Electronic device with flexible assembly and limit structure thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9625955-B2
Application number	US-201514599631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2015
Priority date	Jul 17, 2014
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

An electronic device with a flexible assembly, comprising a housing, a positioning assembly and a flexible display, is provided. The housing comprises a first cover plate, a second cover plate and a flexible assembly. The flexible assembly is bendably connected to the first and second cover plates, so that the first cover plate closes on the second cover plate or opens to a limit angle with respect to the second cover plate and then stops. The positioning assembly is disposed on the housing for positioning the first cover plate, the flexible assembly and the second cover plate in an open state or a closed state. When the first cover plate opens to the limit angle with respect to the second cover plate, the positioning assembly prevents the first cover plate from rotating in a reverse direction with respect to the second cover plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device with a flexible assembly, comprising:
a housing, comprising:
a first cover plate and a second cover plate;
a flexible assembly bendably connected to the first cover plate and the second cover plate, so that the first cover plate closes on the second cover plate or opens to a limit angle with respect to the second cover plate and then stops; and
a positioning assembly disposed on the housing for positioning the first cover plate, the flexible assembly and the second cover plate in an open state or a closed state, wherein when the first cover plate opens to the limit angle with respect to the second cover plate, the positioning assembly comprises a slider engaged with the first cover plate and the second cover plate and crossing over the flexible assembly, so that the positioning assembly prevents the first cover plate from rotating in a reverse direction with respect to the second cover plate; and
a flexible display expandably or foldablely disposed on the first cover plate, the flexible assembly and the second cover plate.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible display has a first display surface and a second display surface corresponding to the first cover plate and the second cover plate, respectively.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the slider is slidably disposed on the second cover plate and capable of sliding towards the first cover plate from the second cover plate or away from the first cover plate to engage or disengage the first cover plate, the flexible assembly and the second cover plate in the open state.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein the second cover plate has a first positioning portion and a second positioning portion corresponding to the slider, the first positioning portion is disposed farther away from the first cover plate than the second positioning portion, and when the slider is moved to the first positioning portion or the second positioning portion, the slider correspondingly disengages or engages the first cover plate, the flexible assembly and the second cover plate in the open state.

5. The electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein the second cover plate has at least one chute corresponding to the slider, and the sliders comprises at least one slide block located in the corresponding at least one chute.

6. The electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein the slider has at least one chute corresponding to the second cover plate, and the second cover plate comprises at least one slide block located in the corresponding at least one chute.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning assembly comprises a fastening assembly disposed on the first cover plate and the second cover plate in pair for fixing the first cover plate, the flexible assembly and the second cover plate in the closed state.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible assembly is a caterpillar track comprising a plurality of track pieces and a plurality of connection members, the connection members are arranged in pairs and correspondingly connect two ends of the track pieces, the first cover plate and the second cover plate respectively, and each connection member is pivotally connected between adjacent two of the first cover plate, the track pieces and the second cover plate.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein quantity of the track pieces is N, N≧2, the first cover plate and the second cover plate have a first protrusion portion and a second protrusion portion, two ends of each track piece correspondingly have a third protrusion portion and a fourth protrusion portion, the first protrusion portion interferes with the third protrusion portion of the first track piece and stops, the second protrusion portion interferes with the fourth protrusion portion of the N th track piece and stops, the fourth protrusion portion of the M th track piece interferes with the third protrusion portion of the (M+1) th track piece adjacent to the M th track piece and stops, and M and N are positive integers satisfying 1≦M<N.

10. The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein the flexible assembly is bent and sustains at inner side of the flexible display, and the track pieces are segmentally connected between the first cover plate and the second cover plate and respectively contact the inner side of the flexible display.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10 , wherein each outer surface of the track pieces has a curvature arc contact surface smoothly contacting the inner side of the flexible display.

12. A limit structure used in a housing having a first cover plate and a second cover plate, the limit structure comprising:
a flexible assembly bendably connected to the first cover plate and the second cover plate, so that the first cover plate closes on the second cover plate or opens to a limit angle with respect to the second cover plate and then stops, wherein when each component of the flexible assembly rotates to a stop position in the same direction, the flexible assembly limits continuous rotation of the first cover plate with respect to the second cover plate: and
a positioning assembly disposed on the housing for positioning the first cover plate, the flexible assembly and the second cover plate in an open state or a closed state, wherein when the first cover plate opens to the limit angle, the positioning assembly comprises a slider engaged with the first cover plate and the second cover plate and crossing over the flexible assembly, so that the positioning assembly prevents the first cover plate from rotating in a reverse direction with respect to the second cover plate.

13. The limit structure according to claim 12 , wherein the slider is slidably disposed on the second cover plate and capable of sliding towards the first cover plate from the second cover plate or away from the first cover plate to engage or disengage the first cover plate, the flexible assembly and the second cover plate in the open state.

14. The limit structure according to claim 13 , wherein the second cover plate has a first positioning portion and a second positioning portion corresponding to the slider, the first positioning portion is disposed farther away from the first cover plate than the second positioning portion, and when the slider is moved to the first positioning portion or the second positioning portion, the slider correspondingly engages or disengages the first cover plate, the flexible assembly and the second cover plate in the open state.

15. The limit structure according to claim 13 , wherein the second cover plate has at least one chute corresponding to the slider, and the slider comprises at least one slide block located in the corresponding at least one chute.

16. The limit structure according to claim 13 , wherein the slider has at least one chute corresponding to the second cover plate, and the second cover plate comprises at least one slide block located in the corresponding at least one chute.

17. The limit structure according to claim 13 , wherein the fixing assembly comprises a fastening assembly disposed on the first cover plate and the second cover plate in pair for fixing the first cover plate, the flexible assembly and the second cover plate in the closed state.

18. The limit structure according to claim 13 , wherein the flexible assembly is a caterpillar track comprising a plurality of track pieces and a plurality of connection members, the connection members

Assignees

• Wistron Corp

Inventors

• Liao Ping-Feng
• Chang Hsing-Wang
• Hsu Po-Yuan
• Chen Tsung-Hsien
• Su Chia-Cheng

Classifications

• G06F2200/1633

  Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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

• 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

• G06F1/1616

  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

• G06F1/1641

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