Flexible support structure and flexible display device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a flexible support structure and a flexible display device. The flexible support structure is used for supporting and suctioning a flexible display panel when the flexible display panel is unfolded. The flexible support structure comprises a substrate layer and a suction layer arranged on the substrate layer, wherein the suction layer comprises a base portion and a plurality of suction cup microstructures protruding out of the base portion in a direction moving away from the substrate layer, and the end of each suction cup microstructure distant from the base portion comprises a recess recessed towards the substrate layer.

Description

Flexible support structure and flexible display device

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202311499905.3 filed on November 10, 2023, all contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a flexible support structure and a flexible display device including the flexible support structure. Background Art

[0004] The development of flexible display technology has significantly accelerated the evolution of display technology towards greater portability and diversification. In recent years, with the development of rollable flexible displays, rollable flexible display devices have been proposed. These devices, which are wound around a reel and can be unfolded for use when needed, have been proposed. Because they can be rolled up and stored, rollable flexible display devices offer maximum space savings and ease of portability, making them a hot topic in future display technology development.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a flexible support structure is provided for supporting and adsorbing a flexible display panel when the flexible display panel is unfolded, the flexible support structure comprising: a substrate layer and an adsorption layer arranged on the substrate layer, wherein the adsorption layer comprises a base and a plurality of suction cup microstructures protruding from the base in a direction away from the substrate layer, and each suction cup microstructure comprises a recessed portion concave toward the substrate layer at one end away from the base.

[0007] In some embodiments, the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end away from the base is larger than the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end close to the base, or the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end away from the base is smaller than the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end close to the base, or the suction cup microstructure has a constant size in a direction perpendicular to the base.

[0008] In some embodiments, the depth of the recess of the suction cup microstructure is less than or equal to the height of the suction cup microstructure.

[0009] In some embodiments, the adsorption layer is made of silica gel or rubber material, has an elastic modulus of 1 MPa-10 MPa, and a thickness of 50 μm-200 μm.

[0010] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of each suction cup microstructure is 20um-100um, and the center distance between adjacent suction cup microstructures is 50um-150um.

[0011] In some embodiments, the plurality of suction cup microstructures are evenly distributed throughout the adsorption layer.

[0012] In some embodiments, the flexible support structure further includes a spacer layer arranged between the substrate layer and the adsorption layer, and the spacer layer is made of foam or PET film or PI film, and has a thickness of 25um-100um.

[0013] In some embodiments, the flexible support structure further includes a first bonding layer disposed between the adsorption layer and the spacer layer, and the thickness of the first bonding layer is 30 um-100 um.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first adhesive layer includes: a silicone adhesive film, which is in direct contact with the adsorption layer, and the peeling force between the silicone adhesive film and the adsorption layer is greater than 1200gf / 25mm; a PET film layer, which is arranged on the side of the silicone adhesive film away from the adsorption layer; and an acrylic adhesive film, which is arranged on the side of the PET film layer away from the silicone adhesive film and in direct contact with the spacer layer.

[0015] In some embodiments, the flexible support structure further includes a mesh plate layer arranged on a side of the substrate layer facing away from the adsorption layer.

[0016] In some embodiments, the mesh plate layer includes: a plurality of strip portions, which are arranged at intervals along a first direction, each strip portion extends along a second direction, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the first direction is the curling direction of the flexible support structure; a plurality of connecting portions, which are arranged between adjacent strip portions for connecting adjacent strip portions, a plurality of first openings, which are arranged between adjacent strip portions and connecting portions, each first opening extends along the second direction, and a plurality of second openings, which are arranged in a plurality of connecting portions, each second opening extends along the second direction, and the plurality of second openings are staggered with the plurality of first openings.

[0017] In some embodiments, the width of each strip-shaped portion in the first direction is 0.4 mm-1.0 mm, and the distance between two adjacent strip-shaped portions is 1.0 mm-2.0 mm.

[0018] In some embodiments, a side of the connecting portion facing away from the substrate layer is etched, and a thickness of the connecting portion is 40%-50% of a thickness of the strip portion.

[0019] In some embodiments, the length of the first opening in the second direction is 6 mm-14 mm, and the length of the second opening in the second direction is 6 mm-14 mm.

[0020] In some embodiments, the width of the connecting portion between two adjacent first openings is 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm, and the width of the connecting portion between two adjacent second openings is 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0021] In some embodiments, the mesh plate layer is made of stainless steel or titanium alloy, has a tensile strength greater than 450 MPa, and a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm.

