Support plate, display module, and display device
By setting air guide grooves and openings on the support plate to form an air guide channel, the molding problem caused by air pressure difference in flexible display panels is solved, and the appearance quality of folding devices is improved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-04
Smart Images
Figure CN2024134752_04062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Support plate, display module and display device Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of display technology, specifically to a support plate, a display module, and a display device. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, smart terminals using AMOLED flexible display modules are becoming increasingly common in daily life, and foldable devices are gaining popularity among consumers. The appearance of the folding area of the display module in foldable devices is one of the most important performance indicators that directly reflects a product's competitiveness. Summary of the Invention
[0003] This disclosure presents a support plate, a display module, and a display device.
[0004] This disclosure provides a support plate for bonding with a flexible display panel, wherein the support plate includes: a bendable area and non-bendable areas located on both sides of the bendable area, the bendable area including: a first sub-bendable area, a second sub-bendable area and a connecting area; the second sub-bendable area is located between the first sub-bendable area and the non-bendable area, and the connecting area is located between the first sub-bendable area and the second sub-bendable area;
[0005] The first sub-bending area is provided with multiple first air guide grooves and multiple openings penetrating the support plate. The multiple openings include multiple closed openings and multiple open openings. There is a gap between the closed openings and the edge of the support plate, and the open openings extend to the edge of the support plate. The depth of the first air guide grooves is less than the maximum thickness of the support plate. The multiple first air guide grooves connect the multiple closed openings and the multiple open openings to each other to form an air guide channel.
[0006] The second sub-bending area has a slot, the depth of which is less than the maximum thickness of the support plate, and the slot extends to the edge of the support plate;
[0007] The connection area is provided with a second air guide groove, which is located on the same side of the support plate as the first air guide groove. The second air guide groove connects the slot to the air guide channel.
[0008] In some embodiments, the plurality of openings in the first sub-bending region are arranged in multiple rows along a first direction, each row including a plurality of openings arranged along a second direction, at least one row of multiple openings including a plurality of closed openings and a plurality of open openings, and the remaining rows of multiple openings including a plurality of the closed openings; the first direction intersects the second direction, the first direction being the direction from the bendable region to the non-bending region; each opening has a connecting rib between itself and at least one opening in an adjacent row, and at least one of the first air guide grooves is provided on the connecting rib.
[0009] In some embodiments, the connecting ribs in the first sub-bending area are arranged in multiple rows in the first direction and in multiple columns in the second direction; each connecting rib in the same column has the same number of first air guide grooves.
[0010] In some embodiments, the connecting ribs in the first sub-bending area are arranged in multiple rows in the first direction and in multiple columns in the second direction;
[0011] Among the multiple connecting ribs in the same column, the number of first air guide grooves in the connecting ribs gradually increases or increases in a stepwise manner along the direction close to the bendable area.
[0012] In some embodiments, the connecting ribs in the first sub-bending area are arranged in multiple rows in the first direction and in multiple columns in the second direction;
[0013] The first air guide grooves on the multiple connecting ribs in the same column are mirror-symmetrical about the first center line, which is a straight line that passes through the center of the first sub-bending area and extends along the second direction.
[0014] In some embodiments, the connecting ribs in the first sub-bending area are arranged in multiple rows in the first direction and in multiple columns in the second direction;
[0015] The number of first air guide grooves in each of the connecting ribs in the same row is equal.
[0016] In some embodiments, the distance between the first air guide groove on the connecting rib and the N+1 equally spaced positions of the connecting rib is less than or equal to 1 mm;
[0017] Wherein, N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and is the number of first air guide grooves on the connecting rib, and the N+1 equal division position is the position used to divide the connecting rib into N+1 equal parts in the second direction.
[0018] In some embodiments, the openings in adjacent rows are staggered, and each closed opening has a connecting rib between it and two openings in an adjacent row.
[0019] In some embodiments, the distance between two adjacent first air guide slots arranged along the second direction is greater than or equal to the maximum thickness of the support plate.
[0020] In some embodiments, the width of the opening of the first air guide groove is between 0.5 and 1 mm.
[0021] In some embodiments, the ratio of the depth of the first air guide groove to the maximum thickness of the support plate is between 1 / 6 and 1 / 3.
[0022] In some embodiments, the longitudinal section of the first air guide groove perpendicular to its extending direction is any one of a rectangle, trapezoid, semicircle, triangle, or sawtooth shape; and / or,
[0023] The second air guide groove has a longitudinal section perpendicular to its extension direction that is any one of a rectangle, trapezoid, semicircle, triangle, or sawtooth shape.
[0024] In some embodiments, the second air guide groove extends along a first direction, which is the direction from the bendable area to the non-bendable area.
[0025] In some embodiments, the distance between the second air guide groove and the M+1 equally divided position of the connection area is less than or equal to 5 mm;
[0026] Where M is the number of first air guide slots in the connection area, and the M+1 equal division position is the position used to divide the connection area into M+1 equal parts in the second direction, the second direction intersecting the first direction.
[0027] In some embodiments, the second air guide grooves located on both sides of the first sub-bending area are mirror-symmetrical about the bending axis of the first sub-bending area.
[0028] In some embodiments, the opening width of the second air guide groove is greater than the opening width of the first air guide groove.
[0029] In some embodiments, the support plate has a rectangular structure in its flattened state;
[0030] The ratio of the width of the second air guide groove to the diagonal length of the rectangular structure is between 0.197% and 0.984%.
[0031] In some embodiments, the support plate has a rectangular structure in its flattened state;
[0032] Each of the connecting areas is provided with a plurality of second air guide grooves. In the same connecting area, the ratio of the distance between two adjacent second air guide grooves to the diagonal length of the rectangular structure is between 11.8% and 15.75%.
