Foldable electronic device including integrated ground structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11184980-B2
Application number	US-202016783463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2020
Priority date	Feb 19, 2019
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

An electronic device includes first and second housings rotatably coupled with each other through a hinge, thereby being in a folded state or an unfolded state. The electronic device further includes first and second printed circuit boards (PCBs) disposed in the first and second housings, respectively, and at least one wiring member electrically connecting the first and second PCBs. The electronic device further includes a window disposed over the first and second housings and the hinge, and a display disposed under the window. The display includes a display panel extending in the first housing and having a first FPCB electrically connected to a ground of the first PCB. The display includes a polymer member, a first conductive member disposed in the first housing and electrically connected to the first FPCB, and a second conductive member disposed in the second housing. The electronic device further includes a supporting member disposed between the second conductive member and the second PCB in the second housing. The second conductive member is electrically connected to the second PCB through a conductive region of the supporting member and electrically connected to the ground of the first PCB through the wiring member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including:
a hinge;
a first housing connected to the hinge and including a first surface facing a first direction, a second surface facing a second direction opposite the first direction, and a first lateral member at least partially surrounding a first space between the first surface and the second surface; and
a second housing connected to the hinge and including a third surface facing a third direction, a fourth surface facing a fourth direction opposite the third direction, and a second lateral member at least partially surrounding a second space between the third surface and the fourth surface,
wherein the first and second housings are rotatably coupled with each other through the hinge to allow the electronic device to be in a folded state or an unfolded state;

a first printed circuit board (PCB) disposed in the first space;
a second PCB disposed in the second space;
at least one wiring member electrically connecting the first and second PCBs;
a window disposed over the first surface, the hinge, and the third surface;
a display disposed on a rear surface of the window and including:
a display panel at least partially extending to the first space, the display panel including a first flexible PCB (FPCB) electrically connected to a ground of the first PCB, and disposed to be viewable through the window;
a polymer member disposed on a rear surface of the display panel;
a first conductive member disposed on a rear surface of the polymer member in the first space and electrically connected to the first FPCB; and
a second conductive member disposed on the rear surface of the polymer member in the second space; and

a supporting member disposed between the second conductive member and the second PCB in the second space, the supporting member including a conductive region,
wherein the second conductive member is electrically connected to the second PCB through the conductive region and electrically connected to the ground of the first PCB through the wiring member.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the supporting member includes:
a first conductive portion;
a non-conductive portion disposed adjacent to the first conductive portion; and
a second conductive portion formed in the non-conductive portion and electrically isolated from the first conductive portion.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the supporting member comprises an injection molded insert configured to dispose the non-conductive portion in the first conductive portion, and the first and second conductive portions comprise a same metal material.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein one or more of the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion is fixedly attached and electrically connected to the second conductive member through a conductive tape.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein one or more of the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion is electrically connected to the second PCB through a conductive connector.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first FPCB includes a conductive region exposed at least in part, and the conductive region is attached and electrically connected to the first conductive member through a conductive tape.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display panel includes a bendable portion extending and bent toward the first conductive member, and a control circuit mounted on the bendable portion.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the control circuit includes a display driver IC (DDI) or a touch display driver IC (TDDI).

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a polarizer is interposed between the display panel and the window.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second conductive members includes copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), stainless steel, or a clad metal, the clad metal comprising a stack of different kinds of metals.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one functional member disposed between the polymer member and at least one of the first and second conductive members.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the functional member includes at least one of a graphite sheet, an added display, a force touch FPCB, a fingerprint sensor FPCB, a communication antenna radiator, a heat dissipation sheet, a conductive/nonconductive tape, or an open cell sponge.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the window, the display panel, the polymer member, the first conductive member, and the second conductive member are attached to each other through an adhesive member comprising at least one of an optical clear adhesive (OCA), a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA), a thermally reactive adhesive, a normal adhesive, or a double-sided adhesive tape.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• An Jungchul
• Park Jaehwan
• Seo Changyong
• Choi Seungki

Classifications

• H05K5/10

  comprising several parts forming a closed casing · CPC title

• G09F9/30

  in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements (panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00) · CPC title

• G06F1/203

  for portable computers, e.g. for laptops · CPC title

• G06F1/1658

  related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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