Patent Application
20230384822
The disclosure relates to an electronic device, for example, a hinge module and/or an electronic device including the same.
Along with the development of electronics, information, and communication technologies, various functions are being integrated into a single electronic device. For example, a smartphone includes the function of an audio player, an imaging device, or an electronic wallet function as well as a communication function, and more various functions may be implemented in the smartphone by installing additional applications.
A user may search, select, and obtain more information by accessing a network, not limited to functions (e.g., applications) or information installed in an electronic device. Although a direct access scheme (e.g., wired communication) may provide fast and stable communication establishment in accessing a network, its use area may be limited to a fixed location or a space of a certain size. A wireless communication scheme has fewer limitations on location and space in accessing a network, and its transmission speed and stability are gradually reaching the same level as the direct access scheme. It is expected that the wireless communication scheme will provide faster and more stable communication establishment than the direct access scheme.
As the use of personal and portable electronic devices such as smartphones becomes common, user demands for portability and convenience of use have been increasing. For example, a touch screen display may be an output device that outputs, for example, visual information on a screen and also provide a virtual keypad that replaces a physical input device (e.g., a keypad). Accordingly, the electronic device may provide the same or improved usability (e.g., a larger screen) while being miniaturized. It is expected that commercialization of a flexible display, for example, a foldable or rollable display will lead to more improved portability and use convenience of electronic devices.
In implementing a foldable or rollable electronic device, it may be difficult to secure mechanical stability while enabling structures of the electronic device to move (e.g., rotate) relative to each other. For example, it may be difficult to secure a stable operating mechanism in a foldable or rollable electronic device, while securing or maintaining the portability of the electronic device by making it small and lightweight. Particularly, a mechanical structure (e.g., a hinge or a roller) for providing a mechanism of folding or rolling a display and/or an electronic device may become another obstacle to miniaturization of the electronic device.
Provided are a miniaturized hinge module for enabling deformation (e.g., folding or unfolding deformation) of a display, and an electronic device including the same.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a foldable electronic device includes: a first housing; a second housing; a hinge module foldably coupling the first housing and the second housing with each other; and a flexible display disposed on a first surface of the first housing and a second surface of the second housing, and extending between the first surface and the second surface across the hinge module, wherein the hinge module includes: a gear member; a first rotation bracket rotatably connected to the gear member; a second rotation bracket rotatably connected to the gear member; a first hinge plate rotatably connected to the first rotation bracket; and a second hinge plate rotatably connected to the second rotation bracket.
The gear member may include a first rotation axis configured to rotate the first housing therearound and a second rotation axis configured to rotate the second housing rotate therearound.
The gear member may further include: a first gear aligned with the first rotation axis; a second gear aligned with the second rotation axis; and an interlocking gear interlocking the first gear and the second gear with each other.
The gear member may further include a fixing bracket configured to fix a position of the first gear by accommodating at least a part of the first gear and to fix a position of the second gear by accommodating at least a part of the second gear.
The foldable electronic device may further include a first pin member fastening the fixing bracket to the first rotation bracket and the second rotation bracket.
Each of the first rotation bracket and the second rotation bracket may include a base and a plurality of arms.
Each of the first rotation bracket and the second rotation bracket may further include a fastening member protruding from one surface of the base in a longitudinal direction of the electronic device and fastening the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate to each other.
The fastening member of the first rotation bracket forms a third rotation axis to rotate the first hinge plat thereabout and the fastening member of the second rotation bracket forms a fourth rotation axis to rotate the second hinge plate therearound.
Each of the first rotation bracket and the second rotation bracket may further include: a first arm protruding from a surface of the base in a longitudinal direction of the electronic device; and a second arm extending from the first arm in a direction parallel to the surface of the base.
The second arm of each of the first rotation bracket and the second rotation bracket may include a guide pin hole formed in a surface of the second arm.
The hinge module may further include a first hinge arm configured to rotate the first rotation bracket and a second hinge arm configured to rotate the second rotation bracket, in response to an unfolding or a folding of the first housing and the second housing.
