Display module and display apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are a display module and a display apparatus, the display module comprising a display panel, a first protective layer and a first adhesive layer that are stacked; the display panel has a display area, a bending area and a binding area, and comprises sub-pixels located in the display area; the first protective layer is located in the display area and comprises openings aligned with the sub-pixels; the first adhesive layer continuously covers the first protective layer and the display panel at the bending area, and fills the openings; the refractive index of the first protective layer is less than the refractive index of the first adhesive layer.

Description

Display module and display device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411226740.7, filed on September 3, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application belongs to the technical field of display, in particular to a display module and a display device. BACKGROUND

[0003] In order to realize the narrow frame design of the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel, the bending area of the OLED display panel is usually bent to the back of the OLED display panel, thereby reducing the width of the frame. However, the bending of the bending area of the OLED display panel is easy to cause the line breakage in the OLED display panel. In order to prevent the line breakage caused by the bending, the UV glue is usually covered on the bending area of the OLED display panel to alleviate the bending stress of the bending area of the OLED display panel. However, due to the process limitation, the thickness of the UV glue is difficult to be further thinned, and the frame width of the OLED display panel cannot be further reduced. SUMMARY

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a display module and a display device, which can further reduce the frame width of the display module on the basis of improving the light extraction efficiency of the display module.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a display module, comprising a display panel and a light extraction layer located on the light emitting side of the display panel; the display panel has a display area and a non-display area arranged adjacent to each other; the non-display area comprises a bending area and a binding area, the display area is arranged opposite to the binding area, and the bending area is arranged between the display area and the binding area; the display panel comprises a plurality of sub-pixels located in the display area;

[0006] The light extraction layer comprises a first protective layer and a first glue layer; the first protective layer is located at least on the display area of the display panel, and comprises an opening arranged opposite to the sub-pixel; the first glue layer is covered on the side of the first protective layer away from the display panel, and part of the first glue layer is filled in the opening;

[0007] Wherein, the included angle between the side wall of the opening and the bottom of the first protective layer is greater than 0° and less than 90°, the refractive index of the first protective layer is less than the refractive index of the first glue layer, the first glue layer extends at least from the display area to the bending area, and covers on the display panel located in the bending area.

[0008] In a second aspect, the present application also provides a display device, comprising a housing and a display module, wherein the housing comprises a receiving cavity, and the display module is located in the receiving cavity.

[0009] The display module comprises a display panel and a light extraction layer located on the light-out side of the display panel; the display panel has a display area and a non-display area arranged adjacently; the non-display area comprises a bending area and a binding area, the display area is arranged opposite to the binding area, and the bending area is arranged between the display area and the binding area; the display panel comprises a plurality of sub-pixels located in the display area.

[0010] The light extraction layer comprises a first protective layer and a first adhesive layer; the first protective layer is located at least in the display area of the display panel and comprises an opening arranged opposite to the sub-pixel; the first adhesive layer is covered on the side of the first protective layer away from the display panel, and part of the first adhesive layer is filled in the opening.

[0011] The included angle between the sidewall of the opening and the bottom of the first protective layer is greater than 0° and less than 90°, the refractive index of the first protective layer is less than the refractive index of the first adhesive layer, the first adhesive layer extends at least from the display area to the bending area, and covers the display panel located in the bending area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] The technical solutions and other beneficial effects of the present application will be apparent from the following detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present application, combined with the accompanying drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a display module provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of region A in FIG. 1.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a UV adhesive replacing film provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a polarizing sheet in the display module in FIG. 1.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the bending area of the display module in FIG. 1 when the bending area is not bent.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of another display module provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0019] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display device provided by an embodiment of the present application. Embodiments of the present application

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0022] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0023] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0024] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different structures of the present application. For the purpose of simplifying the present application, the components and arrangements of the specific examples described below are intended to be examples only. Of course, they are not meant to be limiting of the present application. Furthermore, the present application can be implemented in a variety of different embodiments and of different types of structures, and the disclosure is intended to be exemplary only and not limiting of the present application. In addition, the present application can utilize a variety of different processes and materials, and the use of a specific exemplary process and / or material is not meant to limit the present application.

[0025] In order to reduce the width of the lower frame of the OLED display device, the compression boundary design and the method of reducing the bending radius of the panel bending area are often used to achieve. However, as the lower frame of the OLED display panel becomes narrower and narrower, the degree of reduction of the bending radius is limited, so it can be considered to further reduce the width of the lower frame of the OLED display device by reducing the thickness of the UV glue (ultraviolet curing glue) of the bending area of the OLED display panel. However, due to the limited capacity of the current bending area sealing equipment, it is impossible to mass-produce UV glue with a thickness less than 70 microns (μm), so it is still difficult to reduce the width of the lower frame by reducing the thickness of the UV glue.