[0033] In some embodiments, the ratio of the depth of the second air guide groove to the maximum depth of the support plate is between 1 / 6 and 1 / 3.
[0034] This disclosure also provides a display module, including:
[0035] Flexible display panel;
[0036] As described above, the support plate is located on the backlight side of the flexible display panel and is attached to the flexible display panel. The first air guide groove and the second air guide groove are formed on the surface of the support plate opposite to the display panel.
[0037] This disclosure also provides a display device including the display module described above. Attached Figure Description
[0038] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain the present disclosure, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:
[0039] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the support plate provided in some embodiments.
[0040] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of region A in Figure 1.
[0041] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line I-I' in Figure 2.
[0042] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the support plate in a folded state in some embodiments.
[0043] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the position of the open opening of the folding display module before and after entering the pressurized environment.
[0044] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the position of the closed opening of the folding display module before and after entering the pressurized environment.
[0045] Figure 7 is a plan view of the support plate provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.
[0046] Figure 8 is an enlarged view of region B in Figure 7.
[0047] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the closed opening on the support plate provided in this embodiment before and after entering the pressurized environment.
[0048] Figure 10A is a schematic diagram of a first distribution of the first air guide groove provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.
[0049] Figure 10B is a schematic diagram of a second distribution of the first air guide groove provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.
[0050] Figure 10C is a schematic diagram of a third distribution of the first air guide groove provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.
[0051] Figure 11 shows various cross-sectional views along line A-A' in Figure 8.
[0052] Figure 12 is a plan view of a support plate provided in some other embodiments of this disclosure.
[0053] Figure 13 shows various cross-sectional views along line B-B' in Figure 8.
[0054] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a display module provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.
[0055] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the film layer structure of a flexible display panel provided in some embodiments of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation
[0056] The specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this disclosure.
[0057] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.
[0058] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the embodiments of this disclosure should have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.
[0059] As used herein, “parallel” and “perpendicular” include the described situation and situations that are similar to the described situation, within an acceptable range of deviation, which is determined by those skilled in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of a particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, “parallel” includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate parallelism may be, for example, within 5°; “perpendicular” includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate perpendicularity may also be, for example, within 5°.
[0060] It should be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being on another layer or substrate, it can mean that the layer or element is directly on the other layer or substrate, or that there is an intermediate layer between the layer or element and the other layer or substrate.
[0061] This document describes exemplary embodiments with reference to sectional views and / or plan views, which are idealized exemplary drawings. In the drawings, the thickness of layers and regions is enlarged for clarity. Therefore, variations in shape relative to the drawings are contemplated due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Therefore, exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limited to the shapes of the regions shown herein, but rather include shape deviations due to, for example, manufacturing processes. Thus, the regions shown in the drawings are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to show the actual shapes of the regions of the device, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.
[0062] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the description of the numerical range "m1~m2" includes the endpoint values m1 and m2.
[0063] Foldable display modules primarily rely on a support layer (Bracket, BKT) for bending. The foldable display module includes a flexible display panel and a support plate located on the backlight side of the flexible display panel. The support plate is bonded to the flexible display panel via an adhesive layer. Materials for the support plate mainly include stainless steel (SUS), titanium alloy, or carbon fiber, which are characterized by high modulus and excellent support performance. To achieve the bendability of the support plate, openings can be made in the bendable area of the support plate.
[0064] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the support plate provided in some embodiments, Figure 2 is an enlarged view of region A in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line I-I' in Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the support plate in a folded state in some embodiments. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the support plate 20 includes: a bendable area 21 and non-bendable areas 22 located on both sides of the bendable area 21. The bendable area 21 includes: a first sub-bendable area 211, a second sub-bendable area 212, and a connecting area 213. The second sub-bendable area 212 is located between the first sub-bendable area 211 and the non-bendable area 22, and the connecting area 213 is located between the first sub-bendable area 211 and the second sub-bendable area 212.
[0065] The first sub-bending area 211 has multiple openings H, which penetrate the support plate 20 in the thickness direction to reduce the bending modulus of the support plate 20 in the first sub-bending area 211, thus meeting the requirements of the folding design. The multiple openings H include multiple closed openings H2 and multiple open openings H1. There is a gap between the closed openings H2 and the edge of the support plate 20, making the edge of the closed opening H2 a closed shape; while the open openings H1 extend to the edge of the support plate 20, making the open openings H1 a semi-closed shape. It should be noted that the closed shape of the closed opening H2 means that both ends of the closed opening H2 extending along the bending axis of the bendable area 21 are closed.
[0066] In addition, in order to meet the teardrop-shaped folding design of the folding display module, the support plate 20 will be semi-etched in the second sub-bending area 212 to form a groove V0. The groove V0 penetrates the support plate 20 in the width direction, thereby reducing the bending modulus of the support plate 20 in the second sub-bending area 212.
[0067] After the support plate 20 is bonded to the flexible display panel via the adhesive layer, the side of the closed opening H2 facing the flexible display panel is sealed by the adhesive layer. In addition, to prevent external impurities from filling the openings H, a dustproof film 30 is attached to the side of the support plate 20 away from the flexible display panel. The dustproof film 30 seals the opening of the closed opening H2 away from the flexible display panel, thereby forming a completely sealed space inside the closed opening H2, while the open opening H1 is connected to the external atmospheric environment.