[0022] In some embodiments, the flexible support structure further includes a protection layer arranged on a side of the substrate layer facing away from the adsorption layer.

[0023] In some embodiments, the protective layer is made of foam material with a thickness of 30um-100um.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a flexible display device is also provided, comprising: a shell having an opening; a first scroll, the first scroll being rotatably disposed in the shell; a second scroll, the second scroll being rotatably disposed in the shell, the second scroll being parallel to and spaced apart from the first scroll; a flexible display panel, the first end of the flexible display panel being connected to the first scroll and wound around the first scroll; and a flexible support structure according to any one of the aforementioned embodiments, the first end of the flexible support structure being connected to the second scroll and wound around the second scroll; wherein the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are configured such that when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure extend from the opening to the outside of the shell, the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure can gradually adhere to the flexible display panel to support and adsorb the flexible display panel.

[0025] In some embodiments, the flexible display device also includes a roller group arranged at the junction of the rolling area and the flattening area, wherein the roller group is configured such that when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure extend from the opening to the outside of the shell, the roller group rolls so that the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure is evenly adsorbed to the entire surface of the flexible display panel.

[0026] In some embodiments, the roller group is further configured to: when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are expanded from the opening to the outside of the shell, the adsorption force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure is controlled by adjusting the position of the roller group in a direction perpendicular to the flexible display panel.

[0027] In some embodiments, the roller group is further configured to: when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are rolled up from the opening into the shell, by adjusting the position of the roller group in a direction parallel to the flexible display panel, the separation angle between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure is controlled, thereby controlling the separation force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure.

[0028] In some embodiments, when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are rolled up from the opening into the housing, a separation angle between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure is greater than 10 degrees.

[0029] In some embodiments, the roller assembly includes a plurality of rollers, and the plurality of rollers are arranged along a direction parallel to the first reel and the second reel.

[0030] In some embodiments, the rollers of the plurality of rollers are made of POM or metal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in 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.

[0032] FIG1 shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG2A shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG2B shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG2C shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG2D shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] FIG2E shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] FIG2F shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] FIG2G shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] FIG2H shows a schematic structural diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] FIG3 shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a first bonding layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] FIG4 is a schematic top view of a mesh plate layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] FIG5 is a schematic diagram showing a flexible display device in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] FIG6 is a schematic diagram showing a flexible display device in a stowed state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] FIG7 shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the rolling side of the flexible display device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] FIG8 shows a schematic structural diagram of a roller of a flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] FIG9 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a separate and rolled-up flexible display panel and a flexible support structure according to the present disclosure;

[0048] FIG10 shows a graph showing the separation force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure as a function of the separation angle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0050] The flexible screen of a rollable flexible display device is rolled up in a housing. When the flexible screen is pulled out of the housing, it bends under its own bending force, and the display screen cannot maintain its flat, unfolded state. As a result, the image displayed on the display screen is distorted, making it difficult for the user to view. Furthermore, due to the lack of support on the back of the flexible screen, the flexible screen bends when the user touches it, making it difficult to operate.

[0051] Related technologies propose a method for combining a detachable and retractable display screen with a support member, which uses a zipper-like engagement structure on the upper and lower frames to achieve switching between flattening and retracting. The disadvantage is that the engagement structure is only at the upper and lower edges, and the degree of improvement for the arch in the middle of the screen is limited.

[0052] The present disclosure provides a flexible support structure, which includes an adsorption layer with a suction cup microstructure. When in a rolled-up state, the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are respectively rolled up on two scrolls. When the flexible display panel is unfolded, the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure is adsorbed on the entire surface of the flexible display panel, thereby improving the flatness of the flexible display panel and providing reliable support for the flexible display panel.

[0053] FIG1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG1 , the flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure includes: a substrate layer 105 and an adsorption layer 101 disposed on the substrate layer 105. FIG2A-2G show schematic cross-sectional views of the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the base 1011 is located on the side of the adsorption layer 101 facing the substrate layer. As shown in FIG2A-2G , the adsorption layer 101 includes a base 1011 and a plurality of suction cup microstructures 1012 protruding from the base 1011 in a direction away from the substrate layer, and each suction cup microstructure 1012 includes a recess 1013 recessed toward the substrate layer at one end away from the base 1011.

