IP Library Granted Patent US 12,517,551
Granted Patent B2
US 12,517,551 · App. 17/895,141 · Granted Jan 6, 2026

Foldable glass and electronic device including the same

Inventors: Hosoon Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Wonsun Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Hyunsuk Choi (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
G06F1/1652G06F1/1643G06F1/1681
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,517,551
App. No.
17/895,141
Granted
Jan 6, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device including a hinge part, housings rotatable around the hinge part; and a foldable glass facing the housings and foldable together with the pair of housings. The foldable glass including a pair of glass bodies spaced apart from one another along a first direction and respectively corresponding to the housings, a plurality of slits defined between the pair of glass bodies, and a plurality of bridges defining the plurality of slits and including a plurality of main bridges between slits adjacent to each other along the first direction, and a plurality of sub bridges connecting two adjacent main bridges among the plurality of main bridges to each other, or connecting any one of the plurality of main bridges to the glass body.

Claims (47)

1 . An electronic device comprising:

a hinge part;

a pair of housings rotatably coupled to the hinge part and foldable around the hinge part;

a foldable display panel facing the pair of housings and foldable together with the pair of housings; and

a foldable glass which faces the pair of housings with the foldable display panel therebetween and is foldable together with the pair of housings,

wherein the foldable glass comprises:

a glass body provided in plural including a pair of glass bodies spaced apart from one another along a first direction and respectively corresponding to the pair of housings;

a plurality of slits defined between the pair of glass bodies, each of the plurality of slits penetrating through a thickness of the foldable glass; and

a plurality of bridges defining the plurality of slits, the plurality of bridges comprising:

a plurality of main bridges between slits adjacent to each other along the first direction, the thickness of the foldable glass at the main bridges being less than the thickness of the foldable glass at the glass body; and

a plurality of sub bridges connecting two adjacent main bridges among the plurality of main bridges to each other, or connecting any one of the plurality of main bridges to the glass body, the thickness of the foldable glass at the sub bridges being less than the thickness of the foldable glass at the main bridges.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein within the foldable glass:

each of the glass body and the main bridges has an upper surface which is furthest from the pair of housings, and

the upper surface of the main bridges is spaced apart from the upper surface of the glass body and closer to the pair of housings than the upper surface of the glass body.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the foldable glass at the sub bridges is less than the thickness of the foldable glass at the glass body.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein

the foldable glass includes a center line corresponding to a thickness center of the glass body, and

each of the main bridges is symmetrical with respect to the center line of the foldable glass.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein

the foldable glass includes a center line corresponding to a thickness center of the glass body, and

each of the sub bridges is vertically symmetrical with respect to the center line of the foldable glass.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein

each of the main bridges and the sub bridges has an upper surface which is furthest from the pair of housings, and

the upper surface of the sub bridges is spaced apart from the upper surface of the main bridges and closer to the pair of housings than the upper surface of the main bridges.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of main bridges comprises a first main bridge, a second main bridge and a third main bridge in order along the first direction, and

the plurality of sub bridges comprises:

a plurality of first sub bridges connecting the first main bridge to the second main bridge, and

a plurality of second sub bridges connecting the second main bridge to the third main bridge.

8 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein along a second direction crossing the first direction, a first sub bridge among the first sub bridges is between two adjacent second sub bridges among the plurality of second sub bridges.

9 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of sub bridges further comprises a plurality of third sub bridges connecting the third main bridge to the glass body.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein along the first direction, the first sub bridges and the third sub bridges are aligned with each other.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the foldable glass further comprises a filler in the plurality of slits.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein a refractive index of the filler is a same as a refractive index of the glass body.

13 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein a refractive index of the filler is a same as a refractive index of the main bridges and the sub bridges.

14 . An electronic device comprising:

a hinge part;

a pair of housings rotatably coupled to the hinge part and foldable around the hinge part;

a foldable display panel facing the pair of housings and foldable together with the pair of housings; and

a foldable glass which faces the pair of housings with the foldable display panel therebetween and is foldable together with the pair of housings,

wherein the foldable glass comprises:

a glass body provided in plural including a pair of glass bodies spaced apart from one another along a first direction, the glass body having a thickness;

a plurality of slits defined between the pair of glass bodies, each of the plurality of slits penetrating through a thickness of the foldable glass; and

a plurality of bridges between the plurality of slits, the plurality of bridges comprising:

a plurality of main bridges which define slits adjacent to each other along the first direction; and

a plurality of sub bridges which define slits adjacent to each other along a second direction crossing the first direction,

wherein the thickness of the foldable glass at the sub bridges is less than the thickness of the foldable glass at the main bridges.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 25, 2022
From: LEE, HOSOON; LEE, WONSUN; CHOI, HYUNSUK
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 060895/0401 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0103138 · Aug 5, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2022010013 · Jul 11, 2022
Related Publication 20230038532A1 · Feb 9, 2023
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