Flexible display and electronic device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12461556-B2
Application number	US-202318321993-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2023
Priority date	Dec 4, 2020
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device includes a display which is foldable at a folding region of the display, a housing which is foldable together with the display, the housing including a first housing and a second housing, and a sensor which is on the first housing and detects a magnetic field, and a hinge structure which corresponds to the folding region of the display, is foldable together with the display and hingedly connects the first housing and the second housing to each other, the hinge structure including a magnet which is slidable along the first housing. Folding of the hinge structure includes folding of the housing together with folding of the display and sliding of the magnet relative to the sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a display which is foldable at a folding region of the display; a housing which is foldable together with the display, the housing comprising:
a first housing and a second housing, and
a sensor which is on the first housing and detects a magnetic field;
a printed circuit board which is attached to the first housing, the printed circuit board including:
a body part on a rear surface of the first housing, and
an extension part which extends from the body part and is on a front surface of the first housing which is opposite to the rear surface; and
a hinge structure which corresponds to the folding region of the display, is foldable together with the display and hingedly connects the first housing and the second housing to each other, the hinge structure comprising a magnet which is slidable along the first housing, wherein the sensor is disposed on the extension part of the printed circuit board which is disposed in the first housing; and wherein folding of the hinge structure includes folding of the housing together with folding of the display and sliding of the magnet relative to the sensor.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge structure further comprises:
a rotary bracket which is fixed to the first housing and rotates together with the first housing about a first axis; an arm part which is slidably connected with the rotary bracket and rotates about a second axis different from the first axis together with rotation of the rotary bracket, and the magnet fixed to the arm part.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a fixing part which slidably connects the rotary bracket and the arm part to each other, and the rotary bracket defining a slide hole therein, wherein folding of the hinge structure includes sliding of the fixing part along the slide hole to slide the magnet relative to the sensor.

4 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the hinge structure further comprises:
a rotary member which corresponds to the second axis and penetrates the arm part; and a support bracket to which the rotary member is fixed, wherein the arm part rotates about the rotary member which corresponds to the second axis.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge structure which is unfolded includes the display unfolded together with the extension part of the printed circuit board overlapping the magnet of the hinge structure.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the hinge structure which is unfolded further includes the sensor and the magnet spaced apart from each other at a minimum distance.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
the first housing includes a first component and the second housing includes a second component, and the printed circuit board further includes a connecting part which crosses the folding region of the display and electrically connects the first component of the first housing to the second component of the second housing.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
folding of the hinge structure defines a distance between the magnet and the sensor together with defining a folding angle between the first housing and the second housing, and increasing of the folding angle between the first housing and the second housing decreases the distance between the magnet and the sensor.

9 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the hinge structure further comprises a magnetic shield which is on the arm part and shields the magnetic field in a direction from the magnet to the arm part.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
the sensor including a rear surface which is furthest from the display, and a shielding sheet on the rear surface of the sensor.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
folding of the hinge structure defines a folding angle between the first housing and the second housing, the magnet provides the magnetic field having a magnetic field intensity, and the sensor detects the magnetic field intensity which is provided by the magnet and calculates the folding angle based on the magnetic field intensity which is detected.

12 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
the first housing and the second housing are adjacent to each other along one direction, and the magnet is extended along the one direction and has magnetic information recorded thereon.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein
folding of the hinge structure defines a folding angle between the first housing and the second housing, the sliding of the magnet relative to the sensor slides the sensor along the magnet in the one direction, and the sensor which slides along the magnet detects the magnetic information of the magnet and calculates the folding angle based on the magnetic information which is detected.

14 . An electronic device comprising:
a display which is foldable at a folding region of the display; a housing which is foldable together with the display, the housing comprising:
a first housing and a second housing, and
a sensor which is on the first housing and detects a magnetic field; and
a printed circuit board which is attached to the first housing, the printed circuit board including:
a body part on a rear surface of the first housing, and
an extension part which extends from the body part and is on a front surface of the first housing which is opposite to the rear surface;
a hinge structure which corresponds to the folding region of the display, is foldable together with the display and hingedly connects the first housing and the second housing to each other, wherein the sensor is disposed on the extension part of the printed circuit board which is disposed in the first housing, wherein the hinge structure comprises:
a first rotary bracket coupled with the first housing and rotatable together with the first housing about a first axis,
a second rotary bracket coupled with the second housing and rotatable together with the second housing about a second axis which is different from the first axis,
a first arm part which is slidably connected with the first rotary bracket and together with rotation of the first rotary bracket, is rotatable about a third axis which is different from the first axis and the second axis,
a second arm part which is slidably connected with the second rotary bracket and together with rotation of the second rotary bracket, is rotatable about a fourth axis which is different from the first axis, the second axis and the third axis, and
a magnet which is connected to the first arm part and slidable along the first housing,
wherein folding and unfolding of the hinge structure includes folding and unfolding of the housing, respectively, together with sliding of the magnet relative to the sensor, wherein the housing which is folded defines a maximum distance between the magnet and the sensor, and wherein the housing which is unfolded defines a minimum distance between the magnet and the sensor.

15 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the hinge structure which is unfolded includes a central portion of the sensor overlapping a central portion of the magnet.

16 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein
the hinge structure further includes a magnetic shield which is on the first arm part and shields the magnetic field in a direction from the magnet to the first arm part, and the sensor includes a rear surface which is furthest from the display and a shielding sheet which is on the rear surf

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Gihoon
• Lim Jaedeok
• Lee Dongyup
• Jo Jeonggyu
• Chun Woosung

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

• G06F1/1677

  for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment · CPC title

• G06F2203/04102

  Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper · CPC title

• H05K2201/05

  Flexible printed circuits [FPCs] · CPC title

• G09F9/301

  flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED · CPC title