Electronic device including flexible display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11720147-B2
Application number	US-202117539325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2021
Priority date	Dec 1, 2020
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

An electronic device according to an embodiment includes a first housing, a second housing coupled to the first housing to slide in a first direction, and a display including a first area having one end coupled to one side of the first housing so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation that faces in a second direction crossing the first direction and a second area adjacent to an opposite end of the first area. In a first state, the second housing is located in the first housing, one region of the second area of the display is folded toward a rear surface of the display, the display in a folded state is disposed on one surface of the first housing, and the first area of the display is visually exposed. In a second state, the display is unfolded such that the first area and the second area are visually exposed, and at least part of the second housing is withdrawn from the first housing and disposed on a rear surface of the second area of the display.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing;
a second housing slidably coupled to the first housing and configured to slide out of the first housing in a first direction; and
a display including a first area having one end rotatably coupled to one side of the first housing and rotatable about the one side and a second area adjacent to an opposite end of the first area, wherein the first area has a display surface and a rear surface opposite of the display surface, and wherein the second area has a display surface that is adjacent to display surface of the first area, and a rear surface that is adjacent to the rear surface of the first area;
wherein in a first state, the second housing is located inside the first housing, at least a portion of the rear surface of the second area faces the rear surface of the first area, the first area of the display is disposed on one surface of the first housing, and the display surface of the first area is visually exposed, and
wherein in a second state, the display is unfolded such that the display surface of the first area and the display surface of the second area are visually exposed, and at least part of the second housing is withdrawn from the first housing and disposed under the rear surface of the second area.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second area of the display includes:
a flat area; and
a bending area located between the first area and the flat area and configured to be folded or unfolded, and
wherein in the first state, the flat area is disposed under the rear surface of the first area.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the bending area includes:
a first bending area adjacent to the first area and configured to be curved in one direction; and
a second bending area located between the first bending area and the flat area and configured to be curved in another direction.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein in the first state of the display, a distance between the highest point and the lowest point of a display surface of the first bending area is greater than a distance between the display surface of the first area and the display surface of the flat area.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first housing includes:
a front plate and a back plate configured to face each other in a third direction;
a lateral portion configured to surround a space between the front plate and the back plate; and
an opening through which the second housing is inserted into, or withdrawn from, the first housing.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein in the first state, the flat area of the second area of the display is disposed between the first area of the display and the front plate of the first housing.

7. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a metal layer located on the rear surface of the display.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the metal layer includes:
a first metal layer located under the rear surface of the first area of the display; and
a second metal layer located under a rear surface of the flat area of the display.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , further comprising:
a fixing member connected to the second metal layer,
wherein the fixing member is disposed such that at least one area thereof rotates to cross the bending area on the rear surface of the display.

10. The electronic device of claim 7 , further comprising:
a magnet member located on one side of the second housing,
wherein in a fourth state, the second housing and the magnet member are disposed in the first housing, and one end portion of the display is detachably fixed to one area of the first housing adjacent to the magnet member.

11. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the metal layer includes a plurality of slits in an area corresponding to the bending area of the display.

12. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a camera module located on a rear surface of the first housing.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the display in the first state is configured to be adjacent with the first housing, and the first area faces the same direction as the camera module.

14. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a holder member fixed to the rear surface of the display, the holder member having a stylus pen received therein.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the holder member is located on a rear surface of the bending area of the display.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing including a front plate, a back plate, and an opening located in one side surface of the first housing;
a second housing configured to slide in a first direction through the opening of the first housing so as to be at least partially withdrawn from the first housing and configured to slide in a direction opposite to the first direction through the opening of the first housing so as to be inserted into the first housing; and
a display including a first area and a second area adjacent to each other,
wherein the first area has one end rotatably coupled to one side of the first housing and rotatable about the one side of the first housing, and configured to be disposed on the first housing in one state, such that a rear surface of the first area faces the front plate, and
wherein the second area is adjacent to an opposite end of the first area, and one region of the second area is configured fold toward a rear surface of the first area such that at least part of the second area is located between the front plate and the first area in the one state, and in another state the one region is configured to unfold such that the second area is disposed on the second housing, wherein the second housing is withdrawn from the first housing.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the second area of the display includes:
a flat area; and
a bending area located between the first area and the flat area and configured to be folded or unfolded, and
wherein the bending area includes:
a first bending area adjacent to the first area and configured to be curved in one direction; and
a second bending area located between the first bending area and the flat area and configured to be curved in another direction.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the first bending area is curved such that a center of curvature thereof is located on one side of the rear surface of the display, and
wherein the second bending area is curved such that a center of curvature thereof is located on one side of a display surface of the display.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein in the one state, a distance between the highest point and the lowest point of a display surface of the first bending area is greater than a distance between a display surface of the first area and a display surface of the flat area.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , further comprising:
a metal layer located on the rear surface of the display,
wherein the metal layer includes:
a first portion located on the rear surface of the first area of the display;
a second portion located on a rear surface of the flat area of the display; and
a third portion located on a rear surface of the bending area of the display, and
wherein the third portion includes a plurality of slits.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Prushinskiy Valeriy
• Yeo Hyungsok
• Heo Changryong
• Yoo Minwoo
• Hwang Seonho

Classifications

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G06F1/1607

  Arrangements to support accessories mechanically attached to the display housing (G06F1/1603, G06F1/1605 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1624

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

• G06F2200/1632

  Pen holder integrated in the computer · CPC title

• G06F1/1616

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title