxide semiconductor, an amorphous silicon semiconductor, or a polysilicon semiconductor, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0079] A gate insulating film 204 may be disposed on the active layer 203 .

[0080] The gate insulating film 204 may include an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx), or silicon oxynitride (SiON), but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0081] Although FIG. 2 shows a structure in which the gate insulating film 204 is disposed on a portion of the upper surface of the active layer 203, the present invention is not limited to this, and the gate insulating film 204 may be disposed while covering the active layer 203.

[0082] A gate electrode 205 of the thin film transistor may be disposed on the gate insulating film 204 .

[0083] The gate electrode 205 may include any one of metal materials or compounds such as aluminum (Al), gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr), tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), or alloys thereof, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0084] An interlayer insulating layer 206 may be disposed on the gate electrode 205 .

[0085] The interlayer insulating layer 206 may include an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx), or silicon oxynitride (SiON), but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0086] A source electrode 207 and a drain electrode 208 of the thin film transistor may be disposed on the interlayer insulating layer 206 to be spaced apart from each other.

[0087] In some embodiments of the present invention, source electrode 207 may be the drain node of the semiconductor device, and drain electrode 208 may be the source node of the semiconductor device.

[0088] The source electrode 207 and the drain electrode 208 may include any one of metals such as aluminum (Al), gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr), tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), etc., or alloys thereof, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0089] The source electrode 207 and the drain electrode 208 may be connected to a portion of the upper surface of the active layer 203 through contact holes provided in the interlayer insulating layer 206 .

[0090] A planarization layer 209 may be disposed on the substrate 201 on which the source electrode 207 and the drain electrode 208 are disposed.

[0091] In some cases, a protective film (not shown) containing an inorganic insulating material may be further disposed under the planarization layer 209 .

[0092] A first electrode 211 of an organic light emitting device 210 may be disposed on a portion of the top surface of the planarization layer 209 .

[0093] The first electrode 211 may be electrically connected to the drain electrode 208 of the thin film transistor through a contact hole provided in the planarization layer 209. Although Fig. 2 shows a structure in which the first electrode 211 is connected to the drain electrode 208 of the thin film transistor, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the first electrode 211 may also be connected to the source electrode 207 of the thin film transistor.

[0094] 2 shows a structure in which the first electrode 211 is a single layer, the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, the first electrode 211 may have a multi-layer structure of two or more layers.

[0095] The first electrode 211 may include a reflective electrode.

[0096] Specifically, when the first electrode 211 has a single layer structure, the first electrode 211 may be a reflective electrode including a reflective conductive material.

[0097] When the first electrode 211 has a multi-layer structure, at least one layer may be a reflective electrode containing a reflective conductive material, and the other layers that are not reflective electrodes may be layers made of a transparent conductive material.

[0098] A bank 220 may be disposed on the planarization layer 209 .

[0099] The bank 220 may be disposed so as to overlap a portion of the upper surface of the first electrode 211. Also, the bank 220 may be disposed so as to expose a portion of the upper surface of the first electrode 211.

[0100] In some embodiments, such banks 220 can define an emissive area (EA) and a non-emissive area (NEA) within the active area (AA) of the organic light-emitting display device 100. For example, the area of ​​the active area (AA) where the banks 220 are arranged corresponds to the non-emissive area (NEA), and the area of ​​the active area (AA) excluding the banks 220 corresponds to the emissive area (EA).

[0101] The light emitting layer 212 of the organic light emitting device 210 may be disposed on the first electrode 211 .

[0102] The light-emitting layer 212 may be disposed on the upper surface of the first electrode 211 exposed by the bank 220 .

[0103] 2 shows a structure in which the light-emitting layer 212 is a single layer, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the light-emitting layer 212 may be formed of multiple organic layers.

[0104] The light emitting layer 212 can emit at least one color from among red (R), green (G), and blue (B), but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the light emitting layer 212 can also emit other colors such as white (W).

