Flexible electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9615473-B2
Application number	US-201414272715-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2014
Priority date	Aug 30, 2013
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A flexible electronic device is disclosed, including: a case frame, comprising a plurality of unit case frames space at regular intervals, engaged to move relative to one another, a substrate, disposed in an inner space defined by an interior of the case frame, and electrically coupling a plurality of unit substrates that are spaced at regular intervals using a flexible electrical coupler, a battery pack, disposed in the inner space, including a plurality of unit battery cells at regular intervals using a flexible electrical connection means, the unit battery cells configured to move relative to one another, and a flexible display, coupled to the case frame and positioned so that a display surface of the flexible display is exposed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible electronic device comprising:
a flexible case frame, having a radius of available flexure;
a flexible substrate, disposed in an inner space defined by the case frame;
a flexible battery pack, disposed in the inner space; and
a flexible display, coupled to the flexible case frame and positioned so that a display surface of the flexible display is exposed,
wherein a damping member is interposed between an edge of the flexible display and a portion of the flexible case frame at least partially enclosing a circumference of the flexible display, and the case frame comprises a plurality of intercoupled unit case frames configured to move relative to one another, each of the plurality of intercoupled unit case frames comprises:
a flat surface;
a first side surface and an opposing second side surface, each side surface extending perpendicularly from side-distal ends of the flat surface;
a coupler, protruding from a top-distal end of the flat surface; and
a seating end, recessing from a bottom-distal end of the flat surface, the seating end formed in opposition to the coupler,
wherein the coupler of a first of the plurality of intercoupled unit case frames is configured to at least partially couple with a step formed between the bottom-distal end and the seating end of a second of the plurality of intercoupled unit case frames that is adjacent to the first of the plurality.

2. The flexible electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
hinge holes formed in the coupler, and hinge protrusions formed in the seating end; and
hinge holes formed in the seating end, and hinge protrusions formed in the coupler, wherein:
the hinge holes are mechanically coupled to the hinge protrusions and facilitate flexure of the case frame.

3. The flexible electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the case frame is formed of at least one of a synthetic resin, a metallic material, a glass material, a Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP), and a Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP).

4. The flexible electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC).

5. The flexible electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of electrically coupled unit substrates that are spaced at regular intervals, and are mechanically and electrically coupled through a flexible electrical coupler.

6. The flexible electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the flexible electrical coupler is at least one of: a FPC soldered to each unit substrate, a conductive poron tape, a conductive tape, and a flexible metallic material.

7. The flexible electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the unit substrates are coupled using a subsidiary coupler.

8. The flexible electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the flexible electrical coupler is a FPC, and the subsidiary coupler comprises at least one of a conductive poron tape, a conductive tape, and a flexible metallic material.

9. The flexible electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the subsidiary coupler is electrically coupled to a ground of the unit substrate, and used as an extended ground of the substrate.

10. The flexible electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the battery pack is constructed by electrically coupling a plurality of unit battery cells, spaced at regular intervals using a flexible electrical coupler and configured to move relative to one another.

11. The flexible electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the electrical coupler is coaxial cable.

12. The flexible electronic device of claim 10 , wherein an outermost battery cell of the plurality of unit battery cells further comprises an access port configured to electrically couple to the electronic device.

13. The flexible electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the battery pack is embedded in the electronic device, or attached to the electronic device.

14. The flexible electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a sealing member covering the unit battery cells,
wherein the sealing member is formed of at least one of rubber, silicon, and urethane.

15. The flexible electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a mobile communication terminal.

16. A flexible electronic device comprising:
a case frame, comprising a plurality of unit case frames intercoupled at regular intervals and the unit case frames configured to move relative to one another;
a substrate, disposed in an inner space defined by the case frame, comprising a plurality of unit substrates intercoupled at the regular intervals using a flexible electrical coupler, the unit substrates configured to move relative to one another;
a battery pack, disposed in the inner space, comprising a plurality of unit battery cells intercoupled at the regular intervals using a flexible electrical connector, the unit battery cells configured to move relative to one another; and
a flexible display, coupled to the case frame and positioned so that a display surface of the flexible display is exposed, wherein each of the plurality of unit case frames comprises:
a flat surface;
a first side surface and an opposing second side surface, each side surface extending perpendicularly from side-distal ends of the flat surface;
a coupler, protruding from a top-distal end of the flat surface; and
a seating end, recessing from a bottom-distal end of the flat surface, the seating end formed in opposition to the coupler,

wherein the coupler of a first of the plurality of intercoupled unit case frames is configured to at least partially couple with a step formed between the bottom-distal end and the seating end of a second of the plurality of intercoupled unit case frames that is adjacent to the first of the plurality.

17. The flexible electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the unit case frames, the unit substrates and the unit battery cells are disposed correspondingly.

18. The flexible electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the damping member circumferentially encloses an entirety of the edge of the flexible display, such that the flexible display is nonadjacently coupled to the flexible case frame.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim In-Soo

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H05K5/0086

  portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus (casings for switching devices H01H9/02) · CPC title

• H05K1/028

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

• H05K5/0217 Primary

  Mechanical details of casings (covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03) · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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