The foldable electronic device of claim 11, further including a pair of second pin members respectively fastening the first hinge arm and the second hinge arm to the guide pin hole of the first rotation bracket and the guide pin hole of the second rotation bracket.
The gear member may include: a first gear including a first teeth portion and a first shaft connected to the first teeth portion; and a second gear including a second teeth portion and a second shaft connected to the second teeth portion, the first hinge arm and the second hinge arm are fixedly connected to the first shaft and the second shaft, respectively, and the first hinge arm and the second hinge arm are fixed by press-fitting of an asymmetric cross-sectional structure of an end of the first shaft and an asymmetric cross-sectional structure of an end of the second shaft.
The first hinge plate and the second hinge plate may be at least partially supported by a hinge cover of the hinge module, when the electronic device is in an unfolded state.
Each of the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate is configured to rotate using a rotation axis different from a rotation axis around which the first housing and the second housing rotate, and the rotation axis around which the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate are rotatable is located on a rear surface of the flexible display.
According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, a space between a first housing and a second housing, in which a flexible display is foldable, may be increased in a folded state of an electronic device by applying a behavior of retracting a hinge plate into an electronic device housing.
According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, a foldable radius of curvature of the flexible display may be advantageously larger.
According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, the flexible display may be implemented in the shape of a water droplet, when its cross-section is viewed.
According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, a mounting space for internal components of the electronic device may be advantageously increased by reducing the width of a hinge module.
According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, because it is possible to reduce the width of the hinge module, an area over which an adhesive is attached to a plate supporting the display may be formed to be larger. Accordingly, the durability of the electronic device may be improved.
The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
An electronic device according to various embodiments of the disclosure may be one of various types of electronic devices. The electronic devices may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic devices are not limited to those described above.
It should be appreciated that various embodiments of the disclosure and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technological features set forth herein to particular embodiments and include various changes, equivalents, or replacements for a corresponding embodiment. With regard to the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements. It is to be understood that a singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the things, unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of such phrases as “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, “at least one of A or B”, “A, B, or C”, “at least one of A, B, and C”, and “at least one of A, B, or C” may include any one of, or all possible combinations of, the items enumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases. As used herein, such terms as “1st” and “2nd” or “first” and “second” may be used to simply distinguish a corresponding component from another, and does not limit the components in other aspect (e.g., importance or order). It is to be understood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to, with or without the term “operatively” or “communicatively”, as “coupled with”, “coupled to”, “connected with”, or “connected to” another element (e.g., a second element), it means that the element may be coupled with the other element directly (e.g., wiredly), wirelessly, or via a third element.
As used herein, the term “module” may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may interchangeably be used with other terms, for example, logic, logic block, part, or circuitry. A module may be a single integral component, or a minimum unit or part thereof, adapted to perform one or more functions.
In the following detailed description, a configuration in which a pair of housing structures (or referred to as ‘housings’) are rotatably coupled with each other by a hinge module (or referred to as a ‘hinge structure’) is taken as an example. However, it should be noted that this embodiment does not limit an electronic device according to various embodiments of the disclosure. For example, the electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure may include three or more housing structures, and “a pair of housing structures” in the embodiments disclosed below may mean “two housing structures rotatably coupled with each other among three or more housing structures”.
Referring to
In an embodiment, the pair of housing structures 110 and 120 may include a first housing structure 110 including a sensor area 131d, a second housing structure 120, a first rear cover 140, and a second rear cover 150. The pair of housing structures 110 and 120 of the electronic device 100 may be configured in a different shape or by a combination and/or engagement of other components, not limited to the shape and engagement illustrated in
According to an embodiment, the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may be disposed, for example, on both sides of a folding axis A, and may be symmetrical in shape as a whole with respect to the folding axis A. In a certain embodiment, the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may rotate around different folding axes with respect to the hinge structure 164 or the hinge cover 165. For example, each of the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may be rotatably coupled with the hinge structure 164 or the hinge cover 165. As the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 rotate around the folding axis A or different folding axes, the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may rotate between a folded position and a position at which they are inclined with respect to each other or a position at which they are unfolded in parallel with each other.