[0068] In the manufacturing process of foldable display products, multiple pressurization and degassing processes are involved to remove various bonding air bubbles. During the pressurization and degassing process, the foldable display module is placed in a high-pressure environment within a sealed chamber, where the bonding air bubbles are squeezed and absorbed by the adhesive. Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the open opening H1 of the foldable display module before and after entering the pressurized environment, and Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the closed opening H2 of the foldable display module before and after entering the pressurized environment. As shown in Figure 5, in the pressurized environment, because the open opening H1 is connected to the external environment, the air pressure inside the open opening H1 is the same as the air pressure inside the pressurized chamber, preventing the flexible display panel 10 from collapsing. However, because the air pressure inside the closed opening H2 is lower, both the flexible display panel 10 and the dustproof film 30 are squeezed inward, resulting in a long strip of mold marks on the flexible display panel 10 at the first sub-bending area 211. This mold mark severely affects the appearance and aesthetics of the flexible display panel 10 and the overall device.
[0069] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this disclosure provides a support plate 20 for bonding with a flexible display panel. Figure 7 is a plan view of the support plate provided in some embodiments of this disclosure, and Figure 8 is an enlarged view of region B in Figure 7. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the support plate 20 includes a bendable region 21 and non-bendable regions 22 located on both sides of the bendable region 21. The bendable region 21 includes a first sub-bendable region 211, a second sub-bendable region 212, and a connecting region 213. The second sub-bendable region 212 is located between the first sub-bendable region 211 and the non-bendable region 22, and the connecting region 213 is located between the first sub-bendable region 211 and the second sub-bendable region 212.
[0070] The first sub-bending region 211 has multiple first air guide grooves V1 and multiple openings H penetrating the support plate 20. The multiple openings H include multiple closed openings H2 and multiple open openings H1. There is a gap between the closed openings H2 and the edge of the support plate 20, and the open openings H1 extend to the edge of the support plate 20. The first air guide grooves V1 penetrate a portion of the support plate 20 in the thickness direction; that is, the depth of the first air guide grooves V1 is less than the maximum thickness of the support plate 20. The multiple first air guide grooves V1 connect the multiple closed openings H2 and the multiple open openings H1 to each other, forming air guide channels. The maximum thickness of the support plate 20 is the thickness of the support plate 20 at the locations where no holes or grooves are formed.
[0071] The second sub-bending region 212 has a slot V0, which penetrates a portion of the support plate 20 in the thickness direction; that is, the depth of the slot V0 is less than the maximum thickness of the support plate 20. The slot V0 extends to the edge of the support plate 20, for example, to the edges of opposite sides of the support plate 20.
[0072] The connecting area 213 has a second air guide groove V2, which is located on the same side of the support plate 20 as the first air guide groove V1. The second air guide groove V2 connects the slot V0 with the air guide channel.
[0073] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the closed opening on the support plate provided in this embodiment before and after entering the pressurized environment. Compared with the support plate 20 shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the support plate 20 is provided with a first air guide groove V1 and a second air guide groove V2. The first air guide groove V1 connects the closed opening H2 and the open opening H1 to each other, and the second air guide groove V2 connects the closed opening H2, the open opening H1 and the slot V0 of the second sub-bending area 212. When the support plate 20 is used in the folding display module, the support plate 20 and... The flexible display panel 10 is bonded together, and the first air guide groove V1 and the second air guide groove V2 are located on the side of the support plate 20 away from the flexible display panel 10. In this case, when the side of the support plate 20 away from the flexible display panel 10 is covered with a dustproof film 30 and the degassing process is performed, the closed opening H2 is also connected to the external environment (i.e., the gas environment in the degassing process chamber), thereby preventing the flexible display panel from being squeezed inward due to the air pressure difference at the position of the closed opening H2, and thus preventing mold marks from appearing on the flexible display panel 10.
[0074] Figure 10A is a schematic diagram of a first distribution of the first air guide groove provided in some embodiments of this disclosure, Figure 10B is a schematic diagram of a second distribution of the first air guide groove provided in some embodiments of this disclosure, and Figure 10C is a schematic diagram of a third distribution of the first air guide groove provided in some embodiments of this disclosure. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 10A to 10C, the plurality of openings H in the first sub-bending region 211 are arranged in multiple rows along a first direction, each row including a plurality of openings H arranged along a second direction, at least one row of the plurality of openings H includes a plurality of closed openings H2 and a plurality of open openings H1, and the remaining rows of the plurality of openings H include a plurality of closed openings H2; the first direction is the direction from the bendable region 21 to the non-bending region 22, and the first direction intersects the second direction, for example, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. For example, in the odd-numbered rows such as the 1st and 3rd rows, there are multiple closed openings H2 and two open openings H1, with the two open openings H1 located at the two opposite edges of the support plate 20 respectively; in the even-numbered rows such as the 2nd and 4th rows, each opening H is a closed opening H2.
[0075] The opening H is an elongated strip extending along the second direction, and each opening H is connected to at least one opening H in an adjacent row by a connecting rib 25, which extends along the second direction. At least one first air guide groove V1 is provided on the connecting rib 25. The connecting rib 25 is adjacent to two openings H in two adjacent rows.
[0076] In one example, adjacent rows of openings H are staggered to allow the support plate 20 to bend in the first sub-bending area 211. Each closed opening H2 has a connecting rib 25 between it and two openings H in the adjacent row. The staggered arrangement means that adjacent openings H are not perfectly aligned. For example, the j-th closed opening H2 in the i-th row overlaps with the j-th and (j+1)-th openings H in the (i+1)-th row in the first direction, and also overlaps with the j-th and (j+1)-th openings H in the (i-1)-th row in the first direction. i and j are integers, where i is less than the total number of rows of openings H, and j is less than the number of openings H in each row. It should be noted that the overlap of two openings H in the first direction means that the orthographic projections of the two openings H on a reference plane perpendicular to the first direction overlap; the overlap width is the length of the connecting rib 25, i.e., the dimension of the connecting rib 25 in the second direction.
[0077] For example, the width of the connecting rib 25 may be less than twice the width of the opening H, so that the support plate 20 can be bent in the first sub-bending area 21. The width of the opening H is the dimension of the opening H in the first direction; for example, the width of the connecting rib 25 is less than or equal to the width of the opening H.
