Optical film, display module, and foldable electronic device
By using a stacked first haze layer and a second haze layer in the flexible display module, the direction of light propagation is adjusted, solving the problem of haze layer affecting camera shooting effect and realizing an optical film design with high transmittance and high reliability.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-30
AI Technical Summary
In foldable electronic devices, the haze layer of the flexible display module can affect the camera's shooting performance, leading to increased reflected light and reduced light transmittance.
The system employs a first haze layer and a second haze layer stacked together. The first haze layer consists of a flexible substrate and an optical coating. The optical coating has a smooth area and a microstructure area. The second haze layer has an open-hole transparent film. The optical film covers the light-emitting side of the flexible display panel to adjust the direction of light propagation and ensure high light transmittance at the camera position.
This technology improves camera shooting performance while reducing specular reflections and enhances the reliability of the display module in impact or compression scenarios.
Smart Images
Figure CN2025118088_30072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
An optical film, a display module and a foldable electronic device
[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510112333.1, filed on January 22, 2025, entitled "An Optical Film, Display Module and Foldable Electronic Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field
[0002] This application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to an optical film, a display module, and a foldable electronic device. Background Technology
[0003] The display module of the related technology can be equipped with a haze layer. Light shining on the haze layer can be scattered to reduce specular reflection and decrease the intensity of reflected light entering the human eye, thus achieving an anti-glare (AG) effect. In current foldable electronic devices, a camera is placed inside the flexible display module to enable shooting. However, if a haze layer is placed on the flexible display module, the haze layer will degrade the shooting effect of the camera. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This application provides an optical film, a display module, and a foldable electronic device. The optical film can be applied to a flexible display module, the haze layer can achieve an anti-glare effect, and the camera can achieve a better shooting effect.
[0005] The embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:
[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an optical film for use with a flexible display panel having a camera. The optical film includes a first haze layer and a second haze layer. The first haze layer includes a flexible substrate and an optical coating. The flexible substrate has a first side and a second side facing away from each other. The optical coating is disposed on the first side. The surface of the optical coating facing away from the flexible substrate has a smooth area and a microstructure area, and the surface roughness of the smooth area is less than the surface roughness of the microstructure area. The second haze layer is disposed opposite to the second side and has an opening in which a transparent film is disposed. In the thickness direction of the optical film, the projection of the transparent film at least partially overlaps with the projection of the smooth area. The optical film is used to cover the light-emitting side of the flexible display panel, such that the second haze layer is located between the first haze layer and the light-emitting side of the flexible display panel, and the transparent film and the smooth area cover the light-incident side of the camera.
[0007] The optical film provided in this embodiment has a first haze layer and a second haze layer stacked together. The first haze layer combines a flexible substrate and an optical coating, allowing the optical film to be applied to a flexible display panel. The output light from the flexible display panel can propagate outward through the second haze layer and the first haze layer. The microstructure area of the first haze layer can adjust the propagation direction of ambient light to reduce specular reflection, and the second haze layer can adjust the propagation direction of the output light from the flexible display panel to reduce specular reflection, thereby reducing the intensity of reflected light entering the human eye and achieving a better anti-glare effect. The optical coating is set as a smooth area corresponding to the camera position, and other areas of the optical coating are set as microstructure areas to provide haze. The second haze layer has an opening corresponding to the camera position, and a transparent film is placed inside the opening. External light can pass through the smooth area of the first haze layer and the transparent film of the second haze layer and illuminate the light-incident side of the camera. When the optical film of this embodiment is applied to a display module, the external light transmittance at the camera position of the optical film is high, and the camera can achieve a better shooting effect. The display module near the camera has a very low risk of damage in impact or compression scenarios, and has high reliability. The outermost optical surface (i.e., the outer surface of the smooth area) of the display module corresponding to the camera position has a good morphology, with very small peak and valley values and defocusing amount. The optical surface is smooth and flat, and the camera can achieve good shooting results.
[0008] In one alternative implementation, the flexible substrate of the first haze layer can be polyethylene terephthalate, transparent polyimide film, ultrathin flexible glass, etc.
[0009] In one alternative implementation, the second haze layer is directly disposed on the second side; or, the second haze layer is indirectly disposed on the second side, that is, other layers are disposed between the second haze layer and the second side.
[0010] In one alternative implementation, the total haze of the microstructure region in the first haze layer is less than the total haze of the second haze layer. Setting the total haze of the microstructure region to a smaller value allows ambient light to be scattered to some extent when it shines on the microstructure region, thus reducing specular reflection. Setting the total haze of the second haze layer to a larger value allows more output light from the flexible display panel to be scattered when it shines on the second haze layer, further reducing specular reflection. This improves the anti-glare effect of the optical film.
[0011] In one alternative implementation, the total haze of the first haze layer is less than or equal to 25%. When ambient light shines on the microstructure region, the ambient light is scattered to a certain extent to adjust its propagation direction, reduce specular reflection of the ambient light, and improve the anti-glare effect.
[0012] In one alternative implementation, the total haze of the first haze layer can be less than or equal to 15%, which can better adjust the direction of ambient light propagation, improve the anti-glare effect, and enable the output light of the flexible display panel to be better transmitted outward, thus preventing the first haze layer from becoming cloudy.
[0013] In one alternative implementation, the internal haze of the first haze layer is less than or equal to 5%. Setting the haze of the smooth areas without surface microstructures on the first haze layer to a lower value allows more external light to pass through the smooth areas and the transparent film before entering the camera, improving the transmittance of external light entering the camera and enabling the camera to achieve better shooting results.
[0014] In one alternative implementation, the internal haze of the first haze layer is less than or equal to 2%. This improves the transmittance of external light entering the camera, enabling the camera to achieve better shooting results.
[0015] In one alternative implementation, the total haze of the second haze layer is greater than or equal to 30%. The output light from the flexible display panel illuminates the second haze layer, causing more of the output light from the flexible display panel to scatter and adjust its propagation direction, thereby reducing specular reflection of the output light from the flexible display panel and improving the anti-glare effect.
[0016] In one alternative implementation, the total haze of the second haze layer is greater than or equal to 50%. This can better adjust the propagation direction of the light output from the flexible display panel and improve the anti-glare effect.
[0017] In one alternative implementation, the surface roughness of the smooth area can be less than or equal to 0.1 micrometers (μm). This facilitates the transmission of external light through the smooth area to illuminate the light-incident side of the camera. The optical film has a high transmittance of external light at the camera position, enabling the camera to achieve better shooting results.
[0018] In one alternative implementation, the surface roughness of the smooth area can be less than or equal to 0.05 micrometers. The smoother the smooth area, the more external light can pass through the smooth area to illuminate the light-incident side of the camera.
[0019] In one alternative implementation, the surface roughness of the microstructure region can range from [0.05 micrometers to 1 micrometer]. The uneven surface of the microstructure region allows it to adjust the propagation direction of ambient light, thereby reducing specular reflection and improving anti-glare performance.