Herein, the expression “located side by side” or “extended side by side” may mean a state in which two structures (e.g., the housing structures 110 and 120) are at least partially located next to each other or a state in which parts of the two structures, located next to each other are arranged in parallel. In a certain embodiment, “arranged side by side” may mean that the two structures are disposed next to each other, facing parallel directions or the same direction. Although expressions such as “side by side” and “parallel” may be used in the following detailed description, they will be easily understood according to the shapes or arrangement relationship of the structures with reference to the accompanying drawings.
According to an embodiment, the angle or distance between the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may vary depending on whether the electronic device 100 is in an unfolded state (extended state or flat state) (or opened state), a folded state (or closed state), or an intermediate state. In describing various embodiments of the disclosure, when it is said that the electronic device 100 is placed in the “unfolded state”, this may mean a “fully unfolded state” in which the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 of the electronic device 100 form an angle of 180 degrees. When it is said that the electronic device 100 is placed in the “closed state”, this may mean that the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 of the electronic device form an angle of 0 degrees or an angle less than 10 degrees. When the electronic device 100 is placed in the “intermediate state”, this may mean that the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 form an angle between the angle formed in the “unfolded state” and the angle formed in the “closed state”.
According to an embodiment, while the first housing structure 110 further includes the sensor area 131d having various sensors arranged therein, unlike the second housing structure 120, the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may be symmetrical with each other in shape in the remaining area except for the sensor area 131d. In another embodiment, the sensor area 131d may be additionally disposed in or replaced by at least a partial area of the second housing structure 120. In another embodiment, the sensor area 131d may be omitted in the first housing structure 110.
In an embodiment, in the unfolded state of the electronic device 100, the first housing structure 110 may be connected to the hinge structure (e.g., the hinge structure 164 of
In an embodiment, the second housing structure 120 may be connected to the hinge structure (e.g., the hinge structure 164 of
In an embodiment, the electronic device 100 may include a recess 101 formed to accommodate the display 130 therein through structural shape coupling between the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120. The recess 101 may have substantially the same size as the display 130. In an embodiment, the recess 101 may have two or more different widths in the direction perpendicular to the folding axis A due to the sensor area 131d. For example, the recess 101 may have a first width W1 between a first part 120a of the second housing structure 120 parallel to the folding axis A and a first part 110a of the first housing structure 110, formed at an edge of the sensor area 131d, and a second width W2 between a second part 110b of the second housing structure 120 and a second part 110b of the first housing structure 110, which does not correspond to the sensor area 131d and is parallel to the folding axis A. In this case, the second width W2 may be greater than the first width W1. For example, the recess 101 may be formed to have the first width W1 covering the first part 110a of the first housing structure 110 and the first part 120a of the second housing structure 120 which are asymmetrical to each other, and the second width W2 covering the second part 110b of the first housing structure 110 and the second part 120b of the second housing structure 120 which are symmetrical to each other. In an embodiment, the first part 110a and the second part 110b of the first housing structure 110 may be formed to have different distances from the folding axis A. The widths of the recess 101 are not limited to the illustrated example. In one or more embodiments, the recess 101 may have two or more different widths according to the shape of the sensor area 131d or the asymmetrical parts of the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120.
In an embodiment, the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may be at least partially formed of a metallic material or a non-metallic material, which has a rigidity selected to support the display 130. In another embodiment, at least parts of the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may contain an electrically conductive material. When the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 contain the electrically conductive material, the electronic device 100 may transmit and receive radio waves by means of the parts of the electrically conductive material in the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120. For example, a processor or a communication module of the electronic device 100 may perform wireless communication by using the parts of the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120.
