Electronic device comprising driving element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12596406-B2
Application number	US-202418649332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2024
Priority date	Oct 29, 2021
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise: a housing comprising a first housing and a second housing accommodating at least one part of the first housing and configured to guide sliding movement of the first housing; a display configured to be extended based on the sliding movement of the first housing; and a driving element formed so as to provide a driving force for the sliding movement of the first housing. The driving element may comprise: a shaft structure comprising a shaft and a sliding portion configured to slide relative to the shaft; an arm structure comprising a first arm, rotatably connected to the first housing and the sliding portion, and a second arm rotatably connected to the second housing and the sliding portion; an elastic structure comprising a spring surrounding at least a part of the shaft and configured to provide elasticity to the sliding portion; and a link structure comprising a first link, rotatably connected to the shaft and the first arm, and a second link rotatably connected to the shaft and the second arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device, comprising:
a housing including a first housing and a second housing configured to receive at least a portion of the first housing and guide a slide movement of the first housing; a display, wherein at least a portion of the display is configured to be deformable based on the slide movement of the first housing; and a driving element configured to provide a driving force for the slide movement of the first housing, wherein the driving element includes: a shaft structure including a shaft and a slide part configured to slide with respect to the shaft; an arm structure including a first arm rotatably connected to the first housing and the slide part and a second arm rotatably connected to the second housing and the slide part; an elastic structure comprising a spring surrounding at least a portion of the shaft and configured to provide an elastic force to the slide part; and a link structure including a first link rotatably connected to the shaft and the first arm and a second link rotatably connected to the shaft and the second arm.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first housing is configured to slide in a first direction with respect to the second housing, and
wherein the elastic structure is configured to be compressed or extended in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first arm includes a first end portion rotatably connected to the first housing and a second end portion rotatably connected to the slide part, and
wherein the second arm includes a third end portion rotatably connected to the second housing and a fourth end portion rotatably connected to the slide part.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first arm includes a first connection area positioned between the first end portion and the second end portion,
wherein the second arm includes a second connection area positioned between the third end portion and the fourth end portion, wherein the first link includes a fifth end portion connected to the shaft and a sixth end portion opposite to the fifth end portion and connected to the first connection area, and wherein the second link includes a seventh end portion connected to the shaft and an eighth end portion opposite to the seventh end portion and connected to the second connection area.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the driving element further includes a fastener configured to adjust a length of the elastic structure, and connected to the shaft.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the driving element includes an interlocking structure including a first gear connected to the first link and a second gear connected to the second link and configured to be engaged with the first gear.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the driving element includes a ball structure comprising at least one ball rotatably connected to the slide part, and
wherein a first diameter of the ball structure is greater than a second diameter of the elastic structure.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first housing includes a first plate configured to support at least a portion of the display and provide pressure to the display,
wherein the second housing includes a second plate configured to support at least a portion of the display, and wherein the first arm is connected to the first plate, and the second arm is connected to the second plate.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the elastic structure includes a coil spring.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the driving element includes a magnetic structure including a first magnet disposed in the first arm and a second magnet disposed in the second arm.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the driving element includes:
a first pin including a first first pin connecting the first housing and a first end portion of the first arm and a second first pin connecting the second housing and a third end portion of the second housing; a second pin structure including a first second pin connecting a fifth end portion of the first link and the shaft and a second second pin connecting a seventh end portion of the second link and the shaft; a third pin including a first third pin connected to a sixth end portion of the first link, opposite to the fifth end portion, and a first connection area of the first arm and a second third pin connected to an eighth end portion of the second link, opposite to the seventh end portion, and a second connection area of the second arm; and a fourth pin including a first fourth pin connected to a second end portion of the first arm and the slide part and a second fourth pin connected to a fourth end portion of the second arm and the slide part.

12 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first arm is configured to rotate with respect to the slide part about the first fourth pin, and the second arm is configured to rotate with respect to the slide part about the second fourth pin, and
wherein the first link is configured to rotate with respect to the shaft about the first second pin, and the second link is configured to rotate with respect to the shaft about the second second pin.

13 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display includes a first display area visible to an outside of the electronic device and a second display area extending from the first display area and configured to be extended based on the slide movement of the first housing, and wherein the electronic device further comprises:
a multi-bar structure comprising multiple bars configured to support at least a portion of the second display area; and a guide rail configured to guide a movement of the multi-bar structure and connected to the first housing.

14 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the shaft includes a first shaft area surrounded by the elastic structure and a second shaft area extending from the first shaft area and connected to the link structure.

15 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a motor structure comprising a motor connected to the second housing and configured to generate at least a portion of the driving force for the slide movement of the first housing; and a gear structure including a pinion gear configured to rotate based on a driving force generated by the motor structure and a rack gear connected to the first housing and configured to move based on the driving force generated by the motor structure.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Youngmin
• Lee Seungjoon
• Shin Moonchul
• Yoon Yeonggyu
• Cho Joongyeon
• Choi Junyoung
• Kang Hyunggwang
• Yoon Byounguk
• Lee Gabseong
• Lee Wonho

Classifications

• H04M1/0235

  Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts · CPC title

• H04M1/0237

  Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom · CPC title

• G06F1/1675

  Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts · CPC title

• G06F1/1624

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

• G06F1/1616

  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