Patent Description:
The flexible display screen is a display screen using a flexible material as a substrate. Compared with the conventional display screen using glass as the substrate, the flexible display screen is widely used in the various display fields for its characteristics such as light and thin, bendable, and impact resistant. In recent years, with the continuous development of flexible display technology, the flexible display screen has become one of the developing directions of the future display field.

Generally, as for a flexible display screen in which an ineffective display area is bent, as shown in <FIG>, the flexible display screen may comprise a display device <NUM>, a flexible substrate <NUM>, a support structure <NUM>, and a drive chip <NUM>, wherein the display device <NUM> is positioned on the flexible substrate <NUM>, the flexible substrate <NUM> is positioned on the support structure <NUM>, and the drive chip <NUM> is positioned below the support structure <NUM>, and wherein the support structure <NUM> is used to support the flexible substrate <NUM>, and the drive chip <NUM> is used to provide drive for the flexible display screen. Based on the above structure, the display device <NUM> may emit light under the driving action of the drive chip <NUM>, thereby causing the flexible display screen to emit light.

However, in practical applications, due to having a certain thickness, the drive chip <NUM> causes the flexible substrate <NUM> above it to bend so that the entire screen body is bent, thereby further affecting the display effect of the flexible display screen.

<CIT> discloses an electronic device with flexible display, which can significantly reduce the non-display area of a flexible OLED display, which would otherwise be covered by a cosmetic trim such as a bezel or an opaque. As such, an electronic device with a display having minimized border area can be provided. This makes it possible to reduce the overall size of the electronic device without sacrificing the size of the display therein. Such a reduction in size of the bezel was achieved by bending the flexible substrate near its edge using an insert member.

<CIT> discloses a flexible display device. The flexible display device includes a display panel including a plastic substrate where an organic light emitting diode and a thin film transistor are formed; a circuit portion applying a power signal and a data signal, which are supplied from an external portion, to the display panel; and a support member coupled to the plastic substrate, wherein the display panel and the circuit portion are bent around the support member.

Other flexible display screens have been described in <CIT> and <CIT>.

The main object of the disclosure is to provide a flexible display screen and a flexible display apparatus, which aim to solve the problem in the prior art that the drive chip causes the screen body to bend due to having a certain thickness, , thereby further affecting the display effect of the flexible display screen.

The above object achieved by a flexible display screen according to claim <NUM>.

Optionally, a thickness of the support structure is equal to or larger than a thickness of the drive chip.

Optionally, a shape and a position of the groove match a shape and a position of the drive chip.

Optionally, the display device in the flexible display screen is an OLED.

Optionally, the flexible display screen further comprises a first film, a second film and a connecting member, wherein the first film is positioned on the display device, the connecting member is positioned on the first film and the second film is positioned on the connecting member.

In addition, in order to achieve the above object, the disclosure provides a flexible display apparatus comprising the above flexible display screen.

In the technical solution of the disclosure, the flexible display screen comprises a display device, a flexible substrate, a support structure and a drive chip, the display device is positioned on the flexible substrate, and the flexible substrate is positioned on the support structure, wherein the support structure is provided with a groove which is used to the drive chip. Thus, in the embodiments of the disclosure, since the groove for receiving the drive chip is disposed in the support structure of the flexible display screen in comparison with the prior art, the drive chip does not bend the screen body of the flexible display screen, thereby further not affecting the display effect of the flexible display screen.

In order to clearly illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for describing the embodiments or the prior art will be simply introduced below.

The implementation, functional features and advantages of the disclosure will be further described in combination with the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Technical solutions in the embodiments of the disclosure will be described below clearly and completely with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the disclosure. It is apparent that the described embodiments are merely part of the embodiments of the disclosure rather than all the embodiments.

It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back. ) in the embodiments of the disclosure are only used to explain relative position relationship and motion state and the like among components at a specific posture (as shown in the drawings), and if the specific posture changes, the directional indication also changes accordingly.

In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", and the like in the disclosure are only used for descriptive purposes, and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined with "first" or "second" may comprise at least one of the features, either explicitly or implicitly. In the description of the disclosure, the meaning of "a plurality of" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise expressly and specifically defined.

In the disclosure, the terms "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood broadly, unless otherwise explicitly specified and defined. For example, "fixed" may be a fixed connection, or may be a detachable connection, or may be integrated; may be mechanically connected or electrically connected; may be directly connected, or may be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; may be internal communication of two elements or an interaction relationship of two elements, unless otherwise explicitly defined. A person skilled in the art may understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the disclosure according to specific conditions.

