Apparatus and method for fabricating flexible display screen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11945016-B2
Application number	US-202117770271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2021
Priority date	Apr 28, 2020
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus for fabricating a flexible display screen. The apparatus for the flexible display screen includes a roller mechanism and a jig, wherein the jig includes a bearing surface configured to bear a flexible display panel, the bearing surface being a curved surface; and the roller mechanism includes a roller, an axis of the roller being parallel to an element line of the bearing surface, and the roller being configured to roll on the bearing surface along a directrix of the bearing surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for fabricating a flexible display screen, comprising a roller mechanism and a jig, wherein the jig comprises a bearing surface configured to bear a flexible display panel, the bearing surface being a curved surface; and the roller mechanism comprises a roller, an axis of the roller being parallel to an element line of the bearing surface, and the roller being configured to roll on the bearing surface along a directrix of the bearing surface,
wherein the bearing surface comprises a flexible-circuit-board positioning groove; wherein the flexible-circuit-board positioning groove is disposed on an end of the bearing surface along a direction of the directrix, and along a direction of the element line of the bearing surface, a width of the flexible-circuit-board positioning groove is less than a length of the roller, such that the roller is prevented from entering the flexible-circuit-board positioning groove.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an orthographic projection of the bearing surface on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the roller is a curve; wherein the curve is an arc curve; or the curve comprises a circular arc segment, a first linear segment, and a second linear segment, one end of the first linear segment being connected to and tangential to one end of the circular arc segment, and one end of the second linear segment being connected to and tangential to the other end of the circular arc segment.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein angles corresponding to the arc curve and the circular arc segment are not greater than 180°.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible display panel comprises a panel body and a flexible circuit board; and the jig comprises a vacuum adsorption structure; wherein the vacuum adsorption structure comprises a plurality of panel adsorption holes and a plurality of flexible-circuit-board adsorption holes.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the roller mechanism further comprises a mounting frame and a pressing rod; wherein the mounting frame is disposed above the jig, the pressing rod is disposed on the mounting frame, and the roller is rotatably disposed on an end of the pressing rod.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the roller mechanism comprises two rollers, and the roller mechanism further comprises a mounting frame and two support rods; wherein the mounting frame is disposed above the jig, one end of each of the two support rods is articulated on the mounting frame, and the other end of each of the two support rods is disposed with one rotatable roller; and articulated axes of the two support rods and the axes of the two rollers are parallel to each other.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the two support rods are connected by an elastic restoring member, wherein the elastic restoring member is configured to supply a force to cause the two support rods to move towards each other.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the roller mechanism further comprises an adsorption plate; wherein the adsorption plate is disposed above the jig, the adsorption plate comprises a roller clearance hole and a plurality of vacuum adsorption holes, the roller clearance hole being strip-shaped, and the plurality of the vacuum adsorption holes being disposed on two sides of the roller clearance hole.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing surface is a curved surface; and the roller mechanism further comprises a pair of connection arms, wherein one end of each of the pair of connection arms is articulated with the jig, articulated axes of the pair of connection arms are parallel to the element line y of the bearing surface, and the roller is rotatably disposed between the pair of connection arms.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the roller is disposed on the connection arms in such a fashion that the roller is movable along length directions of the connection arm; and the connection arm possesses a compression mechanism, wherein the compression mechanism is configured to supply a force to cause the roller to move towards the bearing surface.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the connection arm comprises an insertion hole and an axial through hole extending along the length direction of the connection arm; wherein the insertion hole is disposed on a side wall of the connection arm and is connected to the axial through hole; one end of the roller is inserted into the insertion hole, and the compression mechanism comprises a spring and an adjusting bolt, wherein one end of the adjusting bolt is disposed in the axial through hole, the spring is coaxially disposed in the axial through hole, and two ends of the spring are in contact with the adjusting bolt and the roller respectively.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a flattening jig, wherein the flattening jig comprises a carrier, a first positioning stopper, and a second positioning stopper; wherein the carrier comprises a flexible-display-panel drop zone and a positioning-stopper drop zone disposed on a side of the flexible-display-panel drop zone;
both the first positioning stopper and the second positioning stopper are rotatably connected to the carrier; and the first positioning stopper is configured to provide a positioning surface configured to position the flexible display panel in the case that the first positioning stopper is disposed in the positioning-stopper drop zone, and an orthographic projection of the positioning surface on the positioning-stopper drop zone covers a first boundary; and
the second positioning stopper is configured such that, in the case that the second positioning stopper is disposed in the positioning-stopper drop zone, an orthographic projection of a surface, proximal to the flexible-display-panel drop zone, of the second positioning stopper on the positioning-stopper drop zone covers a second boundary, wherein the second boundary is spaced apart from the first boundary, and the first boundary is disposed between the second boundary and the flexible-display-panel drop zone.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a panel bracket, wherein the panel bracket comprises a horizontal support surface and a curved support surface; wherein a curved surface where the curved support surface is disposed is tangential to the horizontal support surface; and the horizontal support surface comprises a stop protrusion.

14. A method for fabricating a flexible display screen applicable to the apparatus as defined in claim 1 , the method comprising:
attaching the flexible display panel to the bearing surface of the jig; and
placing a support layer between the roller and the bearing surface, and rolling the roller along the bearing surface to attach the support layer to the flexible display panel.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein rolling the roller along the bearing surface comprises:
attaching a middle of the support layer to the flexible display panel;
rolling the roller along a first direction relative to the jig, and attaching a part of one end of the support layer to the flexible display panel;
rolling the roller along a second direction relative to the jig, and attaching the other end of the support layer to the flexible display panel, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction; and
moving the roller along the first direction relative to the jig, and attaching the whole support layer to the flexible display panel.

16. The apparatus according to claim 6 , where

Assignees

• Mianyang Boe Optoelectronics Tech Co Ltd
• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fan Rongkun
• Wen Yuanhong
• Wang Peng
• Wang Jialin
• Liang Zhao
• Zhang Tao
• Zeng mu
• Wang Yang
• Deng Jia
• Cui Hongwei

Classifications

• B21B13/08 Primary

  with differently-directed roll axes, e.g. for the so-called "universal" rolling process · CPC title

• H05K5/0018

  having an electronic display · CPC title

• G09F9/301 Primary

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

• B29C63/0073 Primary

  of non-flat surfaces, e.g. curved, profiled (B29C63/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H10K77/111

  Flexible substrates · CPC title