[0020] In one alternative implementation, the surface roughness of the microstructure region can range from [0.1 μm to 0.5 μm].
[0021] In one alternative implementation, the first haze layer can be made using an embossing transfer process.
[0022] In one alternative implementation, the first haze layer can be fabricated using a laser engraving process.
[0023] In one alternative implementation, an opening is set at the camera position in the second haze layer, and a transparent film is placed inside the opening using a high-precision bonding and assembly process.
[0024] In one alternative implementation, the intersection of the projection of the smooth region and the projection of the transparent film along the thickness direction of the optical film covers the field of view of the camera. This allows more external light to be captured within the camera's field of view, resulting in better shooting performance across the entire field of view.
[0025] In one alternative implementation, in the thickness direction of the optical film, either the projection of the smooth area or the projection of the transparent film is completely covered by the other. While ensuring that more external light enters the camera within the field of view, this increases the microstructure area of the first haze layer or the haze distribution area of the second haze layer, thus improving the anti-glare effect of the optical film outside the camera's field of view.
[0026] In one alternative implementation, the projection of the smooth region and the projection of the transparent film coincide along the thickness direction of the optical film, and the projected area of the smooth region is equal to the projected area of the transparent film. This improves the anti-glare effect of the optical film in areas outside the camera.
[0027] In one alternative implementation, the projection of the transparent film lies within the projection of the smooth region along the thickness direction of the optical film, and the projected area of the smooth region is larger than the projected area of the transparent film. This improves the anti-glare effect of the second haze layer in areas outside the camera.
[0028] In one alternative implementation, the projection of the smooth region lies within the projection of the transparent film along the thickness direction of the optical film, and the projected area of the smooth region is smaller than the projected area of the transparent film. This improves the anti-glare effect of the first haze layer in areas outside the camera.
[0029] In one alternative implementation, the absolute value of the thickness difference between the transparent film and the second haze layer can be less than or equal to 15 micrometers. This limits the overall optical surface morphology quality of the second haze layer and the transparent film, resulting in smaller peak-to-valley values and a smoother overall surface for both layers. This improves the transmittance of external light entering the camera and enhances the camera's shooting performance.
[0030] In one alternative implementation, the transmittance of the transparent film can be greater than or equal to 80%. This allows more external light to pass through the transparent film and illuminate the light-receiving side of the camera, enabling the camera to achieve better shooting results.
[0031] In one alternative implementation, the total haze of the transparent film can be less than or equal to 2%. This allows more external light to pass through the transparent film and illuminate the light-receiving side of the camera, resulting in better shooting performance.
[0032] In one alternative implementation, the transparent film is made of at least one of polyethylene terephthalate, transparent polyimide film, ultrathin flexible glass, cellulose triacetate, polymethyl methacrylate, and transparent polycarbonate. These transparent films are easy to form and have flexibility and high transmittance.
[0033] In one alternative implementation, the first haze layer and the second haze layer can be bonded together using a first transparent adhesive. The first transparent adhesive enables a reliable connection between the two haze layers, satisfying the requirements for light propagation.
[0034] In one alternative implementation, the optical film further includes a second transparent adhesive for bonding between the second haze layer and the flexible display panel. The second transparent adhesive enables a reliable connection between the second haze layer and the flexible display panel, satisfying the requirements for light propagation.
[0035] In one alternative implementation, the first transparent adhesive and the second transparent adhesive can be pressure-sensitive adhesive, optical adhesive, transparent silicone, etc.
[0036] In one alternative implementation, a gap exists between the transparent film and the inner wall of the opening. The transparent film and the opening are in a clearance fit, with the radial dimension of the transparent film being smaller than that of the opening. Even if there is a difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the transparent film and the second haze layer, a difference in thermal stress exists between the two layers when there are significant temperature changes. This thermal stress can be released within the gap, reducing the risk of separation between the transparent film and the second haze layer.
[0037] In one alternative implementation, the optical film has a shielding ring that covers the gap in the direction from the first haze layer to the second haze layer. This prevents the gap (white edge) between the transparent film and the inner wall of the opening from being visible from the outside, improving the appearance of the optical film in the camera area.
[0038] In one alternative implementation, the shielding ring can be an ink layer, formed using a printing process. The shielding ring can be disposed between the first haze layer and the second haze layer, for example, on a flexible substrate of the first haze layer, or on a first transparent adhesive used to connect the first haze layer and the second haze layer.
[0039] In one alternative implementation, the optical film further includes a third haze layer, which may be located on the side of the second haze layer opposite to the first haze layer. This further adjusts the output light propagation direction of the flexible display panel to reduce specular reflection and decrease the intensity of reflected light entering the human eye, achieving a better anti-glare effect. The third haze layer and the second haze layer can be connected by a transparent adhesive, and the third haze layer and the light-emitting side of the flexible display panel can also be connected by a transparent adhesive.
[0040] In one alternative implementation, the optical film further includes a third haze layer, which may be located between the first and second haze layers. This further adjusts the output light propagation direction of the flexible display panel to reduce specular reflection and decrease the intensity of reflected light entering the human eye, achieving a better anti-glare effect. The third haze layer and the first haze layer can be connected by a transparent adhesive, and the third haze layer and the second haze layer can also be connected by a transparent adhesive.
[0041] In one alternative implementation, the optical film further includes an anti-reflective layer and / or an anti-fingerprint layer, which are located on the side of the first haze layer opposite to the second haze layer.
[0042] In one alternative implementation, the side of the first haze layer facing away from the second haze layer is provided with an anti-reflection layer and an anti-fingerprint layer.
[0043] In one alternative implementation, an anti-reflective layer is provided on the side of the first haze layer that faces away from the second haze layer.
[0044] In one alternative implementation, an anti-fingerprint layer is provided on the side of the first haze layer opposite to the second haze layer.
[0045] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a display module including a flexible display panel, a camera, and the aforementioned optical film. The optical film is located on the light-emitting side of the flexible display panel, and the camera is disposed on the flexible display panel. The transparent film and smooth area of the optical film cover the light-incident side of the camera. The display module can be a flexible display module.
[0046] The display module provided in this application embodiment has the aforementioned optical film. The output light from the flexible display panel can propagate outwards through the second haze layer and the first haze layer. The microstructure region of the first haze layer can adjust the propagation direction of ambient light to reduce specular reflection, and the second haze layer can adjust the propagation direction of the output light from the flexible display panel to reduce specular reflection, thereby reducing the intensity of reflected light entering the human eye and achieving a better anti-glare effect. External light can pass through the smooth region of the first haze layer and the transparent film of the second haze layer, illuminating the light-incident side of the camera. The optical film has high transmittance of external light at the camera position, enabling the camera to achieve better shooting results. The display module near the camera has a very low risk of damage in impact or compression scenarios, exhibiting high reliability. The outermost optical surface morphology of the display module corresponding to the camera position is relatively good, with a smooth and flat surface, allowing the camera to achieve better shooting results.
