Touch module and display apparatus

Abstract

Provided are a touch module and a display apparatus. The touch module comprises: a first support layer and a touch layer arranged on the first support layer, and the touch module comprises at least one touch area and at least one non-touch area, wherein the touch layer comprises a plurality of touch electrodes and a plurality of touch traces which are both located in the touch area, and the plurality of touch electrodes are respectively electrically connected to the plurality of touch traces, so as to transmit or receive touch signals; and the touch layer further comprises at least one dummy electrode located in the non-touch area, and the dummy electrode does not transmit or receive any touch signals.

Description

Touch module and display device TECHNICAL FIELD

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

[0002] At present, display devices with touch function include full-surface touch display devices and partial touch display devices. Among them, partial touch refers to a technology that part of the area of the display device supports touch, and other areas do not support touch. Compared with full-surface touch technology, partial touch is a low-cost touch solution.

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background section is only used to strengthen the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore can include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. SUMMARY

[0004] In one aspect, a touch module is provided, comprising: a first support layer and a touch layer disposed on the first support layer;

[0005] The touch module comprises at least one touch area and at least one non-touch area;

[0006] The touch layer comprises a plurality of touch electrodes and a plurality of touch wires in the touch area, and the plurality of touch electrodes are electrically connected to the plurality of touch wires respectively for sending or receiving touch signals;

[0007] The touch layer further comprises at least one virtual electrode in the non-touch area, and the virtual electrode does not send or receive touch signals.

[0008] According to some exemplary embodiments, the touch area is located on one side of the non-touch area; or,

[0009] The touch area is half-enclosed by the non-touch area; or,

[0010] The touch area is enclosed by the non-touch area.

[0011] According to some exemplary embodiments, the plurality of touch electrodes are arranged in an array in the touch area along a first direction and a second direction;

[0012] The touch layer comprises a plurality of virtual electrodes in the non-touch area, and the plurality of virtual electrodes are arranged in an array in the non-touch area along a first direction and a second direction; and

[0013] The plurality of touch electrodes and the plurality of virtual electrodes are arranged in a row along the first direction, and / or the plurality of touch electrodes and the plurality of virtual electrodes are arranged in a column along the second direction.

[0014] According to some exemplary embodiments, the touch control layer further comprises a plurality of virtual traces located in the non-touch control area.

[0015] The plurality of virtual traces are respectively arranged apart from the plurality of virtual electrodes; or the plurality of virtual traces are respectively electrically connected with the plurality of virtual electrodes for transmitting non-touch control signals.

[0016] According to some exemplary embodiments, the touch control electrodes and the virtual electrodes are arranged in the same layer; and / or,

[0017] The touch control traces and the virtual traces are arranged in the same layer.

[0018] According to some exemplary embodiments,

[0019] The virtual electrodes are not overlapped with the virtual traces on the first support layer.

[0020] According to some exemplary embodiments, at least one of the virtual traces comprises a plurality of disconnected virtual sub-traces.

[0021] According to some exemplary embodiments, at least one of the virtual traces is connected with a specific voltage signal.

[0022] According to some exemplary embodiments, the touch control module further comprises a lead-out trace area, one end of the touch control trace is electrically connected with the touch control electrode, and the other end of the touch control trace is gathered to the lead-out trace area.

[0023] According to some exemplary embodiments, the touch control module further comprises a polarizing layer located between the first support layer and the touch control layer.

[0024] According to some exemplary embodiments, the touch control layer comprises a first substrate arranged on a side of the polarizing layer away from the first support layer; a first electrode layer, a first insulating layer, a second electrode layer and a second insulating layer stacked on a side of the first substrate away from the polarizing layer; and

[0025] The touch control electrodes comprise driving electrodes and sensing electrodes, the driving electrodes are used for sending driving signals, and the sensing electrodes are used for sensing touch control operations,

[0026] Part of the driving electrodes and the sensing electrodes are located in the first electrode layer, and the other part of the driving electrodes and the sensing electrodes are located in the second electrode layer.

[0027] According to some exemplary embodiments, the touch control wires include first sub-touch control wires and second sub-touch control wires, the first sub-touch control wires are located at the first electrode layer, and the second sub-touch control wires are located at the second electrode layer; and / or,

[0028] The virtual wires include first sub-virtual wires and second sub-virtual wires, the first sub-virtual wires are located at the first electrode layer, and the second sub-virtual wires are located at the second electrode layer.

[0029] According to some exemplary embodiments, the touch control layer includes a first substrate arranged at a side of the polarizing layer away from the first support layer; a first electrode layer and a first insulating layer stacked at a side of the first substrate away from the polarizing layer; and

[0030] The touch control electrodes include driving electrodes and sensing electrodes, the driving electrodes are used for sending driving signals, the sensing electrodes are used for sensing touch control operations, the driving electrodes and the sensing electrodes are both located at the first electrode layer, and the plurality of touch control wires are all located at the first electrode layer.

[0031] According to some exemplary embodiments, the touch control module further includes a first adhesive layer arranged at a side of the first support layer away from the polarizing layer; and a release film arranged at a side of the first adhesive layer away from the first support layer.

[0032] According to some exemplary embodiments, the touch control module further includes a protective film arranged at a side of the touch control layer away from the polarizing layer.

[0033] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a display device is provided, which includes the touch control module according to any one of the above.

[0034] According to some exemplary embodiments, the display device further includes a substrate substrate, and the touch control module is arranged on the substrate substrate.

[0035] The substrate substrate includes a display area, and the display area includes at least one touch control display area,

[0036] The orthographic projection of the touch control display area on the substrate substrate falls within the orthographic projection of the touch control area on the substrate substrate.

