Super-elastic hinge for flexible display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9971382-B2
Application number	US-201615201097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 1, 2016
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatuses may provide for a flexible display assembly including a flexible display and a backplane coupled to the flexible display, wherein at least a portion of the backplane comprises a super elastic sheet. In one example, the backplane includes a first rigid sheet metal portion and a second rigid sheet metal portion, wherein the super-elastic sheet is joined between the first and second rigid sheet metal portions.

First claim

We claim:

1. A portable processing device, comprising:
a device body having a front surface, a back surface, a first end of the device body along aligned respective first sides of the front and back surfaces of the device body, and a second end of the device body opposite to the first end of the device body along aligned respective second sides of the front and back surfaces;
a flexible display coupled to the front surface of the device body at an inner portion of the flexible display, wherein a first outer portion of the flexible display extends beyond the first end of the device body, wherein a second outer portion of the flexible display extends beyond the second end of the device body, a first bend portion of the flexible display is positioned between the inner portion of the flexible display and the first outer portion of the flexible display, and wherein a second bend portion of the flexible display is positioned between the inner portion of the flexible display and the second outer portion of the flexible display;
a first hinge coupled to the device body proximate to the first end of the device body to support the first outer portion of the flexible display, the first hinge comprising:
a first cylinder to provide a first bend radius which is greater than or equal to a minimum bend radius of the flexible display; and
a first rigid sheet coupled to the first cylinder to support the flexible display in at least a portion of the first outer portion of the flexible display;

a second hinge coupled to the device body proximate to the second end of the device body to support the second outer portion of the flexible display, the second hinge comprising:
a second cylinder to provide a second bend radius which is greater than or equal to the minimum bend radius of the flexible display; and
a second rigid sheet coupled to the second cylinder to support the flexible display in at least a portion of the second outer portion of the flexible display;

a first super-elastic sheet positioned to support the flexible display at least in a first region corresponding to the first bend portion of the flexible display; and
a second super-elastic sheet positioned to support the flexible display at least in a second region corresponding to the second bend portion of the flexible display.

2. The portable processing device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second super-elastic sheets each comprise a super-elastic metal alloy.

3. The portable processing device of claim 1 , wherein the first hinge is to support the first outer portion of the flexible display through a range of motion from a first position wherein the first outer portion of the flexible display is substantially coplanar with the inner portion of the flexible display and a second position wherein the first outer portion of the flexible display is folded backward around the first end of the device body,
and wherein the second hinge is to support the second outer portion of the flexible display through a range of motion from a third position wherein the second outer portion of the flexible display is substantially coplanar with the inner portion of the flexible display and a fourth position wherein the second outer portion of the flexible display is folded backward around the second end of the device body.

4. The portable processing device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a first rigid support coupled to the first outer portion of the flexible display, the first rigid support including a first slot to slidably receive the first rigid sheet; and
a second rigid support coupled to the second outer portion of the flexible display, the second rigid support including a second slot to slidably receive the second rigid sheet.

5. The portable processing device of claim 4 , wherein the first rigid support includes a first stop positioned along the first slot to inhibit the first rigid sheet from sliding beyond the first stop in the first position and a second stop positioned along the first slot to inhibit the first rigid sheet from sliding beyond the second stop in the second position,
and wherein the second rigid support includes a third stop positioned along the second slot to inhibit the second rigid sheet from sliding beyond the third stop in the third position and a fourth stop positioned along the second slot to inhibit the second rigid sheet from sliding beyond the fourth stop in the fourth position.

6. The portable processing device of claim 1 , wherein the first bend radius is different from the second bend radius to support substantially flat overlap between the first outer portion of the flexible display and the second outer portion of the flexible display along the back surface of the device body.

7. A portable processing device, comprising:
a device body having a front surface, a back surface, and an end surface along aligned respective first sides of the front and back surfaces of the device body;
a flexible display coupled to the front surface of the device body at an inner portion of the flexible display, wherein an outer portion of the flexible display extends beyond the end surface of the device body, and a bend portion of the flexible display is positioned between the inner portion of the flexible display and the outer portion of the flexible display;
a hinge coupled to the device body proximate to the end surface to support the outer portion of the flexible display through a range of motion from a first position wherein the outer portion of the flexible display is substantially coplanar with the inner portion of the flexible display and a second position wherein the outer portion of the flexible display is folded around the end surface of the device body, the hinge comprising:
a cylinder to provide a bend radius that is greater than or equal to a minimum bend radius of the flexible display, and
a rigid sheet coupled to the cylinder to support the flexible display in at least a portion of the outer portion of the flexible display; and

a super-elastic sheet positioned to support the flexible display at least in a first region corresponding to the bend portion of the flexible display.

8. The portable processing device of claim 7 , wherein the super-elastic sheet comprises a super-elastic metal alloy.

9. The portable processing device of claim 7 , further comprising:
a rigid support coupled to the outer portion of the flexible display, the rigid support including a slot to slidably receive the rigid sheet.

10. The portable processing device of claim 9 , wherein the rigid support includes a first stop positioned along the slot to inhibit the rigid sheet from sliding beyond the first stop in the first position and a second stop positioned along the slot to inhibit the rigid sheet from sliding beyond the second stop in the second position.

11. The portable processing device of claim 7 , further comprising a backplane coupled to the flexible display, wherein at least a portion of the backplane comprises a super-elastic sheet.

12. The portable processing device of claim 11 , wherein the backplane comprises:
a first rigid sheet metal portion;
a second rigid sheet metal portion; and
the super-elastic sheet joined between the first and second rigid sheet metal portions.

13. The portable processing device of claim 12 , wherein the backplane further comprises:
a third rigid sheet metal portion; and
a second super-elastic sheet joined between the second and third rigid sheet metal portions.

14. The portable processing device of claim 11 , wherein the super-elastic sheet comprises a super-elastic metal alloy.

15. A portable processing device, comprisi

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Ahrens Michael
• Daskalakis George H
• Lofland Steven J
• Pidwerbecki David
• Qiu Bo
• Raupp James C
• Yee Stacy L

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H05K5/0226

  Hinges · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• E05D3/022

  allowing an additional lateral movement, e.g. for sealing · CPC title

• G06F1/1681 Primary

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title