[0047] In one alternative implementation, the flexible display panel can be an organic light-emitting diode, an active matrix organic light-emitting diode or an active matrix organic light-emitting diode, a flexible light-emitting diode, a micro light-emitting diode, a micro organic light-emitting diode, a quantum dot light-emitting diode, etc.
[0048] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a foldable electronic device, including a housing and the aforementioned display module, wherein the display module is mounted on the housing.
[0049] In one alternative implementation, the foldable electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing, a hinge assembly, and a display module. Both the first and second housings are connected to the hinge assembly. Both the first and second housings can rotate relative to the hinge assembly, enabling opening and closing movements. The display module is fixed to both the first and second housings.
[0050] In one alternative implementation, the foldable electronic device may include a hinge assembly and a first housing and a second housing respectively connected to both sides of the hinge assembly, the first housing and the second housing being folded and unfolded via the hinge assembly.
[0051] In one alternative implementation, the foldable electronic device can be an inwardly folding structure.
[0052] In one alternative implementation, the foldable electronic device can be an outward-folding structure.
[0053] In one alternative implementation, the foldable electronic device may include two or more first housings, with a second housing disposed between each pair of adjacent first housings, and a pivot assembly connecting adjacent first and second housings, so that the foldable electronic device forms a stacked structure of three or more layers when folded.
[0054] In one alternative implementation, the foldable electronic device can be a rollable / stretchable screen structure. Attached Figure Description
[0055] Figure 1(a) to (e) are schematic diagrams of the display module in various possible embodiments, and Figure 1(f) is a schematic diagram of the display module in Figure 1(c) looking at the camera through the haze layer from the outside.
[0056] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the display module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0057] Figure 3 is an exploded view of the display module in Figure 2;
[0058] Figure 4 shows the positions of the smooth area projection, transparent film projection, and camera field of view of the display module in Figure 2.
[0059] Figure 5(a) is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display module provided in another embodiment of this application, and Figure 5(b) is a position diagram of the smooth area projection, transparent film projection and camera field of view area of the display module in Figure 5(a);
[0060] Figure 6(a) is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display module provided in another embodiment of this application, and Figure 6(b) is a position diagram of the smooth area projection, transparent film projection and camera field of view of the display module in Figure 6(a);
[0061] Figures 7 to 12 are schematic diagrams of the display module provided in different embodiments of this application;
[0062] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable electronic device provided in the embodiment of this application in the flattened state;
[0063] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the foldable electronic device in Figure 13 in the closed state;
[0064] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the foldable electronic device in Figure 13 in the intermediate state.
[0065] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1-Display module; 1a-Anti-reflective and anti-fingerprint layer; 1b-First substrate layer; 1c-First optical adhesive; 1d-Second substrate layer; 1e-Second optical adhesive; 1f-Display layer; 2-Display module; 2a-First haze layer; 2b-First optical adhesive; 2c-Second haze layer; 2d-Second optical adhesive; 2e-Polarizer; 2f-Display layer; 2g-Camera; 3-Display module; 3a-First haze layer; 3a1-Flexible substrate; 3a2-Optical coating; 3b-First optical adhesive; 3c-Second haze layer; 3d-Second optical adhesive; 3e-Display layer; 3f-Camera; 4-Display module; 4a-First haze layer; 4a1-Flexible substrate; 4a2-Optical coating; 4b-First optical adhesive; 4c-Second haze layer; 4d-Second optical adhesive; 4e-Display layer; 4f-Opening; 4g-Camera; 5-Display module; 5a-First haze layer; 5a1-Flexible substrate; 5a2-Optical coating; 5a21-Smooth area; 5a22-Microstructure area; 5b-First optical adhesive; 5c-Second haze layer; 5c1-Opening; 5d-Transparent filler; 5e-Second optical adhesive; 5f-Display layer; 5g-Camera; 10-Optical film; 11-First haze layer; 111-Flexible substrate; 111a-First side; 111b-Second side; 112-Optical coating; 112a-Smooth area; 112b-Microstructure area; 12-Second haze layer; 121-Opening; 122-Gap; 13-Transparent film; 14-First transparent adhesive; 15-Second transparent adhesive; 16-Shielding ring; 17-Third haze layer; 171, 172-Transparent adhesive; 18-Anti-reflective layer; 19-Anti-fingerprint layer; 20 - Flexible display panel; 20a - Light emitting side; 30 - Camera; 30a - Light receiving side; 30b - Field of view area; 100 - Display module; 200 - First housing; 300 - Second housing; 400 - Hinge assembly; 1000 - Foldable electronic device. Detailed Implementation
[0066] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application. Although the description of this application is presented in conjunction with some embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this application are limited to this implementation. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the application in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may arise based on the claims of this application. To provide a thorough understanding of this application, many specific details will be included in the following description. This application may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of this application, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.
[0067] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.
[0068] It should be understood that, in the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a detachable connection or a non-detachable connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. The terms "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and 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.
[0069] 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 technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0070] In the embodiments of this application, "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.
[0071] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.
[0072] For ease of understanding, the technical terms used in this application will be explained and described below.
[0073] Transmittance, also known as light transmittance, is the ratio of the luminous flux that passes through an object to the luminous flux incident on the object, expressed as a percentage. It is an indicator of how much light a material allows to pass through its surface. The higher the transmittance of a material, the more light it allows to pass through.
[0074] Haze refers to the percentage of scattered light intensity that deviates from the incident light direction by more than 2.5° from the total transmitted light intensity in a transparent material. Haze characterizes the cloudy or chaotic irregular state of a transparent material. The greater the haze, the lower the transparency and gloss of the material, and the stronger its light scattering ability. Haze can be measured using a haze meter. The total haze of a material is equal to the sum of its internal haze and external haze.
[0075] Internal haze is the haze inherent in the material itself, characterizing the material's scattering effect on transmitted light.
[0076] External haze is the haze caused by the surface morphology of a material, which characterizes the scattering effect of the material on the light reflected from its surface.
[0077] Surface roughness refers to the unevenness of a machined surface, characterized by small gaps and minute peaks and valleys. The distance between two peaks or valleys (wavelength) is very small, belonging to microscopic geometric errors. The smaller the surface roughness, the smoother the surface of the object.
[0078] Arithmetic mean roughness Ra refers to the arithmetic mean of the absolute values of the profile offsets of all peaks and troughs within the sampling range.
[0079] Peak-to-valley (PV) value is an indicator of optical surface topography quality. It refers to the height difference between the highest and lowest points within a sampling range (based on a two-dimensional profile or three-dimensional topography), after removing the reference surface. The smaller the PV value, the smoother the surface of the object and the higher the processing quality.
[0080] Defocus power represents the sagittal or wave height of the best-fitting sphere for a two-dimensional profile or three-dimensional shape.