[0037] According to some exemplary embodiments, the touch control display area includes at least one of a screen menu adjustment touch control display area, a task bar menu touch control display area, and an information writing touch control display area,

[0038] The screen menu adjustment touch control display area is used for adjusting a screen menu of the display device, the task bar menu touch control display area is used for touch control operations of a task bar menu of the display device, and the information writing touch control display area is used for writing or recording information.

[0039] According to some exemplary embodiments, the display device comprises a first side region and a second side region arranged adjacently, the taskbar menu touch display area is located in the first side region; and / or, the information writing touch display area is located in the second side region; the display device further comprises a first corner region, and the screen menu adjustment touch display area is located in the first corner region. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0040] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0041] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a touch module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] FIG. 2 is a partial planar schematic diagram of a touch module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] FIG. 3 is a partial planar schematic diagram of a touch module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which a touch area and a peripheral area are shown;

[0044] FIG. 4 is a partial planar schematic diagram of a non-touch area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] FIG. 5 is a partial planar schematic diagram of a non-touch area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] FIG. 6 is a partial planar schematic diagram of a non-touch area according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] FIG. 7 is a partial planar schematic diagram of a touch area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] FIG. 8 is a partial planar schematic diagram of a non-touch area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0049] FIG. 9 is a partial schematic diagram of a non-touch area of a touch module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0050] FIG. 10 is a partial schematic diagram of a non-touch area of a touch module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] FIGS. 11A-11C are planar schematic diagrams of a touch module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the positional relationship of a touch area and a non-touch area is shown;

[0052] FIG. 12 is a planar schematic diagram of a touch module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0053] FIG. 13 is a structural schematic diagram of a touch layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0054] FIG. 14 is an enlarged schematic view of one touch unit in FIG. 7;

[0055] FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a structure of a touch layer according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0056] FIG. 16 is a plan view of a touch layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0057] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0058] FIG. 18 is a plan view of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] It should be noted that, for clarity of description, the size of a layer, structure or region in the drawings used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure can be exaggerated or reduced, i.e., the drawings are not drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] In order to make the objects, 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 drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort belong to the scope of the present disclosure.

[0061] It should be noted that, in the drawings, the size and relative size of elements can be exaggerated for clarity and / or descriptive purposes. Thus, the size and relative size of the elements in the drawings is not necessarily drawn to scale. In the description and drawings, identical or similar reference numerals indicate identical or similar components.

[0062] Unless otherwise defined, technical terms or scientific terms used in the present disclosure should be understood as having the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. 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. The terms "include" or "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, and do not exclude other elements or objects.

[0063] In this document, unless otherwise specified, directional terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", and the like are used for convenience with reference to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present disclosure, and do not indicate or imply that the device, element or component referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. It should be understood that when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship they represent may also change accordingly. Therefore, these directional terms cannot be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0064] In this document, directional expressions "first direction", "second direction" are used to describe different directions of the touch module or the display substrate, for example, the row direction and the column direction of the touch electrode. It should be understood that such representation is only an exemplary description, and is not a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0065] In this document, unless otherwise specified, the expression "electrically connected" can mean that two components or elements are directly electrically connected, for example, component or element A is in direct contact with component or element B, and an electrical signal can be transmitted between the two; it can also mean that two components or elements are electrically connected through a conductive medium such as a conductive wire, for example, component or element A is electrically connected to component or element B through a conductive wire to transmit an electrical signal between the two components or elements; it can also mean that two components or elements are electrically connected through at least one electronic component, for example, component or element A is electrically connected to component or element B through at least one thin film transistor to transmit an electrical signal between the two components or elements.

[0066] At present, the touch module in the display device with touch function mainly includes two categories of in-cell touch module and on-cell touch module.

[0067] Taking a liquid crystal display device as an example, the in-cell touch module is to set the touch electrode in the touch module inside the liquid crystal cell, so that the thickness of the liquid crystal cell does not need to be increased, but the touch will occupy the display time, so it is difficult to support high-frequency products.

[0068] The on-cell touch module does not occupy the display time and can support high-frequency products. For example, the refresh rate of some e-sports screens can reach 240Hz or more, and the in-cell touch technology is difficult to meet, while the on-cell touch technology can support it. The on-cell touch module has various forms. Taking a liquid crystal display device as an example, one kind of on-cell touch module is to make the touch electrode on the color filter of the liquid crystal cell, and then attach the polarizer. Among them, the touch electrode needs to be bound on the color filter, and the technical process route and structure of this method are relatively complex. Another on-cell touch module is to make the touch electrode on the cover glass, and then attach the cover glass to the liquid crystal display device, which will increase the thickness of the liquid crystal display device.

[0069] The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a touch module, comprising: a first support layer and a touch layer arranged on the first support layer; the touch module comprises at least one touch area and at least one non-touch area; the touch layer comprises a plurality of touch electrodes and a plurality of touch wires in the touch area, the plurality of touch electrodes are electrically connected with the plurality of touch wires respectively, and are used for sending or receiving touch signals; and the touch layer further comprises at least one virtual electrode in the non-touch area, and the virtual electrode does not send or receive touch signals.

[0070] By arranging the touch area and the non-touch area in the touch layer, the touch module has a local touch function. By attaching the touch module on the display device, the local touch function of the display device can be realized. The attachment of the touch module is the same as the attachment of the normal polaroid, which is beneficial to reduce the cost and does not increase the thickness of the display device.

[0071] Fig. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a touch module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] Exemplarily, referring to Fig. 1, the touch module 100 comprises a first support layer 3 and a touch layer 5 arranged on the first support layer.

