FLEXIBLE DISPLAY EXTENDABLE ASSEMBLY

• US 20120314400A1
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bohn, David D., O'Brien, Paul M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,286,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/97.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/301 flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/35 being liquid crystals G09F9/302 takes precedence; liquid crystal materials C09K19/00; liquid crystal panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell per se G02F1/13
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

In embodiments of a flexible display extendible assembly, an extendible assembly includes a slideable display guide integrated in a first housing part of an extendible electronic device. The extendible electronic device includes a flexible display that slide-engages into the first housing part of the extendible electronic device. The extendible assembly includes an extendible mechanism that is coupled in a second housing part of the extendible electronic device and to the slideable display guide. The first and second housing parts of the extendible electronic device slide-engage relative to each other. The extendible mechanism is implemented to extend as the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other, and also to retract as the first and second housing parts slide together relative to each other.

Claims

1. An extendible assembly, comprising:

a slideable display guide integrated in a first housing part of an extendible electronic device that includes a flexible display; and

an extendible mechanism coupled in a second housing part of the extendible electronic device and to the slideable display guide, the first and second housing parts of the extendible electronic device configured to slide-engage relative to each other, the extendible mechanism configured to extend as the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other, and the extendible mechanism further configured to retract as the first and second housing parts slide together relative to each other.

2. An extendible assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein a section of the flexible display extends from the first housing part of the extendible electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other, and wherein the section of the flexible display retracts into the first housing part of the extendible electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide together relative to each other.

3. An extendible assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the extendible mechanism comprises one or more extendible scissor mechanisms configured to extend in both of the first and second housing parts of the extendible electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other.

4. An extendible assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the extendible mechanism comprises a rack-and-pinion mechanism configured to extend in both of the first and second housing parts of the extendible electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other.

5. An extendible assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the extendible mechanism is further configured to apply a force to the slideable display guide to extend the flexible display from the first housing part of the extendible electronic device without tension applied to the flexible display.

6. An extendible assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein the extendible mechanism is further configured to apply a force to the second housing part that pulls the flexible display from the first housing part when the first and second housing parts of the extendible electronic device slide apart relative to each other.

7. An extendible assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein a section of the flexible display is retractable to slide-engage into the first housing part of the extendible electronic device when the section of the flexible display is not activated for display.

8. An extendible electronic device, comprising:

a flexible display configured to extend from and retract into a first housing part of the extendible electronic device, the flexible display connected to a slideable display guide integrated in the first housing part of the extendible electronic device; and

an extendible mechanism coupled in a second housing part of the extendible electronic device and to the slideable display guide, the first and second housing parts configured to slide-engage relative to each other, the extendible mechanism configured to extend as the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other, and the extendible mechanism further configured to retract as the first and second housing parts slide together relative to each other.

9. An extendible electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein a section of the flexible display is retractable to slide-engage into the first housing part of the extendible electronic device when the section of the flexible display is not activated for display.

10. An extendible electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein a section of the flexible display extends from the first housing part of the extendible electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other, and wherein the section of the flexible display retracts into the first housing part of the extendible electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide together relative to each other.

11. An extendible electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein the extendible mechanism comprises one or more extendible scissor mechanisms configured to extend in both of the first and second housing parts of the extendible electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other.

12. An extendible electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein the extendible mechanism comprises a rack-and-pinion mechanism configured to extend in both of the first and second housing parts of the extendible electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other.

13. An extendible electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein the extendible mechanism is further configured to apply a force to the slideable display guide to extend the flexible display from the first housing part of the extendible electronic device without tension applied to the flexible display.

14. An extendible electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein the extendible mechanism is further configured to apply a force to the second housing part that pulls the flexible display from the first housing part when the first and second housing parts of the extendible electronic device slide apart relative to each other.

15. An extendible electronic device as recited in claim 8, further comprising a flexible backlight configured to illuminate the flexible display, the flexible backlight further configured to extend from and retract into the first housing part of the extendible electronic device under the flexible display.

16. A method, comprising:

slide-engaging a first housing part of an extendible electronic device relative to a second housing part of the extendible electronic device, the extendible electronic device including a flexible display that is connected to a slideable display guide integrated in the first housing part of the extendible electronic device; and

extending an extendible mechanism that is coupled in a second housing part of the extendible electronic device and to the slideable display guide, said extending the extendible mechanism as the first and second housing parts of the extendible electronic device slide apart relative to each other.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, further comprising retracting the extendible mechanism as the first and second housing parts of the extendible electronic device slide together relative to each other.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

extending a section of the flexible display from the first housing part of the extendible electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other; and

retracting the section of the flexible display into the first housing part of the extendible electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide together relative to each other.

19. A method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

applying a first force to the slideable display guide with the extendible mechanism to extend the flexible display from the first housing part of the extendible electronic device without tension applied to the flexible display; and

applying a second force to the second housing part with the extendible mechanism to pull the flexible display from the first housing part when the first and second housing parts of the extendible electronic device slide apart relative to each other.

20. A method as recited in claim 16, further comprising illuminating the flexible display with a flexible backlight that extends from and retracts into the first housing part of the extendible electronic device under the flexible display.