Display panel and display device

The present disclosure relates to the field of display technologies and, in particular, to a display panel and a display device thereof, for reducing the border width of the display panel. The display panel includes: a display substrate including a display area and a stepped area disposed at a side of the display area, an integrated substrate is provided with an integrated circuit, and a flexible circuit board respectively connected with the stepped area of the display substrate and with the integrated substrate. The integrated circuit is electrically connected with the display substrate via a circuit on the flexible circuit board. The display panel is applicable in the display device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201711033108.0, filed on Oct. 30, 2017, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

BACKGROUND

With the development of display technology, the display device goes into the peoples' life, and the display device is developing to achieve a narrow border so as to realize full-screen display. That is, the non-display area outside the display area of the display panel is getting narrower and narrower.

Therefore, how to achieve a narrower border of the display device is a technical challenge in the current industry.

SUMMARY

In view of the above, the present disclosure provides a display panel and a display device for reducing the border width of the display panel.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a display panel, including: a display substrate including a display area and a stepped area disposed at a side of the display area; an integrated substrate which is provided with an integrated circuit; and a flexible circuit board respectively connected with the stepped area of the display substrate and with the integrated substrate; wherein the integrated circuit is electrically connected with the display substrate via a circuit on the flexible circuit board.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a display device including a display panel, the display panel includes: a display substrate including a display area and a stepped area disposed at a side of the display area; an integrated substrate which is provided with an integrated circuit; and a flexible circuit board respectively connected with the stepped area of the display substrate and with the integrated substrate; wherein the integrated circuit is electrically connected with the display substrate via a circuit on the flexible circuit board.

Each of the above technical solutions has the following beneficial effects:

The integrated circuit IC is disposed on the integrated substrate, and the integrated circuit IC is electrically connected with the display substrate via the circuit on the flexible circuit board. Therefore, as for the display panel having a certain size, a width of the stepped area can be provided relatively small, which correspondingly reduces a width of the border of the display panel along the width direction of the stepped area, thereby being beneficial to achieving a narrow border and thus in line with the prevailing trend.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In order to make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure be understandable, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings. The described embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, which shall not be interpreted as providing any limitation to the present disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts according to the embodiments of the present disclosure are within the scope of the present disclosure.

The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are merely for the purpose of describing particular embodiments but not intended to limit the present disclosure. Unless otherwise noted in the context, the singular form expressions “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” used in the embodiments and appended claims of the present disclosure are also intended to represent plural form expressions thereof.

It should be noted that, the expressions such as “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right” and the like mentioned in embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the placement status in the accompanying drawings, and should not be construed as limiting embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, it should also be understood that, in the context, while referring to an element being formed “above” or “below” another element, it is possible that the element is directly formed “above” or “below” the other element, and it is also possible that the element is formed “above” or “below” the other element via an intermediate element.

The present disclosure provides a display panel, as shown inFIG. 1,FIG. 1is a structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The display panel100includes: a display substrate1including a display area2and a stepped area3disposed at a side of the display area2; an integrated substrate10; a flexible circuit board20respectively connected with the stepped area3of the display substrate1and the integrated substrate10. An integrated circuit IC is provided on the integrated substrate10, and the integrated circuit IC is electrically connected with the display substrate1via a circuit on the flexible circuit board20.

In the related art, the integrated circuit IC is arranged in a manner of chip on glass (Chip On Glass, COG), that is, the integrated circuit IC is directly disposed on the display substrate, for example, the integrated circuit IC is disposed in the stepped area of the display substrate. As for a display panel having a certain size, since the IC disposed in the stepped area occupies a certain area of the display panel, the area of the display area remained for displaying relatively decreases, which is contrary to the prevailing trend and adverse to realization of a narrow border.

In an embodiment, the integrated circuit IC is disposed on the integrated substrate, and the integrated circuit IC is electrically connected with the display substrate via the circuit on the flexible circuit board. Therefore, as for the display panel having a certain size, a width of the stepped area can be provided relatively small, which correspondingly reduces a width of the border of the display panel along the width direction of the stepped area, which is in line with the prevailing trend and beneficial to realization of a narrow border.

It should be noted that, in the display panel100, an area excluding the display area2may be referred to as a non-display area, that is, all of the stepped area3, the flexible circuit board20and the integrated substrate are disposed in the non-display area. The arrangement of the above three elements does not influence a normal display size of the display panel, for the following reasons.

