IP Library Granted Patent US 12,010,253
Granted Patent B2
US 12,010,253 · App. 17/510,874 · Granted Jun 11, 2024

Electronic device including flexible display

Inventors: Seungjoon Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Moonchul Shin (Suwon-si, KR); Youngmin Kang (Suwon-si, KR); Hyunsuk Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Yeonggyu Yoon (Suwon-si, KR); Inkuk Yun (Suwon-si, KR); Hojin Jung (Suwon-si, KR); Joongyeon Cho (Suwon-si, KR); Junyoung Choi (Suwon-si, KR); Byounguk Yoon (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H04M1/0237G06F1/1624G06F1/1652G06F1/1656H04M1/0268H04W4/80
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,010,253
App. No.
17/510,874
Granted
Jun 11, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to various embodiments of the disclosure, an electronic device may comprise: a first housing, a flexible display including a first area disposed on the first housing and a second area extending from the first area and deformable into a curved shape, and a multi-bar structure comprising a plurality of bars and having an end coupled to the first housing and deformably supporting the second area. The multi-bar structure may include a support having a surface disposed to support the second area, and at least one rail disposed on another surface of the support when viewed from outside of the flexible display, wherein the rail is at least partially disposed in an area overlapping the second area.

Claims (39)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing configured to be movable relative to the first housing;

a flexible display including a first area disposed on the first housing and a second area extending from the first area, wherein the second area is configured to be deformable into a curved shape while the second housing moves relative to the first housing; and

a multi-bar structure including a plurality of bars and supporting the second area,

wherein the multi-bar structure includes:

a support including a first surface, facing the flexible display, to support the second area;

at least one first guide protrusion protruding from a second surface opposite to the first surface of the support, and

at least one second guide protrusion extending from the first guide protrusion, and

wherein while the second housing moves in the first housing, when viewed from outside of the flexible display, the at least one second protrusion is configured to be at least partially disposed to overlap at least portion of the second area.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the support includes a plurality of rods arranged along a direction, and wherein the at least one first guide protrusion protrudes from any one surface of each one of the plurality of rods.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein a pair of the second guide protrusions extend from a pair of the first guide protrusions respectively in directions away from each other.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one of second guide protrusion protrudes outward from ends of the plurality of rods in directions in which the plurality of rods extend.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first housing includes a first surface, a second surface facing away from the first surface of the first housing, and a side wall at least partially surrounding a space between the first surface and the second surface of the first housing, and wherein at least a portion of the multi-bar structure is configured to be selectively received in the space between the first surface and the second surface of the first housing.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , further comprising:

at least one flange extending inwardly from the side wall;

a circuit board disposed in the space between the first surface and the second surface of the first housing;

at least one contact disposed on the circuit board and contacting the flange; and

a processor or a communication module comprising communication circuitry disposed on the circuit board,

wherein the processor or the communication module is configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal using at least a portion of the side wall.

7. The electronic device of claim 5 , further comprising:

at least one first guide disposed on an inner wall of the second housing and including a guide groove formed in one surface thereof; and

a second guide mounted on the first guide,

wherein the second housing is configured to be selectively received in the space between the first surface and the second surface of the first housing, and

wherein the multi-bar structure is configured to be selectively received in the second housing.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the guide groove includes a pair of straight sections and a curved section connecting the straight sections, and wherein at least a portion of the at least one second guide protrusion is disposed to be movable in the guide groove.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , further comprising a processor or a communication module comprising communication circuitry configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal using at least a portion of the side wall,

wherein the first guide at least partially includes an electrically insulating material and is configured to be at least partially disposed between the side wall and the multi-bar structure when the second housing is received in the first housing.

10. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the second area or the multi-bar structure is configured to be received in or withdrawn out of the second housing through an interval between an inner surface of the second housing and the second guide.

11. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the second area or the multi-bar structure, together with the second housing, is configured to be received in the first housing, with the second area or the multi-bar structure received in the second housing.

12. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein a pair of the first guides are disposed in the second housing facing each other and are individually coupled to two opposite ends of the second guide.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a pair of first guides disposed on an inner wall of the second housing and facing each other; and

a second guide mounted on the first guide,

wherein as the second housing is received in the first housing, the second area or the multi-bar structure is configured to be received in the second housing while being guided by at least one of the first guides or the second guide.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising a processor or a communication module comprising communication circuitry,

wherein the first housing includes a first surface, a second surface facing away from the first surface of the first housing, and a side wall at least partially surrounding a space between the first surface and the second surface,

wherein the first guides at least partially include an electrically insulating material and are configured to be at least partially disposed between the side structure and the multi-bar structure when the second housing is received in the first housing, and

wherein the processor or the communication module is configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal using at least a portion of the side wall adjacent to the multi-bar structure, with any one of the first guide members disposed therebetween.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2021
From: LEE, SEUNGJOON; SHIN, MOONCHUL; KANG, YOUNGMIN; KIM, HYUNSUK; YOON, YEONGGYU; YUN, INKUK; JUNG, HOJIN; CHO, JOONGYEON; CHOI, JUNYOUNG; YOON, BYOUNGUK
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 057921/0966 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2020-0147441 · Nov 6, 2020 · national
KR 10-2021-0048406 · Apr 14, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2021013439 · Sep 30, 2021
Related Publication 20220150337A1 · May 12, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,393,231