Granted Patent B2

US 12,267,968 · App. 17/756,387 · Granted Apr 1, 2025

Inventors: Adrian Gheorghe Menea (Palo Alto, CA); Yi Tao (San Jose, CA); Kiarash Vakhshouri (San Jose, CA); Taesung Kim (Cupertino, CA); Yiting Liu (New Taipei, TW); Michael J. Lombardi (Chicago, IL); Hao-Yuan Hou (Zhubei, TW)

Assignee: Google LLC

H05K5/0217H10K77/111H10K2102/311

Abstract

Claims (33)

1. A folding device comprising:

a first assembly;

a second assembly;

a continuous display including:

a first rigid segment positioned on a first side of the continuous display that overlies the first assembly;

a second rigid segment positioned on a second side of the continuous display that overlies the second assembly;

a primary flexible segment disposed between the first rigid segment and the second rigid segment;

a primary supporting plate attached to the continuous display, wherein the primary supporting plate includes a single supporting plate attached to the primary flexible segment, the first rigid segment, and the second rigid segment, and wherein the single supporting plate is configured to permit bending at the primary flexible segment;

protective membrane attached to a portion of the single supporting plate that is attached to the primary flexible segment;

a first supplemental supporting plate attached to the primary supporting plate adjacent to the first rigid segment of the continuous display;

a second supplemental supporting plate attached to the primary supporting plate adjacent to the second rigid segment of the continuous display;

a first collapsible support platform attached to the first assembly and configured to support the protective membrane and push the first supplemental supporting plate against a rear surface of the continuous display when the folding device is fully opened, wherein the first collapsible support platform collapses to make room for the continuous display when the folding device is fully closed; and

a second collapsible support platform attached to the second assembly and configured to support the protective membrane and push the second supplemental supporting plate against the rear surface of the continuous display when the folding device is fully opened, wherein the second collapsible support platform collapses to make room for the continuous display when the folding device is fully closed.

2. The folding device of claim 1 , wherein, when the folding device is fully open, a portion of the first supplemental supporting plate supports the primary flexible segment and a portion of the second supplemental supporting plate supports the primary flexible segment.

3. The folding device of claim 1 , further comprising:

first double-sided tape configured to attach the first supplemental supporting plate to the primary supporting plate adjacent to the first rigid segment; and

second double-sided tape configured to attach the second supplemental supporting plate to the primary supporting plate adjacent to the second rigid segment.

4. The folding device of claim 1 , wherein the protective membrane is further attached to a portion of the single supporting plate that is attached to the first rigid segment and a portion of the single supporting plate that is attached to the second rigid segment.

5. The folding device of claim 1 , wherein, to permit bending at the primary flexible segment, the primary supporting plate is etched and/or perforated at the primary flexible segment.

6. The folding device of claim 1 , wherein the continuous display comprises an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display or a micro light emitting diode display.

7. A display assembly of a folding device comprising: a continuous display including: a first rigid segment positioned on a first side of the continuously display that overlies a first assembly of the folding device; a second rigid segment positioned on a second side of the continuously display that overlies a second assembly of the folding device; a primary flexible segment disposed between the first rigid segment and the second rigid segment; a primary supporting plate attached to the continuous display, and the primary supporting plate includes a single supporting plate attached to the primary flexible segment, the first rigid segment, the second rigid segment, the third rigid segment, and the fourth rigid segment, and wherein the single supporting plate is configured to permit bending between the segments; and protective membrane attached a portion of the single supporting plate that is attached to the primary flexible segment; and a first collapsible support platform attached to the first assembly and configured to support the protective membrane and; a first supplemental supporting plate attached to the primary supporting plate adjacent to the first rigid segment of the continuous display; a second supplemental supporting plate attached to the primary supporting plate adjacent to the second rigid segment of the continuous display;

a first collapsible support platform attached to the first assembly and configured to support the protective membrane and push the first supplemental supporting plate against a rear surface of the continuous display when the folding device is fully opened, wherein the first collapsible support platform collapses to make room for the continuous display when the folding device is fully closed; and a second collapsible support platform attached to the second assembly and configured to support the protective membrane and push the second supplemental supporting plate against the rear surface of the continuous display when the folding device is fully opened, wherein the second collapsible support platform collapses to make room for the continuous display when the folding device is fully closed.

8. The display assembly of claim 7 , wherein, when the folding device is fully open, a portion of the first supplemental supporting plate supports the primary flexible segment and a portion of the second supplemental supporting plate supports the primary flexible segment.

9. The display assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:

first double-sided tape configured to attach the first supplemental supporting plate to the primary supporting plate adjacent to the first rigid segment; and

second double-sided tape configured to attach the second supplemental supporting plate to the primary supporting plate adjacent to the second rigid segment.

10. The display assembly of claim 7 , wherein the protective membrane is further attached to a portion of the single supporting plate that is attached to the first rigid segment and a portion of the single supporting plate that is attached to the second rigid segment.

11. The display assembly of claim 7 , wherein, to permit bending at the primary flexible segment, the primary supporting plate is etched and/or perforated at the primary flexible segment.

12. The folding device of claim 1 , wherein the primary supporting plate includes a single supporting plate attached to the primary flexible segment, the first rigid segment, and the second rigid segment, and wherein the single supporting plate is configured to permit bending at the primary flexible segment, the folding device further comprising:

first double-sided tape configured to attach the first supplemental supporting plate to the primary supporting plate adjacent to the first rigid segment;

second double-sided tape configured to attach the second supplemental supporting plate to the primary supporting plate adjacent to the second rigid segment; and

protective membrane attached a portion of the single supporting plate that is attached to the primary flexible segment.

13. The folding device of claim 1 , wherein a width of the first supplemental supporting plate along an axis perpendicular to a folding axis of the folding device is less than a width of the first collapsible support platform along the axis perpendicular to the folding axis of the folding device.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (24)