Connecting assembly, and display device comprising same

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a connecting assembly, and a display device comprising same. The connecting assembly comprises a connecting board and a connector; the connector comprises a connector body and pins; the connector body is attached to the surface of the connecting board by means of the pins; the connector body comprises an outer sidewall extending from the surface in a direction away from the connecting board; the connecting assembly further comprises a reinforcing structure; and the reinforcing structure is attached to the outer sidewall and the surface. The reinforcing structure enhances the connection strength between the connector and the connecting board, so that the connector can withstand stronger impact force and shear force, thereby improving the drop resistance of the connector.

Description

Connection component and display device including the connection component Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display technology, and more particularly to a connection component and a display device including the connection component. Background Technology

[0002] In modern electronic devices, connection components are widely used for electrical connections between various modules. For example, in display devices, connection components are used to connect the display module and the control section for controlling the display module; these components may include connection boards and connectors. However, in conventional display devices, the connection strength between the connection board and the connector is insufficient in some cases. In particular, the joint between the connector and the connection board is susceptible to external forces or vibrations, leading to loosening or even connector breakage, thus affecting the normal operation of the device. Furthermore, connectors may also break during the drop tests conducted on the entire display device before it leaves the factory. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a connection assembly including a connection plate and a connector. The connector includes a connector body and pins. The connector body is attached to the surface of the connection plate via the pins. The connector body includes an outer sidewall extending from the surface in a direction away from the connection plate. The connection assembly further includes a reinforcing structure attached to the outer sidewall and the surface.

[0004] According to some embodiments of this application, the reinforcing structure is disposed on at least one side of the connector body.

[0005] According to some embodiments of this application, the height of the reinforcing structure along a first direction perpendicular to the surface is less than the height of the outer side wall of the connector body in the first direction.

[0006] According to some embodiments of this application, the height of the reinforcing structure is greater than or equal to half the height of the outer wall.

[0007] According to some embodiments of this application, the reinforcing structure surrounds the connector body, and the reinforcing structure includes a first portion and a second portion opposite to each other, and a third portion and a fourth portion opposite to each other. The width of the first portion and the second portion in a second direction parallel to the surface is greater than or equal to the height of the outer wall of the connector body in a first direction perpendicular to the surface and less than or equal to twice the height of the outer wall. The width of the third portion and the fourth portion in a third direction parallel to the surface is greater than or equal to the height of the outer wall of the connector body in a first direction perpendicular to the surface and less than or equal to twice the height of the outer wall. The second direction is perpendicular to the third direction.

[0008] According to some embodiments of this application, the reinforcing structure includes a photosensitive adhesive layer.

[0009] According to some embodiments of this application, the reinforcing structure includes a non-Newtonian fluid adhesive layer.

[0010] According to some embodiments of this application, the reinforcing structure includes a polyimide layer or a metal layer.

[0011] According to some embodiments of this application, the pins of the connector are fixed to the surface of the connection board via pads, the surface including a padless region adjacent to the area where the connector body is located, the padless region including a recessed portion, wherein the reinforcing structure fills the recessed portion.

[0012] According to some embodiments of this application, the groove portion includes a first groove adjacent to a first end of the connector body and a second groove adjacent to a second end of the connector body, the first end and the second end being directly opposite each other.

[0013] According to some embodiments of this application, the groove portion is disposed on at least one side of the connector body.

[0014] According to some embodiments of this application, the orthographic projection of the connector body on the surface of the connection plate overlaps the orthographic projection of the pin on the surface.

[0015] According to some embodiments of this application, the connecting plate includes a flexible printed circuit board.

[0016] Another embodiment of this application provides a display device that includes a connection component as described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0017] In some embodiments, the display device further includes a display module, the connecting plate includes a bonding area, and the connecting component is electrically connected to the display module via the bonding area.