[0081] Figures 1(a) to (e) are schematic diagrams of the display module structure in several possible embodiments provided in this application.
[0082] Referring to Figure 1(a), a display module 1 in a first possible embodiment is shown, comprising an anti-reflective and anti-fingerprint layer 1a, a first substrate layer 1b, a first optical adhesive 1c, a second substrate layer 1d, a second optical adhesive 1e, and a display layer 1f, stacked sequentially. Both the first substrate layer 1b and the second substrate layer 1d are flexible substrates. The display layer 1f can be a flexible display panel, such as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel. This display module 1 is suitable for foldable electronic devices and has anti-reflective and anti-fingerprint effects, but lacks anti-glare effects.
[0083] Referring to Figure 1(b), which illustrates a display module 2 in a second possible embodiment, it includes a first haze layer 2a, a first optical adhesive 2b, a second haze layer 2c, a second optical adhesive 2d, a polarizer (POL) 2e, and a display layer 2f, stacked sequentially. The first haze layer 2a is a surface microstructure disposed on the outer side of the glass cover. The display layer 2f can be a rigid display layer, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD). The two haze layers achieve a better anti-glare effect. However, if the camera 2g is disposed inside the display layer 2f, the two haze layers reduce the transmittance of external light, resulting in less external light entering the camera 2g and consequently, poorer image quality.
[0084] Referring to Figure 1(c), which illustrates a display module 3 in a third possible embodiment, it includes a first haze layer 3a, a first optical adhesive 3b, a second haze layer 3c, a second optical adhesive 3d, and a display layer 3e, which are stacked sequentially. The first haze layer 3a includes a flexible substrate 3a1 and an optical coating 3a2 disposed on the flexible substrate 3a1. The outer surface of the optical coating 3a2 has an uneven surface microstructure. The display layer 3e can be a flexible display panel. The two haze layers achieve a better anti-glare effect. When the camera 3f is disposed inside the display layer 3e, the two haze layers reduce the transmittance of external light, resulting in less external light entering the camera 3f and thus a poorer shooting effect. Referring to Figure 1(f), when viewing the camera 3f from the outside through the first haze layer 3a and the second haze layer 3c, the two haze layers create a foggy state corresponding to the location of the camera 3f.
[0085] Referring to Figure 1(d), which illustrates a fourth possible embodiment of the display module 4, similar to the third display module 3, the fourth display module 4 includes a first haze layer 4a, a first optical adhesive 4b, a second haze layer 4c, a second optical adhesive 4d, and a display layer 4e, which are stacked sequentially. The first haze layer 4a includes a flexible substrate 4a1 and an optical coating 4a2 disposed on the flexible substrate 4a1. The outer surface of the optical coating 4a2 has an uneven surface microstructure. To improve the transmittance of external light at the location of the camera 4g, an opening 4f can be provided at the location of the camera 4g in the stacked structure formed by the first haze layer 4a to the second optical adhesive 4d. The opening 4f penetrates the stacked structure, allowing external light to directly illuminate the camera 4g through the opening 4f, resulting in better shooting performance for the camera 4g. However, due to the empty opening 4f in the stacked structure, stress concentration occurs near the opening 4f, posing a high risk of damage to the display module 4 near the camera 4g in impact or compression scenarios, with a failure rate of up to 0.2%.
[0086] Referring to Figure 1(e), a display module 5 in a fifth possible embodiment is shown, comprising a first haze layer 5a, a first optical adhesive 5b, a second haze layer 5c, a second optical adhesive 5e, and a display layer 5f stacked sequentially. The first haze layer 5a includes a flexible substrate 5a1 and an optical coating 5a2 disposed on the flexible substrate 5a1. The outer surface of the optical coating 5a2 has a smooth region 5a21 and a microstructure region 5a22. The second haze layer 5c has an opening 5c1 corresponding to the smooth region 5a21, and a transparent filler 5d is disposed at the opening 5c1, which can be achieved using a dispensing process. The camera 5g is positioned facing the transparent filler 5d. External light can pass through the smooth region 5a21 and the transparent filler 5d and illuminate the camera 5g.
[0087] However, the outermost optical surface (i.e., the outer surface of the smooth area 5a21) of the display module 5 corresponding to the camera 5g position has an unsatisfactory morphology. For example, the peak-to-valley value can reach 6.58 micrometers (μm), and the defocus can reach 5.85 μm. The excessively large peak-to-valley value and defocus, coupled with the insufficient smoothness and flatness of the optical surface, affect the shooting effect of the camera 5g. In this embodiment, liquid adhesive is used to fill the opening 5c1. The liquid adhesive cures to form a transparent filler 5d, and there is no gap between the transparent filler 5d and the wall of the opening 5c1 of the second haze layer 5c. The transparent filler 5d and the second haze layer 5c have different coefficients of thermal expansion, posing a risk of separation due to thermal stress differences when the temperature changes significantly. Under high-temperature bending tests, the display module 5 exhibits a failure where the transparent filler 5d separates from the second haze layer 5c, indicating poor reliability.
[0088] In view of this, this application further provides an optical film 10 in a possible embodiment to at least partially overcome the problems existing in the display modules in the aforementioned possible embodiments.
[0089] Specifically, referring to Figures 2 and 3, this embodiment of the application provides an optical film 10 for use with a flexible display panel 20 having a camera 30. The optical film 10 includes a first haze layer 11 and a second haze layer 12. The first haze layer 11 includes a flexible substrate 111 and an optical coating 112. The flexible substrate 111 has a first side surface 111a and a second side surface 111b facing away from each other. The optical coating 112 is disposed on the first side surface 111a. The surface of the optical coating 112 facing away from the flexible substrate 111 has a smooth region 112a and a microstructure region 112b. The surface roughness of the smooth region 112a is less than the surface roughness of the microstructure region 112b. The second haze layer 12 is disposed opposite to the second side surface 111b. The second haze layer 12 has an opening 121, and a transparent film 13 is disposed in the opening 121. Referring to Figure 4, in the thickness direction Z of the optical film 10, the projection P2 of the transparent film 13 at least partially overlaps with the projection P1 of the smooth region 112a. An optical film 10 is used to cover the light-emitting side 20a of the flexible display panel 20, so that the second haze layer 12 is located between the first haze layer 11 and the light-emitting side 20a of the flexible display panel 20, and the transparent film 13 and the smooth area 112a cover the light-incident side 30a of the camera 30.
[0090] The optical film 10 can be applied to the flexible display module 100 and foldable electronic devices. The flexible substrate 111 is bendable and transparent. The flexible substrate 111 of the first haze layer 11 can be polyethylene terephthalate (PET), colorless polyimide (CPI), ultra-thin glass (UTG), etc.