[0073] The touch layer 5 can comprise at least one touch electrode layer, and the touch electrode layer can comprise a driving electrode and a sensing electrode, which are used for sending or receiving touch signals.

[0074] Exemplarily, the touch module 100 can further comprise a polaroid layer 4 between the first support layer 3 and the touch layer 5.

[0075] The material of the first support layer 3 can comprise various types of materials, for example, can comprise tri-cellulose acetate (TCA for short). The material of the first support layer 3 can also be other materials, which are not limited herein. The first support layer 3 can be used to isolate moisture and air, and protect the polaroid layer 4.

[0076] The material of the polaroid layer 4 can comprise various types of materials, for example, can comprise polu vinyl alcohol (PVA for short). The material of the polaroid layer 4 can also be other materials, which are not limited herein. The polaroid layer 4 can absorb light rays of one polarization state in natural light, and transmit light rays of another polarization state, so as to obtain polarized light.

[0077] Exemplarily, the touch module 100 can also be used as a polaroid. The performance of the polaroid layer 4 determines the polaroid performance and light transmittance of the touch module 100.

[0078] By integrating the touch layer 5 and the polarizing layer 4 together, the touch module 100 can have both touch function and polarizing function, and the structure is simple, which is conducive to reducing the cost. In addition, the integration design has little effect on the thickness of the touch module 100, which is conducive to the thinning of the touch module and the display panel.

[0079] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1, the touch module 100 can further include a first adhesive layer 2 located on the side of the first support layer 3 away from the polarizing layer 4; and a release film 1 located on the side of the first adhesive layer 2 away from the first support layer 3.

[0080] Exemplarily, the material of the first adhesive layer 2 can include pressure-sensitive adhesive, which can be used to attach the touch module 100 to the display panel. The performance of the first adhesive layer 2 can affect the adhesion performance and patch processing performance of the touch module 100.

[0081] Before attaching the touch module 100 to the display panel, the release film 1 can protect the material in the first adhesive layer 2 from damage and avoid generating a bonding bubble. When attaching the touch module 100 to the display panel, the release film 1 can be removed first.

[0082] Exemplarily, the touch module 100 can further include a protective film 6 located on the side of the touch layer 5 away from the polarizing layer 4. The protective film 6 can protect the touch module 100 from external damage.

[0083] FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of a touch module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of a touch module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which a touch area and a peripheral area are shown; and FIG. 4 is a partial plan view of a non-touch area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0084] Exemplarily, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 2, the touch module 100 includes at least one touch area TA and at least one non-touch area VA. The touch area TA can be an area having touch function, and the non-touch area VA can be an area not having touch function. By adjusting the positional relationship between the touch area TA and the non-touch area VA, the position of the area having touch function in the touch module 100 can be flexibly designed. Accordingly, the position of the area having touch function in the display device using the touch module 100 can also be flexibly designed, which is conducive to meeting various types of touch requirements of the display device.

[0085] Exemplarily, in combination with FIGS. 1-3, the touch layer 5 can include a plurality of touch electrodes 501 and a plurality of touch wires 502 located in the touch area TA, the plurality of touch electrodes 501 are respectively electrically connected with the plurality of touch wires 502, and are used to send or receive touch signals.

[0086] Exemplarily, at least part of the touch wires 502 is located in the touch area TA and can be electrically connected with the touch electrodes 501. At least another part of the touch wires 502 can be located in the peripheral area MA of the touch module 100. The touch wires 502 located in the peripheral area MA can be connected with external circuits, so as to realize electrical connection between the external circuits and the touch electrodes 501.

[0087] Exemplarily, the touch electrodes 501 can be arranged in an array along the first direction X and the second direction Y in the touch area TA. For example, the touch electrodes 501 can include a plurality of first touch electrodes 5011 and a plurality of second touch electrodes 5012. The first touch electrodes 5011 extend along the second direction Y. The second touch electrodes 5012 extend along the first direction X. The first touch electrodes 5011 and the second touch electrodes 5012 are arranged in a cross manner, and the cross positions are insulated by an insulating layer.

[0088] Here, the shapes and the number of the first touch electrodes 5011 and the second touch electrodes 5012 are not limited, and the shapes and the number of the first touch electrodes 5011 and the second touch electrodes 5012 can be selected according to actual needs, as long as the positions of the touch points can be determined by detecting capacitance.

[0089] Here, the types of the first touch electrodes 5011 and the second touch electrodes 5012 are not limited, for example, the first touch electrodes 5011 can be driving electrodes TX, and the second touch electrodes 5012 can be sensing electrodes RX. Or, the first touch electrodes 5011 can be sensing electrodes RX, and the second touch electrodes 5012 can be driving electrodes TX.

[0090] It should be noted that the first touch electrodes 5011 and the second touch electrodes 5012 are arranged in a cross manner, which can be that the first touch electrodes 5011 and the second touch electrodes 5012 are perpendicular to each other, or the included angle between the first touch electrodes 5011 and the second touch electrodes 5012 is an acute angle. Embodiments of the present disclosure take the first touch electrodes 5011 and the second touch electrodes 5012 being perpendicular to each other as an example for illustration.

[0091] Exemplarily, one first touch electrode 5011 can include a plurality of first electrode blocks 5011a and a plurality of first bridge portions 5011b. Two adjacent first electrode blocks 5011a can be connected by one first bridge portion 5011b.

[0092] Exemplarily, one second touch electrode 5012 can include a plurality of second electrode blocks 5012a and a plurality of second bridge portions 5012b. Two adjacent second electrode blocks 5012a can be connected by one second bridge portion 5012b.

