Display module and foldable display apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of display, and discloses a display module and a foldable display apparatus. The display module comprises a display panel and a protective cover plate. When assembly of the display module and a frame needs to be performed, a second planar portion of a planar protection portion can be assembled on a support surface of a support platform, so that the support platform can support the second planar portion of the planar protection portion, thereby achieving assembly between the display module and a housing. Here, the housing is provided with the support platform for assembly of the planar protection portion in the display module, eliminating the need to provide a separate screen-pressing strip within the housing to limit the position of the planar protection portion, thereby ensuring that a display apparatus obtained by assembling the display module and the housing has a good appearance. In addition, the protective cover plate is a protective cover plate of non-uniform thickness; while ensuring that the protective cover plate can be normally bent, it is ensured that the protective cover plate can be stably assembled on the support platform in the housing, thereby enhancing the reliability of the display apparatus.

Description

Display module and foldable display device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411195194.5, filed on August 28, 2024, entitled “Display Module and Foldable Display Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] With the development of communication technology, foldable display devices have gradually gained popularity among many users. They not only provide users with a better visual experience, but also meet users' needs for portability.

[0003] Foldable display devices typically include a display module and a housing (often referred to as a mid-frame). The display module may include a display panel and a protective cover plate bonded to the front of the display panel (i.e., the display surface of the display panel). The edge portion of the protective cover plate may be bonded to one side of the housing, and the display panel may be located within the area enclosed by the housing.

[0004] However, because the protective cover needs to be flexible to facilitate the folding or unfolding of the foldable display device, its thickness is usually set relatively thin. In this case, the edges of the protective cover are easily damaged during assembly with one side of the housing, resulting in poor reliability of the foldable display device. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a display module and a foldable display device. It can solve the problem of poor reliability in foldable display devices. The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] On one hand, a display module is provided, the display module having: a display area and a non-display area located around the display area; the display module includes: a display panel and a protective cover plate;

[0007] The display panel includes: two flat display sections, and a bent display section located between the two flat display sections;

[0008] The protective cover is located on the display side of the display panel, and the protective cover includes: a flat protective part for covering the flat display part, and a bent protective part for covering the bent display part;

[0009] The planar protective portion includes: a first planar portion located within the display area, and a second planar portion located within the non-display area, wherein the side of the second planar portion facing the display panel is used to connect with the support platform of the housing;

[0010] The bending protection portion includes: a first bending portion located in the display area, and a second bending portion located in the non-display area;

[0011] The thickness of the second planar portion is greater than the thickness of the first bent portion.

[0012] Optionally, the thickness of the first planar portion is greater than the thickness of the first bent portion.

[0013] Optionally, the side of the first flat portion facing away from the display panel is coplanar with the side of the first bent portion facing away from the display panel.

[0014] Optionally, the protective cover has a support groove on the side facing the display panel, the support groove being distributed on the side of the bent protective portion facing the display panel and between the two planar protective portions;

[0015] The display module further includes: a first organic filler portion and a first adhesive layer, wherein the first organic filler portion is located at least within the carrier groove, the first adhesive layer is bonded to the protective cover plate on the side facing the display panel, and the first adhesive layer covers at least a portion of the first organic filler portion.

[0016] Optionally, the display module further includes a support layer located on the side of the first adhesive layer facing the display panel, wherein a portion of the support layer is located within the display area and another portion is located within the non-display area.

[0017] Optionally, the first adhesive layer is bonded to the display panel on the side facing away from the protective cover; the display module further includes: a support layer located on the side of the protective cover facing the display panel, the support layer being annular, the support layer being distributed around the first adhesive layer, and the support layer being distributed in the non-display area outside the display area.

[0018] Optionally, the thickness of the second planar portion is greater than the thickness of the first planar portion.

[0019] Optionally, the display module further includes: a support layer located on the side of the first adhesive layer facing the display panel, the support layer being distributed at least within the display area;

[0020] The orthographic projection of the support layer onto the protective cover plate is located within the area enclosed by the outer contour of the protective cover plate, and the outer contour of the support layer does not coincide with the outer contour of the protective cover plate.

[0021] Optionally, the display module further includes: a hydrophobic layer located between the first adhesive layer and the support layer, and a second adhesive layer located between the support layer and the display panel;

[0022] The hydrophobic layer is bonded to the first adhesive layer on the side opposite to the support layer, and the two sides of the second adhesive layer are bonded to the display panel and the support layer, respectively.

[0023] Optionally, the thickness of the second bend is greater than the thickness of the first bend;

[0024] The second bending portion has multiple through holes arranged in an array.

[0025] Optionally, the thickness of the second bent portion is equal to the thickness of the second planar portion.

[0026] Optionally, the through hole is strip-shaped, and the extending direction of the through hole is parallel to the bending axis of the bending protection part.

[0027] Optionally, the display module further includes a second organic filler portion located within each of the through holes.

[0028] On the other hand, a foldable display device is provided, the foldable display device comprising: a foldable housing, and a display module connected to the foldable housing, the display module being any of the display modules described above.

[0029] Optionally, the folding housing includes: two housings connected one-to-one with the two planar protective portions, and a pivot component for connecting the two housings; the housing includes: a support platform, the support platform having a support surface;

[0030] The support surface of the support platform is used to support at least a portion of the second planar portion.