[0091] In the optical coating 112 of the first haze layer 11, the surface of the microstructure region 112b has a continuous, uneven microstructure morphology. The surface of the smooth region 112a does not have an uneven microstructure. The smooth region 112a is smoother than the microstructure region 112b, that is, the surface roughness of the smooth region 112a is less than the surface roughness of the microstructure region 112b.
[0092] The second haze layer 12 has a continuous haze distribution area outside the opening 121. The second haze layer 12 is disposed opposite to the second side surface 111b of the flexible substrate 111. The second haze layer 12 can be directly disposed on the second side surface 111b, or it can be indirectly disposed on the second side surface 111b. That is, other layers (such as a third haze layer) are provided between the second haze layer 12 and the second side surface 111b.
[0093] The optical film 10 provided in this embodiment has a first haze layer 11 and a second haze layer 12 stacked together. The first haze layer 11 is made of a flexible substrate 111 and an optical coating 112, so that the optical film 10 can be applied to a flexible display panel 20. The output light of the flexible display panel 20 can propagate outward through the second haze layer 12 and the first haze layer 11. The microstructure region 112b of the first haze layer 11 can adjust the propagation direction of the ambient light to reduce specular reflection, and the second haze layer 12 can adjust the propagation direction of the output light of the flexible display panel 20 to reduce specular reflection, thereby reducing the intensity of reflected light entering the human eye and achieving a better anti-glare effect. The optical coating 112 is set as a smooth region 112a corresponding to the position of the camera 30, and other areas of the optical coating 112 are set as microstructure regions 112b to provide haze. The second haze layer 12 is provided with an opening 121 corresponding to the position of the camera 30, and a transparent film 13 is provided in the opening 121. External light can pass through the smooth area 112a of the first haze layer 11 and the transparent film 13 of the second haze layer 12, and illuminate the light-incident side 30a of the camera 30. Compared with the third type of display module 3 shown in Figure 1(c), when the optical film 10 is applied to the display module 100 in this embodiment, the external light transmittance of the optical film 10 at the position corresponding to the camera 30 is higher, and the camera 30 can achieve better shooting results.
[0094] Compared to the fourth type of display module 4 shown in Figure 1(d), when the optical film 10 is applied to the display module 100 in this embodiment, the display module 100 near the camera 30 has a very low risk of damage in impact or squeezing scenarios, and has high reliability.
[0095] Compared to the fifth type of display module 5 shown in Figure 1(e), when the optical film 10 is applied to the display module 100 in this embodiment, the outermost optical surface (i.e., the outer surface of the smooth area 112a) of the display module 100 corresponding to the position of the camera 30 has a better morphology. For example, the peak-to-valley value is about 0.57±0.13 micrometers (μm), and the defocus amount is about 0.47±0.12 micrometers. Both the peak-to-valley value and the defocus amount are very small, the optical surface is smooth and flat, and the camera 30 can achieve a better shooting effect.
[0096] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the total haze of the microstructure region 112b of the first haze layer 11 is less than the total haze of the second haze layer 12. The first haze layer 11 is disposed away from the flexible display panel 20, and the second haze layer 12 is disposed close to the flexible display panel 20. Setting the total haze of the microstructure region 112b to be smaller allows ambient light to be scattered to a certain extent when it shines on the microstructure region 112b, thus reducing specular reflection. Setting the total haze of the second haze layer 12 to be larger allows more output light from the flexible display panel 20 to be scattered when it shines on the second haze layer 12, thus reducing specular reflection. This improves the anti-glare effect of the optical film 10.
[0097] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the total haze of the first haze layer 11 is less than or equal to 25%. When ambient light shines on the microstructure region 112b, the ambient light is scattered to a certain extent to adjust the propagation direction, reduce specular reflection of the ambient light, and improve the anti-glare effect.
[0098] For example, the total haze of the first haze layer 11 can be less than or equal to 15%, which can better adjust the direction of ambient light propagation, improve the anti-glare effect, and allow the output light of the flexible display panel 20 to be transmitted outward better, preventing the first haze layer 11 from becoming cloudy. For example, the total haze of the first haze layer 11 can be 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, etc.
[0099] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the internal haze of the first haze layer 11 is less than or equal to 5%. Setting the haze of the smooth area 112a without surface microstructures on the first haze layer 11 to a smaller value allows more external light to pass through the smooth area 112a and the transparent film 13 before entering the camera 30, thereby improving the transmittance of external light entering the camera 30 and enabling the camera 30 to achieve better shooting results.
[0100] For example, the internal haze of the first haze layer 11 is less than or equal to 2%. This can improve the transmittance of external light entering the camera 30, enabling the camera 30 to achieve better shooting results. For example, the internal haze of the first haze layer 11 can be 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.8%, 0.9%, 1%, 1.1%, 1.2%, 1.5%, 1.6%, 1.8%, 1.9%, 2%, etc.
[0101] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the total haze of the second haze layer 12 is greater than or equal to 30%. The output light of the flexible display panel 20 illuminates the second haze layer 12, causing more of the output light from the flexible display panel 20 to scatter in order to adjust the propagation direction, reduce specular reflection of the output light from the flexible display panel 20, and improve the anti-glare effect.
[0102] For example, the total haze of the second haze layer 12 is greater than or equal to 50%. This can better adjust the propagation direction of the light output from the flexible display panel 20 and improve the anti-glare effect. For instance, the total haze of the second haze layer 12 can be 50%, 52%, 55%, 58%, 60%, 62%, 65%, 68%, 70%, 72%, 75%, 78%, 80%, 82%, 85%, 88%, 90%, 92%, 95%, 98%, etc.
[0103] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the surface roughness of the smooth region 112a can be less than or equal to 0.1 micrometers (μm). The surface roughness of the smooth region 112a can be the arithmetic mean roughness. Setting the smooth region 112a of the first haze layer 11 to a small surface roughness facilitates the transmission of external light through the smooth region 112a to illuminate the light-incident side 30a of the camera 30. The optical film 10 has a higher transmittance of external light at the position corresponding to the camera 30, and the camera 30 can achieve better shooting results.
[0104] For example, the surface roughness of the smooth region 112a can be less than or equal to 0.05 micrometers. The smoother the smooth region 112a, the more external light can pass through the smooth region 112a to illuminate the light-incident side 30a of the camera 30. The surface roughness of the smooth region 112a can be 0.010 μm, 0.015 μm, 0.020 μm, 0.025 μm, 0.030 μm, 0.035 μm, 0.040 μm, 0.045 μm, 0.050 μm, etc.
[0105] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the surface roughness range of the microstructure region 112b can be [0.05 μm, 1 μm]. The surface roughness of the microstructure region 112b can be an arithmetic mean roughness. By setting the microstructure region 112b of the first haze layer 11 to a larger surface roughness, the surface of the microstructure region 112b is uneven, and the microstructure region 112b can adjust the propagation direction of ambient light to reduce specular reflection and improve the anti-glare effect.
