Display module, preparation method therefor, and display apparatus

Abstract

Provided are a display module, a preparation method therefor, and a display apparatus, relating to the technical field of display. The display module comprises: a display panel provided with a bending area and a non-bending area, and a protective cover plate located on a light-emitting surface side of the display panel and a support layer located on a backlight surface side of the display panel. The protective cover plate not only comprises, stacked in sequence, multiple layers of release layers and a first hardened coating located on the side of the multiple layers of release layers away from the display panel; but also further comprises at least one cover plate layer located between two adjacent release layers, and a second hardened coating located on the side of at least one release layer close to the display panel. In this way, it is possible to counteract stress by means of the cover plate layer, the warping form of the second hardened coating, and the warping form of the first hardened coating, such that a relatively flat protective cover plate can be formed. Therefore, visible and obvious bulging will not appear when the display module reflects external light, effectively improving the problem of uneven light and shadows of the display module.

Description

Display module, manufacturing method thereof, and display device

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202310694033.X filed on June 12, 2023, entitled “Display module, preparation method thereof, and display device,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a display module, a preparation method thereof, and a display device. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, with the development of display technology, a series of foldable display products that can be folded for easy carrying (such as foldable mobile phones) have emerged.

[0004] Currently, foldable display products generally include a foldable display panel and a support portion located on the side of the foldable display panel facing away from the light-emitting surface and used to support the foldable display panel. The foldable display panel has a bending area and a non-bending area. The support portion is often made of stainless steel (SUS). The portion of the support portion located on the bending area side is often hollowed out. The portion of the support portion located on the bending area side is spaced apart from the foldable display panel, while the portion of the support portion located on the non-bending area side is in contact with the foldable display panel. This ensures good support for the foldable display panel while reducing product weight and ensuring a foldable effect.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] Provided are a display module, a method for manufacturing the same, and a display device. The technical solutions are as follows:

[0007] In one aspect, a display module is provided, comprising:

[0008] A display panel, the display panel having a bending area and a non-bending area surrounding the bending area;

[0009] a supporting layer located on a side away from the light-emitting surface of the display panel, the supporting layer comprising a first supporting portion located on a side of the bending region and a second supporting portion located on a side of the non-bending region; the first supporting portion having a hollow region and being spaced apart from the display panel; and the second supporting portion being in contact with the display panel;

[0010] A protective cover plate located on the light-emitting surface side of the display panel, the protective cover plate including a plurality of release layers stacked sequentially in a direction away from the display panel, at least one cover plate layer located between two adjacent release layers in the plurality of release layers, a first hardened coating layer located on the side of the plurality of release layers away from the display panel, and a second hardened coating layer located on the side of at least one release layer close to the display panel.

[0011] Optionally, the material of the second hardened coating layer is the same as that of the first hardened coating layer.

[0012] Optionally, the thickness of the second hardened coating layer is smaller than the thickness of the first hardened coating layer.

[0013] Optionally, the thickness of the first hardened coating layer is between 5 microns and 8 microns; the thickness of the second hardened coating layer is between 3 microns and 4 microns.

[0014] Optionally, the protective cover plate includes: a second hardening coating layer located on a side of each release layer close to the display panel.

[0015] Optionally, the protective cover plate includes: a first release layer and a second release layer stacked in sequence in a direction close to the display panel.

[0016] Optionally, the protective cover plate includes: a first hardening coating layer located on a side of the first release layer away from the display panel, and a second hardening coating layer located on a side of the first release layer close to the display panel.

[0017] Optionally, the protective cover plate includes: a first hardening coating layer located on a side of the first release layer away from the display panel, and a second hardening coating layer located on a side of the second release layer close to the display panel.

[0018] Optionally, the protective cover plate includes: a first cover plate layer and a second cover plate layer stacked in sequence in a direction close to the display panel.

[0019] Optionally, the material of the first cover plate layer and the material of the second cover plate layer both include transparent flexible materials, and the material of the first cover plate layer and the material of the second cover plate layer are different.

[0020] Optionally, the material of the first cover layer includes: transparent glass; the material of the second cover layer includes: transparent polyimide.

[0021] Optionally, the thickness of the second cover layer is smaller than the thickness of the first cover layer.

[0022] Optionally, the thickness of the first cover layer is greater than or equal to 30 microns; the thickness of the second cover layer is between 2 microns and 4 microns.

[0023] Optionally, the material of the release layer includes polyethylene terephthalate.