In an embodiment, the sensor area 131d may be formed to have a predetermined area adjacent to one corner of the first housing structure 110. However, the arrangement, shape, or size of the sensor area 131d is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, in another embodiment, the sensor area 131d may be provided in any area adjacent to another corner of the first housing structure 110 or in any area between top and bottom corners of the first housing structure 110. In another embodiment, the sensor area 131d may be disposed in at least a partial area of the second housing structure 120. In another embodiment, the sensor area 131d may be disposed to extend to the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120. In an embodiment, the electronic device 100 may include components exposed from the front surface of the electronic device 100 through the sensor area 131d or at least one opening formed in the sensor area 131d, and various functions may be executed by these components. The components arranged in the sensor area 131d may include, for example, at least one of a front camera device, a proximity sensor, an illuminance sensor, an iris recognition sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or an indicator. However, the components are not limited to this embodiment. The sensor area 131d may be omitted according to an embodiment. According to the embodiment, the components arranged in the sensor area 131d may be distributed over at least a partial area of the first housing structure 110 and/or the second housing structure 120.
In an embodiment, the first rear cover 140 may be disposed on the second surface 112 of the first housing structure 110 and have a substantially rectangular periphery. In an embodiment, the periphery of the first rear cover 140 may be at least partially surrounded by the first housing structure 110. Similarly, the second rear cover 150 may be disposed on the fourth surface 122 of the second housing structure 120, and the periphery of the second rear cover 150 may be at least partially surrounded by the second housing structure 120.
In the illustrated embodiment, the first rear cover 140 and the second rear cover 150 may have a substantially symmetrical shape with respect to the folding axis A. In another embodiment, the first rear cover 140 and the second rear cover 150 may be in various different shapes. In another embodiment, the first rear cover 140 may be integrally formed with the first housing structure 110, and the second rear cover 150 may be integrally formed with the second housing structure 120.
In an embodiment, a structure in which the first rear cover 140, the second rear cover 150, the first housing structure 110, and the second housing structure 120 are coupled with each other may provide a space in which various components (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB), an antenna module, a sensor module, or a battery) may be arranged. In an embodiment, one or more components may be disposed or visually exposed on the rear surface of the electronic device 100. For example, one or more components or sensors may be visually exposed through a first rear area 141 of the first rear cover 140. In one or more embodiments, the sensors may include a proximity sensor, a rear camera device, and/or a flash. In another embodiment, at least a part of a sub-display 152 may be visually exposed through a second rear area 151 of the second rear cover 150.
The display 130 may be disposed in a space defined by the pair of housing structures 110 and 120. For example, the display 130 may be mounted in the recess (e.g., the recess 101 of
In an embodiment, the display 130 may refer to a display which is at least partially deformable into a flat surface or a curved surface. In an embodiment, the display 130 may include a folding area 131c, a first area 131a disposed on one side of the folding area 131c (e.g., a right area of the folding area 131c), and a second area 131b disposed on the other side of the folding area 131c (e.g., a left area of the folding area 131c). For example, the first area 131a may be disposed on the first surface 111 of the first housing structure 110, and the second area 131b may be disposed on the third surface 121 of the second housing structure 120. For example, the display 130 may extend from the first surface 111 to the third surface 121 through the hinge structure 164 of
In an embodiment, the area division of the display 130 is exemplary, and the display 130 may be divided into a plurality of areas (e.g., two areas or four or more areas) according to its structure or function. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in
According to an embodiment, the first area 131a and the second area 131b may have a symmetrical shape as a whole with respect to the folding area 131c. However, unlike the second area 131b, the first area 131a may include a notch area (e.g., a notch area 133 of
Referring further to
Now, a description will be given of the operations of the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 and each area of the display 130 according to the operating states (e.g., the unfolded state and the folded state) of the electronic device 100.
In an embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in the unfolded state (e.g., the state of
In an embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in the folded state (e.g., the state of
In an embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in the intermediate state, the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may form a certain angle, for example, 90 degrees or 120 degrees. For example, in the intermediate state, the first area 131a and the second area 131b of the display 130 may form an angle larger than that in the folded state and smaller than that in the unfolded state. At least a part of the folding area 131c may have a curved surface with a predetermined curvature, which may be smaller than that in the folded state.
