Foldable display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9535452-B2
Application number	US-201514831799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2015
Priority date	Apr 1, 2015
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A foldable display device includes a flexible display panel including a bendable area and flat areas on both sides of the bendable area, and a lower case housing the flexible display panel and including a hinge corresponding to the bendable area and including a first rotation point connected to a first link having a first radius of rotation and a second rotation point connected to a second link having a second radius of rotation, the second radius of rotation being different from the first radius of rotation, and supports on both sides of the hinge and corresponding to the flat areas, wherein the first link has an end connected to the first rotation point and a first guide opening connected to each of the supports, and the second link has a first end connected to the second rotation point and a second end engaging the first guide opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable display device comprising:
a flexible display panel comprising a bendable area and flat areas on both sides of the bendable area; and
a lower case housing the flexible display panel and comprising:
a hinge corresponding to the bendable area and comprising a first rotation point connected to a first link having a first radius of rotation and a second rotation point connected to a second link having a second radius of rotation, the second radius of rotation being different from the first radius of rotation; and supports on both sides of the hinge and corresponding to the flat areas, wherein the first link has an end connected to the first rotation point and a first guide opening connected to each of the supports, and the second link has a first end connected to the second rotation point and a second end engaging the first guide opening.

2. The foldable display device of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the supports comprises a support plate configured to support the flexible display panel, a bottom portion opposite the support plate, and sidewalls extending from both sides of the bottom portion and perpendicular to the support plate, and
wherein each of the sidewalls comprises a second guide opening extending in a different direction from the first guide opening, and the second end of the second link engages the second guide opening.

3. The foldable display device of claim 2 , wherein each of the sidewalls comprises a first moving protrusion configured to move along the first guide opening, and the second end of the second link comprises a second moving protrusion configured to move along the first guide opening and the second guide opening.

4. The foldable display device of claim 3 , wherein at least part of the first guide opening comprises a region extending in a first direction, and the second guide opening extends in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

5. The foldable display device of claim 4 , wherein the first guide opening further comprises a region sloping from an end of the region extending in the first direction toward a lower part of the hinge.

6. The foldable display device of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the supports comprises a support plate configured to support the flexible display panel, a bottom portion opposite the support plate, and sidewalls extending from both sides of the bottom portion and perpendicular to the support plate, and
wherein each of the sidewalls comprises a second guide opening extending in a different direction from the first guide opening, the first link comprises a third guide opening extending in a direction perpendicular to the second guide opening, and the second end of the second link engages the second guide opening.

7. The foldable display device of claim 6 , wherein the first guide opening is closer to the hinge than the third guide opening.

8. The foldable display device of claim 1 , wherein each of the supports comprises a support plate configured to support the flexible display panel, a bottom surface opposite the support plate, and sidewalls extending from both sides of a bottom portion and perpendicular to the support plate, wherein the first link extends in the same direction as the sidewalls, and a height of the first link is substantially equal to those of the sidewalls.

9. The foldable display device of claim 8 , wherein the second link has a bent shape, and a height of the second rotation point along the second direction from a bottom of the hinge is greater than that of the first rotation point.

10. The foldable display device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge comprises a spindle configured to provide a rotational force to at least one of the first rotation point and the second rotation point, and an upper case coupled to the lower case to maintain a shape of the flexible display panel.

11. The foldable display device of claim 1 , wherein a radius of rotation of the first rotation point is greater than that of the second rotation point.

12. A foldable display device comprising:
a flexible display panel comprising a bendable area and flat areas on both sides of the bendable area;
supports under the flexible display panel and corresponding to the flat areas, the supports being configured to support the flexible display panel; and
a hinge between the supports and configured to rotate each of the supports using a first link connected to a first rotation point and a second link connected to a second rotation point, the second rotation point being different from the first rotation point,
wherein each of the supports comprises a support plate contacting the flexible display panel and sidewalls perpendicular to the support plate, and
wherein the first link is connected to each of the sidewalls using a first guide opening comprising a region extending in a first direction in at least part thereof, each of the sidewalls comprises a second guide opening extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and the second link is configured to move along the first guide opening and the second guide opening.

13. The foldable display device of claim 12 , wherein each of the sidewalls comprises a first moving protrusion configured to move along the first guide opening, and a second end of the second link comprises a second moving protrusion configured to move along the first guide opening and the second guide opening.

14. The foldable display device of claim 12 , wherein the first link further comprises a third guide opening extending in the first direction, and each of the sidewalls further comprises a third moving protrusion configured to move along the third guide opening.

15. The foldable display device of claim 14 , wherein the first guide opening is closer to the hinge than the third guide opening.

16. The foldable display device of claim 12 , wherein the first link extends in the same direction as the sidewalls, and a height of the first link is substantially equal to those of the sidewalls.

17. The foldable display device of claim 16 , wherein the second link has a bent shape, and a height of the second rotation point along the second direction from a bottom of the hinge is greater than that of the first rotation point.

18. The foldable display device of claim 12 , wherein the hinge comprises a spindle configured to provide a rotational force to at least one of the first rotation point and the second rotation point, and an upper case coupled to a lower case to maintain a shape of the flexible display panel.

19. The foldable display device of claim 12 , wherein a radius of rotation of the first rotation point is different from that of the second rotation point.

20. The foldable display device of claim 19 , wherein the radius of rotation of the first rotation point is greater than that of the second rotation point.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ahn Sung Sang

Classifications

• G06F1/1615

  with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function (constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206) · CPC title

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• H05K1/028

  Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1616 Primary

  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

• G06F1/1652

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