[0031] The beneficial effects of the technical solutions provided in this application include at least the following:

[0032] During the assembly of the display module and the housing, the second flat portion of the planar protective part can be assembled onto the support surface of the support platform, allowing the support platform to support the second flat portion of the planar protective part, thereby achieving the assembly between the display module and the housing. Here, the housing assembles the planar protective part of the display module using the support platform. There is no need for a separate screen retainer strip within the housing to limit the planar protective part, ensuring that there are no additional screen retainer strips on the front edge of the display module. This results in a better appearance for the display device assembled from the display module and the housing. Furthermore, the protective cover plate within the display module provided in this embodiment is of unequal thickness. This ensures that the protective cover plate can be bent normally while being stably assembled onto the support platform within the housing, resulting in higher reliability for the display device assembled from the display module and the housing. Attached Figure Description

[0033] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a display device;

[0035] Figure 2 is a top view of a display module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the display module shown in Figure 2 at point A-A';

[0037] Figure 4 is a rendering of a display module and a housing assembled according to an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 5 is another cross-sectional view of the display module shown in Figure 2 at A-A';

[0039] Figure 6 is a rendering of another display module and housing assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 7 is a rendering of another display module and housing assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 8 is a rendering of another display module and housing assembled according to an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 9 is a partial top view of a display module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the display module shown in Figure 9 at point C-C';

[0044] Figure 11 is another cross-sectional view of the display module shown in Figure 2 at A-A';

[0045] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional structural diagram of a display device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0046] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a display device. The display device 00 may include: a display panel 01, a protective cover 02, and a housing 03.

[0048] The display panel 01 in the display device 00 can be used to display images. Here, the display side of the display panel 01 is the side of the display panel 01 used to display images.

[0049] The protective cover plate 02 in the display device 00 can be located on the display side of the display panel 01. The protective cover plate 02 may include: a first protective layer 021, a second protective layer 022 and an adhesive layer 023.

[0050] The first protective layer 021 in the protective cover 02 can be connected to the display panel 01 on the display side. In this way, the first protective layer 021 in the protective cover 02 can support and protect the display side of the display panel 01. Here, the material of the first protective layer 021 can be ultra-thin glass.

[0051] The second protective layer 022 in the protective cover 02 can be located on the side of the first protective layer 021 that is opposite to the display panel 01. The combined effect of the stacked first protective layer 021 and the second protective layer 022 can more effectively protect the display panel 01.

[0052] The adhesive layer 023 in the protective cover plate 02 can be located between the first protective layer 021 and the second protective layer 022. That is, the adhesive layer 023 can be bonded to the first protective layer 021 and the second protective layer 022 respectively, so that the first protective layer 021 and the second protective layer 022 can be stably connected together through the adhesive layer 023.

[0053] When the display device 00 is a foldable display device, the overall thickness of the protective cover 02 needs to be relatively thin to ensure that the protective cover 02 in the display device 00 is bendable. To ensure high stability in the assembly between the protective cover 02 and the housing 03, the housing 03 may have a screen-pressing strip 031. The screen-pressing strip 031 of the housing 03 may be distributed on the side of the protective cover 02 away from the display panel 01 to limit the protective cover 02, so that the protective cover 02 can be stably connected to the housing 03.

[0054] However, when the screen pressing strip 031 is distributed on the side of the protective cover 02 away from the display panel 01, the screen pressing strip 031 will occupy a certain width of the edge of the front of the display device, resulting in a poor appearance of the display device.

[0055] Please refer to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a top view of a display module provided in an embodiment of this application, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module shown in Figure 2 at point A-A'. The display module 000 may include a display panel 100 and a protective cover 200. The display module 000 may have a display area 00a and a non-display area 00b located around the display area 00a.

[0056] The display panel 100 in the display module 000 may include two flat display units 101 and a bent display unit 102 located between the two flat display units 101. Here, the display panel 100 in the display module 000 can be used to display images. The display surface of the display panel 100 is the side of the display panel 100 used to display images.

[0057] It should be noted that the two flat display units 101 in the display panel 100 can be connected by a bent display unit 102, and the bent display unit 102 in the display panel 100 can be folded so that the display surfaces of the two flat display units 101 can be arranged opposite each other, so that the display module 000 is in a folded state. The bent display unit 102 in the display panel 100 can be unfolded so that the display surfaces of the two flat display units 101 can be coplanar, so that the display module 000 is in an unfolded state.

[0058] The protective cover 200 in the display panel 100 can be located on the display side of the display panel 100. The protective cover 200 may include a flat protective portion 201 for covering the flat display portion 101, and a bending protective portion 202 for covering the bent display portion 102. It should be noted that the protective cover 200 in this application can be ultra-thin flexible glass. Here, ultra-thin flexible glass refers to flexible glass with a thickness of less than 1 mm.

[0059] Here, the protective cover 200 can have two flat protective portions 201, and each of the two flat protective portions 201 can cover one of the two flat display portions 101. In this way, the two flat display portions 201 can protect the two flat display portions 101 in the display panel 100 respectively, ensuring that the two flat display portions 101 in the display panel 100 are not easily damaged. The bending protective portion 202 located between the two flat protective portions 201 in the protective cover 200 can be bent, making the protective cover 200 a bendable protective cover, ensuring that the protective cover 200 can be folded and unfolded. Furthermore, the bending protective portion 202 protects the bent display portion 102, ensuring that the bent display portion 102 in the display panel 100 is not easily damaged.