[0054] By providing multiple suction cup microstructures 1012 on the adsorption layer 101, the entire surface of the flexible display panel can be adsorbed, improving the flatness of the flexible display panel while providing reliable support for the flexible display panel. Each suction cup microstructure 1012 is provided with a recess 1013, which can be squeezed to form a vacuum negative pressure adsorption, and the adsorption and detachment processes can be repeated without loss of adhesive strength.

[0055] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2A , the size of the end of the suction cup microstructure 1012 away from the base 1011 is larger than the size of the end of the suction cup microstructure 1012 closer to the base 1011 (hereinafter referred to as the “wide at the top and narrow at the bottom” scenario). Optionally, the side surface of the suction cup microstructure 1012 can be a curved surface (as shown in FIG2A ), or a flat surface or other shapes. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2B , the size of the end of the suction cup microstructure 1012 away from the base 1011 is smaller than the size of the end of the suction cup microstructure 1012 closer to the base 1011 (hereinafter referred to as the “narrow at the top and wide at the bottom” scenario). Optionally, the side surface of the suction cup microstructure 1012 can be a flat surface (as shown in FIG2B ), or a curved surface or other shapes. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2C-2G , the suction cup microstructure 1012 has a constant size in a direction perpendicular to the base 1011 (hereinafter referred to as the “same width at the top and bottom” scenario).

[0056] As shown in Figures 2A-2C , the recess 1013 of the suction cup microstructure 1012 can be curved; as shown in Figures 2D-2G , the recess 1013 of the suction cup microstructure 1012 can be formed by a planar bottom wall and side walls. In the case where the recess of the planar suction cup microstructure 1012 is formed by a planar bottom wall and side walls, the cross-section of the recess can be trapezoidal (as shown in Figures 2D and 2E ), rectangular (as shown in Figures 2F and 2G ), or other shapes. In the case where the cross-section of the recess is trapezoidal or curved, the orthographic projection of the recess 1013 on the base 1011 can be located inside the orthographic projection of the suction cup microstructure 1012 on the base 1011 (as shown in Figures 2E , 2F , and 2G ), or the orthographic projection of the recess on the base 1011 can coincide with the orthographic projection of the suction cup microstructure 1012 on the base 1011 (as shown in Figures 2A , 2B , 2C , and 2D ).

[0057] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2A-2F, the depth of the recess 1013 of the suction cup microstructure 1012 can be less than the height of the suction cup microstructure 1012, that is, the recess 1013 is only located in a portion of the suction cup microstructure 1012, and the suction cup microstructure 1012 is not hollow. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2G, the depth of the recess 1013 of the suction cup microstructure 1012 is equal to the height of the suction cup microstructure 1012, that is, the recess 1013 runs through the entire suction cup microstructure 1012, and the suction cup microstructure 1012 is hollow. Figure 2H shows a structural schematic diagram of an adsorption layer of a flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In Figure 2H, the suction cup microstructure 1012 is a hollow cylinder. The depth of the recess 1013 can be less than the height of the suction cup microstructure 1012 (for example, as shown in Figure 2F), or it can be equal to the height of the suction cup microstructure 1012 (for example, as shown in Figure 2G).

[0058] It is understandable that the recess 1013 structure of Figures 2D-2G can also be applied to the upper-wide and lower-narrow suction cup microstructure 1012 shown in Figure 2A or the upper-narrow and lower-wide suction cup microstructure 1012 shown in Figure 2B, and the present disclosure will not repeat them here.

[0059] The adsorption layer 101 of the flexible support structure disclosed herein can be made of silicone or rubber material, and the elastic modulus can be 1Mpa-10MPa, such as 1Mpa, 3Mpa, 5Mpa, 7Mpa, 9Mpa, 10MPa, and the thickness can be 50um-200um, such as 50um, 80um, 100um, 150um, 200um.

[0060] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of each suction cup microstructure 1012 can be 20 μm to 100 μm, such as 20 μm, 40 μm, 60 μm, 80 μm, or 100 μm, and the center-to-center distance between adjacent suction cup microstructures 1012 can be 50 μm to 150 μm, such as 50 μm, 80 μm, 100 μm, 120 μm, or 150 μm. Here, the "outer diameter of the suction cup microstructure" refers to the maximum dimension of the suction cup microstructure 1012 in a direction parallel to the base 1011. The outer diameters of the suction cup microstructures 1012 in the following three situations are indicated by the letter D in FIG2A , FIG2B , and FIG2C , respectively: wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, and equal width at the top and bottom. The "center-to-center distance between adjacent suction cup microstructures" refers to the distance between the centers of two adjacent suction cup microstructures 1012.