[0026] It can be understood that the lower frame described in the present application refers to the frame area provided with fan-out wires, that is, the frame corresponding to the bending area.

[0027] In order to further reduce the width of the lower frame of the OLED display device and achieve an extremely narrow frame or frameless design, the present application provides a display module and a display device. By extending the high-refractive-index glue layer in the light extraction layer on the light-emitting side of the display panel from the display area to the bending area to replace the existing UV glue arranged in the bending area, the width of the lower frame of the display module and the display device can be further reduced on the basis of improving the light extraction efficiency of the display panel, thereby facilitating the realization of an extremely narrow frame or frameless design. For specific reference, see the description of the following embodiments.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an embodiment of the present application provides a display module 1, which comprises a display panel 2 and a light extraction layer 3 located at the light-out side of the display panel 2. The display panel 2 has a display area 4 and a non-display area 5 arranged adjacently; the non-display area 5 comprises a bending area 5a and a binding area 5b, the display area 4 is arranged opposite to the binding area 5b, and the bending area 5a is arranged between the display area 4 and the binding area 5b. The display panel 2 comprises a plurality of sub-pixels 6 located in the display area 4. The light extraction layer 3 comprises a first protective layer 3a and a first adhesive layer 3b; the first protective layer 3a is located at least in the display area 4 of the display panel 2, and comprises an opening 7 arranged opposite to the sub-pixel 6; the first adhesive layer 3b covers the side of the first protective layer 3a away from the display panel 2, and part of the first adhesive layer 3b fills in the opening 7.

[0029] In the embodiment, the included angle θ between the side wall 7a of the opening 7 and the bottom 7b of the first protective layer 3a is greater than 0° and less than 90°, the refractive index of the first protective layer 3a is less than the refractive index of the first adhesive layer 3b, the first adhesive layer 3b extends at least from the display area 4 to the bending area 5a, and covers the display panel 2 located in the bending area 5a.

[0030] It should be noted that the display area 4 of the display panel 2 refers to the part for displaying pictures; the bending area 5a of the display panel 2 is provided with connection wires (such as fan-out wires) for connecting signal wires in the display area 4; and the binding area 5b of the display panel 2 is provided with binding wires for connecting the connection wires in the bending area 5a and for binding connection with a driving chip or a printed circuit board.

[0031] Specifically, the display panel 2 comprises a flexible OLED display panel, but is not limited thereto. The binding area 5b of the display panel 2 is bent to the back of the display panel 2 through the bending area 5a, so as to reduce the width of the frame (such as the lower frame) of the display module 1, thereby realizing a narrow frame design.

[0032] It can be understood that the light-out side of the display panel 2 refers to the side of the display panel 2 for displaying pictures, and the back of the display panel 2 refers to the side of the display panel 2 arranged opposite to the light-out side.

[0033] Specifically, the light extraction layer 3 serves to improve the light extraction efficiency of the display panel 2; for example, the light extraction layer 3 can extract the light with a large viewing angle emitted by the sub-pixel 6 in the display panel 2 from the direction close to the normal viewing angle for display, thereby improving the display brightness of the display panel 2 at the normal viewing angle.

[0034] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, since the included angle θ between the side wall 7a of the opening 7 and the bottom 7b of the first protective layer 3a is greater than 0° and less than 90°, that is, the taper angle of the first protective layer 3a near the opening 7 is greater than 0° and less than 90°, so that the large viewing angle light emitted by the sub-pixel 6 can be incident on the side wall 7a of the opening 7. At the same time, since the refractive index of the first protective layer 3a is less than the refractive index of the first glue layer 3b, the large viewing angle light incident on the side wall 7a of the opening 7 and satisfying the critical angle of total reflection can be totally reflected on the interface between the first protective layer 3a and the first glue layer 3b, and the light after total reflection is emitted from the direction close to the normal viewing angle, thereby improving the light extraction efficiency of the display module 1.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, when the sub-pixel 6 in the display panel 2 emits light, the following several light paths are included: as shown in light paths L1 and L2, a part of the large viewing angle light incident in the direction of the side wall 7a of the opening 7 is totally reflected on the interface between the first protective layer 3a and the first glue layer 3b, and then emitted from the direction close to the normal viewing angle; as shown in light path L3, another part of the light emitted in the normal viewing angle direction or the direction close to the normal viewing angle direction directly transmits through the first glue layer 3b and is then emitted.

[0036] Specifically, the number of openings 7 on the first protective layer 3a can be consistent with the number of sub-pixels 6, or can be less than the number of sub-pixels 6. Those skilled in the art can design the number and distribution position of the openings 7 according to the design requirements of the panel structure, which is not limited in the present application.

