Foldable display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9704932-B2
Application number	US-201414297424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2014
Priority date	Feb 10, 2014
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A foldable display is disclosed. In one aspect, the foldable display includes a flexible display panel having first and second ends opposing each other, a first plate connected to the first end of the flexible display panel, and a second plate facing the first plate. The foldable display further includes a third plate configured to slide in and out of the second plate, wherein the third plate is connected to the second end of the flexible display panel. The foldable display also includes a first rotary plate hinged to at least one of the first and second plates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable display, comprising:
a flexible display panel having first and second ends opposing each other;
a first plate connected to the first end of the flexible display panel;
a second plate facing the first plate;
a third plate configured to slide in and out of the second plate, wherein the third plate is connected to the second end of the flexible display panel; and
a first rotary plate hinged to at least one of the first and second plates,
wherein a slot is formed in the first rotary plate and wherein the flexible display panel s configured to slide through the slot.

2. The foldable display of claim 1 , wherein, when the foldable display is folded, i) a portion of the flexible display panel is enclosed by a space defined between the first and second plates and ii) the remaining portion of the flexible display panel is located on a side of the second plate opposing the space.

3. The foldable display of claim 2 , wherein, when the foldable display is folded, the flexible display panel has a substantially S-shape or a substantially reverse S-shape.

4. The foldable display of claim 2 , wherein, when the foldable display is unfolded, i) the third plate extends from the second plate and ii) the first rotary plate is substantially parallel to the first and second plates.

5. The foldable display of claim 4 , wherein the portion of the flexible display panel is configured to be removed from the space when the foldable display is unfolded.

6. The foldable display of claim 1 , further comprising a second rotary plate, wherein the first rotary plate is hinged to the first plate and the second plate and wherein the second rotary plate is hinged to the first plate.

7. The foldable display of claim 6 , wherein a groove is formed in the second plate and wherein the third plate is configured to slide in and out of the second plate via the groove.

8. The foldable display of claim 6 , wherein the first and second hinge plates are configured to be substantially parallel to each other while the foldable display is folded and unfolded.

9. A foldable display, comprising:
first and second plate opposing each other, wherein a groove is formed in the second plate along the length thereof;
a third plate configured to be inserted into the second plate via the groove; and
a flexible display panel having first and second ends opposing each other,
wherein the first end of the flexible display panel is connected to the first plate and the second end of the flexible display panel is connected to the third plate, and
wherein the flexible display panel is configured to be i) unfolded when the third plate extends from the second plate and ii) folded when the third plate is inserted into the second plate;
first and second rotary plates formed at opposing ends of each of the first and second plates, wherein the first rotary plate is hinged to the first and second plates and wherein the second rotary plate is hinged to the first plate,
wherein a space is defined by the first and second plates and the first and second rotary plates and wherein, when the flexible display panel is folded, i) a portion of the flexible display panel is enclosed by the space and ii) the remaining portion of the flexible display panel is located on a side of the second plate opposing the space.

10. The foldable display of claim 9 , wherein the portion of the flexible display panel is configured to be removed from the space when the foldable display is unfolded.

11. The foldable display of claim 9 , wherein, when the foldable display is unfolded, i) the third plate extends from the second plate and ii) the first and second rotary plates are substantially parallel to the first and second plates.

12. The foldable display of claim 9 , wherein, the flexible display panel has a substantially S-shape or a substantially reverse S-shape when folded.

13. The foldable display of claim 9 , wherein the first and second hinge plates are configured to be substantially parallel to each other while the flexible display panel is folded and unfolded.

14. The foldable display of claim 9 , wherein a slot is formed in the first rotary plate and wherein the flexible display panel is configured to slide through the slot.

15. A foldable display for transitioning between a folded position and an unfolded position, the foldable display comprising:
a first plate;
a second plate facing the first plate, the second plate being spaced apart from the first plate in the folded position such that a space is defined between the first and second plates;
a third plate configured to slide in and out of the second plate;
a flexible display panel connected to the third plate,
wherein, in the folded position, a first portion of the flexible display panel extends over a surface of the second plate opposite to the space, and a second portion of the flexible display panel is disposed within the space defined between the first and second plates,
wherein, the flexible display panel is connected to the third plate such that when the third plate is slid out of the second plate i) the flexible display panel moves along the surface of the second plate opposite to the space, and ii) the flexible display panel is removed from the space defined between the first and second plates.

16. The foldable display of claim 15 , further comprising:
a first rotary plate hinged to a first end of the first plate and a first end of the second plate, and
a second rotary plate is hinged to at least a second end of the first plate that is opposite to the first end of the first plate,
wherein the first rotary plate, the second rotary plate, the first plate and the second plate form a collapsible structure in which the first and second rotary plates are rotatable in the same direction to decrease the distance between first plate and the second plate.

17. The foldable display of claim 15 , wherein the first rotary plate comprises a slot, and the flexible display is connected to the third plate such that the flexible display slides through the slot when the third plate is slid in or out of the second plate.

18. The foldable display of claim 15 , further comprising:
a first rotary plate hinged to a first end of the first plate and a first end of the second plate, and
a second rotary plate is hinged to at least a second end of the first plate that is opposite to the first end of the first plate,
wherein the first rotary plate, the second rotary plate, the first plate and the second plate define the space in which the second portion of the flexible display is disposed.

19. The foldable display of claim 18 , wherein the first rotary plate comprises a slot, and the flexible display is connected to the third plate such that the flexible display slides through the slot when the third plate is slid in or out of the second plate.

20. The foldable display of claim 15 , wherein a first end of the flexible display panel is connected to a surface of the first plate facing the second plate, and a second end of the flexible display panel is connected to the third plate.

21. A foldable display, comprising:
a flexible display panel;
the flexible display panel having a first area and a second area;
a first plate;
a second plate having a first surface and a second surface;
the first surface facing the first plate;
the second surface facing away from the first plate;
the first area substantially covering the entire second surface;
the second plate comprising a moving plate and a fixe

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Sang-Jo
• Kim Cheol-Su
• Choi Won-Suk

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• Y02E10/549

  Organic PV cells · CPC title

• H04M1/0214

  Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position (combined with translation movement H04M1/0235) · CPC title

• G09F9/301

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