CN-116529666-B - Foldable electrophoretic display module comprising non-conductive support plates

CN116529666BCN 116529666 BCN116529666 BCN 116529666BCN-116529666-B

Abstract

A foldable electrophoretic display is disclosed which is flexible and foldable in a book-like manner. Foldable electrophoretic display modules may be manufactured separately and incorporated into a variety of foldable devices having different functions according to consumer needs. In some embodiments, the resulting foldable electrophoretic display may include touch sensing, front lighting, color, and digitizing layers to record interactions with the stylus. In some embodiments, the display includes a color filter array.

Inventors

HASHIMOTO KEISUKE
Nakaka Kenji
CAI ZHENZHU
ZHANG YONGSHENG
YE JIAJUN
HUANG XINDAO

Assignees

伊英克公司

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20210601
Priority Date: 20200603

Claims (17)

1. A foldable electrophoretic display configured to interact with a stylus, the foldable display comprising: An electrophoretic display module, comprising: A support plate comprising a non-conductive polymer and having a material aperture in a central fold region; A low modulus adhesive layer adjacent to the support plate; a flexible backsheet spanning the central fold region and adjacent the low modulus adhesive layer; an electrophoretic display medium layer adjacent to the flexible back sheet, and A conductive integrated barrier layer comprising a light transmissive electrode and a moisture barrier, Wherein the foldable display further comprises: a protective sheet coupled to the conductive integrated barrier layer; an electromagnetic resonance EMR sensor layer adjacent to the support plate; A low modulus adhesive interlayer disposed between the EMR sensor layer and the support plate, and a high modulus adhesive interlayer disposed between the EMR sensor layer and the support plate; a foldable chassis adjacent to the EMR sensor layer, and A case surrounding the foldable chassis and providing a rim in contact with the protective sheet, and allowing a user to view the electrophoretic display medium through the protective sheet; Wherein the low modulus adhesive layer and the low modulus adhesive interlayer help the foldable display to maintain a smooth profile under repeated opening and folding, and the high modulus adhesive helps the layers to maintain alignment during repeated opening and closing cycles.
2. The foldable electrophoretic display of claim 1, wherein the electrophoretic display module further comprises a protective layer between the low modulus adhesive layer and the flexible backsheet.
3. A foldable electrophoretic display according to claim 1 wherein the flexible backplane comprises an active matrix of organic thin film transistors.
4. The foldable electrophoretic display of claim 1, wherein the electrophoretic display module further comprises an edge seal coupled to the flexible backplane, the electrophoretic display medium layer, and the conductive integrated barrier layer.
5. A foldable electrophoretic display according to claim 1, wherein the electrophoretic display medium layer is comprised in a microcell layer.
6. A foldable electrophoretic display according to claim 1, wherein the layer of electrophoretic display medium is contained in microcapsules and the microcapsules are held in place by a polymeric binder.
7. The foldable electrophoretic display of claim 1, wherein the electrophoretic display module comprises a protective sheet and the protective sheet is adjacent to the conductive integrated barrier layer, and the electrophoretic display module further comprises an edge seal coupled to the flexible backsheet, the electrophoretic display medium layer, the conductive integrated barrier layer, and the protective sheet.
8. A foldable electrophoretic display according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the support plate is between 250 and 50 microns.
9. The foldable electrophoretic display of claim 1, wherein the low modulus adhesive intermediate layer and the high modulus adhesive intermediate layer do not span the central fold region.
10. A foldable electrophoretic display according to claim 1 further comprising a touch sensitive layer disposed between the EMR sensor layer and the foldable chassis.
11. The foldable electrophoretic display of claim 10, further comprising a low modulus adhesive interlayer disposed between the touch sensitive layer and the foldable chassis.
12. The foldable electrophoretic display of claim 11, further comprising a high modulus adhesive interlayer disposed between the touch sensitive layer and the foldable chassis.
13. The foldable electrophoretic display of claim 12, wherein the low modulus adhesive intermediate layer and the high modulus adhesive intermediate layer do not span the central fold region.
14. A foldable electrophoretic display according to claim 1 wherein the conductive integrated barrier layer additionally comprises a color filter array CFA.
15. A foldable electrophoretic display configured to interact with a stylus, the foldable display comprising: An electrophoretic display module, comprising: A support plate comprising a non-conductive polymer and having a material aperture in a central fold region; A low modulus adhesive layer adjacent to the support plate; a flexible backsheet spanning the central fold region and adjacent the low modulus adhesive layer; an electrophoretic display medium layer adjacent to the flexible back sheet, and A conductive integrated barrier layer comprising a light transmissive electrode and a moisture barrier, Wherein the foldable display further comprises: A flexible front light panel coupled to the conductive integrated barrier layer; A flexible capacitive touch layer adjacent to the flexible front light panel; A protective sheet adjacent to the flexible capacitive touch layer; a foldable chassis adjacent to the support plate, and A case surrounding the foldable chassis and providing a rim in contact with the protective sheet and allowing a user to view the electrophoretic display medium through the protective sheet, and A middle layer of low modulus adhesive disposed between the foldable chassis and the support plate, and a middle layer of high modulus adhesive disposed between the foldable chassis and the support plate; Wherein the low modulus adhesive layer and the low modulus adhesive interlayer help the foldable display to maintain a smooth profile under repeated opening and folding, and the high modulus adhesive helps the layers to maintain alignment during repeated opening and closing cycles.
16. The foldable electrophoretic display of claim 15, wherein the low modulus adhesive intermediate layer and the high modulus adhesive intermediate layer do not span the central fold region.
17. A foldable electrophoretic display according to claim 15 wherein the conductive integrated barrier layer additionally comprises a color filter array CFA.

