Electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10452097-B2
Application number	US-201815868614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2018
Priority date	Jan 26, 2017
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing assembly and a flexible display panel. The housing assembly includes a first housing, a second housing and a connecting module. The first housing has a first supporting surface and a first rear surface opposite to the first supporting surface. The second housing has a second supporting surface and a second rear surface opposite to the second supporting surface. The connecting module is located between and coupled to the first housing and the second housing. The flexible display panel is positioned on the first supporting surface of the first housing and the second supporting surface of the second housing. The first rear surface of the first housing is close to the second rear surface by rotating the first housing with respect to the second housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing assembly, comprising:
a first housing having a first supporting surface and a first rear surface opposite to the first supporting surface;
a second housing having a second supporting surface and a second rear surface opposite to the second supporting surface; and
a connecting module coupled between the first housing and the second housing; the connecting module having a coupling member located between the first housing and the second housing; wherein the coupling member comprises a first connection part configured to be slidably coupled to the first housing, a second connection part configured to be slidably coupled to the second housing, and a linkage part having a first hinge element configured to be coupled to the first connection part, a second hinge element configured to be coupled to the second connection part, and a hinge shaft pivotally coupling the first hinge element with the second hinge element; and

a flexible display panel positioned on the first supporting surface of the first housing and the second supporting surface of the second housing, the first rear surface of the first housing being close to the second rear surface of the second housing by rotating the first housing with respect to the second housing.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connecting module comprises
a connecting member coupled between the first housing and the second housing; and
the coupling member is configured to support the connecting member.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the connecting member comprises:
a first connecting portion configured to be coupled to the first housing,
a second connecting portion configured to be coupled to the second housing; and
a body portion defining a plurality of through holes therein, the body portion being located between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion being either close to each other by bending the body portion.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the connecting module comprises a positioning member, the positioning member comprises a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end is coupled to the connecting member, and the second end is coupled to the coupling member and configured to prevent a movement of the coupling member along a direction perpendicular to a sliding direction of the coupling member with respect to the connecting member.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the second end defines a positioning groove, the positioning groove extending from the second end to the first end, and the coupling member is slidably positioned in the positioning groove.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first end defines a positioning groove, the positioning groove extending from the first end to the second end, and the connecting member is slidably positioned in the positioning groove.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first housing comprises an interior portion, the first connecting part is slidably coupled to the interior portion.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the housing assembly further comprises a locating member, the locating member is disposed at the interior portion, and configured to be in contact with the first connection part to prevent the coupling member from sliding either from the first housing to the second housing or from the second housing to the first housing.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the locating member comprises:
a locating pin slidably coupled to the interior portion; and
a compressible elastic unit coupled to the locating pin and configured to provide a force towards the first connecting part to the locating pin.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the housing assembly further comprises a blocking element, the blocking element is disposed at the interior portion of the first housing, and the first connection part defines a blocking groove, and the blocking element is slidably positioned in the blocking groove and configured to prevent the first connection part from sliding with respect to the first housing.

11. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a longitudinal direction of the blocking groove is parallel to a sliding direction of the first connection part.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the second housing comprises an interior portion, the second connecting part is slidably coupled to the interior portion of the second housing.

13. The electronic device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the housing assembly further comprises a locating member, the locating member is disposed at the interior portion of the second housing, and configured to be in contact with the second connection part to prevent the coupling member from sliding either from the first housing to the second housing or from the second housing to the first housing.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the housing assembly further comprises a blocking element, the blocking element is disposed at the interior portion of the second housing, the second connection part defines a blocking groove, the blocking element is slidably disposed in the blocking groove and configured to prevent the second connection part from sliding with respect to the second housing.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the coupling member further comprises a damping mechanism disposed between the first hinge element and the second hinge element, the damping mechanism is configured for providing a damping force to the first hinge element and the second hinge element during rotating the first hinge element with respect to the second hinge element.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the damping mechanism comprises at least one damping member, each of the at least one damping member comprises:
a first damping ring sleeved on the hinge shaft and coupled to the first hinge element; and
a second damping ring in contact with the first damping ring, sleeved on the hinge shaft and coupled to the second hinge element.

17. The electronic device as claimed in claim 16 , wherein each of the at least one damping member comprises:
a first elastic ring sleeved on the hinge shaft and located between the first damping ring and the first hinge element and configured to provide a force toward the second damping ring to the first damping ring; and
a second elastic ring sleeved on the hinge shaft and located between the second damping ring and the second hinge element and configured to provide a force toward the first damping ring to the second damping ring.

18. An electric device comprising:
a first housing;
a second housing;
a connecting module coupled the first housing to the second housing; the connecting module having a coupling member located between the first housing and the second housing; wherein the coupling member comprises a first connection part configured to be slidably coupled to the first housing, a second connection part configured to be slidably coupled to the second housing, and a linkage part having a first hinge element configured to be coupled to the first connection part, a second hinge element configured to be coupled to the second connection part, and a hinge shaft pivotally coupling the first hinge element with the second hinge element; and
a flexib

Assignees

• Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd

Inventors

• Lin Yugui

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H04M1/0216

  Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

  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

• G06F1/1616 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