Foldable electronic device including connection member for connecting electrical objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12197253-B2
Application number	US-202217963353-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2022
Priority date	Sep 15, 2021
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing, and a hinge device which foldably interconnects the first housing and the second housing with a folding axis extending in a first direction. A hinge housing accommodates a portion of the hinge device and is disposed between the first housing and the second housing. A first electrical object is disposed in the first housing, a second electrical object is disposed in the second housing, and a flexible connection assembly interconnects the first electrical object and the second electrical object. The connection assembly includes a connection member disposed in the hinge housing. The connection assembly electrically interconnects the first electrical object and the second electrical object. A support unit is coupled to the connection member. A sliding connection unit connects the support unit to each of the first housing and the second housing and is slidable perpendicular to the first direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing;
a second housing;
a hinge device which foldably interconnects the first housing and the second housing with a folding axis extending in a first direction;
a hinge housing which accommodates at least a portion of the hinge device and disposed between the first housing and the second housing;
a first electrical object disposed in the first housing;
a second electrical object disposed in the second housing; and
a connection assembly which interconnects the first electrical object and the second electrical object,
wherein the connection assembly includes:
a connection member at least partially disposed in the hinge housing, the connection member electrically interconnecting the first electrical object and the second electrical object, and including a flexible material to be at least partially deformable,
a support unit coupled to the connection member, and
a sliding connection unit which connects the support unit to each of the first housing and the second housing to be slidable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the support unit of the connection assembly moves towards the folding axis in a folding operation of the electronic device, and moves away from the folding axis in an unfolding operation of the electronic device by the sliding connection unit.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the connection member includes a central portion of which is fixed to the hinge housing so that stress applied to the connection member is evenly distributed thereto when the electronic device folds or unfolds.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein, the central portion is fixed to the hinge housing, and wherein a first portion of the connection member includes a material having a first strength and the intermediate portion includes a material having a second strength that is greater than the first strength.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge housing includes inclined support portions that are inclined with respect to a portion of the hinge housing to which the connection member is fixed, and wherein the hinge housing supports portions of the connection member which are deformed while the electronic device is being folded, and
Wherein the inclined support portions are e symmetrical to each other with respect to a center of the hinge housing.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the connection member includes a first portion comprising a material having a first strength and a portion coupled to the support unit comprising a material having a second strength greater than the first strength of the first portion.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sliding connection unit of the connection assembly includes:
a bolt hole in the support unit, the bolt hole extending in the second direction, and
a fixing bolt passing through the bolt hole and bolted to each of the first housing and the second housing.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the sliding connection unit of the connection assembly further includes a washer fitted to the fixing bolt and disposed between the head of the fixing bolt and the support unit.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the washer of the sliding connection unit has an oval shape and is disposed such that a major axis of the oval shape is aligned with a moving direction of the support unit.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the washer of the sliding connection unit includes a material having a low frictional coefficient and is disposed on a surface which comes into contact with the support unit.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the washer of the sliding connection unit includes a protrusion protruding toward the support unit from a surface which comes into contact with the support unit.

12. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the fixing bolt of the sliding connection unit includes a stopper having a diameter larger than a diameter of the bolt hole into which the fixing bolt is inserted such that the fixing bolt is inserted into and bolted to each of the first housing and the second housing by a predetermined distance.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sliding connection unit of the connection assembly includes:
a slide rail on each of the first housing and the second housing and extending in the second direction, and
a slider protruding from the support unit and inserted into the slide rail.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a plate which brings the support unit into close contact with each of the first housing and the second housing so that the slider of the support unit is maintained in the state of being inserted into the slide rail.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the plate includes a slide support portion protruding toward the support unit from a portion which comes into contact with the support unit.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing;
a second housing;
a hinge device which foldably interconnects the first housing and the second housing with a folding axis extending in a first direction;
a hinge housing which accommodates at least a portion of the hinge device and disposed between the first housing and the second housing;
a first electrical object disposed in the first housing;
a second electrical object disposed in the second housing; and
a connection assembly which interconnects the first electrical object and the second electrical object,
wherein the connection assembly includes:
a connection member at least partially disposed in the hinge housing, to the connection member electrically interconnecting the first electrical object and the second electrical object, and including a flexible material to be at least partially deformable,
a support unit coupled to the connection member, and
a sliding connection unit which connects the support unit to each of the first housing and the second housing to be slidable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and
wherein the electronic device further includes a guide member which presses the support unit in the second direction while the first housing and the second housing are being unfolded.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the guide member includes a first push structure on the hinge housing and a second push structure on the support unit in a portion corresponding to the first push structure,
wherein the first push structure and the second push structure come into contact with each other when the first housing and the second housing are unfolded by a predetermined angle.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the first push structure is at least partially rounded in a portion which comes into contact with the second push structure, and
the second push structure is formed to be at least partially inclined with respect to the support unit in the portion which comes into contact with the first push structure.

19. The electronic device of claim 17 , further comprising:
a plate disposed to cover at least a portion of the connection assembly.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the plate includes a protruding support portion which protrudes toward the second push structure in a portion facing the second push structure.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Minsu
• Yoo Minwoo

Classifications

• G06F1/1681

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

• G06F1/1624

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

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F1/1616 Primary

  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

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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