Flexible display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9836087-B2
Application number	US-201514792484-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2014
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A flexible display is disclosed. In one aspect, the flexible display includes a flexible display panel and a housing for the flexible display. The flexible display panel is configured to be withdrawn from a surface of the housing. The flexible display also includes a grip connected to a first end of the flexible display panel and having a surface that opposes the surface of the housing in a first direction. The flexible display further a plurality of fixing members connected to one of the housing or the grip. The fixing members are configured to extend in a second direction crossing the first direction when the flexible display panel is accommodated in the housing and rotate in a predetermined direction so as to be substantially parallel to the first direction when the flexible display panel is withdrawn from the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible display, comprising:
a flexible display panel;
a housing for the flexible display, wherein the flexible display panel is configured to be withdrawn from a surface of the housing;
a grip connected to a first end of the flexible display panel and having a surface that opposes the surface of the housing in a first direction, the grip comprising: i) a connection portion connected to the flexible display panel and ii) a plurality of recesses formed adjacent to the connection portion; and
a plurality of fixing members connected to one of the housing or the grip,
wherein the fixing members are configured to: i) extend in a second direction crossing the first direction when the flexible display panel is accommodated in the housing and ii) rotate in a predetermined direction so as to be substantially parallel to the first direction when the flexible display panel is withdrawn from the housing, and
wherein the fixing members are configured to be: i) engaged with the recesses when the flexible display panel is withdrawn from the housing and ii) disengaged from the recesses when the flexible display panel is accommodated in the housing.

2. The flexible display of claim 1 , wherein a second end of the flexible display panel opposing the first end in the first direction is connected to the housing and wherein the housing and the grip each have a length extending in the second direction.

3. The flexible display of claim 2 , further comprising a rotating part housed in the housing, wherein the flexible display panel is configured to be rolled around the rotating part in a predetermined rotating direction, and wherein the rotating part comprises:
a rotating cylinder having a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the second direction, wherein the flexible display panel is configured to be wrapped around an outer surface of the rotating cylinder; and
a rotating shaft penetrating the rotating cylinder in the second direction and extending in the second direction,
wherein opposing ends of the rotating shaft protrude from ends of the rotating cylinder,
wherein the opposing ends of the rotating shaft are connected to an inner surface of the housing in the second direction, and
wherein the rotating cylinder is configured to rotate around the rotating shaft.

4. The flexible display of claim 2 , wherein the fixing members comprise:
first and second fixing members each having a substantially bar shape; and
first and second rotating members each being respectively connected to first ends of the first and second fixing members,
wherein the first and second fixing members are configured to respectively rotate with respect to the first and second rotating members, and
wherein the first and second fixing members are configured to be arranged to be substantially parallel to the first direction when the flexible display panel is withdrawn from the housing.

5. The flexible display of claim 4 , wherein the first and second fixing members are configured to be housed in the housing, wherein the first rotating member is arranged at a first side of an inner surface of the housing, wherein the second rotating member is arranged at a second side of the inner surface of the housing opposing the first side in the second direction, wherein a second end of the first fixing member opposing the first end is arranged adjacent to the second rotating member when the flexible display panel is accommodated in the housing, and wherein a second end of the second fixing member opposing the first end is arranged adjacent to the first rotating member when the flexible display panel is accommodated in the housing.

6. The flexible display of claim 5 , wherein the first fixing member is configured to rotate in a clockwise direction and the second fixing member is configured to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction when the flexible display panel is withdrawn from the housing.

7. The flexible display of claim 5 , wherein the housing comprises an opening defined in the surface thereof, and wherein the flexible display panel, the first fixing member, and the second fixing member are configured to be accommodated in and withdrawn from the housing through the opening.

8. The flexible display of claim 7 ,
wherein the first fixing member is configured to be engaged with a first recess, and
wherein the second fixing member is configured to be engaged with a second recess.

9. The flexible display of claim 7 , wherein the opening comprises:
a first opening through which the flexible display panel is configured to be retracted into and withdrawn from the housing; and
a second opening through which the first and second fixing members are configured to be retracted into and withdrawn from the housing.

10. The flexible display of claim 7 , wherein the first fixing member is arranged above the second fixing member.

11. The flexible display of claim 7 , wherein the first and second fixing members are arranged in substantially the same horizontal plane, wherein the second rotating member is arranged further from the opening than the first rotating member in the first direction, and wherein the length of the second fixing member is greater than the length of the first fixing member.

12. The flexible display of claim 4 , wherein the housing comprises a first opening defined in the surface of the housing, wherein the grip comprises a sub-housing defined in the surface of the grip, wherein the first and second fixing members are configured to be housed in the sub-housing, wherein the flexible display panel is configured to be retracted into and withdrawn from the housing through the first opening, and wherein the first and second fixing members are configured to be retracted into and withdrawn from the grip through a second opening defined in the sub-housing.

13. The flexible display of claim 12 , wherein the first rotating member is arranged at a first side of an inner surface of the grip, wherein the second rotating member is arranged at a second side of the inner surface of the grip opposing the first side in the second direction, wherein a second end of the first fixing member opposing the first end is arranged adjacent to the second rotating member, and wherein a second end of the second fixing member opposing the first end is arranged adjacent to the first rotating member.

14. The flexible display of claim 13 , wherein the first fixing member is arranged above the second fixing member in the grip so as to be substantially parallel to the second direction when the flexible display is accommodated in the housing.

15. The flexible display of claim 14 , wherein the second opening in the sub-housing comprises:
a third opening through which the first fixing member is configured to be retracted into and withdrawn from the grip; and
a fourth opening arranged under the third opening and through which the second fixing member is configured to be retracted into and withdrawn from the grip.

16. The flexible display of claim 13 , wherein the first and second fixing members are arranged in substantially the same horizontal plane surface, wherein the second rotating member is arranged further from the sub-housing than the first rotating member in the first direction, and wherein the length the second fixing member is greater than the length of the first fixing member.

17. The flexible display of claim 4 , wherein the fixing members further comprise:
third and fourth fixing members each having a substantially bar shape; and
third and fourth rotating members each being respectively connected to first end

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Youn Joon
• Lee Sangjo
• Lee Junghun
• Lee Jusuck
• Jang Mi
• Choi Kyungmin

Classifications

• G09F9/301

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

• G06F1/1679

  for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G06F1/1624

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

• H04N5/642

  Disposition of sound reproducers · CPC title