[0078] In one example, as shown in Figures 10A to 10C, each connecting rib 25 is provided with at least one first air guide groove V1, thereby connecting a plurality of closed openings H2 and a plurality of open openings H1 to each other.
[0079] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 10A to 10C, the connecting ribs 25 in the first sub-bending region 211 are arranged in multiple rows in a first direction and in multiple columns in a second direction. The number of first air guide grooves V1 in each connecting rib 25 in the same row is equal, thereby making the stress distribution of each connecting rib 25 in the same row more uniform when the first sub-bending region 211 of the support plate 20 bends.
[0080] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 10A to 10B, each connecting rib 25 in the same column has the same number of first air guide grooves V1.
[0081] The distance between the first air guide groove V1 on the connecting rib 25 and the N+1 equally divided positions of the connecting rib 25 is less than or equal to 1 mm. This facilitates the uniform distribution of the first air guide groove V1, which in turn promotes the uniform distribution of stress and reduces stress concentration. N is the number of first air guide grooves V1 on the connecting rib 25, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The N+1 equally divided positions are used to divide the connecting rib 25 into N+1 equal parts in the second direction. The distance between the first air guide groove V1 and the N+1 equally divided positions refers to the distance between the center of the first air guide groove V1 and the N+1 equally divided positions.
[0082] Specifically, as shown in Figure 10A, each connecting rib 25 has a first air guide groove V1, and the distance between the first air guide groove V1 and the midpoint of the connecting rib 25 is less than or equal to 1 mm. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 10B, the connecting rib 25 has multiple first air guide grooves V1, which are evenly or approximately evenly distributed on the connecting rib 25. For example, if each connecting rib has three first air guide grooves V1, the distance between each first air guide groove V1 and a quarter-divided position of the connecting rib 25 is less than or equal to 1 mm.
[0083] In some embodiments, the first air guide grooves V1 on the multiple connecting ribs 25 in the same column are mirror-symmetrical about the first center line L1, which is a straight line passing through the center of the bendable area 21 and extending along the second direction. This distribution ensures a more symmetrical stress distribution on both sides of the bending axis in the first sub-bending area 211 when the support plate 20 bends.
[0084] The distribution of the first air guide grooves shown in Figure 10C is similar to that in Figures 10A and 10B. The only difference is that, in Figure 10C, the number of first air guide grooves V1 in the multiple connecting ribs 25 in the same column is not exactly the same. Specifically, on the multiple connecting ribs 25 in the same column, along the direction closer to the non-bending area 22, the number of first air guide grooves V1 on the connecting ribs 25 gradually increases or increases in a stepwise manner.
[0085] Among them, the first air guide groove V1 can reduce the bending modulus of the connecting rib 25 in the first direction. According to the stress distribution of the support plate 20 in the folded state, the closer to the first center line, the greater the force on the support plate 20. In this case, setting fewer first air guide grooves V1 can maintain the bending modulus of the support plate 20 at the first center line and reduce the strain level. However, the position near the non-bending area 22 has a lower requirement for bending modulus, and more air guide grooves can be set on the connecting rib 25.
[0086] Figure 10C illustrates an example where the number of first air guide grooves V1 on multiple connecting ribs 25 in the same column gradually increases. For instance, in the same column, along the direction from the non-bending area 22 to the center of the first sub-bending area 211, the number of first air guide grooves V1 on the multiple connecting ribs 25 is 5, 3, and 1 respectively. In other embodiments, the number of first air guide grooves V1 on the multiple connecting ribs 25 in the same column exhibits a stepped change. For instance, along the direction from the non-bending area 22 to the center of the first sub-bending area 211, the number of first air guide grooves V1 on the multiple connecting ribs 25 is 5, 3, 3, and 1 respectively. Furthermore, on each connecting rib 25, the distance between the first air guide groove V1 and the N+1 equally spaced positions of the connecting rib 25 is less than or equal to 1 mm.
[0087] In some embodiments, the distance between two adjacent first air guide grooves V1 arranged along the second direction is greater than or equal to the maximum thickness of the support plate 20, to prevent adjacent first air guide grooves V1 from connecting together due to process errors during etching. The distance between two adjacent first air guide grooves V1 refers to the distance between two adjacent, close edges of the two adjacent first air guide grooves V1.
[0088] In some embodiments, the ratio of the depth of the first gas guide groove V1 to the maximum thickness of the support plate 20 is between 1 / 6 and 1 / 3, thereby allowing a certain amount of gas to flow through the first gas guide groove V1 and reducing the impact on the modulus of the support plate 20. For example, the ratio of the depth of the first gas guide groove V1 to the maximum thickness of the support plate 20 is 1 / 6, 3 / 12, or 1 / 3. For example, the maximum thickness of the support plate 20 is 0.12 mm, and the depth of the first gas guide groove V1 is 0.02 mm, 0.03 mm, or 0.04 mm.
[0089] In some embodiments, the opening width of the first gas guide groove V1 is between 0.5 and 1 mm, so that a certain amount of gas can flow through the first gas guide groove V1 and the influence on the modulus of the support plate 20 is reduced. For example, the opening width of the first gas guide groove V1 is 0.5 mm, or 0.6 mm, or 0.7 mm, or 0.8 mm, or 0.9 mm, or 1 mm.
[0090] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the first air guide groove V1 gradually decreases from the groove opening to the groove bottom to facilitate the fabrication of the first air guide groove V1. The cross-section of the first air guide groove V1 refers to the cross-section of the first air guide groove V1 perpendicular to the depth direction.