[0061] For the case where the orthographic projection of the recess 1013 on the base 1011 is located inside the orthographic projection of the suction cup microstructure 1012 on the base 1011 (for example, as shown in Figures 2E, 2F, and 2G), the wall thickness of the side wall of the suction cup microstructure is greater than 15μm, for example, 16μm, 18μm, or 20μm, to ensure the strength of the suction cup microstructure.

[0062] In some embodiments, multiple suction cup microstructures 1012 are evenly distributed throughout the adsorption layer. It should be noted that the adsorption layer 101 of the present disclosure can have suction cup microstructures 1012 of the same structure evenly distributed across the entire surface, or can have suction cup microstructures 1012 of different structures distributed in different regions, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0063] It should be noted that Figures 2A-2H show some specific implementation methods of the suction cup microstructure, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. As long as the suction cup microstructure 1012 is provided with a recess 1013 at the end away from the base 1011, it can form vacuum negative pressure adsorption during squeezing. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0064] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1 , the flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure may further include a spacer layer 103 disposed between the substrate layer 105 and the adsorption layer 101. The spacer layer 103 may be a flat film made of foam, PET, or PI, and may have a thickness of 25 μm to 100 μm, for example, 25 μm, 40 μm, 60 μm, 80 μm, or 100 μm. The provision of the spacer layer can effectively improve the surface flatness of the flexible support structure.

[0065] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1 , the flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure may further include a first adhesive layer 102 arranged between the adsorption layer 101 and the spacer layer 103. FIG3 shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the first adhesive layer of the flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3 , the first adhesive layer 102 may include: a silicone adhesive film 1021, the silicone adhesive film being in direct contact with the adsorption layer, and the peeling force between the silicone adhesive film 1021 and the adsorption layer being greater than 1200 gf / 25 mm, for example, 1300 gf / 25 mm, 1400 gf / 25 mm, or 1500 gf / 25 mm; a PET film layer 1022, arranged on the side of the silicone adhesive film 1021 facing away from the adsorption layer; and an acrylic film 1023, arranged on the side of the PET film layer 1022 facing away from the silicone adhesive film 1021 and in direct contact with the spacer layer. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 102 can be 30um-100um, for example, 30um, 45um, 60um, 75um, 90um, and 100um. By providing a three-layer structure for the first adhesive layer, different adhesive materials can be arranged according to the specific materials of the adsorption layer 101 and the spacer layer 103 to achieve a better bonding effect. The peel force between the silicone adhesive film 1021 of the first adhesive layer 102 and the adsorption layer 101 is greater than 1200gf / 25mm, making the adsorption layer 101 sufficiently strong to prevent the adsorption layer 101 from falling off during repeated adsorption and separation with the flexible display panel.

[0066] 1 , the flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure may further include a mesh plate layer 107 arranged on the side of the substrate layer 105 away from the adsorption layer 101. FIG4 shows a top view of the mesh plate layer of the flexible support structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the mesh plate layer 107 may include: a plurality of strip portions 1071, which are arranged at intervals along a first direction D1, each strip portion 1071 extending along a second direction D2, the second direction D2 being perpendicular to the first direction D1, and the first direction D1 being the curling direction of the flexible support structure; a plurality of connecting portions 1072, which are arranged between adjacent strip portions 1071 for connecting adjacent strip portions 1071; a plurality of first openings 1073, which are arranged between adjacent strip portions 1071 and connecting portions 1072, each first opening 1073 extending along the second direction D2; and a plurality of second openings 1074, which are arranged in a plurality of connecting portions 1072, each second opening extending along the second direction D2, and the plurality of second openings 1074 are staggered with the plurality of first openings 1071.

[0067] Utilizing the above-mentioned setting of the mesh plate layer 107, the strip portion 1071 can provide sufficient strength for the flexible support structure, while the connecting portion 1072 and the first opening 1073 and the second opening 1074 can make the mesh plate layer 107 sufficiently flexible, thereby providing sufficient flexibility for the flexible support structure, facilitating the curling and unfolding operations of the flexible support structure along the first direction.