In addition, technical solutions between the various embodiments of the disclosure may be combined with each other, but must ensure that a person skilled in the art can achieve such combination, and the combination of the technical solutions should be considered to be nonexistent and not to be covered by the scope of protection of the disclosure when the combination of the technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement.

The flexible display screen in the embodiments of the disclosure refers to a display screen in which an ineffective display area is bent. As for the flexible display screen in which an ineffective display area is bent, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the disclosure may ensure that the drive chip in the flexible display screen would not cause screen body to bend and then the display effect of the flexible display screen would not be affected.

It should be noted that, in the prior art, in order to cause the drive chip not bend the screen body, thereby affecting the display effect of the display screen, a support block and a double-sided tape are usually bound on the outside of the support structure, which may avoid the drive chip from protruding against the screen body and allows the screen body not to bend or affect the display effect of the flexible display screen. However, binding the support block and double-sided tape makes the manufacturing process of the flexible display screen more complicated and the manufacturing cost higher, and considering the expansion rate of materials, the expansion ratio of the selected materials for the support block and double-sided tape is required to be suitable for the support structure so that it is hard to select materials. Once there is a problem of the material selection, the corresponding effect will not be achieved.

By providing a groove for receiving the drive chip in the support structure of the flexible display screen, the flexible display screen provided by the embodiments of the disclosure may not only cause the screen body not to bend, thereby not affecting the display effect, but also reduce the manufacturing cost and simplify the manufacturing process and avoid the problem of difficult material selection.

It should also be noted that since the support structure in the flexible display screen in the embodiments of the disclosure does not affect the display effect of the flexible display screen, the support structure would not affect the display effect of the flexible display screen after a groove is disposed in the support structure in the flexible display screen.

The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the disclosure are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<FIG> is a structural schematic view of a flexible display screen provided by an embodiment not forming part of the claimed invention. The flexible display screen is described as follows.

As shown in <FIG>, the flexible display screen includes a display device <NUM>, a flexible substrate <NUM>, a support structure <NUM>, and a drive chip <NUM>, wherein the display device <NUM> is positioned on the flexible substrate <NUM> and the flexible substrate <NUM> is positioned on the support structure <NUM>. That is to say, the display device <NUM>, the flexible substrate <NUM>, and the support structure <NUM> included in the flexible display screen provided by the embodiment of the disclosure are sequentially connected from top to bottom in the order of the display device <NUM>, the flexible substrate <NUM>, and the support structure <NUM>. The drive chip <NUM> may be positioned on a flexible circuit board.

In the embodiment of the disclosure, a groove <NUM> is disposed in the support structure <NUM> and may be used to receive the drive chip <NUM> in the flexible display screen. As shown in <FIG>, the drive chip <NUM> is positioned within the groove <NUM>. Thus, the drive chip <NUM> does not protrude against the upper flexible substrate <NUM> in comparison with the prior art so that the screen body of the flexible display screen is not bent, and thus does not affect display effect of the flexible display screen.

It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the disclosure, it is necessary to make the thickness of the support structure <NUM> be greater than or equal to the thickness of the drive chip <NUM> so that the groove <NUM> disposed in the support structure <NUM> may receive the drive chip <NUM>.

In practical applications, if the thickness of the support structure <NUM> in the flexible display screen is smaller than the thickness of the drive chip <NUM>, the thickness of the support structure <NUM> may be increased when designing the support structure <NUM>, so that the groove <NUM> disposed in the support structure <NUM> may receive the drive chip <NUM>.

In the embodiment of the disclosure, the shape and position of the groove <NUM> may be determined according to the shape and position of the drive chip <NUM> when disposing the groove <NUM> in the support structure <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the drive chip <NUM> has a trapezoidal cross section, so the cross section of the groove <NUM> may also be trapezoidal and the height of the trapezoid may be determined according to the thickness of the drive chip <NUM>, so as to receive the drive chip <NUM>. For example, if the drive chip <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM>, the groove <NUM> having a height of greater than <NUM> is required to receive the drive chip <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> (embodiment not forming part of the claimed invention), it is a top view of the groove <NUM>. In <FIG>, viewed from the top view, the drive chip <NUM> has a shape of rectangle, so the groove <NUM> has also a shape of rectangle from the top view, and the rectangular length from the top view of the groove <NUM> may be determined according to the rectangular length from the top view of the drive chip <NUM>, and the width may be determined according to the rectangular width from the top view of the drive chip <NUM>, so that the groove <NUM> can receive the drive chip <NUM>.