[0018] These and other advantages of this application will become clear from the embodiments described below, and will be illustrated with reference to the embodiments described below. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Embodiments of this application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0020] Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a partial top view and a partial cross-sectional view of a connecting component provided according to a comparative example of this application;

[0021] Figures 3 and 4 illustrate partial top views and partial cross-sectional views of a connection assembly provided according to some embodiments of this application;

[0022] Figure 5 is a partial top view of a connection component provided according to another embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 6 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the elliptical region shown in Figure 5;

[0024] Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a partial top view and a cross-sectional view of a connection assembly provided according to another embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 9 illustrates a partial top view of a connection component provided according to another embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 10 is a partial cross-sectional view obtained along the dashed line D1-D2 in Figure 9;

[0027] Figure 11 illustrates a structural block diagram of a display device provided according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The following description provides specific details of various embodiments of this application to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and implement the various embodiments of this application. It should be understood that the technical solutions of this application can be implemented without some of these details. In some cases, this application does not show or describe in detail some well-known structures or functions to avoid such unnecessary descriptions obscuring the description of the embodiments of this application. The terminology used in this application should be understood in its broadest and most reasonable manner, even when used in connection with specific embodiments of this application.

[0029] Figure 1 illustrates a partial top view of the connection assembly provided according to a comparative example of this application, and Figure 2 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view obtained along the dashed lines A1-A2 in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the connection assembly includes a connector 100 and a connection board 200. The connector 100 may be a board-to-board (BTB) connector, thereby electrically connecting the connection board 200 to another circuit board. The connector includes a connector body 100a and pins 100c. The connector 100 may be fixed to the surface of the connection board 200 by, for example, surface mount technology (SMT), in which case the pins 100c of the connector may be fixed to the surface of the connection board 200 by solder 100b. The connection assembly provided by this comparative example can be applied to a display device. For example, the connection assembly can connect a display module and a controller for controlling the display module. However, during the drop test of the entire display device before it leaves the factory, connector breakage is often a problem.

[0030] According to an embodiment of this application, the connection assembly includes a connection plate and a connector. The connector includes a connector body and pins. The connector body is attached to the surface of the connection plate via the pins. The connector body includes an outer sidewall extending from the surface toward the connector body. The connection assembly also includes a reinforcing structure attached to the outer sidewall and the surface. It is understood that the phrase "the reinforcing structure is attached to the outer sidewall and the surface" does not mean that the reinforcing structure must cover the entire outer sidewall or the entire surface of the connection plate. Instead, the reinforcing structure may only cover a portion of the outer sidewall of the connector body and a portion of the surface of the connection portion. Figure 3 illustrates a partial top view of the connection assembly according to an embodiment of this application, and Figure 4 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view obtained along the dashed line B1-B2 in Figure 3. The connection assembly includes a connection plate 200 and a connector 100. The connector includes a connector body 100a and pins 100c. The connector body 100a is attached to a surface 200s of the connection plate 200 via the pins. The connector body 100a includes an outer sidewall w extending from the surface 200s in a direction away from the connection plate 200. The connection assembly also includes a reinforcing structure 300, which is attached to the outer sidewall w and the surface 200s. The reinforcing structure 300 enhances the connection strength between the connector and the connection plate, enabling the connector to resist stronger impact and shear forces, thereby improving the connector's drop resistance.

[0031] In some embodiments, the reinforcing structure 300 is disposed on at least one side of the connector body. That is, the reinforcing structure 300 may be disposed on one or more sides of the connector body. The reinforcing structure 300 may also be distributed on all sides of the connector body, in which case the reinforcing structure 300 surrounds the connector body. For example, as shown in FIG3, the orthographic projection of the connector body onto the connecting plate is approximately rectangular, and the reinforcing structure 300 surrounds the connector body. That is, in this embodiment, the reinforcing structure 300 is arranged around the connector along the outer sidewall of the connector body, thereby further enhancing the connection strength between the connector and the connecting plate and further improving the connector's drop resistance.