[0105] A second electrode 213 of the organic light emitting device 210 may be disposed on the substrate 201 on which the light emitting layer 212 is disposed.

[0106] The second electrode 213 may include a transparent conductive material or a semi-transparent material.

[0107] Also, although the second electrode 213 is shown as having a single layer structure in FIG. 2, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the second electrode 213 may have a multi-layer structure of two or more layers.

[0108] An encapsulation layer 230 may be disposed on the second electrode 213 .

[0109] The encapsulation layer 230 may include a first encapsulation layer 231 disposed on the second electrode 213, a second encapsulation layer 232 disposed on the first encapsulation layer 231, and a third encapsulation layer 233 disposed on the second encapsulation layer 232. Here, the first encapsulation layer 231 and the third encapsulation layer 233 may include an inorganic insulating material, and the second encapsulation layer 232 may include an organic insulating material.

[0110] The first encapsulation layer 231 and the third encapsulation layer 233, which include an inorganic insulating material, can serve to prevent moisture and oxygen from penetrating, and the second encapsulation layer 232, which includes an organic insulating material, can serve to delay the movement of the small amount of moisture and oxygen that has penetrated through the third encapsulation layer 233.

[0111] Although not shown in the drawings, the encapsulation layer 230 may be disposed in the active area (AA) and the non-active area (AA) of the organic light emitting display device 100 .

[0112] The cover module 160 described in FIG. 1a may be disposed on the sealing layer 230.

[0113] Referring to FIG. 2, the cover module 160 may be disposed in the same direction as the light emitted from the light emitting area (EA) of the display panel 110 .

[0114] The first adhesive layer 120, the second adhesive layer 140, and the coating layer 150 included in the cover module 160 may each have high light transmittance.

[0115] The cover module 160 does not include a substrate layer that can be disposed on at least one surface of the coating layer 150, thereby improving the surface hardness of the display device 100.

[0116] In some embodiments, although FIGS. 1a and 2 illustrate a structure in which the cover module 160 includes a first adhesive layer 120, a polarizer 130, a second adhesive layer 140, and a coating layer 150, the structure of the cover module 160 according to embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0117] 3 to 6 are diagrams illustrating the structure of a cover module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 3, the cover module 160 may include a first adhesive layer 120 , a polarizer 130 , a second adhesive layer 140 and a coating layer 150 .

[0119] The coating layer 150 may be formed of a base resin in which a release agent 350 is dispersed.

[0120] Non-limiting examples of the release agent 350 include at least one of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, and fluorine. For example, the coating layer 150 may be formed using the release agent 350 containing siloxane resin and fluorine.

[0121] As shown in FIG. 3, a release agent 350 may be included within the material of the coating layer 150 .

[0122] Although not shown in the drawings, a protective film may be attached to at least one surface of the coating layer 150 before the coating layer 150 is attached to the second adhesive layer 140 of the cover module 160.

[0123] Here, the protective film can protect the coating layer 150 before the coating layer 150 is attached onto the second adhesive layer 140 .

[0124] As shown in FIG. 3, the coating layer 150 is formed on a carrier film (e.g., the carrier film of FIG. 8), and since the coating layer 150 contains a release agent 350, when the protective film attached to one side of the coating layer 150 is removed after the coating layer 150 is formed on the second adhesive layer 140, the carrier film can be removed without damaging the coating layer 150.

[0125] In some embodiments, if a substrate layer is present between the coating layer 150 and the second adhesive layer 140, the coating layer 150 must not be separated from the substrate layer, so an additive is added to improve the adhesion between the substrate layer and the coating layer 150 or to improve the surface energy of the coating layer, thereby forming a separate layer (e.g., an adhesive layer) between the substrate layer and the coating layer 150.

[0126] Furthermore, even when a substrate layer exists on the coating layer 150, an additive that can improve the adhesion between the substrate layer and the coating layer 150 or improve the surface energy of the coating layer 150 may be added to form a separate layer between the substrate layer and the coating layer 150.