[0093] Exemplarily, the first bridge portion 5011b and the second bridge portion 5012b can be located at different conductive layers and be insulated by an insulating layer. Therefore, the first bridge portion 5011b and the second bridge portion 5012b exist in an intersecting region.

[0094] In some embodiments, with continuous reference to FIG. 3, one first touch electrode 5011 can be electrically connected with one touch wire 502. And / or, one second touch electrode 5012 can be electrically connected with one touch wire 502. The touch wire 502 can be electrically connected with an external touch chip, so as to realize a touch function.

[0095] Exemplarily, with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the touch layer 5 can further include at least one virtual electrode 503 located in the non-touch area VA. The virtual electrode 503 does not send or receive a touch signal.

[0096] Exemplarily, the touch layer 5 can include a plurality of virtual electrodes 503 located in the non-touch area VA. The plurality of virtual electrodes 503 can be arranged in an array along the first direction X and the second direction Y in the non-touch area VA. For example, with reference to FIG. 2, the plurality of touch electrodes 501 and the plurality of virtual electrodes 503 are arranged in a row along the first direction X. And / or, the plurality of touch electrodes 501 and the plurality of virtual electrodes 503 are arranged in a column along the second direction Y.

[0097] Exemplarily, the plurality of virtual electrodes 503 can be spaced apart and do not send or receive a touch signal. For example, the plurality of virtual electrodes 503 can only include a plurality of virtual electrode blocks 5031 and do not include a bridge portion, so that the plurality of virtual electrode blocks 5031 cannot send or receive a touch signal.

[0098] When the touch module 100 is applied to a display device, the uniformly distributed touch electrodes 501 and virtual electrodes 503 have a more consistent effect on light emission at different positions, thereby reducing the influence on the display uniformity of the display device and being conducive to improving the display effect of the display device.

[0099] FIG. 5 is a partial plan view of a non-touch area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG. 6 is a partial plan view of a non-touch area according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0100] In some embodiments, with reference to FIG. 5, the virtual electrode 503 of the non-touch area VA can include a plurality of virtual electrode blocks 5031 and a plurality of virtual bridge portions 5032. The virtual bridge portion 5032 can adopt a disconnected design, so that the virtual electrode 503 does not send or receive a touch signal.

[0101] The virtual bridge portion 5032 is uniformly distributed with the first bridge portion 5011b and the second bridge portion 5012b in the touch module 100, which can further reduce the influence of the touch module 100 on the uniformity of the display device, and is conducive to improving the display effect of the display device.

[0102] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 6, the touch module 100 further comprises at least one virtual wire 504. The virtual wire 504 can access a specific voltage signal V1. For example, the specific voltage signal V1 can be a low-level signal, such as a ground signal, so as to shield other signals in the virtual wire 504, and ensure that no touch signal is transmitted between the virtual electrode 503 and the virtual wire 504, thereby ensuring that the non-touch area does not have touch function.

[0103] The virtual wire 504 is uniformly distributed with the touch wire 502 in the touch module 100, which can further reduce the influence of the touch module 100 on the uniformity of the display device, and is conducive to improving the display effect of the display device.

[0104] FIG. 7 is a partial planar schematic view of a touch area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 8 is a partial planar schematic view of a non-touch area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 9 is a partial schematic view of a non-touch area of a touch module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG. 10 is a partial schematic view of a non-touch area of a touch module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0105] For example, one touch unit 510 can comprise one first touch electrode 5011 and one second touch electrode 5012. For example, one first touch electrode 5011 can comprise two first electrode blocks 5011a and one first bridge portion 5011b. One second touch electrode 5012 can comprise two second electrode blocks 5012a and one second bridge portion 5012b.

[0106] Unlike the embodiment of FIG. 3, in the embodiment of FIG. 7, the plurality of touch units 510 in the same row are independent of each other. Alternatively, the plurality of touch units 510 in the same column are independent of each other. One touch unit 510 can be connected to an external circuit, such as an external touch chip, through two touch wires 502. For example, the first touch electrode 5011 is electrically connected to the external touch chip through a first sub-touch wire 5021, and the second touch electrode 5012 is electrically connected to the external touch chip through a second sub-touch wire 5022.

[0107] Exemplarily, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the touch control layer 5 can further include a plurality of virtual wires 504 located in the non-touch control area VA. The plurality of virtual wires 504 are respectively arranged in a spaced manner with the plurality of virtual electrodes 503. Alternatively, the plurality of virtual wires 504 are respectively electrically connected with the plurality of virtual electrodes 503, and are used to transmit non-touch control signals.

[0108] Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 8, in the non-touch control area VA, the virtual electrodes 503 and the virtual wires 504 can adopt a disconnected design. For example, the plurality of virtual wires 504 are respectively arranged in a spaced manner with the plurality of virtual electrodes 503, and the virtual electrodes 503 are not overlapped with the virtual wires 504 on the first support layer 3. Through such a disconnected design, the signal transmission channel between the virtual electrodes 503 and the virtual wires 504 can be disconnected, and thus the virtual electrodes 503 and the virtual wires 504 can not transmit touch control signals, so that the non-touch control area does not have a touch control function.

[0109] The virtual electrodes 503 and the virtual wires 504 in the non-touch control area can also adopt other design manners to ensure that the virtual electrodes 503 and the virtual wires 504 do not transmit touch control signals.

[0110] Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 9, at least one virtual wire 504 includes a plurality of disconnected virtual sub-wires 5043. The virtual wire 504 can be connected or not connected with the virtual electrode 503. The virtual wire 504 itself is divided into a plurality of disconnected virtual sub-wires 5043, and thus the virtual electrodes 503 and the virtual wires 504 cannot form a channel for transmitting touch control signals, thereby ensuring that the non-touch control area does not have a touch control function.

