Printed circuit board including bending portion, and electronic device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10736211-B2
Application number	US-201916543702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2019
Priority date	Aug 20, 2018
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

A foldable electronic device according to certain embodiments comprises a display, a cover covering one or more hinges, and a flexible printed circuit board disposed between the flexible display and the cover, wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes, a cover section accommodated in the cover, a first connection section extending to a first side of the cover section, and a second connection section extending to a second side of the cover section, wherein the cover section includes a first fixing area extending from the first connection section and configured to fix an area of the flexible printed circuit board to the electronic device, a second fixing area extending from the second connection section and configured to fix another area of the flexible printed circuit board to the electronic device, and a deformable area disposed between the first fixing area and the second fixing area, and wherein a number of multiple conductive layers forming the first fixing area and a number of conductive layers forming the second fixing area are equal to each other, and a number of multiple conductive layers forming the deformable area and the number of multiple conductive layers forming the first fixing area are different from each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a foldable housing including:
a hinge structure,
a first housing connected to the hinge structure and including a first face oriented in a first direction, and a second face oriented in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and
a second housing connected to the hinge structure and including a third face oriented in a third direction, and a fourth face oriented in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, the second housing being connected to the hinge structure allowing the second housing rotate about the first housing,
wherein, when the foldable housing is folded, the first face faces the third face, and when the foldable housing is unfolded, the third direction is a same as the first direction;
a flexible display extending from the first face to the third face;
a processor disposed in the first housing or the second housing;
at least one camera disposed in the first housing or the second housing;
a first ground member disposed in the first housing or the second housing; and
a Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPCB) extending from the first housing to the second housing across the hinge structure, and including a bending portion in the hinge structure,
wherein, when the foldable housing is unfolded, the bending portion includes:
at least one first conductive line that forms a ground on a first layer,
at least one second conductive line disposed on a second layer disposed between the flexible display and the first layer, and
at least one third conductive line provided on a third layer disposed on a side opposite a side on which the second layer is disposed with reference to the first layer, and

wherein the first conductive line is electrically connected to the first ground member, the second conductive line is connected to at least one of the camera and the flexible display, and the third conductive line is electrically connected to the processor.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive line includes a mesh shape on the first layer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge structure includes a metal material.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a Radio Frequency (RF) circuit, which is electrically connected to the first conductive line.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC), which is electrically connected to the third conductive line.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display is disposed to face a hinge of a hinge cover with the FPCB interposed therebetween, and
wherein the FPCB includes:
a hinge cover section accommodated in the hinge cover,
a first connection section extending to a first side of the hinge cover section, and
a second connection section extending to a second side of the hinge cover section.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the first connection section includes a first connector that provides an electrical connection with a connector of a first main circuit board disposed in the first housing, and
wherein the second connection section includes a second connector that provides an electrical connection with a connector of a second main circuit board disposed in the second housing.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising:
a first bracket disposed in the first housing and a second bracket disposed in the second housing,
wherein the hinge cover section includes:
a first fixing area extending from the first connection section and configured to fix an area of the FPCB to the first bracket,
a second fixing area extending from the second connection section and configured to fix another area of the FPCB to the second bracket, and
a deformable area disposed between the first fixing area and the second fixing area.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein a number of multiple conductive layers forming the first fixing area and a number of multiple conductive layers forming the second fixing area are equal to each other, and
wherein a number of multiple conductive layers forming the deformable area and the number of multiple conductive layers forming the first fixing area are different from each other.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the deformable area includes:
the first layer in which the first conductive line is disposed, the first layer including a mesh shape,
the second layer in which the second conductive line is disposed, and
the third layer in which the third conductive line is disposed.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first fixing area and the second fixing area includes:
the first, second, and third layers extending from the deformable area,
a fourth layer stacked on a face of the second layer to face the flexible display, the fourth layer including a first ground wiring line, and
a fifth layer stacked on a face of the third layer to face the hinge cover, the fifth layer including a second ground wiring line.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein a first ground wiring line is disposed to face the flexible display, and forms a ground area with a first shielding film, and
wherein a second ground wiring line is disposed to face the hinge cover, and forms a ground area with a second shielding film.

13. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first fixing area and the second fixing area include a fixing structure disposed at an upper end portion or a lower end portion thereof so as to be fixed to the first bracket or the second bracket.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the first fixing area is disposed to be substantially in contact with a face of the first bracket by the fixing structure so as to form a flat face, and is connected to a ground plane of the first housing, and
wherein the second fixing area is disposed to be substantially in contact with a face of the second bracket by the fixing structure so as to form a flat face, and is connected to a ground plane of the second housing.

15. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the deformable area has a linear area, at least a portion of which is formed as a flat face.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a hinge cover configured to cover a hinge structure;
a first housing connected to the hinge structure and including a first main circuit board;
a second housing connected to the hinge structure and including a second main circuit board, the second housing being rotatable about the first housing;
a flexible display extending from a face of the first housing to a face of the second housing and disposed to face the hinge cover; and
a Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPCB) extending from the first housing to the second housing across the hinge structure, and disposed between the flexible display and the hinge cover, the FPCB including a bending portion,
wherein the FPCB includes:
a first conductive layer in which a first conductive line forming a ground is disposed,
a second conductive layer including a second conductive line disposed between the flexible display and the first conductive line, and
a third conductive layer including a third conductive line disposed on a side opposite a side on which the second conductive line is disposed with reference to the first conductive line, wherein the first conductive line is electrically connected to a ground plane formed in the first housing or the second housing, and the second conductive line includes an antenna signal line.

17. The electro

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Jungsik
• Cha Dohun

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H05K1/147

  at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit (H05K1/148 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/028 Primary

  Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/025

  Impedance arrangements, e.g. impedance matching, reduction of parasitic impedance (H05K1/024 and H05K1/0243 take precedence; for semiconductor devices H10W44/20) · CPC title

• H04M1/0216

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