Portable electronic device

• US 9,625,947 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Haklim, Joo, Wonseok, Chae, Hanseok
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tuan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, ROCKSHANA D
• Application Number:
  US14/727,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20160116944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 36167927, 36167901, 36167921
• 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: 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: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/022 The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera

Abstract

Disclosed are a portable electronic device having a display unit which can be bent or folded partially or wholly, and a control method thereof. The portable electronic device includes: a display unit having a front surface and a rear surface, and formed to be flexible; and a folding unit including a plurality of blocks and a connection unit, and configured to be foldable together with the display unit, the plurality of blocks overlapped with each other on the rear surface of the display unit, the connection unit configured to connect the plurality of blocks to each other, wherein the plurality of blocks are arranged such that at least part thereof is relatively-movable with respect to neighboring blocks in a direction to become far from or close to the neighboring blocks.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a flexible display unit having a front surface and a rear surface; and

a folding unit in contact with the rear surface of the flexible display unit, the folding unit including a plurality of blocks and a connection unit, the connection unit connecting the plurality of blocks to each other,

wherein the plurality of blocks and the connection unit are arranged such that at least one or more of the plurality of blocks move along a curved path when the flexible display unit transitions to and from a first state and a second state, wherein the flexible display unit is flat in the first state and folded in the second state,

wherein the connection unit comprises a plurality of links coupled to the plurality of blocks,

wherein the plurality of links comprise a first group of links and a second group of links,

wherein each of the links of the first group crisscrosses a corresponding one of the links of the second group,

wherein each of the links of the second group of links comprises a protrusion rotatably connected to the corresponding link of the first group of links where they crisscross, and

wherein each of the links of the second group of links includes a groove that accommodates therein an end portion of a neighboring link of the second group when the flexible display unit is in the second state.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of blocks are elongated in a direction corresponding to one of a width or length dimension of the portable electronic device, and wherein the plurality of blocks are disposed in a planar configuration and parallel to each other when the flexible display unit is in said first state.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of blocks are disposed along a curved path when the flexible display unit is in the second state.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein an angular relationship exists between facing sides of neighboring blocks disposed along a curved path when the flexible display unit is in the second state.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 3, further comprising a pressing module configured to apply a force to the plurality of blocks, and to move the blocks into the planar configuration, and maintain the plurality of blocks in the planar configuration when the flexible display unit is in the first state.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a body;

a first fixing portion; and

a second fixing portion, wherein the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are fixed to the body and arranged such that the plurality of blocks are interposed there between.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of plates mounted to the blocks and covering, at least in part, a rear side of the blocks, wherein the flexible display unit is positioned over a front side of the blocks.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of plates overlaps a neighboring plate.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 7 further comprising:

a body, wherein the flexible display unit is visible through a front surface of the body, and wherein the plurality of plates are visible through a rear surface of the body.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the connection unit comprises a plurality of links attached to the ends of the plurality of blocks and wherein each of the plurality of links connects the ends of two neighboring blocks such that the blocks are movable relative to each other.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of links comprise a first group of links sequentially connected to each other, and a second group of links sequentially connected to each other, wherein each of the links of the first and second groups of links connects a front, side portion of one block to a rear, side portion of a neighboring block, and wherein each of the links of the first group crisscross a corresponding one of the links of the second group.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 11, wherein each of the links of the first group is rotatably connected to the corresponding one of the links of the second group where the two links crisscross.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 12, wherein each of the links of the second group of links comprises a protrusion rotatably connected to the corresponding link of the first group of links where they crisscross.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein each of the links of the second group include grooves that accommodate therein an end portion of a neighboring link of the second group when the flexible display unit is in the second state.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 11, wherein the links are configured as three-point links such that links of the first group are connected end to end in sequence, links of the second group are connected end to end in sequence, and each link is connected in the middle to the corresponding link of the other group of links.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 1 further comprising:

a body;

a cover formed of a flexible material mounted to a side surface of the body and covering, at least in part, the connection unit.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 16, wherein the cover is foldable.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display unit includes:

a flexible display;

a first member configured to overlap the flexible display; and

a second member configured to overlap the first member.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein at least one of the first member and the second member is formed of a shape memory alloy configured to return to an original shape by remembering a shape at a specific temperature.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein one of the first and second members is formed of a material having lower intensity than that of the other member.

21. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the flexible display includes a folding region, overlapping the folding unit, and a first region and a second region formed at opposite sides of the folding region and coupled to the first member.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 1 further comprising:

a body having a front surface and a rear surface, wherein the flexible display unit is disposed on the front surface of the body, and wherein the rear surface of the body constitutes a rear cover of the portable electronic device, and wherein the rear surface is flexible.

23. A portable electronic device comprising:

a body at least part of which is flexible;

a flexible display unit disposed on the body, the flexible display unit being transformable between a first state and a second state, wherein the flexible display unit is flat in the first state and folded in the second state; and

a folding unit mounted to the body and supporting the flexible display unit, wherein the folding unit includes;

a plurality of blocks, wherein one or more of the plurality of blocks move along a curved path when the flexible display unit transitions to and from the first state and the second state; and

a connection unit configured to sequentially connect the plurality of blocks to each other,

wherein the connection unit comprises a plurality of links coupled to the plurality of blocks,

wherein the plurality of links comprise a first group of links and a second group of links,

wherein each of the links of the first group crisscrosses a corresponding one of the links of the second group,

wherein each of the links of the second group of links comprises a protrusion rotatable connected to the corresponding link of the first group of links where they crisscross, and

wherein each of the links of the second group of links includes a groove that accommodates therein an end portion of a neighboring link of the second group when the flexible display unit is in the second state.

24. The portable electronic device of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of blocks are elongated in a direction corresponding to one of the width or length dimension of the portable electronic device, and wherein the plurality of blocks are disposed in a planar configuration and parallel to each other in the first state.

25. The portable electronic device of claim 24, wherein one or more of the plurality of blocks are disposed along a curved path when the flexible display unit is in the second state.

26. The portable electronic device of claim 25, wherein the connection unit comprises a connection shaft, and wherein the plurality of blocks are formed such that one end thereof tilts based on the connection shaft of the connection unit, when the flexible display unit transitions from the first state to the second state.