[0111] Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 10, at least one virtual wire 504 is electrically connected with a specific voltage signal V1. For example, the specific voltage signal V1 can be a low-level signal, such as a ground signal, so as to shield other signals in the virtual wire 504, ensure that the virtual electrodes 503 and the virtual wires 504 transmit non-touch control signals, and thus ensure that the non-touch control area does not have a touch control function. By designing the touch control area TA and the non-touch control area VA in the touch control module 100, the partial touch control function of the touch control module 100 can be realized, which is beneficial to simplify the design scheme, save costs, and is beneficial to realize the design of a low-cost display device with a partial touch control function.

[0112] The touch electrodes 501 in the touch area TA and the dummy electrodes 503 in the non-touch area VA are uniformly distributed on the touch module; and / or, the touch traces 502 in the touch area TA and the dummy traces 504 in the non-touch area VA are uniformly distributed on the touch module, so that the influence effect of the touch module 100 on the light emission of different positions of the display device is more consistent, thereby reducing the influence on the display uniformity of the display device and facilitating the improvement of the display effect of the display device.

[0113] It should be noted that, in the case of no conflict, the design of the touch electrodes 501 and the touch traces 502 can adopt any one or a combination of more than one of the designs in FIGS. 3 and 7, to ensure that the touch electrodes 501 and the touch traces 502 can transmit touch signals. The design of the dummy electrodes 503 and the dummy traces 504 can adopt any one or a combination of more than one of the designs in FIGS. 4-6 and FIGS. 8-10, to ensure that the dummy electrodes 503 and the dummy traces 504 do not transmit touch signals.

[0114] FIGS. 11A-11C are plan views of a touch module, showing the positional relationship between a touch area and a non-touch area, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0115] Exemplarily, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the positions of the touch area TA and the non-touch area VA in the touch module 100 can be flexibly set.

[0116] Exemplarily, the touch area TA can be located at one side of the non-touch area VA. For example, referring to FIG. 11A, the touch area TA can be located at the right side of the non-touch area VA. For another example, the touch area TA can also be located at the left side, the upper side or the lower side of the non-touch area VA.

[0117] Exemplarily, the touch area TA can be half-enclosed by the non-touch area VA. For example, referring to FIG. 11B, the touch area TA can be located at the lower side of the non-touch area VA, and the left side, the right side and the upper side of the touch area TA are adjacent to the non-touch area VA. For another example, the touch area TA can also be located at the lower right side of the non-touch area VA, and the left side and the upper side of the touch area TA are adjacent to the non-touch area VA.

[0118] Exemplarily, the touch area TA can be enclosed by the non-touch area VA. For example, referring to FIG. 11C, the four sides of the touch area TA are adjacent to the non-touch area VA.

[0119] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the shapes of the touch area TA and the non-touch area VA are rectangular, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The shapes of the touch area TA and the non-touch area VA can also include various shapes such as a circle, a triangle, a diamond, or a polygon. The shapes and positions of the touch area TA and the non-touch area VA in the touch module can be flexibly designed according to the shapes and positions of the areas requiring touch function in the display device, so as to ensure that the touch module can meet the local touch requirements of the display device.

[0120] It should also be noted that one touch area is shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 11A-11C, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. The touch module can also include two touch areas or more touch areas.

[0121] FIG. 12 is a plan view of a touch module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0122] Exemplarily, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 12, the touch module 100 further includes a lead-out wire area DA. One end of the touch wire 502 in the touch area TA is electrically connected to the touch electrode 501, and the other end of the touch wire 502 converges to the lead-out wire area DA for electrical connection with an external touch chip.

[0123] The virtual wire 504 in the non-touch area VA can not converge to the lead-out wire area DA. In this way, the number of pins in the lead-out wire area DA can be smaller, and the gap between the pins can be larger, which is beneficial to improve the pin bonding yield.

[0124] FIG. 13 is a structural schematic view of a touch layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG. 14 is an enlarged schematic view of one touch unit in FIG. 7.

[0125] Exemplarily, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIGS. 1 and 13, the touch layer 5 can include a first substrate 51 disposed on the side of the polarizing layer 4 away from the first support layer 3. The touch layer 5 can further include a first electrode layer 52, a first insulating layer 53, a second electrode layer 54, and a second insulating layer 55 stacked on the side of the first substrate 51 away from the polarizing layer 4.

[0126] Exemplarily, the material of the first substrate 51 can include polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET has excellent physical and mechanical properties in a wide temperature range, and the long-term use temperature can reach 120°C. The electrical insulation is excellent. Even at high temperature and high frequency, the electrical properties are still good, and the creep resistance, fatigue resistance, friction resistance, and dimensional stability are all good, so as to ensure the stability of the film layers located on the first substrate 51, and is beneficial to improve the stability of the touch layer 5.

[0127] Exemplarily, the material of the first electrode layer 52 and the second electrode layer 54 can include a metal conductive material, such as aluminum, or a transparent conductive material, such as ITO.

[0128] The first insulating layer 53 and the second insulating layer 55 can be used to isolate the first electrode layer 52 and the second electrode layer 54. The first insulating layer 53 and the second insulating layer 55 can also protect the first electrode layer 52 and the second electrode layer 54.

[0129] Exemplarily, in combination with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. 14, the touch unit 510 can include a first touch electrode 5011 and a second touch electrode 5012. Exemplarily, the first touch electrode 5011 can be a driving electrode TX for sending a touch signal, and the second touch electrode 5012 can be a sensing electrode RX for sensing a touch operation. Alternatively, the first touch electrode 5011 can be a sensing electrode RX for sensing a touch operation, and the second touch electrode 5012 can be a driving electrode TX for sending a touch signal.