Referring to
The display 130 may include a display panel 131 (e.g., a flexible display panel) and at least one plate 132 or layer on which the display panel 131 is mounted. In an embodiment, the plate 132 may be disposed between the display panel 131 and the support member assembly 160. The display panel 131 may be disposed on at least a part of one surface (e.g., a surface in a Z-axis direction of
The support member assembly 160 may include a first support member 161, a second support member 162, the hinge structure 164 disposed between the first support member 161 and the second support member 162, the hinge cover 165 which covers the hinge structure 164 when the hinge structure 164 is viewed from the outside, and a wiring member 163 (e.g., a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB)) crossing the first and second support members 161 and 162.
In an embodiment, the support member assembly 160 may be disposed between the plate 132 and the at least one PCB 170. For example, the first support member 161 may be disposed between the first area 131a of the display 130 and a first PCB 171. The second support member 162 may be disposed between the second area 131b of the display 130 and a second PCB 172.
In an embodiment, at least a part of the wiring member 163 and the hinge structure 164 may be disposed inside the support member assembly 160. The wiring member 163 may be disposed in a direction (e.g., an X-axis direction) crossing the first support member 161 and the second support member 162. The wiring member 163 may be disposed in the direction (e.g., the X-axis direction) perpendicular to the folding axis (e.g., the Y axis or the folding axis A of
According to one or more embodiments, the hinge structure 164 may include a hinge module 164a, a first hinge plate 164b, and/or a second hinge plate 164c. In a certain embodiment, the hinge module 164a may be interpreted as including the first hinge plate 164b and the second hinge plate 164c. In an embodiment, the first hinge plate 164b may be mounted inside the first housing structure 110, and the second hinge plate 164c may be mounted inside the second housing structure 120. In a certain embodiment, the first hinge plate 164b may be coupled with the first support member 161, and the second hinge plate 164c may be coupled with the second support member 162. In another embodiment, the first hinge plate 164b (or the second hinge plate 164c) may be coupled with another structure (e.g., a first rotation support surface 114 or a second rotation support surface 124) inside the first housing structure 110 (or the second housing structure 120). For example, the structure in which the first hinge plate 164b (or the second hinge plate 164c) is coupled inside the first housing structure 110 (or the second housing structure 120) may vary depending on embodiments. In another embodiment, the hinge module 164a may be coupled with the first hinge plate 164b and the second hinge plate 164c to rotatably couple the second hinge plate 164c to the first hinge plate 164b. For example, the folding axis (e.g., the folding axis A of
The at least one PCB 170 may include the first PCB 171 disposed at the side of the first support member 161 and the second PCB disposed at the side of the second support member 162, as described before. The first PCB 171 and the second PCB 172 may be disposed inside a space formed by the support member assembly 160, the first housing structure 110, the second housing structure 120, the first rear cover 140, and the second rear cover 150. Components for executing various functions of the electronic device 100 may be arranged on the first PCB 171 and the second PCB 172.
In an embodiment, with the display 130 coupled with the support member assembly 160, the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may be assembled to be coupled with both sides of the support member assembly 160. The first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may be slidably coupled with both sides of the support member assembly 160, for example, the first support member 161 and the second support member 162, respectively. The first support member 161 and the second support member 162 may be accommodated substantially in the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120, and according to an embodiment, the first support member 161 and the second support member 162 may be interpreted as parts of the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120.
In an embodiment, the first housing structure 110 may include the first rotation support surface 114, and the second housing structure 120 may include the second rotation support surface 124 corresponding to the first rotation support surface 114. The first rotation support surface 114 and the second rotation support surface 124 may include curved surfaces corresponding to a curved surface included in the hinge cover 165.