[0060] In this application, the planar protection portion 201 in the protective cover 200 may include a first planar portion 2011 located in the display area 00a and a second planar portion 2012 located in the non-display area 00b. The bending protection portion 202 in the protective cover 200 may include a first bending portion 2021 located in the display area 00a and a second bending portion 2022 located in the non-display area 00b.

[0061] The second flat portion 2012 of the flat protective portion 201, facing the display panel 100, can be used to connect with the support platform of the housing. For example, please refer to FIG4, which is a diagram illustrating the assembly of a display module and a housing according to an embodiment of this application. The housing 002a may include a support platform 0021, and the support platform 0021 may have a support surface. During the assembly of the display module 000 and the housing 002a, the second flat portion 2012 of the flat protective portion 201 can be assembled onto the support surface of the support platform 0021, so that the support platform 0021 can support the second flat portion 2012 of the flat protective portion 201, thereby realizing the assembly between the display module 000 and the housing 002a.

[0062] Here, the housing 002a is assembled with the flat protective part 201 in the display module 000 by setting a support platform 0021. There is no need to set a separate screen pressing strip in the housing 002a to limit the flat protective part 201, so that there is no additional screen pressing strip structure on the edge of the front of the display module, thereby ensuring that the display device obtained by assembling the display module 000 and the housing 002a has a good appearance.

[0063] It should be noted that the display module in Figure 4 can be a cross-sectional view of the display module shown in Figure 2 at B-B'.

[0064] In this embodiment, the thickness of the second flat portion 2012 located in the non-display area 00b of the flat protective portion 201 can be greater than the thickness of the first bent portion 2021 located in the display area 00a of the bending protective portion 202. In this case, since the second flat portion 2012 located in the non-display area 00b of the flat protective portion 201 is subsequently assembled onto the support surface of the support platform 0021 in the housing 002a within the protective cover 200, the thickness of the second flat portion 2012 needs to be relatively large in order to ensure that it can be stably assembled onto the support surface of the support platform 0021. Furthermore, since the first bent portion 2021 located in the display area 00a of the bending protective portion 202 needs to have a certain degree of bendability within the protective cover 200, the thickness of the first bent portion 2021 needs to be relatively small to ensure that it can be bent normally.

[0065] Therefore, the protective cover plate 200 inside the display module 000 provided in this application embodiment is a protective cover plate of unequal thickness, so as to ensure that the protective cover plate 200 can be bent normally and that the protective cover plate 200 can be stably assembled on the support platform in the housing.

[0066] In summary, this application provides a display module, including a display panel and a protective cover. During the assembly of the display module and the housing, the second flat portion of the flat protective part can be assembled onto the support surface of the support platform, allowing the support platform to support the second flat portion of the flat protective part, thereby achieving the assembly between the display module and the housing. Here, the housing assembles the flat protective part of the display module using the support platform. There is no need for a separate screen retainer strip within the housing to limit the flat protective part, ensuring that there are no additional screen retainer strip structures on the front edge of the display module, thus guaranteeing a good appearance for the display device assembled from the display module and the housing. Furthermore, the protective cover within the display module provided in this application is of unequal thickness, ensuring that the protective cover can be bent normally while being stably assembled onto the support platform within the housing, resulting in high reliability of the display device assembled from the display module and the housing.

[0067] In this embodiment of the application, as shown in FIG3, within the protective cover 300, the thickness of the first flat portion 2011 located within the display area 00a in the flat protective portion 201 can be greater than the thickness of the first bent portion 2021 located within the display area 00a in the bending protective portion 202. Thus, while ensuring that the first bent portion 2021 can be bent, the strength of the flat protective portion 201 in the protective cover 200 can be higher, thereby providing better protection for the flat display portion 101 in the display panel 100.

[0068] For example, the thickness of the first planar portion 2011 located within the display area 00a in the planar protective portion 201 can be equal to the thickness of the second planar portion 2012 located within the non-display area 00b in the planar protective portion 201. In this case, the thickness of the planar protective portion 201 is uniform at all locations, and the thickness of the planar protective portion 201 can range from 70 micrometers to 300 micrometers. For example, the thickness of the planar protective portion 201 can be 200 micrometers. It should be noted that in other possible implementations, the thickness of the second planar portion 2012 located within the non-display area 00b in the planar protective portion 201 can also be greater than the thickness of the first planar portion 2011 located within the display area 00a in the planar protective portion 201. This will not be specifically described here, but will be explained in subsequent embodiments.

[0069] The thickness of the first bending portion 2021 located within the display area 00a in the bending protection portion 202 can range from 20 micrometers to 30 micrometers. For example, the thickness of the first bending portion 2021 can be 25 micrometers to ensure high bendability. It should be noted that the thickness of the first bending portion 2021 located within the display area 00a in the bending protection portion 202 can be equal to or less than the thickness of the second bending portion 2022 located within the non-display area 00b in the bending protection portion 202. This will not be specifically described here but will be explained in subsequent embodiments.

[0070] In this application, the side of the first flat portion 2011 of the flat protective portion 201 that faces away from the display panel 100 can be coplanar with the side of the first bent portion 2021 of the bending protective portion 202 that faces away from the display panel 100. That is, the portion of the protective cover 200 located within the display area 00a that faces away from the display panel 100 is coplanar. In this case, it can be ensured that when using a display device equipped with this protective cover 200, the user will not perceive any unevenness on the side of the protective cover 200 facing away from the display panel 100, thereby improving the user experience.