[0130] Exemplarily, in combination with reference to FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, a part of the driving electrode TX and the touch electrode RX can be located in the first electrode layer 52, and another part of the driving electrode TX and the sensing electrode RX can be located in the second electrode layer 54. For example, the first touch electrode 5011 can include two first electrode blocks 5011a and a first bridge 5011b. One second touch electrode 5012 can include two second electrode blocks 5012a and a second bridge 5012b. The first electrode block 5011a, the second electrode block 5012a, and the first bridge 5011b can all be located in the first electrode layer 52. The second bridge 5012b can be located in the second electrode layer 54. Alternatively, the first electrode block 5011a, the second electrode block 5012a, and the first bridge 5011b can all be located in the second electrode layer 54. The second bridge 5012b can be located in the first electrode layer 52.

[0131] The first bridge 5011b and the second bridge 5012b can be insulated from each other by the first insulating layer 53. The second electrode block 5012a can be electrically connected with the second bridge 5012b through a via VH penetrating the first insulating layer 53. Through such a design, the driving electrode TX and the sensing electrode RX can be staggered and arranged, and have a coupling capacitance therebetween. The touch function can be realized by monitoring the change of the capacitance of the coupling capacitance.

[0132] Exemplarily, the virtual electrode 503 can be arranged in the same layer as the touch electrode 501. For example, referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the virtual electrode block 5031 can be arranged in the same layer as the first electrode block 5011a, the second electrode block 5012a and the first bridge 5011b. For another example, the virtual bridge 5032 can be arranged in the same layer as the second bridge 5012b.

[0133] The touch electrode 501 and the virtual electrode 503 can be formed in the same process step, so as to ensure that the patterns of the touch electrode 501 and the virtual electrode 503 are uniformly distributed in the touch module 100. When the touch module 100 is applied to a display device, the uniformly distributed touch electrode 501 and virtual electrode 503 have a more consistent effect on light emission at different positions, thereby reducing the influence on the display uniformity of the display device and facilitating improvement of the display effect of the display device.

[0134] Exemplarily, the touch wire 502 can be arranged in any one of the first electrode layer 52 or the second electrode layer 54.

[0135] Exemplarily, the touch wire 502 can be arranged in both the first electrode layer 52 and the second electrode layer 54, which is conducive to improving the conductivity of the touch wire 502.

[0136] Exemplarily, the virtual wire can be arranged in any one of the first electrode layer 52 or the second electrode layer 54. Alternatively, the virtual wire can be arranged in both the first electrode layer 52 and the second electrode layer 54.

[0137] Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 7, the touch wire 502 can include a first sub-touch wire 5021 and a second sub-touch wire 5022. The first sub-touch wire 5021 can be electrically connected with the first touch electrode 5011. The second sub-touch wire 5022 can be electrically connected with the second touch electrode 5012.

[0138] Exemplarily, the first sub-touch wire 5021 is arranged in the first electrode layer 52, and the second sub-touch wire 5022 is arranged in the second electrode layer 54.

[0139] Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 8, the virtual wire 504 can include a first sub-virtual wire 5041 and a second sub-virtual wire 5042. The first sub-virtual wire 5041 is arranged in the first electrode layer 52, and the second sub-virtual wire 5042 is arranged in the second electrode layer 54. The touch wire 502 and the virtual wire 504 can be arranged in the same layer. For example, the first sub-touch wire 5021 and the first sub-virtual wire 5041 can be arranged in the same layer. For another example, the second sub-touch wire 5022 and the second sub-virtual wire 5042 can be arranged in the same layer. Through such a design, the patterns of the touch wire 502 and the virtual wire 504 can be uniformly distributed in the touch module 100.

[0140] When the touch module 100 is applied to the display device, the uniformly distributed touch electrodes 501 and virtual electrodes 503 and the uniformly distributed touch traces 502 and virtual traces 504 have more consistent influence on light emission at different positions, thereby reducing the influence on display uniformity of the display device and facilitating improvement of display effect of the display device.

[0141] FIG. 15 is a structural schematic diagram of a touch layer according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and FIG. 16 is a plan schematic diagram of a touch layer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0142] In some embodiments, the touch electrodes 501 can be disposed in a separate conductive layer. For example, with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, the touch layer 5 can include a first substrate 51 disposed on a side of the polarizing layer 4 away from the first support layer 3. The touch layer 5 can further include a first electrode layer 52 and a first insulating layer 53 stacked on a side of the first substrate 51 away from the polarizing layer 4. The touch electrodes 501 include drive electrodes TX and sense electrodes RX. The drive electrodes TX and the sense electrodes RX can both be located in the first electrode layer 52. The touch traces 502 can also be located in the first electrode layer 52.

[0143] Each drive electrode TX and sense electrode RX corresponds to a channel and is electrically connected to a pin of the flexible circuit board through a lead. By detecting the change in capacitance value between adjacent three channels, the touch position can be determined.

[0144] In the non-touch area VA, the virtual electrodes 503 can also be located in the first electrode layer 52. The virtual electrodes 503 do not transmit touch signals. For example, the virtual electrodes 503 are spaced apart from the touch electrodes 501.

[0145] Exemplarily, the material of the first electrode layer 52 can include a transparent conductive material, such as ITO.

[0146] When the touch module 100 is applied to the display device, the uniformly distributed touch electrodes 501 and virtual electrodes 503 have more consistent influence on light emission at different positions, thereby reducing the influence on display uniformity of the display device and facilitating improvement of display effect of the display device.

