Flexible display and electronic device comprising same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021116959-A1
Application number	US-201917257075-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 5, 2019
Priority date	Jul 13, 2018
Publication date	Apr 22, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise: a housing comprising a front plate facing in a first direction, a rear plate facing in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a side member disposed to surround a space between the front plate and the rear plate; a rigid display disposed between the front plate and the rear plate of the housing, for externally displaying information in the first direction; a flexible display extending from one side of the rigid display and bending relative to the rigid display, thereby forming a curved surface, or disposed in parallel to the rigid display, thereby forming a flat surface; a plurality of magnets arranged at a specified interval in the flexible display; and a first sensor disposed in the rigid display and configured to sense the degree of bending of the flexible display by sensing magnetic forces provided by the plurality of magnets.

First claim

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a housing comprising a front plate oriented in a first direction, a rear plate oriented in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a side member disposed to surround a space between the front plate and the rear plate; a rigid display disposed between the front plate and the rear plate of the housing, the rigid display being configured to display information to an outside in the first direction; a flexible display extending from one side of the rigid display, the flexible display being bent relative to the rigid display so as to define a curved surface or being disposed parallel to the rigid display so as to define a flat surface; a plurality of magnets arranged at a predetermined interval inside the flexible display; and a first sensor disposed inside the rigid display, the first sensor being configured to detect a degree of bending of the flexible display by detecting magnetic force provided by the plurality of magnets.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of second sensors arranged inside the flexible display at a predetermined interval, and configured to detect the degree of bending of the flexible display using magnetic force provided as positions of the plurality of magnets vary.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a processor disposed inside the housing, wherein the processor is configured to receive signals for identifying the degree of bending of the flexible display from the first sensor and the second sensors, and to determine an active state of at least one of the rigid display and the flexible display.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , further comprising:
at least one support member disposed at one end of the flexible display and configured to provide flatness to the flexible display.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the flexible display is configured to have an area larger than that of the rigid display, and has a first length in the third direction and a second length longer than the first length in a fourth direction.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the flexible display comprises:
a flexible display panel; and a printed circuit board stacked under the display panel, wherein one surface of the support member is disposed on a same plane as one surface of the flexible display panel.

7 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the support member comprises an elastic material, and
a width of the support member disposed in the fourth direction is 1 to 10% of the second length of the flexible display.

8 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein since opposite end areas of the support member may be bent to have a predetermined curvature toward the second direction in the state in which the flexible display is unfolded, the flexible display maintains the flatness in the longitudinal direction.

9 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of magnets comprise:
first magnets arranged along a first virtual line in an upper end area of the flexible display at a predetermined interval; and second magnets arranged along a second virtual line in a lower end area of the flexible display at a predetermined interval, and wherein the first virtual line and the second virtual line are parallel to each other.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein an arrangement of the second magnets is disposed to correspond to an arrangement of the first magnets so as to be aligned on a substantially same axis as the arrangement of the first magnets.

11 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the first sensor is arranged along an edge of the rigid display adjacent to the flexible display, and comprises a hall sensor.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein a plurality of first sensors are provided,
wherein the plurality of first sensors comprise: a (1-1)th sensor disposed adjacent to at least some of the first magnets; and a (1-2)th sensor disposed adjacent to at least some of the second magnets, and wherein the (1-1)th sensor is located on the first virtual line, and the (1-2)th sensor is located on the second virtual line.

13 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of second sensors comprise:
(2-1)th sensors arranged along a third virtual line in the upper end area of the flexible display at a predetermined interval; and (2-2)th sensors arranged along a fourth virtual line in the lower end area of the flexible display at a predetermined interval, and wherein the third virtual line and the fourth virtual line are parallel to each other, the third virtual line is spaced apart from the first virtual line, and the fourth virtual line is spaced apart from the second virtual line.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of second sensors are configured to detect the degree of bending of the flexible display in response to bending information detected by the first sensor, and
an arrangement of the (2-2)th sensors is disposed to correspond to an arrangement of the first magnets so as to be aligned on a substantially same axis as the arrangement of the (2-1)th sensors.

15 . An electronic device comprising:
a housing comprising a front plate, a rear plate facing away from the front plate, and a side member disposed to surround a space between the front plate and the rear plate; a rigid display disposed inside the housing and configured to display information to an outside; a flexible display disposed outside the housing and extending from one side of the rigid display, the flexible display being bendable, wherein the flexible display is variable to: a first state in which one surface of the flexible display is disposed to be oriented in a same direction as the rigid display; a second state in which the one surface of the flexible display is disposed to surround at least part of the front plate, the rear plate, and the side member; and a third state in which the flexible display is rolled and is disposed on one side of the housing.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Heo Changryong
• Prushinskiy Valeriy
• Song Mijeong
• Kim Minuk
• Park Hajoong

Classifications

• G06F1/1601 Primary

  Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays (constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64) · CPC title

• G06F1/1607 Primary

  Arrangements to support accessories mechanically attached to the display housing (G06F1/1603, G06F1/1605 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01B7/24

  using change in magnetic properties · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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