[0032] In some embodiments, connector 100 can be electrically connected to another connecting plate or circuit board. For example, the other connecting plate or circuit board may include another connector that mates with or cooperates with connector 100. In this case, one of connector 100 and the other connector can be referred to as a male connector, and the other of connector 100 and the other connector can be referred to as a female connector. When connector 100 mates with the other connector, the electrical connection between connecting plate 200 and the aforementioned other connecting plate or circuit board is achieved. In some embodiments, the height of the reinforcing structure along a first direction perpendicular to the surface is less than the height of the outer sidewall of the connector body in the first direction. For example, referring to FIG4, the reinforcing structure 300 extends in a first direction perpendicular to the surface 200s of the connector body, and the height of the reinforcing structure 300 in the first direction is less than the height of the outer sidewall w of the connector body in the first direction. That is, the reinforcing structure 300 does not extend to the surface of the connector body 100a away from the connecting plate 200, thereby reducing or avoiding the influence of the reinforcing structure 300 on the connection between connector 100 and the aforementioned other connection.

[0033] In some embodiments, a reinforcing structure surrounds the connector body, the reinforcing structure including a first portion and a second portion opposite to each other, and a third portion and a fourth portion opposite to each other. The width of the first portion and the second portion in a second direction parallel to the surface is greater than or equal to the height of the outer wall of the connector body in a first direction perpendicular to the surface and less than or equal to twice the height of the outer wall. The width of the third portion and the fourth portion in a third direction parallel to the surface is greater than or equal to the height of the outer wall of the connector body in a first direction perpendicular to the surface and less than or equal to twice the height of the outer wall. The second direction is perpendicular to the third direction. In some embodiments, the width of the reinforcing structure in the second direction parallel to the aforementioned surface of the connecting plate is less than or equal to 0.8 mm. The second direction can be further illustrated with reference to FIG3. As shown in Figure 3, a reinforcing structure 300 is arranged around the connector along the outer sidewall of the connector body. The reinforcing structure 300 includes a first portion 300a and a second portion 300b opposite to each other, and a third portion 300c and a fourth portion 300d opposite to each other. The widths of the first portion 300a and the second portion 300b in a second direction parallel to the surface are labeled X2 and X1 in Figure 3, and the widths of the third portion 300c and the fourth portion 300d in a third direction parallel to the surface are labeled Y1 and Y2. In some embodiments, each of the widths X1, X2, Y1, and Y2 is less than or equal to 0.8 mm. In some embodiments, the reinforcing structure 300 includes a photosensitive adhesive layer. Table 1 below shows experiments conducted on a connection assembly provided based on an embodiment of this application and the connection assembly described in the foregoing comparative example. In this exemplary experiment, the connection assemblies in both the comparative example and the embodiment of this application are applied in a display device. The connection assemblies connect a display module and a controller for controlling the display module, respectively, thereby achieving an electrical connection between the display module and the controller.

[0034] Table 1

[0035] In Table 1 above, X1 and X2 represent the widths of the first and second parts of the aforementioned reinforcing structure in the second direction, respectively; Y1 and Y2 represent the widths of the third and fourth parts of the aforementioned reinforcing structure in the third direction, respectively; and Z represents the height of the reinforcing structure along the first direction perpendicular to the surface of the connecting plate. Table 1 shows experimental data from five comparative experiments. The rightmost column of data in Table 1 represents the push-pull force test results based on the embodiments of the connecting components shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the seventh column of data in Table 1 represents the push-pull force test results based on the embodiments of the connecting components shown in Figures 3 and 4. The last row of Table 1 also gives the average data from the five comparative experiments. As can be seen from Table 1 above, when the connecting component does not include the reinforcing structure (as shown in the comparative examples in Figures 1 and 2), the average mass of the object corresponding to the maximum push-pull force that the connector can withstand is 6.956 kg, while when the connecting component includes the reinforcing structure (as shown in the embodiments in Figures 3 and 4), the average mass of the object corresponding to the maximum push-pull force that the connector can withstand is 13.424 kg. Therefore, the embodiments described in Figures 3 and 4 can significantly enhance the connection strength between the connector and the connecting plate, improving the connector's drop resistance. According to measured data, compared to display devices using the connecting components shown in Figures 1 and 2, display devices using the connecting components shown in Figures 3 and 4 can withstand approximately 93% more external push-pull forces. Thus, by setting the reinforcing structure as described above, the connector's impact resistance can be improved.