[0127] A protective film (not shown) for protecting the coating layer 150 may be disposed on at least one side of the coating layer 150 included in the cover module 160 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and the protective film must be separated from the surface of the coating layer 150. The material of the coating layer having a substrate layer disposed on at least one side may be different from the material included in the coating layer 150 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0128] In some embodiments, coating layer 150 includes at least one release agent 450, allowing it to be easily separated from other components, except for second adhesive layer 140, without damaging the surface of coating layer 150. Non-limiting examples of release agents 450 include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, and fluorine.

[0129] Although FIG. 3 shows a structure in which the release agent 350 is included in the coating layer 150, the structure of the cover module 160 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0130] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a release agent layer 450 may be coated on one side of the coating layer 150 .

[0131] 4, a release agent material layer 450 may be disposed between the coating layer 150 and the second adhesive layer 140.

[0132] The thickness of the release agent material layer 450 may be thinner than the thickness of the coating layer 150 and the thickness of the second adhesive layer 140 .

[0133] Also, although FIG. 4 shows a structure in which the release agent material layer 450 is coated on the entire rear surface of the coating layer 150, the structure of the cover module 160 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0134] For example, the release agent layer 450 may be coated on the entire front surface of the coating layer 150, or in some cases, the release agent layer 450 may be coated on both the front and back surfaces of the coating layer 150.

[0135] Although not shown in the drawings, the release agent material layer 450 disposed on at least one surface of the coating layer 150 may have a patterned shape. For example, the release agent material layer 450 may be located on the rear surface of the coating layer 150 and may have holes formed therein that expose portions of the rear surface of the coating layer 150.

[0136] Referring to FIG. 5, a cover module 160 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first adhesive layer 120 and a coating layer 150 .

[0137] The cover module 160 of FIG. 5 can be disposed on the display panel 110 .

[0138] A first adhesive layer 120 may be disposed on the display panel 110 , and a coating layer 150 may be disposed on the first adhesive layer 120 .

[0139] As shown in FIG. 5, the cover module 160 may not include the polarizer 130 and the second adhesive layer 140, unlike the cover module 160 shown in FIG.

[0140] The coating layer 150 may be adhered to the top surface of the first adhesive layer 120 .

[0141] In this case, the occurrence of an external light reflection phenomenon can be suppressed through a plurality of black matrices and a plurality of color filters in the display panel 110. Specifically, the plurality of black matrices and a plurality of color filters arranged in the display panel 110 absorb external light, thereby preventing external light reflection and preventing a decrease in visibility.

[0142] The first adhesive layer 120 of the cover module 160 of FIG. 5 may serve to attach the coating layer 150 to the display panel 110.

[0143] 5 includes only the first adhesive layer 120 and the coating layer 150, which reduces the thickness and improves transmittance. In addition, the reduced thickness of the cover module 160 in FIG. 5 can improve resistance to bending, folding, sliding, and rolling.

[0144] Referring to FIG. 5, the coating layer 150 may contain a release agent 350 therein, but the structure of the cover module 160 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0145] Referring to FIG. 6, the cover module 160 may include a release agent material layer 450 disposed between the first adhesive layer 120 and the coating layer 150 .

[0146] The thickness of the release agent material layer 450 may be thinner than the thickness of the first adhesive layer 120 and the thickness of the coating layer 150 .

[0147] In some embodiments, before the release agent material layer 450 and the coating layer 150 are attached onto the first adhesive layer 120, a protective film (not shown) may be attached to one side of the release agent material layer 450.

[0148] The protective film attached to the release agent material layer 450 can protect the surface of the coating layer 150 and support the coating layer 150 .

[0149] The protective film may be disposed on the other side of the release agent material layer 450 where the coating layer 150 is not disposed.

