This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201910448221.8, titled “TOUCH SCREEN MODULE, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME, AND TERMINAL DEVICE”, filed with Chinese Patent Office on May 27, 2019, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to the field of terminal devices, and in particular to a touch screen and a method of manufacturing the same, and a terminal device.
With the development of foldable screens, flexible display screens are mostly used to manufacture touch screens. Better technology experiences will be brought to users by designing an under-screen optical fingerprint identification function for the flexible display screen. During assembly of a terminal device, it is desired to dispose a hard supporting layer, for example, a stainless steel layer, on a back surface of the flexible display screen, so as to maintain a bending state of the flexible display screen. However, the poor light transmittance of the supporting layer hinders a design of the under-screen optical fingerprint identification function for the flexible display screen. The problem of light transmission may be solved by opening a light transmitting hole in the supporting layer. In a case where the light transmitting hole is opened in the supporting layer, when a display surface of the flexible display screen is pressed, a defect in appearance, for example, a depression, may be easily formed on the display surface of the flexible display screen, which results in unstable structure of the display screen.
The present disclosure provides a touch screen to solve an appearance defect such as a depression, which occurs on a display surface of a flexible display screen when the display surface is pressed, a method of manufacturing the touch screen and a terminal device.
According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a touch screen. The touch screen includes: a flexible display screen; a supporting layer, and a transparent supporting member. The supporting layer includes a first surface, connected with a back surface of the flexible display screen; a second surface opposite to the first surface; and a light transmitting hole communicating the first surface and the second surface. At least a part of the transparent supporting member is disposed in the light transmitting hole, the at least a part of the transparent supporting member includes an end of the supporting member, and at least a part of the end of the supporting member is flush with the first surface.
According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing a touch screen. The method includes: obtaining a supporting layer, wherein the supporting layer comprises a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a light transmitting hole communicating the first surface and the second surface; disposing at least a part of a transparent supporting member in the light transmitting hole where the at least a part of the supporting member comprises an end of the supporting member, and having at least a part of the end of the supporting member in the light transmitting hole flush with the first surface; and obtaining the touch screen by connecting a back surface of the flexible display screen with the first surface.
According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a terminal device. The terminal device includes the touch screen according to the first aspect.
The touch screen, the method of manufacturing a touch screen, and the terminal device according to embodiments of the present disclosure at least have the following beneficial effects.
In the touch screen and the terminal device according to embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one part of the transparent supporting member is disposed in the light transmitting hole, so that the supporting layer realizes light transmission requirements through the supporting member, which helps to design the under-screen optical fingerprint identification function. By flushing at least one part of the end of the supporting member in the light transmitting hole with the first surface of the supporting layer, appearance defects such as a depression, which forms on a display surface of the flexible display screen when the display surface corresponding to the light transmitting hole is pressed, may be avoided. In this way, the structural stability of the flexible display screen is increased while the aesthetic appearance is guaranteed.
In the method of manufacturing a touch screen according to embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one part of the transparent supporting member is disposed in the light transmitting hole, so that the supporting layer realizes light transmission requirements through the supporting member, which helps to design the under-screen optical fingerprint identification function. By flushing at least one part of the end of the supporting member in the light transmitting hole with the first surface of the supporting layer, appearance defects such as collapse, which forms on a display surface of the flexible display screen when the display surface corresponding to the light transmitting hole is pressed, may be avoided. In this way, the structural stability of the flexible display screen is increased while the aesthetic appearance is guaranteed.
Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. When the following descriptions involve the drawings, like numerals in different drawings identify same or similar elements unless stated otherwise. The implementations described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. On the contrary, they are merely examples of an apparatus and a method consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure described in detail in the appended claims.
Terms used herein are used to only describe a particular example rather than limit the present disclosure. Unless otherwise defined, technical terms or scientific terms used in the present disclosure should have general meanings that can be understood by ordinary persons of skill in the art. “First” “second” and the like used in the specification and claims do not represent any sequence, quantity or importance, and are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, “one” or “a” and the like do not represent quantity limitation but represent at least one. Unless otherwise stated, “include” or “contain” or the like is intended to refer to that an element or object before “include” or “contain” covers an element or object or its equivalents listed after “include” or “contain”, and does not exclude other elements or objects. “Connect” or “connect with” or the like is not limited to physical or mechanical connection but includes direct or indirect electrical connection.
The singular forms such as “a”, ‘said”, and “the” used in the present disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include multiple forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings. It is also to be understood that the term “and/or” as used herein refers to any or all possible combinations that include one or more listed items that are associated.
