Flexible display, structure supporting the flexible display, and electronic device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12457697-B2
Application number	US-202217970134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2022
Priority date	Oct 27, 2021
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device may include a first housing, a second housing configured to change a position relative to the first housing based on sliding of the first housing, a flexible display including a first area and a bendable or rollable second area extending from the first area, a supporting structure coupled with the flexible display to support at least a portion of the flexible display and including a plurality of bars, and a guide rail configured to guide a movement of the plurality of bars based on the sliding of the first housing. Each of the plurality of bars may include a frame and a header formed on an end of the frame. When the second area of the flexible display is bent or rolled, the headers of adjacent bars may be disposed to at least partially overlap each other. Each of the headers may include at least one pole at least partially received in the guide rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing;
a second housing configured to change a position relative to the first housing;
a flexible display including a first area and a bendable second area extending from the first area;
a supporting structure, comprising a support, coupled with the flexible display to support at least a portion of the flexible display and including a plurality of bars; and
a guide rail configured to guide a movement of the plurality of bars,
wherein each of the plurality of bars includes a frame and a header formed proximate an end of the frame,
wherein based on the second area of the flexible display being bent, headers of at least two or more adjacent of the bars are disposed to at least partially overlap each other, and
wherein at least a portion of the second area of the flexible display is configured to be moved between a bending range and a flat range,
wherein each of the headers includes a first pole and a second pole spaced apart from each other, and at least partially received in the guide rail, and
wherein the first pole and the second pole are configured to reduce a rotational moment generated in the bar corresponding to the first pole and the second pole when the bar corresponding to the first pole and the second pole is positioned at the bending range.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least two or more adjacent bars of the plurality of bars include a first bar and a second bar, and
wherein based on the flexible display being bent, a protrusion of the first bar is positioned on a seating portion of the second bar, so that the first bar and the second bar support each other.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein based on the flexible display being bent, the second pole is formed on the protrusion of the first bar and overlaps the seating portion of the second bar.

4. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing;
a second housing configured to change a position relative to the first housing;
a flexible display including a first area and a bendable second area extending from the first area;
a supporting structure, comprising a support, supporting at least a portion of the flexible display and including a plurality of bars whose relative position is configured to change based on the bending; and
a guide rail configured to guide sliding of the plurality of bars and to surround at least some of the plurality of bars,
wherein based on the flexible display being bent, adjacent bars among the plurality of bars of the supporting structure are disposed to at least partially overlap and support each other,
wherein at least a portion of the second area of the flexible display is configured to be moved between a bending range and a flat range,
wherein the plurality of bars each includes a first pole and a second pole on at least one end thereof that are spaced from each other, and configured to slide along the guide rail to suppress rotation of each bar, and
wherein the first pole and the second pole are configured to reduce a rotational moment generated in the bar corresponding the first pole and the second pole when the bar corresponding to the first pole and the second pole is positioned at the bending range.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of bars of the supporting structure includes a frame and a header formed on an end of the frame, and wherein the header includes,
a coupling portion configured to couple with the frame;
a protrusion formed on an opposite surface of the coupling portion; and
a seating portion having a shape corresponding to the protrusion.

6. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing;
a second housing slidably disposed on the first housing;
a flexible display including a first area and a second area extending from the first area;
a supporting structure, comprising a support, coupled with the flexible display, configured to support at least a portion of the flexible display and including a plurality of bars; and
a guide rail configured to guide a movement of the plurality of bars,
wherein each of the plurality of bars includes a frame and a header formed on an end of the frame,
wherein each of the headers includes at least one pole partially received in the guide rail, and
wherein the headers of at least two or more adjacent bars of the plurality of bars are configured to partially overlap and support each other at a first position corresponding to a bent area of the second area, and are configured to be spaced apart from each other at a second position corresponding to a flat area of the second area.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the at least two or more adjacent bars of the plurality of bars include a first bar and a second bar, and
a protrusion of the first bar is configured to be positioned on a seating portion of the second bar, so that the first bar and the second bar support each other at the first position corresponding to the bent area.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein a second pole is formed on the protrusion of the first bar and is configured to overlap the seating portion of the second bar.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein a first distance between respective centers of a first bar and a second bar adjacent to each other among the plurality of bars at the first position corresponding to the bent area is identical to a second distance between respective centers of a third bar and a fourth bar adjacent to each other among the plurality of bars at the second position corresponding to the flat area.

10. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the frame includes,
a first coupling portion configured to couple with the header; and
a flat supporting surface configured support the flexible display.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the header further includes,
a second coupling portion configured to couple with the first coupling portion of the frame;
a protrusion formed on an opposite surface of the second coupling portion; and
a seating portion having a shape corresponding to the protrusion.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein a first pole and a second pole of the plurality of bars have a shape protruding outwards from an outer surface of the protrusion, respectively.

13. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein a first pole and a second pole of the plurality of bars are arranged along an edge of the guide rail, wherein the first pole is adjacent to an outer side of the guide rail, and wherein the second pole is adjacent to an inner side of the guide rail.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the first pole includes a first first pole and a second first pole identical in diameter and spaced apart from each other, and
the first first pole and the second first pole are different in diameter from the second pole.

15. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein
the first pole is configured to contact a portion of the guide rail to suppress rotation of the header in a first rotational direction when flexible display performs an operation from a slide-in state to a slide-out state, and
the second pole is configured to contact another portion of the guide rail to suppress rotation of the header in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction when flexible display performs the operation from the slide-in state to the slide-out state.

16. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the guide rail is formed to surround at least a portion of the header of each of the plurality of bars.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Yeonggyu
• Kang Youngmin
• Shin Moonchul
• Lee Seungjoon
• Cho Joongyeon
• Choi Junyoung
• Kwak Myunghoon
• Kim Yangwook
• Lee Gabseong
• Lee Wonho
• Lee Jookwan
• Lee Junghyeob
• Hong Hyunju

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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

• G09F9/30

  in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements (panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00) · CPC title

• G06F1/16

  Constructional details or arrangements · CPC title

• H05K5/0217 Primary

  Mechanical details of casings (covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03) · CPC title