[0071] In this embodiment of the application, please refer to FIG5, which is another cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module shown in FIG2 at A-A'. The protective cover plate 200 in the display module 000 may have a support groove U on the side facing the display panel 100. The support groove U may be distributed on the side of the bending protection portion 202 in the protective cover plate 200 facing the display panel 100, and may be distributed between the two planar protection portions 201.

[0072] The display module 000 may further include a first organic filler portion 300 and a first adhesive layer 400. The first organic filler portion 300 in the display module 000 is located at least within the support groove U in the protective cover plate 200. Here, the first organic filler portion 300 fills the side of the bending protection portion 202 facing the display panel 100, thereby reducing the step difference between the flat protection portion 201 and the bending protection portion 202 in the protective cover plate 200, thus ensuring better flatness of the side of the protective cover plate 200 facing the display panel 100. For example, the material of the first organic filler portion 300 may be a high molecular polymer material.

[0073] In one possible implementation, the first organic filler portion 300 may be entirely located within the carrier groove U, and not outside the carrier groove U. In another possible implementation, the first organic filler portion 300 may not only be located within the carrier groove U, but may also include a portion located outside the carrier groove U, which may be distributed on the side of the protective cover 200 facing the display panel 100. It should be noted that Figure 5 is illustrated schematically with the example of the first organic filler portion 300 being located not only within the carrier groove U, but also on the side of the protective cover 200 facing the display panel 100.

[0074] The first adhesive layer 400 in the display module 000 can be bonded to the protective cover plate 200 on the side facing the display panel 100, and the first adhesive layer 400 in the display module 000 can cover at least a portion of the first organic filler portion 300. In this way, the first adhesive layer 400 can ensure that the first organic filler portion 300 does not extend to areas other than the carrier groove U, thereby ensuring that the first organic filler portion 300 does not interfere with other film layer structures in the display module 000.

[0075] It should be noted that, in the direction perpendicular to the bending axis of the bending protection part 202, the two opposite sides of the bearing groove U can be inclined surfaces. This ensures that the thickness change between the first bending part 2021 in the bending protection part 202 and the first protection part 2011 in the planar protection part 201 is gradual, preventing excessive stress concentration between the first bending part 2021 and the first protection part 2011 due to abrupt thickness changes, thus enabling a stable connection between the first bending part 2021 and the first protection part 2011.

[0076] In this application embodiment, there are multiple ways to assemble the second protective part 2012 in the display module 000 with the support platform in the frame. This application embodiment will illustrate the following three possible implementation methods as examples:

[0077] For a first possible implementation, please refer to Figure 6. Figure 6 is an illustration of another display module assembled with a housing according to an embodiment of this application. The display module in Figure 6 can be another cross-sectional view of the display module shown in Figure 2 at point B-B'. The display module 000 may further include a support layer 500 located on the side of the first adhesive layer 400 facing the display panel 100. A portion of the support layer 500 may be located within the display area 00a, and another portion may be located within the non-display area 00b.

[0078] Here, the distance between the outer contour of the support layer 500 and the outer contour of the protective cover 200 is small. For example, the distance between the outer contour of the support layer 500 and the outer contour of the protective cover 200 can range from 0 to 0.15 mm. Here, when the distance between the outer contour of the support layer 500 and the outer contour of the protective cover 200 is 0, the outer contours of the support layer 500 and the protective cover 200 are flush.

[0079] In this case, the portion of the support layer 500 located in the non-display area 00b can also be assembled on the support surface of the support platform 0021 in the housing 002a, so that there is a support layer 500 as a buffer between the first protective part 2011 in the protective cover 200 and the support surface of the support platform 0021, which can further improve the stability of the protective cover 200 assembled on the support platform 0021 in the housing 002a.

[0080] Optionally, the material of the support layer 500 may include polyethylene terephthalate (PET) materials.

[0081] In this embodiment of the application, as shown in FIG6, the display module 000 may further include: a hydrophobic layer 600 located between the first adhesive layer 400 and the support layer 500, and a second adhesive layer 700 located between the support layer 500 and the display panel 100.

[0082] In this design, the hydrophobic layer 600 in the display module 000 can be bonded to the first adhesive layer 400 on the side facing away from the support layer 500. Here, a portion of the hydrophobic layer 600 in the display module 000 can be located within the display area 00a, and another portion can be located within the non-display area 00b. This prevents fingerprints or smudges from adhering to the surface of the support layer 500 through the hydrophobic layer 600 in the display module 000. Furthermore, if the protective cover 200 is damaged, it ensures that workers can easily peel the protective cover 200 and the first adhesive layer 400 from one side of the support layer 500, allowing for timely replacement of the damaged protective cover.

[0083] Here, the two sides of the second adhesive layer 700 in the display module 000 can be bonded to the display panel 100 and the support layer 500 respectively. That is, the second adhesive layer 700 can bond the display panel 100 and the support layer 500 together, so that the connection between the display panel 100 and the support layer 500 is relatively stable. At least a portion of the second adhesive layer 700 in the display module 000 is located within the display area 00a of the display module 000.

[0084] In this application, as shown in FIG6, the display module 000 may further include a light-absorbing ink layer 900. The light-absorbing ink layer 900 may be located on the side of the support layer 500 opposite to the protective cover plate 200, and may be distributed within the non-display area 00b. Here, the light-absorbing ink layer 900 may be a black ink layer, which can block light emitted from the side of the display panel 100, and also ensure that when a user views the edge of the front of the display module 000, only the black edge area is visible, thus achieving a decorative effect on the front of the display module 000.