[0106] For example, the surface roughness range of the microstructure region 112b can be [0.1 μm, 0.5 μm]. For instance, the surface roughness of the microstructure region 112b can be 0.10 μm, 0.15 μm, 0.20 μm, 0.25 μm, 0.30 μm, 0.35 μm, 0.40 μm, 0.45 μm, 0.50 μm, etc.
[0107] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the first haze layer 11 may be manufactured using an embossing transfer process. The embossing transfer process transfers the pattern of a mold onto an object by pressing, forming a specific pattern on the object. To form the smooth area 112a and the microstructure area 112b of the first haze layer 11, the transfer mold has corresponding smooth portions and microstructure portions. Pressing the transfer mold onto the optical coating 112 will correspondingly form the smooth area 112a and the microstructure area 112b on the optical coating 112.
[0108] In some other embodiments, referring to FIG2, the first haze layer 11 may be fabricated using a laser engraving process. The laser engraving process utilizes the light energy of a laser beam to irradiate the optical coating 112, causing physical or chemical changes on the surface of the optical coating 112, thereby forming specific patterns on the optical coating 112, namely smooth areas 112a and microstructure areas 112b.
[0109] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, an opening 121 is provided in the second haze layer 12 at the position corresponding to the camera 30, and a transparent film 13 is disposed in the opening 121 using a high-precision bonding and assembly process. For example, the second haze layer 12 and the flexible display panel 20 are connected by a transparent adhesive, and the transparent film 13 is filled in the opening 121, and the transparent film 13 is fixed in the opening 121 by the aforementioned transparent adhesive.
[0110] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 2 and 4, external light can pass through the smooth area 112a of the first haze layer 11 and the transparent film 13 of the second haze layer 12, illuminating the light-incident side 30a of the camera 30. In the thickness direction Z of the optical film 10, the intersection of the projection P1 of the smooth area 112a and the projection P2 of the transparent film 13 covers the field of view 30b of the camera 30. The field of view (FOV) is the angle formed by the two edges of the observation range of the camera 30. The field of view 30b is a conical region corresponding to the two edges of the observation range of the camera 30, with the side of the second haze layer 12 facing the camera 30 as its base. The intersection of the projection P1 of the smooth area 112a and the projection P2 of the transparent film 13 is the part where the two projections intersect. This allows more external light to be captured within the field of view 30b of the camera 30, resulting in better shooting effects within the field of view 30b of the camera 30.
[0111] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 2 and 4, in the thickness direction Z of the optical film 10, one of the projection P1 of the smooth region 112a and the projection P2 of the transparent film 13 is completely covered by the other. That is, the projection P1 of the smooth region 112a completely covers the projection P2 of the transparent film 13, or the projection P2 of the transparent film 13 completely covers the projection P1 of the smooth region 112a. While satisfying the requirement that more external light enters the camera 30 within the field of view 30a, this increases the range of the microstructure region 112b of the first haze layer 11, or increases the range of the haze distribution region of the second haze layer 12, which is beneficial to improving the anti-glare effect of the optical film 10 in areas outside the camera 30.
[0112] For example, referring to Figures 2 and 4, in the thickness direction Z of the optical film 10, the projection P1 of the smooth region 112a and the projection P2 of the transparent film 13 coincide, and the projected area S1 of the smooth region 112a is equal to the projected area S2 of the transparent film 13. By aligning the smooth region 112a and the camera 30 as centrally as possible, the range of the microstructure region 112b of the first haze layer 11 is increased. Similarly, by aligning the transparent film 13 and the camera 30 as centrally as possible, the range of the haze distribution area of the second haze layer 12 is increased, thereby improving the anti-glare effect of the optical film 10 in areas other than the camera 30.
[0113] For example, referring to Figures 5(a) and (b), in the thickness direction Z of the optical film 10, the projection P2 of the transparent film 13 is located within the projection P1 of the smooth region 112a, and the projected area S1 of the smooth region 112a is larger than the projected area S2 of the transparent film 13. The transparent film 13 and the camera 30 are aligned as centrally as possible to increase the haze distribution area of the second haze layer 12 and improve the anti-glare effect of the second haze layer 12 in areas outside the camera 30.
[0114] For example, referring to Figures 6(a) and (b), in the thickness direction Z of the optical film 10, the projection P1 of the smooth region 112a is located within the projection P2 of the transparent film 13, and the projected area S1 of the smooth region 112a is smaller than the projected area S2 of the transparent film 13. The smooth region 112a and the camera 30 are aligned as centrally as possible to increase the range of the microstructure region 112b of the first haze layer 11, thereby improving the anti-glare effect of the first haze layer 11 in areas other than the camera 30.
[0115] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the absolute value of the thickness difference between the transparent film 13 and the second haze layer 12 can be less than or equal to 15 micrometers. The thickness of the second haze layer 12 is approximately tens of micrometers. By limiting the thickness difference between the transparent film 13 and the second haze layer 12, the overall optical surface morphology quality of the second haze layer 12 and the transparent film 13 can be limited, resulting in smaller peak and valley values and a smoother overall surface of the second haze layer 12 and the transparent film 13. This improves the transmittance of external light entering the camera 30 and enhances the shooting effect of the camera 30.
[0116] For example, the absolute value of the thickness difference between the transparent film 13 and the second haze layer 12 can be 5μm, 6μm, 7μm, 8μm, 9μm, 10μm, 11μm, 12μm, 13μm, 14μm, 15μm, etc.
[0117] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the transmittance of the transparent film 13 can be greater than or equal to 80%. Setting the transparent film 13 to have a higher transmittance allows more external light to pass through the transparent film 13 and illuminate the light-incident side 30a of the camera 30, enabling the camera 30 to achieve better shooting results. For example, the transmittance of the transparent film 13 can be 80%, 82%, 85%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, etc.
[0118] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the total haze of the transparent film 13 can be less than or equal to 2%. This allows more external light to pass through the transparent film 13 and illuminate the light-incident side 30a of the camera 30, enabling the camera 30 to achieve better shooting results. For example, the total haze of the transparent film 13 can be 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 0.8%, 1%, 1.1%, 1.2%, 1.5%, 1.8%, 2%, etc.
[0119] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the material of the transparent film 13 includes at least one selected from polyethylene glycol terephthalate (PET), colorless polyimide (CPI), ultra-thin glass (UTG), triacetylcellulose (TAC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and transparent polycarbonate (PC). These transparent films 13 are easily molded and have flexibility and high transmittance.
[0120] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the first haze layer 11 and the second haze layer 12 can be bonded together by a first transparent adhesive 14. The first transparent adhesive 14 enables a reliable connection between the two haze layers, satisfying the requirements for light propagation. The output light of the flexible display module 100 can propagate outward through the first transparent adhesive 14 between the two haze layers, and external light can shine onto the light-incident side 30a of the camera 30 through the first transparent adhesive 14 between the two haze layers.