[0036] Table 2

[0037] In some embodiments, push-pull force tests were also conducted on connecting components with different reinforcement structure heights to analyze the impact of reinforcement structure height on the drop resistance of the connecting components. As shown in Table 2, reinforcement structures of different heights can be set according to the height T of the outer wall of the connector body. In the experimental data corresponding to Table 2, the reinforcement structure height Z is set according to the following data ranges: (1) the reinforcement structure height is less than one-third of the height T of the outer wall of the connector body; (2) the reinforcement structure height is between one-third and one-half of the height T of the outer wall of the connector body; (3) the reinforcement structure height is between one-half and three-quarters of the height T of the outer wall of the connector body. For each data range of reinforcement structure height, ten different specific values ​​of reinforcement structure height were selected for the experiment, and the mass of the object corresponding to the maximum push-pull force that the connector of the connecting component can withstand was recorded. The unit of reinforcement structure height Z in Table 2 is millimeters, and the unit of the mass of the object corresponding to the push-pull force is kilograms. As shown in Table 2, when the height Z of the reinforcing structure is less than one-third of the height T of the outer wall of the connector body, the average mass of the object corresponding to the maximum push-pull force that the connector can withstand is 8.929 kg. When the height Z of the reinforcing structure is between one-third and one-half of the height T of the outer wall of the connector body, the average mass of the object corresponding to the maximum push-pull force that the connector can withstand is 10.558 kg. When the height Z of the reinforcing structure is greater than between one-half and three-quarters of the height T of the outer wall of the connector body, the average mass of the object corresponding to the maximum push-pull force that the connector can withstand is 12.604 kg. Therefore, a higher reinforcing structure height is beneficial for enhancing the connection strength between the connector and the connecting plate. Thus, in some embodiments, provided the height of the reinforcing structure is less than the height of the outer wall of the connector body, the height of the reinforcing structure is greater than or equal to half the height of the outer wall of the connector body. In another embodiment, the height of the reinforcing structure is greater than or equal to three-quarters of the height of the outer wall of the connector body.

[0038] According to another embodiment of this application, the reinforcing structure includes a non-Newtonian fluid adhesive layer. The non-Newtonian fluid adhesive is a non-Newtonian fluid thickener whose viscosity increases with shear force. When the connecting assembly is subjected to shear force, the non-Newtonian fluid adhesive can prevent displacement between the surfaces of the connector and the connecting plate, thus exhibiting better impact resistance. When not subjected to external force, the adhesive properties of the non-Newtonian fluid adhesive are similar to those of photosensitive adhesive. When the connector is subjected to external force, the force is transmitted through the connector to the non-Newtonian fluid adhesive in contact with it. The non-Newtonian fluid adhesive rapidly thickens and becomes very hard under external force, thereby quickly increasing the connection strength between the connector and the connecting plate and resisting stronger impact forces. Therefore, the impact resistance of the connecting assembly provided according to this embodiment can be further improved and enhanced.

