Display module and display device

Abstract

Disclosed are a display module and a display device. The display module comprises: a display substrate; a cover plate disposed on a light emission side of the display substrate; and a protective frame, the protective frame comprising a bottom wall and side walls connected to the bottom wall, wherein the bottom wall is located on the side of the display substrate facing away from the cover plate, the side walls are connected to the cover plate and define an accommodating space with the cover plate and the bottom wall, and the display substrate is located in the accommodating space. The orthographic projection of the protective frame on a reference plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the cover plate is located within the range of the orthographic projection of the cover plate on the reference plane.

Description

Display module and display device TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of display, in particular to a display module and a display device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) display module, a support layer is usually arranged on the backlight side of a display substrate. In the current display module, during the process of bonding the support layer and the display substrate, surface defects such as orange peel are easily caused on the display substrate. SUMMARY

[0003] The present disclosure aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and proposes a display module and a display device.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present disclosure provides a display module, comprising:

[0005] a display substrate;

[0006] a cover plate arranged on the light-emitting side of the display substrate;

[0007] a protection frame comprising a bottom wall and a side wall connected with the bottom wall, the bottom wall being located on the side of the display substrate away from the cover plate; the side wall is connected with the cover plate, and the cover plate and the bottom wall define a containing space, and the display substrate is located in the containing space;

[0008] wherein the orthographic projection of the protection frame on a reference plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the cover plate is located within the orthographic projection range of the cover plate on the reference plane.

[0009] In some embodiments, the side wall is a continuous annular structure surrounding the display substrate.

[0010] In some embodiments, the bottom wall is provided with an opening, and the display module further comprises:

[0011] a driving circuit board located on the side of the bottom wall away from the cover plate;

[0012] a connecting structure passing through the opening, two ends of the connecting structure being electrically connected with the display substrate and the driving circuit board respectively.

[0013] In some embodiments, the display substrate is a flexible display substrate, and comprises a display part, a driving part, and a bending part connected between the display part and the driving part, the display part is arranged opposite to the cover plate, the driving part is located on a side of the display part away from the cover plate, and is electrically connected with the connecting structure; the bending part is not in contact with the protection frame.

[0014] In some embodiments, the display module further comprises:

[0015] a first back film arranged on a surface of the display part facing the bottom wall;

[0016] a second back film arranged on a surface of the driving part away from the bottom wall;

[0017] a support part located between the first back film and the second back film, and a normal projection of the support part on the cover plate is located within a normal projection range of the second back film on the cover plate.

[0018] In some embodiments, the bottom wall comprises a first sub-wall, a second sub-wall, and a connecting sub-wall connected between the first sub-wall and the second sub-wall, the first sub-wall and the second sub-wall are both connected with the side wall; the driving circuit board is located on a side of the first sub-wall away from the cover plate; the connecting structure comprises a connecting part electrically connected with the display substrate, the connecting part is located on a side of the second sub-wall facing the cover plate; the opening is arranged on the connecting sub-wall;

[0019] wherein a distance between the first sub-wall and the cover plate is less than or equal to a distance between the second sub-wall and the cover plate.

[0020] In some embodiments, either of the display substrate and the connecting structure is not in contact with the second sub-wall.

[0021] In some embodiments, there is an air gap between the first sub-wall and the display substrate.

[0022] In some embodiments, the display module comprises a plurality of the driving circuit boards connected in series, and the connecting structure is electrically connected with one of the driving circuit boards;

[0023] wherein at least one of the driving circuit boards and the bottom wall is provided with a support column, two ends of the support column are connected with the driving circuit board and the bottom wall respectively.

[0024] In some embodiments, the display module further comprises a mounting column, the mounting column is fixed on a surface of the bottom wall away from the cover plate, and a normal projection of the mounting column and the driving circuit board on the cover plate does not overlap.

[0025] In some embodiments, at least one of the bottom wall and the side wall is provided with a functional layer on a surface thereof, the functional layer comprising at least one of an antistatic layer, an electrostatic shielding layer, and a flame-retardant layer.

[0026] In some embodiments, the display substrate comprises a display area, the cover plate comprises a light-transmitting area and a light-shielding area surrounding the light-transmitting area, and a normal projection of the side wall on the cover plate is located in the light-shielding area.

[0027] In some embodiments, at least one of the bottom wall and the side wall is provided with a functional layer on a surface thereof, the functional layer comprising at least one of an antistatic layer, an electrostatic shielding layer, and a flame-retardant layer.

[0028] In some embodiments, an adhesive layer is provided between the side wall and the cover plate.

[0029] In some embodiments, the adhesive layer comprises at least one of a cushioning adhesive layer, a heat-conducting adhesive layer, and an electrically-conductive adhesive layer.

[0030] In some embodiments, the material of the protective frame comprises any one of a metal material, a polymer composite material, and a ceramic-based material.

[0031] The present disclosure also provides a display device comprising the display module as described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification, and are used to explain the present disclosure together with the specific embodiments described below. In the drawings:

[0033] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a display module according to some embodiments.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A’ in FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a display module according to some other embodiments.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B’ in FIG. 3.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a rear view of a display module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line C-C’ in FIG. 5.