In an embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in the unfolded state (e.g., the state of
In the above detailed description, ordinal numbers such as first and second in the first housing structure 110, the second housing structure 120, the first side member 113, and the second side member 123 are used simply to distinguish components from each other, and it should be noted that the ordinal numbers do not limit the disclosure. For example, although the sensor area 131d has been described as formed in the first housing structure 110 by way of example, the sensor area 131d may be formed in the second housing structure 120 or the first and second housing structures 110 and 120. In another embodiment, although it has been described that the first rear area 141 is disposed on the first rear cover 140 and the sub-display 152 is disposed on the second rear cover 150 by way of example, both the first rear area 141 for arranging sensors and so on therein and the sub-display 152 for outputting a screen may be disposed on either the first rear cover 140 or the second rear cover 150.
Referring to
According to one or more embodiments, the hinge module 240 and/or the hinge cover 245 may be located to substantially correspond to a folding area (e.g., the folding area 131c of
Referring to
According to one or more embodiments, the first hinge plate 241 and the second hinge plate 242 may have substantially the same structure, and thus components provided in the hinge plates 241a and 242a may also have the same structures. Therefore, the components provided in the hinge plates 241a and 242a may be described regardless of whether they are included in the first hinge plate 241 or the second hinge plate 242. In addition, the first rotation bracket 251 and the second rotation bracket 252, the first gear 261 and the second gear 262, the first hinge arm 271 and the second hinge arm 272, and/or the first cam structure 273 and the second cam structure 274 may also have substantially the same structure. Sub-components of the two substantially identical components may be described without distinction between a ‘first’ component from a ‘second’ component. In describing the sub-components of the two substantially identical components below, for example, a description of the sub-components included in the ‘first component’ is applicable equally to the sub-components included in the ‘second component’. Therefore, a description of the subcomponents included in the ‘second component’ may be omitted as far as it is redundant to the description of the subcomponents included in the ‘first component’, and the description of the subcomponents included in the ‘first component’ may be adaptively applied to the subcomponents included in the ‘second component’.
In the hinge module 240 according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, each of a plurality of components for driving the hinge module 240 may be provided in a pairwise manner and disposed to be latitudinally symmetrical with respect to a folding axis (e.g., the folding axis A in
Referring to
Referring to
According to one or more embodiments, the plurality of arms may further include a third arm 251d which extends from the base 251a in a direction parallel to the base 251a and has a fastening hole (e.g., a fourth hole 251i) formed thereon, with which a first pin member 265 is fastened. According to another embodiment, the second arm 251c may be integrated into the first arm 251b under the condition that a pin hole (e.g., the third hole 251h) for guiding the sliding movement of a pin member (e.g., a second pin member 273) is equally formed on the second arm 251c.
The hinge plates 241 and 242 may rotatably coupled with the rotation brackets 251 and 252, respectively, and rotate around the third rotation axis Ax3 and the fourth rotation axis Ax4. For reference, the third rotation axis Ax3 and the fourth rotation axis Ax4 may be different from the first rotation axis Ax1 and the second rotation axis Ax2. The third rotation axis Ax3 may be an axis spaced apart from the first rotation axis Ax1 by a specific distance and directed in a direction parallel to the first rotation axis Ax1, and the fourth rotation axis Ax4 may be an axis spaced apart from the second rotation axis Ax2 by a specific distance and directed in a direction parallel to the second rotation axis Ax2.
Referring to
According to one or more embodiments, the gear member may include the interlocking gear 263 disposed between the first gear 261 and the second gear 262. The interlocking gear 263 may include a plurality of (e.g., two) idle gears. The plurality of idle gears may include shafts 263c and 263d and teeth portions 263a and 263b meshed with their adjacent gears while rotating around the shafts. The teeth portions 263a and 263b of the plurality of idle gears may be connected to the teeth portion 261a of the first gear 261 and the teeth portion of the second gear 262. According to an embodiment, rotation of the first gear 261 may be transmitted to the second gear 262 through the interlocking gear 263, and rotation of the second gear 262 may be transmitted to the first gear 261 through the interlocking gear 263.