[0039] According to another embodiment of this application, the pins of the connector in the connection assembly are fixed to the surface of the connection board via pads. The surface includes a padless region adjacent to the area where the connector body is located. The padless region includes a recessed portion, and the reinforcing structure fills the recessed portion. This embodiment is described below with reference to the examples in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a partial top view of the connection assembly provided according to this embodiment of the application, and Figure 6 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the elliptical region shown in Figure 5. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the connection board 200 is implemented as a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) in a display device. The connection board 200 includes a bonding area 200b for electrical connection to a display module. The circuit board in the display module can be electrically connected to the connection board 200 through the bonding area 200b. The pins of the connector 100 are fixed to the surface of the connection board 200 via pads. The surface of the connection board 200 includes the area where the connector body is located and a padless region NA adjacent to the area where the connector body is located. The padless region NA includes recessed portions G1 and G2, and the reinforcing structure 300 fills the recessed portions G1 and G2. In other words, in this embodiment, the groove portion includes a first groove G1 adjacent to a first end of the connector body and a second groove G1 adjacent to a second end of the connector body, with the first end and the second end facing each other. In some embodiments, an etching technique can be used to form a groove of a certain depth in the padless region NA of the connector plate 200, creating a height difference between the groove and its surrounding area, or in other words, the surrounding area forms a boss relative to the groove area. In some embodiments, the aforementioned height difference is approximately 35 micrometers. Thus, the aforementioned reinforcing structure can be formed by applying liquid adhesive within the groove. The aforementioned boss prevents the liquid adhesive from overflowing out of the groove, while simultaneously forming a reinforcing structure within the groove. This reinforcing structure also enhances the connection strength between the connector and the connector plate, which is beneficial for improving the impact resistance of the connection assembly.

[0040] Figure 7 illustrates a partial top view of a connection assembly according to another embodiment of this application, and Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional view obtained along the dashed lines C1-C2 in Figure 7. Similar to the embodiments shown with reference to Figures 5 and 6, the padless region NA includes a recessed portion. However, in this embodiment, the recessed portion surrounds the connector body, as shown in Figure 7. Therefore, the orthographic projection of the reinforcing structure filling the recessed portion onto the connection plate can still appear as an annular strip. However, unlike the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 4, in the partial cross-sectional view of the connection assembly shown in Figure 8, the reinforcing structure 400 includes a portion of adhesive material embedded within the aforementioned recessed portion and another portion of adhesive material located outside the recessed portion. Therefore, compared to the embodiments shown in Figures 5 and 6, this embodiment can further strengthen the connection strength between the connector 100 and the connection plate 200, and further improve the connector's drop resistance.

[0041] According to an embodiment of this application, the orthographic projection of the connector body on the surface of the connecting plate covers the orthographic projection of the pins on the surface. This is advantageous for embodiments of the connecting assembly shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 7, because the pins of the connector are covered by the connector body, so the reinforcing structure surrounding the connector body will not contact the pins of the connector, thereby reducing or avoiding the influence of the reinforcing structure on the connector pins.

[0042] According to another embodiment of this application, the reinforcing structure includes a polyimide layer or a metal layer. That is, in this embodiment, a polyimide layer or a metal layer can be used instead of the aforementioned photosensitive adhesive layer or non-Newtonian fluid adhesive layer. The material of the metal layer includes, but is not limited to, stainless steel. The polyimide layer or metal layer can be attached to the outer wall of the connector body and the surface of the connecting plate by an adhesive material. FIG9 illustrates a partial top view of a connection assembly provided according to yet another embodiment of this application, and FIG10 is a partial cross-sectional view obtained along the dashed lines D1-D2 in FIG9. The connection assembly includes a connecting plate 200 and a connector 100. The connector includes a connector body 100a and pins. The connector body is attached to the surface 200s of the connecting plate 200 via the pins. The connector body 100a includes an outer wall w extending from the surface 200s in a direction away from the connecting plate 200. Reference numeral 500 in FIG9 and FIG10 indicates a polyimide layer or a metal layer attached to the outer wall w and the surface 200s. In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, a polyimide layer or a metal layer surrounds the connector body. As a reinforcing structure 500 for the polyimide layer or metal layer, it enhances the connection strength between the connector and the connecting plate, improving the connector's drop resistance.