[0039] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the position of a side wall of a protective frame, a display substrate, and a cover plate according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a rear view of a display module according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] Fig. 9 is a sectional view along line D-D' in Fig. 8.

[0042] Fig. 10 is a schematic view of a position of a buffer layer provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0043] Fig. 11 is another schematic view of a position of a buffer layer provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0044] Fig. 12 is a sectional view of a display module provided in further embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0045] Fig. 13 is a rear view of a display module provided in further embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0046] Fig. 14 is a schematic view of a film layer of a bottom wall provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0047] Fig. 15 is a schematic view of a film layer of a bottom wall provided in further embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0048] Fig. 16 is a schematic view of a display portion provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely intended to explain and illustrate the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0050] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort belong to the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0051] Unless otherwise defined, technical terms or scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure should be understood as having the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. The terms "first", "second", and similar terms used in the present disclosure do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but are used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms "include", "contain", and similar terms mean that the elements or objects before the terms encompass the elements or objects listed after the terms and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms "connect" or "connected" and similar terms do not mean only physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", and the like are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, and when the absolute positions of the described objects are changed, the relative positional relationships can also be changed accordingly.

[0052] As used herein, "parallel," "perpendicular" include the recited condition and conditions that are approximately the recited condition, the approximation being within an acceptable range of deviation, as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art considering the measurements at issue and the error associated with the particular measurement (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "parallel" includes absolute parallel and approximately parallel, where the acceptable range of deviation for approximately parallel can be, for example, within 5°; "perpendicular" includes absolute perpendicular and approximately perpendicular, where the acceptable range of deviation for approximately perpendicular can also be, for example, within 5°.

[0053] It will be appreciated that when a layer or element is referred to as being on another layer or substrate, it can be directly on the other layer or substrate, or intervening layers can also be present.

[0054] Exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to cross-sectional and / or plan view illustrations that are idealized examples. In the interest of clarity, not all of the layer and regions are shown in the drawings with the same levels of detail. For example, while some regions can be shown greatly exaggerated in thickness, the thickness of others can be shown as zero. Thus, the dimensions of regions illustrated in the figures are not necessarily to scale with one another. Similarly, the thicknesses of layers and regions can be shown exaggerated or shrunk for clarity. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limited to the precise shapes and regions illustrated herein, but rather, the exemplary embodiments are to include shapes and regions that are within the scope of the exemplary embodiments and that can be made by currently known techniques. Thus, the shapes and regions illustrated in the drawings are schematic and their shapes are not intended to indicate the actual shape of a region of a device and are not intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0055] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a display module provided in some embodiments, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line A-A' in FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the display module includes a display substrate 10, an optical functional layer 60, a cover plate 20, a back film 52, a support layer 50, a connecting structure 30, and a driving circuit board 40. The cover plate 20 is disposed on the light exit side of the display substrate 10. The optical functional layer 60 is disposed between the cover plate 20 and the display substrate 10. The optical functional layer 60 is, for example, a polarizer. An optical adhesive layer 61 is disposed between the optical functional layer 60 and the cover plate 20. The back film 52 is disposed on the side of the display substrate 10 away from the cover plate 20. The support layer 50 is disposed on the side of the back film 52 away from the display substrate 10. The support layer 50 is used to support the display substrate 10, so as to improve the structural stability and impact resistance of the display substrate 10. One end of the connecting structure 30 is electrically connected to the display substrate 10, and the other end is electrically connected to the driving circuit board 40. The connecting structure 30 can be a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a chip on film (COF). The driving circuit board 40 is located on the side of the support layer 50 away from the display substrate 10. For example, the driving circuit board 40 is fixed to the side of the support layer 50 away from the display substrate 10 by a first adhesive layer 70. The driving circuit board 40 is used to provide a driving signal for the display substrate 10. The connecting structure 30 provides the driving signal to the display substrate 10, so as to drive the display substrate 10 to display.

[0056] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a display module provided in some other embodiments, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line B-B' in FIG. 3. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in some other embodiments, the display module includes a display substrate 10, an optical functional layer 60, a cover plate 20, a first back film 53, a second back film 54, a support layer 50, a connecting structure 30, and a driving circuit board 40. The display substrate 10 includes a display portion 11, a bending portion 12, and a driving portion 13 connected in sequence. The cover plate 20 is disposed on the light exit side of the display portion 11. The driving portion 13 is located on the side of the display portion 11 away from the cover plate 20. The outer side of the bending portion 12 can be provided with a protective layer 71 to protect the signal lines on the bending portion 12. The optical functional layer 60 is disposed between the cover plate 20 and the display substrate 10. The optical functional layer 60 is, for example, a polarizer. An optical adhesive layer 61 is disposed between the optical functional layer 60 and the cover plate 20. The first back film 53 is disposed on the surface of the display portion 11 away from the cover plate 20. The second back film 54 is disposed on the surface of the driving portion 13 facing the cover plate 20. The support layer 50 is located on the side of the first back film 53 facing the second back film 54. The support layer 50 is used to support the display portion 11. One end of the connecting structure 30 is electrically connected to the display substrate 10, and the other end is electrically connected to the driving circuit board 40. The driving circuit board 40 is located on the side of the support layer 50 away from the display substrate 10. The connecting structure 30 can be a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a chip on film (COF).

