Foldable display module, method of manufacturing foldable display module, display apparatus and heat dissipation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11257402-B2
Application number	US-202016914719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2020
Priority date	Dec 20, 2019
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

In one embodiment, a foldable display module includes a foldable OLED display panel; a heat conduction unit and a heat dissipation unit sequentially disposed on the OLED display panel in a direction away from a light exit side of the OLED display panel; and a plurality of semiconductor sinks located between the heat conduction unit and the heat dissipation unit, wherein the heat conduction unit is adhered to a side of the OLED display panel away from the light exit side and is configured to conduct heat from the OLED display panel; the semiconductor sinks are disposed on the heat conduction unit; the heat dissipation unit covers the semiconductor sinks and the heat conduction unit; and the semiconductor sinks are configured to absorb heat from the heat conduction unit and dissipate the heat through the heat dissipation unit, in response to a direct-current voltage applied to the semiconductor sinks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable display module comprising: a foldable OLED display panel; a heat conduction unit and a heat dissipation unit sequentially disposed on the OLED display panel in a direction away from a light exit side of the OLED display panel; and a plurality of semiconductor sinks located between the heat conduction unit and the heat dissipation unit, wherein:
the heat conduction unit is adhered to a side of the OLED display panel away from the light exit side and is configured to conduct heat from the OLED display panel;
the plurality of semiconductor sinks are disposed on the heat conduction unit;
the heat dissipation unit covers the plurality of semiconductor sinks and the heat conduction unit; and
the plurality of semiconductor sinks are configured to absorb heat from the heat conduction unit and dissipate the heat through the heat dissipation unit, in response to a direct-current voltage applied to the plurality of semiconductor sinks.

2. The foldable display module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensing unit configured to sense whether or not the OLED display panel is in an unfolded state, wherein the direct-current voltage is applied to the plurality of semiconductor sinks in response to the OLED display panel being in the unfolded state.

3. The foldable display module of claim 2 , wherein the OLED display panel comprises a display area and a peripheral area around the display area, and the sensing unit comprises a light transmitter and a light receiver which are disposed in the peripheral area, wherein:
the light transmitter is configured to transmit a light signal, and
the light receiver is configured to receive the light signal and output an electrical signal in response to the OLED display panel being in the folded state.

4. The foldable display module of claim 3 , wherein the light transmitter comprises an infrared transmitter configured to transmit infrared light, and the light receiver comprises an infrared receiver configured to receive the infrared light and output an electrical signal.

5. The foldable display module of claim 2 , wherein the sensing unit comprises a photoelectric sensor configured to sense ambient light and output an electrical signal in response to the OLED display panel being in the unfolded state.

6. The foldable display module of claim 2 , wherein the sensing unit comprises a piezoelectric sensor configured to sense a pressure and output an electrical signal in response to the OLED display panel being in the folded state.

7. The foldable display module of claim 2 , wherein the sensing unit comprises a thermoelectric sensor configured to sense heat dissipated from the OLED display panel and output an electrical signal in response to the OLED display panel being in the unfolded state.

8. The foldable display module of claim 1 , wherein the OLED display panel comprises a display area and a peripheral area around the display area, and the display area comprises a first flat part and a second flat part, and a bendable part connecting the first flat part and the second flat part;
the heat conduction unit is adhered to the first flat part and the second flat part; and
the plurality of semiconductor sinks are disposed on the heat conduction unit, and the heat dissipation unit covers the plurality of semiconductor sinks and the heat conduction unit.

9. The foldable display module of claim 8 , wherein
the plurality of semiconductor sinks are uniformly disposed on the heat conduction unit.

10. The foldable display module of claim 8 , wherein
the plurality of semiconductor sinks are disposed on the heat conduction unit in a position corresponding to a heat generating position of the OLED display panel.

11. The foldable display module of claim 8 , wherein
a portion of the heat dissipation unit on the first flat part has a surface facing away from the first flat part and having a first wavy structure, and ones of the plurality of semiconductor sinks on the first flat part are located at wave crests of the first wavy structure away from the first flat part, respectively; and
a portion of the heat dissipation unit on the second flat part has a surface facing away from the second flat part and having a second wavy structure, and ones of the plurality of semiconductor sinks on the second flat part are located at wave crests of the second wavy structure away from the second flat part, respectively.

12. The foldable display module of claim 8 , wherein
a portion of the heat dissipation unit on the first flat part has a surface facing away from the first flat part and having a recess-protrusion structure, and ones of the plurality of semiconductor sinks on the first flat part are located at protrusions of the recess-protrusion structure away from the first flat part, respectively; and
a portion of the heat dissipation unit on the second flat part has a surface facing away from the second flat part, and having a protrusion-recess structure matching the recess-protrusion structure, and ones of the plurality of semiconductor sinks on the second flat part are located at protrusions of the protrusion-recess structure away from the second flat part, respectively.

13. The foldable display module of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the heat dissipation unit facing away from the heat conduction unit is a flat surface, and a surface of the heat dissipation unit facing towards the heat conduction unit has a recess-protrusion structure, and the plurality of semiconductor sinks are located at recesses of the recess-protrusion structure facing towards the heat conduction unit, respectively.

14. The foldable display module of claim 1 , wherein the OLED display panel comprises: a flexible substrate; and a drive circuit layer, an OLED device layer and an encapsulation layer, sequentially disposed in a direction away from the flexible substrate.

15. A display apparatus comprising the foldable display module of claim 1 .

16. A heat dissipation method of the foldable display module of claim 1 , the method comprising:
conducting heat from the OLED display panel by the heat conduction unit adhered to the side of the OLED display panel away from the light exit side;
absorbing the heat from the heat conduction unit and transferring the heat to the heat dissipation unit covering the plurality of semiconductor sinks, in response to the direct-current voltage applied to the plurality of semiconductor sinks, by the plurality of semiconductor sinks disposed on the heat conduction unit; and
dissipating the heat by the heat dissipation unit.

17. The heat dissipation method of claim 14 , wherein:
the foldable display module further comprises a sensing unit;
the heat dissipation method further comprises: prior to conducting the heat from the OLED display panel by the heat conduction unit adhered to the side of the OLED display panel away from the light exit side,
sensing whether or not the OLED display panel is in an unfolded state by the sensing unit, and applying a direct-current voltage to the plurality of semiconductor sinks in response to the OLED display panel being in the unfolded state.

18. A method of manufacturing the foldable display module of claim 1 , the method comprising:
forming the foldable OLED display panel;
adhering the heat conduction unit to the side of the OLED display panel away from the light exit side;
forming the plurality of semiconductor sinks on the heat conduction unit; and
forming the heat dissipation unit covering the plurality of semiconductor sinks and the heat conduction unit.

Assignees

• Chengdu Boe Optoelect Tech Co
• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shui Yudan
• Luo Xuan
• Yu Zhengmao
• Ren Yanping

Classifications

• H10K59/8794

  Arrangements for heating and cooling · CPC title

• G09F9/301 Primary

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

• H10K77/111 Primary

  Flexible substrates · CPC title

• H05K7/20954

  for display panels · CPC title

• H01L51/56

  Electricity · mapped topic