Foldable support, fabricating method thereof and display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11635784-B2
Application number	US-202016815394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2020
Priority date	Nov 28, 2019
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a foldable support, fabricating method thereof, and a display device. The foldable support includes a metal layer having a non-bending region and at least one bending region, where the metal layer includes a plurality of recessed portions at the at least one bending region, and at least one of sidewalls of the plurality of recessed portions is not perpendicular to a plane where the metal layer is located.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable support, comprising:
a metal layer having a non-bending region and at least one bending region, wherein:
the metal layer comprises a plurality of recessed portions at the at least one bending region;
at least one of sidewalls of the plurality of recessed portions is not perpendicular to a plane where the metal layer is located, the metal layer comprises a first surface and a second surface, the first surface is configured to be disposed near a flexible display panel to provide a flat support function for the flexible display panel, the second surface is disposed away from the flexible display panel, and an included angle between the sidewalls of the recessed portions and the first surface is a rounded corner; and
the flexible display panel has a non-bending region and at least one bending region, wherein an orthographic projection of the at least one bending region of the flexible display panel on the metal layer is within the range of an orthographic projection of the bending region of the metal layer on the metal layer, and a thickness of the metal layer is 0.015-0.05 mm.

2. The foldable support of claim 1 , wherein the recessed portions are configured to extend through the metal layer.

3. The foldable support of claim 1 , wherein a depth of the recessed portions is smaller than the thickness of the metal layer.

4. The foldable support of claim 1 , wherein an included angle a between the sidewalls of the recessed portions and the plane where the metal layer is located satisfies: 20 degrees≤α<90 degrees; or, 90 degrees<α≤160 degrees.

5. The foldable support of claim 1 , wherein the sidewalls of the recessed portions comprise at least one convex structure.

6. The foldable support of claim 1 , wherein the sidewalls of the recessed portions comprise at least one recessed structure.

7. The foldable support of claim 1 , wherein a minimum value of a cross-sectional width of one recessed portion is 0.1 to 1 mm.

8. The foldable support of claim 7 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the recessed portions comprises at least one of a circle, an oval, and a polygon.

9. The foldable support of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the recessed portions comprises at least one of a circle, an oval, and a polygon.

10. The foldable support of claim 1 , wherein a material constituting the metal layer comprises at least one of: special steel, nickel, titanium, nickel alloy, titanium alloy, and copper alloy.

11. The foldable support of claim 1 , wherein the foldable support further comprises a buffer structure, at least a portion of the buffer structure being located in the recessed portions.

12. The foldable support of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of recessed portions are arranged in a plurality of rows, two adjacent rows of the plurality of recessed portions are staggered, and two rows of the plurality of recessed portions arranged in alternate rows are aligned.

13. A display device, comprising:
a flexible display panel and a foldable support, the foldable support comprising a metal layer having a non-bending region and at least one bending region, wherein:
the metal layer comprises a plurality of recessed portions at the at least one bending region;
at least one of sidewalls of the plurality of recessed portions is not perpendicular to a plane where the metal layer is located;
the foldable support is located on a side facing away from the display surface of the flexible display panel; and
the metal layer comprises a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being disposed near the flexible display panel, and the second surface being disposed away from the flexible display panel, and an included angle between the sidewalls of the recessed portions and the first surface being a rounded corner; and
the flexible display panel has a non-bending region and at least one bending region, wherein an orthographic projection of the at least one bending region of the flexible display panel on the metal layer is within the range of an orthographic projection of the bending region of the metal layer on the metal layer, and a thickness of the metal layer is 0.015-0.05 mm.

14. The display device of claim 13 , wherein the display device further comprises a flat layer disposed between the foldable support and the flexible display panel.

15. The display device of claim 13 , wherein the recessed portions are configured to extend through the metal layer, and a side with a smaller cross-sectional area of the recessed portions is disposed near the flexible display panel.

16. The display device of claim 13 , wherein a depth of the recessed portions is smaller than a thickness of the metal layer, and one side of the metal layer where the recessed portions are located is disposed away from the flexible display panel.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Haoran
• Cao Fangxu
• Dong Liming
• Zhou Yonghong
• Wang Xucong
• Wang Benlian
• Dai Weinan
• Wang Dengyu

Classifications

• G06F1/1652

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

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• G06F1/1616 Primary

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title

• G09F9/301 Primary

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