Foldable electronic device including flexible display element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018024593-A1
Application number	US-201715724882-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 4, 2017
Priority date	Aug 26, 2013
Publication date	Jan 25, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device includes a first and second body, a hinge unit configured to connect to the first and second body, and a flexible display disposed on the hinge unit, the first, and second body, wherein the hinge unit includes a bendable support member supported by the first and second body, and a plurality of slit members, wherein each slit member includes a fixed end that is supported by the support member and a free end that extends toward the flexible display, and wherein the plurality of slit members are arranged in a longitudinal direction relative to the flexible display and are spaced apart by an interval, wherein the free ends limit a curvature of the flexible display in a folded state by moving closer to each other and touching.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a flexible display; a first body and a second body that supports the flexible display; a hinge unit for foldably connecting the first body and the second body, the hinge unit comprising: a flexible support member; and a plurality of slit members, each of the plurality of slit members comprising a fixed end fixedly connected to the flexible support member and a free end supporting a portion of the flexible display; and a plurality of gap-widening prevention members connecting free ends of adjacent slit members among the plurality of slit members, and preventing a distance between the free ends of the adjacent slit members from being greater than a predetermined distance.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein while the first body and the second body are folded, the distance between free ends of the plurality of slit members is decreasing and while the first body and the second body are unfolded, the distance between free ends of the plurality of slit members is increasing.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of gap-widening prevention members comprises a pair of wing portions and a connector which connects the pair of wing portions, and
wherein the adjacent slit members are movably disposed between the pair of wing portions.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a first recess and a second recess that are recessed inward from outer surfaces of a first slit member of the plurality of slit members and a second slit member adjacent to the first slit member and receives the pair of wing portions.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein an outer interval between the pair of wing portions is equal to or less than a sum of an interval between the first slit member and the second slit member and thicknesses of the first slit member and the second slit member.

6 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of the slit members comprises:
a slot into which the connection portion is inserted; and a protrusion that is configured to protrude inward from at least one of both side walls of the slot and prevent the connection portion from being separated from the slot.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein a distance between the protrusion and a bottom of the slot permits the connection portion to be moved in an insertion direction into the slot.

8 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of gap-widening prevention members are integrally formed with the slit members.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of gap-widening prevention members comprises:
a connection portion that extends from a first slit member of the plurality of slit members to a second slit member that is disposed adjacent to the first slit member; and a wing portion that is disposed on an end portion of the connection portion and restricts the second slit member from being spaced apart from the first slit member, wherein a recess that is recessed inward from an outer surface of the second slit member and receives the wing portion is formed in the outer surface of the second slit member.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the second slit member comprises:
a slot into which the connection portion is inserted; and a protrusion that protrudes inward from at least one of both side walls of the slot and prevents the connection portion from being separated from the slot.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein a distance between the protrusion and a bottom of the slot permits the connection portion to be moved in an insertion direction into the slot.

12 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of gap-widening prevention members comprises a wire that connects the adjacent slit members.

13 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge unit is slidably connected in the longitudinal direction of the flexible display to at least one of the first body and the second body.

14 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible display comprising a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion, the third portion being supported by the free end of the plurality of slit members.

15 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the third portion is bent to correspond to a shape of the free ends of the plurality of the slit members.

16 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the first body comprises a first support plate coupled to the first portion and a first housing coupled to the first support plate, and
wherein the second body comprises a second support plate coupled to the second portion and a second housing coupled to the second support plate.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seo Ho-Seong

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

• H04M1/0216

  Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge · CPC title

• G06F1/1641

  the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/16 Primary

  Constructional details or arrangements · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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