With reference toFIG. 1, during operation of the display panel100, the flexible circuit board20and the integrated substrate10are folded back to the back side of the display substrate1along the dashed line, so as not to increase the display size of the display panel. In other words, along the X direction, a length of the display panel can be construed as a length of the display substrate1. In this case, as for the display substrate1, the smaller the width of the stepped area3along the X direction, the larger the area of the display area for displaying, and the more in line with the prevailing trend of a full-screen display. Therefore, in this embodiment, since the integrated circuit IC is disposed on the integrated substrate so as not to occupy the space of the stepped area, the width of the stepped area along the X direction may be provided smaller.

In addition, with reference to the orientation shown inFIG. 1, the stepped area inFIG. 1is disposed under the display substrate. Actually, the stepped area may be disposed at the left side or the right side of the display substrate, and the position of the stepped area will not be limited by the present disclosure. Moreover, the sizes of the integrated substrate, the flexible circuit board and the integrated circuit IC shown inFIG. 1do not represent actual sizes during manufacture process.

As shown inFIG. 2,FIG. 2is another structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. A stepped bonding area21and an integrated bonding area22are arranged at two opposite sides of the flexible circuit board20. The flexible circuit board20is bonded to the stepped area3via the stepped bonding area21, and the flexible circuit board20is bonded to the integrated substrate10via the integrated bonding area22. For example, the flexible circuit board20may be respectively bonded to the stepped area3and the integrated substrate10of the display substrate1by a thermo-compression bonding technique.

With reference toFIG. 2, since an integrated circuit IC is not arranged in the stepped area3, the width of the stepped area3in the X direction may be smaller, for example, the width of the stepped area3in the X direction may be equal to the width of the stepped bonding area in the X direction. Accordingly, as for the display panel having a certain size, when the width of the stepped area decreases, the width of the border along the X direction decreases; and as for the display panel having a certain size, the area of the display area for displaying relatively increases, which is beneficial to realization of the full-screen design. In addition, the width of the stepped area along the Y direction will not be limited in the present disclosure, as long as it is compatible with the stepped bonding area.

At present, the display panel not only has a display function, but also has a touch function, a force touch function and the like. The display function, touch function and force touch function may need different circuits for driving, and the driving work is generally completed by the integrated circuit IC. For example, as for the touch function, it is required to connect a leading wire of a touch circuit with a pin of the integrated circuit IC, and then a corresponding touch position is obtained by analysis and judgment of the integrated circuit IC, so that a corresponding touch operation is started. In this case, more and more functions are bound to increase the number of the pins (ports) of the integrated circuit IC.

In order to solve the above problem of port shortage of the integrated circuit IC, multiple integrated circuits IC may be provided. For example, the display panel includes two or more integrated circuits IC, one of which is a display integrated circuit IC only for driving a circuit for displaying, and another of which is a touch integrated circuit IC only for driving a circuit for touch function. On the one hand, the multiple integrated circuits IC occupy more space, and on the other hand, the cost of the multiple integrated circuits IC is higher, which is adverse to reducing cost.

In an embodiment, in order to solve the above problem of port shortage of the integrated circuit IC, the inventor provides the following setting manners of the integrated circuit IC.

In a first manner, with reference toFIG. 2andFIG. 3,FIG. 3is another structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The display panel100includes: a display area2and a stepped area3sequentially arranged on the display substrate1along a first direction X; the integrated circuit IC is arranged along a second direction Y, and the first direction X may intersect with the second direction Y. In this case, as for a certain display substrate, the width of the display substrate1along the second direction Y is a certain value, a corresponding integrated circuit IC can be selected according to requirements of the display panel100. For example, when it is required that the number of ports (pins) of the integrated circuit IC is relatively small, the width of the integrated circuit IC along the second direction Y is decreased to the greatest extent, so as to reduce cost while satisfying the requirements. That is, as shown inFIG. 2, the width a of the display substrate along the second direction Y is greater than the width b of the integrated circuit IC along the second direction Y; when it is required that the number of ports (pins) of the integrated circuit IC is relatively large, as shown inFIG. 3, the width b of the integrated circuit IC along the second direction Y is equal to the width a of the display substrate along the second direction Y, i.e., a=b, so that the number of ports (pins) of the integrated circuit IC can be provided as large as possible. Compared with the solution that two circuits IC are provided on the integrated substrate, the cost is decreased and the space occupied by the integrated circuit IC is relatively decreased.