[0121] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the optical film 10 further includes a second transparent adhesive 15, which is used to bond between the second haze layer 12 and the flexible display panel 20. The second transparent adhesive 15 enables a reliable connection between the second haze layer 12 and the flexible display panel 20, satisfying light propagation. The output light of the flexible display module 100 can propagate outward through the second transparent adhesive 15 between the second haze layer 12 and the flexible display panel 20, and external light can shine onto the light-incident side 30a of the camera 30 through the second transparent adhesive 15 between the second haze layer 12 and the flexible display panel 20.
[0122] The aforementioned first transparent adhesive 14 and second transparent adhesive 15 can be pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), optically clear adhesive (OCA), transparent silicone, etc. The pressure-sensitive adhesive can be acrylic resin. The optically clear adhesive can be epoxy resin.
[0123] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, there is a gap 122 between the transparent film 13 and the inner wall of the opening 121. The transparent film 13 and the opening 121 are in a clearance fit, and the radial dimension of the transparent film 13 is smaller than the radial dimension of the opening 121. Even if there is a difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the transparent film 13 and the second haze layer 12, and there is a difference in thermal stress between the transparent film 13 and the second haze layer 12 when the temperature changes significantly, the thermal stress can be released in the gap 122, reducing the risk of separation between the transparent film 13 and the second haze layer 12. Compared with the fifth display module 5 shown in FIG1(e), when the optical film 10 of this embodiment is applied to the display module 100, the transparent film 13 and the second haze layer 12 maintain a stable connection when the temperature changes significantly, resulting in higher reliability.
[0124] In some embodiments, referring to FIG7, the optical film 10 has a shielding ring 16 that covers the gap 122 in the direction from the first haze layer 11 to the second haze layer 12. The gap 122 (white edge) between the transparent film 13 and the inner wall of the opening 121 is not visible from the outside, improving the appearance of the optical film 10 in the camera 30 area and enhancing the user experience.
[0125] For example, the shielding ring 16 can be an ink layer, which can be formed by printing process. The shielding ring 16 can be disposed between the first haze layer 11 and the second haze layer 12, for example, disposed on the flexible substrate 111 of the first haze layer 11, or disposed on the first transparent adhesive 14 for connecting the first haze layer 11 and the second haze layer 12.
[0126] In some embodiments, referring to FIG8, the optical film 10 further includes a third haze layer 17, which may be located on the side of the second haze layer 12 opposite to the first haze layer 11. By providing the third haze layer 17, the output light propagation direction of the flexible display panel 20 can be further adjusted to reduce specular reflection, reduce the intensity of reflected light entering the human eye, and achieve a better anti-glare effect. The third haze layer 17 and the second haze layer 12 can be connected by a transparent adhesive 171, and the third haze layer 17 and the light-emitting side 20a of the flexible display panel 20 can be connected by a transparent adhesive 172.
[0127] In some embodiments, referring to FIG9, the optical film 10 further includes a third haze layer 17, which may be located between the first haze layer 11 and the second haze layer 12. By providing the third haze layer 17, the output light propagation direction of the flexible display panel 20 can be further adjusted to reduce specular reflection, reduce the intensity of reflected light entering the human eye, and achieve a better anti-glare effect. The third haze layer 17 and the first haze layer 11 can be connected by transparent adhesive 171, and the third haze layer 17 and the second haze layer 12 can be connected by transparent adhesive 172.
[0128] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the optical film 10 may not have a third haze layer 17. Alternatively, the optical film 10 may have more haze layers to improve the anti-glare effect.
[0129] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 10 to 12, the optical film 10 further includes an anti-refletance (AR) layer 18 and / or an anti-fingerprint (AF) layer 19, located on the side of the first haze layer 11 opposite to the second haze layer 12. The anti-refletance layer 18 is an optical thin film that reduces reflected light and increases transmittance, thereby improving visual clarity. The anti-fingerprint layer 19 is a layer of nanomaterial that reduces the surface tension of the optical film 10, reduces the adhesion of dust and oil, and has high hydrophobicity and anti-fingerprint capabilities.
[0130] For example, referring to Figure 10, the first haze layer 11 has an anti-reflection layer 18 and an anti-fingerprint layer 19 on the side opposite to the second haze layer 12. This can reduce reflected light and increase transmittance, giving the optical film 10 high hydrophobicity and anti-fingerprint ability.
[0131] For example, referring to Figure 11, an anti-reflection layer 18 is provided on the side of the first haze layer 11 opposite to the second haze layer 12. This can reduce reflected light and increase transmittance.
[0132] For example, referring to Figure 12, an anti-fingerprint layer 19 is provided on the side of the first haze layer 11 opposite to the second haze layer 12. This gives the optical film 10 high hydrophobicity and anti-fingerprint capability.
[0133] Referring to Figure 2, this embodiment of the application provides a display module 100, including a flexible display panel 20, a camera 30, and the aforementioned optical film 10. The optical film 10 is located on the light-emitting side 20a of the flexible display panel 20, and the camera 30 is disposed on the flexible display panel 20. The transparent film 13 and the smooth area 112a of the optical film 10 cover the light-incident side 30a of the camera 30. The display module 100 can be a flexible display module.
[0134] The display module 100 provided in this embodiment has the aforementioned optical film 10. The output light from the flexible display panel 20 can propagate outwards through the second haze layer 12 and the first haze layer 11. The microstructure region 112b of the first haze layer 11 can adjust the propagation direction of ambient light to reduce specular reflection, and the second haze layer 12 can adjust the propagation direction of the output light from the flexible display panel 20 to reduce specular reflection, thereby reducing the intensity of reflected light entering the human eye and achieving a better anti-glare effect. External light can pass through the smooth region 112a of the first haze layer 11 and the transparent film 13 of the second haze layer 12, illuminating the light-incident side 30a of the camera 30. The optical film 10 has a high transmittance of external light corresponding to the position of the camera 30, enabling the camera 30 to achieve better shooting results. In impact or compression scenarios, the display module 100 near the camera 30 has a very low risk of damage and high reliability. The outermost optical surface of the display module 100 corresponding to the camera 30 has a good morphology, and the optical surface is smooth and flat, so the camera 30 can achieve a good shooting effect.
[0135] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the flexible display panel 20 may be an organic light emitting diode (OLED), an active-matrix organic light emitting diode or an active-matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED), a flexible light-emitting diode (FLED), a micro light emitting diode (Micro LED), a micro organic light emitting diode (Micro OLED), a quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED), etc.
[0136] Referring to Figures 13 to 15, this application embodiment provides a foldable electronic device 1000, including a housing and the aforementioned display module 100, wherein the display module 100 is mounted on the housing. The housing serves as the mounting carrier for the display module 100, and the display module 100 can be fixed to the housing by adhesive or other means.