[0024] Optionally, the display panel includes: a flexible substrate and a display screen stacked in sequence in a direction away from the support layer;

[0025] The display module further includes:

[0026] a first adhesive layer located between the display panel and two adjacent film layers in the protective cover plate and used for bonding the display panel and two adjacent film layers in the protective cover plate;

[0027] and a second adhesive layer located between the display panel and two adjacent film layers in the support layer and used for bonding the display panel and two adjacent film layers in the support layer;

[0028] Among them, the orthographic projection of the second adhesive layer located between the flexible substrate and the supporting layer on the display panel overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second supporting portion in the supporting layer on the display panel, and does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the first supporting portion in the supporting layer on the display panel, and the second adhesive layer is used to bond the flexible substrate and the second supporting portion in the supporting layer.

[0029] Optionally, the display module further includes:

[0030] A waterproof protective film is located between the second supporting portion and the flexible substrate.

[0031] Optionally, the first adhesive layer includes: transparent optical adhesive; the second adhesive layer includes: pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0032] Optionally, the material of the supporting layer includes: stainless steel; and the orthographic projection of the first supporting portion on the display panel is mesh-shaped.

[0033] In another aspect, a method for preparing a display module is provided, for preparing the display module as described in the above aspect; the method comprising:

[0034] Providing a display panel, the display panel having a bending area and a non-bending area surrounding the bending area;

[0035] A support layer is formed on a side away from the light-emitting surface of the display panel, and the support layer includes a first support portion located on a side of the bending area and a second support portion located on a side of the non-bending area; the first support portion has a hollow area and is spaced from the display panel; and the second support portion is in contact with the display panel.

[0036] A protective cover plate is formed on one side of the light-emitting surface of the display panel, and the formed protective cover plate includes a plurality of release layers stacked in sequence in a direction away from the display panel, at least one cover plate layer located between two adjacent release layers in the plurality of release layers, a first hardened coating layer located on a side of the plurality of release layers away from the display panel, and a second hardened coating layer located on a side of at least one release layer close to the display panel.

[0037] In another aspect, a display device is provided, comprising: a power supply component, and the display module as described in the above aspect;

[0038] The power supply component is coupled to the display module and is used to supply power to the display module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0040] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a film structure of a display module provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a film structure of another display module provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a film structure of another display module provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a partial film layer of a display module based on the film layer structure shown in FIG3 ;

[0044] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a film structure of another display module provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a partial film layer of a display module based on the film layer structure shown in FIG5 ;

[0046] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a partial film layer of a display module based on the film layer structure shown in FIG2 ;

[0047] FIG8 is a schematic diagram showing a comparison of four-corner warping provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] FIG9 is a schematic diagram showing a comparison of edge warping provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0049] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a film structure of another display module provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0050] FIG11 is a flow chart of a method for preparing a display module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a display device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present disclosure more clear, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] Currently, in foldable display products, the support portion for the foldable display panel is located in the bend area of ​​the foldable display panel and is spaced apart from the foldable display panel. This causes the foldable display product to be uneven at this location, which in turn makes the foldable display product prone to warping. This causes the foldable display panel to appear visibly arched when reflecting external light, resulting in uneven light and shadow. Based on this, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a new display module that can solve the problem of uneven light and shadow produced by foldable display modules in related technologies.

[0054] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the membrane structure of a display module provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the membrane structure of another display module provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, it can be seen that the display module described in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a display panel 01; a support layer 02 located on the side facing away from the light-emitting surface of the display panel 01; and a protective cover 03 located on the light-emitting side of the display panel 01.

[0055] It should be noted that the light emitting surface of the display panel 01 refers to the side that displays the image. Correspondingly, the side away from the light emitting surface of the display panel 01 can also be called the backlight surface of the display panel 01.

[0056] Continuing with Figures 1 and 2 , it can be seen that display panel 01 has a bending region A1 and a non-bending region A2 surrounding bending region A1. This indicates that display panel 01 can be a foldable display panel, and the display module including display panel 01 can be a foldable display module. It should be noted that the bending region A1 and the non-bending region A2 are different parts of the same substrate within display panel 01.

[0057] Optionally, continuing to refer to Figures 1 and 2, it can be seen that in the display module described in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the support layer 02 includes a first support portion 021 located on one side of the bending area A1 and a second support portion 022 located on the side of the non-bending area A2. In addition, the first support portion 021 has a hollow area Q1 (e.g., having multiple through holes) and is spaced apart from (i.e., not in contact with) the display panel 01. The second support portion 022 is in contact with the display panel 01. Because the first support portion 021 located on one side of the bending area A1 needs to adopt a hollow pattern design, the range of the bending area A1 can also be referred to as a pattern range.

[0058] For a display module including the aforementioned support layer 02, if the film layer becomes uneven, the display panel 01 will exhibit an upward warping configuration within the bend area A1 as shown in FIG1 . This configuration involves the display panel 01 bulging toward the side away from the second support portion 022, and the bulge of the display panel 01 at the second support portion 022 near the ends of the first support portion 021 is smaller than the bulge at the center of the second support portion 022. The center of the second support portion 022 can be defined as the location of the central axis. The upward warping configuration shown in FIG1 further causes the second support portion 022 to bulge near the ends of the first support portion 021, resulting in a noticeable bulge when reflecting external light in a dark state, causing uneven light and shadow in the display module.

