Electronic device including flexible display and antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11470729-B2
Application number	US-201917056242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2019
Priority date	Jun 19, 2018
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to an electronic device which employs a flexible display and, even when a housing is changed in size or shape, can keep an antenna at the same characteristic. The electronic device may comprise: a first side surface member, on one surface of which a plurality of conductive parts and at least one first non-conductive part disposed between the plurality of conductive parts are arranged; a second side surface member movable toward the one side of the first side surface member; a flexible display, the width of the exposed portion of which can be adjusted on the basis of the movement of the second side surface member; and a wireless communication circuit electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of conductive parts and configured to transmit or receive an RF signal, wherein the second side surface member comprises a sliding cover surface disposed to face the one surface of the first side surface member, and the sliding cover surface has at least one second non-conductive part formed on a portion thereof facing the first non-conductive part, when the overlap between the second side surface member and the first side surface member is largest, and the sliding cover surface is formed not to face the first non-conductive part when the overlap between the second side surface member and the first side surface member is smallest or there is no overlap therebetween. Various other embodiments of the present invention may be additionally provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing comprising a first side member forming a first periphery of the housing and a second side member disposed opposite to the first side member and forming a second periphery of the housing, wherein the first side member comprises multiple conductive portions, and at least one first non-conductive portion disposed between the multiple conductive portions, and wherein the second side member is configured to slide from the first side member and comprises a sliding cover surface covering at least a portion of the multiple conductive portions and at least a portion of the at least one first non-conductive portion;
a flexible display, an exposed width of the flexible display being adjusted based on a movement of the second side member; and
a wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the at least one of the multiple conductive portions and configured to transmit or receive RF signals,
wherein the sliding cover surface comprises at least one second non-conductive portion, and
wherein one of the at least one second non-conductive portion is disposed on a portion facing one of the at least one first non-conductive portion when the second side member overlaps the first side member most widely, and does not face the one of the at least one first non-conductive portion when the second side member overlaps the first side member most narrowly or does not overlap the first side member.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the multiple conductive portions comprise a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion, and a third conductive portion,
wherein the first conductive portion is disposed between the second conductive portion and the third conductive portion,
wherein the at least one first non-conductive portion comprises a third non-conductive portion disposed between the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion and a fourth non-conductive portion disposed between the first conductive portion and the third conductive portion, and
wherein the third non-conductive portion overlaps the one of the at least one second non-conductive portion while the second side member overlaps the first side member most widely.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a processor electrically connected to the flexible display and the wireless communication circuit; and
a printed circuit board on which the processor and the wireless communication circuit are mounted.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the RF signals comprise first to third RF signals,
the first conductive portion is disposed to transmit or receive the first RF signal,
the second conductive portion is disposed to transmit or receive the second RF signal, and
the third conductive portion is disposed to transmit or receive the third RF signal.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 ,
wherein the first RF signal is a signal related to a low-frequency band, and
wherein the second RF signal and the third RF signal are signals related to a medium-frequency band or a high-frequency band.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sliding substrate disposed inside the second side member to be movable toward the first side member and disposed to support a portion of the flexible display;
a hinge shaft disposed in a length direction of the flexible display and configured to rotate based on a movement of the second side member; and
an articulated hinge comprising multiple joints surrounding the hinge shaft, the articulated hinge being configured to adjust the exposed width of the flexible display by adjusting the length of a portion facing a first direction based on the rotation of the hinge shaft.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an insulating member disposed on an inner surface of the sliding cover surface facing a surface of the first side member,
wherein the insulating member is an insulating tape.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the sliding cover surface further comprises a fourth conductive portion located adjacent to the second non-conductive portion, and
wherein the fourth conductive portion is connected to a ground of a printed circuit board of the electronic device via a hinge shaft of the electronic device, the disposed in a length direction of the flexible display and configured to rotate based on a movement of the second side member.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 ,
wherein the second conductive portion comprises, between the first side member and the second side member, a first protrusion, and
wherein the fourth conductive portion includes a second protrusion configured to come into contact with the first protrusion so as to form an electrical path when an overlapping portion between the second side member and the first side member is narrowest.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third side member surrounding a portion of a space between the first side member and the second side member at another side of the first side member and configured to be movable toward the another side of the first side member,
wherein the third side member comprises a same component as the second side member and is arranged to be symmetrical to the second side member.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein an exposed width of the flexible display is adjusted based on a movement of the second side member or a movement of the third side member.

12. An electronic device comprising:
a housing comprising a first plate facing a first direction, a second plate facing a second direction opposite the first direction, and a space defined between the first plate and the second plate;
a first side member surrounding a portion of the space and comprising multiple conductive portions disposed on one surface thereof and at least one first non-conductive portion disposed between the multiple conductive portions;
a second side member surrounding another portion of the space at one side of the first side member and configured to be movable toward the one side of the first side member;
a flexible display exposed through the first plate, an exposed width of the flexible display being adjusted based on a movement of the second side member; and
a wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the at least one of the multiple conductive portions and configured to transmit or receive RF signals,
wherein the second side member comprises a sliding cover surface facing a surface of the first side member, and
wherein the sliding cover surface comprises:
a second non-conductive portion disposed on a portion facing the first non-conductive portion when the second side member overlaps the first side member most widely, and
a third non-conductive portion disposed on a portion facing the first non-conductive portion when the second side member overlaps the first side member most narrowly.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , further comprising:
an insulating member disposed on an inner surface of the sliding cover surface facing the surface of the first side member,
wherein the insulating member is an insulating tape.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a third side member surrounding another portion of the space at another side of the first side member and configured to be movable toward the another side of the first side member,
wherein the third side member comprises a same component as the second side member and is arranged to be symmetrical to the second side member.

15. The electronic device of clai

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Yongyoun
• Seol Kyungmoon
• Lee Minsung
• Jung Jinwoo
• Lee Soyoung
• Chun Jaebong

Classifications

• H05K7/1427

  Housings · CPC title

• H04B1/3888 Primary

  Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers · CPC title

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title

• G06F1/1624

  with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display · CPC title

• H01Q5/378

  Combination of fed elements with parasitic elements · CPC title