Electronic device having flexible display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11531375-B2
Application number	US-201916540536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2019
Priority date	Jul 20, 2015
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing having an opening, a roll installed in the housing, a flexible display configured to be wound on the roll and to be withdrawn from the housing through the opening in accordance with a rotating direction of the roll. The electronic device further includes moveable housing parts and a housing guide configured to guide and retract at least one part of the housing as space within the housing becomes available due to withdrawal of the flexible display, so that a height, width and/or overall size of the housing is reduced when the flexible display is withdrawn through the opening and extended outside of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing having an opening to an exterior of the electronic device located at a top of the housing;
a roll installed in the housing;
a flexible display disposed in the housing, wherein the flexible display is configured to:
be wound on the roll, and
be withdrawn through the opening to the exterior of the electronic device in accordance with a rotating direction of the roll; and

a housing guide disposed in the housing and configured to guide a part of the housing so that a height of the housing is reduced as the flexible display is withdrawn through the opening,
wherein a size of the housing is reduced as the flexible display is withdrawn through the opening.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the roll is rotatably installed in a space created between a first part of the housing and a second part of the housing,
wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first part of the housing to slide into the second part of the housing, wherein the flexible display is wound on the roll and is withdrawn through the opening in accordance with a rotating direction of the roll, and
wherein when the flexible display is withdrawn through the opening, the roll is configured to move a distance based on an empty space in the housing created as the flexible display is withdrawn.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first part of the housing in a direction toward the roll so that the size of the housing is reduced.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first part of the housing based on a withdrawal rate of the flexible display.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first part of the housing based on the empty space in the housing created as the flexible display is withdrawn.

6. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first part of the housing so that a height or a width of the housing is reduced.

7. The electronic device of claim 2 ,
wherein the roll further comprises a center shaft, and
wherein the housing guide further comprises:
a center shaft gear, connected to the center shaft of the roll; and
a rail fixed to the first part of the housing, and configured to:
guide the first part of the housing in response to a rotation of the center shaft gear, and
reduce the size of the housing.

8. The electronic device of claim 2 ,
wherein a withdrawal rate of the flexible display is fixed by a joint lever disposed in the housing guide,
wherein the housing guide is connected to a pressure bar connected to the joint lever, and
wherein, based on the pressure bar being contracted, the height of the joint lever is reduced so that the height of the housing is reduced.

9. The electronic device of claim 2 ,
wherein the roll further comprises a center shaft, and
wherein the housing guide further comprises:
a center shaft gear, connected to the center shaft of the roll; and
a center shaft rail engaged with the center shaft gear, and configured to guide a movement of the roll when the flexible display is withdrawn.

10. The electronic device of claim 2 ,
wherein the first part of the housing comprises at least a first portion and a second portion that are separated from each other, and
wherein the first portion and the second portion are slidably connected by the housing guide.

11. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to operate through reception of forward and backward rotating forces of the roll through a power transfer member.

12. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first sensor,
wherein a variable rate of the size of the housing is based on a withdrawal rate of the flexible display or a rotation rate of the roll that is sensed by the first sensor.

13. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a second sensor,
wherein a variable rate of the size of the housing is based on a withdrawal rate of the flexible display that is calculated based on a detected distance between one side of the housing and the flexible display on the roll that is sensed by the second sensor.

14. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first part of the housing has a multilayer structure comprising:
a first portion;
a second portion; and
a third portion,
wherein the first portion, second portion and third portion are successively arranged, and
wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first part of the housing so that the first portion, second portion, and third portion of the housing overlap each other and reduce the size of the housing through movement toward the roll as the flexible display is withdrawn.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide a first portion of the housing and a second portion of the housing to overlap each other.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first portion of the housing in a direction toward the roll based on the height of the housing being reduced.

17. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first portion of the housing based on a withdrawal rate of the flexible display.

18. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the housing guide is further configured to guide the first portion of the housing based on a size of an empty space in the housing, which is created as the flexible display is withdrawn.

19. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the housing has a multilayer structure.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Kyu-Hyun
• Jeong Hee-Seok

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F1/1656

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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