Supporting structure and display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11209867-B2
Application number	US-202016820823-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2020
Priority date	Nov 19, 2019
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

This application relates to a supporting structure applied to a flexible display panel and a display device. The supporting structure includes: a bendable region having a plurality of first hollowed-out holes, a bendable axis corresponding to the bendable region extending in a first direction; and at least two fixed regions at opposite sides of the bendable region in a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The fixed region has a rigid holding portion and a buffer portion having a plurality of second hollowed-out holes. The buffer portion is connected to the bendable region, and rigidity of the buffer portion is greater than or equal to rigidity of the bendable region. At least part of the rigid holding portion is provided at a side of the buffer portion away from the bendable region, and rigidity of the rigid holding portion is greater than rigidity of the buffer portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A supporting structure applied to a flexible display panel, the supporting structure comprising:
a bendable region, wherein a bendable axis corresponding to the bendable region extends in a first direction, the bendable region comprises a plurality of first hollowed-out holes, and the bendable region is curlable; and
at least two fixed regions, wherein the at least two fixed regions are at opposite sides of the bendable region in a second direction and the second direction intersects with the first direction, wherein:
each of the at least two fixed regions has a rigid holding portion and a buffer portion, the buffer portion has a plurality of second hollowed-out holes;
the buffer portion is connected to the bendable region, and a rigidity of the buffer portion is greater than or equal to rigidity of the bendable region;
at least a part of the rigid holding portion is provided at a side of the buffer portion away from the bendable region, and a rigidity of the rigid holding portion is greater than the rigidity of the buffer portion;
the bendable region has a plurality of curlable portions arranged in the second direction; and
a rigidity of the curlable portions gradually increases in a direction from a curling head to a curling tail.

2. The supporting structure of claim 1 , wherein:
the first hollowed-out holes are arranged at equal intervals; and
the second hollowed-out holes are arranged at equal intervals.

3. The supporting structure of claim 2 , wherein a shape and an area of the first hollowed-out hole are the same as a shape and an area of the second hollowed-out hole, and intervals between the first hollowed-out holes adjacent to each other are equal to intervals between the second hollowed-out holes adjacent to each other.

4. The supporting structure of claim 2 , wherein:
an area of the first hollowed-out hole is larger than an area of the second hollowed-out hole; or
intervals between the first hollowed-out holes adjacent to each other are smaller than intervals between the second hollowed-out holes adjacent to each other.

5. The supporting structure of claim 1 , wherein:
the rigid holding portion comprises a first rigid holding strip, a second rigid holding strip, and a third rigid holding strip sequentially connected;
the first rigid holding strip and the third rigid holding strip are respectively located at opposite sides of the buffer portion in the first direction and are in contact with the bendable region; and
the second rigid holding strip is located at a side of the buffer portion away from the bendable region.

6. The supporting structure of claim 5 , wherein a width of the first rigid holding strip and a width of the second rigid holding strip gradually increase in a direction from the bendable region to the second rigid holding strip, the width being a size in the first direction.

7. The supporting structure of claim 1 , wherein a size of the curlable portions in the second direction gradually increases in the direction from the curling head to the curling tail.

8. The supporting structure of claim 7 , wherein:
each of the curlable portions has a plurality of through holes;
the curlable portions at least comprise a first curlable portion and a second curlable portion, and the first curlable portion is closer to the curling head than the second curlable portion; and
a ratio between a total area of the plurality of through holes in the first curlable portion and a total area of the first curlable portion is greater than a ratio between a total area of the plurality of through holes in the second curlable portion and a total area of the second curlable portion.

9. The supporting structure of claim 1 , wherein the supporting structure is implemented in a display device comprising a flexible display panel, the supporting structure being disposed at a side of the flexible display panel.

10. A manufacturing method of a supporting structure having a bendable region and at least two fixed regions, the manufacturing method comprising:
performing a hollowing-out process on the bendable region to form a plurality of first hollowed-out holes, wherein a bendable axis corresponding to the bendable region extends in a first direction, and the bendable region is curlable;
providing the at least two fixed regions at two opposite sides of the bendable region in a second direction, wherein the second direction intersects with the first direction, the bendable region has a plurality of curlable portions arranged in the second direction, and a rigidity of the curlable portion gradually increases in a direction from a curling head to a curling tail;
providing a rigid holding portion and a buffer portion on each of the at least two fixed regions; and
performing a hollowing-out process on the buffer portion to form a plurality of second hollowed-out holes, wherein the buffer portion is connected to the bendable region, and a rigidity of the buffer portion is greater than or equal to a rigidity of the bendable region, wherein at least a part of the rigid holding portion is provided at a side of the buffer portion away from the bendable region, and a rigidity of the rigid holding portion is greater than the rigidity of the buffer portion.

11. The manufacturing method of the supporting structure of claim 10 , wherein:
the first hollowed-out holes are arranged at equal intervals; and
the second hollowed-out holes are arranged at equal intervals.

12. The manufacturing method of the supporting structure of claim 11 , wherein a shape and an area of the first hollowed-out hole are the same as a shape and an area of the second hollowed-out hole, and intervals between the first hollowed-out holes adjacent to each other are equal to intervals between the second hollowed-out holes adjacent to each other.

13. The manufacturing method of the supporting structure of claim 11 , wherein:
an area of the first hollowed-out hole is larger than an area of the second hollowed-out hole; or
intervals between the first hollowed-out holes adjacent to each other are smaller than intervals between the second hollowed-out holes adjacent to each other.

14. The manufacturing method of the supporting structure of claim 10 , wherein:
the rigid holding portion comprises a first rigid holding strip, a second rigid holding strip, and a third rigid holding strip sequentially connected;
the first rigid holding strip and the third rigid holding strip are respectively located at opposite sides of the buffer portion in the first direction and are in contact with the bendable region; and
the second rigid holding strip is located at a side of the buffer portion away from the bendable region.

15. The manufacturing method of the supporting structure of claim 14 , wherein:
a width of the first rigid holding strip and a width of the second rigid holding strip gradually increase in a direction from the bendable region to the second rigid holding strip; and
the width is a size in the first direction.

16. The manufacturing method of the supporting structure of claim 10 , wherein a size of the curlable portions in the second direction gradually increases in the direction from the curling head to the curling tail.

17. The manufacturing method of the supporting structure of claim 16 , wherein:
each of the curlable portions has a plurality of through holes;
the curlable portions at least comprise a first curlable portion and a second curlable portion, and the first curlable portion is closer to the curling head than the second curlable portion; and
a ratio between a to

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cao Fangxu
• Wang Haoran
• Dong Liming
• Zhou Yonghong

Classifications

• G09F9/301 Primary

  flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED · CPC title

• G06F1/1601

  Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays (constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64) · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title

• G09F9/00

  Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements (in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00) · CPC title

• F16M11/40 Primary

  by means of coilable or bendable legs {or spiral shaped legs} · CPC title