[0085] For example, the light-absorbing ink layer 900 can be annular. Here, the inner contour of the annular light-absorbing ink layer 900 can be flush with the outer contour of the display area 00a of the display module 000, and the outer contour of the annular light-absorbing ink layer 900 can be flush with the outer contour of the non-display area 00b of the display module 000. In this way, the light-absorbing ink layer 900 can block the non-display area 00b of the display module 000, so that the structures (e.g., wiring structures or circuit structures) set in the non-display area 00b are not visible from the front of the display module 000, further improving the aesthetics of the display module 000 when viewed from the front.

[0086] A second possible implementation is shown in Figure 7, which is an illustration of the assembly of a display module and a housing according to an embodiment of this application. The display module in Figure 7 can be another cross-sectional view of the display module shown in Figure 2 at point B-B'. The first adhesive layer 400 in the display module 000 can be bonded to the display panel 100 on the side facing away from the protective cover 200. The display module 000 may further include a support layer 500 located on the side of the protective cover 200 facing the display panel 100. The support layer 500 can be annular, distributed around the first adhesive layer 400, and can be distributed within the non-display area 00b outside the display area 00a. That is, the support layer 500 may not be provided within the display area 00a of the display module 000.

[0087] Here, the support layer 500 can be assembled onto the support surface of the support platform 0021 in the housing 002a, so that the support layer 500 can exist as a buffer between the first protective part 2011 in the protective cover 200 and the support surface of the support platform 0021, thereby improving the stability of the protective cover 200 assembled on the support platform 0021 in the housing 002a. Furthermore, since the display area 00a in the display module 000 may not have the support layer 500, a thinner film layer can be ensured for the display module 000 while maintaining good stability of the protective cover 200 assembled on the support platform 0021 in the housing 002a.

[0088] It should be noted that the distance between the outer contour of the annular support layer 500 and the outer contour of the protective cover 200 is small. For example, the distance between the outer contour of the support layer 500 and the outer contour of the protective cover 200 can range from 0 to 0.15 mm. Here, when the distance between the outer contour of the annular support layer 500 and the outer contour of the protective cover 200 is 0, the outer contour of the annular support layer 500 and the outer contour of the protective cover 200 are flush.

[0089] In this embodiment of the application, as shown in FIG7, the display module 000 may further include an auxiliary adhesive layer 1600 located between the support layer 500 and the protective cover plate 200. Here, the two sides of the auxiliary adhesive layer 1600 in the display module 000 can be bonded to the support layer 500 and the protective cover plate 200 respectively. That is, the support layer 500 and the protective cover plate 200 can be bonded together by the auxiliary adhesive layer 1600, so that the connection between the support layer 500 and the protective cover plate 200 is more stable.

[0090] In this application, as shown in Figure 7, the light-absorbing ink layer 900 in the display module 000 can be located on the side of the protective cover 200 facing the display panel 100, and the light-absorbing ink layer 900 can be distributed within the non-display area 00b. The specific structure and function of the light-absorbing ink layer 900 are described above and will not be repeated here.

[0091] A third possible implementation is shown in Figure 8, which is an illustration of another assembly of the display module and housing according to an embodiment of this application. The display module in Figure 8 can be another cross-sectional view of the display module shown in Figure 2 at point B-B'. Within the protective cover 200 of the display module 000, the thickness of the second planar portion 2012 located in the non-display area 00b of the planar protection portion 201 can be greater than the thickness of the first planar portion 2011 located in the display area 00a of the planar protection portion 201. In this case, since the second planar portion 2012 located in the non-display area 00b of the planar protection portion 201 is subsequently assembled onto the support surface of the support platform 0021 in the housing 002a within the protective cover 200, the larger thickness of the second planar portion 2012 located in the non-display area 00b ensures that the second planar portion 2012 can be stably assembled onto the support surface of the support platform 0021.

[0092] For example, the thickness of the second planar portion 2012 in the planar protection portion 201 can range from 300 micrometers to 600 micrometers. For instance, the thickness of the second planar portion 2012 in the planar protection portion 201 can be 500 micrometers. The thickness of the first planar portion 2011 in the planar protection portion 201 can range from 70 micrometers to 250 micrometers. For instance, the thickness of the first planar portion 2011 in the planar protection portion 201 can be 200 micrometers.

[0093] It should be noted that, as shown in Figure 8, in the direction perpendicular to the bending axis of the bending protection portion 202, the side of the second flat portion 2012 in the flat protection portion 201 facing the first flat portion 2011 can be an inclined surface. This ensures that the thickness change between the second flat portion 2012 and the first flat portion 2011 in the flat protection portion 201 is gradual, preventing excessive stress concentration between them due to abrupt thickness changes, and allowing for a stable connection between the second flat portion 2012 and the first flat portion 2011.

[0094] In this embodiment of the application, as shown in FIG8, the display module 000 may further include a support layer 500 located on the side of the first adhesive layer 400 facing the display panel 100. Here, the support layer 500 in the display module 000 may be distributed at least within the display area 00a. The orthographic projection of the support layer 500 in the display module 000 onto the protective cover plate 200 may be located within the area enclosed by the outer contour of the protective cover plate 200, and the outer contour of the support layer 500 in the display module 000 may not coincide with the outer contour of the protective cover plate 200. For example, the distance between the outer contour of the support layer 500 and the outer contour of the protective cover plate 200 is relatively large, allowing the second planar portion 2012 to be directly assembled onto the support platform 0021 of the housing 002a. That is, there is no support layer 500 between the support platform 0021 of the housing 002a and the second planar portion 2012.

