Display device

• US 11,026,336 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2020
• Issued: 06/01/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wuhan Tianma Micro-Electronics Company Limited (Wuhan Donghu New Technology Development Zone Production Promotion Centre), Wuhan Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited Shanghai Branch
• Original Assignee: Shanghai Tianma AM-OLED Co. Ltd (Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: He, Yongxin
• Primary Examiner(s): Rathod, Abhishek M
• Application Number:
  US16/832,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20210168947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 431 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: 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: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0226 Hinges

Abstract

A display device is provided in the present disclosure. The display device includes a flexible screen, a support structure, and a foldable structure. The flexible screen includes a first main body, a second main body, and a third main body connected to each of the first main body and the second main body. The support structure includes a first support portion configured to support the first main body and a second support portion configured to support the second main body. The foldable structure overlaps the third main body, and the first support portion and the second support portion are connected to each other through the foldable structure. During a folding process of the display device, at least a portion of the foldable structure is in contact with the third main body and configured to roll relative to the third main body.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a flexible screen, including a first main body, a second main body, and a third main body, wherein the third main body, between the first main body and the second main body, is connected to each of the first main body and the second main body;

a support structure, including a first support portion and a second support portion, wherein the first support portion is configured to support the first main body, and the second support portion is configured to support the second main body; and

a foldable structure, wherein;

the foldable structure overlaps the third main body;

the first support portion and the second support portion are connected to each other through the foldable structure;

a working state of the display device includes a folding state, and the first main body overlaps the second main body in the folding state; and

during a folding process of the display device, at least a portion of the foldable structure is in contact with the third main body and configured to roll relative to the third main body;

wherein;

the first main body is slidably connected to the first support portion, and the second main body is fixedly connected to the second support portion;

wherein the first support portion includes a support element and a sliding element, and the sliding element is fixedly connected to the first main body and slidably connected to the support element;

wherein the first support portion further includes an elastic element configured to provide an elastic force to the sliding element;

wherein the sliding element includes an attaching portion and a plurality of protruding portions, wherein;

the plurality of protruding portions is fixedly connected to the attaching portion;

the attaching portion has a plate shape;

the attaching portion is attached to the first main body; and

the plurality of protruding portions is disposed at a side of the attaching portion away from the first main body;

the first support portion further includes a plurality of fixing rods which extends along the first direction and is slidably connected to the protruding portions; and

the elastic element is between a protruding portion and the foldable structure.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the foldable structure includes an axle and an axle sleeve surrounding the axle;

the first support portion and the second portion are connected to each other through the axle; and

during the folding process of the display device, at least a portion of the axle sleeve is in contact with the third main body and configured to roll relative to the third main body.

3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein:

the axle and the axle sleeve are sleeved together through a clearance fit.

4. The display device according to claim 2, wherein:

the axle is made of a material including at least one of stainless steel, chromium carbide, high manganese steel, tungsten carbide, alumina ceramic, or nylon; and

/or

the axle sleeve is made of a material including at least one of stainless steel, chromium carbide, high manganese steel, tungsten carbide, alumina ceramic, or nylon.

5. The display device according to claim 2, wherein:

the foldable structure further includes at least one damping element;

the damping element includes a third end and a fourth end opposite to each other; and

the third end is connected to the axle, and the fourth end is connected to the first support portion or the second support portion.

6. The display device according to claim 1, wherein:

when the first support portion is folded relative to the second support portion through the foldable structure, the sliding element slides relative to the support element along a first direction, wherein the first direction is a direction perpendicular to a folding axis where the first main body is folded relative to the second main body.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein:

a length of the attaching portion along a second direction is greater than or equal to a length of the first main body along the second direction; and

a length of the attaching portion along the first direction is less than a length of the first main body along the first direction, wherein the second direction is in parallel with a plane of the first main body and is perpendicular to the first direction.

8. The display device according to claim 6, wherein:

a through hole is disposed at the protruding portion and passes through the protruding portion along the first direction;

a fixing rod of the plurality of fixing rods passes through the through hole of the protruding portion; and

the elastic element sleeves on the fixing rod.

9. The display device according to claim 8, wherein:

the elastic element includes a first end and a second end opposite to each other along the first direction, the first end is fixedly connected to the support element, and the second end is fixedly connected to the protruding portion.

10. The display device according to claim 8, wherein:

the elastic element includes a first end and a second end opposite to each other along the first direction, and both the first end and the second end are free ends.

11. The display device according to claim 10, wherein:

when an included angle between the first main body and the second main body is 180°

, a length of the elastic element is less than or equal to an original length of the elastic element in a free state.

12. The display device according to claim 6, wherein:

the support element has a hollowed-out region, and the fixing rod is at the hollowed-out region; and

a surface of a side of the support element adjacent to the first main body is in sliding contact with a surface of the attaching portion away from the first main body.

13. The display device according to claim 12, wherein:

the fixing rod is connected to the support element by one of an interference fit, a thread fit, or a snap fit.

14. The display device according to claim 12, wherein:

the support element includes a first support element and a second support element, and the first support element and the second support element are mated along the first direction; and

one end of the fixing rod is in contact with the first support element, and another end of the fixing rod is in contact with the second support element.

15. The display device according to claim 6, wherein:

when an included angle between the first main body and the second main body is 0°

, a minimum distance between the sliding element and the foldable structure is a first distance, and 0 mm≤

the first distance≤

0.5 mm.

16. The display device according to claim 1, wherein:

when an included angle between the first main body and the second main body is 0°

, the first main body overlaps the second main body, and the support structure is between the first main body and the second main body.