In a second manner, with reference toFIG. 4,FIG. 4is another structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The display panel100includes: a display area2and a stepped area3sequentially arranged on the display substrate1along a first direction X; the integrated circuit IC is arranged along the first direction X, the width a of the display substrate1along a second direction Y is smaller than the width c of the integrated circuit IC along the first direction X, and the first direction X intersects with the second direction Y.

In order to provide more ports for the integrated circuit IC, the integrated circuit IC may be disposed along the first direction X such that the width of the integrated circuit IC is not restricted by the width a of the display substrate1along the second direction Y. In this case, the width c of the integrated circuit IC along the first direction X is greater than the width a of the display substrate1along the second direction Y. On the one hand, more ports can be provided on the integrated circuit IC, the integrated circuit IC can be integrated with more functions such as display, touch and force touch, etc. On the other hand, the smaller the number of the integrated circuit IC, the less space occupied and the lower the cost.

It should be noted that, as shown inFIG. 5,FIG. 5is another structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The width of the integrated substrate (provided with the integrated circuit IC) along the Y direction and along the X direction will not be limited by the present embodiment, as long as it is compatible with the integrated circuit IC and it is possible to place the integrated circuit IC thereon. As shown inFIG. 5, a smaller integrated substrate, which occupies a relatively small area, effectively releases space that it occupies.

In addition, the width of the flexible circuit board20along the first direction X and along the second direction Y will not be limited by the present embodiment, as long as it can electrically connect the integrated circuit IC with the display substrate.

In an embodiment, as shown inFIG. 6,FIG. 6is another structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The integrated substrate10may be a flexible integrated substrate, and the flexible integrated substrate may be made of a variety of materials, such as a flexible plastic film and the like. In order to balance the cost, preferably in the present embodiment, the material of the flexible integrated substrate may be polyesteramide.

It should be noted that, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the integrated substrate is polyesteramide the spacing between the pins of the integrated circuit IC on the polyesteramide is provided smaller, for example, approximately 10 μm. Smaller pin spacing allows a larger number of ports (pins) to be provided on the integrated circuit IC having a certain size, so that the display, touch and force touch can be driven simultaneously by only one integrated circuit IC, the integration level being relatively high.

Optionally, as shown inFIG. 3andFIG. 4, the integrated substrate10may be an inflexible integrated substrate, and the inflexible integrated substrate may be made of a variety of materials. In order to balance the cost, preferably in the present embodiment, the material of the inflexible integrated substrate may be glass. The spacing between the pins of the integrated circuit IC on the glass is provided smaller, for example, approximately 10 μm.

Another setting manner of the integrated circuit IC is provided, that is, COF (chip on flex (FPC, flexible printed circuit)). The integrated circuit IC is set on a flexible circuit board, and a side of the flexible circuit board is bonded to a side of the display substrate. In the COF setting manner, as for the display panel having a certain size, although the display area for displaying on the display panel is relatively large, as for the integrated circuit IC bonded to the flexible circuit board, the spacing between the pins of the integrated circuit IC is relatively large, for example, the spacing between the pins of the integrated circuit IC on the COF is approximately 23 μm. Larger pin spacing only allows a smaller number of ports (pins) to be provided on the integrated circuit IC having a certain size, and thus only a smaller number of functions can be implemented on the integrated circuit IC, resulting in a relatively low integration level of the integrated circuit IC.

In an embodiment, the integrated circuit IC may be disposed on an inflexible integrated substrate, such as glass. Compared with the COF setting manner, as for a display panel having a certain size, such a design has no reduction in the area of the display area occupied by the display panel, and the same display effect can be achieved. However, the two setting manners adopt different integrated circuits IC, therefore, as for the COF setting manner, it leads to relatively large spacing between the pins of the integrated circuit, a relatively small number of ports, and a lower integration level. In the present embodiment, as for the integrated circuit IC disposed on the inflexible integrated substrate, the spacing between the pins is relatively small and the number of the ports is relatively large, in other words, the technical solution provided in this embodiment has a much higher integration level than the technical solution provided by the COF setting manner. Besides, as for the COF setting manner, the manufacturing cost of the integrated circuit is much higher than the manufacturing cost of the integrated circuit provided on the inflexible substrate in this embodiment.

In an embodiment, it is also possible to provide the integrated circuit IC on a flexible integrated substrate, for example, a polyesteramide integrated substrate. Compared with the COF manner, as for the integrated circuit IC provided on the flexible integrated substrate in the present embodiment, the spacing between the pins is relatively small, the number of the pins (ports) is relatively large, the integration level is relatively high, and more functions can be achieved by the integrated circuit IC.