[0150] The protective film may be removed during the attachment of the coating layer 150 and the release agent material layer 450 onto the first adhesive layer 120 .

[0151] The release agent layer 450 may include a material that is easily separated from the protective film. Non-limiting examples of materials that are easily separated from the protective film include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, and fluorine.

[0152] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the coating layer 150 may contain a release agent 350 or may have a release agent material layer 450 disposed on at least one surface of the coating layer 150, thereby providing a coating layer 150 that does not require a separate substrate layer.

[0153] When the cover module 160 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is disposed on the display panel 110, the surface hardness of the display device 100 may be substantially equal to the surface hardness of the coating layer 150 because the coating layer 150 is attached to the outer surface of the display device 100. In this case, the substantially equal parameters are within a narrow range and have the same effect. For example, a surface hardness of 8H is substantially equal to a surface hardness of 9H.

[0154] In addition, since a separate film or substrate layer is not required to protect or support the coating layer 150, the thickness of the cover module 160 can be reduced, and deformation such as bending, folding, sliding, and rolling can be improved.

[0155] These characteristics can be considered with reference to FIG.

[0156] FIG. 7 is a diagram comparing characteristics of cover modules according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0157] 7, the cover module referred to as Comparative Example 1 includes a cover window disposed on a display panel, and the cover window includes a coating layer and a substrate layer supporting the coating layer. The substrate layer of Comparative Example 1 is made of colorless polyimide.

[0158] 7 includes a cover window, which includes a coating layer, a substrate layer disposed on the coating layer, and another coating layer disposed on the substrate layer. The substrate layer of Comparative Example 2 is made of polyester.

[0159] The cover module referred to as Comparative Example 3 in FIG. 7 includes a cover window, which may be glass.

[0160] The cover module 160 shown in FIG. 7 and compared with Comparative Examples 1 to 3 may have the same structure as the cover module 160 shown in FIG.

[0161] The cover windows of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 and the upper surfaces of the coating layers of the Examples may be treated with an anti-fingerprint coating.

[0162] The thickness of the coating layer in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 is 40 μm, and the thickness of the coating layer in Comparative Example 3 is 50 μm.

[0163] The thickness of the coating layer 150 by the cover module 160 is 120 μm to 160 μm.

[0164] The pencil hardness of the coating layers of the cover windows and cover modules 160 of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 was measured through an indentation test using weights of 300 g and 500 g.

[0165] Pencil hardness decreases in the following order: 9H, 8H, 7H, 6H, 5H, 4H, 3H, 2H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B and 9B.

[0166] Referring to FIG. 7, the pencil hardness of the cover window according to Comparative Example 1 measured using a 300 g weight was 6H, and the pencil hardness of the cover window according to Comparative Example 1 measured using a 500 g weight was F.

[0167] In addition, the pencil hardness of the cover window according to Comparative Example 2 measured using a 300g weight was 2H, and the pencil hardness of the cover window according to Comparative Example 2 measured using a 500g weight was 3B.

[0168] The pencil hardness of the cover window according to Comparative Example 3 measured using a 300g weight was 9H, and the pencil hardness of the cover window according to Comparative Example 3 measured using a 500g weight was 8H.

[0169] Referring to FIG. 7, the pencil hardness of the coating layer of the cover module 160 measured using a 300g weight is 8H, and the pencil hardness of the coating layer of the cover module 160 measured using a 500g weight is 6H.

[0170] 7, the pencil hardness of the cover module 160 is higher than that of the cover modules of Comparative Examples 1 and 2. In addition, the pencil hardness of the cover module 160 is similar to that of the cover module of Comparative Example 3. That is, it can be seen that the surface hardness of the cover module 160 is substantially equal to that of glass.

[0171] 7, the low temperature reliability and high temperature reliability of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 and the cover module 160 can be compared.

[0172] The low temperature reliability test achieved a curvature of 1.5R at 0℃ and 0.5Hz.

