Foldable body and foldable display apparatus

• US 10,168,733 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HannStar Display Corporation
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Chien-Ju, Yeh, Yung-Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): Milakovich, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US15/099,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20170118853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 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 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• 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 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel

Abstract

A foldable body is adapted to be connected between two neighboring ones of a plurality of supporting units, such that the two neighboring supporting units are moved relative to each other to flatten or bend a flexible display panel mounted on a supporting surface of each of the supporting units. The foldable body includes a main track and a main shaft. The main track is fixedly connected to one of the two neighboring supporting units. The main shaft is fixedly connected to the other of the two neighboring supporting units and is coupled to the main track to be translated and rotated in the main track. The two neighboring supporting units are connected by the foldable body, such that the supporting units are moved, such as being translated, rotated, or both, relative to each other, to bend at least a portion of the flexible display panel.

Claims

1. A foldable body adapted to be connected between two neighboring ones of a plurality of supporting units, such that the two neighboring supporting units are moved relative to each other to flatten or bend a flexible display panel mounted on a supporting surface of each of the supporting units, the foldable body comprising:

a main track unmovably fixedly connected to one of the two neighboring supporting units; and

a main shaft unmovably fixedly connected to the other of the two neighboring supporting units and coupled to the main track to be translated and rotated in the main track, such that the supporting surfaces are configured to be parallel to each other, inclined relative to each other, or spaced apart from each other by an interval.

2. The foldable body according to claim 1, wherein the main track comprises a first main position point and a second main position point, and the supporting surfaces are configured to be parallel to each other when the main shaft is moved along the main track to the first main position point in the main track.

3. The foldable body according to claim 2, wherein the supporting surfaces are configured to be spaced apart by an interval when the main shaft is moved along the main track to the second main position point in the main track.

4. The foldable body according to claim 1, wherein the main track and the flexible display panel are at a same side of the supporting surfaces when the supporting surfaces are configured to be parallel to each other.

5. The foldable body according to claim 1, wherein the main track and the flexible display panel are respectively at two sides of the supporting surfaces when the supporting surfaces are configured to be parallel to each other.

6. The foldable body according to claim 2, further comprising:

an auxiliary track fixedly connected to one of the two neighboring supporting units; and

an auxiliary shaft fixedly connected to the other of the two neighboring supporting units and coupled to the auxiliary track to be translated and rotated in the auxiliary track.

7. The foldable body according to claim 6, wherein the auxiliary track comprises a first auxiliary position point and a second auxiliary position point, and the supporting surfaces are configured to be parallel to each other when the main shaft is moved along the main track to the first main position point in the main track and the auxiliary shaft is moved along the auxiliary track to the first auxiliary position point in the auxiliary track.

8. The foldable body according to claim 7, wherein the supporting surfaces are configured to be spaced apart by an interval when the main shaft is moved along the main track to the second main position point in the main track and the auxiliary shaft is moved along the auxiliary track to the second auxiliary position point in the auxiliary track.

9. The foldable body according to claim 7, wherein the auxiliary track comprises a swing segment and a synchronous motion segment extending from the swing segment, wherein the two neighboring supporting units are rotated relative to each other along the corresponding main shaft when the main shaft is rotated at the first main position point and the auxiliary shaft is rotated and translated along the swing segment, and wherein the two neighboring supporting units are rotated and translated relative to each other when the main shaft is moved along the main track and the auxiliary shaft is moved along the synchronous motion segment of the auxiliary track.

10. The foldable body according to claim 3, wherein the main track further comprises a third main position point, wherein the supporting surfaces are located between the flexible display panel when the main shaft is moved along the main track to the third main position point in the main track.

11. The foldable body according to claim 1, wherein upon the supporting surfaces are parallel to each other, edges of the support surface closer to the main track are not aligned with each other and edges of the support surface farther away from the main track are not aligned with each other.