ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH A CLEANING UNIT FOR A FLEXIBLE DISPLAY

• US 20100182738A1
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Polymer Vision Ltd. (Wistron Corporation)
• Inventors: Visser, Hendrik D., Huitema, Hjalmar Edzer Ayco, Hamers, Johannes Cornelis Adriaan, Peters, Gijs
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 11/29 of a band other than endless
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/301 flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed comprising a housing (1) and a retractable display (3) conceived to he alternated between an at least partially extended state and a retracted state, the device comprising a cleaning unit (6) integrated in the housing and being arranged for removing contamination from at least a front surface of the display. The flexible display (3) can be retracted by sliding the side members (4a, 4b, 4c, 5a, 5b, 5c) into the housing using, for example, a grip (7). Preferably, in the electronic device 10 the display is provided with edge members 8a, 8b for guiding the bar (6).

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a retractable display conceived to be alternated between an at least partially extended state and a retracted state; and

a cleaning unit integrated in the electronic device and being arranged for removing contamination from at least a front surface of the retractable display.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit is arranged for removing the contamination by contacting at least the front surface of the retractable display.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning unit comprises a displaceable bar arranged for removing the contamination by sliding at least along the front surface of the retractable display.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the display is provided with edge members for guiding the displaceable bar.

5. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the displaceable bar comprises a first member and a second member conceived for receiving the display there between.

6. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein a surface of the cleaning unit conceived to contact at least the front surface of the display comprises a cloth.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the cloth is supported by an elastic material.

8. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the cloth is arranged on a first material positioned above the retractable display and arranged to interact with a second material arranged below the retractable display by an attractive force.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the second material is arranged with a further cloth conceived to contact a back surface of the display.

10. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein a surface of the cleaning unit conceived to contact at least the front surface of the retractable display comprises a brush.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit is rotatable about an axis, said axis being substantially parallel to a plane in which the retractable display is extended in an area near the cleaning unit.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the retractable display is arranged to be wound about a roller positioned inside the housing, the cleaning unit comprising a cleaning material being drivable by the roller.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit comprises a protruded member conceived to be arranged at least in a close proximity to at least the front surface of the retractable display.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the protruded member is arranged obliquely with respect to a plane in which the retractable display is extended in an area near the cleaning unit.

15. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning unit is arranged to be alternated between a first position contacting the surface of the display and a second position sufficiently distant from the front surface of the retractable display to avoid contacting the front surface of the retractable display.

16. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit comprises a vibrator for causing the retractable display to vibrate thereby removing the contamination.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the vibrator comprises a generator of acoustic or ultrasonic waves.

18. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit is arranged for producing a stream of air directed to at least the front surface of the retractable display.

19. The electronic device according to claim 18, wherein the cleaning unit comprises compressible containers for generating the stream of air.

20. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the retractable display is arranged with an antistatic coating.

21. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit is arranged to remove contamination by action of an attractive force.

22. The electronic device according to claim 21, wherein the attractive force is produced by an adhesive medium arranged on the cleaning unit.

23. The electronic device according to claim 21, wherein the attractive force is produced by an electrostatic charge of the cleaning unit in use.

24. The electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the electrostatic charge is produced by a rolling action of the cleaning unit.