Patent Application
20200047451
This application claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 201821287607.2, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on Aug. 9, 2018, the whole disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a flexible display panel module and a display apparatus having the flexible display panel module.
A flexible display apparatus has a flexible display panel. Generally, the flexible display panel needs to be supported by another member.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a flexible display panel module comprising: a flexible display panel comprising a foldable region and a non-foldable region outside the foldable region; and a supporting assembly disposed on a side of the flexible display panel, connected with the flexible display panel, and comprising: a foldable portion configured to support the flexible display panel in the foldable region of the flexible display panel; and a non-foldable portion configured to support the flexible display panel in the non-foldable region of the flexible display panel, wherein the foldable portion of the supporting assembly has a less rigidity than the non-foldable portion of the supporting assembly.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the supporting assembly has a flat surface on a side of the supporting assembly facing towards the flexible display panel.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the supporting assembly has a flat surface on a side of the supporting assembly facing away from the flexible display panel.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, an orthogonal projection of the foldable region of the flexible display panel on a plane parallel to the flexible display panel is within an orthogonal projection of the foldable portion of the supporting assembly on the plane.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the foldable portion of the supporting assembly comprises a first member; and the non-foldable portion of the supporting assembly comprises a second member connected with the first member, and a modulus of elasticity of the first member is less than a modulus of elasticity of the second member, and is greater than a modulus of elasticity of the flexible display panel.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the foldable portion of the supporting assembly further comprises a third member connected with the second member and formed with a plurality of recesses, and each of the plurality of recesses is filled with one said first member and has a depth greater than or equal to a thickness of the first member.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, openings of the plurality of recesses face towards the flexible display panel, the openings of the plurality of recesses face away from the flexible display panel, or some of the openings of the plurality of recesses face towards the flexible display panel, and the others of the openings of the plurality of recesses face away from the flexible display panel.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the first member comprises a plate having a first thickness and the second member comprises a plate having a second thickness; and the first member is connected with the second member in a direction parallel to the flexible display panel.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the third member is integrated with the second member.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the first member is connected with the flexible display panel in a direction perpendicular to the flexible display panel, and surfaces, respectively facing towards the flexible display panel and facing away from the flexible display panel, of the first member are flush with surfaces, respectively facing towards the flexible display panel and facing away from the flexible display panel, of the second member, respectively.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the foldable portion of the supporting assembly further comprises a third member, and a modulus of elasticity of a material of the first member is less than a modulus of elasticity of a material of the third member, and the third member comprises a plate having a third thickness, the third member and the first member are stacked and connected to form a stacked assembly, the stacked assembly is connected with the flexible display panel in a direction perpendicular to the flexible display panel, and the third member is connected with the second member in a direction parallel to the flexible display panel.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, surfaces, respectively facing towards the flexible display panel and facing away from the flexible display panel, of the stacked assembly are flush with surfaces, respectively facing towards the flexible display panel and facing away from the flexible display panel, of the second member, respectively.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the first member is closer to the flexible display panel than the third member, and the first member is connected with the flexible display panel in the foldable region; or the third member is closer to the flexible display panel than the first member, and the third member is connected with the flexible display panel in the foldable region.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the second member is formed by folding a plate, the second member has one end connected with the first member in a direction parallel to the flexible display panel, and the other folded end having a curved external surface; and at least one end of the flexible display panel has a groove formed by bending the at least one end, and the other folded end of the second member is fitted in the groove.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, surfaces, respectively facing towards the flexible display panel and facing away from the flexible display panel, of the first member are flush with surfaces, respectively facing towards the flexible display panel and facing away from the flexible display panel, of the second member, respectively.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the foldable portion of the supporting assembly further comprises a third member, and the third member and the first member are stacked, and the second member and the third member are formed by folding a single plate.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the folded plate has two folded ends which are aligned with two ends of the flexible display panel, respectively and each of which has a curved external surface; the folded plate has a single-layer portion serving as the third member, and double-layer portions serving as the second member; a recess is defined by the single-layer portion and the double-layer portions respectively located on both sides of the single-layer portion, and the recess is filled with the first member; at least one of the two ends of the flexible display panel has a groove formed by bending the at least one end, and one of the two folded ends of the second member is fitted in the groove; and surfaces, respectively facing towards the flexible display panel and facing away from the flexible display panel, of a stacked assembly formed by stacking the first member and the single-layer portion are flush with surfaces, respectively facing towards the flexible display panel and facing away from the flexible display panel, of each of the double-layer portions, respectively.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the first member is connected with the double-layer portions; and the first member is closer to the flexible display panel than the single-layer portion, or the single-layer portion is closer to the flexible display panel than the first member.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the flexible display panel module further comprises: a flexible cover plate which is disposed on a side of the flexible display panel facing away from the supporting assembly and is connected with the flexible display panel.
Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a display apparatus comprising the above flexible display panel module.
Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present disclosure.
The above and/or additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements or elements having same or similar function throughout. Further, if a detailed description of a known technique is unnecessary for the features of the present disclosure illustrated, it will be omitted. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompany drawings are illustrative, are only used to explain the present disclosure, and should not be construed to limit the present disclosure.
It should be noted that unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. It should be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein.
A further description of the present disclosure will be made as below with reference to embodiments of the present disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a flexible display panel module. The flexible display panel module includes: a flexible display panel and a supporting assembly disposed on a side of the flexible display panel and connected with the flexible display panel.
The flexible display panel includes a foldable region and a non-foldable region outside the foldable region. The supporting assembly includes a first member and a second member. The first member faces the foldable region. The second member faces the non-foldable region; or the supporting assembly further includes a third member, the second member faces the non-foldable region and the third member faces the foldable region. A modulus of elasticity of the first member is less than a modulus of elasticity of the second member or of each of the second member and the third member, and is greater than a modulus of elasticity of the flexible display panel. The second member and the third member may be integrated or may be formed by a single plate.
In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the modulus of elasticity of each of the first member and the second member of the supporting assembly is greater than the modulus of elasticity of the flexible display panel, or the modulus of elasticity of each of the first member, the second member and the third member is greater than the modulus of elasticity of the flexible display panel, so that the supporting assembly has a greater rigidity and a greater elastic restoring force than the flexible display panel. Thereby, the supporting assembly effectively supports the flexible display panel, helps the flexible display panel absorb a greater impact, increases an impact resistance of the flexible display panel, and facilitates maintaining a flatness and a resilience of the flexible display panel in an unfolded state. The modulus of elasticity of the first member is less than the modulus of elasticity of the second member or the modulus of elasticity of each of the second member and the third member, ensuring that the first member has a great flexibility. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first member may face the foldable region of the flexible display panel, or each of the first member and the third member may face the foldable region of the flexible display panel. In both cases, due to the presence of the first member, the portion of the supporting assembly facing the foldable region of the flexible display panel has a greater flexibility than the second member or each of the second member and the third member, in addition to having a certain rigidity and a certain elastic restoring force (i.e. a compromise between the rigidity and elastic restoring force and the flexibility is made). Thereby, in a process of repeatedly unfolding and folding the flexible display panel, a contact stress between the flexible display panel and the supporting assembly can be effectively reduced, the flexible display panel is prevented from being subjected to a large stress in the folding process, a plastic deformation of the flexible display panel in the foldable region is reduced, a probability of damaging the flexible display panel is decreased, and a display failure of the flexible display panel is prevented.
Further, in a possess of a change of the flexible display panel from a folded state to an unfolded state, the flexible display panel can be prevented from wrinkling in the non-foldable region since the second member has a great resistance to deformation, and the second member itself and the flexible display panel can be sufficiently unfolded due to the large elastic restoring force of the second member, preventing the flexible display panel from wrinkling in the foldable region. As a result, the flexible display panel always has a great flatness. The material of the second member has the great modulus of elasticity. Therefore, in the case where a thickness of the second member is appropriately reduced, the second member can have an expected rigidity and an expected elastic restoring force, and a risk of a plastic deformation of the second member can be reduced, thereby further reducing a probability of wrinkling the flexible display panel. Or, the material of each of the second member and the third member has the great modulus of elasticity. Therefore, in the case where a thickness of each of the second member and the third member is appropriately reduced, each of the second member and third member can have an expected rigidity and an expected elastic restoring force, and a risk of a plastic deformation of each of the second member and the third member can be reduced, thereby further reducing the probability of wrinkling the flexible display panel.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, a material of the first member may be rubber, polyurethane or the like, and the material of the second member or the material of each of the second member and the third member may be a stainless steel, a polymer or the like. The polymer includes: PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), PC (Polycarbonate) or PA (Polyamide).