For example, the drive chip <NUM> has a shape of rectangle from the top view, and the length of the rectangle is <NUM> and the width is <NUM>, so the rectangular length from the top view of the groove <NUM> is required to be greater than <NUM>, and the width is required to be greater than <NUM>.

In the embodiment of the disclosure, the support structure <NUM> may serve to support the flexible substrate <NUM>, and the support structure <NUM> can be a support film.

The display device <NUM> may be an OLED, or may be an LED, and may also be other display devices, which is not specifically defined herein. As a preferred manner, the display device <NUM> is an OLED. The material for the flexible substrate <NUM> may be a PI (its English full name: Polyimide) material.

The flexible display screen provided by the embodiment of the disclosure includes a display device, a flexible substrate, a support structure and a drive chip, and the display device is positioned on the flexible substrate and the flexible substrate is positioned on the support structure, wherein the support structure is provided with a groove for receiving the drive chip. Thus, in the embodiment of the disclosure, since the groove for receiving the drive chip has been disposed in the support structure of the flexible display screen in comparison with the prior art, the drive chip would not bend the screen body of the flexible display screen, thereby not affecting the display effect of the flexible display screen.

<FIG> is a structural schematic view of another flexible display screen provided by an embodiment not forming part of the claimed invention. The flexible display screen is described as follows.

As shown in <FIG>, the flexible display screen includes the display device <NUM>, the flexible substrate <NUM>, a support film <NUM>, a cushioning member <NUM>, and the drive chip <NUM>. The display device <NUM>, the flexible substrate <NUM>, the support film <NUM> and the cushioning member <NUM> are sequentially connected from top to bottom in the order of the display device <NUM>, the flexible substrate <NUM>, the support film <NUM>, and the cushioning member <NUM>.

It should be noted that the support film <NUM> and the cushioning member <NUM> jointly constitute the support member <NUM> described in the embodiment <NUM>, and the total thicknesses of the support film <NUM> and the cushioning member <NUM> is greater than or equal to the thickness of the drive chip <NUM>. Wherein, the cushioning member <NUM> serves to cushion the flexible display screen, and the cushioning member <NUM> may be a foam.

In the embodiment of the disclosure, the groove <NUM> may be disposed in the cushioning member <NUM>. Alternatively, the groove <NUM> may also be disposed in the support film <NUM> and the cushioning member <NUM>. The groove <NUM> is used to receive the drive chip <NUM> in the flexible display screen.

Specifically, if the thickness of the cushioning member <NUM> is greater than the thickness of the drive chip <NUM>, the groove <NUM> may be disposed in the cushioning member <NUM>, or alternatively may be disposed in the support film <NUM> and the cushioning member <NUM>; if the thickness of the cushioning member <NUM> is smaller than the thickness of the drive chip <NUM> and the thickness of the support film <NUM> and the cushioning member <NUM> is greater than the thickness of the drive chip <NUM>, then, the groove <NUM> may be disposed in the support film <NUM> and the cushioning member <NUM>.

For example, if the drive chip <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM>, the cushioning member <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM> and the support film <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM>, the groove <NUM> having a thickness of <NUM> may be disposed only in the cushioning member <NUM>, and the groove <NUM> having a thickness of <NUM> may be disposed in the cushioning member <NUM> and the support film <NUM> to receive the drive chip <NUM>; if the drive chip <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM>, the cushioning member <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM> and the support film <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM>, the groove <NUM> having a thickness of <NUM> may be disposed in the cushioning member <NUM> and the support film <NUM> to receive the drive chip <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the drive chip <NUM> is positioned in the groove <NUM>, and the groove <NUM> is disposed in the cushioning member <NUM> and the support film <NUM>.

The flexible display screen provided by the embodiment of the disclosure includes a display device, a flexible substrate, a support film, a cushioning member, and a drive chip, and the display device is positioned on the flexible substrate and the flexible substrate is positioned on the support film, and the support film is positioned in the cushioning member, wherein a groove is disposed in the support film and/or the cushioning member and is used to receive the drive chip. Thus, in the embodiment of the disclosure, since the groove for receiving the drive chip has been disposed in the support film and/or the cushioning member of the flexible display screen in comparison with the prior art, the drive chip would not protrude against the flexible substrate, thereby not bending the screen body of the flexible display screen, and further not affecting the display effect of the flexible display screen.