[0059] Continuing to refer to Figures 1 and 2, it can be seen that the protective cover plate 03 includes at least a plurality of release layers 031 stacked in sequence in a direction away from the display panel 01, at least one cover plate layer 032 located between two adjacent release layers 031 in the plurality of release layers 031, and a first hard coating (HC) 033, also referred to as an HC layer, located on the side of the plurality of release layers 031 away from the display panel 01.

[0060] 2 , another display module disclosed herein further includes a second hardened coating layer 034 located on the side of the at least one release layer 031 closer to the display panel 01. For purposes of distinction, the first hardened coating layer 033 is referred to as the HC1 layer, and the second hardened coating layer 034 is referred to as the HC2 layer.

[0061] First, by including multiple cover layers 032, the warping of different cover layers 032 can be used to offset the shrinkage of the first hardened coating 033, reducing the warping of the protective cover 03. Second, by providing a second hardened coating 034, stress offset can be achieved, similarly reducing the warping of the protective cover 03. By reducing the warping of the protective cover 03, the display module can be made flatter overall, thereby improving the problem of uneven light and shadow. Specifically, compared to the display module shown in FIG1 , FIG2 shows that the warping of the protective cover 03 is reduced, resulting in a flatter display module.

[0062] In summary, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a display module, which includes: a display panel having a bending area and a non-bending area, and a protective cover plate and a support layer respectively located on the light-emitting side and the backlight side of the display panel. The protective cover plate not only includes a plurality of release layers stacked in sequence and a first hardened coating located on the side of the plurality of release layers away from the display panel, but also includes at least one cover plate layer located between two adjacent release layers and a second hardened coating located on the side of at least one release layer close to the display panel. In this way, the warping shape of the cover plate layer and the second hardened coating layer can be used to offset the stress with the warping shape of the first hardened coating layer, so that a relatively flat protective cover plate can be formed. On the basis of forming a flat protective cover plate, the problem of the display module being prone to warping can be improved, so that there will be no visible and obvious arch when the display module reflects external light, thereby effectively improving the light and shadow irregularities of the display module.

[0063] Optionally, in the disclosed embodiment, the at least one cover layer 032 of the protective cover plate 03 and the film layers located on the side of the at least one cover layer 032 away from the display panel 01 may be collectively referred to as the first protective cover plate cover1, and the film layers located between the at least one cover layer 032 and the display panel 01 may be collectively referred to as the second protective cover plate cover2, depending on the manufacturing process sequence. The first protective cover plate cover1 and the second protective cover plate cover2 may be manufactured using different manufacturing processes. This is, of course, merely an illustrative example.

[0064] Optionally, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , it can be seen that the protective cover plate 03 described in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a cover plate layer 032 .

[0065] Alternatively, referring to the partial film layer diagrams shown in Figures 3 and 4, it can be seen that the protective cover plate 03 recorded in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a first cover plate layer 032-1 and a second cover plate layer 032-2 stacked in sequence along the direction close to the display panel 01, totaling two cover plate layers 032.

[0066] Furthermore, the material of the first cover layer 032 - 1 and the material of the second cover layer 032 - 2 may both include transparent flexible materials, and the materials of the first cover layer 032 - 1 and the second cover layer 032 - 2 may be different.

[0067] For example, the material of the first cover layer 032-1 may include transparent glass. The material of the second cover layer 032-2 may include transparent colorless polyimide (CPI). Accordingly, the first cover layer 032-1 may also be referred to as an ultra-thin flexible glass (UTG) cover, and the second cover layer 032-2 may also be referred to as a CPI cover. The cover layer 032 in the display module shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be a UTG cover.

[0068] Alternatively, referring to the partial film layer diagram shown in FIG4 , it can be seen that in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the thickness of the second cover layer 032-2 (i.e., the CPI cover) can be less than the thickness of the first cover layer 032-1 (i.e., the UTG cover). It should be noted that the thickness direction described in the embodiment of the present disclosure can all be perpendicular to the supporting surface of the display panel 01.

[0069] For example, in some embodiments, the thickness of the UTG cover plate can be greater than or equal to 30 micrometers (μm), and the thickness of the CPI cover plate can be between 2 μm and 4 μm. For example, referring to FIG4 , the display module shown therein has a UTG cover plate thickness of 30 mm and a CPI cover plate thickness of 4 μm.

[0070] Optionally, FIG4 also shows a single UTG cover plate before the CPI cover plate is provided, a CPI cover plate is coated on one side of the single UTG cover plate, and the double-layer cover plate is treated with a heat curing process, and the warping of the cover plate increases.