[0137] The foldable electronic device 1000 can be any device that requires a display module 100, such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, super mobile personal computers, e-book readers, netbooks, personal digital assistants, wearable devices (such as watches), augmented reality (AR) devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, televisions, action cameras, in-vehicle devices, robots, etc.
[0138] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 13 to 15, the foldable electronic device 1000 includes a first housing 200, a second housing 300, a hinge assembly 400, and a display module 100. Both the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are connected to the hinge assembly 400. Both the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 can rotate relative to the hinge assembly 400, enabling opening and closing movements of the first housing 200 and the second housing 300. The display module 100 is fixed to the first housing 200 and the second housing 300. During the opening and closing movements of the first housing 200 and the second housing 300, the display module 100 can unfold and bend in tandem with the first housing 200, the second housing 300, and the hinge assembly 400.
[0139] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 13 to 15, the foldable electronic device 1000 may include a hinge assembly 400 and a first housing 200 and a second housing 300 respectively connected to both sides of the hinge assembly 400. The first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are folded and unfolded via the hinge assembly 400. For example, the foldable electronic device 1000 may be a dual-folding screen phone, which can be a large folding screen phone or a small folding screen phone. The foldable electronic device 1000 may also be a foldable tablet computer.
[0140] In some embodiments, the foldable electronic device 1000 can be an inward-folding structure, such as an inward-folding screen mobile phone. Referring to FIG13, when the foldable electronic device 1000 is in the flattened state, the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are positioned on both sides of the hinge assembly 400, with the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 approximately 180° apart, and the display module 100 is flattened. Referring to FIG14, when the foldable electronic device 1000 is in the closed state, the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are brought together to form a stacked structure, and the display module 100 is located between the first housing 200 and the second housing 300. The hinge assembly 400 can form a screen-accommodating space, and a portion of the display module 100 is bent and located in the screen-accommodating space. Referring to Figure 15, when the foldable electronic device 1000 is in an intermediate state, the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are neither fully closed nor fully flattened, and a predetermined angle is formed between the first housing 200 and the second housing 300, and the display module 100 bends along with the first housing 200 and the second housing 300.
[0141] In other embodiments, the foldable electronic device 1000 can be an outward-folding structure, such as an outward-folding screen mobile phone. When the foldable electronic device 1000 is in the flattened state, the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are positioned on both sides of the hinge assembly 400, with the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 approximately 180° apart, and the display module 100 is flattened. When the hinge assembly 400 is in the closed state, the display module 100 is partially bent and covers the first housing 200 and the second housing 300. When the foldable electronic device 1000 is in an intermediate state, the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are neither completely closed nor completely flattened, and a predetermined angle is formed between the first housing 200 and the second housing 300, and the display module 100 bends along with the first housing 200 and the second housing 300.
[0142] In other embodiments, the foldable electronic device 1000 may include two or more first housings 200, with a second housing 300 disposed between each pair of adjacent first housings 200, and a hinge assembly 400 connecting adjacent first housings 200 and second housings 300. When folded, the foldable electronic device 1000 forms a stacked structure of three or more layers. For example, the foldable electronic device 1000 is a tri-fold screen mobile phone.
[0143] In other embodiments, the foldable electronic device 1000 can be a rollable / stretchable screen structure. The display module 100 is configured to be rollable and unfoldable, similar to an ancient scroll. When a small area of display is needed, a portion of the display module 100 is rolled into a scroll. When a large area of display is needed, the display module 100 can be fully unfolded. The rollable screen structure can be a rollable screen mobile phone or a rollable screen tablet.
[0144] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. An optical film, characterized in that, For use with a flexible display panel having a camera, the optical film includes a first haze layer and a second haze layer; The first haze layer includes a flexible substrate and an optical coating. The flexible substrate has a first side and a second side facing away from each other. The optical coating is disposed on the first side. The surface of the optical coating facing away from the flexible substrate has a smooth area and a microstructure area. The surface roughness of the smooth area is less than the surface roughness of the microstructure area. The second haze layer is disposed opposite to the second side surface. The second haze layer has an opening, and a transparent film is disposed in the opening. In the thickness direction of the optical film, the projection of the transparent film at least partially overlaps with the projection of the smooth area. The optical film is used to cover the light-emitting side of the flexible display panel, so that the second haze layer is located between the first haze layer and the light-emitting side of the flexible display panel, and the transparent film and the smooth area cover the light-incident side of the camera.
2. The optical film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The total haze of the microstructure region is less than the total haze of the second haze layer; And / or, the total haze of the first haze layer is less than or equal to 25%; And / or, the internal haze of the first haze layer is less than or equal to 5%; And / or, the total haze of the second haze layer is greater than or equal to 30%.
3. The optical film according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The surface roughness of the smooth region is less than or equal to 0.1 micrometers; And / or, the surface roughness range of the microstructure region is [0.05 μm, 1 μm].
4. The optical film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, In the thickness direction of the optical film, the intersection of the projection of the smooth area and the projection of the transparent film covers the field of view of the camera.
5. The optical film according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, In the thickness direction of the optical film, one of the projections of the smooth area and the transparent film is completely covered by the other.
6. The optical film according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, In the thickness direction of the optical film, the projection of the transparent film lies within the projection of the smooth area; Alternatively, in the thickness direction of the optical film, the projection of the smooth area lies within the projection of the transparent film.
7. The optical film according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The absolute value of the thickness difference between the transparent film and the second haze layer is less than or equal to 15 micrometers.
8. The optical film according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The transmittance of the transparent film is greater than or equal to 80%; And / or, the total haze of the transparent film is less than or equal to 2%.
9. The optical film according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The transparent film is made of at least one of polyethylene terephthalate, transparent polyimide, ultrathin flexible glass, cellulose triacetate, polymethyl methacrylate, and transparent polycarbonate.
10. The optical film according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The first haze layer and the second haze layer are bonded together by a first transparent adhesive; And / or, the optical film further includes a second transparent adhesive for bonding between the second haze layer and the flexible display panel.
11. The optical film according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, There is a gap between the transparent film and the inner wall of the opening.
12. The optical film according to claim 11, characterized in that, The optical film has a shielding ring that covers the gap in the direction from the first haze layer to the second haze layer.
13. The optical film according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The optical film further includes a third haze layer, which is located on the side of the second haze layer that is opposite to the first haze layer; Alternatively, the optical film may further include a third haze layer located between the first haze layer and the second haze layer.
14. The optical film according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The optical film further includes an anti-reflective layer and / or an anti-fingerprint layer, wherein the anti-reflective layer and / or the anti-fingerprint layer are located on the side of the first haze layer opposite to the second haze layer.
15. A display module, characterized in that, The device includes a flexible display panel, a camera, and an optical film as described in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the optical film is located on the light-emitting side of the flexible display panel, the camera is disposed on the flexible display panel, and the transparent film and the smooth area of the optical film cover the light-incident side of the camera.
16. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a housing and a display module as described in claim 15, wherein the display module is mounted on the housing.