Shaft support structure, and display device and assembling method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11960324-B2
Application number	US-202117760559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2021
Priority date	May 19, 2020
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

A rotating shaft supporting structure, a display device, and an assembling method therefor are described. The shaft support structure includes a rigid support part including a plurality of rigid support strips arranged in parallel, two first support plates arranged in parallel with the rigid support strips, and located on the two opposite sides of the rigid support part, and a flexible cladding layer, wrapped around the rigid support part and the two first support plates, joining a side, close to a flexible display panel, of the rigid support part, and sides, close to the flexible display panel, of the two first support plates as a whole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shaft support structure for carrying a flexible display panel having a flat area and at least one bending area, the shaft support structure comprising:
a rigid support part comprising a plurality of rigid support strips, wherein: the plurality of rigid support strips are arranged in parallel with each other; a first gap is provided between two adjacent rigid support strips of the plurality of rigid support strips; a length direction of at least one of the plurality of rigid support strips is perpendicular to a bending direction of the flexible display panel; and an orthographic projection of the rigid support part on the flexible display panel is located in the bending area;
two first support plates arranged parallel to each other with the plurality of rigid support strips, wherein: the two first support plates are located on opposite sides of the rigid support part; a second gap is provided between a first support plate and the rigid support part; and orthographic projections of the two first support plates on the flexible display panel are located in the flat area; and
a flexible cladding layer wrapped around the rigid support part and the two first support plates, joining a side, close to the flexible display panel, of the rigid support part, and sides, close to the flexible display panel, of the two first support plates as a whole; wherein:
the plurality of rigid support strips comprises three rigid support strips;
a surface, close to the flexible display panel, of at least one of the three rigid support strips is part of a cylindrical surface;
the part of the cylindrical surface protrudes toward the flexible display panel;
a central angle corresponding to the part of the cylindrical surface is less than or equal to 60 degrees; and
the flexible cladding layer comprises:
a second inclined surface, on a side surface of at least one of the plurality of rigid support strips, adjacent to the first support plate, with an inclination angle greater than or equal to 22.5 degrees;
a first inclined surface, on a side surface of any one of the plurality of rigid support strips excluding the second inclined surface, with an inclination angle greater than or equal to 22.5 degrees; and
a third inclined surface, on a side surface, close to the rigid support part, of one of the two first support plates, with an inclination angle greater than or equal to 22.5 degrees.

2. The shaft support structure of claim 1 , further comprising: a second support plate, provided on the side, close to the flexible display panel, of the rigid support part, having a plurality of through holes arranged in an array.

3. The shaft support structure of claim 2 , wherein the flexible cladding layer is wrapped around the second support plate and filled into the plurality of through holes.

4. The shaft support structure of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of through holes is an oblong hole, and a length direction of the oblong hole is perpendicular to the bending direction of the flexible display panel.

5. The shaft support structure of claim 4 , wherein
a length of the oblong hole is greater than or equal to 2 mm and less than or equal to 6 mm;
a width of the oblong hole is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 0.6 mm; and
an interval between two adjacent oblong holes of the plurality of through holes is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 0.5 mm.

6. The shaft support structure of claim 1 , wherein
a surface, away from the flexible display panel, of the flexible cladding layer is part of a cylindrical surface,
the part of the cylindrical surface is recessed toward the flexible display panel, and
a central angle corresponding to the part of the cylindrical surface is less than or equal to 60 degrees.

7. The shaft support structure of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sliding plate, provided on a side, away from the rigid support part, of a first support plate, an orthographic projection of the sliding plate on the flexible display panel being located in the flat area; and
an elastic member, with one end connected to the sliding plate and the other end configured to connect to a frame.

8. The shaft support structure of claim 7 , wherein the elastic member is a compression spring.

9. A display device, comprising:
a frame;
a shaft mechanism coupled to the frame, and configured to guide the frame to fold with a rotation of the shaft mechanism;
a shaft support structure, disposed on the frame and the shaft mechanism; and
a flexible display panel disposed on the shaft support structure and the frame;
wherein the shaft support structure comprises:
a rigid support part comprising a plurality of rigid support strips, wherein: the plurality of rigid support strips are arranged in parallel with each other; a first gap is provided between two adjacent rigid support strips of the plurality of rigid support strips; a length direction of at least one of the plurality of rigid support strips is perpendicular to a bending direction of the flexible display panel; and an orthographic projection of the rigid support part on the flexible display panel is located in the bending area;
two first support plates arranged parallel to each other with the plurality of rigid support strips, wherein: the two first support plates are located on opposite sides of the rigid support part; a second gap is provided between a first support plate and the rigid support part; and orthographic projections of the two first support plates on the flexible display panel are located in the flat area; and
a flexible cladding layer, wrapped around the rigid support part and the two first support plates, joining a side, close to the flexible display panel, of the rigid support part, and sides, close to the flexible display panel, of the two first support plates as a whole; wherein:
the plurality of rigid support strips comprises three rigid support strips;
a surface, close to the flexible display panel, of at least one of the three rigid support strips is part of a cylindrical surface;
the part of the cylindrical surface protrudes toward the flexible display Panel;
a central angle corresponding to the part of the cylindrical surface is less than or equal to 60 degrees; and
the flexible cladding layer comprises:
a second inclined surface, on a side surface of at least one of the plurality of rigid support strips, adjacent to the first support plate, with an inclination angle greater than or equal to 22.5 degrees;
a first inclined surface, on a side surface of any one of the plurality of rigid support strips excluding the second inclined surface, with an inclination angle greater than or equal to 22.5 degrees; and
a third inclined surface, on a side surface, close to the rigid support part, of one of the two first support plates, with an inclination angle greater than or equal to 22.5 degrees.

10. The display device of claim 9 , wherein the shaft support structure further comprises:
a second support plate, provided on the side, close to the flexible display panel, of the rigid support part, having a plurality of through holes arranged in an array.

11. The display device of claim 10 , wherein the flexible cladding layer is wrapped around the second support plate and filled into the plurality of through holes.

12. The display device of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of through holes is an oblong hole, and a length direction of the oblong hole is perpendicular to the bending direction of the flexible display panel.

13. The display device of claim 12 , wherein:
a length of the oblong hole is greater than or

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sun Baofeng
• Chu Shangchieh

Classifications

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F1/1607

  Arrangements to support accessories mechanically attached to the display housing (G06F1/1603, G06F1/1605 take precedence) · CPC title

• H05K5/0204

  Mounting supporting structures on the outside of casings · CPC title

• F16C11/12 Primary

  incorporating flexible connections, e.g. leaf springs · CPC title