[0057] In FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the support layer 50 can be made of a rigid material with high strength, such as metal; in addition, in FIG. 2, the support layer 50 is bonded to the back film 52 through the second bonding layer 51, and in FIG. 4, the support layer 50 is bonded to the first back film 53 through the second bonding layer 51. For a display module with a large size, the uniformity of the second bonding layer 51 is poor, so that after the support layer 50 is attached, the display substrate 10 is prone to surface defects such as orange peel.

[0058] To solve the above technical problems, the display module provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 5, which is a rear view of the display module, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view along the line C-C' in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the position of the side wall of the protective frame and the display substrate and the cover plate.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the display module includes a display substrate 10, a cover plate 20, and a protective frame 80. In one example, the display substrate 10 can be a flexible display substrate. The cover plate 20 is arranged on the light-emitting side of the display substrate 10, and the orthogonal projection of the cover plate 20 on a reference plane covers and exceeds the orthogonal projection of the display substrate 10 on the reference plane, and the reference plane is a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the cover plate 20. The protective frame 80 includes a bottom wall 81 and a side wall 82 connected to the bottom wall 81, and the bottom wall 81 is located on the side of the display substrate 10 away from the cover plate 20; the side wall 82 is connected to the cover plate 20, for example, the side wall 82 is bonded to the cover plate 20. The bottom wall 81, the side wall 82, and the cover plate 20 define a containing space sp, and the display substrate 10 is located in the containing space sp. The orthogonal projection of the protective frame 80 on the reference plane is located within the range of the orthogonal projection of the cover plate 20 on the reference plane.

[0060] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, by arranging the protective frame 80, the bottom wall 81 and the side wall 82 of the protective frame 80 and the cover plate 20 form a containing space sp for containing the display substrate 10, so that the display substrate 10 can be protected, and the impact resistance of the display substrate 10 is improved, and the display substrate 10 is prevented from being damaged. Compared with the support layer 50 in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the protective frame 80 is connected to the cover plate 20, and there is no need to arrange a bonding adhesive layer between the protective frame 80 and the display substrate 10, so that the problem of surface defects of the display substrate 10 caused by the non-uniform thickness of the bonding adhesive layer is avoided.

[0061] In some embodiments, the protective frame 80 can be made of a rigid material with high strength, such as a metal material, or a high polymer composite material, a ceramic-based material, etc.

[0062] In some embodiments, the protective frame 80 and the display substrate 10 can not be in contact, so as to prevent the display substrate 10 from being damaged by the interaction force therebetween.

[0063] In some embodiments, there can be a gap between the orthographic projection boundary of the protective frame 80 on the cover plate 20 and the edge of the cover plate 20; or the orthographic projection boundary of the protective frame 80 on the cover plate 20 coincides with the edge of the cover plate 20.

[0064] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, the sidewall 82 is a continuous annular structure surrounding the display substrate 10, thereby improving the protection effect on the display substrate 10. For example, the orthographic projection of the display substrate 10 on the cover plate 20 is a rectangle, and correspondingly, the orthographic projection of the sidewall 82 on the cover plate 20 is a rectangular annular structure.

[0065] In some embodiments, the sidewall 82 of the protective frame 80 can be bonded to the cover plate 20 through a bonding layer 83, wherein the bonding layer 83 can include at least one of a cushioning adhesive layer, a heat-conducting adhesive layer, and an electrically-conductive adhesive layer. For example, the bonding layer 83 includes a cushioning adhesive layer, in which case, when the protective frame 80 is impacted by external forces, the bonding layer 83 can cushion the force between the protective frame 80 and the cover plate 20, preventing damage to the cover plate 20. For another example, the bonding layer 83 can include an electrically-conductive adhesive layer, in which case, the protective frame 80 can be connected to a grounding end in a display product, thereby allowing static electricity accumulated on the cover plate 20 to be conducted to the grounding end, preventing the static electricity from affecting the performance and display effect of the display substrate 10. For another example, the bonding layer 83 can include a heat-conducting adhesive layer, in which case, the heat generated by the display substrate 10 can be evenly dispersed through the cover plate 20 and the heat-conducting adhesive layer, preventing local overheating.

[0066] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the display module further includes a driving circuit board 40 and a connecting structure 30, both ends of the connecting structure 30 being electrically connected to the display substrate 10 and the driving circuit board 40, respectively. The display module can be used in a display device, which, in addition to the display module, can include a driving mainboard and a mounting housing, etc., the driving mainboard being electrically connected to the driving circuit board 40 to provide a control signal to the driving circuit board 40, the driving circuit board 40 generating a driving signal according to the control signal and driving the display substrate 10 to display through the connecting structure 30. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the driving circuit board 40 can be provided with a connector 41, and the driving circuit board 40 can be electrically connected to the driving mainboard of the display device through the connector 41. The connecting structure 30 can be a flexible circuit board or a chip on film, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram taking the connecting structure 30 as a chip on film, which specifically can include a circuit board 32 and a driving chip 31 provided on the circuit board 32.