[0173] The high temperature reliability test was carried out under the conditions of 60℃ temperature, 90% humidity and 0.5Hz with a curvature of 1.5R.

[0174] Referring to FIG. 7, it can be seen that the cover modules according to Comparative Examples 1 and 3 have reduced reliability in low temperature, high temperature, and high humidity environments.

[0175] In other words, the cover module 160 has high surface hardness and high reliability, being not damaged even when subjected to curvature in a high temperature and high humidity environment.

[0176] It has been described that the coating layer 150 can be disposed on the display panel 110 without a separate substrate layer.

[0177] The process of forming such a coating layer can be briefly considered as follows.

[0178] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a simplified process for forming a coating layer of a cover module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0179] Referring to FIG. 8, a coating layer material 850 can be formed on a carrier film 810 using a pump 860 .

[0180] The coating layer material 850 may include a siloxane resin, and may also include a release agent such as fluorine, but the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0181] The coating layer material 850 formed on the carrier film 810 can be cured through heat treatment and drying in an oven 820 to form a coating layer.

[0182] A protective film 830 may be disposed on the coating layer.

[0183] The carrier film 810 disposed on the back of the coating layer can be removed.

[0184] If the coating layer contains a release agent material, the coating layer may not be damaged when the carrier film 810 is removed.

[0185] A protective film may be additionally disposed on the back surface of the coating layer from which the carrier film 810 has been removed, but the aspects of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and a protective film may not be disposed on the back surface of the coating layer from which the carrier film 810 has been removed.

[0186] Thereafter, a protective film 830 may be disposed on at least one surface of the coating layer and then punched out.

[0187] Such a coating layer can be disposed on an adhesive layer as shown in Figures 1a, 3 to 6, and when applied to a display device, the protective film 830 disposed on the coating layer can be removed.

[0188] The cover module and the display device according to the above-described aspects of the present disclosure will be briefly described as follows.

[0189] An embodiment of the present disclosure includes a display panel and a cover module 160 disposed on the display panel, the cover module 160 including an adhesive layer (e.g., a first adhesive layer 120 or a second adhesive layer 140) disposed on the display panel 110 and a coating layer 150 disposed on the adhesive layers 120, 140, the coating layer 150 being disposed on the outer surface of the display device 100, and the surface of the coating layer 150 being in contact with the adhesive layers 120, 140, thereby providing the display device 100. Here, the surface hardness of the display device 100 may be substantially equal to the hardness of the coating layer 150.

[0190] The coating layer 150 may include a base resin and a release agent 350 .

[0191] The base resin of the coating layer 150 may include a siloxane resin, and the release agent 350 may include fluorine.

[0192] The cover module 160 may include a first adhesive layer 120 disposed on the display panel 110, a polarizer 130 disposed on the first adhesive layer 120, a second adhesive layer 140 disposed on the polarizer 130, and a coating layer 150 disposed on the second adhesive layer 140.

[0193] In addition, the cover module 160 may include a first adhesive layer 120 disposed on the display panel 110 and a coating layer 150 disposed on the first adhesive layer 120 .

[0194] In addition, the cover module 160 may include a first adhesive layer 120 arranged on the display panel 110, a polarizer 130 arranged on the first adhesive layer 120, a second adhesive layer 140 arranged on the polarizer 130, a release agent material layer 450 arranged on the second adhesive layer 140, and a coating layer 150 arranged on the release agent material layer 450.

[0195] The release agent material layer 450 may include fluorine.

[0196] The pencil hardness of coating layer 150 may be equal to or less than that of glass and greater than that of polyimide and polyester.

[0197] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for bonding a coating layer to a stiffening layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0198] Referring to FIG. 9, an adhesive layer 240 may be disposed between a rigidity reinforcing layer 270 and a coating layer 150, and the rigidity reinforcing layer 270 and the coating layer 150 may be bonded together through the adhesive layer 240.