As shown in <FIG>, the flexible display screen includes the display device <NUM>, the flexible substrate <NUM>, the support film <NUM>, a heat-dissipating member <NUM>, and the drive chip <NUM>. The display device <NUM>, the flexible substrate <NUM>, the support film <NUM> and the heat-dissipating member <NUM> are sequentially connected from top to bottom in the order of the display device <NUM>, the flexible substrate <NUM>, the support film <NUM> and the heat-dissipating member <NUM>.

It should be noted that the support film <NUM> and the heat-dissipating member <NUM> jointly constitute the support member <NUM> described in the embodiment <NUM>, and the total thicknesses of the support film <NUM> and the heat-dissipating member <NUM> is greater than or equal to the thickness of the drive chip <NUM>, wherein the heat-dissipating member <NUM> serves to dissipate heat from the flexible display screen, and the heat-dissipating member <NUM> may be a copper foil.

In the embodiment of the disclosure, the groove <NUM> may be disposed in the heat-dissipating member <NUM>. Alternatively, the groove <NUM> may be disposed in the support film <NUM> and the heat-dissipating member <NUM>. The groove <NUM> is used to receive the drive chip <NUM> in the flexible display screen.

Specifically, if the thickness of the heat-dissipating member <NUM> is greater than the thickness of the drive chip <NUM>, the groove <NUM> may be disposed only in the heat-dissipating member <NUM>, or alternatively the groove <NUM> may be disposed in the heat-dissipating member <NUM> and the support film <NUM>; if the thickness of the heat-dissipating member <NUM> is smaller than the thickness of the drive chip <NUM> and the thickness of the heat-dissipating member <NUM> and the support film <NUM> is greater than the drive chip <NUM>, the groove <NUM> may be disposed in the heat-dissipating member <NUM> and the support film <NUM>.

For example, if the drive chip <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM>, the heat-dissipating member <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM> and the support film <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM>, the groove <NUM> having a thickness of <NUM> may be disposed only in the heat-dissipating member <NUM>, or the groove <NUM> having a thickness of <NUM> may be disposed in the heat-dissipating member <NUM> and the support film <NUM> for receiving the drive chip <NUM>; if the drive chip <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM>, the heat-dissipating member <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM> and the support film <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM>, the groove <NUM> having a thickness of <NUM> may be disposed in the heat-dissipating member <NUM> and the support film <NUM> for receiving the drive chip <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the drive chip <NUM> is positioned within the groove <NUM>, and the groove <NUM> is positioned in the heat-dissipating member <NUM> and the support film <NUM>.

The flexible display screen provided by the embodiment of the disclosure includes a display device, a flexible substrate, a support film, a heat-dissipating member and a drive chip. The display device is positioned on the flexible substrate, the flexible substrate is positioned on the support film, and the support film is positioned on the heat-dissipating member, wherein a groove is disposed in the support film and/or the heat-dissipating member and serves to receive the drive chip. Thus, since the embodiment of the disclosure provides the groove for receiving the drive chip in the support film and/or the heat-dissipating member of the flexible display screen in comparison with the prior art, the drive chip does not protrude against the flexible substrate, thereby not bending the screen body of the flexible display screen and further not affecting the display effect of the flexible display screen.

<FIG> is a structural schematic view of still another flexible display screen provided by an embodiment in accordance with the claimed invention. The flexible display screen is described as follows.

As shown in <FIG>, the flexible display screen includes the display device <NUM>, the flexible substrate <NUM>, the support film <NUM>, the cushioning member <NUM>, the heat-dissipating member <NUM>, and the drive chip <NUM>. The display device <NUM>, the flexible substrate <NUM>, the support film <NUM>, the cushioning member <NUM>, and the heat-dissipating member <NUM> are sequentially connected from top to bottom in the order of the display device <NUM>, the flexible substrate <NUM>, the support film <NUM>, the cushioning member <NUM> and the heat-dissipating member <NUM>.

