Rollable display device

• US 8,199,471 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Creator Technology BV
• Inventors: Bemelmans, David J. E., Darmadji, Kenny, Huitema, Edzer, Lafarre, Raymond W., Schellingerhout, Nicolaas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US11/576,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20100177020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,447 Days
• Field of Search: 349/106, 349/84, 349/189, 349/187, 526/257, 526/219.1, 526/418, 345/30, 345/204, 345/690, 345/173, 345/174, 345/107, 345/55, 345/169, 361/679.3, 361/679.01, 361/679.04, 361/679.29, 361/679.06, 361/679.21, 361/679.47, 361/679.27, 361/679.33, 361/679.54, 361/749, 361/807, 235/440, 235/449, 455/575.3, 455/575.7, 455/41.5, 455/462, 710/62
• US Class Current: 361/679.21
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 11/29 of a band other than endless
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/00 Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/30 in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00
• 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

Abstract

A rollable display device including a first housing 32; a second housing 34 mateable with the first housing 32; an electronic package 36 disposed within at least one of the first housing and the second housing 34; a roll frame 40 coupled to the first housing 32; a rollable display 38 rotatably disposed within the roll frame 40, having one end connected at the second housing 34, and operably connected to the electronic package 36 to display information from the electronic package 36; and a spreader mechanism 50 having a first leg assembly 52, a second leg assembly 54, and a joining assembly 56. First leg assembly 52 couples the first housing 32 and the second housing 34, second leg assembly 54 couples the first housing 32 and the second housing 34, and joining assembly 56 couples the first leg assembly 52 and the second leg assembly 54.

Claims

1. A rollable display device comprising:

a first housing 32;

a second housing 34, the second housing 34 being mateable with the first housing 32;

an electronic package 36, the electronic package 36 being disposed within at least one of the first housing and the second housing 34;

a roll frame 40, the roll frame 40 being coupled to the first housing 32;

a rollable display 38, the rollable display 38 being rotatably disposed within the roll frame 40, having one end connected at the second housing 34, and being operably connected to the electronic package 36 to display information from the electronic package 36; and

a spreader mechanism 50, the spreader mechanism 50 having a first leg assembly 52, a second leg assembly 54, and a joining assembly 56;

wherein the first leg assembly 52 couples the first housing 32 and the second housing 34, the second leg assembly 54 couples the first housing 32 and the second housing 34, and the joining assembly 56 couples the first leg assembly 52 and the second leg assembly 54.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the first leg assembly 52 comprises a first leg 58 and a second leg 60 coupled by a first knuckle-hinge joint 64, the second leg assembly 54 comprises a third leg 68 and a fourth leg 70 coupled by a second knuckle-hinge joint 74, and the joining assembly 56 is coupled to the first leg assembly 52 by the first knuckle-hinge joint 64 and is coupled to the second leg assembly 54 by the second knuckle-hinge joint 74.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the joining assembly 56 has a groove 78, and the second knuckle-hinge joint 74 has a pin 86 slidably disposed in the groove 78.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the groove 78 has a nub 84 near an end of the groove 78 opposite the first knuckle-hinge joint 64, the nub 84 holding the pin 86 when the rollable display 38 is extended.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein one of the third leg 68 and the fourth leg 70 has a slot 80 receiving the joining assembly 56 when the rollable display 38 is rolled.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the first leg assembly 52 comprises a first leg 58 and a second leg 60, the second leg assembly 54 comprises a third leg 68 and a fourth leg 70, the first leg 58 is substantially parallel the third leg 68, and the second leg 60 is substantially parallel the fourth leg 70.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the third leg 68 is coupled to the joining assembly 56 at a first pivot 174, the fourth leg 70 coupled to the joining assembly 56 at a second pivot 175, the third leg 68 has a first tooth wheel 180 disposed about the first pivot 174, and the fourth leg 70 has a second tooth wheel 180 disposed about the second pivot 175, the first tooth wheel 180 being engaged with the second tooth wheel 180.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein the third leg 68 is coupled to the joining assembly 56 at a first pivot 174, the fourth leg 70 is coupled to the joining assembly 56 at a second pivot 175, the third leg 68 has a first angled stop 182 disposed about the first pivot 174, the fourth leg 70 has a second angled stop 182 disposed about the second pivot 175, and the first angled stop 182 engages the second angled stop 182 when the rollable display 38 is extended.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein the first leg 58 is coupled to the second housing 34 at a pivot 162 and the first leg 58 has an extension 184 rotatable about the pivot 162, further comprising a spring 188 operably connected between the extension 184 and the second housing 34 to urge the rollable display 38 toward an extended configuration.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the rollable display 38 has a roller spring 194 to apply a closing force to urge the rollable display 38 toward a rolled configuration.