[0068] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4, the width C1 of each strip-shaped portion 1071 in the first direction D1 can be 0.4mm-1.0mm, for example, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.6mm, 0.7mm, 0.8mm, 0.9mm, 1.0mm, and the spacing C2 between two adjacent strip-shaped portions 1071 can be 1.0mm-2.0mm, for example, 1.0mm, 1.2mm, 1.4mm, 1.6mm, 1.8mm, 2.0mm.

[0069] In some embodiments, the side of the connecting portion 1072 facing away from the substrate layer 105 can be etched, and after etching, the thickness of the connecting portion 1072 can be 40%-50% of the thickness of the strip portion 1071, that is, the connecting portion 1072 is partially etched. The partially etched connecting portion can further increase the flexibility of the mesh layer, thereby increasing the flexibility of the flexible support structure.

[0070] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4 , the length C3 of the first opening 1073 in the second direction D2 can be 6 mm to 14 mm, for example, 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, 12 mm, or 14 mm. The length C3 of the second opening 1074 in the second direction D2 can also be 6 mm to 14 mm, for example, 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, 12 mm, or 14 mm. FIG4 schematically illustrates that the first opening 1073 and the second opening 1074 have the same length C3. This does not limit the present disclosure. In specific embodiments, the lengths of the first opening 1073 and the second opening 1074 can be the same or different. Furthermore, FIG4 only schematically illustrates the shapes of the first opening 1073 and the second opening 1074. In specific embodiments, the shapes of the first opening 1073 and the second opening 1074 can be the same or different, and can be configured in a shape different from the shapes of the first opening 1073 and the second opening 1074 shown in FIG4 , as long as they are elongated openings extending along the second direction D2.

[0071] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4 , the width C4 of the connecting portion 1072 between two adjacent first openings 1073 can be 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm, for example, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, or 0.5 mm. The width C4 of the connecting portion 1072 between two adjacent second openings 1074 can be 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm, for example, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, or 0.5 mm. FIG4 schematically illustrates that the width of the connecting portion 1072 between two adjacent first openings 1073 is the same as the width of the connecting portion 1072 between two adjacent second openings 1074. In a specific embodiment, the width of the connecting portion 1072 between two adjacent first openings 1073 and the width of the connecting portion 1072 between two adjacent second openings 1074 can be the same or different.

[0072] The mesh plate layer provided in the present disclosure may be made of stainless steel or titanium alloy, with a tensile strength greater than 450 MPa, such as 500 MPa, 550 MPa, 600 MPa, 650 MPa, or 700 MPa, and a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm, such as 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, or 0.4 mm. During the preparation of the mesh plate layer, the connecting portion and the first and second openings may be etched by etching or laser processing, wherein the connecting portion is partially etched and the first and second openings are completely etched.

[0073] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1 , the flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure may further include a protective layer 109 disposed on the side of the substrate layer 105 facing away from the adsorption layer 101. Protective layer 109 may be a foam material with a smooth surface and may have a thickness of 30 μm to 100 μm, for example, 30 μm, 40 μm, 60 μm, 80 μm, 90 μm, or 100 μm. The provision of protective layer 109 prevents damage to the flexible support structure due to friction between the coils during curling.

[0074] In addition, as shown in Figure 1, the flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure may also include a second adhesive layer 104 arranged between the substrate layer 105 and the spacer layer 103, a third adhesive layer 106 arranged between the substrate layer 105 and the mesh plate layer 107, and a fourth adhesive layer 108 arranged between the mesh plate layer 107 and the protective layer 109. The second adhesive layer 104, the third adhesive layer 106 and the fourth adhesive layer 108 can be acrylic double-sided adhesive layers, and the thickness of the adhesive layer can be 25um-50um, for example, 25um, 30um, 35um, 40um, 45um, 50um.

[0075] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a flexible display device is provided. FIG5 shows a schematic diagram of a flexible display device in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG6 shows a schematic diagram of a flexible display device in a retracted state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein reference numeral 30 indicates a flexible display panel, reference numeral 10 indicates a retracted side of the flexible display device, to which the flexible display panel is retracted when the flexible display device is retracted, and reference numeral 20 indicates a fixed side of the flexible display device, to which one end of the flexible display panel is fixed.

