Electronic device including elastic member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12439535-B2
Application number	US-202218088104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2022
Priority date	Dec 24, 2021
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

According to various embodiments of the disclosure, an electronic device may include: a housing including a first housing and a second housing configured to guide sliding movement of the first housing, a display configured to be at least partially unfolded based on the sliding movement of the first housing, and including a first display area disposed on the first housing and a second display area extending from the first display area, a battery disposed in the first housing, a driver configured to provide a driving force for the sliding movement to the first housing, and including a motor disposed in the first housing and a gear structure including a gear at least partially disposed in the second housing and connected to the motor, and an elastic member comprising a material arranged to be compressible and to provide an elastic restoring force disposed in the second housing. The gear structure may be disposed adjacent to one end of the battery, and the elastic member may be disposed adjacent to the other end of the battery facing a direction opposite to the one end of the battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a first housing and a second housing configured to guide sliding movement of the first housing, while the housing is being opened and closed;
a flexible display including a first display area and a second display area extending from the first display area;
a battery;
a motor configured to provide a driving force for the sliding movement of the first housing in a first movement direction and a second movement direction;
a gear structure including a pinion gear connected to the motor and a rack gear engaged with the pinion gear, the pinion gear configured to be rotated by the driving force from the motor, wherein the pinion gear and/or the motor slidably move on the rack gear in the first movement direction and the second movement direction; and
an elastic member comprising a material arranged to be compressible and configured to be deformed based on the sliding movement of the first housing,
wherein the elastic member is configured to provide an elastic restoring force as a force for the sliding movement of the first housing in the first movement direction and the second movement direction to reduce the driving force of the motor required while the housing is being opened and closed,
wherein the gear structure is disposed adjacent to one end of the battery, and
wherein the elastic member is disposed adjacent to the other end of the battery facing a direction opposite to the one end of the battery.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the elastic member includes:
a first elastic member configured to be elastically deformed by the first housing based on the first housing moving in the first movement direction; and
a second elastic member configured to be elastically deformed by the first housing based on the first housing moving in the second movement direction opposite to the first movement direction.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first elastic member and the second elastic member are disposed in a straight line.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first elastic member is configured to provide an elastic restoring force to the first housing in the second movement direction based on the first housing moving in the second movement direction, and
wherein the second elastic member is configured to provide an elastic restoring force to the first housing in the first movement direction with respect to the first housing moving in the first movement direction.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second housing includes a guide rail extending along a sliding movement direction of the first housing, and having the elastic member disposed therein, and
wherein the first housing includes an accommodation groove at least partially recessed and having the guide rail disposed therein.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , further comprising a guide wall configured to slide on the guide rail by being pressed by the sliding movement of the first housing.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the elastic member includes:
a first elastic member configured to be elastically deformed by the first housing based on the first housing moving in the first movement direction; and
a second elastic member configured to be elastically deformed by the first housing based on the first housing moving in the second movement direction opposite to the first movement direction, and
wherein the guide wall includes:
a first guide wall coupled with the first elastic member; and
a second guide wall coupled with the second elastic member.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the guide rail includes a guide slit extending along the sliding movement direction of the first housing, and
wherein the guide wall includes:
a coupling portion disposed inside the guide rail and coupled with the elastic member;
a coupling groove recessed in at least part of the coupling portion and having the elastic member disposed therein;
a connecting portion extending from the coupling portion and at least partially disposed in the guide slit; and
a wing extending outside the connecting portion and configured to be pressed by at least part of the first housing based on the first housing moving.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the first housing includes a first protrusion protruding from at least part of the accommodation groove and configured to press the wing.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the first protrusion is recessed in a shape corresponding to the wing, and includes a fixing groove configured to fix the wing.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the second housing includes a second protrusion protruding from at least part of the guide slit and configured to provide a frictional force to the connecting portion.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first housing includes:
a first plate configured to at least partially support the display; and
a first cover coupled with the first plate and configured to cover at least part of the first display area, and
wherein the first plate includes:
a first first plate area configured to support at least part of the display; and
a second first plate area extending from the first first plate area and having the motor disposed therein.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the first first plate area includes a first surface and a second surface facing a direction opposite to the first surface and configured to support the display, and
wherein the battery is disposed on the first surface of the first first plate area.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the second first plate area includes a first surface and a second surface facing a direction opposite to the first surface and configured to support the display, and
wherein the motor is disposed on the first surface of the second first plate area.

15. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the gear structure includes a pinion gear connected to the motor, and a rack gear connected to the pinion gear and disposed in the second housing, and
wherein the first housing includes a bracket coupled with the second first plate area and configured to support the rack gear by at least part thereof.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a first housing and a second housing configured to guide sliding movement of the first housing while the housing is being opened and closed, wherein the first housing is configured to slidingly move in a first movement direction and a second movement direction opposite to the first movement direction, on the second housing;
a flexible display including a first display area and a second display area extending from the first display area;
a battery disposed in at least one of the first housing or the second housing;
a motor disposed in the first housing and configured to provide a driving force for the sliding movement of the first housing in a first movement direction and a second movement direction;
a gear structure including a pinion gear connected to the motor and a rack gear disposed in the second housing and engaged with the pinion gear, the pinion gear configured to be rotated by the driving force from the motor, wherein the pinion gear and/or the motor slidably move on the rack gear in the first movement direction and a second movement direction; and
an elastic member disposed in the second housing and comprising a material arranged to be compressible,
wherein the elastic member is configured to provide an elastic restoring force as a force for the sl

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Hyunggwang
• Kwak Myunghoon
• Kim Junhyuk
• Lee Soyoung
• Lee Jookwan
• Jeon Hoyoung
• Jung Hojin

Classifications

• H05K5/0086

  portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus (casings for switching devices H01H9/02) · CPC title

• H04M1/02

  Constructional features of telephone sets · CPC title

• H04M1/0262

  for a battery compartment · CPC title

• G06F1/1624

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

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title