[0071] It should be noted that, in conjunction with Figure 1, when only the first hardening coating 033 (i.e., HC1 layer) is provided, that is, the second hardening coating 034 (i.e., HC2 layer) is not provided, and only one UTG cover plate is provided, the display module will be warped due to uneven stress, that is, the display panel 01 is arched toward the side away from the support layer 02. And in conjunction with the process flow shown in Figure 4, it can be seen that after the CPI cover plate is provided on one side of the UTG cover plate, the UTG cover plate can be made to have a negative warping shape (i.e., arched toward the side close to the display panel 01). The negatively warped UTG can offset the shrinkage of the first hardening coating 033, reduce the positive warping of the first protective cover plate cover1, thereby improving the unevenness of the film layer, and then improving the problem of uneven light and shadow.

[0072] It should be noted that the implementation shown in Figure 4 can also be understood as applying UTG coating CPI to the first protective cover plate, Cover 1. That is, a CPI cover plate is applied to one side of the UTG cover plate to offset the positive warping caused by the shrinkage of the HC1 layer through the negative warping of the cover plate, ensuring the flatness of the first protective cover plate, Cover 1.

[0073] The following embodiments are described by taking the display module including a UTG cover as an example:

[0074] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the second hardened coating layer 034 (ie, the HC2 layer) and the material of the first hardened coating layer 033 (ie, the HC1 layer) may be the same.

[0075] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the thickness of the second hardened coating layer 034 may be smaller than the thickness of the first hardened coating layer 033 .

[0076] For example, in some embodiments, the thickness of the first hardened coating layer 033 may be 5 to 8 μm, and the thickness of the second hardened coating layer 034 may be 3 to 4 μm. For example, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the thickness of the first hardened coating layer 033 included in the display module may be 8 μm, and the thickness of the second hardened coating layer 034 may be 3 μm.

[0077] Optionally, in the disclosed embodiment, the protective cover 03 may include a second hardening coating 034 located on the side of each release layer 031 close to the display panel 01. This can better ensure that the protective cover 03 is sufficiently flat, thereby better improving the uneven light and shadow problem of the display module.

[0078] Optionally, referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 , it can be seen that the protective cover plate 03 described in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a first release layer 031 - 1 and a second release layer 031 - 2 stacked in sequence in a direction close to the display panel 01 , totaling two release layers 031 .

[0079] For example, the release layer 031 may be made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Accordingly, the release layer 031 may also be referred to as a PET layer. For differentiation, the first release layer 031-1 may be referred to as a PET1 layer, and the second release layer 031-2 may be referred to as a PET2 layer.

[0080] As an optional implementation, referring to another display module structure diagram shown in FIG5 and a partial film layer diagram shown in FIG6 , it can be seen that:

[0081] The protective cover plate 03 described in the disclosed embodiment may include a second hardening coating layer 034 located on the side of the first release layer 031-1 closest to the display panel 01. Specifically, in addition to the HC1 layer located on the side of the first release layer 031-1 facing away from the display panel 01, an HC2 layer may also be located on the side of the first release layer 031-1 closest to the display panel 01. This implementation can also be understood as double-sided HC coating of the first protective cover plate, cover1. Testing has shown that double-sided HC coating allows the HC1 and HC2 layers to offset stress, achieving a balanced stress balance, thereby producing a flat first protective cover plate, cover1, and improving the issue of uneven light and shadow.

[0082] For example, Table 1 below shows the pre-baking and post-baking warpage of the display module at different locations under two scenarios: one in which the first hardening coating 033 is applied only on the side of the first release layer 031-1 facing away from the display panel 01 (i.e., single-sided HC coating) and one in which HC coating is applied on both sides as protected by the disclosed embodiments. The unit of measurement is millimeters (mm). The heating conditions here are heating at 60 degrees Celsius for 70 minutes (min) followed by cooling for 2 hours (h).

[0083] Table 1

[0084] Taking a rectangular display module as an example, Table 1 shows the warpage at four different locations of the display module: the upper left (i.e., upper left side), the upper right (i.e., upper right side), the lower left (i.e., lower left side), and the lower right (i.e., lower right side). Table 1 also tests four different HC coating thicknesses. The thicknesses of HC1 (i.e., the first hardened coating 033) are 5.76mm, 5.83mm, 5.85mm, and 5.68mm, respectively, and the corresponding thicknesses of HC2 (i.e., the second hardened coating 034) are 3.3mm, 3.5mm, 3.4mm, and 3.3mm, respectively. Furthermore, referring to Table 1, it can be seen that in the related art of single-sided HC coating, the post-baking warpage increases relative to the pre-baking warpage. However, under the premise of providing double-sided HC coating in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the post-baking warpage can be further reduced relative to the pre-baking warpage. For example, for the upper left position, the pre-baking warpage is 6mm, and the post-baking warpage is reduced to 0.5mm. It can be further seen from this that the embodiment of the present disclosure can produce a relatively flat first protective cover plate cover1 by adopting the double-sided coating HC method, thereby laying a good foundation for improving the problem of uneven light and shadow.