It should be note that the support film <NUM>, the cushioning member <NUM>, and the heat-dissipating member <NUM> jointly constitute the support member <NUM> described in the embodiment <NUM>. The total thickness of the support film <NUM>, the cushioning member <NUM> and the heat-dissipating members <NUM> is greater than or equal to the thickness of the drive chip <NUM>. The cushioning member <NUM> serves to cushion the flexible display screen, and the heat-dissipating component <NUM> serves to dissipate heat from the flexible display screen. The cushioning member <NUM> is a foam. The heat-dissipating member <NUM> is a copper foil.

In the embodiment of the disclosure, the groove <NUM> is disposed in the heat-dissipating member <NUM>, the cushioning member <NUM> and the support film <NUM>. The groove <NUM> serves to receive the drive chip <NUM> in the flexible display screen.

For example, if the drive chip <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM>, the support film <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM>, the cushioning member <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM>, and the heat-dissipating member <NUM> has a thickness of <NUM>, the groove <NUM> may be disposed in the heat-dissipating member <NUM>, the cushioning member <NUM> and the support film <NUM> and the disposed groove <NUM> can have a thickness of <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the drive chip <NUM> is positioned in the groove <NUM>, and the groove <NUM> is disposed in the support film <NUM>, the cushioning member <NUM> and the heat-dissipating member <NUM>.

The flexible display screen provided by the embodiment of the disclosure includes a display device, a flexible substrate, a support film, a cushioning member, a heat-dissipating member and a drive chip. The display device is positioned on the flexible substrate, the flexible substrate is positioned on the support film, the support film is positioned on the cushioning member and the cushioning member is positioned on the heat-dissipating member, wherein a groove is disposed in the support film, the cushioning member and/or the heat-dissipating member for receiving the drive chip. Thus, in the embodiment of the disclosure, since the groove for receiving the drive chip has been disposed in the support film, the cushioning member and the heat-dissipating member of the flexible display screen in comparison with the prior art, the drive chip does not protrude against the flexible substrate, thereby not bending the screen body of the flexible display screen, and further not affecting the display effect of the flexible display screen.

It should be noted that the flexible display screen shown in <FIG> is different from the flexible display screen shown in <FIG> in that a first film <NUM>, a connecting member <NUM>, and a second film <NUM> are sequentially added on the display device <NUM> of the flexible display screen in <FIG>.

In <FIG>, the first film <NUM> provides a first layer of protection for the display device <NUM>, and the second film <NUM> provides a second layer of protection for the display device <NUM>, and the connecting member <NUM> serves to connect the first film <NUM> with the second film <NUM> and may be a gel-like material.

The flexible display screen provided by the embodiment of the disclosure includes a second film, a connecting member, a first film, a display device, a flexible substrate, a support film, a cushioning member and a heat-dissipating member which are sequentially connected one another, wherein a groove is disposed in the support film, the cushioning member, and the heat-dissipating member for receiving a drive chip. Thus, the drive chip does not protrude against the flexible substrate, and correspondingly the screen body of the flexible display screen would not bend, thereby not affecting the display effect of the flexible display screen.

It should be noted that, as for the flexible display screen according to any one of embodiments <NUM> to <NUM> described above, since the drive chip is received in the support structure, the thickness of the entire flexible display screen may be reduced.

Claim 1:
A flexible display screen, comprising a display device (<NUM>), a flexible substrate (<NUM>), a support structure (<NUM>) and a drive chip (<NUM>), the display device (<NUM>) being positioned on the flexible substrate (<NUM>) and the flexible substrate (<NUM>) being positioned on the support structure (<NUM>), wherein, a groove (<NUM>) is provided in the support structure (<NUM>) and used to receive the drive chip (<NUM>); the drive chip (<NUM>) is positioned on a flexible circuit board; the support structure (<NUM>) comprises a support film (<NUM>), a cushioning member (<NUM>) and a heat-dissipating member (<NUM>), the support film (<NUM>) is positioned on the cushioning member (<NUM>), the cushioning member (<NUM>) is positioned on the heat-dissipating member (<NUM>) and the flexible substrate (<NUM>) is positioned on the support film (<NUM>); the groove extends toward the display device across the heat-dissipating member (<NUM>) and the cushioning member (<NUM>) sequentially to be disposed in the support film (<NUM>), the groove is separated from the flexible substrate (<NUM>) by the support film (<NUM>); wherein the heat-dissipating member (<NUM>) is a copper foil, and the cushioning member (<NUM>) is a foam.