Flexible apparatus and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9930794-B2
Application number	US-201615389875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2016
Priority date	Dec 25, 2015
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus to support a flexible screen of an electronic device includes a plurality of shafts, a plurality of rows of first connecting members, and a plurality of rows of second connecting members. Each first and second connecting member has a top side, a bottom side, a left aperture and a right aperture extending from the top side to the bottom side, with each aperture coupled to a shaft. The width of the apertures for each second connecting member is greater than the width of the apertures for each first connecting member. The plurality of shafts are connected to each other by alternate rows of first connecting members and second connecting members along the length of the shafts. Each connecting member in a row of connecting members overlaps with two connecting members in an adjacent row of connecting members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus to support a flexible screen of an electronic device, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of shafts aligned in parallel along an axis;
a plurality of rows of first connecting members, each row of first connecting members comprising a plurality of first connecting members, wherein each first connecting member has a top side, a bottom side, a left aperture and a right aperture extending from the top side to the bottom side, with each aperture coupled to a shaft of the plurality of shafts along the axis;
a plurality of rows of second connecting members, each row of second connecting members comprising a plurality of second connecting members, wherein each second connecting member has a top side, a bottom side, a left aperture and a right aperture extending from the top side to the bottom side, with each aperture coupled to a shaft of the plurality of shafts along the axis;
wherein
the width of the apertures of each second connecting member is greater than the width of the apertures of each first connecting member;
the plurality of shafts are connected by alternate rows of first connecting members and second connecting members along a length of the plurality of shafts; and
each connecting member in a row of connecting members overlaps with two connecting members in an adjacent row of connecting members.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the left aperture and right aperture of each second connecting member have an arc shape with an inner end and an outer end and the shaft coupled to each aperture can move along the curve of the arc.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
an elastic clamp member that runs serially through a row of second connecting members;
wherein
each connecting member of the row of second connecting members further comprises a horizontal aperture on its bottom side;
each connecting member of a row of first connecting members adjacent to the row of second connecting members further comprises a horizontal groove on its top side.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein when the apparatus is in a flat state, the elastic clamp member protrudes through the horizontal apertures of a plurality of connecting members of the row of second connecting members into the horizontal grooves of a plurality of connecting members of the adjacent row of first connecting members.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , the apparatus further comprising a damping member to help the flexible apparatus maintain a specific shape.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the damping member comprises an elastic sheet between the alternate rows of first connecting members and second connecting members.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the damping member comprises a friction pad fixed on the inner perimeter of the left and right apertures of a second connecting member.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising
a first mounting block comprising a first connecting block, the first mounting block attached to a first end of the alternate rows of first connecting members and second connecting members; and
a second mounting block comprising a second connecting block, the second mounting block attached to a second end of the alternate rows of first connecting members and second connecting members.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first connecting block and the second connecting block comprise a plurality of apertures to be coupled with a shaft of the plurality of shafts.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of apertures of the first connecting block are aligned with the left aperture of a plurality of second connecting members and the plurality of apertures of the second connecting block are aligned with the right aperture of a plurality of second connecting members.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a lining plate attached at its ends to the first mounting block and the second mounting block.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the lining plate is attached to a midpoint of each connecting member of the alternate rows of first connecting members and second connecting members.

13. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the curvature of the left and right apertures of each second connecting member are oriented in the same direction to facilitate the bending of the apparatus in that direction.

14. An electronic device comprising:
a flexible screen; and
an apparatus supporting the flexible screen, the apparatus comprising:
a first side and a second side;
a plurality of shafts aligned in parallel along an axis;
a plurality of rows of first connecting members, each row of first connecting members comprising a plurality of first connecting members, wherein each first connecting member has a top side, a bottom side, a left aperture and a right aperture extending from the top side to the bottom side, with each aperture coupled to a shaft of the plurality of shafts along the axis;
a plurality of rows of second connecting members, each row of second connecting members comprising a plurality of second connecting members, wherein each second connecting member has a top side, a bottom side, a left aperture and a right aperture extending from the top side to the bottom side, with each aperture coupled to a shaft of the plurality of shafts along the axis;
wherein
the width of the apertures of each second connecting member is greater than the width of the apertures of each first connecting member;
the plurality of shafts are connected by alternate rows of first connecting members and second connecting members along a length of the plurality of shafts; and
each connecting member in a row of connecting members overlaps with two connecting members in an adjacent row of connecting members.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the left aperture and right aperture of each second connecting member have an arc shape with an inner end and an outer end and the shaft coupled to each aperture can move along the curve of the arc.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , further comprising
a first mounting block comprising a first connecting block, the first mounting block attached to a first end of the alternate rows of first connecting members and second connecting members; and
a second mounting block comprising a second connecting block, the second mounting block attached to a second end of the alternate rows of first connecting members and second connecting members.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , further comprising a lining plate attached at its ends to the first mounting block and the second mounting block.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the lining plate is attached to a midpoint of each connecting member of the alternate rows of first connecting members and second connecting members.

19. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the flexible screen is located on the second side of the flexible apparatus, the second side being the inner side of the flexible apparatus in a bent state.

20. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein when the length of the flexible apparatus changes in response to a movement of one or more shafts coupled to a plurality of second connecting members, all positions corresponding to the midpoints of each connecting member of the alternate rows of first connecting members and second connecting members on the second side of the flexible apparatus remain unchanged on the flexible screen.

Assignees

• Lenovo Beijing Ltd
• Lenova Beijing Ltd

Inventors

• Luan Beiou
• Zuo Changlong

Classifications

• H05K7/14

  Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack · CPC title

• H05K5/0217 Primary

  Mechanical details of casings (covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03) · CPC title

• H05K5/0017

  with operator interface units · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G09F9/301 Primary

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