ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH FLEXIBLE DISPLAY

• US 20200133340A1
• Filed: 10/25/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ou, Davis, Liao, Eugene, Yeh, Han-Wen, Chuang, Max, Liu, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 10,809,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/301 flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel

Abstract

An electronic device includes: a processor; a memory; a first body portion; a second body portion coupled to the first body portion by a hinge, the second body portion including a plate; a slider having a slot therein, wherein the plate slidingly engages with the slot to facilitate the slider assuming at least first and second positions relative to the second body portion; and a flexible display attached to the first body portion and the slider, wherein the flexible display has a substantially planar configuration in the first position of the slider and a substantially folded configuration in the second position of the slider.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a first body portion;

a second body portion coupled to the first body portion by a hinge, the second body portion including a plate;

a slider having a slot therein, wherein the plate slidingly engages with the slot to facilitate the slider assuming at least first and second positions relative to the second body portion, wherein the slider is configured to be closer to the second body portion in the second position of the slider than in the first position of the slider; and

a flexible display attached to the first body portion and the slider, wherein the flexible display has a substantially planar configuration in the first position of the slider and a substantially folded configuration in the second position of the slider.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plate extends in a direction away from the hinge perpendicular to a rotation axis of the hinge.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display includes an organic light-emitting diode display.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein in the substantially folded configuration the flexible display is bent approximately 180 degrees.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the slider is configured to abut the second body portion in the second position of the slider.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an edge on the slider, the edge parallel to a rotation axis of the hinge, wherein an edge of the flexible display abuts the edge of the slider in the first and second positions of the slider.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first body portion has a first outer surface that extends along the flexible display, and a second outer surface that is parallel to the first outer surface and opposite the first body portion from the first outer surface, and wherein the hinge is offset partially beyond the second outer surface in a direction away from the first outer surface so that the second outer surface forms a recess adjacent the hinge.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the recess is configured to at least partially contain the slider in the second position of the slider.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the hinge comprises a pin that is included in the second body portion and a knuckle that is included in the first body portion.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first body portion has a frame adjacent at least a portion of an edge of the flexible display, the frame configured to protect the portion of the edge.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second body portion has a frame adjacent at least a portion of an edge of the flexible display, the frame configured to protect the portion of the edge.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the slider has a frame adjacent at least a portion of an edge of the flexible display, the frame configured to protect the portion of the edge.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second body portion is substantially aligned with the first body portion in the substantially planar configuration of the flexible display.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the second body portion is substantially parallel to the first body portion, and overlapping the first body portion in the substantially folded configuration of the flexible display.

24. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display faces outward in the substantially folded configuration.

5. (canceled)

16. An electronic device comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a flexible display having at least a first configuration where the flexible display is substantially planar, and a second configuration where the flexible display is non-planar; and

a hinged enclosure that supports the flexible display in the first and second configurations, the hinged enclosure including a first body portion and a second body portion that are coupled to each other by a hinge, and a slider attached to the flexible display that is configured to slide relative to at least the second body portion as the flexible display assumes the first or second configuration, wherein the hinge comprises a knuckle on the first body portion and a pin on the second body portion, wherein the first body portion has a first outer surface that extends along the flexible display, and a second outer surface that is parallel to the first outer surface and opposite the first body portion from the first outer surface, and wherein the knuckle is offset partially beyond the second outer surface in a direction away from the first outer surface so that the second outer surface forms a recess adjacent the knuckle.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first body portion, the second body portion, or the slider, has a frame adjacent at least a portion of an edge of the flexible display, the frame configured to protect the portion of the edge.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the recess is configured to at least partially contain the slider in the second configuration of the flexible display.

18. (canceled)

20. An electronic device comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a flexible display having at least a substantially planar configuration and a substantially folded configuration wherein the flexible display is bent approximately 180 degrees; and

a hinged enclosure that supports the flexible display in the substantially planar and substantially folded configurations, the hinged enclosure including (i) a first body portion attached to the flexible display, (ii) a second body portion coupled to the first body portion by a hinge, the second body portion including a plate, and (iii) a slider attached to the flexible display, the slider having a slot therein, wherein the plate slidingly engages with the slot to facilitate the slider assuming at least first and second positions relative to the second body portion, wherein the first body portion has a first outer surface that extends along the flexible display, and a second outer surface that is parallel to the first outer surface and opposite the first body portion from the first outer surface, and wherein the hinge is offset partially beyond the second outer surface in a direction away from the first outer surface so that the second outer surface forms a recess adjacent the hinge.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, further comprising an actuator mounted to the first body portion, the actuator configured to bring the slider to the first position as the flexible display assumes the substantially planar configuration, and to bring the slider to the second position as the flexible display assumes the substantially folded configuration.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising a linkage that couples the actuator to the slider.

23. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the flexible display faces outward in the substantially folded configuration.