Foldable electronic device including flexible display element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9811119-B2
Application number	US-201414468667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2014
Priority date	Aug 26, 2013
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

An electronic device includes a first and second body, a hinge unit configured to connect to the first and second body, and a flexible display disposed on the hinge unit, the first, and second body, wherein the hinge unit includes a bendable support member supported by the first and second body, and a plurality of slit members, wherein each slit member includes a fixed end that is supported by the support member and a free end that extends toward the flexible display, and wherein the plurality of slit members are arranged in a longitudinal direction relative to the flexible display and are spaced apart by an interval, wherein the free ends limit a curvature of the flexible display in a folded state by moving closer to each other and touching.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a flexible display comprising a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion;
a first body for supporting the first portion of the flexible display;
a second body for supporting the second portion of the flexible display;
a hinge unit for foldably connecting the first body and the second body; the hinge unit comprising:
a flexible support member; and
a plurality of slit members, each of the plurality of slit members comprising a fixed end fixedly connected to the flexible support member and a free end extending from the flexible support member which supports the third portion of the flexible display; and

a plurality of gap-widening prevention members connecting free ends of adjacent slit members among the plurality of slit members,
wherein when the first body and the second body are folded, a distance between free ends of the plurality of slit members changes, and
wherein when the first body and the second body are opened the gap-widening prevention members prevent the distance between the free ends of the adjacent slit members from being greater than a predetermined distance.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of gap-widening prevention members comprises a pair of wing portions and a connector which connects the pair of wing portions, and
wherein the adjacent slit members are movably disposed between the pair of wing portions.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first recess and a second recess that are recessed inward from outer surfaces of a first slit member of the plurality of slit members and a second slit member adjacent to the first slit member and receives the pair of wing portions.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein an outer interval between the pair of wing portions is equal to or less than a sum of an interval between the first slit member and the second slit member and thicknesses of the first slit member and the second slit member.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of the slit members comprises:
a slot into which the connection portion is inserted; and
a protrusion that is configured to protrude inward from at least one of both side walls of the slot and prevent the connection portion from being separated from the slot.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein a distance between the protrusion and a bottom of the slot permits the connection portion to be moved in an insertion direction into the slot.

7. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of gap-widening prevention members are integrally formed with the slit members.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of gap-widening prevention members comprises:
a connection portion that extends from a first slit member of the plurality of slit members to a second slit member that is disposed adjacent to the first slit member; and
a wing portion that is disposed on an end portion of the connection portion and restricts the second slit member from being spaced apart from the first slit member,
wherein a recess that is recessed inward from an outer surface of the second slit member and receives the wing portion is formed in the outer surface of the second slit member.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the second slit member comprises:
a slot into which the connection portion is inserted; and
a protrusion that protrudes inward from at least one of both side walls of the slot and prevents the connection portion from being separated from the slot.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein a distance between the protrusion and a bottom of the slot permits the connection portion to be moved in an insertion direction into the slot.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of gap-widening prevention members comprises a wire that connects the adjacent slit members.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge unit is slidably connected in the longitudinal direction of the flexible display to at least one of the first body and the second body.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein a sliding groove that extends in the longitudinal direction is formed in at least one of the first body and the second body, and
wherein at least one of both ends of the hinge unit are inserted and slid into the sliding groove.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein both ends of the hinge unit are supported by a pair of holders disposed on both sides in a longitudinal direction, and a sliding rail which is inserted and slid into the sliding groove is provided on at least one of the pair of the holders,
the electronic device further comprising:
a stopper provided on at least one of the one pair of holders, and
a projecting ridge provided on at least one of the first and second bodies, and is configured to prevent the hinge unit from being separated from the first and second bodies by catching the stopper.

15. The electronic device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a sliding plate that is coupled to the hinge unit; and
a sliding frame that is coupled to at least one of the first and second bodies, and by which the sliding plate is slidably supported.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , further comprising an unfolding angle adjustment unit that is configured to stop the sliding plate at one or more positions during sliding.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the unfolding angle adjustment unit is configured to stop the sliding plate at a first position that corresponds to a state where the first and second bodies are completely unfolded, and at least one second position between the state where the first and second bodies are completely unfolded and a state where the first and second bodies are completely folded.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the unfolding angle adjustment unit comprises:
an angle adjustment post that is provided on the sliding plate; and
an angle adjustment slot that is provided in the sliding frame so that the angle adjustment post may be inserted into the angle adjustment slot to be slid, and comprises first and second locking portions that have a slot width configured to lock the angle adjustment post at the first and second positions and concave portions that are disposed between the first and second locking portions and have a slot width less than the slot width of the first and second locking portions.

19. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the third portion is bent to correspond to a shape of the free ends of the plurality of the slit members.

20. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first body comprises a first support plate coupled to the first portion and a first housing coupled to the first support plate, and
wherein the second body comprises a second support plate coupled to the second portion and a second housing coupled to the second support plate.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seo Ho-Seong

Classifications

• G06F1/1641

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

• H04M1/0216

  Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge · CPC title

• G09F9/00

  Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements (in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00) · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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