[0095] In this application, as shown in FIG8, the display module 000 may further include: a hydrophobic layer 600 located between the first adhesive layer 400 and the support layer 500, and a second adhesive layer 700 located between the support layer 500 and the display panel 100. At least a portion of the hydrophobic layer 600 and the second adhesive layer 700 in the display module 000 may be located within the display area 00a of the display module 000.

[0096] The light-absorbing ink layer 900 in the display module 000 can be located on the side of the second flat portion 2012 of the flat protective portion 201 facing the display panel 100. The specific structure and function of the light-absorbing ink layer 900 are described above and will not be repeated here.

[0097] It should be noted that the orthographic projection of the light-absorbing ink layer 900 onto the protective cover plate 200 can cover the area where the second flat portion 2012 in the flat protective portion 201 is located. In this way, even if the side of the second flat portion 2012 located in the non-display area 00b that is away from the display panel 100 is not flush with the side of the first flat portion 2011 located in the display area 00a that is away from the display panel 100, the light-absorbing ink layer 900 can still block the second flat portion 2012 located in the non-display area 00b, so that the user will not see the uneven surface phenomenon when viewing the front of the display module 000.

[0098] It should also be noted that, for the third possible implementation described above, the thickness of the second planar portion 2012 located in the non-display area 00b of the planar protective portion 201 can be greater than the thickness of the first planar portion 2011 located in the display area 00a of the planar protective portion 201. For the first and second possible implementations described above, the thickness of the first planar portion 2011 located in the display area 00a of the planar protective portion 201 can be equal to the thickness of the second planar portion 2012 located in the non-display area 00b of the planar protective portion 201. Of course, the thickness of the second planar portion 2012 located in the non-display area 00b of the planar protective portion 201 can also be greater than the thickness of the first planar portion 2011 located in the display area 00a of the planar protective portion 201. This application embodiment does not limit this aspect.

[0099] Similarly, for the first, second, and third possible implementations described above, the thickness of the first bent portion 2021 located within the display area 00a in the bending protection portion 202 can be equal to the thickness of the second bent portion 2022 located within the non-display area 00b in the bending protection portion 202. Of course, the thickness of the second bent portion 2022 located within the non-display area 00b in the bending protection portion 202 can also be greater than the thickness of the first bent portion 2021 located within the display area 00a in the bending protection portion 202. This application embodiment does not limit this aspect.

[0100] In the embodiments of this application, please refer to Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 is a partial top view of a display module provided in an embodiment of this application, and Figure 10 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module shown in Figure 9 at point C-C'. When the thickness of the second bending portion 2022 located in the non-display area 00b of the bending protection portion 202 is greater than the thickness of the first bending portion 2021 located in the display area 00a, the second bending portion 2022 in the bending protection portion 202 may have multiple arrayed through holes K.

[0101] In this way, even if the second bending portion 2022 in the bending protection section 202 is relatively thick, the protective cover plate 200 can still be bent normally through the through hole K. In this case, the thickness of the second bending portion 2022 in the bending protection section 202, where the through hole K is not provided, is still relatively large, which can meet the requirement of increasing the strength of the second bending portion 2022 in the bending protection section 202. Thus, while ensuring that the protective cover plate 200 can be bent normally, the strength of the second bending portion 2022 in the bending protection section 202 can be guaranteed to be high.

[0102] In this embodiment, the thickness of the second bent portion 2022 in the bent protection portion 202 can be equal to the thickness of the second flat portion 2012 in the flat protection portion 201.

[0103] For example, when the thickness of the first flat portion 2011 located within the display area 00a in the flat protective portion 201 is equal to the thickness of the second flat portion 2012 located within the non-display area 00b in the flat protective portion 201, the side of the second bent portion 2022 in the bending protective portion 202 facing the display panel 100 is coplanar with the side of the entire flat protective portion 201 facing the display panel 100, and the side of the second bent portion 2022 in the bending protective portion 202 facing away from the display panel 100 is coplanar with the side of the entire flat protective portion 201 facing away from the display panel 100. That is, the thickness of the second bent portion 2022 in the bending protective portion 202 is equal to the thickness of the flat protective portion 201. Furthermore, since the thickness of the flat protective portion 201 can range from 70 micrometers to 300 micrometers, the thickness of the second bent portion 2022 in the bending protective portion 202 can also range from 70 micrometers to 300 micrometers.

[0104] When the thickness of the second planar portion 2012 located in the non-display area 00b of the planar protection portion 201 is greater than the thickness of the first planar portion 2011 located in the display area 00a of the planar protection portion 201, the side of the second bent portion 2022 in the bending protection portion 202 facing the display panel 100 is coplanar with the side of the second planar portion 2012 in the planar protection portion 201 facing the display panel 100, and the side of the second bent portion 2022 in the bending protection portion 202 facing away from the display panel 100 is coplanar with the side of the second planar portion 2012 in the planar protection portion 201 facing away from the display panel 100. Furthermore, since the thickness of the second planar portion 2012 in the planar protection portion 201 can range from 300 micrometers to 600 micrometers, the thickness of the second bent portion 2022 in the bending protection portion 202 can also range from 300 micrometers to 600 micrometers.