[0085] Optionally, in the display module shown in FIG6 , the thickness of the PET1 layer is 65 μm, the thickness of the HC1 layer is between 5 and 6 μm, and the thickness of the HC2 layer is 3 μm.

[0086] As another optional implementation, referring to the partial film layer diagrams shown in FIG2 and FIG7 , it can be seen that:

[0087] The protective cover plate 03 described in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a second hardened coating layer 034 located on the side of the second release layer 031-2 close to the display panel 01. That is, on the basis of providing the HC1 layer on the side of the first release layer 031-1 away from the display panel 01, an HC2 layer may be provided on the side of the second release layer 031-2 close to the display panel 01. It should be noted that the display module shown in FIG6 does not provide the HC2 layer on the side of the first release layer 031-1 close to the display panel 01. This implementation method can also be understood as providing a hard shrink coating for the second protective cover plate cover2, so that the second protective cover plate cover2 can be negatively warped.

[0088] It can also be seen from the partial film layer diagram shown in Figure 7 that for the first protective cover plate cover1 in which the first release layer 031-1 and the first hardened coating layer 033 (i.e., PET1 layer + HC1 layer) are stacked in sequence on a UTG cover plate, it will have a positive warping shape due to uneven stress. The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a second protective cover plate cover2 on one side of the UTG cover plate, including a second release layer 031-2 and a second hardened coating layer 034 (i.e., PET2 layer + HC2 layer) stacked in sequence along the direction close to the display panel 01. The negative warping shape of the second protective cover plate cover2 and the positive warping shape of the first protective cover plate cover1 can offset each other's stress, thereby producing a relatively flat protective cover plate 03, thereby improving the problem of uneven light and shadow.

[0089] Alternatively, taking a rectangular display module as an example, Figure 8 shows a comparison of the warpage at the four corners of the display module under two scenarios: one in which a hard shrink coating is applied to the second protective cover plate cover2, and one in which the HC1 layer is applied only on the side of the first release layer 031-1 away from the display panel 01 (i.e., no hard shrink coating is applied to the second protective cover plate cover2). Figure 9 shows a comparison of the warpage at the bent edge of the display module under these two scenarios.

[0090] Referring to Figure 8, it can be seen that when the hard shrink coating is not set for the second protective cover plate cover2, the warping at the four corners is approximately between 3mm and 4mm; after the hard shrink coating is set for the second protective cover plate cover2, the warping at the four corners can be reduced to about 2mm.

[0091] Referring to Figure 9, it can be seen that in the scenario where the hard shrink coating is not set for the second protective cover plate cover2, the warping at the bent edge is approximately between 0 and 1 mm; after the hard shrink coating is set for the second protective cover plate cover2, the warping at the bent edge can be maintained at about 0.5 mm to 1 mm.

[0092] It should be noted that, in current scenarios with uneven lighting, the spacing between the support layer 02 and the display panel 01 ranges from approximately 40 μm to 123 μm. However, the disclosed embodiments, while further improving the uneven lighting, can reduce this spacing to less than 80 μm. This further demonstrates that the doming of the display panel can be reduced, ensuring a relatively flat film layer on the display module.

[0093] Alternatively, referring to the schematic diagrams of the film layer structure of another display module shown in Figures 1 and 10 , it can be seen that the display panel 01 described in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a flexible substrate 011 and a display screen 012 stacked in sequence in a direction away from the support layer 02. Referring to Figure 1 , it can be seen that the display screen 012 may include a back film Ufilm ​​and a main screen (panel, PNL) stacked in sequence.

[0094] For example, the material of the flexible substrate 011 may include PI. Accordingly, as shown in FIG10 , the flexible substrate 011 may also be referred to as a PI layer.

[0095] Optionally, referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 7 and FIG. 10 , it can be seen that the display module described in the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include:

[0096] The first adhesive layer 04 is located between two adjacent film layers in the display panel 01 and the protective cover plate 03 and is used to bond the two adjacent film layers in the display panel 01 and the protective cover plate 03 together.

[0097] and a second adhesive layer 05 located between the display panel 01 and two adjacent film layers in the support layer 02 and used for bonding the display panel 01 and two adjacent film layers in the support layer 02 .

[0098] For example, as can be seen from Figures 1 and 10 , the display module can include: a first adhesive layer 04 positioned between the display screen 012 and the second release layer 031-2; a first adhesive layer 04 positioned between the second release layer 031-2 and the cover layer 032; and a first adhesive layer 04 positioned between the cover layer 032 and the first release layer 031-1. Furthermore, the display module can also include: a second adhesive layer 05 positioned between the flexible substrate 011 and the support layer 03; and a second adhesive layer 05 positioned between the flexible substrate 011 and the display screen 012. Furthermore, as can be seen from Figure 10 , a third release layer PET3 is positioned between the second adhesive layer 05 and the display screen 012. Accordingly, the display module also includes a second adhesive layer 05 for bonding the third release layer PET3 to the display screen 012.

