SUPPORT FOR A FLEXIBLE DISPLAY

• US 20140126121A1
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason Tyler, Riddiford, Martin Philip, Kayser, Daniel Jordan
• Granted Patent: US 9,013,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel

Abstract

A device includes: a first component and a second component coupled to one another by a pivot member and being movable relative to one another between an open position in which the first component and the second component are in the same plane and a folded position; a first slider coupled to the first component and a second slider coupled to the second component; and a flexible membrane coupled to the first slider and the second slider, the flexible membrane being exposed in the folded position; wherein the first component and the second component are coupled to one another to maintain the flexible membrane at a constant length when the flexible membrane is moved between the open position and the folded position.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a first component and a second component coupled to one another by a pivot member and being movable relative to one another between an open position in which the first component and the second component are in the same plane and a folded position;

a first slider coupled to the first component and a second slider coupled to the second component; and

a flexible membrane coupled to the first slider and the second slider, the flexible membrane being exposed in the folded position;

wherein the first component and the second component are coupled to one another to maintain the flexible membrane at a constant length when the flexible membrane is moved between the open position and the folded position.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first component and the second component comprise hinge knuckles located adjacent to one another to receive the pivot member.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first component is received in a first cavity of the first slider and the second component is received in a second cavity of the second slider.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a gap between an end of the first cavity and the first component and a gap between an end of the second cavity and the second component are reduced when the first component and the second component are moved from the open position to the folded position.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein first guide arms extend from the first component and are coupled to second guide arms that extend from the second component.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible membrane is coupled to the first slider and the second slider by an adhesive.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible membrane is a flexible display screen.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible membrane is a flexible touch-sensitive display screen.

9. A device as claimed in claim 7, comprising a processor in electrical communication with the flexible display screen and a power pack.

10. A device as claimed in claim 8, comprising a processor in electrical communication with the flexible touch-sensitive display screen and a power pack.

11. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first slider comprises first connecting arms and the second slider comprises second connecting arms, the first connecting arms move relative to the second guide arms and the second connecting arms move relative to the first guide arms when the first component and the second component are moved between the open position and the folded position.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein first pins extend from the second guide arms and are received in first slider guide grooves formed in the first connecting arms and second pins extend from the first connecting arms and are received in second component guide grooves formed in the second guide arms, movement between the second guide arms and the first connecting arms is guided by interaction between the first pins and the first slider grooves and the second pins and the second component guide grooves.

13. A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein third pins extend from the second connecting arms and are received in first component guide grooves formed in the first guide arms and fourth pins extend from the first guide arms and are received in second slider guide grooves of the second connecting arms, movement between the first guide arms and the connecting arms of the second slider is guided by interaction between the third pins and the first component guide grooves and the fourth pins and the second slider guide grooves.