Description

Foldable electrophoretic display module comprising non-conductive support plates RELATED APPLICATIONS The present invention claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No.63/033,954, filed on 6/3/2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. All patents and publications disclosed herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field The present invention relates to a foldable electrophoretic display, the formation of such a display, and a component module for manufacturing a foldable electrophoretic display. The integrated foldable electrophoretic display module may be manufactured at one location and then transported to a different manufacturing site where the different components providing the different functions may be incorporated into the final foldable display. Such different functions include, for example, different types of front lights, different types of touch sensing, or different types of stylus identification, depending on consumer needs and desired price levels. Background In some examples, the flexible display may be folded to carry and/or facilitate storage. If the display is simply folded in a book-like manner, it can be folded to have a radius of curvature less than the minimum radius of curvature designed to prevent breakage of the display. To prevent such problems, various mechanisms have been applied to the curved portion of the display, such as hinges and/or other structures. For example, polymer Vision has disclosed a product Readius TM that facilitates folding of a flexible display using one or more mechanical hinge mechanisms. In another example, japanese patent laid-open No.2014-161009 discloses a flexible mobile terminal device configured to bend at various angles. The proposed terminal device includes a folded portion for bending the device to a front surface or a rear upper position of the terminal device body. The flexible display mounted on the upper portion of the terminal device body may be bent to the front surface or the rear surface according to a bending direction of the folded portion. The apparatus further includes a sliding portion for sliding one end of the flexible display by a difference in compression/extension generated by the difference in extension rate of the folding portion and the flexible display during bending of the folding portion. Both of the above examples result in thick and heavy products. The mechanical hinge mechanism employed by Readius TM of Polymer Vision is complex in structure and cumbersome in shape. The device of japanese patent laid-open No.2014-161009 has a corrugated profile and the sliding portion is not easily adjustable, and the device is also complex and heavy. In addition to being heavy and thick, an additional disadvantage of the above-described devices is that such designs make it difficult to integrate all of the functions expected by the consumer into a premium electrophoretic display device, such as touch sensing, front lighting, stylus recognition, and color. Disclosure of Invention In response to these needs, the present disclosure describes a foldable electrophoretic display module and various foldable electrophoretic displays that incorporate the foldable electrophoretic display module and provide various sensing functions. In a first aspect, the invention includes an electrophoretic display module comprising a support panel having a material aperture in a central fold region, a low modulus adhesive layer adjacent the support panel, a flexible backsheet spanning the central fold region and adjacent the low modulus adhesive layer, an electrophoretic display medium layer adjacent the flexible backsheet, and a conductive integrated barrier layer comprising a light transmissive electrode and a moisture barrier. In some embodiments, the electrophoretic display module additionally includes a protective layer between the low modulus adhesive layer and the flexible backsheet. In some embodiments, the flexible backsheet comprises an active matrix of organic thin film transistors. In some embodiments, the electrophoretic display module additionally includes an edge seal coupled to the flexible backplane, the electrophoretic display medium layer, and the conductive integrated barrier layer. In some embodiments, the electrophoretic display medium layer is included in a microcell layer. In some embodiments, the electrophoretic display medium layer is contained in microcapsules and the microcapsules are held in place by a polymeric binder. In some embodiments, the electrophoretic display module additionally comprises a protective sheet adjacent to the conductive integrated barrier layer. In some embodiments, the electrophoretic display module additionally includes an edge seal coupled to the flexible backsheet, the electrophoretic display medium layer, the conductive integrated barrier layer, and the protective sheet. In some embodiments, the support plate comprises a non-co