Flexible display extendable assembly

• US 9,286,812 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bohn, David D., O'Brien, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Zachary M
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURTNER, DOUGLAS R
• Application Number:
  US13/154,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20120314400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 extendable assembly, comprising:

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

an extendable mechanism coupled in a second housing part of the extendable electronic device and to the slideable display guide, the first and second housing parts of the extendable electronic device configured to slide-engage relative to each other, the extendable mechanism configured to extend as the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other, and the extendable mechanism further configured to retract as the first and second housing parts slide together relative to each other, a first section of the flexible display configured to retract into the first housing part, the first section of the flexible display being flat and parallel to a second section of the flexible display when the first and second housing parts slide together relative to each other into a closed position,

wherein the extendable mechanism comprises one or more extendable scissor mechanisms configured to extend in both of the first and second housing parts of the extendable electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other.

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

3. An extendable assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the extendable 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 extendable electronic device without tension applied to the flexible display.

4. An extendable assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein the extendable 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 extendable electronic device slide apart relative to each other.

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

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

15. An extendable electronic device as recited in claim 14, wherein the two or more extendable scissor mechanisms are separate scissor mechanisms.

16. An extendable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the extendable mechanism comprises two or more extendable scissor mechanisms that are integrated into a single mechanism.

17. An extendable assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the extendible electronic device further comprises 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 extendable electronic device under the flexible display.

6. An extendable electronic device, comprising:

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

an extendable mechanism coupled in a second housing part of the extendable electronic device and to the slideable display guide, the first and second housing parts configured to slide-engage relative to each other, a first section of the flexible display configured to retract into the first housing part, the first section of the flexible display being flat and parallel to a second section of the flexible display when the first and second housing parts slide together relative to each other into a closed position of the device,

wherein the extendable mechanism comprises one or more extendable scissor mechanisms configured to extend in both of the first and second housing parts of the extendable electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other.

7. An extendable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the first section of the flexible display is retractable to slide-engage into the first housing part of the extendable electronic device when the section of the flexible display is not activated for display.

8. An extendable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the first section of the flexible display extends from the first housing part of the extendable electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other.

9. An extendable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the extendable 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 extendable electronic device without tension applied to the flexible display.

10. An extendable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the extendable 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 extendable electronic device slide apart relative to each other.

11. An extendable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the extendable mechanism comprises two or more extendable scissor mechanisms configured to extend in both of the first and second housing parts of the extendable electronic device when the first and second housing parts slide apart relative to each other.

12. An extendable electronic device as recited in claim 11, wherein the two or more extendable scissor mechanisms are separate scissor mechanisms.

13. An extendable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the extendable mechanism comprises two or more extendable scissor mechanisms that are integrated into a single mechanism.

18. An extendable electronic device as recited in claim 6, 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 extendable electronic device under the flexible display.