11. The device of claim 10 further comprising at least one spring operably connected to the spreader mechanism 50 to apply an opening force to urge the rollable display 38 toward a rolled configuration.

12. The device of claim 10 further comprising at least one spring operably connected the spreader mechanism 50 to apply an opening force to urge the rollable display 38 toward an extended configuration.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the at least one spring is connected to the spreader mechanism 50 at a location selected from the group consisting of a location across the spreader mechanism 50, and a location between the spreader mechanism 50 and at least one of the first housing 32 and the second housing 34.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein the opening force is greater than the closing force.

15. The device of claim 14 further comprising a catch assembly 196 operably connected between the first housing 32 and the second housing 34, the catch assembly 196 maintaining the rollable display 38 in the rolled configuration when the catch assembly 196 is engaged.

16. The device of claim 12 wherein the opening force is less than the closing force.

17. The device of claim 16 further comprising a catch assembly 198 operably connected to the spreader mechanism 50, the catch assembly 198 maintaining the rollable display 38 in the extended configuration when the catch assembly 198 is engaged.

18. The device of claim 12 wherein the opening force is approximately equal to the closing force.

19. The device of claim 18 further comprising a single-handed control operably connected to the spreader mechanism 50.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the electronic package 36 is energized in response to actuation of the single-handed control to extend the rollable display 38 from the rolled configuration.

21. The device of claim 12 wherein the opening force and the closing force are approximately equal for a first travel portion, and the opening force and the closing force are unequal for a second travel portion.

22. The device of claim 1 wherein the electronic package 36 is an electronics package for a device selected from the group of consisting of a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an eBook reader, a photo viewer, an MP3 player, a news alert viewer, a streaming video viewer, a video teleconferencing device, a remote control, and an entertainment program guide.

23. A rollable display device comprising:

a first housing 32;

a second housing 34, the second housing 34 being mateable with the first housing 32;

an electronic package 36, the electronic package 36 being disposed within at least one of the first housing and the second housing 34;

a roll frame 40, the roll frame 40 being coupled to the first housing 32;

a rollable display 38, the rollable display 38 being rotatably disposed within the roll frame 40 and having one end connected at the second housing 34, and being operably connected to the electronic package 36 to display information from the electronic package 36; and

a spreader mechanism 50, the spreader mechanism 50 having a first four-bar mechanism and a second four-bar mechanism;

wherein the first four-bar mechanism is coupled to the first housing 32 and a joining assembly 56, and the second four-bar mechanism is coupled to the second housing 34 and the joining assembly 56.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein the first four-bar mechanism is operably connected to the second four-bar mechanism through toothed wheels 180.

25. The device of claim 23 wherein the rollable display 38 is spring loaded to apply a closing force urging the rollable display 38 toward a rolled configuration, and further comprising a spring 288 coupled to the spreader mechanism 50 with a cable 210 to apply an opening force, the opening force and the closing force being approximately equal for a first travel portion, and the opening force and the closing force being unequal for a second travel portion.

26. A rollable display device comprising:

a first housing 32;

a second housing 34, the second housing 34 being mateable with the first housing 32;

means for generating a graphical information signal;

rollable means for displaying graphical information responsive to the graphical information signal, the rollable displaying means providing a closing force between the first housing 32 and the second housing 34; and

means for spreading the first housing 32 and the second housing 34.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein the spreading means further comprises means for providing an opening force between the first housing 32 and the second housing 34.

28. The device of claim 27 further comprising means for equalizing the closing force and the opening force.

29. The device of claim 26 further comprising means for locking the rollable displaying means in a rolled configuration.

30. The device of claim 26 further comprising means for locking the rollable displaying means in an extended configuration.

31. The device of claim 26 further comprising means for controlling extension of the rollable displaying means with a single hand.

32. The device of claim 26 further comprising means for establishing dynamic behavior of the rollable displaying means between a rolled configuration and an extended configuration.