In some embodiments, a flexible display screen includes a display surface, and a back surface opposite to the display surface. The display surface is used to display information such as digits and images. The back surface of the flexible display screen is connected with a supporting layer which supports the flexible display screen and maintains the flexible display screen in a bending state. When the under-screen optical fingerprint identification function is designed, for example, light transmission to the under-screen fingerprint identification element is required. Due to the poor light transmittance of the supporting layer, a light transmitting hole is opened on the supporting layer to satisfy light transmission requirements. However, the surface of the supporting layer may become uneven. When the flexible display screen is pressed, a depression will easily form on the display surface of the flexible display screen, which results in unstable structure, appearance defects of the display screen and so on. Based on this, the present disclosure provides a touch screen, a method of manufacturing the touch screen and a terminal device.
In the touch screen according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, at least a part of the transparent supporting member 3 is disposed in the light transmitting hole 21, so that the supporting layer 2 meet light transmission requirements through the supporting member 3, which facilitates the design of the under-screen optical fingerprint identification function. By having at least a part of the end of the supporting member 3 in the light transmitting hole 21 flush with the first surface of the supporting layer 2, appearance defects such as a depression, which forms on a display surface of the flexible display screen when the display surface corresponding to the light transmitting hole 21 is pressed, may be avoided. In this way, the structural stability of the flexible display screen is increased, and the aesthetic appearance is guaranteed. Further, the touch screen is simple in structure and easy to manufacture.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the supporting layer 2 may be a steel layer, a steel-copper-steel composite layer and so on. The supporting layer 2 has good mechanical strength and bendability to support and stabilize the morphology (e.g. shape) of the flexible display screen 1. The light transmitting hole 21 of the supporting layer 2 may be of a regular or irregular shape such as circle and square. A thickness of the supporting layer 2 may be in a range from 0.15 mm to 0.25 mm, for example, 0.15 mm, 0.18 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.22 mm, and 0.25 mm.
The supporting member 3 may be made of a transparent material such as glass, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), and PolyImide (PI) to solve the problem of light transmission. Further, the supporting member 3 has good mechanical strength to effectively support the flexible display screen 1.
In one or more embodiments, the end of the supporting member 3 in the light transmitting hole 21 is completely flush with the first surface, which improves the flatness of the first surface of the supporting layer 2 and increases an area that the supporting member 3 supports the flexible display screen 1. Thus, appearance defects such as a depression, which forms on the display surface of the flexible display screen 1 when the display surface is pressed, is avoided effectively. When the supporting member 3 includes the first supporting portion 31 and the second supporting portion 32, the end surface of the first supporting portion 31 which is close to the flexible display screen 1 is completely flush with the first surface of the supporting layer 2.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the supporting member 3 may be disposed in the light transmitting hole 21 in many manners, several examples of which will be illustrated below.
Illustratively,
Illustratively, the supporting member 3 and the supporting layer 2 are integrally formed to reduce manufacturing procedures, and facilitate the production and manufacturing of the touch screen. For example, in some embodiments, the supporting member 3 and the supporting layer 2 are formed as a single structure by melding, welding, heating, or 3D printing, etc. Or, in other embodiments, the supporting member 3 and the supporting layer 2 may be removable from each other.
Illustratively, as shown in
In an example, as shown in
In an example, as shown in
In an example, as shown in
At step 101, a supporting layer 2 is obtained. The supporting layer 2 includes a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a light transmitting hole communicating the first surface and the second surface. A reference may be made to the descriptions of the first aspect of the present disclosure for the structure and material of the supporting layer 2.
At step 102, at least a part of a transparent supporting member 3 is disposed in the light transmitting hole 21 where the at least a part of the transparent supporting member 3 includes an end of the supporting member 3, and at least a part of the end of the supporting member 3 in the light transmitting hole 21 is made flush with the first surface. A reference may be made to the descriptions of the first aspect of the present disclosure for the structure and material of the transparent supporting member 3.
In some embodiments, step 102 includes but not limited to the following step 1021 to step 1024.
At step 1021, as shown in
At step 1022, an adhesive 9 is dripped into the light transmitting hole 21. The adhesive 9 may be OCA adhesive or CG adhesive. Optionally, step 1022 includes but not limited to: dripping the adhesive 9 into a middle part of the light transmitting hole 21 as shown in
At step 1023, as shown in
For example, the adhesive 9 may flow to a region between a remaining portion of the supporting member 3 and the second surface of the supporting layer 2. By placing at least a part of the supporting member 3 into the light transmitting hole 21 based on the reference plane 81 of the fixture platform 8, at least a part of the end of the supporting member 3 in the light transmitting hole 21 is flush with the first surface of the supporting layer. For example, the press force is applied to the supporting member 3 by the pressing member 10, so that at least one part of the supporting member 3 is located in the light transmitting hole 21, and at least one part of the end of the supporting member 3 as well as the first surface of the supporting layer 2 are both abutted against the reference surface 81.