[0067] It should be noted that the display substrate 10 has a display area and a binding area located on at least one side of the display area, and the binding area is provided with a binding pad, and the connection structure 30 is electrically connected with the display substrate 10, which means that the connection structure 30 is electrically connected with the binding pad. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the driving circuit board 40 is located on the side of the bottom wall 81 away from the cover plate 20. The bottom wall 81 of the protection frame 80 is provided with an opening V1, and the connection structure 30 passes through the opening V1.

[0068] Since a large number of electronic elements are arranged on the driving circuit board 40, a large amount of heat will be generated in the process of providing driving signals for the display substrate 10 by the driving circuit board 40. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving circuit board 40 is arranged on the side of the bottom wall 81 away from the cover plate 20, so as to reduce the influence of the heat of the driving circuit board 40 on the display substrate 10.

[0069] Further, an air gap s1 is arranged between at least part of the display substrate 10 and the bottom wall 81 of the protection frame 80, so as to further reduce the influence of the heat of the driving circuit board 40 on the display substrate 10. Of course, in other embodiments, a heat insulation layer with a low thermal conductivity can also be arranged between the bottom wall 81 of the protection frame 80 and the display substrate 10.

[0070] In some embodiments, the bottom wall 81 comprises a first sub-wall 811, a second sub-wall 812, and a connecting sub-wall 813 connected between the first sub-wall 811 and the second sub-wall 812. The first sub-wall 811 and the second sub-wall 812 are both connected with the side wall 82, and the first sub-wall 811, the second sub-wall 812 and the connecting sub-wall 813 can be an integral structure. For example, the first sub-wall 811 and the second sub-wall 812 are both parallel to the cover plate 20, and the connecting sub-wall 813 is perpendicular to the first sub-wall 811 and the second sub-wall 812. The opening V1 is arranged on the connecting sub-wall 813. The number of the connection structure 30 can be one or more. When the number of the connection structure 30 is more than one, the number of the opening V1 can be one, and the plurality of connection structures 30 pass through the same opening V1; or the number of the opening V1 is more than one, and the connection structure 30 corresponds to the opening V1 one by one.

[0071] The driving circuit board 40 is located on the side of the first sub-wall 811 away from the cover plate 20; the connection structure 30 comprises a connecting part electrically connected with the display substrate 10, and the connecting part is located on the side of the second sub-wall 812 facing the cover plate 20. The distance h1 between the first sub-wall 811 and the cover plate 20 is less than the distance h2 between the second sub-wall 812 and the cover plate 20, so as to save the space occupied by the display module in the whole display product. Of course, in other embodiments, the distance h1 between the first sub-wall 811 and the cover plate 20 can also be equal to the distance h2 between the second sub-wall 812 and the cover plate 20, that is, the bottom wall 81 is in the form of a flat plate.

[0072] In some embodiments, there is an air gap s1 between the first sub-wall 811 and the display substrate 10, so as to further reduce the influence of heat of the driving circuit board 40 on the display substrate 10.

[0073] In some embodiments, either of the display substrate 10 and the connecting structure 30 is free of contact with the second sub-wall 812. It should be noted that the display substrate 10 includes a substrate and electronic elements such as signal lines, thin film transistors, capacitors, pads, etc. disposed on the substrate, and the connecting structure 30 also includes a flexible substrate and a plurality of electronic elements disposed on the flexible substrate, and the display substrate 10 and the connecting structure 30 are free of contact with the second sub-wall 812, which means that the substrate and the electronic elements of the display substrate 10 and the flexible substrate and the electronic elements of the connecting structure 30 are free of contact with the second sub-wall 812.

[0074] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in some embodiments, the display substrate 10 is a flexible display substrate and includes a display part 11, a driving part 13, and a bending part 12 connected between the display part 11 and the driving part 13, the display part 11 is arranged opposite to the cover plate 20, the driving part 13 is located on a side of the display part 11 away from the cover plate 20 and is electrically connected with the connecting structure 30. The display part 11 is used for image display; the driving part 13 is provided with a binding pad, the binding pad is connected with the connecting structure 30; a normal projection of the driving part 13 on the cover plate 20 is located within a normal projection range of the second sub-wall 812 on the cover plate 20. The bending part 12 is provided with a connecting line, the connecting line transmits signals received on the binding pad to the display part 11 for image display.

[0075] The bending part 12 is free of contact with the protective frame 80. For example, when the side wall 82 of the protective frame 80 is in a ring structure, there is a gap between the side wall 82 and the bending part 12, so as to prevent the bending part 12 from being collided due to process errors in the alignment and connection process of the protective frame 80 and the cover plate 20, thereby preventing the connecting line on the bending part 12 from being damaged.

[0076] Similar to FIG. 4, an outer side of the bending part 12 in FIG. 6 can also be provided with a protective layer (not shown in FIG. 6), so as to protect the signal line on the bending part 12.