[0037] Specifically, the first glue layer 3b extends from the display area 4 to at least the bending area 5a, and completely covers the display panel 2 located in the bending area 5a. That is, the first glue layer 3b is located at least in the display area 4 and the bending area 5b, so that the first glue layer 3b covers the first protective layer 3a located in the display area 4, and covers the display panel 2 located in the bending area 5a.

[0038] It can be understood that the present application does not need to set a UV glue in the bending area 5a for protecting the display panel 2 located in the bending area 5a, but directly extends the high-refractive first glue layer 3b in the light extraction layer 3 from the display area 4 to the bending area 5a, so that the first glue layer 3b is directly attached to the display panel 2 located in the bending area 5a, for protecting the display panel 2 located in the bending area 5a, avoiding the connection wire in the bending area 5a from being broken or damaged.

[0039] Since the coverage area of the first adhesive layer 3b with high refractive index in the light extraction layer 3 is large, the first adhesive layer 3b can be prepared by full-area coating of adhesive material or direct attachment of a finished adhesive layer. Compared with the preparation process of UV glue, the thickness of the adhesive layer can be better controlled, which is beneficial to the preparation of a first adhesive layer 3b with smaller thickness and more uniform thickness, thereby facilitating further reduction of the frame width of the display module 1 by reducing the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b.

[0040] It can be understood that the preparation process of the light extraction layer 3 is performed before the bending of the bending area 5 of the display panel 2. At this time, the display area 4, the bending area 5a and the binding area 5b of the display panel 2 are located on the same plane.

[0041] In some embodiments, the refractive index of the first protective layer 3a ranges from 1.5 to 1.54; and the refractive index of the first adhesive layer 3b ranges from 1.55 to 1.65. By controlling the refractive index of the first adhesive layer 3b and the first protective layer 3a to be different, the light incident on the sidewall 7a of the opening 7 can be totally reflected, thereby changing the exit direction of the light and improving the light extraction efficiency of the display module 1.

[0042] In some embodiments, the first protective layer 3a is an organic material, for example, the first protective layer 3a is an OC (Over Coating) layer, so that the first protective layer 3a can not only protect the light exit side of the display panel 2, but also achieve light extraction of the display panel 2 by the difference in refractive index with the first adhesive layer 3b. Of course, in other embodiments, the first protective layer 3a can also be an inorganic material. It can be understood that the material of the first protective layer 3a is not limited in the embodiments of the present application, as long as the light transmittance and refractive index meet the design requirements of the panel.

[0043] In some embodiments, the material of the first adhesive layer 3b includes an optically clear adhesive (OCA) with high refractive index, for example, a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) that meets the refractive index requirements.

[0044] In other embodiments, the material of the first adhesive layer 3b includes an optical adhesive and a functional material doped in the optical adhesive; the refractive index of the functional material is greater than the refractive index of the optical adhesive and greater than the refractive index of the first protective layer 3a. It can be understood that the functional material has a higher refractive index, which helps to achieve a refractive index of the first adhesive layer 3b greater than 1.55.

[0045] In some embodiments, the functional material can be an inorganic high-refractive particle or a high-refractive organic material (for example, an organic material containing a benzene ring functional group), which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0046] It can be understood that the first adhesive layer 3b has adhesion, and the first adhesive layer 3b can be fixedly connected with the first protective layer 3a and the display panel 2 by directly covering the first adhesive layer 3b on the first protective layer 3a and the display panel 2.

[0047] In some embodiments, when the material of the first adhesive layer 3b is high-refractive OCA glue, the thickness d1 of the first adhesive layer 3b is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 20 microns. In other embodiments, when the material of the first adhesive layer 3b is high-refractive OCA glue, the thickness d1 of the first adhesive layer 3b is greater than or equal to 5 microns and less than or equal to 20 microns.

[0048] Since the minimum thickness of the currently mass-produced UV glue is about 70 microns, and the thickness of the mass-produced high-refractive OCA glue can be less than 20 microns, the thickness d1 of the first adhesive layer 3b in the embodiments of the present application can be much smaller than the thickness of the existing UV glue layer, thereby further reducing the width D of the lower frame of the display module 1. At the same time, the small thickness d1 of the first adhesive layer 3b is also conducive to reducing the overall thickness of the display module 1.

