Hinge module apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9606583-B2
Application number	US-201615065671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2016
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a hinge module apparatus including first and second bodies configured to respectively support different areas of a flexible display, a plurality of hinge members coupled to each other, and configured to couple the first and second bodies to each other, and coupling members configured to couple adjacent ones of the plurality of hinge members to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge module apparatus comprising:
first and second bodies configured to respectively support different areas of a flexible display;
a plurality of hinge members coupled to each other, and configured to couple the first and second bodies with each other; and
coupling members configured to couple adjacent ones of the plurality of hinge members to each other,
wherein each of the plurality of hinge members comprises:
an inner protruding part defining a through hole;
a hinge slit part configured to accommodate the inner protruding part of an adjacent next hinge member, and configured to guide a rotation path of the inner protruding part of the adjacent next hinge member along a first radius of curvature;
an external protruding part; and
a guide part configured to accommodate the external protruding part of the adjacent next hinge member, and configured to guide a rotation path of the external protruding part of the adjacent next hinge member along a second radius of curvature.

2. The hinge module apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the coupling members is in the hinge slit part of a respective one of the hinge members, and is in the through hole of the inner protruding part of a respective adjacent next hinge member of the hinge members.

3. The hinge module apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a respective one of the coupling members is configured to move in the hinge slit part when the flexible display is folded.

4. The hinge module apparatus of claim 3 , wherein, when the hinge module apparatus is folded, the inner protruding part of each of the hinge members rotates along the first radius of curvature, and the external protruding part of each of the hinge members rotates along the second radius of curvature.

5. The hinge module apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first radius of curvature is less than the second radius of curvature.

6. The hinge module apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first body is coupled to a first hinge member of the plurality of hinge members adjacent the first body, and
wherein the second body is coupled to a second hinge member of the plurality of hinge members adjacent the second body.

7. The hinge module apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first body comprises an inner body protruding part defining a through hole, and is coupled to the first hinge member by a respective one of the coupling members in the through hole of the inner body protruding part and in the hinge slit part of the first hinge member.

8. The hinge module apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second body comprises a body slit part, and is coupled to the second hinge member by a respective one of the coupling members in the body slit part and in the through hole of the second hinge member.

9. The hinge module apparatus of claim 6 , wherein an inner length of the plurality of hinge members is substantially a same length whether the hinge module apparatus is folded or unfolded.

10. The hinge module apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the inner length of the plurality of hinge members is equal to a width of a portion of the flexible display overlapping the plurality of hinge members.

11. The hinge module apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an elastic member passing through the plurality of hinge members and having respective ends coupled to the first and second bodies.

12. The hinge module apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the elastic member is configured to apply a greater elastic force to the plurality of hinge members when the hinge module apparatus is folded than when the hinge module apparatus is unfolded.

13. The hinge module apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising first and second coupling members on the first and second bodies, respectively, to maintain the hinge module apparatus in a folded state.

14. The hinge module apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first and second coupling members are configured to be coupled to each other when the hinge module apparatus is folded.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ahn Sungsang
• Jung Taehyeog

Classifications

• G06F1/1681 Primary

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

• G06F1/1652

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

• G06F1/1641

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