Display device with adjustable rigidity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9756702-B2
Application number	US-201514700045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2015
Priority date	Apr 29, 2015
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

In one embodiment, a device includes a first sheet configured to flex; a second sheet disposed below the first sheet; and an intermediate region disposed between the sheets. The intermediate region may include multiple supports, each of the supports connected to portions of the first and second sheets and configured to maintain a spacing between the sheets. The intermediate region may also include multiple channels configured to contain a fluid in the spacing between the sheets, each of the channels disposed between two or more supports. The fluid is configured to be in an active or an inactive state. When the fluid is in the inactive state, the device is substantially flexible, and when the fluid is in the active state, the device is substantially rigid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a first sheet configured to flex, wherein the first sheet comprises one or more first electrodes;
a second sheet disposed below the first sheet, wherein the second sheet comprises one or more second electrodes; and
an intermediate region disposed between the sheets, the intermediate region comprising:
a plurality of supports, each of the supports connected to portions of the first and second sheets and configured to maintain a spacing between the sheets;
a plurality of channels configured to contain a fluid in the spacing between the sheets, each of the channels disposed between two or more supports; and
the fluid, configured to be in an active or an inactive state, wherein:
when the fluid is in the inactive state, the device is substantially flexible; and
when the fluid is in the active state, the device is substantially rigid,

wherein the first and second electrodes are configured to:
receive a voltage applied between one or more of the first and second electrodes; and
produce an electric field between the one or more first and second electrodes, the electric field extending through the fluid of one or more channels of the intermediate region, and the electric field having a magnitude proportional to the applied voltage.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first sheet comprises a flexible display.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a flexible display attached to an outer surface of the first sheet.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate region comprises a sandwich structure with the first and second sheets, wherein when the intermediate region is flexed into a shape, the first sheet flexes into a shape that is similar to the shape of the intermediate region.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluid is an electrically controlled fluid;
the electrically controlled fluid is in the inactive state when the applied voltage is approximately zero; and
the electrically controlled fluid is in the active state when the applied voltage is nonzero.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the electrically controlled fluid comprises an electrorheological fluid.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the device further comprises one or more electromagnets configured to receive an electric current and produce a magnetic field based on the received electric current;
the fluid is a magnetically controlled fluid;
the magnetically controlled fluid is in the inactive state when no current is applied to the electromagnets; and
the magnetically controlled fluid is in the active state when one or more currents are applied to one or more of the respective electromagnets.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the magnetically controlled fluid is a magnetorheological fluid.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluid is air; and
the device further comprises a pump configured to pump the air into one or more channels of the intermediate region when the air is in the active state.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluid is a hydraulic fluid; and
the device further comprises:
a reservoir configured to contain a portion of the hydraulic fluid; and
a pump configured to pump hydraulic fluid from the reservoir into one or more channels of the intermediate region when the hydraulic fluid is in the active state.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the device is configured to maintain a substantially flat shape when the fluid is in the active state.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the device is configured to maintain a substantially curved shape when the fluid is in the active state.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to be worn on a person's body.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to:
be wrapped around a part of a person's body when the fluid is in the inactive state; and
after being wrapped around the part of the person's body, activate the fluid into the active state wherein the device makes a persistent snug fit to the part of the person's body or conforms to a persistent shape of the part of the person's body.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is further configured to be in a semi-active state, wherein when the fluid is in the semi-active state, the device is semi-rigid and has a rigidity between the substantially flexible inactive state and the substantially rigid active state.

16. A system comprising:
a first sheet configured to flex;
a second sheet disposed below the first sheet;
an intermediate region disposed between the sheets, the intermediate region comprising:
a plurality of supports, each of the supports connected to portions of the first and second sheets and configured to maintain a spacing between the sheets;
a plurality of channels configured to contain a fluid in the spacing between the sheets, each of the channels disposed between two or more supports; and
the fluid, configured to be in an active or an inactive state, wherein:
when the fluid is in the inactive state, the system is substantially flexible; and
when the fluid is in the active state, the system is substantially rigid; and

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is configured when executed to control the state of the fluid.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein:
the first sheet comprises one or more first electrodes;
the second sheet comprises one or more second electrodes; and
the first and second electrodes are configured to:
receive a voltage applied between one or more of the first and second electrodes; and
produce an electric field between the one or more first and second electrodes, the electric field extending through the fluid of one or more channels of the intermediate region, and the electric field having a magnitude proportional to the applied voltage.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first sheet comprises a flexible display.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the system further comprises a flexible display attached to an outer surface of the first sheet.

20. An apparatus comprising:
an intermediate region configured to be disposed between a first sheet comprising one or more first electrodes and a second sheet comprising one or more second electrodes, the first sheet being configured to flex, the intermediate region comprising:
a plurality of supports, each of the supports connected to portions of the first and second sheets and configured to maintain a spacing between the sheets;
a plurality of channels configured to contain a fluid in the spacing between the sheets, each of the channels disposed between two or more supports; and
the fluid, configured to be in an active or an inactive state, wherein:
when the fluid is in the inactive state, the apparatus is substantially flexible; and
when the fluid is in the active state, the apparatus is substantially rigid,

wherein the first and second electrodes are configured to:
receive a voltage applied between one or more of the first and second electrodes; and
produce an electric field between the one or more first and second electrodes, the electric field extending through the fluid of one or more channels of the intermediate region, and the electric field having a magnitude proportional to the applied voltage.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hamel Jeffrey G

Classifications

• H01L27/00

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L2251/5338

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B33/26 Primary

  characterised by the composition or arrangement of the conductive material used as an electrode · CPC title

• H01L51/0097

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02E10/549

  Organic PV cells · CPC title