Support for a flexible display

• US 8,971,032 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason Tyler, Riddiford, Martin Philip, Kayser, Daniel Jordan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jinhee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morrison, Rashen E
• Application Number:
  US13/667,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20140126133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.27, 361/679.02, 361/679.3, 345/156
• US Class Current: 361/679.27
• 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

Abstract

A device includes: a housing having a first component and a second component coupled to one another by a pivot member and movable relative to one another between an open position in which the first component and the second component are in the same plane and a folded position; a first slider slidably received in the first component and a second slider slidably received in the second component, the first slider and the second slider being movable toward the pivot member when the first component and the second component move from the open position to the folded position; and a flexible membrane coupled to the first slider, the second slider and the pivot member; wherein, in the folded position, the flexible membrane is located between the first component and the second component.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a housing having a first component and a second component coupled to one another by a pivot member and movable relative to one another between an open position in which the first component and the second component are in the same plane and a folded position;

a first slider slidably received in the first component and a second slider slidably received in the second component, the first slider and the second slider being movable toward the pivot member when the first component and the second component move from the open position to the folded position;

a flexible membrane coupled to the first slider, the second slider and a central screen support, the central screen support coupled between the pivot member and the flexible membrane; and

a pivot support comprising a channel extending between a pair of ends, the ends comprising openings for receiving the pivot member, slots located on either side of the openings for receiving pins extending from the first component and the second component and apertures for receiving pins of a first slider linkage and a second slider linkage, the first slider linkage pivotally coupling the first slider to the pivot support and the second slider linkage pivotally coupling the second slider to the pivot support;

wherein, when the first component and the second component are moved toward the folded position in which the flexible membrane is located between the first component and the second component, the pins move in the slots and force the pivot member toward an end of the opening to move the central screen support into the channel of the pivot support.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slider linkages are movable in response to movement of the pivot support.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slider linkages coupling the first slider and the second slider to the pivot support are pivotable about the pins.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible membrane is a flexible display screen.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, comprising a processor in electrical communication with the flexible display screen and a power pack.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible membrane is a flexible touch-sensitive display screen.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, comprising a processor in electrical communication with the flexible touch-sensitive display screen and a power pack.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a distance between the first slider and the pivot member and a distance between the second slider and the pivot member are reduced when the first component and second component are moved toward the folded position.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising screen supports located between the first slider and the central screen support and the second slider and the central screen support, the screen supports supporting the flexible membrane when the first component and the second component are in the open position.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible membrane is coupled to the first slider, the second slider and the pivot member by an adhesive.