[0099] Optionally, in the disclosed embodiment, referring to FIG10 , the first adhesive layer 04 may include an optically clear adhesive (OCA). The second adhesive layer 05 may include a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA). This ensures that the light-emitting surface of the display panel 01 can emit light reliably.

[0100] For the sake of distinction, in the figure, each first adhesive layer 04 from the side away from the support layer 02 to the side close to the support layer 02 (i.e., from top to bottom) is respectively identified as OCA0, OCA1 and OCA2; and each second adhesive layer 05 from top to bottom is respectively identified as PSA0, PSA1 and PSA2.

[0101] Furthermore, referring to Figures 1 and 10 , it can be seen that the orthographic projection of the second adhesive layer 05 (i.e., PSA2) between the flexible substrate 01 and the support layer 02 on the display panel 01 can overlap with the orthographic projection of the second support portion 022 in the support layer 02 on the display panel 01, and can not overlap with the orthographic projection of the first support portion 021 in the support layer 02 on the display panel 01. In other words, the second adhesive layer 05 can be used to bond the flexible substrate to the second support portion 022 in the support layer 02. It should be noted that the design in which the second adhesive layer 05 is disconnected at the bending area A1 can also be referred to as a disconnected adhesive design.

[0102] In some embodiments, it can be seen from FIG. 1 that the display module described in the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include: a waterproof protective film TPU located between the second support portion 022 and the flexible substrate 01 .

[0103] TPU refers to the material of the waterproof protective film: thermoplastic polyurethane. In other words, there is no adhesive material adhering between the TPU and the support layer 03.

[0104] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the support layer 02 may include stainless steel (SUS). As shown in FIG10 , the orthographic projection of the first support portion 021 on the display panel 01 may be in a mesh shape.

[0105] Optionally, continuing with FIG. 10 , it can be seen that in the display module provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, the thickness of the first release layer 031-1 (i.e., PET1 layer) can be approximately 65 μm; the thickness of the second release layer 031-2 (i.e., PET2 layer) can be approximately 50 μm; the thickness of the third release layer PET3 can be approximately 50 μm; the thickness of the transparent optical adhesive OCA can be approximately 50 μm; the thickness of the pressure-sensitive adhesive PSA can be approximately 20 μm or 13 μm; the thickness of the flexible substrate 011 can be approximately 25 μm; the thickness of the back film Ufilm ​​in the display screen 012 can be approximately 65 μm; and the thickness of the main screen PNL can be approximately 43 μm. Of course, the thicknesses here are merely schematic.

[0106] Combined with the above-mentioned embodiment records, it can be known that in the embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to improve the light and shadow irregularity problem caused by the positive warping of the structure shown in Figure 1, the following multiple solutions can be adopted: First, for the first protective cover plate cover1, HC is coated on both sides to achieve stress offset, so that the stress is balanced and a relatively flat first protective cover plate cover1 is produced; second, for the first protective cover plate cover1, UTG coating CPI design is performed so that the negative warping cover layer can offset the shrinkage of the first hardened coating HC1, thereby reducing the positive warping of the first protective cover plate cover1; third, for the second protective cover plate cover2, a new hardened coating HC2 is added to cause the second protective cover plate cover2 to have a negative warping, and after being bonded with the positive warping first protective cover plate cover1, the stress is offset to produce a relatively flat protective cover plate. The above, on the basis of producing a flat protective cover plate, can effectively improve the light and shadow irregularity problem of the current display module. It should be noted that the above multiple solutions can be combined arbitrarily to achieve better improvement purposes.

[0107] In summary, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a display module, which includes: a display panel having a bending area and a non-bending area, and a protective cover plate and a support layer respectively located on the light-emitting side and the backlight side of the display panel. The protective cover plate not only includes a plurality of release layers stacked in sequence and a first hardened coating located on the side of the plurality of release layers away from the display panel, but also includes at least one cover plate layer located between two adjacent release layers and a second hardened coating located on the side of at least one release layer close to the display panel. In this way, the warping shape of the cover plate layer and the second hardened coating layer can be used to offset the stress with the warping shape of the first hardened coating layer, so that a relatively flat protective cover plate can be formed. On the basis of forming a flat protective cover plate, the problem of the display module being prone to warping can be improved, so that there will be no visible and obvious arch when the display module reflects external light, thereby effectively improving the light and shadow irregularities of the display module.