According to one or more embodiments, the gear member may further include the gear bracket 264 to position-fixing the first gear 261, the second gear 262, and/or the interlocking gear 263. The gear bracket 264 may be coupled with the first rotation bracket 251 and the second rotation bracket 252. Unlike the first rotation bracket 251 and the second rotation bracket 252, the gear bracket 264 has a fixed relative position, and thus may be referred to as a ‘fixing bracket’. According to an embodiment, the gear bracket 264 may be coupled with the first rotation bracket 251 and the second rotation bracket 252 by the first pin member 265 (or rivet), which will be described later. For example, a groove corresponding to the first pin member 265 may be formed on one surface of the gear bracket 264, and the third arm 251d of the first rotation bracket 251 may be aligned with the groove. The first pin member 265 may then be fixedly press-fitted into the groove and the third arm 251d. According to an embodiment, a fastening hole 264a with which a member (e.g., a screw) is to be fastened may be formed on one surface of the gear bracket 264 to fix the gear bracket to at least one plate (e.g., the at least one plate 132 of
Referring to
According to one or more embodiments, the hinge arm (e.g., the first hinge arm 271) may be connected to the second pin member 273. According to an embodiment, the hinge arm (e.g., the first hinge arm 271) may be connected to the rotation bracket (e.g., the first rotation bracket 251) using the second pin member 273. For example, the second pin member 273 connected to the first hinge arm 271 may be accommodated in the pin hole formed on the second arm 251c of the first rotation bracket 251. According to an embodiment, when the first hinge arm 271 moves, the second pin member 273 may move in the pin hole formed on the second arm 251c of the first rotation bracket 251. In addition, when a relative position of the second pin member 273 does not change any more in the pin hole even though force is applied to move the first hinge arm 271 in one direction, the first hinge arm 271 may rotate, and the first rotation bracket 251 may also rotate along with the first hinge arm 271.
Referring to
According to one or more embodiments, the hinge module 240 may further include the stopper 278. The stopper 278 may be configured to be elongated on the whole in a longitudinal direction of the hinge arm (e.g., the first hinge arm 271), and have a protrusion formed in a latitudinal direction of the hinge arm (e.g., the first hinge arm 271). According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, the protrusion of the stopper 278 may serve to limit linear movement of at least a part of the hinge arm (e.g., the first hinge arm 271), the cam structure (e.g., the first cam structure 275), and/or the elastic member 280.
Referring back to
Although not specifically mentioned in the above-described embodiment, the hinge module 240 and/or the electronic device 200 including the hinge module 240 may further include at least one support member 244. The support member 244 may be, for example, a bar-type support member, be disposed to correspond to an area where the hinge module 240 is disposed, and connect the hinge module located on one side (e.g., top end) of the electronic device 200 to the hinge module located on the other side (e.g., bottom) of the electronic device 200. For example, the support member 244 may be disposed to support the folding area (e.g., the folding area 131c of
Behaviors of the flexible display 230 and the hinge plates 241 and 242 in the unfolded or folded state of the electronic device may be described through the embodiments illustrated in
According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, the hinge module 240 and/or the electronic device 200 including the same may provide the third rotation axis (e.g., Ax3 in
Referring to
Referring to
According to an embodiment, the hinge arms 271 and 272 may slide with respect to the rotation brackets 251 and 252. According to an embodiment, the second pin members 273 and 274 connected to the hinge arms 271 and 272 may slide approximately in the latitudinal direction of the electronic device within the pin holes (e.g., third holes 251h and 252h) of the rotation brackets 251 and 252. For example, in a state in which the second pin members 273 and 274 are coupled with the hinge arms 271 and 272 facing the latitudinal direction of the electronic device 200 in the unfolded state of the electronic device 200 (e.g.,
Referring first to
Referring back to
According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, the foldable electronic device 200 may be provided with the hinge plates 241 and 242 rotatable around the third rotation axis Ax3 and the fourth rotation axis Ax4, aside from the first rotation axis Ax1 and the second rotation axis Ax2 for implementing the unfolded and folded state between the first housing structure 210 and the second housing structure 220.