[0076] FIG7 shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the retractable side of a flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5 , FIG6 , and FIG7 , the flexible display device provided by the present disclosure includes: a housing 100 having an opening; a first reel 200 rotatably disposed within the housing 100; a second reel 300 rotatably disposed within the housing 100, the second reel 300 being parallel to and spaced apart from the first reel 200; a flexible display panel 30 having a first end connected to the first reel 200 and wound around the first reel 200; and a flexible support structure according to any of the aforementioned embodiments, the first end of the flexible support structure being connected to the second reel 300 and wound around the second reel 300. In which, the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are configured as follows: when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure extend from the opening to the outside of the shell, the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure can gradually fit with the flexible display panel to support and adsorb the flexible display panel.

[0077] As shown in Figure 7, the flexible display device provided by the present disclosure may also include a roller group 500 arranged at the junction of the rolling area and the flattening area, wherein the roller group 500 is configured as follows: when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure extend from the opening to the outside of the shell 100, the roller group 500 rolls so that the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure is evenly adsorbed on the entire surface of the flexible display panel.

[0078] By setting up a roller group, it can be ensured that the flexible display panel is evenly adsorbed by the adsorption layer of the supporting structure during the process of pulling out and unfolding the flexible display panel, thereby ensuring the flatness of the display surface. In addition, during the process of rolling up the flexible display panel, the sliding friction between the flexible display panel and the flexible supporting structure can be reduced by rotating the rollers.

[0079] The roller assembly can be designed in a multi-section manner, that is, it includes multiple rollers, and the multiple rollers can be arranged in a direction parallel to the first reel and the second reel. Providing multiple rollers can prevent compression deformation due to excessive length.

[0080] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a roller for a flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 8, the roller may include a positioning shaft 501, a ball bearing 502, and a roller 503. One end of the positioning shaft 501 is embedded in the bearing and the other end is fixed to the housing, providing axial positioning for the roller. The ball bearing 502 is embedded in the roller 503 to reduce friction during its rotation. The roller 503 may be made of POM or metal with a low friction coefficient.

[0081] As shown in FIG7 , the flexible display device provided by the present disclosure may further include a constant torsion spring assembly 400 disposed at both ends of the first scroll 200 and the second scroll 300 , which may provide a constant torsion for winding the flexible display panel and the supporting structure.

[0082] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the separate winding of the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure provided by the present disclosure. When the flexible display panel 30 and the flexible support structure 40 are unfolded from the opening to the outside of the shell, excessive adsorption force may produce adsorption film marks, and excessive adsorption force may cause bulging if the flexible display panel cannot be fully adsorbed. By adjusting the position of the roller group 500 in a direction perpendicular to the flexible display panel 30, the adsorption force between the flexible display panel 30 and the flexible support structure 40 can be controlled; when the flexible display panel 30 and the flexible support structure 40 are rolled up from the opening to the inside of the shell, by adjusting the position of the roller group 500 in a direction parallel to the flexible display panel 30, the separation angle θ between the flexible display panel 30 and the flexible support structure 40 can be controlled, thereby controlling the separation force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure.

[0083] Figure 10 shows a graph showing the separation force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure as a function of the separation angle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 10, the separation force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure decreases significantly as the separation angle increases. When the separation angle is greater than 10 degrees, the vacuum negative pressure adsorption state of the micro-suction cup disappears, and the separation force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure approaches zero, thus preventing damage to the flexible display panel.

[0084] The flexible display device provided by the present disclosure has the following beneficial technical effects compared to the related art, by providing a flexible support structure with an adsorption layer and achieving the combination or separation of the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure by rolling:

[0085] The flexible display device provided by the present disclosure can make the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure uniformly adsorbed on the entire surface, realize surface fixation, and make the flexible display panel more flat when unfolded. The related art adopts a zipper-like meshing structure, which is only at the upper and lower edges, and the improvement of the arch in the middle of the screen is limited; the adsorption layer adopted by the present disclosure is provided with a bionic suction cup microstructure, and the thickness of the entire adsorption layer can be less than 100um. The related art adopts a locking groove and a convex block structure to realize the unfolding of the curled panel, and a thickness of at least 2mm is required to ensure normal coupling, which will inevitably increase the thickness of the entire display device, which is not conducive to the lightweight and thin product; When the display panel and the flexible support structure are separated, the separation force of the display device provided by the present disclosure will be greatly reduced to close to 0 as the separation angle increases. The hard separation of the locking groove in the related art causes the flexible display panel to be subjected to greater pulling force, and the force is uneven, which can easily cause damage to the flexible display panel; the flexible display device provided by the present disclosure only needs a roller to lightly roll the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure to achieve uniform adsorption of the entire surface of the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure, while the locking groove structure requires a greater pressing force to hard-combine the locking groove. The pressing process may damage the flexible display panel, and once misalignment or deviation occurs, it may not be pressed together.