[0105] Optionally, as shown in Figure 9, the through hole K in the second bending portion 2022 of the bending protection portion 202 can be strip-shaped, and the extending direction of the through hole K can be parallel to the bending axis of the bending protection portion 202.

[0106] In this application, as shown in FIG9, the display module 000 may further include a second organic filling portion 800 located within each through hole K. Here, the through holes K can be filled by the second organic filling portion 800. For example, the material of the second organic filling portion 800 may be a polymer material.

[0107] It should be noted that, since the refractive index of the second bending portion 2022 in the bending protection portion 202 is different from that of the second organic filling portion 800, filling each through hole K of the second bending portion 2022 with the second organic filling portion 800 can easily lead to poor light and shadow when viewed from the front of the display module 000.

[0108] Here, since each through-hole K and the second organic filler 800 located within each through-hole K can be located within the second bending portion 2022, and the second bending portion 2022 can be located within the non-display area 00b, the light-absorbing ink layer 900 distributed within the non-display area 00b can block each through-hole K located in the second bending portion 2022 and the second organic filler 800 located within each through-hole K, so that the structure provided within the second bending portion 2022 is not visible from the front of the display module 000, thereby avoiding the phenomenon of poor light and shadow when viewed from the front of the display module 000.

[0109] In the embodiments of this application, please refer to Figures 10 and 11. Figure 11 is another cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module shown in Figure 2 at point A-A'. The display module 000 may further include: a first support layer 1000, a third adhesive layer 1100, a carbon fiber layer 1200, a support pad 1300, a second support layer 1400, and a protective adhesive 1500.

[0110] Here, the display panel 100 in the display module 000 may include: a first panel portion 101 and a second panel portion 102, and a panel bending portion 103 located between the first panel portion 101 and the second panel portion 102. The panel bending portion 103 in the display panel 100 is used to connect the first panel portion 101 and the second panel portion 102. That is, one side of the panel bending portion 103 can be connected to the first panel portion 101, and the other side can be connected to the second panel portion 102. The display area 00a of the display panel 100 may be located within the first panel portion 101, and a portion of the non-display area 00b of the display panel 100 may be located within the panel bending portion 103 and the second panel portion 102.

[0111] The first support layer 1000 in the display module 000 can be bonded to the back side of the first panel portion 101 (that is, the side opposite to the front side of the first panel portion 101). The first support layer 1000 in the display module 000 can be used to support the first panel portion 101.

[0112] The third adhesive layer 1100 in the display module 000 can be located on the side of the first support layer 1000 away from the first panel portion 101, and this side of the third adhesive layer 1100 can be bonded to the side of the first support layer 1000 away from the first panel portion 101. Here, the side of the third adhesive layer 1100 away from the first support layer 1000 can be bonded to the side of the carbon fiber layer 1200 facing the first panel portion 101.

[0113] The carbon fiber layer 1200 in the display module 000 can be bonded to the support pad 1300 on the side facing away from the first panel portion 101. The carbon fiber layer 1200 can be used to support various locations on the back of the display panel 100. For example, the material of the carbon fiber layer 1200 may include carbon fiber. Here, since carbon fiber has the advantages of high strength but light weight, when carbon fiber is selected as the material for the carbon fiber layer 1200 in the display module 000, it is possible to ensure that the carbon fiber layer 1200 provides good support for the display panel 100 while keeping the overall weight of the display module 000 low.

[0114] The other side of the support pad 1300 in the display module 000 can be bonded to the side of the second support layer 1400 facing the first panel portion 101. The other side of the second support layer 1400 can also be bonded to the side of the second panel portion 102 facing the first panel portion 101. Here, the support pad 1300 provides support and cushioning for the driver chip bonded to the second panel portion 102, ensuring that the driver chip is protected from damage by the cushioning effect of the support pad 1300 when subjected to external forces.

[0115] The protective adhesive 1500 in the display module 000 can strengthen the panel bending portion 103 in the display panel 100 to ensure that the panel bending portion 103 is not easily damaged.

[0116] In summary, this application provides a display module, including a display panel and a protective cover. During the assembly of the display module and the housing, the second flat portion of the flat protective part can be assembled onto the support surface of the support platform, allowing the support platform to support the second flat portion of the flat protective part, thereby achieving the assembly between the display module and the housing. Here, the housing assembles the flat protective part of the display module using the support platform. There is no need for a separate screen retainer strip within the housing to limit the flat protective part, ensuring that there are no additional screen retainer strip structures on the front edge of the display module, thus guaranteeing a good appearance for the display device assembled from the display module and the housing. Furthermore, the protective cover within the display module provided in this application is of unequal thickness, ensuring that the protective cover can be bent normally while being stably assembled onto the support platform within the housing, resulting in high reliability of the display device assembled from the display module and the housing.

[0117] This application also provides a foldable display device, which can be any product or component with display function, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, television, advertising machine, display screen, digital photo frame, etc. Please refer to Figure 12, which is a cross-sectional structural diagram of a display device provided in this application embodiment. The display device 001 may include: a foldable housing 002, and a display module 000 connected to the foldable housing 002, wherein the display module 000 is any of the display modules described in the above embodiments.

[0118] For example, the folding housing 002 in the display device 001 may include two housings 002a corresponding to the two planar protective portions 201, and a pivot component (not shown) for connecting the two housings 002a. Here, the housing 002a may include a support platform 0021, and the support platform 0021 may have a support surface. The support surface of the support platform 0021 may be used to support at least a portion of the second planar portion 2012.