[0077] In some embodiments, there can also be a gap between the display part 11 and the side wall 82 of the protective frame 80, so as to prevent the display part 11 from being collided due to process errors in the alignment and connection process of the protective frame 80 and the cover plate 20.

[0078] In some embodiments, the display module further comprises: a first back film 53, the first back film 53 is arranged on the surface of the display part 11 facing the bottom wall 81; a second back film 54, the second back film 54 is arranged on the surface of the driving part 13 away from the bottom wall 81; and a support part 55 located between the first back film 53 and the second back film 54. The orthographic projection of the support part 55 on the cover plate 20 can be within the orthographic projection range of the second back film 54 on the cover plate 20. In one example, the support part 55 can be made of foam glue or other materials.

[0079] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, a filling space s2 is formed between the bending part 12, the first back film 53, the second back film 54 and the support part 55. The filling space s2 can be a cavity, or can be filled with filling glue, thereby supporting the bending part 12.

[0080] In some embodiments, the first back film 53 comprises a first part and a second part, the first part of the first back film 53 is arranged opposite to the first sub-wall 811, and the second part of the first back film 53 is arranged opposite to the second sub-wall 812. The second part is bonded to the support part 55, and an air gap s1 is formed between the first part of the first back film 53 and the first sub-wall 811. The first part of the first back film 53 is in contact with the air gap s1, that is, the side of the first part of the first back film 53 away from the cover plate 20 is no longer connected to other film layers.

[0081] FIG. 8 is a rear view of a display module provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view along the line D-D' in FIG. 8. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the display module can further comprise a buffer layer 84 arranged on the side of the bottom wall 81 facing the display substrate 10. By arranging the buffer layer 84, the phenomenon of the display substrate 10 being squeezed by the protection frame 80 when the protection frame 80 is subjected to external impact force can be reduced or prevented.

[0082] When the bottom wall 81 of the protection frame 80 comprises a first sub-wall 811, a second sub-wall 812 and a connecting sub-wall 813, the buffer layer 84 can be arranged on the side of the first sub-wall 811 facing the display substrate 10. When the display substrate 10 comprises a display part 11, a bending part 12 and a driving part 13, and the display part 11 is provided with a first back film 53 on the side away from the cover plate 20, and the display part 11 of the display substrate 10 is provided with a first back film 53 on the side away from the cover plate 20, the buffer layer 84 can be in contact with the first back film 53, or there is a gap between the buffer layer 84 and the first back film 53.

[0083] The buffer layer 84 can be made of foam glue.

[0084] In other embodiments, a heat insulation layer can also be arranged on the side of the bottom wall 81 facing the display substrate 10, or the buffer layer 84 and the heat insulation layer can be arranged simultaneously; the buffer layer 84 can also be made of a heat insulation material with a certain buffering effect, so that the buffer layer 84 is used as a heat insulation layer. Through the arrangement of the heat insulation layer, the influence of the heat generated by the drive circuit board 40 on the display substrate 10 can be further reduced.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 9, the display substrate 10 includes a display area, and the cover plate 20 includes a light-transmitting area arranged opposite to the display area and a light-blocking area surrounding the light-transmitting area. For example, the cover plate 20 includes a transparent cover plate body 21, for example, glass or an organic material such as polyimide (PI), and a light-blocking layer 22 on the cover plate body 21, for example, an ink layer. The area where the light-blocking layer 22 is located is the light-blocking area, and the area of the cover plate body 21 where the light-blocking layer 22 is not arranged is the light-transmitting area. The side wall 82 of the protection frame 80 has a normal projection on the cover plate 20 in the light-blocking area.

[0086] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the position of the buffer layer provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 11 is another schematic diagram of the position of the buffer layer provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. In one example, as shown in FIG. 10, the normal projection of the buffer layer 84 on the cover plate 20 is in the light-blocking area, and the normal projection of the buffer layer 84 on the cover plate 20 does not overlap the normal projection of the drive circuit board 40 on the cover plate 20. Of course, in other examples, as shown in FIG. 11, the normal projection of the buffer layer 84 on the cover plate 20 can also be outside the light-blocking area, and the normal projection of the buffer layer 84 on the cover plate 20 can also overlap the normal projection of the drive circuit board 40 on the cover plate 20.

[0087] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 9, the display module can also include a mounting column 85 fixed on the surface of the bottom wall 81 away from the cover plate 20. The mounting column 85 is used to connect with the mounting shell of the display device, and can also be used to fix the drive main board or other elements in the display device. As shown in FIG. 9, the mounting column 85 does not overlap the normal projection of the drive circuit board 40. In one example, the number of the mounting columns 85 is multiple, and the mounting column 85 can include a threaded column.

[0088] FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a display module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 13 is a back view of the display module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, in some embodiments, the display module can include a plurality of drive circuit boards 40 connected together, and the connecting structure 30 is electrically connected to one of the drive circuit boards 40. For example, two adjacent drive circuit boards 40 are connected together by at least one connecting circuit board 43, and the two ends of the connecting circuit board 43 are electrically connected to the connectors 41 on the two adjacent drive circuit boards 40, respectively. One of the drive circuit boards 40 is also electrically connected to the control mainboard of the display device through the connector 41. The connector 41 connected to the control mainboard is different from the connector 41 connected to the connecting circuit board 43.

