Electronic device including conductive member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11903149-B2
Application number	US-202117423019-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2021
Priority date	Jul 31, 2020
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a foldable display, a decoration member made of a resin material to surround at least a portion of the foldable display, a support member configured to support the foldable display and including a metal area connected to the decoration member, and a conductive member disposed on the decoration member and electrically connected to the metal area. The conductive member may include a first conductive member arranged to face the support member and a second conductive member arranged parallel to the first conductive member and electrically connected to the first conductive member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A portable communication device comprising:
a housing comprising:
a first housing; and
a second housing, the housing configured to be foldable about a folding axis,

wherein a side wall of the housing comprises:
a first side wall portion extending parallel to the folding axis,
a second side wall portion extending from a first end of the first side wall portion and perpendicular to the folding axis,
a third side wall portion extending from a second end of the first side wall portion and perpendicular to the folding axis, and
a fourth side wall portion extending between the second side wall portion and the third side wall portion and parallel to the folding axis, and

wherein the housing further comprises:
a conductive member defining the first side wall portion, the second side wall portion, the third side wall portion, and the fourth side wall portion;
a protection member located along the conductive member defining the first side wall portion, the second side wall portion, the third side wall portion, and the fourth side wall portion;
a conductive layer located on a portion of an inner surface of the protection member along the first side wall portion and electrically connected to the conductive member, wherein the conductive layer constitutes an electrical path that allows electrical stimulation applied from an outside of the portable communication device to be transmitted to the conductive member via the conductive layer;
a flexible display accommodated in the first housing and the second housing in a state of being spaced apart from a portion of the conductive layer by a first distance, wherein the flexible display comprises a first portion on which a screen is displayed, a second portion located between the first portion and the housing and parallel to the first portion, and a bent portion extending between the first portion and the second portion and located adjacent to the conductive layer along the first side wall portion, and at least one wiring line electrically connected to a display driving circuit is located in the bent portion; and
an insulative member located on the portion of the conductive layer to face the flexible display and spaced apart from the flexible display by a second distance less than the first distance.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the insulative member is located such that foreign matter introduced from the outside of the portable communication device can be at least partially blocked by the insulative member.

3. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer and the bent portion are not located in a portion of the flexible display that is close to the second side wall portion, the third side wall portion, and the fourth side wall portion.

4. The portable communication device of claim 1 ,
wherein the protection member comprises:
a first portion surrounding at least a portion of a side portion of the flexible display along the first side wall portion, and
a second portion surrounding at least a portion of an upper portion of the flexible display, and

wherein the conductive layer comprises:
a first conductive layer located on an inner surface of the first portion of the protection member, and
a second conductive layer located on an inner surface of the second portion of the protection member and electrically connected to the first conductive layer.

5. The portable communication device of claim 4 ,
wherein the first conductive layer is located to face a side portion of the bent portion, and
wherein the second conductive layer is located to face an upper portion of the bent portion.

6. The portable communication device of claim 4 , wherein the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are physically spaced apart from each other in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis.

7. The portable communication device of claim 6 , wherein the first conductive layer is spaced apart from the second conductive layer by a distance that allows electrical stimulation transmitted to the first conductive layer to be at least partially transmitted to the second conductive layer.

8. The portable communication device of claim 4 , wherein the second conductive layer extends along the first side wall portion in a longitudinal direction of the portable communication device.

9. The portable communication device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a third conductive layer physically spaced apart from the first conductive layer in a direction parallel to the folding axis on the inner surface of the first portion,
wherein the third conductive layer is electrically connected to the conductive member and the second conductive layer.

10. The portable communication device of claim 4 ,
wherein the flexible display comprises a bending protection layer located on the bent portion, and
wherein at least a portion of the bending protection layer is located between the bent portion and the first conductive layer or between the bent portion and the second conductive layer.

11. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the first insulative member is spaced apart from the flexible display such that the first insulative member does not come into contact with the flexible display when the flexible display is bent.

12. The portable communication device of claim 11 , wherein the first insulative member includes at least one of an elastic porous material or a buffer material.

13. A portable communication device comprising:
a flexible display configured to be capable of being at least partially bent about a bending axis;
a conductive frame defining a side wall of the portable communication device and configured to accommodate the flexible display;
a first insulative member disposed above the conductive frame to be spaced apart from the flexible display to surround the flexible display along the side wall; and
a conductive layer disposed above the first insulative member to be spaced apart from the flexible display,
wherein the conductive layer is located such that a margin of a first gap is provided between one end of the first insulative member and the conductive layer,
wherein the conductive layer is electrically connected to the conductive frame such that electrical stimulation applied from an outside of the portable communication device can be transmitted to the conductive frame via the conductive layer,
wherein a second insulative member is disposed above the conductive layer to be spaced apart from the flexible display, and
wherein the second insulative member is located such that a margin of a second gap is formed between the first insulative member and the second insulative member, and disposed to occupy at least a partial space between the first insulative member and the flexible display.

14. The portable communication device of claim 13 ,
wherein the flexible display comprises a bent portion comprising a wiring line electrically connected to a display driving circuit located between a rear surface of the flexible display and the conductive frame, and
wherein the conductive layer is disposed above a portion of the first insulative member corresponding to the bent portion to be spaced apart from the bent portion.

15. The portable communication device of claim 13 , wherein the conductive frame comprises a portion exposed toward the conductive layer, and is electrically connected to the conductive layer via the exposed portion.

16. The portable communication device of claim 13 ,
wherein the conductive frame comprises:
a first conductive side wall

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sunwoo Seunghui
• Kim Suyoun
• Bae Youngmin
• Lee Daekyu

Classifications

• H05K5/0018 Primary

  having an electronic display · CPC title

• H04M1/0266

  for a display module assembly · CPC title

• H04M1/0268 Primary

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H05K5/03

  Covers · CPC title

• G06F1/182 Primary

  with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI] · CPC title