[0199] Such a display device 100 of the present disclosure may be capable of folding, bending, sliding, and rolling.

[0200] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a cover module having excellent flexibility and high surface hardness due to the absence of a substrate layer and a display device including the same are provided. A display device including the cover module and a method for forming the cover module are also provided.

[0201] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a cover module and a display device including the same are provided that are highly reliable even when bent, folded, slid, and rolled by including a coating layer containing a release agent.

[0202] The above description merely exemplifies the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure, and various modifications and variations may be made by a person skilled in the art without departing from the essential characteristics of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure are intended to explain the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure rather than to limit it, and therefore the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure is not limited by these examples.

Claims

1. a display panel; and a cover module disposed on the display panel; The cover module includes: an adhesive layer and a coating layer disposed on the display panel; the coating layer is disposed on an outermost surface of the display device; The display device has a surface hardness substantially equal to that of the coating layer.

2. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the coating layer further includes a release agent layer, the release agent layer including at least one of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, and fluorine.

3. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer comprises at least one of an acrylate siloxane or an epoxy siloxane.

4. The cover module is a polarizing plate disposed on the adhesive layer; a second adhesive layer disposed on the polarizing plate; Including, The display device of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer is disposed on the second adhesive layer.

5. The cover module is a polarizing plate disposed on the adhesive layer; a second adhesive layer disposed on the polarizing plate; a release agent material layer disposed on the second adhesive layer; 2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the coating layer is disposed on the second adhesive layer.

6. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the release material layer comprises at least one of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, and fluorine.

7. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the thickness of the release agent layer is thinner than the thickness of the coating layer and the thickness of the second adhesive layer.

8. 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the pencil hardness of the coating layer is substantially equal to or less than that of glass and greater than that of polyimide and polyester.

9. 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the coating layer has a thickness of 50 [mu]m to 300 [mu]m.

10. 10. The display device of claim 1, wherein the coating layer comprises a modulus of 200 MPa to 2000 MPa.

11. 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer has a thickness of 5 [mu]m to 50 [mu]m.

12. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer has a modulus of 0.01 Mpa to 1 Mpa.

13. 10. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display device is capable of folding, bending, sliding, and rolling, and the bending radius of the display device is 1.5R to 7.0R.

14. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the cover module further includes a rigid reinforcement layer disposed below the adhesive layer, the rigid reinforcement layer being disposed below the adhesive layer and configured to provide surface rigidity to the cover module.

15. The display device according to claim 14 , wherein the rigidity reinforcing layer includes chemically strengthened glass.

16. The thickness of the rigidity reinforcing layer is 70 μm to 90 μm, The display device according to claim 15 , wherein the chemical strengthening depth of the rigidity reinforcement layer is 12 μm to 16 μm.

17. the thickness of the adhesive layer is smaller than the thickness of the rigid reinforcing layer and the thickness of the coating layer; 16. The display device of claim 15, wherein the adhesive layer has a thickness of 5 μm to 15 μm.

18. an adhesive layer; Coating layer and Including, the coating layer is disposed on an outermost surface of the cover module; The cover module has a surface hardness substantially equal to a surface hardness of the coating layer.

19. 1. A method of forming a cover module, comprising: forming a coating layer material based on a base resin; applying the coating layer material to a carrier film and curing the coating layer material to form a coating layer, wherein a release agent is configured to release the carrier film, and the release agent comprises at least one of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, or fluorine; applying a removable protective film to the exposed surface of the coating layer; removing the carrier film to form the cover module; Including, The surface exposed by removing the carrier film is applied to a flexible display panel, thereby forming the display panel with a surface hardness of the coating layer.

20. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the cover module omits a base layer comprising at least one of a clear polyimide, polyester, acrylic, and urethane.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the cover module includes only an adhesive layer and the coating layer material.

22. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein forming the coating layer material comprises mixing the release agent with the base resin.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein a release agent layer comprising the release agent is formed on the carrier film.

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