[0089] In some embodiments, a support column 86 is arranged between at least one of the drive circuit boards 40 and the bottom wall 81, and the two ends of the support column 86 are connected to the drive circuit board 40 and the bottom wall 81, respectively.

[0090] In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the electronic components originally concentrated on one drive circuit board 40 are dispersed on a plurality of drive circuit boards 40, so that the heat can be dispersed; and by arranging the support column 86, the influence of the heat of the drive circuit board 40 on the display substrate 10 can be further reduced. In one example, the number of drive circuit boards 40 is two, one of the drive circuit boards 40 has more electronic components generating more heat, and the other drive circuit board 40 has fewer electronic components generating less heat, and the support column 86 is arranged between the drive circuit board 40 having more electronic components generating more heat and the protection frame 80.

[0091] FIG. 14 is a schematic view of a film layer of a bottom wall according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a film layer of a bottom wall according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the surface of the bottom wall 81 is provided with a functional layer 87, and the functional layer 87 includes at least one of an antistatic layer 871, an electrostatic shielding layer 872, and a flame-retardant layer 873.

[0092] In some embodiments, the surface of the bottom wall 81 can include the surface of the first sub-wall 811, the surface of the connecting sub-wall 813, and the surface of the second sub-wall 812. When the functional layer 87 on the surface of the bottom wall 81 includes the antistatic layer 871 or the electrostatic shielding layer 872, the influence of external static electricity on the display substrate 10 can be reduced; and when the functional layer 87 on the surface of the bottom wall 81 includes the flame-retardant layer 873, the flame-retardant performance of the display module can be improved.

[0093] In one specific example, as shown in FIG. 14, the bottom wall 81 is provided with functional layers 87 on opposite sides along the thickness direction thereof, and the functional layers 87 on one side are anti-static layers 871, and the functional layers 87 on the other side are flame-retardant layers 873; of course, the functional layers 87 on the two sides can also be other film layers, and the materials of the functional layers 87 on the two sides can be the same or different.

[0094] In another specific example, as shown in FIG. 15, the bottom wall 81 is provided with functional layers 87 on opposite sides along the thickness direction thereof, and the functional layers 87 on each side include multiple ones of anti-static layers 871, electrostatic shielding layers 872 and flame-retardant layers 873, and the materials of the functional layers 87 on the two sides can be the same or different. Among them, on the same side of the bottom wall 81, different film layers can be arranged in regions; or on the same side of the bottom wall 81, different film layers can also be arranged in layers.

[0095] FIGS. 14 and 15 are described by taking the surface of the bottom wall 81 as an example, in other embodiments, the functional layers 87 can also be arranged on the surface of the side wall 82, and the surface of the bottom wall 81 is not provided with the functional layers 87; or the functional layers 87 can be arranged on the surface of the side wall 82 and the surface of the bottom wall 81. When the functional layers 87 are arranged on the surface of the side wall 82, the functional layers 87 can also include at least one of the above-mentioned anti-static layers 871, electrostatic shielding layers 872 and flame-retardant layers 873, thereby improving the anti-static performance and / or flame-retardant performance of the display module. Among them, the surface of the side wall 82 can include the inner surface of the side wall 82 facing the display substrate 10, and the outer surface of the side wall 82 facing away from the display substrate 10.

[0096] In addition, when the second sub-wall 812 is provided with the functional layers 87 on the surface facing the display substrate 10, the display substrate 10 and the connecting structure 30 are both not in contact with the functional layers 87. When the first sub-wall 811 is provided with the functional layers 87 on the surface facing the display substrate 10, and no buffer layer 84 is arranged between the first sub-wall 811 and the first back film 53, an air gap s1 can be arranged between the functional layers 87 and the first back film 53; when the first sub-wall 811 is provided with the functional layers 87 on the surface facing the display substrate 10, and the buffer layer 84 is arranged between the first sub-wall 811 and the first back film 53, the buffer layer 84 can be arranged on the side of the functional layers 87 close to the display substrate 10. When the side wall 82 is provided with the functional layers 87 on the surface facing the display substrate 10, there can be a gap between the functional layers 87 on the side wall 82 and the display substrate 10.

[0097] FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a display portion provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein in the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure, the display substrate 10 can be an OLED display substrate, as shown in FIG. 16, the display portion 11 includes a driving circuit layer 120 disposed on a substrate 110, a light-emitting structure layer 130 disposed on the driving circuit layer 120, and an encapsulation layer 140 disposed on the light-emitting structure layer 130. In some possible implementations, the display substrate 10 can include other film layers, which are not limited herein by the present disclosure.

[0098] In an exemplary embodiment, the substrate 110 can be a flexible substrate, for example, a material such as polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or a surface-treated polymer soft film can be used.