[0049] In some embodiments, the depth of the opening 7 in the first protective layer 3a (i.e. the height of the opening 7 in the thickness direction of the first protective layer 3a) can be as low as 3 microns. In order to meet the light extraction function, the first adhesive layer 3b only needs to completely fill the opening 7 of the first protective layer 3a; in order to meet the flatness, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b is slightly higher than the thickness of the first protective layer 3a. Therefore, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b is greater than 3 microns, and the mass production thickness of the current OCA glue can reach 5 microns to 20 microns, which can fully meet the requirements of improving the light extraction efficiency of the display panel 2 and the flatness of the light-emitting side, protecting the bending area 5a of the display panel 2, reducing the overall thickness of the display module 1, and reducing the frame width of the display module 1.

[0050] In some embodiments, the display module 1 further comprises a second protective layer 8 located on the side of the light extraction layer 3 away from the display panel 2, the second protective layer 8 covers the side of the entire first adhesive layer 3b away from the display panel 2, and the elastic modulus of the second protective layer 8 is greater than the elastic modulus of the first adhesive layer 3b.

[0051] Since the first adhesive layer 3b has adhesion and a low elastic modulus, it has a certain deformation, and is easy to come into contact with the first adhesive layer 3b during subsequent process operations of the display module 1, thereby causing the first adhesive layer 3b or the connection traces in the bending area 5a to be damaged, so a second protective layer 8 with a larger elastic modulus is arranged on the surface of the first adhesive layer 3b, which can support and protect the first adhesive layer 3b, and further protect the connection traces in the bending area 5a.

[0052] In some embodiments, the second protective layer 8 has good transparency, water resistance, grease resistance and bending resistance, and can be used to protect the exposed bending area 5a.

[0053] In some embodiments, the second protective layer 8 has the same shape and size as the first adhesive layer 3b.

[0054] In some embodiments, the stack structure of the second protective layer 8 and the first adhesive layer 3b can be a pre-made film layer.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 3, the present application also provides a UV adhesive replacement film 9, which comprises, from bottom to top, a release film 10, a first adhesive layer 3b, a second protective layer 8 and a protective film 11. After the light-out side of the display panel 2 is formed with the patterned first protective layer 3a, the release film 10 of the UV adhesive replacement film 9 can be removed and the first adhesive layer 3b is directly covered on the first protective layer 3a, so that the first adhesive layer 3b of the UV adhesive replacement film 9 is at least covered on the first protective layer 3a located in the display area 4 and the display panel 2 located in the bending area 5a, and then the first adhesive layer 3b is completely filled in the opening 7 of the first protective layer 3a through a debubbling process.

[0056] It can be understood that the first adhesive layer 3b and the second protective layer 8 in the present application can be formed in the same process, which is beneficial to simplify the process; and the protective film 11 of the UV adhesive replacement film 9 can be removed in the subsequent process, which is convenient for manufacturing the upper film layer.

[0057] Since the above-mentioned UV adhesive replacement film 9 can be mass-produced, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b and the second protective layer 8 can be better controlled, which is beneficial to obtain the first adhesive layer 3b and the second protective layer 8 with smaller thickness and more uniform thickness.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 1, the width of the lower frame of the display module 1 is D, and the width D of the lower frame is related to the bending radius of the display panel 2, the thickness d1 of the first adhesive layer 3b and the thickness d2 of the second protective layer 8, so the width of the lower frame can be reduced by reducing the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b and the second protective layer 8.

[0059] In some embodiments, the thickness d2 of the second protective layer 8 is greater than or equal to the thickness d1 of the first adhesive layer 3b, and the overall thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b and the second protective layer 8 is greater than 0 and less than 50 microns.

[0060] Since the first adhesive layer 3b and the second protective layer 8 cover the display panel 2 located in the bending area 5a, and the thickness of the second protective layer 8 is greater than or equal to the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b, the neutral layer of each film layer located in the bending area 5a can be adjusted by adjusting the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b and the second protective layer 8, so that the bending stress of the bending area 5a can be better relieved, and the risk of disconnection of the connecting wire in the bending area 5a is reduced.

[0061] In some embodiments, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b located in at least different positions of the bending area 5a is equal, and the thickness of the second protective layer 8 located in at least different positions of the bending area 5a is equal.

[0062] It can be understood that the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b and the second protective layer 8 located in at least the bending area 5a is uniform, for example, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b located in the bending area 5a is d1, and the thickness of the second protective layer 8 located in the bending area 5a is d2.

[0063] In some embodiments, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b corresponding to the opening 7 is equal to the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b in the bending area 5a, and the thickness of the second protective layer 8 in the display area 4 and the bending area 5a is equal.

[0064] Generally, the existing UV adhesive of the bending area needs to be treated by leveling when being made, and the thickness of the cured UV adhesive is not uniform, for example, the end of the UV adhesive close to the display area is thicker, and the end close to the binding area is thinner, so that the circular arc formed when the bending area of the display panel is bent is prone to deformation, thereby increasing the stress of the deformation area, and further increasing the risk of disconnection of the connecting wire of the bending area.