[0091] Figure 11 shows various cross-sectional views along line A-A' in Figure 8. As shown in Figure 11, in some embodiments, the longitudinal section of the first air guide groove V1 is any one of a rectangle, trapezoid, semicircle, triangle, or sawtooth shape. The sawtooth shape can be considered as a combination of multiple triangles. In practical applications, the specific shape of the longitudinal section of the first air guide groove V1 can be selected based on the folding stress, the support of the support plate 20, and the requirements of the etching process.
[0092] In one example, the support plate 20 is used in an 8-inch or 6-inch folding display module, wherein the length of the connecting rib 25 is 2-5 mm. For example, as shown in Figure 11(a), the longitudinal section of the first air guide groove V1 is rectangular, the groove width W1 is 0.5-1 mm, and the depth D is 0.02-0.04 mm. As another example, as shown in Figure 11(b), the longitudinal section of the first air guide groove V1 is trapezoidal, the groove width W1 of the trapezoidal groove V1 is 0.5-1 mm, the groove bottom width W1' is 0.25-0.5 mm, and the depth D is 0.02-0.04 mm. As yet another example, as shown in Figure 11(c), the longitudinal section of the first air guide groove V1 is semi-circular, the groove width W1 is 0.5-1 mm, and the depth D is 0.02-0.04 mm. For example, as shown in Figure 11(d), the longitudinal section of the first air guide groove V1 is triangular, with a groove width W1 of 0.5–1 mm and a depth D of 0.02–0.04 mm. For another example, as shown in Figure 11(e), the longitudinal section of the first air guide groove V1 is serrated, with a groove width W1 of 0.5–1 mm, a serration spacing of 0.05–0.075 mm, a serration width of 0.1–0.2 mm, and a depth D of 0.02–0.04 mm.
[0093] The shape, size, and distribution of the second air guide groove V2 are described below.
[0094] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8, the second air guide groove V2 extends along a first direction, which is the direction from the bendable region 21 to the non-bendable region 22.
[0095] In some embodiments, the opening width of the second gas guide groove V2 is greater than the opening width of the first gas guide groove V1 to ensure a larger gas flow rate in the second gas guide groove V2, enabling rapid connection between the closed opening H2 and the external environment. The opening width of the second gas guide groove V2 refers to the width of its opening perpendicular to its extension direction; the opening width of the first gas guide groove V1 refers to the width of its opening perpendicular to its extension direction.
[0096] In some embodiments, one end of at least one second air guide groove V2 is connected to the slot V0 of the second sub-bending region 212, and the other end is directly connected to the closed opening H2, so that at least one closed opening H2 can be connected to the external environment through the second air guide groove V2, thereby enabling the closed opening H2 to be quickly connected to the gas environment in the pressurized chamber under pressurized conditions.
[0097] In some embodiments, the distance between the second air guide groove V2 and the M+1 equidistant positions of the connecting area 213 is less than or equal to 5 mm. Here, M is the number of first air guide grooves V1 in the connecting area 213, M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and the M+1 equidistant positions are used to divide the connecting area 213 into M+1 equal parts in a second direction, where the second direction intersects the first direction. This distribution of the second air guide grooves V2 facilitates a uniform stress distribution in the connecting area 213 when the support plate 20 bends, reducing stress concentration.
[0098] The number of second air guide slots V2 is not limited in the embodiments disclosed herein. For example, in an 8-inch foldable display module, the support plate 20 has 3 to 4 second air guide slots V2 in each connection area 213. Figure 7 illustrates this using an example of 4 second air guide slots V2 in the connection area 213. As another example, as shown in Figure 12, in a 6-inch foldable display module, the support plate 20 has 2 second air guide slots V2. In other examples, the number of second air guide slots V2 can also be other numbers.
[0099] In some embodiments, the support plate 20 has a rectangular structure in its flattened state, and the size of this rectangular structure is similar to that of the foldable display module in its flattened state. The ratio of the width of the second air guide groove V2 to the length of the diagonal of the support plate 20 is between 0.197% and 0.984%. That is, for every 1 inch increase in the diagonal length of the support plate 20, the width of the second air guide groove V2 increases by 0.05 to 0.25 mm, ensuring that the width of the second air guide groove V2 is within a suitable range. This allows the second air guide groove V2 to provide good gas communication with minimal impact on the support performance and elastic modulus of the support plate 20.
[0100] In some embodiments, when multiple second air guide grooves V2 are provided in the connection area 213, the ratio of the distance between two adjacent second air guide grooves V2 to the diagonal length of the support plate 20 in the same connection area 213 is between 11.8% and 15.75%. For example, the ratio of the distance between two adjacent second air guide grooves V2 to the diagonal length of the support plate 20 is 11.8%, 12.5%, 13.8%, or 15.75%. In one example, for every 1 inch increase in the diagonal of the support plate 20, the distance between two adjacent second air guide grooves V2 increases by 3.5 mm.
[0101] In some embodiments, the second air guide grooves V2 located on both sides of the first sub-bending area 211 are mirror-symmetrical about the bending axis of the bendable area 21, so that when the support plate 20 bends, the stress distribution on both sides of the first sub-bending area 211 is more symmetrical.
[0102] In some embodiments, the ratio of the depth of the second gas guide groove V2 to the maximum thickness of the support plate 20 is between 1 / 6 and 1 / 3, thereby allowing sufficient gas to flow through the second gas guide groove V2 and reducing the impact on the modulus of the support plate 20. For example, the ratio of the depth of the second gas guide groove V2 to the maximum thickness of the support plate 20 is 1 / 6, 3 / 12, or 1 / 3. For example, the maximum thickness of the support plate 20 is 0.12 mm, and the depth of the second gas guide groove V2 is 0.02 mm, 0.03 mm, or 0.04 mm.