[0108] FIG11 is a method for manufacturing a display module provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, which can be used to manufacture a display module as shown in any one of FIG2 to FIG7 and FIG10. As shown in FIG11, the manufacturing method includes:

[0109] Step 1101: Provide a display panel, wherein the provided display panel has a bending area and a non-bending area surrounding the bending area.

[0110] Step 1102: Form a support layer on the side away from the light-emitting surface of the display panel, and the formed support layer includes a first support portion located on the side of the bending area and a second support portion located on the side of the non-bending area. The first support portion has a hollow area and is spaced from the display panel, and the second support portion is in contact with the display panel.

[0111] Step 1103: Form a protective cover plate on one side of the light-emitting surface of the display panel, and the formed protective cover plate includes a plurality of release layers stacked in sequence in a direction away from the display panel, at least one cover plate layer located between two adjacent release layers in the plurality of release layers, a first hardened coating layer located on the side of the plurality of release layers away from the display panel, and a second hardened coating layer located on the side of at least one release layer close to the display panel.

[0112] Optionally, the material of the second hardened coating layer may be the same as that of the first hardened coating layer.

[0113] Optionally, the thickness of the formed second hardened coating layer may be smaller than the thickness of the first hardened coating layer.

[0114] Optionally, the formed protective cover plate may include: a second hardening coating layer located on a side of each release layer close to the display panel.

[0115] Optionally, the formed protective cover may include: a first release layer and a second release layer stacked in sequence in a direction away from the display panel.

[0116] Optionally, the formed protection cover plate may include: a first cover plate layer and a second cover plate layer stacked in sequence in a direction away from the display panel.

[0117] Optionally, the material of the first cover plate layer and the material of the second cover plate layer may both include transparent flexible materials and are different.

[0118] For example, the material of the first cover layer may include transparent glass; and the material of the second cover layer may include transparent polyimide.

[0119] Optionally, the thickness of the formed second cover layer may be smaller than the thickness of the first cover layer.

[0120] Optionally, the display panel may include: a flexible substrate and a display screen stacked in sequence in a direction away from the support layer. Also, the preparation method may further include:

[0121] A first adhesive layer for bonding the two adjacent film layers in the display panel and the protective cover is formed between the two adjacent film layers in the display panel and the protective cover.

[0122] Furthermore, a second adhesive layer for bonding the display panel and the two adjacent film layers in the support layer is formed between the display panel and the two adjacent film layers in the support layer.

[0123] Furthermore, the orthographic projection of the second adhesive layer formed between the flexible substrate and the supporting layer on the display panel may overlap with the orthographic projection of the second supporting portion of the supporting layer on the display panel, and may not overlap with the orthographic projection of the first supporting portion of the supporting layer on the display panel. Accordingly, it can be seen that the formed second adhesive layer can be used to bond the flexible substrate and the second supporting portion of the supporting layer.

[0124] Optionally, the preparation method may further include:

[0125] A waterproof protective film is formed between the second supporting portion and the flexible substrate.

[0126] Optionally, the first adhesive layer may include transparent optical adhesive; and the second adhesive layer may include pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0127] Optionally, the material of the support layer may include stainless steel; and the orthographic projection of the first support portion on the display panel may be in a mesh shape.

[0128] In summary, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for preparing a display module, wherein the display module formed by the method includes a display panel having a bending area and a non-bending area, and a protective cover plate and a support layer respectively located on the light-emitting side and the backlight side of the display panel. The protective cover plate not only includes a plurality of release layers stacked in sequence and a first hardened coating layer located on the side of the plurality of release layers away from the display panel, but also includes at least one cover plate layer located between two adjacent release layers and a second hardened coating layer located on the side of at least one release layer close to the display panel. In this way, the warping morphology of the cover plate layer and the second hardened coating layer can be used to offset stress with the warping morphology of the first hardened coating layer, so that a relatively flat protective cover plate can be formed. On the basis of forming a flat protective cover plate, the problem of the display module being prone to warping can be improved, so that there will be no visible and obvious arch when the display module reflects external light, thereby effectively improving the light and shadow irregularities of the display module.

[0129] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG12 , the display device includes: a power supply component J1 and a display module 00 as shown in any one of FIG2 to FIG7 and FIG10 .

[0130] The power supply component J1 is coupled to (ie, electrically connected to) the display module 00 and is used to supply power to the display module 00 .

[0131] Optionally, the display device described in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be any product or component with a display function, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a flexible display device, a television, and a monitor.

[0132] It should be noted that the terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to explain the embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Unless otherwise defined, technical terms or scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure should have the common meanings understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which the present disclosure belongs.

[0133] For example, the words "first", "second" or "third" and similar terms used in the patent application specification and claims of this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components.

[0134] Likewise, the words “a” or “an” and the like do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one.

