Foldable display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10509441-B2
Application number	US-201715773866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2017
Priority date	Apr 26, 2017
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

The present application discloses a foldable display device, comprising a flexible screen and a support backplane cooperating therewith, the support backplane includes a first support plate and a second support plate hinged therewith by a rotary shaft system; a tension releasing mechanism is disposed at the first support plate or the second support plate, the flexible screen has a first end connected to the first support plate or the second support plate, and a second end opposite thereto, the second end is connected to the tension releasing mechanism, such that the second end of the flexible screen is slidable along a corresponding support plate between a first position in which the foldable display device is in an outward bending state and a second position in which the foldable display device is in a deployed state, and between the second position and a third position in which the foldable display device is in an inward bending state. This foldable display device can prevent the screen from damage as much as possible by providing a tension releasing mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A foldable display device, comprising:
a flexible screen; and
a support backplane in cooperation with the flexible screen, the support backplane including a first support plate and a second support plate hinged with the first support plate by a rotary shaft system, wherein:
a tension releasing mechanism is disposed at the second support plate, the tension releasing mechanism including a sliding member arranged between the flexible screen and the second support plate, three guide grooves extending through a thickness of the second support plate and extending longitudinally along the second support plate, and three pre-tightening members arranged at a side of the second support plate opposite to the flexible screen, wherein the sliding member is connected with the three pre-tightening members and is slidable along the three guide grooves, a side of the sliding member facing the second support plate includes three bending parts, a first one of the three pre-tightening members is an elastic member, one end of the elastic member is fixed to the second support plate and the other end of the elastic member is connected to a first one of the three bending parts;
the flexible screen has a first end connected to the first support plate or the second support plate, and a second end opposite to the first end; and
the second end is connected to the tension releasing mechanism with the second end of the flexible screen slidable along a corresponding support plate between a first position in which the foldable display device is in an outward bending state and a second position in which the foldable display device is in a deployed state, and between the second position and a third position in which the foldable display device is in an inward bending state.

2. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the first end of the flexible screen is a fixed end connected fixedly to the first support plate, the second end is a movable end connected to the sliding member, and the sliding member is a plate-like member.

3. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the three guide grooves are evenly spaced from each other in a transverse direction of the second support plate;
and
the three bending parts extend through the three guide grooves respectively and are connected with the three pre-tightening members respectively.

4. The foldable display device according to claim 3 , wherein the first one of the three bending parts of the sliding member extends through a middle one of the guide grooves, and second and third ones of the three pre-tightening members are connected with corresponding second and third ones of the three bending parts of the sliding member extending through two side ones of the guide grooves.

5. The foldable display device according to claim 4 , wherein the second pre-tightening member includes a guide post and a spring sleeved onto the guide post, both ends of the guide post are fixed to the second support plate, and one end of the spring is connected to the second bending part.

6. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic member includes memory alloys or rubber materials.

7. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , wherein the foldable display device includes a first back cover extending along the first support plate and a second back cover extending along the second support plate.

8. The foldable display device according to claim 1 , further comprising a protective sleeve that extends along the support back plate and includes a flexible material.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wu Zhongbao
• Du Zhihong

Classifications

• H04M1/0268 Primary

  including a flexible display panel · 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

• H04M1/0214

  Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position (combined with translation movement H04M1/0235) · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G06F1/1641

  the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence) · CPC title