In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a number and a size of each of the first and second members and a positional relationship between the first and second members or a number and a size of each of the first, second and third members and a positional relationship among the first, second and third members can be determined according to a number and a size of each of the foldable and non-foldable regions of the flexible display panel and a positional relationship between the foldable and non-foldable regions of the flexible display panel. For example, the flexible display panel may include a single foldable region and a single non-foldable region, and the foldable region is located on a side of the non-foldable region; or the flexible display panel may include a plurality of foldable regions and a plurality of non-foldable regions, and the plurality of foldable regions and the plurality of non-foldable regions are alternately arranged. For example, the flexible display panel includes one foldable region and two non-foldable regions, and the two non-foldable regions are located on both sides of the one foldable region, respectively. In the flexible display panel module according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first member and the second member or the first member, the second member and the third member of the supporting assembly have various structures, shapes, and connections.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the flexible display panel module further includes: a flexible cover plate. The flexible cover plate is disposed on a side of the flexible display panel facing away from the supporting assembly and is connected with the flexible display panel.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
As shown in
Since the recess 24 is filled therein with the first member 21, it should be understood that a cavity of the recess 24 has the same shape as the first member 21 as shown in
As shown in
A number, a shape, and an arrangement of the recesses 24 may be determined according to actual situations. In the present embodiment, the second member 22 and the third member 23 as a whole are a rectangular plate. The opening of the recess 24 in the surface of the third member 23 has a rectangular shape and the recess 24 extends over the entire third member 23 in a width direction of the rectangular plate composed of the second member 22 and the third member 23. The recesses 24 are arranged at intervals in a length direction of the rectangular plate. Of course, the shape of the opening of the recess 24 may also be any shape such as a triangular shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape or any other irregular shape, and the recesses 24 may also be arranged in any other manner.
As shown in
In the present embodiment, the first member 21 is connected with the third member 23 by filling the recess 24 of the third member 23 with the first member 21. In this way, the first member 21 is wrapped in the third member 23 so that the first member 21 is not easily separated from the third member 23, ensuring a stability of the connection.
Referring to
As shown in
For example, the first member 21 is connected with the flexible display panel 1 in a direction perpendicular to the flexible display panel 1, and surfaces, respectively facing towards the flexible display panel 1 and facing away from the flexible display panel 1, of the first member 21 are flush with surfaces, respectively facing towards the flexible display panel 1 and facing away from the flexible display panel 1, of the second member 22, respectively. In other words, the first member 21 and the second member 22 have the same thickness and are connected to form the supporting assembly 2. Surfaces, respectively facing towards the flexible display panel 1 and facing away from the flexible display panel 1, of the supporting assembly 2 are planes, respectively.
For example, the flexible display panel 1 includes one foldable region 11 and two non-foldable regions 10, and the two non-foldable regions 10 are located on both sides of the one foldable region 11, respectively. Accordingly, the supporting assembly 2 includes one first member 21 and two second members 22. The two second members 22 are located on both sides of the one first member 21, respectively, and are connected with the one first member 21 in a direction parallel to the flexible display panel 1.
Referring to
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In the present embodiment, as shown in
A sum of a thickness of the first member 21 and a thickness of the third member 23 is a thickness of the stacked assembly and the thickness of the stacked assembly is equal to a thickness of the second member 22. A specific value of each of the thickness of the first member 21 and the thickness of the third member 23 is not limited. The greater the thickness of the first member 21 is, the greater a flexibility of the stacked assembly is. The greater the thickness of the third member 23 is, the greater a rigidity and an elastic restoring force of the stacked assembly are. The thickness of the first member 21 and the thickness of the third member 23 can be appropriately designed according to actual requirements. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the thickness of the first member 21 and the thickness of the third member 23 are equal to each other and each of the thickness of the first member 21 and the thickness of the third member 23 is half of the thickness of the second member 22.
In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a material of the third member 23 may be a stainless steel or a polymer or the like. The polymer includes: PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), PC (Polycarbonate) or PA (Polyamide).
In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first member 21 and the third member 23 may be made of the same material. For example, each of the first member 21 and the third member 23 is made of the stainless steel. The first member 21 and the third member 23 may be made of different materials. For example, the first member 21 is made of the stainless steel, and the third member 23 is made of the polymethyl methacrylate.
Referring to
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In the present embodiment, a folding manner of the second member 22 is not particularly limited. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the second member 22 is formed by folding a plate in half once. In other words, the second member 22 includes two layers of plates, and the curved external surface of the folded end 221 is a curved surface formed at a folding line along which the plate is folded. Of course, in the present embodiment, the second member 22 may be formed by folding a plate in half a plurality of times. Or else, the second member 22 is formed by determining a plurality of folding lines at equal intervals in a length direction of the plate in advance, and then folding the plate respectively along the folding lines successively in a single direction or alternatively in forward and rearward directions, instead of repeatedly folding the plate in half. The number of times the plate is folded is determined according to requirements for the thickness of the second member 22.