Step 102 further includes step 1024. At step 1024, the first surface of the supporting layer 2 is polished, so that the first surface of the supporting layer 2 is flush with a surface of the end of the supporting member 3.
By the above method, at least one part of the supporting member 3 is disposed in the light transmitting hole 21, and at least one part of the supporting member 3 in the light transmitting hole 21 is flush with the first surface.
In an embodiment, step 102 includes but not limited to the following steps I to step III.
At step I, as shown in
At step II, a precursor fluid of the supporting member is injected into the light transmitting hole 21, and a cover of the mould 11 is assembled for moulding. In this way, the supporting layer 2 and the transparent supporting member 3 which are structurally integrated are obtained, and at least one part of the supporting member 3 is located in the light transmitting hole 21. It is to be noted that under the shaping of the mould 11 at least one part of the end of the supporting member 3 in the light transmitting hole 21 is made flush with the first surface. It is to be noted that a melting point of the supporting member 3 is lower than that of the supporting layer 2.
Step 102 further includes step III. At step III, the first surface of the supporting layer 2 and the surface of the supporting member 3, which are structurally integrated, are polished, so as to effectively ensure that at least one part of the end of the supporting member 3 in the light transmitting hole 21 is flush with the first surface.
In an embodiment, the supporting member 3 includes the first supporting portion 31, and the second supporting portion 32 connected with the side wall of the first supporting portion 31. Step 102 includes but not limited to the following step a to step c.
At step a, the first supporting portion 31 is placed in the light transmitting hole 21, and the second supporting portion 32 is placed to contact the second surface of the supporting layer 2.
At step b, the adhesive 9 is dripped between the second supporting portion 32 and the second surface, so that the second adhesive member 5 is formed by the adhesive 9 between the second supporting portion 32 and the second surface to fix the first supporting portion 31 in the light transmitting hole 21. The adhesive 9 may be OCA adhesive or CG adhesive.
Step 102 further includes step c. At step c, the first supporting portion 31 and the first surface of the supporting layer 2 are both polished, so that the first surface of the supporting layer 2 is flush with the surface of the supporting member 3.
At step 103, a touch screen is obtained by connecting a back surface of the flexible display screen 1 with the first surface.
In an embodiment, step 103 includes but not limited to the following step 1031 to step 1032. At step 1031, a first adhesive layer 6 is obtained. The first adhesive layer 6 includes a light transmitting adhesive layer 61. A reference may be made to relevant descriptions of the first aspect for the first adhesive layer 6 and the light transmitting adhesive layer 61.
At step 1032, the touch screen is obtained by disposing the light transmitting adhesive layer 61 corresponding to (that is above) the light transmitting hole 21 and connecting the back surface of the flexible display screen 1 with the first surface of the supporting layer 2 through the first adhesive layer 6.
In an embodiment, step 103 includes obtaining a transparent second adhesive layer 7 and connecting the back surface of the flexible display screen 1 with the first surface of the supporting layer 2 through the second adhesive layer 7, so as to obtain the touch screen.
In the method of manufacturing a touch screen according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one part of the transparent supporting member 3 is disposed in the light transmitting hole 21, so that the supporting layer 2 meets light transmission requirements through the supporting member 3, which helps to design the under-screen optical fingerprint identification function. By having at least one part of the end of the supporting member 3 in the light transmitting hole 21 flush with the first surface of the supporting layer 2, appearance defects such as a depression, which forms on a display surface of the flexible display screen 1 when the display surface corresponding to the light transmitting hole 21 is pressed, may be avoided. In this way, the structural stability of the flexible display screen 1 is increased while the aesthetic appearance is guaranteed.
Since the embodiments of method basically correspond to the embodiments of apparatus, for a part of the embodiments of the method that is related to embodiments of the apparatus, a reference may be made to partial descriptions of the embodiments of the apparatus. The embodiments of method and the embodiments of apparatus are complementary to each other.
The terminal device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure includes the touch screen mentioned above. At least one part of the transparent supporting member 3 is disposed in the light transmitting hole 21, so that the supporting layer 2 meets light transmission requirements through the supporting member 3, which helps to design the under-screen optical fingerprint identification function. By having at least one part of the end of the supporting member 3 in the light transmitting hole 21 flush with the first surface of the supporting layer 2, appearance defects such as a depression which forms on a display surface of the flexible display screen 1 when the display surface corresponding to the light transmitting hole 21 is pressed, may be avoided. In this way, the structural stability of the flexible display screen 1 is increased while the aesthetic appearance is guaranteed.
The foregoing descriptions are merely illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, but not intended to limit the present disclosure. And any changes, equivalent substitutions, and modifications made within the spirit and principles of the disclosure shall fall in the scope of protection of the present disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201910448221.8 | May 2019 | CN | national |