Device with flexible electronic components on multiple surfaces

• US 10,289,163 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2016
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flexterra, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flexterra, Inc.
• Inventors: Huitema, Hjalmar Edzer Ayco, Inagaki, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, James
• Application Number:
  US15/361,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20170235341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/08 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable

Abstract

A dynamically flexible article or device, such as a mobile device includes a first flexible electronic component (e.g., a flexible display) disposed on a first surface of the device and a second flexible electronic component (e.g., a flexible display) disposed on a second surface of the device different from the first surface.

Claims

1. An attachable article, comprising:

a flexible support structure;

a first flexible electronic component disposed on a first surface of the flexible support structure; and

a second flexible electronic component disposed on a second surface of the flexible support structure different from the first surface of the flexible support structure,

wherein the flexible support structure includes a bending limiting structure configured to limit bending of the first and second flexible electronic components to a range within a bending tolerance of the first and second flexible electronic components, respectively, and

wherein the flexible support structure is movably coupled to at least one of the first flexible electronic component and the second flexible electronic component, the flexible support structure and the at least one of the first flexible electronic component and the second flexible electronic component movable relative to one another when the attachable article is moved between a substantially flat position and a curved position.

2. The attachable article of claim 1, wherein the first flexible electronic component has a first minimum critical bending radius at which the first flexible electronic component can be bent repeatedly without impairing the first flexible electronic component, the second flexible electronic component has a second minimum critical bending radius at which the second flexible electronic component can be bent repeatedly without impairing the second flexible electronic component, and the bending tolerance of the first and second flexible electronic components is defined at least in part by the first and second minimum critical bending radii, respectively.

3. The attachable article of claim 1, wherein the flexible support structure has a first length and at least one of the first and second flexible electronic components has a second length, the second length being less than the first length.

4. The attachable article of claim 3, wherein the first flexible electronic component has the second length and the second flexible electronic component has a third length different from the second length.

5. The attachable article of claim 1, wherein the flexible support structure and the at least one of the first flexible electronic component and the second flexible electronic component are movable relative to one another when the attachable article is moved between the substantially flat position and the curved position, such that the article has a bending range that is within the bending tolerance of the first and second flexible electronic components.

6. The attachable article of claim 1, wherein the flexible support structure is slidably coupled to at least one of the first flexible electronic component and the second flexible electronic component.

7. The attachable article of claim 1, wherein the flexible support structure is slidably coupled to the first flexible electronic component, and wherein the flexible support structure is fixedly coupled to the second flexible electronic component.

8. The attachable article of claim 1, wherein the flexible support structure defines a first cavity and a second cavity, the first flexible electronic component and the second flexible electronic component being disposed within the first cavity and the second cavity, respectively.

9. The attachable article of claim 8, wherein the flexible support structure is defined by two walls and, for each of the two walls, a pair of opposing sidewalls extending upward from the respective one of the two walls, each of the first cavity and the second cavity being defined between one of the two walls and the respective pair of opposing sidewalls.

10. The attachable article of claim 1, further comprising a mechanical support component having a Young'"'"'s modulus different than that of the flexible support structure, and wherein the flexible support structure defines a first cavity, a second cavity, and a slot, the first flexible electronic component being disposed in the first cavity, the second flexible electronic component disposed in the second cavity, and the mechanical support component being disposed in the slot.

11. The attachable article of claim 1, wherein the flexible support structure is slidably coupled to at least one of the first flexible electronic component and the second flexible electronic component, and wherein the article includes at least one spring element to promote sliding of the first flexible electronic component or the second flexible electronic component with respect to the flexible support structure.

12. The attachable article of claim 1, wherein the flexible support structure is slidably coupled to at least one of the first flexible electronic component and the second flexible electronic component, and wherein the flexible support structure includes at least one of a rolling cylinder component or a cylindrical surface to promote sliding of the first flexible electronic component or the second flexible electronic component with respect to the flexible support structure.

13. The attachable article of claim 1, wherein the first flexible electronic component and the second flexible electronic component are configured such that:

(i) a user of the article causes the first flexible electronic component to be a primary operating component of the article by bending the article to a first position, and

(ii) the user of the article causes the flexible second electronic component to be the primary operating component of the article by bending the article to a second position different from the first position.

14. The attachable article of claim 13, wherein the first position includes the first flexible electronic component disposed along a first outer peripheral of a first curve and the second flexible electronic component disposed along a first inner peripheral of the first curve, and wherein the second position includes the second flexible electronic component disposed along a second outer peripheral of a second curve and the first flexible electronic component disposed along a second inner peripheral of the second curve.

15. The attachable article of claim 1, wherein the article is a wearable device configured to be attached to a body of a user of the article, and wherein:

(i) when bent to a first position and attached to the body of the user, the second surface is in contact with the body of the user, and

(ii) when bent to a second position and attached to the body of the user, the first surface is in contact with the body of the user.

16. The attachable article of claim 1, wherein the second surface is opposite the first surface, and wherein the first flexible electronic component and the second flexible electronic component are configured such that:

when the article is attached to a body of a user of the article with the first surface on an outer peripheral and the second surface in contact with the body of the user, the first flexible electronic component operates to perform a first function, and

when the article is attached to the body of the user of the article with the second surface on the outer peripheral and the first surface in contact with the body of the user, the second flexible electronic component operates to perform a second function different from the first function.

17. An attachable article, comprising:

a support structure;

a first flexible electronic component disposed on a first surface of the support structure; and

a second flexible electronic component disposed on a second surface of the support structure different from the first surface of the support structure,

wherein the support structure includes a bending limiting structure configured to limit bending of the first and second flexible electronic components to a range within a bending tolerance of the first and second flexible electronic components, respectively,

wherein the attachable article is a wearable device configured to be attached to a body of a user of the article, and wherein

(i) when bent to a first position and attached to the body of the user, the second surface is in contact with the body of the user, and

(ii) when bent to a second position and attached to the body of the user, the first surface is in contact with the body of the user.

18. An attachable article, comprising:

a support structure;

a first flexible electronic component disposed on a first surface of the support structure; and

a second flexible electronic component disposed on a second surface of the support structure different from the first surface of the support structure,

wherein the support structure includes a bending limiting structure configured to limit bending of the first and second flexible electronic components to a range within a bending tolerance of the first and second flexible electronic components, respectively,

wherein the second surface is opposite the first surface, and wherein the first flexible electronic component and the second flexible electronic component are configured such that;

when the article is attached to a body of a user of the article with the first surface on an outer peripheral and the second surface in contact with the body of the user, the first flexible electronic component operates to perform a first function, and

when the article is attached to the body of the user of the article with the second surface on the outer peripheral and the first surface in contact with the body of the user, the second flexible electronic component operates to perform a second function different from the first function.

19. The attachable article of claim 18, wherein the first flexible electronic component is a flexible electronic display, and wherein the first function includes displaying images on the flexible electronic display.

20. The attachable article of claim 18, wherein the second flexible electronic component includes one or more solar panels, and wherein the first function includes generating energy to power the first flexible electronic component.