IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,687,891
Granted Patent B2
US 12,687,891 · App. 18/672,680 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Flexible display window and electronic device having the same

Inventors: Younggyun Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Heecheul Moon (Seongnam-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
G06F1/1652B32B7/12B32B7/14B32B17/00B32B17/10B32B27/08B32B27/28B32B27/281B32B27/308B32B27/36B32B27/365B32B27/38B32B27/40G06F1/1626G06F1/1637G06F1/1641G06F1/1643G06F3/044B32B2250/05B32B2255/10B32B2255/28B32B2307/30B32B2307/306B32B2307/308B32B2307/40B32B2307/412B32B2307/416B32B2307/50B32B2307/536B32B2307/546B32B2307/558B32B2307/584B32B2307/732B32B2307/746B32B2457/00B32B2457/208G06F2203/04102
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,687,891
App. No.
18/672,680
Filed
May 23, 2024
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2624
USPC
345/174
Abstract

A flexible display window and an electronic device having the same are provided. The electronic device includes a housing including a first rigid portion and a flexible portion, at least one outer layer that covers the first rigid portion and the flexible portion, a display device including a screen including a first portion exposed through the first rigid portion and a second portion extended from the first portion and exposed through the flexible portion, at least one processor electrically coupled to the display device, and a memory electrically coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the outer layer includes a polymer layer, a glass layer interposed between the polymer layer and the screen, and an adhesive layer interposed between the polymer layer and the glass layer.

Claims (38)

1 . An electronic device comprising:

a housing including a first housing portion, a second housing portion, and a third housing portion located between the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the third housing portion configured to facilitate folding of the housing by allowing the first housing portion and the second housing portion to rotate toward each other;

a flexible display including a first display portion accommodated in the first housing portion, a second display portion accommodated in the second housing portion, and a third display portion accommodated in the third housing portion, the flexible display accommodated in the housing such that a side surface of the flexible display is spaced apart from an inner surface of a sidewall of the housing; and

an outer layer disposed over the first, second and third display portions of the flexible display and including a glass layer and a polymer layer attached to each other via a first adhesive layer located therebetween, the first adhesive layer including a first adhesive portion corresponding to the first housing portion and having a first adhesive strength, a second adhesive portion corresponding to the second housing portion and having a second adhesive strength and a third adhesive portion corresponding to the third housing portion and having a third adhesive strength lower than the first adhesive strength and the second adhesive strength,

wherein an edge area of the outer layer extends further than the flexible display toward the inner surface of the sidewall of the housing.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a bending property of the third adhesive portion is higher than that of each of the first adhesive portion and the second adhesive portion.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first adhesive portion has a first Young's modulus, the second adhesive portion has a second Young's modulus, and the third adhesive portion has a third Young's modulus lower than each of the first Young's modulus and the second Young's modulus.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first Young's modulus or the second Young's modulus is substantially equal to or higher than 200 KPa.

5 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the third Young's modulus is substantially in a range between 10 KPa and 100 KPa.

6 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the glass layer has a fourth Young's modulus greater than each of the first Young's modulus, the second Young's modulus and the third Young's modulus.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the first housing portion and the second housing portion are rigid portions, and

wherein the third housing portion is a flexible portion configured to facilitate the folding of the housing.

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

a second adhesive layer,

wherein the outer layer and the flexible display are attached to each other via the second adhesive layer.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 ,

wherein the second adhesive layer and the first adhesive layer are made of a same material, and

wherein the material allows slippage between the flexible display and the housing.

10 . The electronic device of claim 8 , further comprising:

a third adhesive layer,

wherein the flexible display and the housing are attached to each other via the third adhesive layer, and

wherein the third adhesive layer comprises a material that allows slippage between the flexible display and the housing.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the third adhesive layer comprises a double-sided adhesive tape.

12 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the first adhesive strength is substantially the same as the second adhesive strength.

13 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the outer layer is accommodated in the housing such that the edge area of the outer layer is spaced apart from the inner surface of the sidewall of the housing.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 ,

wherein a first gap between the side surface of the flexible display and the inner surface of the sidewall of the housing is larger than a second gap between the edge area of the outer layer and the inner surface of the sidewall of the housing.

15 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the polymer layer comprises at least one of polyimide (PI), norbornene, high heat resisting polyester, epoxy, urethane, a copolymer in which polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and special PMMA are coupled, a copolymer in which polycarbonate (PC) and PI are coupled, a copolymer in which PMMA and PI are coupled, or a copolymer to which urethane is coupled.

16 . An electronic device comprising:

a housing including a first housing portion, a second housing portion, and a third housing portion located between the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the third housing portion configured to facilitate folding of the housing;

a flexible display including a first display portion accommodated in the first housing portion, a second display portion accommodated in the second housing portion, and a third display portion accommodated in the third housing portion, the flexible display accommodated in the housing; and

an outer layer disposed over the first, second and third display portions of the flexible display and including a glass layer and a polymer layer attached to each other via an adhesive layer located therebetween, the adhesive layer including a first adhesive portion corresponding to the first housing portion and having a first adhesive strength, a second adhesive portion corresponding to the second housing portion and having a second adhesive strength and a third adhesive portion corresponding to the third housing portion and having a third adhesive strength lower than the first adhesive strength and the second adhesive strength,

wherein an edge area of the outer layer extends further than the flexible display toward an inner surface of a sidewall of the housing.

17 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein a bending property of the third adhesive portion is higher than that of each of the first adhesive portion and the second adhesive portion.

18 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the first adhesive portion has a first Young's modulus, the second adhesive portion has a second Young's modulus, and the third adhesive portion has a third Young's modulus lower than each of the first Young's modulus and the second Young's modulus.

Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2016-0054196 · May 2, 2016 · national
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17407807 · Aug 20, 2021
Continuation 16870229 · May 8, 2020
Continuation 16285963 · Feb 26, 2019
Continuation 15380271 · Dec 15, 2016
Provisional Application 62275729 · Jan 6, 2016
Related Publication 20240310880A1 · Sep 19, 2024
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