Display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10321583-B2
Application number	US-201715705798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2017
Priority date	Oct 10, 2016
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

The display device includes a housing, a first roller portion, a second roller portion, a rail portion, and a flexible display panel. The housing includes a support plate. The first roller portion is disposed at a first side of the support plate and is connected to the housing by a first sliding portion. The second roller portion is disposed at a second side of the support plate and is connected to the housing by a second sliding portion. The rail portion includes fixing rails affixed to the support plate, first moving rails connected to the first roller portion and engaged with the fixing rails, and second moving rails connected to the second roller portion and engaged with the fixing rails. The flexible display panel covers the rail portion. The flexible display panel has ends respectively connected to the first roller portion and the second roller portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device, comprising:
a housing including a support plate;
a first roller portion disposed at a first side of the support plate and connected to the housing by a first sliding portion;
a second roller portion disposed at a second side of the support plate and connected to the housing by a second sliding portion;
a rail portion including a plurality of fixing rails, a plurality of first moving rails, and a plurality of second moving rails; and
a flexible display panel covering the rail portion, the flexible display panel having ends respectively connected to each of the first roller portion and the second roller portion,
wherein the plurality of fixing rails are affixed to the support plate, the plurality of first moving rails are connected to the first roller portion and engaged with the plurality of fixing rails, and the plurality of second moving rails are connected to the second roller portion and engaged with the plurality of fixing rails,
wherein the plurality of first moving rails and the plurality of second moving rails are disposed between the support plate and the flexible display panel and
wherein the plurality of first moving rails are configured to move in a first direction, and the plurality of second moving rails are configured to move in a second direction opposite and parallel to the first direction,
wherein at least one first moving rail and at least one second moving rail are alternately disposed between the plurality of fixing rails.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first roller portion includes a first roller and a first roller housing, the first roller housing partially enclosing the first roller and including a first slit substantially parallel to an axis direction of the first roller; and
the second roller portion includes a second roller and a second roller housing, the second roller housing partially enclosing the second roller and including a second slit substantially parallel to the axis direction of the second roller.

3. The display device of claim 2 , wherein:
the first sliding portion includes a first driving slider affixed to a first end of the first roller housing, a first following slider affixed to a second end of the first roller housing, and a first actuator connected to the first driving slider; and
the second sliding portion includes a second following slider affixed to a first end of the second roller housing, a second driving slider affixed to a second end of the second roller housing, and a second actuator connected to the second driving slider.

4. The display device of claim 3 , wherein:
the first driving slider and the second following slider are separated from each other along the axis direction of the first roller and a first guiding wall is disposed between the first driving slider and the second following slider; and
the second driving slider and the first following slider are separated from each other along the axis direction of the first roller and a second guiding wall is disposed between the second driving slider and the first following slider.

5. The display device of claim 3 , wherein:
the first driving slider and the second following slider face each other along a thickness direction of the display device and are each configured to move along a first guiding wall; and
the second driving slider and the first following slider face each other along the thickness direction and are each configured to move along a second guiding wall.

6. The display device of claim 2 , wherein:
the plurality of first moving rails are affixed to the first roller housing;
the plurality of second moving rails are affixed to the second roller housing; and
the plurality of first moving rails and the plurality of second moving rails each overlap the support plate in an unexpanded mode and outwardly extend from the support plate in an expanded mode.

7. The display device of claim 6 , wherein
at least one first moving rail and at least one second moving rail having side surfaces engaged with each other are disposed between adjacent fixing rails.

8. The display device of claim 7 , wherein
side surfaces of each of the plurality of fixing rails, the plurality of first moving rails, and the plurality of second moving rails are engaged with each other by a first protrusion-groove structure.

9. The display device of claim 8 , wherein
at least one selected from the plurality of fixing rails, the plurality of first moving rails, and the plurality of second moving rails are engaged with the support plate to each other by a second protrusion-groove structure.

10. The display device of claim 6 , wherein:
a length of each of the plurality of first moving rails is larger than a maximum sliding distance of the first roller housing; and
a length of each of the plurality of second moving rails is larger than a maximum sliding distance of the second roller housing.

11. The display device of claim 6 , wherein:
the rail portion further includes a first tensioner affixed to at least one fixing rail and at least one first moving rail and a second tensioner affixed to at least one fixing rail and at least one second moving rail; and
each of the plurality of fixing rails, the plurality of first moving rails, and the plurality of second moving rails are an annular rail.

12. The display device of claim 11 , wherein:
the first tensioner includes a first fixing pin affixed to the fixing rail, a first moving pin affixed to the first moving rail and extending inside the fixing rail, and a first elastic part disposed between the first fixing pin and the first moving pin; and
the second tensioner includes a second fixing pin affixed to the fixing rail, a second moving pin affixed to the second moving rail and extending inside the fixing rail, and a second elastic part disposed between the second fixing pin and the second moving pin.

13. The display device of claim 2 , wherein
the flexible display panel includes:
a first display portion overlapping the support plate and affixed to the plurality of fixing rails;
a second display portion positioned at a first side of the first display portion; and
a third display portion positioned at a second side of the first display portion.

14. The display device of claim 13 , wherein,
in an unexpanded mode,
the second display portion is disposed in the first roller housing through the first slit such that a part thereof is in contact with the first roller and a remaining part thereof overlaps the first display portion, and
the third display portion is disposed in the second roller housing through the second slit such that a part thereof is in contact with the second roller and a remaining part thereof overlaps the first display portion.

15. The display device of claim 14 , wherein,
in an expanded mode,
the second display portion is removed from the first roller housing to be substantially parallel to the first display portion and is supported by the plurality of first moving rails, and
the third display portion is removed from the second roller housing to be substantially parallel to the first display portion and is supported by the plurality of second moving rails.

16. The display device of claim 15 , wherein
the flexible display panel further includes a first dummy portion disposed outside the second display portion and a second dummy portion disposed outside the third display portion, and
in the expanded mode, the first dummy portion is in contact with the first roller and the second dummy portion is in contact with the second roller.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seo Tae An
• Lee Jung Hun
• Choi Jin Hwan

Classifications

• H01F7/0205

  Magnetic circuits with PM in general · CPC title

• H05K5/0086

  portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus (casings for switching devices H01H9/02) · CPC title

• H05K5/0017 Primary

  with operator interface units · CPC title

• H04N5/64 Primary

  Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers (furniture aspects {of television cabinets} A47B81/06) · CPC title

• G06F2200/1612

  Flat panel monitor · CPC title