Electronic device having flexible display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10416722-B2
Application number	US-201615012256-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 20, 2015
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing having an opening, a roll installed in the housing, a flexible display configured to be wound on the roll and to be withdrawn from the housing through the opening in accordance with a rotating direction of the roll. The electronic device further includes moveable housing parts and a housing guide configured to guide and retract at least one part of the housing as space within the housing becomes available due to withdrawal of the flexible display, so that a height, width and/or overall size of the housing is reduced when the flexible display is withdrawn through the opening and extended outside of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
an external housing having an opening and comprising a first part and a second part;
a roll, rotatably installed in a space created between the first part of the external housing and the second part of the external housing;
a flexible display configured to:
be wound on the roll, and
be withdrawn through the opening in accordance with a rotating direction of the roll; and

a housing guide configured to guide the first part of the external housing to slide into the second part of the external housing so that a size of the external housing is reduced as the flexible display is withdrawn through the opening.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein when the flexible display is withdrawn through the opening, the roll is configured to move a distance based on the empty space in the external housing created as the flexible display is withdrawn.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first part of the external housing in a direction toward the roll so that the size of the external housing is reduced.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first part of the external housing based on a withdrawal rate of the flexible display.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first part of the external housing based on the empty space in the external housing created as the flexible display is withdrawn.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first part of the external housing so that a height or a width of the external housing is reduced.

7. The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the roll further comprises a center shaft, and
wherein the housing guide further comprises:
a center shaft gear, connected to the center shaft of the roll; and
a rail fixed to the first part of the external housing, and configured to:
guide the first part of the external housing in response to a rotation of the center shaft gear, and
reduce the size of the external housing.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing guide further comprises:
a pressure bar; and
a joint lever connected to the pressure bar,
wherein the pressure bar is configured to adjust a height of the joint lever when the flexible display is withdrawn, and
wherein the joint lever is configured to:
guide the first part of the external housing; and
reduce the size of the external housing.

9. The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the roll further comprises a center shaft, and
wherein the housing guide further comprises:
a center shaft gear, connected to the center shaft of the roll; and
a center shaft rail engaged with the center shaft gear, and configured to guide a movement of the roll when the flexible display is withdrawn.

10. The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first part of the external housing comprises at least a first portion and a second portion that are separated from each other, and
wherein the first portion and the second portion are slidably connected by the housing guide.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to operate through reception of forward and backward rotating forces of the roll through a power transfer member.

12. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first sensor,
wherein a variable rate of the size of the external housing is based on a withdrawal rate of the flexible display or a rotation rate of the roll that is sensed by the first sensor.

13. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second sensor,
wherein a variable rate of the size of the external housing is based on a withdrawal rate of the flexible display that is calculated based on a detected distance between one side of the external housing and the flexible display on the roll that is sensed by the second sensor.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first part of the external housing has a multilayer structure comprising:
a first portion;
a second portion; and
a third portion,
wherein the first portion, second portion and third portion are successively arranged, and
wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first part of the external housing so that the first portion, second portion, and third portion of the housing overlap each other and reduce the size of the external housing through movement toward the roll as the flexible display is withdrawn.

15. An external housing of an electronic device, the external housing comprising:
a stationary external housing portion;
a movable external housing portion, slidably engaged with the stationary housing portion;
a roll, rotatably installed in a space created between the stationary external housing portion and the movable external housing portion; and
a housing guide configured to guide the movable external housing portion to slide into the stationary external housing portion according to rotation of the roll.

16. The external housing of claim 15 , further comprising:
a flexible display disposed on the roll,
wherein the roll is further configured to rotate as the flexible display disposed thereon is withdrawn from the housing.

17. The external housing of claim 15 , wherein the roll is further configured to move toward at least one of the stationary external housing portion and the movable external housing portion according to rotation of the roll.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Kyu-Hyun
• Jeong Hee-Seok

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• G06F1/1656

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title