Force that rotates the hinge plates 241 and 242 may be provided by reaction force formed by folding of the flexible display 230. For example, the flexible display 230 may have elastic repulsive force to be unfolded again in the folded state of the electronic device, and rotate the hinge plates 241 and 242 around the third rotation axis Ax3 and the fourth rotation axis Ax4 to face the inclined surfaces of the rotation brackets 251 and 252. In this case, at least parts of the hinge plates 241 and 242 may make line contact with the flexible display 230. For example, when the electronic device is folded, the flexible display 230 may also be folded, and thus a first part P1 and a second part P2 on the rear surface 230b of the flexible display 230 may contact parts of the hinge plates 241 and 242. Herein, parts of the rear surface 230b of the flexible display 230 at positions adjacent to the hinge plates 241 and 242 may be bent to form inverse curvature portions (or inverse curves) C. In the disclosure, as the behavior of the hinge plates 241 and 242 being inserted into the housing is applied, a space in which the flexible display 230 is foldable between the first housing 210 and the second housing may further be increased. Accordingly, a larger radius of curvature R with which the flexible display 230 is foldable may be formed. For example, the flexible display 230 may be implemented in the shape of a water droplet in its cross-section.
In the embodiment illustrated in
As described above through the embodiments of
According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, a foldable electronic device (e.g., the foldable electronic device 200 of
According to one or more embodiments, the gear member may include a first rotation axis (e.g., the first rotation axis Ax1 in
According to one or more embodiments, the gear member may include: a first gear (e.g., the first gear 261 of
According to one or more embodiments, the gear member may further include a fixing bracket (e.g., the fixing bracket 264 of
According to one or more embodiments, the foldable electronic device may further include a first pin member (e.g., the first pin member 273 of
According to one or more embodiments, each of the first rotation bracket and the second rotation bracket may include a base (e.g., the base 251a of
According to one or more embodiments, the first rotation bracket and the second rotation bracket may include a fastening member (e.g., the fastening member 251e of
According to one or more embodiments, the fastening member may form a third rotation axis (e.g., the third rotation axis Ax3 in
According to one or more embodiments, each of the first rotation bracket and the second rotation bracket may include: a first arm (e.g., the first arm 251b of
According to one or more embodiments, the foldable electronic device may include a guide pin hole (e.g., the guide pin hole 251h of
According to one or more embodiments, the hinge module may further include a first hinge arm (e.g., the first hinge arm 271 of
According to one or more embodiments, the foldable electronic device may further include a second pin member (e.g., the second pin members 273 and 274 of
According to one or more embodiments, the gear member may include: a first gear including a first teeth portion (e.g., the first teeth portion 261a of
According to one or more embodiments, the first hinge arm and the second hinge arm may be fixed by press-fitting of an asymmetric cross-sectional structure of an end of the first shaft (e.g., the end 261c of the first shaft in
According to one or more embodiments, the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate may be at least partially supported by a hinge cover of the hinge module, when the electronic device is in an unfolded state.
According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, a foldable electronic device (e.g., the foldable electronic device 200 of
According to one or more embodiments, the rotation axis (e.g., the third rotation axis Ax3 and the fourth rotation axis Ax4) around which the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate are rotatable may be located on a rear surface of the flexible display (e.g., the rear surface 230b of the flexible display in
According to one or more embodiments, when the electronic device is in an unfolded state, at least a part (e.g., 245a in
According to one or more embodiments, the gear member may include: a first gear (e.g., the first gear 261 of
According to one or more embodiments, the gear member may further include a fixing bracket (e.g., the fixing bracket 264 of
While specific embodiments have been described above in the detailed description of the disclosure, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2021-0019325 | Feb 2021 | KR | national |
This application is a by-pass continuation of International Application No. PCT/KR2022/002024, filed on Feb. 10, 2022, which is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0019325, filed on Feb. 10, 2021, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/KR22/02024 | Feb 2022 | US |
| Child | 18232480 | US |
