IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,354,506
Granted Patent B2
US 12,354,506 · App. 17/985,514 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Electronic apparatus

Inventors: Hirotsugu Kishimoto (Hwaseong-si, KR); Yongchan Jeon (Cheonan-si, KR); Chul Ho Jeong (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
G09F9/301G02B1/14G06F1/1652G06F3/041G06F2203/04102
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,354,506
App. No.
17/985,514
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a display module having non-folding areas and a folding area folded along a virtual folding axis, a lower plate which is disposed on a lower portion of the display module and in which lower openings overlapping the folding area are defined, and a digitizer including a first cover layer disposed on a lower portion of the lower plate, first sensing coils, second sensing coils insulated from the first sensing coils, a second cover layer, and a base layer. Each of the first cover layer, the first sensing coils, the second sensing coils, and the second cover layer does not overlap the folding area, and the base layer is exposed by the first cover layer and the second cover layer in the folding area.

Claims (77)

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a display module including:

non-folding areas arranged along a first direction; and

a folding area disposed between the non-folding areas and foldable along a virtual folding axis extended along a second direction crossing the first direction;

a lower plate which is disposed on a lower portion of the display module and in which lower openings overlapping the folding area are defined; and

a digitizer including:

a first cover layer disposed on a lower portion of the lower plate;

first sensing coils;

second sensing coils insulated from the first sensing coils, a second cover layer;

a base layer comprising a first upper surface facing the first cover layer and a first lower surface opposing the first upper surface; and

at least one of a first adhesive layer disposed between the first upper surface and the first cover layer and in contact with the first sensing coils or a second adhesive layer disposed between the first lower surface and the second cover layer and in contact with the second sensing coils,

wherein:

each of the first cover layer, the first sensing coils, the second sensing coils, and the second cover layer does not overlap a portion of the folding area;

the base layer is exposed by the first cover layer and the second cover layer in the folding area, and

the first adhesive layer exposes the first upper surface in the folding area and the second adhesive layer exposes the first lower surface in the folding area.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first cover layer and the second cover layer includes a first portion and a second portion spaced apart from each other with a first width in the folding area, wherein in the first direction, the first width is smaller than a second width of the folding area.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein in a non-folding state, the first width is about 0.5 millimeter to about 4 millimeters, and the second width is about 5 millimeters to about 50 millimeters.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 ,

the first sensing coils are disposed on the first upper surface, and the second sensing coils are disposed on the first lower surface;

the first cover layer faces the first upper surface and covers the first sensing coils; and

the second cover layer faces the first lower surface and covers the second sensing coils.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising

both of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second cover layer comprises a second upper surface facing the first cover layer and a second lower surface opposing the second upper surface, wherein:

the first sensing coils are disposed on the second upper surface, and the second sensing coils are disposed on the second lower surface;

the first cover layer faces the second upper surface and covers the first sensing coils; and

the base layer is disposed on the second lower surface and contacts the second sensing coils.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first adhesive layer is disposed between the second upper surface and the first cover layer and is in contact with the first sensing coils.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the first cover layer comprises a third upper surface facing the lower plate and a third lower surface opposing the third upper surface; and

the second cover layer comprises a fourth upper surface facing the first cover layer and a fourth lower surface opposing the fourth upper surface, wherein:

the first sensing coils are disposed on the third lower surface, and the second sensing coils are disposed on the fourth lower surface; and

the base layer is disposed on the fourth lower surface and contacts the second sensing coils.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first adhesive layer is disposed between the third lower surface and the fourth upper surface and is in contact with the first sensing coils.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive layer disposed between the lower plate and the digitizer, overlapping the non-folding areas, spaced apart from the folding area, and exposing the lower openings.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a panel protection layer disposed between the display module and the lower plate.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first cover layer and the second cover layer comprises polyimide.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the digitizer comprises a first digitizer overlapping one of the non-folding areas and a second digitizer overlapping a remaining one of the non-folding areas and spaced apart from the first digitizer in the first direction in the folding area.

14. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base layer comprises a synthetic rubber and a cross-linkable composition, wherein the synthetic rubber includes at least one of butadiene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, or butyl rubber.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the base layer is about 10 micrometers to about 100 micrometers.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a modulus of the base layer is about 10 megapascals to about 100 megapascals.

17. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the base layer is about 10 micrometers to about 100 micrometers.

18. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a display module including:

non-folding areas arranged along a first direction; and

a folding area disposed between the non-folding areas and foldable along a virtual folding axis extended along a second direction crossing the first direction;

a lower plate which is disposed on a lower portion of the display module and in which lower openings overlapping the folding area are defined; and

a digitizer disposed on a lower portion of the lower plate, the digitizer including:

a base layer comprising a first upper surface and a first lower surface opposing the first upper surface;

a first cover layer disposed on the first upper surface of the base layer and including a first portion and a second portion spaced apart from each other to expose a portion of the base layer in the folding area;

first sensing coils disposed on a lower portion of the first cover layer;

second sensing coils insulated from the first sensing coils;

a second cover layer disposed on the lower portion of the first cover layer; and

at least one of a first adhesive layer disposed between the first upper surface and the first cover layer and in contact with the first sensing coils or a second adhesive layer disposed between the first lower surface and the second cover layer and in contact with the second sensing coils,

wherein in the first direction, a first width between the first portion and the second portion is smaller than a second width of the folding area, and

the first adhesive layer exposes the first upper surface in the folding area and the second adhesive layer exposes the first lower surface in the folding area.

19. The electronic apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the second cover layer comprises a third portion overlapping the first portion and a fourth portion spaced apart from the third portion with the first width and exposing another portion of the base layer in the folding area.

20. The electronic apparatus of claim 19 , wherein in a non-folding state, the first width is about 0.5 millimeter to about 4 millimeters, and the second width is about 5 millimeters to about 50 millimeters.

21. The electronic apparatus of claim 18 , wherein

the first sensing coils are disposed on the first upper surface, and the second sensing coils are disposed on the first lower surface;

the first cover layer faces the first upper surface and covers the first sensing coils; and

the second cover layer faces the first lower surface and covers the second sensing coils.

22. The electronic apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising:

both of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer.

23. The electronic apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the second cover layer comprises a second upper surface facing the first cover layer and a second lower surface opposing the second upper surface, wherein:

the first sensing coils are disposed on the second upper surface, and the second sensing coils are disposed on the second lower surface;

the first cover layer faces the second upper surface and covers the first sensing coils; and

the base layer is disposed on the second lower surface and contacts the second sensing coils.

24. The electronic apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the first adhesive layer is disposed between the second upper surface and the first cover layer and is in contact with the first sensing coils.

25. The electronic apparatus of claim 18 , wherein:

the first cover layer comprises a third upper surface facing the lower plate and a third lower surface opposing the third upper surface; and

the second cover layer comprises a fourth upper surface facing the first cover layer and a fourth lower surface opposing the fourth upper surface, wherein:

the first sensing coils are disposed on the third lower surface, and the second sensing coils are disposed on the fourth lower surface; and

the base layer is disposed on the fourth lower surface and contacts the second sensing coils.

26. The electronic apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the first adhesive layer is disposed between the third lower surface and the fourth upper surface and is in contact with the first sensing coils.

27. The electronic apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the digitizer comprises a first digitizer overlapping one of the non-folding areas and a second digitizer overlapping a remaining one of the non-folding areas and spaced apart from the first digitizer in the first direction in the folding area.

28. The electronic apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the base layer comprises a synthetic rubber and a cross-linkable composition, wherein the synthetic rubber includes at least one of butadiene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, or butyl rubber.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 23, 2023
From: KISHIMOTO, HIROTSUGU; JEON, YONGCHAN; JEONG, CHUL HO
To: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063723/0928 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0193068 · Dec 30, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230215301A1 · Jul 6, 2023
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Cited By (1)
US 12,535,857