[0065] Compared with the prior art, on the one hand, the first adhesive layer 3b and the second protective layer 8 in the embodiments of the present application are directly adhered to the display panel 2 formed with the first protective layer 3a, so that the first adhesive layer 3b directly covers the first protective layer 3a located in the display area 4 and the display panel 2 located in the bending area 5a, and the leveling process is not needed, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process of the display module 1; on the other hand, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b and the second protective layer 8 located in the bending area 5a is uniform, so that the circular arc formed after the bending area 5a of the display panel 2 is bent is smoother, and the disconnection risk caused by the deformation of the circular arc is avoided.

[0066] In some embodiments, the second protective layer 8 has high light transmittance, for example, the material of the second protective layer 8 includes at least one of polyurethane (PU), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), triacetate cellulose (TAC), but is not limited thereto. Taking the second protective layer 8 made of PU as an example, the minimum production thickness of the second protective layer 8 can reach 20 microns, which is beneficial to obtain a second protective layer 8 with small thickness, thereby being beneficial to reduce the frame width of the display module 1.

[0067] In some embodiments, the first adhesive layer 3b and the second protective layer 8 extend from the display area 4 to the binding area 5b, and the first adhesive layer 3b also partially covers the display panel 2 located in the binding area 5b. This design increases the coverage area of the first adhesive layer 3b and continuously covers the display area 4, the bending area 5a and the binding area 5b, which is beneficial to increase the adhesion between the first adhesive layer 3b and the display panel 2 in the bending area 5a, and can avoid the risk of peeling between the edge of the first adhesive layer 3b and the display panel 2 in the bending area 5a of the display panel 2 during the bending process; and the first adhesive layer 3b and the second protective layer 8 covering the binding area 5b can protect the binding wires located in the binding area 5b.

[0068] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the display module 1 further includes a polarizer (POL) 12 located in the display area 4 and located on the side of the second protective layer 8 away from the display panel 2; the polarizer 12 includes a second adhesive layer 13, a polarizing functional layer 14 and a substrate layer 15 which are stacked on the second protective layer 8; wherein the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b is less than the thickness of the second adhesive layer 13. By reducing the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b, it is beneficial to reduce the overall thickness of the display module 1 and the frame width of the display module 1 on the basis of realizing the light extraction function.

[0069] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the polarizing functional layer 14 includes a compensation layer 14a and a polarizing layer 14b located on the side of the second adhesive layer 13 away from the second protective layer 8, and the material of the polarizing layer 14b includes PVA, but is not limited thereto.

[0070] In some embodiments, the material of the second adhesive layer 13 includes PSA, but is not limited thereto.

[0071] In some embodiments, the substrate layer 15 can be a single-layer substrate layer or a double-layer substrate layer, which is not limited by the present application.

[0072] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the display module 1 further comprises a third adhesive layer 16 and a cover plate 17 located on the side of the polarizer 12 away from the second protective layer 8, and the cover plate 17 and the polarizer 12 are fixedly connected through the third adhesive layer 16; the third adhesive layer 16 and the cover plate 17 cover the display area 4 and can extend in the direction of the bending area 5a.

[0073] Specifically, the cover plate 17 protects the underlying film layers, and the material of the cover plate 17 includes ultra-thin glass, but is not limited thereto.

[0074] It can be understood that the cover plate 17 can extend to cover part of the bent bending area 5a, or can extend to completely cover the bent bending area 5a, which is not limited in the present application.

[0075] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the display panel 2 comprises a substrate layer 18 and a light-emitting layer 19, an encapsulation layer 20 and a touch layer 21 which are stacked on the substrate layer 18; the substrate layer 18 is located in the display area 4 and the non-display area 5, the light-emitting layer 19 is located in the display area 4, and the touch layer 21 is located at least in the display area 4; the sub-pixel 6 is located in the light-emitting layer 19, and the light extraction layer 3 is located on the side of the touch layer 21 away from the encapsulation layer 20.

[0076] In some embodiments, the sub-pixel 6 comprises an OLED device, for example, the light-emitting layer 19 comprises an anode layer, a pixel defining layer 22, an organic light-emitting functional layer and a cathode layer which are stacked on the substrate layer 18, and the anode layer, the organic light-emitting functional layer and the cathode layer constitute a plurality of OLED devices. The pixel defining layer 22 is provided with a plurality of pixel openings, and the OLED device is located in the pixel opening. The OLED device in each pixel opening constitutes a sub-pixel 6.

[0077] In some embodiments, the substrate layer 18 is provided with a driving circuit for driving the light-emitting layer 19 to emit light, for example, the substrate layer 18 is an array layer.

