Foldable device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10310551-B2
Application number	US-201514952417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2015
Priority date	Apr 9, 2015
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A foldable device includes a first body and a second body that support a flexible display device and change between an unfolding position and a folding position at which the flexible display device is received in the first and second bodies to have a droplet shape. A first support portion and a second support portion are respectively provided on the first and second bodies, are maintained at a support position at which the first and second support portions support a third part when the first and second bodies are in a position between the unfolding position and a receiving start position, and move to a receiving position at which the first and second support portions move away from the third part to form a receiving space when the first and second bodies fold beyond the receiving start position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable device comprising:
a hinge comprising:
a first hinge shaft; and
a second hinge shaft;

a flexible display comprising:
a first part;
a second part; and
a third part between the first part and the second part;

a first body which rotates around the first hinge shaft to move between a folding position and an unfolding position, the first body comprising:
a first fixed portion to which the first part is fixed; and
a first support portion which supports the third part in a support position when the first body is in the folding position and forms a receiving space for the third part to be received in a receiving position when the first body is in the unfolding position; and

a restriction unit switches between providing support to the first support portion to support the third part in the support position and withdrawing the support from the first support portion to form the receiving space for the third part in the receiving position according to rotation of the first body around the first hinge shaft between the unfolding position and the folding position.

2. The foldable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second body which rotates around the second hinge shaft to move between the folding position and the unfolding position, the second body comprising:
a second fixed portion to which the second part is fixed; and
a second support portion which supports the third part in the support position when the second body is in the folding position and forms a receiving space for the third part to be received in the receiving position when the second body is in the unfolding position,

wherein the restriction unit switches between providing support to the second support portion to support the third part in the support position and withdrawing the support from the second support portion to form the receiving space for the third part in the receiving position according to rotation of the second body around the second hinge shaft between the unfolding position and the folding position.

3. The foldable device of claim 2 , wherein at the folding position, the first part and the second part face each other,
wherein the third part is bent from the first part and the second part into the first body and the second body and is received in the receiving space in a droplet shape.

4. The foldable device of claim 3 , further comprising a first gear portion and a second gear portion that are respectively provided on the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft and are engaged with each other so that the first body and the second body synchronously rotate together.

5. The foldable device of claim 4 , further comprising a locking unit configured to lock the first body and the second body to at least one inclined position between the unfolding position and the folding position,
wherein an opening angle between the first body and the second body at the receiving start position is equal to or less than an opening angle between the first body and the second body at the at least one inclined position.

6. The foldable device of claim 4 , wherein the restriction unit comprises:
a first support arm and a second support arm that respectively support the first support portion and the second support portion and respectively pivot about fixed positions with respect to the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft;
a first guide pin and a second guide pin that are respectively provided on the first support arm and the second support arm; and
a first guide slot and a second guide slot that respectively rotate around the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft along with the first body and the second body, respectively guide the first guide pin and the second guide pin, and comprise support parts that maintain the first support arm and the second support arm at a position at which the first support arm and the second support arm support the first support portion and the second support portion and receiving parts that allow the first support arm and the second support arm to move away from the first support portion and the second support portion so that the first support portion and second support portion are allowed to move to the receiving position.

7. The foldable device of claim 6 , wherein each of the first support arm and the second support arm comprises:
a first link arm that pivots about the fixed position; and
a second link arm having one end portion that is pivotably connected to the first link arm by the first guide pin or the second guide pin and another end portion that is pivotably connected to the first support portion or the second support portion and supports the first support portion or the second support portion.

8. The foldable device of claim 2 , wherein the restriction unit comprises:
a rotating cam that supports the first support portion and the second support portion and comprises a first cam path corresponding to the support position and a second cam path corresponding to the receiving position;
a pinion gear that is connected to the rotating cam;
a rack gear that is engaged with the pinion gear;
a pulley; and
a connection member having one end portion that is connected to a fixed position with respect to the hinge and another end portion that is connected through the pulley to the rack gear and moves the rack gear when the first body and the second body fold or unfold.

9. The foldable device of claim 8 , wherein the connection member has a strip shape having bending elasticity.

10. The foldable device of claim 8 , wherein the connection member comprises a wire,
wherein the foldable device further comprises a return spring that is connected to the rack gear and applies a tensile force to the wire.

11. The foldable device of claim 2 , further comprising a path difference compensating unit configured to restrict an amount of movement of at least one of the first body and the second body to or from at least one of the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft, and compensate for a path difference between the flexible display and the first body and a path difference between the flexible display and the second body while the foldable device folds or unfolds.

12. The foldable device of claim 11 , wherein the path difference compensating unit is further configured to enable at least one of the first body and the second body to move away from the at least one of the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft during a period when the foldable device moves from the unfolding position to a changing position and enable at least one of the first body and the second body to move toward the at least one of the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft during a period when the foldable device moves from the changing position to the folding position.

13. The foldable device of claim 12 , wherein an opening angle between the first body and the second body at the changing position is equal to an opening angle between the first body and the second body at the receiving start position.

14. The foldable device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a first hinge unit that is pivotably connected to the first hinge shaft and is connected to the first body; and
a second hinge unit that is pivotably connected to the second hinge shaft and is connected to the second body,
wherein the first body and the second body are respectively connected to the first hinge unit and the second hinge unit so that the first body and the second body respectively move towards or away from the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft.

15. The foldable device of claim 14 , wherein the fi

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Bae Yu-Dong
• Seo Ho-Seong
• Takayanagi Toshikazu
• Kaihotsu Wataru

Classifications

• G06F1/16 Primary

  Constructional details or arrangements · CPC title

• G06F1/1616 Primary

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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