Flexible display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9678539-B2
Application number	US-201514962085-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2015
Priority date	Jan 22, 2015
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A display device includes a first body including a first internal space and a first opening at a first side of the first body, a second body including a second internal space and a second opening at a first side of the second body, the second opening facing the first opening, a flexible display panel to display images, the flexible display panel having a changeable display area in accordance with a distance between the first and second bodies, and an arm assembly including a plurality of connecting arms supporting the first and second bodies, the plurality of connecting arms being rotatably coupled to the first and second bodies.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device, comprising:
a first body including a first internal space and a first opening at a first side of the first body;
a second body including a second internal space and a second opening at a first side of the second body, the second opening facing the first opening;
a flexible display panel to display images, the flexible display panel having a changeable display area in accordance with a distance between the first and second bodies; and
an arm assembly including a plurality of fixed arms and a plurality of connecting arms supporting the first and second bodies, the plurality of connecting arms being rotatably coupled to the first and second bodies.

2. The display device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the arm assembly further comprises:
supporting shafts fixed to each of the first and second bodies;
each of the fixed arms connecting the supporting shafts in each of the first and second bodies;
connecting arms rotatably coupled to the supporting shafts; and
a variable shaft connecting the connecting arms and being rotatably installed with respect to the connecting arms.

3. The display device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein two first supporting shafts separated from each other are in the first body, two second supporting shafts separated from each other are in the second body, connecting arms are rotatably positioned at each of the first and second supporting shafts, and the variable shaft rotatably connects the connecting arms respectively connected to the first and second bodies.

4. The display device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a first cover coupled to the first body and a hole through the first cover, the flexible display panel passing through the hole.

5. The display device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a first supporting plate slidably coupled to the first body.

6. The display device as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising a mounting groove in an inner wall surface of the first body, the first supporting plate being inserted into the mounting groove.

7. The display device as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising:
a supporting pin protruding from a lateral surface of the first supporting plate; and
a guide groove in the mounting groove and elongated in a moving direction of the first supporting, the supporting pin being inserted into the guide groove.

8. The display device as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising a second supporting plate slidably coupled to the second body, a side end of the first supporting plate facing a side end of the second supporting plate.

9. The display device as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a connecting protrusion on the first supporting plate and protruding toward the second supporting plate, the connecting protrusion being inserted into a connecting groove in the second supporting plate.

10. The display device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a catching protrusion on the first body and protruding toward the second body, the catching protrusion being inserted and locked into a locking groove in a lateral surface of the second body facing the first body.

11. The display device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a first roller in a first body, a first side end portion of a length direction of the flexible display panel being wound around the first roller; and
a second roller in a second body, a second side end portion of the length direction of the flexible display panel being wound on the second roller.

12. The display device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a first supporting rod at a first side end portion of a length direction of the flexible display panel; and
a second supporting rod at a second side end portion of the length direction of the flexible display panel, the flexible display panel surrounding the first and second bodies, and the first and second supporting rods are respectively disposed under the first and second bodies.

13. The display device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the first and second supporting rods are coupled to each other with an elastic body therebetween.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hayk Khachatryan
• Koo Hyun Woo
• Kim Tae Woong

Classifications

• G06F1/1624

  with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G09F9/301 Primary

  flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED · CPC title

• G09F9/33

  being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes · CPC title