[0086] In the accompanying drawings, the thickness of certain areas and layers may be exaggerated for clarity. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar structures, and their detailed descriptions will be omitted. The described features, structures or characteristics may be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. In the description of the present disclosure, many specific details are provided so as to provide a full understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the technical solutions of the present disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, materials, etc. can be adopted. In other cases, well-known structures, materials or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring the main technical ideas of the present disclosure.

[0087] It will be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various elements, components, areas, layers and / or parts in this article, these elements, components, areas, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, area, layer or part from another element, component, area, layer or part. Therefore, the first element, component, area, layer or part discussed above can be referred to as the second element, component, area, layer or part without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0088] Spatially relative terms such as "row," "column," "under," "above," "left," "right," and the like may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures for ease of description. It will be understood that these spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, the element described as "under other elements or features" will be oriented as "above other elements or features." Thus, the exemplary term "under" can encompass both orientations of above and below. The device can be oriented otherwise (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly. In addition, it will also be understood that when a layer is referred to as "between two layers," it can be the only layer between the two layers, or one or more intermediate layers may also be present.

[0089] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the" are intended to also include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "include" and / or "comprise" when used in this specification specify the presence of the features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups or add one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. In the description of this specification, the description of the reference terms "one embodiment", "another embodiment" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily need to be directed to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. Furthermore, those skilled in the art may combine different embodiments or examples and features of different embodiments or examples described in this specification without mutual contradiction.

[0090] It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “connected to,” “coupled to,” or “adjacent to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, directly connected to, directly coupled to, or directly adjacent to another element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” “directly coupled to,” or “directly adjacent to” another element or layer, no intervening elements or layers are present. However, in no case should “on” or “directly on” be interpreted as requiring that one layer completely cover the underlying layer.

[0091] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to schematic illustrations (and intermediate structures) of idealized embodiments of the present disclosure. Because of this, variations in the illustrated shapes, for example as a result of manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances, should be expected. Therefore, embodiments of the present disclosure should not be interpreted as being limited to the specific shapes of the regions illustrated herein, but should include shape deviations, for example, due to manufacturing. Therefore, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shape of the regions of the device and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0092] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the relevant art and / or the context of this specification, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined as such herein.

[0093] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, although the various steps of the method of the present disclosure are described in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in that particular order unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Additionally or alternatively, multiple steps may be combined into a single step and / or a single step may be broken down into multiple steps and performed. In addition, other method steps may be inserted between steps. An inserted step may represent an improvement to a method such as that described herein, or may be unrelated to the method. In addition, a given step may not be fully completed before the next step begins.

[0094] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this disclosure should be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A flexible support structure, used to support and absorb a flexible display panel when the flexible display panel is unfolded, the flexible support structure comprising: a substrate layer and an adsorption layer disposed on the substrate layer, The adsorption layer includes a base and a plurality of suction cup microstructures protruding from the base in a direction away from the substrate layer, and one end of each suction cup microstructure away from the base includes a concave portion concave toward the substrate layer.

2. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, wherein: The size of the suction cup microstructure at one end away from the base is larger than the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end close to the base, or the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end away from the base is smaller than the size of the suction cup microstructure at one end close to the base, or the suction cup microstructure has a constant size in a direction perpendicular to the base.

3. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, wherein: The depth of the concave portion of the suction cup microstructure is less than or equal to the height of the suction cup microstructure.

4. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, wherein: The adsorption layer is made of silica gel or rubber material, has an elastic modulus of 1Mpa-10MPa, and a thickness of 50um-200um.

5. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, wherein: The outer diameter of each suction cup microstructure is 20um-100um, and the center distance between adjacent suction cup microstructures is 50um-150um.

6. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of suction cup microstructures are evenly distributed on the entire adsorption layer.

7. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, further comprising a spacer layer arranged between the substrate layer and the adsorption layer, wherein the spacer layer is made of foam or PET film or PI film and has a thickness of 25um-100um. 8 . The flexible support structure according to claim 7 , further comprising a first bonding layer arranged between the adsorption layer and the spacer layer, wherein the thickness of the first bonding layer is 30 um-100 um.

9. The flexible support structure according to claim 8, wherein the first adhesive layer comprises: A silicone adhesive film, wherein the silicone adhesive film is in direct contact with the adsorption layer, and a peeling force between the silicone adhesive film and the adsorption layer is greater than 1200 gf / 25 mm; The PET film layer is arranged on a side of the silicone film away from the adsorption layer; as well as The acrylic film is arranged on the side of the PET film layer away from the silicone film and In direct contact with the spacer layer.

10. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, further comprising a mesh plate layer arranged on a side of the substrate layer away from the adsorption layer.

11. The flexible support structure according to claim 10, wherein the mesh plate layer comprises: A plurality of strip-shaped portions, which are arranged at intervals along a first direction, each strip-shaped portion extends along a second direction, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the first direction is a curling direction of the flexible support structure; A plurality of connecting portions, which are arranged between adjacent strip-shaped portions and are used to connect the adjacent strip-shaped portions; A plurality of first openings, which are arranged between adjacent strip portions and connecting portions, and each first opening extends along the second direction; as well as A plurality of second openings are arranged in the plurality of connecting portions, each second opening extends along the second direction, and the plurality of second openings are arranged alternately with the plurality of first openings.

12. The flexible support structure according to claim 11, wherein: The width of each strip-shaped portion in the first direction is 0.4 mm-1.0 mm, and the distance between two adjacent strip-shaped portions is 1.0 mm-2.0 mm.

13. The flexible support structure according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The side of the connecting portion facing away from the substrate layer is etched, and the thickness of the connecting portion is 40%-50% of the thickness of the strip portion.

14. The flexible support structure according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The length of the first opening in the second direction is 6 mm-14 mm, and the length of the second opening in the second direction is 6 mm-14 mm.

15. The flexible support structure according to claim 14, wherein a width of the connecting portion between two adjacent first openings is 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm, and a width of the connecting portion between two adjacent second openings is 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

16. The flexible support structure according to claim 10, wherein: The mesh plate layer is made of stainless steel or titanium alloy, has a tensile strength greater than 450 MPa, and a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm.

17. The flexible support structure according to claim 1, further comprising a protection layer arranged on a side of the substrate layer facing away from the adsorption layer.

18. The flexible support structure according to claim 17, wherein: The protective layer is made of foam material with a thickness of 30um-100um.

19. A flexible display device, comprising: A shell, wherein an opening is formed on the shell; a first reel rotatably disposed in the housing; A second reel, the second reel is rotatably disposed in the housing, the second reel is parallel to the first reel and is spaced apart from the first reel; A flexible display panel, wherein a first end of the flexible display panel is connected to the first reel and is wound on the first reel; as well as The flexible support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the first end of the flexible support structure is connected to the second reel and is wound on the second reel; Among them, the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are configured as follows: when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure extend out of the shell from the opening, the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure can gradually fit with the flexible display panel to support and adsorb the flexible display panel.

20. The flexible display device according to claim 19, further comprising a roller group arranged at the junction of the rolling area and the flattening area, wherein the roller group is configured such that when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure extend out of the shell from the opening, the adsorption layer of the flexible support structure is evenly adsorbed to the entire surface of the flexible display panel through rolling by the roller group.

21. The flexible display device according to claim 20, wherein: The roller group is also configured to control the adsorption force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure by adjusting the position of the roller group in a direction perpendicular to the flexible display panel when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are expanded from the opening to the outside of the shell.

22. The flexible display device according to claim 21, wherein: The roller group is also configured to: when the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are rolled up from the opening into the shell, the separation angle between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure is controlled by adjusting the position of the roller group in a direction parallel to the flexible display panel, thereby controlling the separation force between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure.

23. The flexible display device according to claim 22, wherein: When the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure are rolled up from the opening into the housing, a separation angle between the flexible display panel and the flexible support structure is greater than 10 degrees.

24. The flexible display device according to any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein: The roller group includes a plurality of rollers, and the plurality of rollers are arranged along a direction parallel to the first reel and the second reel.

25. The flexible display device according to claim 24, wherein: The rollers of the plurality of rollers are made of POM or metal.

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