Assuming that the number of pins (ports) required for achieving the display function, touch function and force touch function is 100, then these functions can be achieved by using only one integrated circuit IC in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As for the COF setting manner, it may require two integrated circuits IC to achieve the above-mentioned functions. Therefore, the solution in the present embodiment can effectively reduce the number of the integrated circuits IC, thereby reducing the cost.

Therefore, considering the cost and integration level, it is preferable in the present disclosure that the integrated circuit IC is provided on the inflexible integrated substrate.

In an embodiment, as shown inFIG. 7,FIG. 7is another structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The display substrate1includes a display circuit11and a touch circuit12. The integrated circuit IC includes a display pin110and a touch pin120. The display pin110is electrically connected with the display circuit11, and the touch pin120is electrically connected with the touch circuit12.

Further, as shown inFIG. 7, the display circuit11includes a pixel electrode25disposed on the display substrate1, and the pixel electrode25is electrically connected with the display pin110; the touch circuit12includes a touch electrode64disposed on the display substrate1, and the touch electrode64is electrically connected with the touch pin120.

In the embodiment, the integrated circuit IC includes the display pin for providing a drive electrical signal to a sub-pixel, as well as a touch pin for sensing a touch operation, so as to realize a touch operation. As for the integrated circuit IC, the integration level is relatively high.

It should be noted that, as an example,FIG. 7shows only one sub-pixel, however, a plurality of sub-pixels4are actually provided on the display substrate1, each sub-pixel4includes a pixel electrode25, and the pixel electrode25provides a display signal to a corresponding sub-pixel4. The display principle of the sub-pixel will be described in detail in the following. In addition,FIG. 7shows only one touch electrode, however, a plurality of touch electrodes64are provided on the display substrate1, and the touch electrodes are used for sensing a touch operation, so as to realize the touch function. The touch principle of the touch electrodes will be described in the following, which will not be further described herein. In addition, although both the pixel electrode25and the touch electrode64are shown inFIG. 7, however, in an embodiment, the pixel electrode and the touch electrode are not in the same film layer, therefore, the pixel electrode25and the touch electrode64will not interfere with each other. The display circuit11and the touch circuit12are electrically connected with the integrated circuit IC via a circuit on the flexible circuit board20. In a final product, both the flexible circuit board20and the integrated substrate are folded back to the back side of the display substrate, so as not to increase the non-display area of the display panel.

In an embodiment, as shown inFIG. 8,FIG. 8is another structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The display panel100may be a liquid crystal display panel, and the liquid crystal display panel includes: an array substrate62, a color film substrate61arranged opposite to the array substrate62, and a plurality of touch electrodes64. The plurality of touch electrodes64is provided at a side of the array substrate62facing the color film substrate61.

In another embodiment, as shown inFIG. 9,FIG. 9is another structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The display panel100may be a liquid crystal display panel, and the liquid crystal display panel includes: an array substrate62, a color film substrate61arranged opposite to the array substrate62, and a plurality of touch electrodes64. The plurality of touch electrodes64is disposed at a side of the color film substrate61facing the array substrate62.

Further, in an embodiment, the display substrate1may be a color film substrate61, or an array substrate62. In the present embodiment, the array substrate is preferably taken as the display substrate, i.e., the stepped area is provided on the array substrate62, so that the wiring is convenient, and the circuit setting is more applicable. For example, the display circuit, the touch circuit and the force touch circuit may be arranged on the array substrate.

It should be noted that, it is an In-Cell method that the touch electrodes are disposed between the array substrate and the color film substrate, that is, the touch function is embedded in the liquid crystal pixels. A touch sensor can be embedded in the display panel so that the display function and the touch function can be bonded together, that is, the display function is implemented in the display stage, the touch function is implemented in the touch stage, so that the display panel can be made lighter and thinner.

In order to describe the above-mentioned In-Cell display panel more clearly, in combination withFIG. 9,FIG. 10andFIG. 11, an operation principle of how the In-Cell display panel implements the display and touch function will be briefly described in the following by taking a liquid crystal display panel as an example.