[0078] In some embodiments, any one of the sub-pixels 6 comprises any one of a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel and a blue sub-pixel, and the light-emitting layer 19 comprises at least one red sub-pixel, at least one green sub-pixel and at least one blue sub-pixel, for realizing color display.

[0079] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the display module 1 further comprises a back plate (BP) 23 and a super clean foam (SCF) 24 located at the back of the display panel 2; the back plate 23 is attached to the back of the display panel 2 and comprises a first sub-back plate 23a and a second sub-back plate 23b arranged oppositely; the first sub-back plate 23a is arranged corresponding to the display area 4 and can extend partially to the bending area 5a; the second sub-back plate 23b is arranged corresponding to the binding area 5b and can extend partially to the bending area 5a; and the super clean foam 24 is located between the first sub-back plate 23a and the second sub-back plate 23b.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 5, when the bending area 5a is not bent, the display area 4, the bending area 5a and the binding area 5b of the display panel 2 are located on the same plane, at this time, the first sub-back plate 23a and the second sub-back plate 23b are located on the same plane, and the super clean foam 24 is located on the side of the first sub-back plate 23a away from the display panel 2. As shown in FIG. 1, when the bending area 5a is in a bent state, the binding area 5b of the display panel 2 is arranged oppositely to the display area 4 of the display panel 2, the first sub-back plate 23a and the second sub-back plate 23b are arranged oppositely, and the super clean foam 24 is located between the first sub-back plate 23a and the second sub-back plate 23b, the first sub-back plate 23a, the super clean foam 24 and the second sub-back plate 23b support the display panel 2 and can keep the bending area 5a in a bent state.

[0081] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, a stiffener (STF) 25 can be arranged between the super clean foam 24 and the second sub-back plate 23b, which is used to fix the second sub-back plate 23b on the super clean foam 24 and is beneficial to optimize the bending radius.

[0082] In some embodiments, the display module 1 further comprises a driving chip 26 or a printed circuit board, which is located in the binding area 5b of the display panel 2 and is connected to the binding area 5b of the display panel 2.

[0083] In the embodiments of the present application, on the one hand, the light extraction layer 3 arranged on the light exit side of the display panel 2 can effectively improve the light extraction efficiency of the display module 1, thereby improving the display effect; on the other hand, the first adhesive layer 3b in the light extraction layer 3 on the light exit side of the display panel 2 is extended from the display area 4 to the bending area 5a and covers the display panel 2 in the bending area 5a, so that the first adhesive layer 3b in the light extraction layer 3 replaces the existing UV adhesive. Compared with the existing UV adhesive, since the first adhesive layer 3b is extended from the display area 4 to the bending area 5a, the coverage area is larger, so that the manufacturing process of the first adhesive layer 3b is simpler, thereby the first adhesive layer 3b with smaller thickness and more uniform thickness can be more easily obtained, thereby it is beneficial to further reduce the frame width of the display module 1 by reducing the thickness of the first adhesive layer 3b, and then it is beneficial to realize the extremely narrow frame or frameless design. Therefore, the embodiments of the present application can further reduce the frame width of the display module 1 on the basis of improving the light extraction efficiency of the display module 1, thereby realizing the extremely narrow frame or frameless design on the basis of improving the display effect.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 6, the embodiments of the present application also provide a display module 1, which is different from the foregoing embodiments in that the display module 1 further comprises an electronic device (such as a driving chip 26) located in the binding area 5b and bound to the display panel 2; the first adhesive layer 3b covers the display panel 2 located in the binding area 5b, and the first adhesive layer 3b is located at the periphery of the electronic device and avoids the electronic device.

[0085] It can be understood that the electronic device is located on the side of the display panel 2 away from the back plate 23.

[0086] Specifically, the binding area 5b comprises a first region B and a second region C arranged adjacently, and the display module 1 further comprises an electronic device (such as a driving chip 26) covering the first region B and bound to the display panel 2; the first adhesive layer 3b extends from the display area 4 to the binding area 5b and further covers the display panel 2 located in the second region C, so that the first adhesive layer 3b is located at the periphery of the electronic device and avoids the electronic device.

[0087] In a specific embodiment, a certain distance is maintained between the first adhesive layer 3b and the electronic device; in another specific embodiment, the first adhesive layer 3b covers the sidewall of the electronic device (such as the driving chip 26). Those skilled in the art can control whether the first adhesive layer 3b directly contacts the electronic device according to the structural characteristics of the electronic device.