[0119] In this application, as shown in FIG12, the display device 001 may further include a buffer adhesive layer 003 located between the support platform 0021 and the protective cover plate 200 in the housing 002a. Here, the two sides of the buffer adhesive layer 003 in the display device 001 can be bonded to the support platform 0021 and the protective cover plate 200 respectively. That is, the buffer adhesive layer 003 can play a good role in buffering and reducing pressure. In addition, the buffer adhesive layer 003 can bond the support platform 0021 and the protective cover plate 200 together, so as to make the connection between the support platform 0021 and the protective cover plate 200 more stable.

[0120] It should be noted that the dimensions of layers and regions may be exaggerated in the accompanying drawings for clarity. Furthermore, it is understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on" another element or layer, it can be directly on the other element, or there may be intermediate layers. Additionally, it is understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "below" another element or layer, it can be directly below the other element, or there may be more than one intermediate layer or element. Furthermore, it is also understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being "between" two layers or two elements, it can be the only layer between the two layers or two elements, or there may be more than one intermediate layer or element. Similar reference numerals throughout indicate similar elements.

[0121] In this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. The term "multiple" refers to two or more unless otherwise expressly defined.

[0122] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A display module, characterized in that, The display module has: a display area (00a) and a non-display area (00b) located around the display area (00a); The display module includes: a display panel (100) and a protective cover (200); The display panel (100) includes: two flat display sections (101), and a bent display section (102) located between the two flat display sections (101); The protective cover (200) is located on the display side of the display panel (100). The protective cover (200) includes: a flat protective part (201) for covering the flat display part (101) and a bent protective part (202) for covering the bent display part (102). The planar protective portion (201) includes: a first planar portion (2011) located in the display area (00a) and a second planar portion (2012) located in the non-display area (00b), wherein the side of the second planar portion (2012) facing the display panel is used to connect with the support platform of the housing; The bending protection part (202) includes: a first bending part (2021) located in the display area (00a), and a second bending part (2022) located in the non-display area (00b); The thickness of the second planar portion (2012) is greater than the thickness of the first bent portion (2021).

2. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the first planar portion (2011) is greater than the thickness of the first bent portion (2021).

3. The display module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The side of the first flat portion (2011) facing away from the display panel (100) is coplanar with the side of the first bent portion (2021) facing away from the display panel (100).

4. The display module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The protective cover (200) has a support groove (U) on the side facing the display panel (100), the support groove (U) is distributed on the side of the bending protection part (202) facing the display panel (100), and is distributed between the two planar protection parts (201); The display module further includes: a first organic filler portion (300) and a first adhesive layer (400), wherein the first organic filler portion (300) is located at least within the carrier groove (U), the first adhesive layer (400) is bonded to the protective cover plate (200) on the side facing the display panel (100), and the first adhesive layer (400) covers at least a portion of the first organic filler portion (300).

5. The display module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The display module further includes a support layer (500) located on the side of the first adhesive layer (400) facing the display panel (100), a portion of the support layer (500) being located within the display area (00a) and another portion being located within the non-display area (00b).

6. The display module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first adhesive layer (400) is bonded to the display panel (100) on the side opposite to the protective cover plate (200); The display module further includes a support layer (500) located on the side of the protective cover (200) facing the display panel (100), the support layer (500) being annular, the support layer (500) being distributed around the first adhesive layer (400), and the support layer (500) being distributed in the non-display area (00b) outside the display area (00a).

7. The display module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The thickness of the second planar portion (2012) is greater than the thickness of the first planar portion (2011).

8. The display module according to claim 7, characterized in that, The display module further includes a support layer (500) located on the side of the first adhesive layer (400) facing the display panel (100), the support layer (500) being distributed at least within the display area (00a); The orthographic projection of the support layer (500) onto the protective cover plate (200) is located within the area enclosed by the outer contour of the protective cover plate (200), and the outer contour of the support layer (500) does not coincide with the outer contour of the protective cover plate (200).

9. The display module according to claim 5 or 8, characterized in that, The display module further includes: a hydrophobic layer (600) located between the first adhesive layer (400) and the support layer (500), and a second adhesive layer (700) located between the support layer (500) and the display panel (100); The hydrophobic layer (600) is bonded to the first adhesive layer (400) on the side opposite to the support layer (500), and the two sides of the second adhesive layer (700) are bonded to the display panel (100) and the support layer (500) respectively.

10. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The thickness of the second bend (2022) is greater than the thickness of the first bend (2021); The second bending portion (2022) has multiple through holes (K) arranged in an array.

11. The display module according to claim 10, characterized in that, The thickness of the second bent portion (2022) is equal to the thickness of the second planar portion (2012).

12. The display module according to claim 10, characterized in that, The through hole (K) is strip-shaped, and the extending direction of the through hole (K) is parallel to the bending axis of the bending protection part (202).

13. The display module according to claim 10, characterized in that, The display module further includes a second organic filling portion (800) located within each of the through holes (K).

14. A foldable display device, characterized in that, include: A folding housing and a display module connected to the folding housing, the display module being the display module according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The folding display device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The folding housing includes: two housings connected one-to-one with the two planar protective parts (201), and a pivot component for connecting the two housings; the housing includes: a support platform having a support surface; The support surface of the support platform is used to support at least a portion of the second planar portion (2012).

Images