[0103] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the second air guide groove V2 gradually decreases from the groove opening to the groove bottom to facilitate the fabrication of the second air guide groove V2. The cross-section of the second air guide groove V2 refers to the cross-section of the second air guide groove V2 perpendicular to the depth direction.
[0104] Figure 13 shows various cross-sectional views along line B-B' in Figure 8. As shown in Figure 13, the longitudinal section of the second air guide groove V2 along its extension direction perpendicular to the direction of extension is any one of rectangle, trapezoid, semicircle, triangle, or sawtooth shape.
[0105] In some examples, the longitudinal section of the first air guide groove V1 can be selected from any one of a rectangle, trapezoid, semicircle, triangle, or serrated shape; or, the longitudinal section of the second air guide groove V2 can be selected from any one of a rectangle, trapezoid, semicircle, triangle, or serrated shape; or, both the longitudinal sections of the first air guide groove V1 and the second air guide groove V2 can be selected from any one of a rectangle, trapezoid, semicircle, triangle, or serrated shape. The longitudinal sections of the first air guide groove V1 and the second air guide groove V2 can be the same or different. In practical applications, the specific shapes of the first air guide groove V1 and the second air guide groove V2 can be selected according to the folding stress, the support of the support plate 20, and the needs of the etching process.
[0106] In one specific example, the support plate 20 is used in an 8-inch folding display module. For example, as shown in Figure 13(a), the second air guide groove V2 has a rectangular cross-section along its longitudinal direction perpendicular to the extension direction, the groove opening width W2 of the second air guide groove V2 is 0.5 to 2.5 mm, and the depth D' of the second air guide groove V2 is 0.02 to 0.04 mm; as another example, as shown in Figure 13(b), the second air guide groove V2 has a trapezoidal cross-section along its longitudinal direction perpendicular to the extension direction, the groove opening width W2 of the second air guide groove V2 is 0.5 to 2.5 mm, the groove bottom width W2' is 0.25 to 1.25 mm, and the depth D' of the second air guide groove V2 is 0.02 to 0.04 mm. For example, the second air guide groove V2 has a semi-circular longitudinal section perpendicular to its extension direction, with an opening width W2 of 0.5–2.5 mm and a depth D' of 0.02–0.04 mm. Alternatively, the second air guide groove V2 has a triangular longitudinal section perpendicular to its extension direction, with an opening width W2 of 0.5–2.5 mm and a depth D' of 0.02–0.04 mm. Another example is that the second air guide groove V2 has a serrated longitudinal section perpendicular to its extension direction, with a total opening width W2 of 0.5–2.5 mm, a serration spacing of 0.05–0.325 mm, a serration width of 0.1–0.4 mm, and a depth D' of 0.02–0.04 mm.
[0107] In another specific example, the support plate 20 is used in a 6-inch foldable display module. In this case, the dimensions of the second air guide groove V2 differ from those in the 8-inch foldable display module. For example, the second air guide groove V2 has a rectangular cross-section perpendicular to its extension direction, with a groove opening width of 0.3–1.5 mm and a depth of 0.02–0.04 mm; or, for another example, a trapezoidal cross-section perpendicular to its extension direction, with a groove opening width of 0.3–1.5 mm, a groove bottom width of 0.15–0.75 mm, and a depth of 0.02–0.04 mm; or, for yet another example, a semi-circular cross-section perpendicular to its extension direction, with a groove opening width of 0.3–1.5 mm and a depth of 0.02–0.04 mm. For example, the second air guide groove V2 has a triangular longitudinal section perpendicular to the extension direction, with a groove opening width of 0.3–1.5 mm and a depth of 0.02–0.04 mm. Alternatively, the second air guide groove V2 has a serrated longitudinal section perpendicular to the extension direction, with a groove opening width of 0.3–1.5 mm, a serration spacing of 0.03–0.195 mm, a serration width of 0.06–0.24 mm, and a depth of 0.02–0.04 mm. Table 1 shows the simulation data of the maximum strain under different designs.
[0108] Table 1
[0109] In this design, PSA is the adhesive layer between the flexible display panel and the support plate 20, and this adhesive layer is a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. In the design shown in Figure 10A, each connecting rib 25 has a first air guide groove V1 located at the center of the connecting rib 25 in the second direction; each connecting area 213 has four second air guide grooves V2, each located at a 5-eighths-division position of the connecting area 213. In the design shown in Figure 10B, each connecting rib 25 has three first air guide grooves V1, each located at a 4-eighths-division position of the connecting rib 25; the connecting area 213 has four second air guide grooves V2, each located at a 5-eighths-division position of the connecting area 213. In the design scheme of Figure 10C, the number of first air guide grooves V1 provided on the multiple connecting ribs 25 in the same column is not exactly the same. From the position near the non-bending area 22 to the position near the first center line of the first sub-bending area 211, the number of first air guide grooves V1 provided on the multiple connecting ribs 25 are 5, 3, and 1, respectively. When there are 5 first air guide grooves V1 on the connecting rib 25, each first air guide groove V1 is located at 6 equal divisions of the connecting rib 25; when there are 3 first air guide grooves V1 on the connecting rib 25, each first air guide groove V1 is located at 4 equal divisions of the connecting rib 25; when there is 1 first air guide groove V1 on the connecting rib 25, the first air guide groove V1 is located at 2 equal divisions of the connecting rib 25. In addition, there are 4 second air guide grooves V2 provided in the connecting area 213, and each second air guide groove V2 is located at 5 equal divisions of the connecting area 213.
[0110] As can be seen from Table 1, in the above-described embodiments of this disclosure, the maximum folding strain of the support plate 20 is less than that of the embodiment in Figure 1, and the support plate 20 can withstand the stress and strain requirements of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the maximum strain of the adhesive layer is also within the material's tolerance range; therefore, there is no risk of folding failure in the first sub-bending area 211 and the connecting area 213 of the support plate 20.