[0147] FIG. 17 is a structural block diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0148] Optionally, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a display device 200, which can include the above-described touch module 100, with reference to FIG. 17.

[0149] Exemplarily, the display device 200 can further include the touch control chip 150. The touch control module 100 is electrically connected to the touch control chip 150, so that the touch control signals collected by the touch control module can be transmitted to the touch control chip 150.

[0150] Exemplarily, after the touch control wires 502 in the touch control module 100 converge to the lead-out wire area DA, the touch control wires 502 can be connected to a flexible circuit board (for example, an FPC board) through conductive glue (for example, ACF glue), and the touch control chip 150 can be designed on the flexible circuit board. The other side of the flexible circuit board can be connected to an external driving circuit board (for example, a PCB board) through a binding technology, so that the signal transmission between the touch control electrodes 501, the touch control chip 150 and the driving circuit board can be realized, and then the touch control of the display device 200 can be realized.

[0151] Exemplarily, the external driving circuit board can include a driving power supply, and can drive the touch control chip 150 in real time, so that the real-time collection and transmission of the touch control signals can be realized, and the sensitivity of the touch control can be improved.

[0152] FIG. 18 is a plan view of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0153] Exemplarily, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 18, the display device 200 further includes a substrate 201. The touch control module 100 is arranged on the substrate 201.

[0154] Exemplarily, the display device 200 can further include a driving circuit layer, a liquid crystal layer and a glass cover plate between the touch control module 100 and the substrate 201, or the display device 200 can further include a driving circuit layer, a light-emitting layer and a counter substrate between the touch control module 100 and the substrate 201. The touch control module 100 can be attached to the glass cover plate or the counter substrate through the first adhesive layer 2, and then the touch control wires 502 in the touch control module 100 located in the lead-out wire area are electrically connected to the pins at one end of the flexible circuit board on the display device 200, so that the display device 200 has a local touch control function. Exemplarily, the flexible circuit board can be located in a non-display area of the display device.

[0155] Continuing to refer to FIG. 18, the substrate 201 includes a display area AA, and the display area AA includes at least one touch control display area TSA. Exemplarily, the display area AA can also include a plurality of touch control display areas TSA.

[0156] Exemplarily, the touch control display areas TSA in the display device 200 and the touch control areas TA in the touch control module 100 can be arranged correspondingly, so that the display device 200 has a local touch control function in the corresponding areas. For example, one touch control display area TSA can correspond to one touch control area TA.

[0157] Exemplarily, the orthographic projection of the touch display area TSA on the substrate 201 falls within the orthographic projection of the touch area TA on the substrate 1. By such design, the integrity of the touch function in the touch display area TSA can be ensured.

[0158] In some display devices, the commonly used touch function mainly includes screen menu touch adjustment, taskbar menu touch adjustment, touch writing or recording information, etc. With reference to FIG. 18, by designing one or more of the taskbar menu touch area 110, the screen menu adjustment touch area 120 and the information writing touch area 130 in the touch module 100, the display device can have local touch function in the corresponding area. For example, the touch display area TSA of the display device 200 can include one or more of the taskbar menu touch display area 210, the screen menu adjustment touch display area 220 and the information writing touch display area 230. The taskbar menu touch display area 210 can be used for touch operation of the taskbar menu of the display device 200. The screen menu adjustment touch display area 220 can be used for adjusting the screen menu of the display device 200. The information writing touch display area 230 can be used for writing or recording information.

[0159] The position of the touch display area TSA in the display device 200 can be specifically and flexibly designed according to actual needs. For example, the position of the touch display area TSA in the display device 200 can be adjusted by flexibly designing the position of the touch area TA in the touch module 100. By such design, the local touch function of the display device can be realized while reducing the cost, and the thickness of the display device is not increased, which is beneficial to the light and thin display device.

[0160] Exemplarily, the orthographic projection of the taskbar menu touch display area 210 on the substrate falls within the orthographic projection of the taskbar menu touch area 110 on the substrate in the display device, so that the integrity of the touch function of the taskbar menu touch display area 210 can be ensured.

[0161] Exemplarily, the orthographic projection of the screen menu adjustment touch display area 220 on the substrate falls within the orthographic projection of the screen menu adjustment touch area 120 on the substrate in the display device, so that the integrity of the touch function of the screen menu adjustment touch display area 220 can be ensured.

[0162] Exemplarily, the orthographic projection of the information writing touch display area 230 on the substrate falls within the orthographic projection of the information writing touch area 130 on the substrate in the display device, so that the integrity of the touch function of the information writing touch display area 230 can be ensured.

[0163] For example, with continued reference to FIG. 18, the display device includes a first side area NA1 and a second side area NA2 arranged adjacently. The first side area NA1 and the second side area NA2 can be located in the display area AA. For example, the first side area NA1 can be located at the lower side of the display device 200. The second side area NA2 can be located at the right side of the display device 200. The taskbar menu touch display area 210 can be located in the first side area NA1. The information writing touch display area 230 can be located in the second side area NA2.

[0164] For example, the display device 200 can further include a first corner area NA3. The first corner area NA3 can be located in the display area AA. For example, the first corner area NA3 can be located at the lower right side of the display area AA. The screen menu adjustment touch display area 220 can be located in the first corner area NA3.

[0165] In embodiments of the present disclosure, the touch display areas TSA in the display device 200 can be arranged in different areas according to the habits of users, and the touch display areas can have different touch functions. For example, the taskbar menu touch display area 210 can be located at the lower side of the display device. The screen menu adjustment touch display area 220 can be located at the lower right side of the display device. The information writing touch display area 230 can be located at the right side of the display device. The plurality of touch display areas having different functions can partially overlap or not overlap. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 18, the taskbar menu touch display area 210 does not overlap with the screen menu adjustment touch display area 220. For another example, the screen menu adjustment touch display area 220 partially overlaps with the information writing touch display area 230.

