Electronic device comprising drive motor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12537418-B2
Application number	US-202318488288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2023
Priority date	Sep 29, 2021
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing slidably coupled to the first housing, a flexible display configured to be expanded or contracted based on slide-out or slide-in movement of the second housing, a drive motor disposed in the second housing and including a pinion gear, a rack gear structure disposed in the first housing and including a rack gear engaged with the pinion gear, at least one sensor module configured to detect movement of the second housing, a memory configured to store executable instructions, and at least one processor configured to access the memory and execute the instructions, and control the drive motor based on sensing information detected from the at least one sensor module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a first housing; a second housing slidably coupled to the first housing; a flexible display configured to be expanded or contracted based on movement of the second housing with respect to the first housing; a drive motor comprising a pinion gear; a rack gear structure comprising a rack gear engaged with the pinion gear and configured to move the second housing; at least one sensor module configured to detect movement of the second housing; a memory configured to store executable instructions; and at least one processor configured to:
access the memory and execute the instructions,
control the drive motor to change a state of the electronic device between a slide-in state and a slide-out state based on sensing information detected from the at least one sensor module,
when the second housing is moved by a predetermined movement distance in a slide-in direction while in the slide-in state of the electronic device, control the drive motor to change the state of the electronic device from the slide-in state to the slide-out state, and
when the second housing is moved by a predetermined movement distance in the slide-in direction while in the slide-out state of the electronic device, control the drive motor to change the state of the electronic device from the slide-out state to the slide-in state.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the drive motor is not driven when the second housing is moved by a predetermined movement distance in the slide-in direction, the rack gear structure is moved with the second housing through the engagement of the pinion gear and the rack gear.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein, when the second housing is moved by the predetermined movement distance, the rack gear structure is moved with the second housing through the engagement of the pinion gear and the rack gear.

4 . The electronic device of claim 2 ,
wherein the rack gear structure comprises a guide groove having a length, and wherein a movement distance of the rack gear structure is determined by a guide screw penetrating the guide groove and then fixed to the first housing.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the movement distance of the rack gear structure is substantially equal to the predetermined movement distance of the second housing.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising:
a suspension disposed in the first housing and configured to press the rack gear structure in a slide-out direction.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the suspension comprises:
a support disposed in the first housing; a guide shaft connected to the support and configured to guide the rack gear structure in the slide-in or slide-out direction of the second housing; and a spring disposed between the support and the rack gear structure in such a way that the guide shaft penetrates the spring and configured to urge the rack gear structure in the slide-out direction.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one sensor module comprises:
a substrate disposed in the first housing to have a length along the slide-in or slide-out direction of the second housing, and
one or more sensor modules disposed on the substrate to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval, and
wherein the at least one sensor module is configured to detect a magnetic force of at least one magnet disposed at a corresponding position in the second housing.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to drive the drive motor in response to the at least one sensor module detecting that the second housing is moved by the predetermined movement distance to in the slide-in direction in the slide-in state or the slide-out state.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the drive motor such that the rack gear structure is moved to its original position after the slide-in state is changed to the slide-out state.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the drive motor to restore the second housing to its original position when the second housing is moved by a distance smaller than the predetermined movement distance.

12 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the second housing further comprises a sliding frame slidably coupled to the first housing, and wherein the drive motor is coupled to the sliding frame.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a support member connected to the first housing, disposed to be supported by the sliding frame, and at least partially accommodated in an inner space of the second housing in a slide-in state, wherein at least a portion of the flexible display is disposed to be supported by the support member.

14 . An electronic device comprising:
a first housing; a second housing including a sliding frame slidably coupled to the first housing; a flexible display configured to be expanded or contracted based on movement of the second housing with respect to the first housing; a drive motor disposed in the sliding frame and including a pinion gear, a gear structure including a rack gear engaged with the pinion gear and configured to move the second housing; at least one sensor module disposed in the first housing and configured to detect the movement of the sliding frame; and at least one processor configured to:
control the drive motor to change a state of the electronic device between a slide-in state and a slide-out state based on sensing information provided from the at least one sensor module,
when the second housing is moved by a predetermined movement distance in a slide-in direction in the slide-in state of the electronic device, control the drive motor to change the state of the electronic device from the slide-in state to the slide-out state,
when the second housing is moved by the predetermined movement distance in the slide-in direction in the slide-out state of the electronic device, control the drive motor to change the state of the electronic device from the slide-out state to the slide-in state.

15 . The electronic device of claim 14 ,
wherein the drive motor is configured to not be driven when the second housing is moved by a push-pull section.

16 . The electronic device of claim 15 ,
wherein the gear structure is configured to be moved with the second housing through the engagement of the pinion gear and the rack gear when the second housing is moved by the predetermined movement distance.

17 . The electronic device of claim 16 ,
wherein a movement distance of the gear structure is substantially equal to the push-pull section.

18 . The electronic device of claim 14 , further comprising a suspension disposed in the first housing and configured to press the rack gear structure in a slide-out direction.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Hyoungtak
• Choi Junyoung
• Kwak Myunghoon
• Kim Moonsun
• Cho Baekeun
• Lee Soyoung
• Kim Yangwook
• Lee Junghyeob
• Lee Jookwan

Classifications

• H05K5/0217

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

• H02P29/00

  Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors (arrangements for starting electric motors H02P1/00; arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors H02P3/00; control of motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies H02P4/00; regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P5/00; vector control H02P21/00) · CPC title

• H02K7/116 Primary

  with gears · CPC title

• H02P1/22 Primary

  in either direction of rotation · CPC title

• G06F1/1684

  Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 · CPC title