[0111] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a display module provided in some embodiments of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 14, this disclosure also provides a display module, including the support plate 20 in the above embodiments and a flexible display panel 10. The support plate 20 is located on the backlight side of the flexible display panel 10 and is attached to the flexible display panel 10. For example, the support plate 20 is bonded to the flexible display panel 10 by an adhesive layer 40. A first air guide groove V1 and a second air guide groove V2 are formed on the surface of the support plate 20 facing away from the flexible display panel 10.
[0112] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the film layer structure of a flexible display panel provided in some embodiments of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 15, the flexible display panel can be an OLED panel, which may specifically include: a substrate 11, a driving circuit layer 12 disposed on the substrate 11, a light-emitting structure layer 13 disposed on the driving circuit layer 12, and an encapsulation layer 14 disposed on the light-emitting structure layer 13.
[0113] In an exemplary embodiment, the substrate 11 may be a flexible substrate, for example, it may be made of materials such as polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or a surface-treated polymer soft film.
[0114] In an exemplary embodiment, the driving circuit layer 12 may include transistors and storage capacitors constituting pixel circuits. FIG15 shows only one transistor and one storage capacitor in each pixel circuit. The transistor includes an active layer 122, a gate electrode 121, a source electrode 123, and a drain electrode 124. In some possible implementations, the driving circuit layer 12 of each sub-pixel may include: a buffer layer BFL disposed on a substrate 11, an active layer 122 disposed on the buffer layer BFL, a first gate insulating layer GI1 covering the active layer 122, a gate electrode 121 and a first capacitor electrode 125 disposed on the first gate insulating layer GI1, a second gate insulating layer GI2 covering the gate electrode 121 and the first capacitor electrode 125, a second capacitor electrode 126 disposed on the second gate insulating layer GI2, and an interlayer insulating layer ILD covering the second capacitor electrode 126. A via is formed in the interlayer insulating layer ILD, and the via exposes the active layer 122. Source electrode 123 and drain electrode 124 are disposed on the interlayer insulating layer (ILD), and are connected to the active layer 122 via vias. A planarization layer (PLN) is located on the side of the source electrode 123 and drain electrode 124 away from the substrate 11. A first capacitor electrode 125 and a second capacitor electrode 126 form a storage capacitor. In some possible implementations, the buffer layer (BFL), the first gate insulating layer (GI1), the second gate insulating layer (GI2), and the interlayer insulating layer (ILD) can be any one or more of silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx), and silicon oxynitride (SiON), and can be a single layer, multiple layers, or a composite layer. The gate electrode 121, source electrode 123, drain electrode 124, first capacitor electrode 125, and second capacitor electrode 126 can be made of metallic materials, such as any one or more of silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), and molybdenum (Mo), or alloys of the above metals, such as aluminum-neodymium alloy (AlNd) or molybdenum-niobium alloy (MoNb). They can be single-layer structures or multi-layer composite structures, such as Ti / Al / Ti. The active layer 122 can be made of amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO), zinc oxynitride (ZnON), indium zinc tin oxide (IZTO), amorphous silicon (a-Si), polycrystalline silicon (p-Si), hexathiophene, or polythiophene, etc. That is, this disclosure applies to transistors manufactured based on oxide technology, silicon technology, or organic technology. The active layer 122 based on oxide technology can be an oxide containing indium and tin, an oxide containing tungsten and indium, an oxide containing tungsten, indium and zinc, an oxide containing titanium and indium, an oxide containing titanium, indium and tin, an oxide containing indium and zinc, an oxide containing silicon, indium and tin, an oxide containing indium, gallium and zinc, etc.
[0115] In an exemplary embodiment, the light-emitting structure layer 13 may include an anode 131, a pixel definition layer PDL, an organic light-emitting layer 133, and a cathode 132. The anode 131 is disposed on a planarization layer PLN and is connected to a drain electrode 124 through a via formed in the planarization layer PLN. The pixel definition layer PDL is disposed on the anode 131 and the planarization layer PLN and has a pixel opening that exposes the anode 131. The organic light-emitting layer 133 is disposed within the pixel opening, and the cathode 132 is disposed on the organic light-emitting layer 133. The organic light-emitting layer 133 emits light of a corresponding color under the action of a voltage applied to the anode 131 and the cathode 132.
[0116] In an exemplary embodiment, the organic light-emitting layer 133 may include at least a stacked hole injection layer (HIL), hole transport layer (HTL), emission layer (EML), electron transport layer (ETL), and electron injection layer (EIL). The hole injection layer and hole transport layer may be collectively referred to as the hole layer, and the electron transport layer and electron injection layer may be collectively referred to as the electron layer.
[0117] In an exemplary embodiment, the encapsulation layer 14 may include a first encapsulation layer 141, a second encapsulation layer 142, and a third encapsulation layer 143 stacked together. The first encapsulation layer 141 and the third encapsulation layer 143 may be made of inorganic materials, while the second encapsulation layer 142 may be made of organic materials. The second encapsulation layer 142 is disposed between the first encapsulation layer 141 and the third encapsulation layer 143, which can ensure that external moisture cannot enter the light-emitting structure layer 13.
[0118] In the above embodiments, the flexible display panel may further include an optical functional layer and a cover plate. The optical functional layer is located on the side of the encapsulation layer 14 away from the substrate 11 and covers the display area of the flexible display panel. For example, the optical functional layer is a polarizer, which can be a circular polarizer, to reduce the reflection of ambient light by the display module. The cover plate is located on the side of the optical functional layer away from the substrate.
[0119] This disclosure also provides a display device, including the display module described in the above embodiments. The display device can include any device or product with display functionality. For example, the display device can be an in-vehicle display device, a smartphone, a mobile phone, an e-book reader, a desktop computer (PC), a laptop PC, a netbook PC, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a digital audio player, a mobile medical device, a camera, a wearable device (e.g., a head-mounted device, an electronic bracelet, or a smartwatch), etc.