[0135] Words such as “include” or “comprising” mean that the elements or objects preceding “include” or “comprising” include the elements or objects listed after “include” or “comprising” and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects.

[0136] “Up,” “down,” “left,” or “right” are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0137] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A display module, comprising: A display panel, wherein the display panel has a bending area and a non-bending area surrounding the bending area; A support layer located on a side away from the light emitting surface of the display panel, the support layer comprising a first support portion located on a side of the bending area and a second support portion located on a side of the non-bending area; the first support portion has a hollow area and is spaced from the display panel; the second support portion is in contact with the display panel; A protective cover plate located on the light emitting surface side of the display panel, the protective cover plate comprising a plurality of release layers stacked in sequence in a direction away from the display panel, at least one cover plate layer located between two adjacent release layers in the plurality of release layers, a first hardened coating layer located on the side of the plurality of release layers away from the display panel, and a second hardened coating layer located on the side of at least one release layer close to the display panel.

2. The display module according to claim 1, wherein: The material of the second hard coating layer is the same as that of the first hard coating layer.

3. The display module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The thickness of the second hardened coating layer is smaller than the thickness of the first hardened coating layer.

4. The display module according to claim 3, wherein: The thickness of the first hardened coating is between 5 micrometers and 8 micrometers; the thickness of the second hardened coating is between 3 micrometers and 4 micrometers.

5. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The protective cover plate includes: a second hardening coating layer located on a side of each release layer close to the display panel.

6. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The protective cover plate includes: a first release layer and a second release layer sequentially stacked in a direction close to the display panel.

7. The display module according to claim 6, wherein: The protective cover plate includes: a first hardening coating layer located on a side of the first release layer away from the display panel, and a second hardening coating layer located on a side of the first release layer close to the display panel.

8. The display module according to claim 6, wherein: The protective cover plate includes: a first hardening coating layer located on a side of the first release layer away from the display panel, and a second hardening coating layer located on a side of the second release layer close to the display panel.

9. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The protective cover plate includes: a first cover plate layer and a second cover plate layer sequentially stacked in a direction approaching the display panel.

10. The display module according to claim 9, wherein: The material of the first cover plate layer and the material of the second cover plate layer both include transparent flexible materials, and the material of the first cover plate layer and the material of the second cover plate layer are different.

11. The display module according to claim 10, wherein: The material of the first cover layer includes: transparent glass; the material of the second cover layer includes: transparent polyimide.

12. The display module according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein: The thickness of the second cover plate layer is smaller than the thickness of the first cover plate layer.

13. The display module according to claim 12, wherein: The thickness of the first cover plate layer is greater than or equal to 30 micrometers; the thickness of the second cover plate layer is between 2 micrometers and 4 micrometers.

14. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: The material of the release layer includes polyethylene terephthalate.

15. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein: The display panel comprises: a flexible substrate and a display screen stacked in sequence in a direction away from the support layer; The display module also includes: A first adhesive layer located between the display panel and two adjacent film layers in the protective cover plate and used for bonding the display panel and two adjacent film layers in the protective cover plate; and, located between the display panel and two adjacent film layers in the support layer, and used for bonding A second adhesive layer between the display panel and two adjacent film layers in the support layer; Among them, the orthographic projection of the second adhesive layer located between the flexible substrate and the supporting layer on the display panel overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second supporting portion in the supporting layer on the display panel, and does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the first supporting portion in the supporting layer on the display panel, and the second adhesive layer is used to bond the flexible substrate and the second supporting portion in the supporting layer.

16. The display module according to claim 15, wherein: The display module also includes: A waterproof protective film is located between the second support portion and the flexible substrate.

17. The display module according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: The first adhesive layer includes: transparent optical adhesive; the second adhesive layer includes: pressure-sensitive adhesive.

18. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein: The material of the support layer includes: stainless steel; and the orthographic projection of the first support portion on the display panel is in a mesh shape.

19. A method for preparing a display module, used for preparing the display module according to any one of claims 1 to 18; The preparation method comprises: Providing a display panel, wherein the display panel has a bending area and a non-bending area surrounding the bending area; A support layer is formed on a side away from the light emitting surface of the display panel, and the formed support layer includes a first support portion located on one side of the bending area and a second support portion located on one side of the non-bending area; the first support portion has a hollow area and is spaced from the display panel; and the second support portion is in contact with the display panel; A protective cover plate is formed on one side of the light emitting surface of the display panel, and the formed protective cover plate includes a plurality of release layers stacked in sequence in a direction away from the display panel, at least one cover plate layer located between two adjacent release layers in the plurality of release layers, a first hardened coating layer located on a side of the plurality of release layers away from the display panel, and a second hardened coating layer located on a side of at least one release layer close to the display panel.

20. A display device, comprising: A power supply component, and a display module as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18; Wherein, the power supply component is coupled to the display module and is used to supply power to the display module.

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