Foldable device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10423196-B2
Application number	US-201816138325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2018
Priority date	Feb 21, 2014
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

A foldable device includes first and second bodies that respectively support a first part and a second part of a flexible display device and are foldably connected to each other between a folded position and an unfolded position, and a movable support member that continuously near-supports a third part of the flexible display device between the first part and the second part when the first body and the second body change from the folded position to the unfolded position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable device comprising:
a flexible display;
a first body and a second body that support the flexible display and are synchronously rotated;
a hinge comprising a first hinge axis and a second hinge axis that rotatably connect the first body and the second body respectively; and
a support member that is disposed between the first body and the second body and supports a curved portion of the flexible display when the flexible display is bent,
wherein the first body and the second body comprise a first base cover and a second base cover, and a first frame and a second frame that are disposed inside the first base cover and the second base cover and support the flexible display, and
wherein the support member that is connected to an end of the first frame and an end of the second frame, continuously supports the curved portion while the first body and the second body rotate.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the end of the first and second frames is formed to be bent toward the flexible display in a state in which the flexible display is unfolded.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the support member moves in one direction toward the flexible display when the flexible display is unfolded and moves in a direction opposite to the one direction when the flexible display is folded.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the support member includes a slot extending in a folding direction of the first and second bodies, and
wherein the first and second frames include a pair of guide portions coupled to one ends of the first and second frames and slidably inserted into the slot according to rotation of the first body and the second body.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the support member is spaced apart from a bent portion of the flexible display when the foldable device is folded.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a cover member surrounding an outside of a portion where the first body and the second body are connected to each other.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the cover member includes an extension portion corresponding to each of facing corners of the first body and the second body and a side wall portion disposed at both ends of the extension portion.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flexible display includes a first portion disposed on the first frame, a second portion disposed on the second frame, and a third portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first frame includes a first support portion supporting the first portion and a first receiving portion connected to the first support portion and inclined in a direction away from the flexible display,
wherein the second frame includes a second support portion supporting the second portion and a second receiving portion connected to the second support portion and inclined in a direction away from the flexible display, and
wherein the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion form a receiving space in which the third portion is received as the first and second bodies rotate in a direction in which the first body and the second body face each other.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the first body and the second body rotates about the first and second central axes,
wherein the first body includes a first gear portion, and
wherein the second body includes a second gear portion engaged with the first gear portion.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seo Ho-Seong
• Park Kyung-Wan
• Lee Ga-Eun
• Jung Ji-Hyun
• Cho Shi-Yun

Classifications

• 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