Referring to
Referring to
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In the present embodiment, a folding manner of the plate is not particularly limited. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the second member 22 and the third member 23 are formed by folding a plate inwards from both ends of the plate once. The curved external surface of each of the two folded ends 222 of the folded plate is a curved surface formed at a folding line along which the plate is folded. Of course, the plate may also be folded a plurality of times. For example, each of the double-layer portions 224 is formed by determining a plurality of folding lines at equal intervals in a length direction of the plate in advance, and then folding a portion, on one end side, of the plate respectively along the folding lines successively in a single direction or alternatively in forward and rearward directions. The number of times the plate is folded is determined according to requirements for the thickness of the second member 22.
As shown in
As shown in
Referring to
Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a display apparatus including the flexible display panel module according to any one of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
With the flexible display panel module and the display apparatus having the flexible display panel module according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent problems that the flatness of the flexible display panel of the flexible display apparatus is poor and the display failure of the flexible display panel is liable to occur after the flexible display panel is folded a plurality of times.
In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the modulus of elasticity of each of the first member and the second member of the supporting assembly is greater than the modulus of elasticity of the flexible display panel, or the modulus of elasticity of each of the first member, the second member and the third member is greater than the modulus of elasticity of the flexible display panel, so that the supporting assembly has a greater rigidity and a greater elastic restoring force than the flexible display panel. Thereby, the supporting assembly effectively supports the flexible display panel, helps the flexible display panel absorb a greater impact, increases an impact resistance of the flexible display panel, and facilitates maintaining a flatness and a resilience of the flexible display panel in an unfolded state. The modulus of elasticity of the first member is less than the modulus of elasticity of the second member or the modulus of elasticity of each of the second member and the third member, ensuring that the first member has a great flexibility. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first member may face the foldable region 11 of the flexible display panel, or each of the first member and the third member faces the foldable region 11 of the flexible display panel. In both cases, due to the presence of the first member, the portion of the supporting assembly facing the foldable region 11 of the flexible display panel has a certain flexibility, in addition to a certain rigidity and a certain elastic restoring force (i.e. a compromise between the rigidity and elastic restoring force and the flexibility is made). Thereby, in a process of repeatedly unfolding and folding the flexible display panel, a contact stress between the flexible display panel and the supporting assembly can be effectively reduced, the flexible display panel is prevented from being subjected to a large stress in the folding process, a plastic deformation of the flexible display panel in the foldable region 11 is reduced, a probability of damaging the flexible display panel is decreased, and a display failure of the flexible display panel is prevented.
Further, in a possess of a change of the flexible display panel from a folded state to an unfolded state, the flexible display panel can be prevented from wrinkling in the non-foldable region 10 since the second member has a great resistance to deformation, and the second member itself and the flexible display panel can be sufficiently unfolded due to the large elastic restoring force of the second member, preventing the flexible display panel from wrinkling in the foldable region 11. As a result, the flexible display panel always has a great flatness. The material of the second member has the great modulus of elasticity. Therefore, in the case where a thickness of the second member is appropriately reduced, the second member can have an expected rigidity and an expected elastic restoring force, and a risk of a plastic deformation of the second member can be reduced, thereby further reducing a probability of wrinkling the flexible display panel. Or else, the material of each of the second member and the third member has the great modulus of elasticity. Therefore, in the case where a thickness of each of the second member and the third member is appropriately reduced, each of the second member and third member can have an expected rigidity and an expected elastic restoring force, and a risk of a plastic deformation of each of the second member and the third member can be reduced, thereby further reducing the probability of wrinkling the flexible display panel.
The terms “first” and “second” are used for only descriptive purposes and should not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implicitly indicating the numbers of technical features indicated by them. Thus, a feature defined with the term “first” or “second” may include one or more of the features either explicitly or implicitly. In the description of the present disclosure, “plurality of” means two or more unless otherwise described.
In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that the term “connected” should be understood broadly unless otherwise specifically prescribed and defined. For example, the term “connected” may means “fixedly connected”, “detachably connected, “integrally connected”, “directly connected” or “indirectly connected through an intermediate medium”. The specific meanings of the above term in the present disclosure can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.
In the description, specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be combined in appropriate manners in any one or more embodiments or examples.
Although some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described above, it would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that many modifications or changes may be made therein without departing from the principle and spirit of the present disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201821287607.2 | Aug 2018 | CN | national |