[0043] According to some embodiments of this application, the connecting plate in the connecting assembly includes a flexible printed circuit board. The flexible printed circuit board may include a bonding area, through which a display module in a display device can be bonded to the flexible printed circuit board. A connector attached to the flexible printed circuit board can mate with another connector on a controller used to control the display module. Therefore, using this connecting assembly, an electrical connection between the display module and the controller used to control the display module can be achieved.

[0044] Another embodiment of this application provides a display device including a connection component as described in any of the foregoing embodiments. FIG11 illustrates a structural block diagram of the display device. As shown in FIG11, in some embodiments, the display device further includes a display module M and a connection component, which can be implemented as a flexible printed circuit board. The connection component includes a connector 100 and a connection plate 200. The connection plate 200 includes a bonding area 200b, and the connection component is electrically connected to the display module M via the bonding area 200b. The connection component also includes a reinforcing structure Q, which may include a photosensitive adhesive layer, a non-Newtonian fluid adhesive layer, a polyimide layer, or a metal layer as described in any of the foregoing embodiments; specific details will not be elaborated further. The reinforcing structure can enhance the connection strength between the connector and the connection plate in the flexible printed circuit board, enabling the connector to resist stronger impact and shear forces, thereby improving the connector's drop resistance. Correspondingly, the stability and reliability of the display device's operating performance are also enhanced.

[0045] The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims. Although individual features may be included in different claims, they may be advantageously combined, and the order of features in the claims does not imply that the features must operate in any particular order. Furthermore, the word "comprising" in the claims does not exclude other elements or steps.

Claims

1. A connection assembly comprising a connection plate and a connector, the connector comprising a connector body and pins, the connector body being attached to a surface of the connection plate via the pins, the connector body including an outer sidewall extending from the surface in a direction away from the connection plate, wherein the connection assembly further includes a reinforcing structure attached to the outer sidewall and the surface.

2. The connection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reinforcing structure is disposed on at least one side of the connector body.

3. The connection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the reinforcing structure along a first direction perpendicular to the surface is less than the height of the outer side wall of the connector body in the first direction.

4. The connecting component according to claim 3, characterized in that, The height of the reinforced structure is greater than or equal to half the height of the outer wall.

5. The connecting component according to claim 2, characterized in that, The reinforcing structure surrounds the connector body and includes a first portion and a second portion opposite to each other, and a third portion and a fourth portion opposite to each other. The width of the first portion and the second portion in a second direction parallel to the surface is greater than or equal to the height of the outer wall of the connector body in a first direction perpendicular to the surface and less than or equal to twice the height of the outer wall. The width of the third portion and the fourth portion in a third direction parallel to the surface is greater than or equal to the height of the outer wall of the connector body in a first direction perpendicular to the surface and less than or equal to twice the height of the outer wall. The second direction is perpendicular to the third direction.

6. The connection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reinforcing structure includes a photosensitive adhesive layer.

7. The connection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reinforcing structure includes a non-Newtonian fluid adhesive layer.

8. The connection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reinforcing structure includes a polyimide layer or a metal layer.

9. The connection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pins of the connector are fixed to the surface of the connection board via pads, the surface including a padless area adjacent to the area where the connector body is located, the padless area including a groove portion, wherein the reinforcing structure fills the groove portion.

10. The connection component according to claim 9, characterized in that, The groove portion includes a first groove adjacent to a first end of the connector body and a second groove adjacent to a second end of the connector body, with the first end and the second end facing each other.

11. The connection component according to claim 9, characterized in that, The groove portion is provided on at least one side of the connector body.

12. The connection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The orthographic projection of the connector body on the surface of the connecting plate overlaps the orthographic projection of the pin on the surface.

13. The connecting component according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The connecting plate includes a flexible printed circuit board.

14. A display device, characterized in that, The display device includes a connection component as described in any one of claims 1-13.

15. The display device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The display device further includes a display module, and the connecting plate includes a bonding area, through which the connecting component is electrically connected to the display module.

Images