[0120] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments used to illustrate the principles of this disclosure, and this disclosure is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of this disclosure, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of this disclosure.
Claims
1. A support plate for lamination with a flexible display panel, wherein, The support plate includes: a bendable area and non-bendable areas located on both sides of the bendable area. The bendable area includes: a first sub-bendable area, a second sub-bendable area, and a connecting area. The second sub-bendable area is located between the first sub-bendable area and the non-bendable area, and the connecting area is located between the first sub-bendable area and the second sub-bendable area. The first sub-bending area is provided with multiple first air guide grooves and multiple openings penetrating the support plate. The multiple openings include multiple closed openings and multiple open openings. There is a gap between the closed openings and the edge of the support plate, and the open openings extend to the edge of the support plate. The depth of the first air guide grooves is less than the maximum thickness of the support plate. The multiple first air guide grooves connect the multiple closed openings and the multiple open openings to each other to form an air guide channel. The second sub-bending area has a slot, the depth of which is less than the maximum thickness of the support plate, and the slot extends to the edge of the support plate; The connection area is provided with a second air guide groove, which is located on the same side of the support plate as the first air guide groove. The second air guide groove connects the slot to the air guide channel.
2. The support plate of claim 1, wherein, The plurality of openings in the first sub-bending area are arranged in multiple rows along a first direction, each row including a plurality of openings arranged along a second direction, at least one row of multiple openings including a plurality of closed openings and a plurality of open openings, and the remaining rows of multiple openings including a plurality of closed openings. The first direction intersects with the second direction, and the first direction is the direction from the bendable area to the non-bendable area; Each of the openings has a connecting rib with at least one of the openings in an adjacent row, and the connecting rib has at least one of the first air guide grooves.
3. The support plate of claim 2, wherein, The connecting ribs in the first sub-bending area are arranged in multiple rows in the first direction and in multiple columns in the second direction; The same number of first air guide grooves are opened on each connecting rib in the same column.
4. The support plate of claim 2, wherein, The connecting ribs in the first sub-bending area are arranged in multiple rows in the first direction and in multiple columns in the second direction; Among the multiple connecting ribs in the same column, the number of first air guide grooves in the connecting ribs gradually increases or increases in a stepwise manner along the direction close to the non-bending area.
5. The support plate of claim 2, wherein, The connecting ribs in the first sub-bending area are arranged in multiple rows in the first direction and in multiple columns in the second direction; The first air guide grooves on the multiple connecting ribs in the same column are mirror-symmetrical about the first center line, which is a straight line that passes through the center of the first sub-bending area and extends along the second direction.
6. The support plate of claim 2, wherein, The connecting ribs in the first sub-bending area are arranged in multiple rows in the first direction and in multiple columns in the second direction; The number of first air guide grooves in each of the connecting ribs in the same row is equal.
7. The support plate of claim 2, wherein, The distance between the first air guide groove on the connecting rib and the N+1 equally divided positions of the connecting rib is less than or equal to 1 mm; Wherein, N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and is the number of first air guide grooves on the connecting rib, and the N+1 equal division position is the position used to divide the connecting rib into N+1 equal parts in the second direction.
8. The support plate of claim 2, wherein, The openings in adjacent rows are staggered, and each closed opening is connected to two openings in an adjacent row by a connecting rib.
9. The support plate of claim 2, wherein, The distance between two adjacent first air guide slots arranged along the second direction is greater than or equal to the maximum thickness of the support plate.
10. The support plate of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The width of the opening of the first air guide groove is between 0.5 and 1 mm.
11. The support plate of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The ratio of the depth of the first air guide groove to the maximum thickness of the support plate is between 1 / 6 and 1 / 3.
12. The support plate of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The first air guide groove has a longitudinal section perpendicular to its extension direction that is any one of a rectangle, trapezoid, semicircle, triangle, or sawtooth shape; and / or, The second air guide groove has a longitudinal section perpendicular to its extension direction that is any one of a rectangle, trapezoid, semicircle, triangle, or sawtooth shape.
13. The support plate of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The second air guide groove extends along a first direction, which is the direction from the bendable area to the non-bendable area.
14. The support plate of claim 13, wherein, The distance between the second air guide groove and the M+1 equally divided position of the connection area is less than or equal to 5mm; Where M is the number of first air guide slots in the connection area, and the M+1 equal division position is the position used to divide the connection area into M+1 equal parts in the second direction, the second direction intersecting the first direction.
15. The support plate of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The second air guide grooves located on both sides of the first sub-bending area are mirror-symmetrical about the bending axis of the first sub-bending area.
16. The support plate of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The width of the opening of the second air guide groove is greater than the width of the opening of the first air guide groove.
17. The support plate of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The support plate has a rectangular structure when flattened. The ratio of the width of the second air guide groove to the diagonal length of the rectangular structure is between 0.197% and 0.984%.
18. The support plate of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The support plate has a rectangular structure when flattened. Each of the connecting areas is provided with a plurality of second air guide grooves. In the same connecting area, the ratio of the distance between two adjacent second air guide grooves to the diagonal length of the rectangular structure is between 11.8% and 15.75%.
19. The support plate of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The ratio of the depth of the second air guide groove to the maximum depth of the support plate is between 1 / 6 and 1 / 3.
20. A display module, wherein, include: Flexible display panel; The support plate as described in any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the support plate is located on the backlight side of the flexible display panel and is in contact with the flexible display panel, and the first air guide groove and the second air guide groove are formed on the surface of the support plate opposite to the display panel.
21. A display device, wherein, Includes the display module as described in claim 20.