Electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10499515-B2
Application number	US-201815879932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2018
Priority date	May 26, 2017
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

An electronic device may include a flexible display member, a fastening member overlapping the display member in a plan view, a housing unit including a first case member and a second case member configured to contain respective opposite portions of the display member, and a hinge unit including a body member coupled to the fastening member to be rotatable in the plan view, a first moving member connecting a portion of the body member to the first case member, and a second moving member connecting an opposite portion of the body member to the second case member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a flexible display member;
a fastening member having a plane defined by a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction and overlapping the display member in a plan view;
a housing unit comprising a first case member and a second case member configured to contain respective opposite portions of the display member; and
a hinge unit comprising:
a body member coupled to the fastening member to be rotatable in the plan view;
a first moving member connecting a portion of the body member to the first case member; and
a second moving member connecting an opposite portion of the body member to the second case member,

wherein the hinge unit is disposed between the flexible display member and the fastening member.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display member is configured to display an image on a first region in a first mode, and on a second region in a second mode,
wherein the first mode and the second mode are respectively performed in different operation periods, and
wherein the first region and the second region are different from each other in their areas.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein, when the electronic device is changed from the first mode to the second mode, or when the electronic device is changed from the second mode to the first mode, the body member is configured to perform a rotational motion in the plan view, and each of the first case member and the second case member is configured to perform a linear motion in the plan view.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the first case member and the second case member are configured to perform symmetric motions.

5. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein, when the electronic device is changed from the first mode to the second mode, or when the electronic device is changed from the second mode to the first mode, each of the first moving member and the second moving member is configured to perform a linear motion in a direction that crosses a direction of the linear motion of each of the first case member and the second case member in the plan view.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the body member is a rod-shaped structure extending in an extending direction, and
the direction of the linear motion of each of the first moving member and the second moving member is parallel to the extending direction.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the linear motion of each of the first moving member and the second moving member is configured to be performed in a stepwise manner.

8. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the body member has a length that is extendable depending on an operation mode of the electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a first coupling member coupling the body member to the fastening member;
a second coupling member coupling the first moving member to the first case member; and
a third coupling member coupling the second moving member to the second case member,
wherein the body member has a rotating axis passing through the first coupling member.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a first sub-coupling member coupling the first moving member to the body member; and
a second sub-coupling member coupling the second moving member to the body member,
wherein, in the plan view, the first sub-coupling member and the second sub-coupling member are configured to perform respective motions depending on whether the electronic device is in the first mode or in the second mode.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the motions of the first sub-coupling member and the second sub-coupling member are performed to respectively change an angle between the first moving member and the body member at the first sub-coupling member and an angle between the second moving member and the body member at the second sub-coupling member.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge unit comprises a first hinge unit and a second hinge unit, each of which is coupled to the fastening member, and which are arranged to cross each other, and
wherein the first hinge unit and the second hinge unit have respective body members that are configured to perform rotational motions about a common axis.

13. An electronic device, comprising:
an electronic panel configured to activate a first region in a first mode and a second region in a second mode, the second region having an area that is larger than that of the first region;
a fastening member having a plane defined by a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction and overlapping the electronic panel in a plan view;
a housing unit configured to contain the electronic panel and the fastening member, and comprising a first case member and a second case member, each of which is configured to perform a linear motion; and
a hinge unit comprising a body member, a first moving member, and a second moving member, the body member being fastened to the fastening member and being configured to perform a rotational motion in the plan view, the first moving member connecting a portion of the body member to the first case member, and a second moving member connecting an opposite portion of the body member to the second case member,
wherein the hinge unit is disposed between the electronic panel and the fastening member, and
wherein the first case member and the second case member are configured such that the linear motions thereof are symmetric about the fastening member in the plan view.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein, when the electronic device is changed from the first mode to the second mode, the body member is configured to perform a rotational motion in a clockwise direction in the plan view, the first moving member is configured to perform a linear motion in an extension direction of the body member, and the second moving member is configured to perform a linear motion in a direction that is opposite to the extension direction.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the extension direction of the body member is at an angle to a direction of the linear motion of each of the first case member and the second case member.

16. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a first coupling member coupling the body member to the fastening member;
a second coupling member coupling the body member to the first case member; and
a third coupling member coupling the body member to the second case member,
wherein the first coupling member comprises a gear portion having a saw-tooth structure, and
wherein each of the first moving member and the second moving member comprises protruding portions that are configured to be fittingly engaged with the gear portion.

17. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a first sub-coupling member coupling the portion of the body member to the first moving member; and
a second sub-coupling member coupling the opposite portion of the body member to the second moving member,
wherein, in the plan view, a position of each of the first sub-coupling member and the second sub-coupling member in the first mode is different from that in the second mode.

18. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein, in the first mode:
all of the fastening member, the first case member, and the second case member overlap each other in the first mode in the plan view; and
the first region overlaps all of the fastening member, the first case member

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Sangwol

Classifications

• G06F1/1681

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

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• H05K5/0226

  Hinges · CPC title

• H05K1/0283

  Stretchable printed circuits · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title