[0166] Through such design, the positions of the areas having partial touch functions in the display device can be flexibly arranged, and the types of the touch functions in the partial touch areas can be designed specifically. In this way, the user habits and requirements can be met, the process can be simplified, the cost can be reduced, and the performance-price ratio of the display device can be improved.

[0167] Although some embodiments of the general inventive concept have been shown and described, it would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that certain changes can be made hereto, without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A touch module, characterized in that, The touch module comprises: a first support layer and a touch layer disposed on the first support layer; the touch module comprises at least one touch area and at least one non-touch area; the touch layer comprises a plurality of touch electrodes and a plurality of touch traces in the touch area, the plurality of touch electrodes are electrically connected with the plurality of touch traces respectively, and are used for sending or receiving touch signals; and the touch layer further comprises at least one virtual electrode in the non-touch area, and the virtual electrode does not send or receive touch signals. 2.The touch module according to claim 1, wherein, the touch area is located on one side of the non-touch area; or, the touch area is half-enclosed by the non-touch area; or, the touch area is enclosed by the non-touch area. 3.The touch module according to claim 2, wherein, the plurality of touch electrodes are arranged in an array along a first direction and a second direction in the touch area; the touch layer comprises a plurality of virtual electrodes in the non-touch area, and the plurality of virtual electrodes are arranged in an array along a first direction and a second direction in the non-touch area; and the plurality of touch electrodes and the plurality of virtual electrodes are arranged in a row along the first direction, and / or the plurality of touch electrodes and the plurality of virtual electrodes are arranged in a column along the second direction. 4.The touch module according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, the touch layer further comprises a plurality of virtual traces in the non-touch area; and the plurality of virtual traces are respectively arranged with the plurality of virtual electrodes; or the plurality of virtual traces are electrically connected with the plurality of virtual electrodes respectively, and are used for transmitting non-touch signals. 5.The touch module according to claim 4, wherein, the touch electrodes and the virtual electrodes are disposed in the same layer; and / or, the touch traces and the virtual traces are disposed in the same layer.

6. The touch module according to claim 4, wherein the virtual electrode does not overlap with the virtual trace on the first support layer. 7.The touch module according to claim 4, wherein, At least one of the virtual traces comprises a plurality of disconnected virtual sub-traces. 8.The touch module according to claim 4, wherein, At least one of the virtual traces accesses a specific voltage signal. 9.The touch module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The touch module further comprises a lead-out trace area, one end of the touch trace is electrically connected with the touch electrode, and the other end of the touch trace converges to the lead-out trace area. 10.The touch module according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein, The touch module further comprises a polarizing layer between the first support layer and the touch layer. 11.The touch module according to claim 10, wherein, The touch layer comprises a first substrate disposed on a side of the polarizing layer away from the first support layer; and a first electrode layer, a first insulating layer, a second electrode layer and a second insulating layer stacked on a side of the first substrate away from the polarizing layer; and the touch electrodes comprise driving electrodes and sensing electrodes, the driving electrodes are used for sending driving signals, and the sensing electrodes are used for sensing touch operations, wherein one part of the driving electrodes and the sensing electrodes is located in the first electrode layer, and another part of the driving electrodes and the sensing electrodes is located in the second electrode layer. 12.The touch module according to claim 11, wherein, the touch traces comprise first sub-touch traces and second sub-touch traces, the first sub-touch traces are located in the first electrode layer, and the second sub-touch traces are located in the second electrode layer; and / or, the virtual traces comprise first sub-virtual traces and second sub-virtual traces, the first sub-virtual traces are located in the first electrode layer, and the second sub-virtual traces are located in the second electrode layer. 13.The touch module according to claim 10, wherein, The touch control layer comprises a first substrate arranged on a side of the polarizing layer away from the first support layer; a first electrode layer and a first insulating layer arranged on a side of the first substrate away from the polarizing layer; and The touch control electrode comprises a driving electrode and a sensing electrode, the driving electrode is used for sending a driving signal, and the sensing electrode is used for sensing a touch control operation, the driving electrode and the sensing electrode are both located on the first electrode layer, and the plurality of touch control wires are all located on the first electrode layer. 14.The touch module according to claim 10, wherein, The touch control module further comprises a first adhesive layer arranged on a side of the first support layer away from the polarizing layer; and a release film arranged on a side of the first adhesive layer away from the first support layer. 15.The touch module according to claim 14, wherein, The touch control module further comprises a protective film arranged on a side of the touch control layer away from the polarizing layer.

16. A display device comprising: The display device comprises the touch control module.

17. The display device of claim 16, wherein, The display device further comprises a substrate, and the touch control module is arranged on the substrate. The substrate comprises a display area, and the display area comprises at least one touch control display area. The touch control display area is arranged in the display area.

18. The display device of claim 17, wherein, The touch control display area comprises at least one of a screen menu adjustment touch control display area, a task bar menu touch control display area and an information writing touch control display area.

19. The display device of claim 18, wherein, The screen menu adjustment touch control display area is used for adjusting a screen menu of the display device, the task bar menu touch control display area is used for touch control operation of a task bar menu of the display device, and the information writing touch control display area is used for writing or recording information. The display device comprises a first side edge area and a second side edge area arranged adjacently, the task bar menu touch control display area is arranged in the first side edge area; and / or, the information writing touch control display area is arranged in the second side edge area; and / or, the display device further comprises a first corner area, and the screen menu adjustment touch control display area is arranged in the first corner area.

Images