[0088] It can be understood that, in the embodiment of the present application, the binding area 5b is divided into a first area B and a second area C, the first area B is used for binding electronic devices, and the second area C is a peripheral area of the first area B. That is, the first adhesive layer 3b also covers the area in the binding area 5b avoiding the electronic devices, so that the first adhesive layer 3b does not cover the electronic devices. This design makes the first adhesive layer 3b play a protective role for the binding area 5b while not affecting the stable connection of the electronic devices and other peripheral circuits.

[0089] The conventional display module generally sets an adhesive layer (such as UV glue) in the area of the binding area except the bound electronic devices, for protecting the electronic devices and avoiding water vapor intrusion to cause the electronic devices to fail. However, the first adhesive layer 3b in the embodiment of the present application is directly extended from the display area 4 to the binding area 5b and covers the area outside the electronic devices (such as the driving chip 26), and even covers the sidewall of the electronic devices (such as the driving chip 26), which can effectively seal the periphery of the electronic devices and avoid water vapor intrusion, thereby effectively protecting the electronic devices.

[0090] Therefore, the first adhesive layer 3b in the embodiment of the present application can also replace the UV glue set in the binding area 5b. Since the first adhesive layer 3b in the embodiment of the present application can cover the surface of the display panel 2 in the form of a finished product, it can replace the UV glue set in the bending area 5a and the binding area 5b at the same time, avoiding the dispensing process in this area, which is beneficial to simplify the manufacturing process.

[0091] It can be understood that the second protective layer 8 covers the side of the entire first adhesive layer 3b away from the display panel 2, including the side of the first adhesive layer 3b in the second area C away from the display panel 2. That is, the second protective layer 8 also covers the area in the binding area 5b avoiding the electronic devices.

[0092] Since the elastic modulus of the second protective layer 8 is greater than that of the first adhesive layer 3b, setting the second protective layer 8 in the binding area 5b can effectively increase the stiffness of the display module 1 located in the binding area 5b, which can avoid the need to additionally set a structure for enhancing the stiffness in the binding area 5b, and can avoid the damage of the binding area 5b by external force in other processes, thereby further playing a protective role for the binding area 5b.

[0093] Therefore, on the one hand, the embodiment of the present application can further reduce the frame width of the display module 1 on the basis of improving the light extraction efficiency of the display module 1, thereby realizing an extremely narrow frame or frameless design on the basis of improving the display effect; on the other hand, it can effectively protect the binding area 5b, thereby being beneficial to improve the yield and reliability of the display module 1.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 7, the application further provides a display device 30, the display device 30 comprising a housing 27 and the display module 1 described in the above embodiments; wherein the housing 27 comprises a receiving cavity 28, and the display module 1 is located in the receiving cavity 28.

[0095] Specifically, the display device 30 can be a wearable device, such as a smart bracelet, a smart watch, or a virtual reality (VR) device, and can also be a mobile phone, an electronic book, an electronic newspaper, a television, or a personal portable computer, and can also be a flexible OLED display or lighting device that can be bent and folded. The specific form of the display device 30 is not limited in the embodiments of the application.

[0096] In the embodiments of the application, since the display module 1 can realize an extremely narrow frame or a frameless design, the frame of the display device 30 will also be further reduced, which is beneficial to obtain a display device 30 with a smaller frame, thereby improving the user experience.

[0097] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis, and the parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment can be referred to the related description of other embodiments.

[0098] The display module and the display device provided by the embodiments of the application are described in detail above, and the principle and implementation manner of the application are described by applying specific examples. The above description of the embodiments is only used to help understand the technical solutions of the application and the core idea thereof; those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions recorded in the above embodiments can be modified, or some technical features can be replaced by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the application.

Claims

1. A display module, comprising a display panel and a light extraction layer located at a light-outgoing side of the display panel; the display panel has a display area and a non-display area located adjacently; the non-display area comprises a bending area and a binding area, the display area is located opposite to the binding area, and the bending area is located between the display area and the binding area; the display panel comprises a plurality of sub-pixels located at the display area; the light extraction layer comprises a first protective layer and a first adhesive layer; the first protective layer is located at least at the display area of the display panel, and comprises openings located opposite to the sub-pixels; the first adhesive layer is located on a side of the first protective layer away from the display panel, and part of the first adhesive layer is filled in the openings; wherein an included angle between a side wall of the opening and a bottom of the first protective layer is greater than 0° and less than 90°, a refractive index of the first protective layer is less than a refractive index of the first adhesive layer, the first adhesive layer extends at least from the display area to the bending area, and covers the display panel located at the bending area.

2. The display module of claim 1, wherein, The first adhesive layer extends from the display area to cover part of the binding area.

3. The display module of claim 2, wherein, The display module further comprises electronic devices located at the binding area and bound to the display panel; the first adhesive layer further covers the display panel located at the binding area, and the first adhesive layer is located at a periphery of the electronic devices and avoids the electronic devices.

4. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The display module further comprises a second protective layer located at a side of the light extraction layer away from the display panel, the second protective layer covers a side of the entire first adhesive layer away from the display panel, and an elastic modulus of the second protective layer is greater than an elastic modulus of the first adhesive layer.

5. The display module of claim 4, wherein, A thickness of the second protective layer is greater than or equal to a thickness of the first adhesive layer, and an overall thickness of the first adhesive layer and the second protective layer is greater than 0 and less than 50 microns.

6. The display module of claim 5, wherein, The thickness of the first adhesive layer is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 20 microns.

7. The display module of claim 6, wherein, A height of the opening in a thickness direction of the first protective layer is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 3 microns, and the thickness of the first adhesive layer is greater than 5 microns and less than or equal to 20 microns.

8. The display module of claim 4, wherein, Thicknesses of the first adhesive layer at different positions located at least at the bending area are equal, and thicknesses of the second protective layer at different positions located at least at the bending area are equal.

9. The display module of claim 1, wherein, The refractive index of the first protective layer ranges from 1.5 to 1.54, and the refractive index of the first adhesive layer ranges from 1.55 to 1.

65.

10. The display module of claim 1 or 9, wherein, The material of the first adhesive layer comprises optical adhesive and functional material doped in the optical adhesive; the refractive index of the functional material is greater than the refractive index of the optical adhesive, and greater than the refractive index of the first protective layer.

11. The display module of claim 4, wherein, The material of the second protective layer comprises at least one of polyurethane, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl alcohol and cellulose triacetate.

12. The display module of claim 4, wherein, The display module further comprises a polarizer located on the display area and on the side of the second protective layer away from the display panel; the polarizer comprises a second adhesive layer, a polarizing functional layer and a substrate layer stacked on the second protective layer; the thickness of the first adhesive layer is less than the thickness of the second adhesive layer.

13. The display module of claim 1, wherein, The display panel comprises a substrate layer and a light-emitting layer, an encapsulation layer and a touch layer stacked on the substrate layer; the substrate layer is located on the display area and the non-display area, the light-emitting layer is located on the display area, and the touch layer is at least located on the display area; The sub-pixel is located in the light-emitting layer, and the light extraction layer is located on the side of the touch layer away from the encapsulation layer.

14. The display module of claim 1 or 13, wherein, The sub-pixel comprises an organic electroluminescent device.

15. The display module of claim 1, wherein, The display module further comprises a back plate and a composite support layer located on the back of the display panel; the back plate is attached to the back of the display panel and comprises oppositely arranged first and second sub-back plates; the first sub-back plate is arranged at least corresponding to the display area, and the second sub-back plate is arranged at least corresponding to the binding area; the composite support layer is located between the first and second sub-back plates.

16. A display device comprising a housing and a display module, the housing comprising a receiving cavity, and the display module being located in the receiving cavity; The display module comprises a display panel and a light extraction layer located on the light-emitting side of the display panel; the display panel has a display area and a non-display area arranged adjacent to each other; the non-display area comprises a bending area and a binding area, the display area and the binding area are arranged opposite to each other, and the bending area is arranged between the display area and the binding area; the display panel comprises a plurality of sub-pixels located on the display area; The light extraction layer comprises a first protective layer and a first adhesive layer; the first protective layer is at least located on the display area of the display panel and comprises an opening arranged in alignment with the sub-pixel; the first adhesive layer covers the side of the first protective layer away from the display panel, and part of the first adhesive layer fills in the opening; wherein, The included angle between the side wall of the opening and the bottom of the first protective layer is greater than 0° and less than 90°, the refractive index of the first protective layer is less than the refractive index of the first adhesive layer, the first adhesive layer extends from the display area to at least the bending area, and covers the display panel located in the bending area.

17. The display device of claim 16, wherein, The first adhesive layer extends from the display area to cover part of the binding area.

18. The display device of claim 17, wherein, The display module further comprises electronic devices located in the binding area and connected to the display panel; the first adhesive layer further covers the display panel located in the binding area, and the first adhesive layer is located in the periphery of the electronic devices and avoids the electronic devices.

19. A display device according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein, The display module further comprises a second protective layer located on the side of the light extraction layer away from the display panel, the second protective layer covers the side of the entire first adhesive layer away from the display panel, and the elastic modulus of the second protective layer is greater than the elastic modulus of the first adhesive layer.

20. The display device of claim 19, wherein, The thickness of the second protective layer is greater than or equal to the thickness of the first adhesive layer, and the overall thickness of the first adhesive layer and the second protective layer is greater than 0 and less than 50 microns.

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