Mobile terminal and control method therof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11016537-B2
Application number	US-202016737847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2020
Priority date	Sep 8, 2015
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

A mobile terminal includes a body including first and second bodies and being in one of a first state where the first and second bodies are positioned on the same plane and a second state where one of the first and second bodies is folded with respect to the other, and a display assembly disposed at one side of the first and second bodies, at least part of the display assembly being superposed on the first and second bodies. The display assembly includes a flat area remaining flat in the second state, and a bent area bent in the second state. The display assembly includes a display panel, a first layer provided to the front side of the display panel, and a second layer provided to the rear side of the display panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal comprising:
a display assembly being flexible, the display assembly including first and second edges, wherein the first edge of the display assembly is located opposite the second edge of the display assembly;
a body positioned at a rear of the display assembly, the body including:
a first body positioned at the rear of the display assembly; and
a second body positioned at the rear of the display assembly, the second body coupled with the first body, the second body configured to be folded and unfolded with respect to the first body;

an elastic layer positioned between the display assembly and the body;
a strain gauge positioned on a surface of the elastic layer; and
a frame positioned between the display assembly and the body, the frame fastened to the body, the frame coupled with the display assembly, the frame including first and second edges, wherein the first edge of the frame corresponds to the first edge of the display assembly, and wherein the second edge of the frame corresponds to the second edge of the display assembly,
wherein the display assembly further includes:
a first side guide rail placed on the first edge of the display assembly, the first side guide rail configured to be guided along the first edge of the frame; and
a second side guide rail placed on the second edge of the display assembly, the second side guide rail configured to be guided along the second edge of the frame.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the display assembly further includes:
a first layer (FL 1 ) forming a front surface of the display assembly;
a display panel positioned at a rear of the first layer; and
a second layer positioned at a rear of the display panel, and
wherein an elastic modulus of the second layer is greater than an elastic modulus of the first layer.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2 , wherein a neutral surface of the display assembly is positioned in the display panel.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 2 , wherein the display assembly further comprises a silicon layer positioned between the display panel and the first layer, wherein the silicon layer is elastic and transparent.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the frame includes:
a first frame positioned between the first body and the display assembly, the first frame fastened to the first body, the first frame coupled with the display assembly; and
a second frame positioned between the second body and the display assembly, the second frame fastened to the second body, the second frame coupled with the display assembly,
wherein the display assembly further includes a folding support formed at a rear side of the display assembly,
wherein the folding support is positioned between the first and second frames, wherein the folding support is flexible, and wherein the folding support couples the first frame with the second frame.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5 , wherein the folding support includes a first edge adjacent to the first frame and a second edge adjacent to the second frame,
wherein the first frame includes a plurality of first frame holes elongated in a direction from the first frame to the folding support, the plurality of first frame holes placed adjacent to the first edge of the folding support, the plurality of first frame holes coupled with the first edge of the folding support, and
wherein the second frame includes a plurality of second frame holes elongated in a direction from the second frame to the folding support, the plurality of second frame holes placed adjacent to the second edge of the folding support, the plurality of second frame holes coupled with the second edge of the folding support.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6 , wherein the folding support further includes:
a plurality of first guide pins inserted into the plurality of first frame holes of the first frame; and
a plurality of second guide pins inserted into the plurality of second frame holes of the second frame.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 5 , wherein the folding support includes a plurality of holes.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8 , wherein the holes of the folding support are elongated in a width direction of the display assembly.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 5 , wherein the folding support includes a plurality of connecting parts connected to the body.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of connecting parts are arranged in a direction from the first edge of the display assembly to the second edge of the display assembly.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 5 , wherein the first side guide rail includes:
a first guide rail placed on a first edge of the first frame, the first guide rail configured to be guided along the first edge of the first frame, the first edge of the first frame corresponding to the first edge of the display assembly; and
a second guide rail placed on a second edge of the first frame, the second guide rail configured to be guided along the second edge of the first frame, the second edge of the first frame corresponding to the second edge of the display assembly, and
wherein the second side guide rail includes:
a third guide rail placed on a first edge of the second frame, the third guide rail configured to be guided along the first edge of the second frame, the third guide rail configured to be guided along the first edge of the second frame, the first edge of the second frame corresponding to the first edge of the display assembly; and
a fourth guide rail placed on a second edge of the second frame, the fourth guide rail configured to be guided along the second edge of the second frame, the second edge of the second frame corresponding to the second edge of the display assembly.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive layer positioned between the display assembly and the elastic layer.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , further comprising a flexible film including a first buffer layer, a body and a second buffer layer, sequentially laminated on the display assembly,
wherein the first buffer layer includes a material having elasticity lower than the body and higher than the display assembly, and
wherein the second buffer layer includes a material having higher elasticity than the body.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Haklim
• Han Jongbeom

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F2203/04102

  Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper · CPC title

• G02F1/13338

  Input devices, e.g. touch panels · CPC title

• G06F1/16 Primary

  Constructional details or arrangements · CPC title

• G06F3/0487

  using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser · CPC title