FIG. 10is another structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG. 11is a cross-sectional view of AA′ direction shown inFIG. 10provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. A plurality of rows of gate lines (not shown) and a plurality of columns of data lines (not shown) are crossed to define a plurality of sub-pixels4on the array substrate. Each of the sub-pixels4is provided with a thin film transistor, a pixel electrode25and a common electrode24. A gate electrode26of each thin film transistor is connected with the gate line, a source electrode23thereof is connected with the data line, and the drain electrode27thereof is connected with the pixel electrode25. Under the control of a corresponding gate line, the pixel electrode25corresponding to the drain electrode27is charged/discharged by the data line corresponding to the source electrode23of the thin film transistor via the thin film transistor, and an electric field is formed between the pixel electrode25and the common electrode24. During displaying of the liquid crystal display panel, i.e., during the display stage, the common electrode24receives a common voltage signal (usually a constant voltage signal), and an electric field is formed between the pixel electrode25and the common electrode24, so as to control the rotation of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer, thereby achieving the display function.

The touch function can be implemented in a plurality of manners, for example, the common electrode24may be provided as a plurality of common electrode blocks, and a part of the common electrode blocks may be provided as touch electrodes so as to realize the touch function during the touch stage. In the touch stage, a touch drive end provides a touch electrical signal to the touch electrode via the touch signal line, the touch electrode senses the touch and feeds back a sensing electrical signal to the touch drive end. The touch drive end analyzes the feedback sensing electrical signal to determine the touch position, and outputs a corresponding touch operation. It should be noted that, in the display stage, all touch electrodes are multiplexed as common electrodes and configured to receive a common voltage signal.

It should be understood that, both the display drive end for providing the constant voltage signal to the common electrode in the display stage, and the touch end for providing the touch electrical signal to the touch electrode in the touch stage, can be construed as the work performed by the integrated circuit IC. With reference toFIG. 7, the integrated circuit IC may include a plurality of display pins, and the plurality of display pins may be construed as the display drive ends in the present disclosure. Similarly, the integrated circuit IC may further include a plurality of touch pins, and the plurality of touch pins may be construed as the touch drive ends, the integrated circuit IC provides different electrical signals to the display drive end and the touch drive end so as to realize different functions with only one display panel.

The integrated circuit IC may further include a force touch drive end and a corresponding force detection end for implementing the force touch function of the display panel.

In addition, since indium tin oxide (Indium Tin Oxide, ITO) has good conductivity and transparency and will not block the emergent light, the material of the common electrode in the above embodiments may be ITO.

It should be noted that, in order to make the layer relation between the sub-pixels to be more clearly, on the basis of the orientation shown inFIG. 11, an active layer28, an insulation layer14, a gate electrode26, an interlayer insulation layer13, a drain electrode27(or a source electrode23), a planarization layer16, a common electrode24, a passivation layer15, and a pixel electrode25are sequentially provided from bottom to top.

Further, two setting manners of the touch electrode in the In-Cell display panel may be provided in the following.

In a first manner, with reference toFIG. 8, a plurality of touch electrodes64is provided at a side of the array substrate62facing the color film substrate61.

In a second manner, with reference toFIG. 9, a plurality of touch electrodes64is provided at a side of the color film substrate61facing the array substrate62.

In the above two manners, since the touch electrode is disposed in the display panel, a thickness of the display panel can be decreased and the display panel can be made thinner and lighter.

As shown inFIG. 12,FIG. 12is another structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The liquid crystal display panel100further includes a liquid crystal layer63disposed between the array substrate62and the color film substrate61.

The disclosure provides a display device, as shown inFIG. 13,FIG. 13is structural schematic diagram of a display device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The display device500includes the display panel100according to the above embodiments. It should be noted that, although a cellphone is taken as a display device inFIG. 13, the display device500is not limited to a cellphone, for example, the display device may be any display device having the display function, such as a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a wireless handheld device, a tablet computer, a MP4 player, or a television, etc.

Since the display device in the embodiments includes the display panel described above, the integrated circuit IC may be provided on the integrated substrate in the display device, and the integrated circuit IC may be electrically connected with the display substrate via the circuit on the flexible circuit board. Therefore, as for the display device having a certain size, the width of the stepped area can be provided relatively small, which correspondingly reduces the width of the border of the display panel along the width direction of the stepped area, thereby being in line with the prevailing trend and beneficial to realization of a narrow border.

Finally, it should be noted that, the above-described embodiments are merely for illustrating the present disclosure but not intended to provide any limitation. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the above-described embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that, it is still possible to modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments or to equivalently replace some or all of the technical features therein, but these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of corresponding technical solutions to depart from the scope of the present disclosure.