[0099] In the example embodiment, the driving circuit layer 120 can include transistors and storage capacitors constituting the pixel circuit, only one transistor and one storage capacitor in each pixel circuit are shown in FIG. 16, which includes the active layer 122, the gate electrode 121, the source electrode 123, and the drain electrode 124. In some possible implementations, the driving circuit layer 120 of each sub-pixel can include: a buffer layer BFL disposed on the substrate substrate 110, the active layer 122 disposed on the buffer layer BFL, the first gate insulating layer GI1 covering the active layer 122, the gate electrode 121 and the first capacitor electrode 125 disposed on the first gate insulating layer GI1, the second gate insulating layer GI2 covering the gate electrode 121 and the first capacitor electrode 125, the second capacitor electrode 126 disposed on the second gate insulating layer GI2, the interlayer insulating layer ILD covering the second capacitor electrode 126, the via hole is opened on the interlayer insulating layer ILD, and the via hole exposes the active layer 122. The source electrode 123 and the drain electrode 124 are disposed on the interlayer insulating layer ILD, and the source electrode 123 and the drain electrode 124 are connected with the active layer 122 through the via hole respectively. The planarization layer PLN is located on the side of the source electrode 123 and the drain electrode 124 away from the substrate substrate 110. The first capacitor electrode 125 and the second capacitor electrode 126 constitute a storage capacitor. In some possible implementations, the buffer layer BFL, the first gate insulating layer GI1, the second gate insulating layer GI2, and the interlayer insulating layer ILD can be any one or more of silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx), and silicon oxynitride (SiON), which can be a single layer, multiple layers, or a composite layer. The gate electrode 121, the source electrode 123, the drain electrode 124, the first capacitor electrode 125, and the second capacitor electrode 126 can be any one or more of metal materials such as silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), and molybdenum (Mo), or an alloy material of the above-mentioned metals, such as aluminum neodymium alloy (AlNd) or molybdenum niobium alloy (MoNb), which can be a single layer structure, or a multi-layer composite structure such as Ti / Al / Ti, etc. The active layer 122 can be made of amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide material (a-IGZO), zinc oxynitride (ZnON), indium zinc tin oxide (IZTO), amorphous silicon (a-Si), polycrystalline silicon (p-Si), hexathienyl, or polythiophene, etc. materials, i.e. the present disclosure is applicable to transistors manufactured based on oxide (Oxide) technology, silicon technology, or organic technology. The active layer 122 based on oxide technology can be made of oxide containing indium and tin, oxide containing tungsten and indium, oxide containing tungsten, indium and zinc, oxide containing titanium and indium, oxide containing titanium, indium and tin, oxide containing indium and zinc, oxide containing silicon, indium and tin, oxide containing indium and gallium and zinc, etc.

[0100] In the example embodiment, the light-emitting structure layer 130 can include an anode 131, a pixel definition layer PDL, an organic light-emitting layer 133, and a cathode 132. The anode 131 is disposed on the planar layer PLN and connected to the drain electrode 124 through the via hole formed on the planar layer PLN. The pixel definition layer PDL is disposed on the anode 131 and the planar layer PLN, and has a pixel opening formed thereon to expose the anode 131. The organic light-emitting layer 133 is disposed in the pixel opening. The cathode 132 is disposed on the organic light-emitting layer 133. The organic light-emitting layer 133 emits light of a corresponding color under the action of a voltage applied between the anode 131 and the cathode 132.

[0101] In the example embodiment, the organic light-emitting layer 133 can include at least a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an emission layer (EML), an electron transport layer (ETL), and an electron injection layer (EIL) stacked together. The hole injection layer and the hole transport layer can be collectively referred to as a hole layer, and the electron transport layer and the electron injection layer can be collectively referred to as an electron layer.

[0102] In the example embodiment, the encapsulation layer 140 can include a first encapsulation layer 141, a second encapsulation layer 142, and a third encapsulation layer 143 stacked together. The first encapsulation layer 141 and the third encapsulation layer 143 can be made of inorganic materials, and the second encapsulation layer 142 can be made of an organic material. The second encapsulation layer 142 is disposed between the first encapsulation layer 141 and the third encapsulation layer 143, and can prevent external water vapor from entering the light-emitting structure layer 130.

[0103] In the above embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 6, 9, and 12, the display substrate 10 and the cover plate 20 can further include an optical functional layer 60 and an optical adhesive layer 61. The optical functional layer 60 covers the display area of the display substrate 10. For example, the optical functional layer 60 is a polarizing sheet, which can be a circular polarizing sheet to reduce the reflection of ambient light by the display module. The optical adhesive layer 61 is disposed between the optical functional layer 60 and the cover plate 20.

[0104] It should be noted that, in FIGS. 6 to 12, the display substrate 10 is in a curved structure (i.e., including the display portion 11, the curved portion 12, and the driving portion 13), and the display substrate 10 is bent on one side. In other embodiments, the display substrate 10 can be bent on both sides, i.e., both sides of the display substrate 10 include the curved portion 12 and the driving portion 13. In this case, the bottom wall 81 can include a first sub-wall 811 and two second sub-walls 812.

[0105] It should be further noted that in other embodiments, the display substrate 10 can also be a plate structure, and the connecting structure 30 is connected between the driving circuit board 40 and the display substrate 10, and the driving circuit board 40 is located on the side of the display substrate 10 away from the cover plate 20 by bending of the connecting structure 30. In this case, the structure of the display module is similar to the above-mentioned embodiments, and the connecting structure 30 can also pass through the opening on the bottom wall 81, and the opening can also be arranged on the connecting sub-wall 813. The difference from the above-mentioned embodiments is that the back light side of the display substrate 10 can no longer be provided with the support part 55, and in addition, there is a gap between the side wall 82 of the protection frame 80 and the connecting structure 30 to prevent the protection frame 80 from colliding with the connecting structure 30 during the assembly process of the protection frame 80 and the cover plate 20, thereby preventing the devices or signal lines on the connecting structure 30 from being damaged.

[0106] Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a display device including the display module in the above-mentioned embodiments. The display device can include any device or product having a display function. For example, the display device can be a vehicle-mounted display device, a smart phone, a mobile phone, an electronic book reader, a desktop PC, a laptop PC, a netbook PC, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a digital audio player, a mobile medical device, a camera, a wearable device (e.g., a head-mounted device, an electronic bracelet, or a smart watch), and the like.

[0107] It can be understood that the above embodiments are only exemplary embodiments adopted for illustrating the principles of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Various modifications and improvements can be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and essence of the present disclosure, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A display module, comprising: Display substrate; A cover plate, wherein the cover plate is disposed on the light-emitting side of the display substrate; A protective frame, the protective frame including a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the bottom wall, the bottom wall being located on the side of the display substrate away from the cover plate; The sidewall is connected to the cover plate and defines an accommodating space together with the cover plate and the bottom wall, and the display substrate is located in the accommodating space; The orthographic projection of the protective frame onto a reference plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the cover plate is located within the orthographic projection range of the cover plate onto the reference plane.

2. The display module according to claim 1, wherein, The sidewall is a continuous annular structure surrounding the display substrate.

3. The display module according to claim 1, wherein, An opening is provided on the bottom wall, and the display module further includes: A drive circuit board is located on the side of the bottom wall opposite to the cover plate; The connection structure passes through the opening, and its two ends are electrically connected to the display substrate and the driving circuit board, respectively.

4. The display module according to claim 3, wherein, The display substrate is a flexible display substrate and includes a display part, a driving part and a curved part connected between the display part and the driving part. The display part is disposed opposite to the cover plate, and the driving part is located on the side of the display part away from the cover plate and is electrically connected to the connection structure. The curved portion does not contact the protective frame.

5. The display module according to claim 4, wherein, The display module also includes: A first back film is disposed on the surface of the display unit facing the bottom wall; A second back film is disposed on the surface of the drive unit that is away from the bottom wall; A support portion is located between the first back film and the second back film, and the orthographic projection of the support portion on the cover plate is within the orthographic projection range of the second back film on the cover plate.

6. The display module according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein, The bottom wall includes a first sub-wall, a second sub-wall, and a connecting sub-wall connecting the first sub-wall and the second sub-wall. Both the first sub-wall and the second sub-wall are connected to the side wall. The driving circuit board is located on the side of the first sub-wall facing away from the cover plate. The connection structure includes a connection part electrically connected to the display substrate. The connection part is located on the side of the second sub-wall facing the cover plate. The opening is provided on the connecting sub-wall. Wherein, the distance between the first sub-wall and the cover plate is less than or equal to the distance between the second sub-wall and the cover plate.

7. The display module according to claim 6, wherein, Neither the display substrate nor the connection structure is in contact with the second sub-wall.

8. The display module according to claim 6, wherein, There is an air gap between the first sub-wall and the display substrate.

9. The display module according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein, The display module includes multiple connected driving circuit boards, and the connection structure is electrically connected to one of the driving circuit boards; In this embodiment, at least one of the drive circuit boards is provided with a support column between it and the bottom wall, and the two ends of the support column are respectively connected to the drive circuit board and the bottom wall.

10. The display module according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein, The display module also includes a mounting post, which is fixed to the bottom wall surface facing away from the cover plate, and the mounting post and the orthographic projection of the drive circuit board on the cover plate do not overlap.

11. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The bottom wall is provided with at least one of a buffer layer and a heat insulation layer on the side facing the display substrate.

12. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The display substrate includes a display area, and the cover plate includes a light-transmitting area disposed opposite to the display area and a light-shielding area surrounding the light-transmitting area; the orthographic projection of the sidewall on the cover plate is located in the light-shielding area.

13. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The surface of at least one of the bottom wall and the side wall is provided with a functional layer, the functional layer including at least one of an antistatic layer, an electrostatic shielding layer and a flame retardant layer.

14. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, An adhesive layer is provided between the sidewall and the cover plate.

15. The display module according to claim 14, wherein, The adhesive layer includes at least one of a buffer adhesive layer, a thermally conductive adhesive layer, and a conductive adhesive layer.

16. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The material of the protective frame includes any one of the following: metal, polymer composite material, and ceramic matrix material.

17. A display device comprising the display module according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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