IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,726,557
Granted Patent B2
US 12,726,557 · App. 18/894,744 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Electronic device including display and a cushion member

Inventors: Dooryong Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Yunsik Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Jaemyung Cho (Suwon-si, KR); Jingook Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Yonghee Jang (Suwon-si, KR); Sinyoung Park (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H04M1/0216H04M1/0268H04M1/185H05K5/0017H05K5/0226
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,726,557
App. No.
18/894,744
Granted
Sep 1, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a hinge housing extending in a direction of a rotational axis, a first housing connected to one side of the hinge housing in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis to rotate about the rotational axis relative to the hinge housing, a second housing connected to an opposite side of the hinge housing in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis to rotate about the rotational axis relative to the hinge housing, and a flexible display including a bending area at least partially disposed in the hinge housing and formed to be a flat surface or a curved surface, a first area extending from the bending area in one direction perpendicular to the rotational axis, and a second area extending from the bending area in an opposite direction perpendicular to the rotational axis.

Claims (28)

1 . An electronic device comprising: a first housing;

a second housing;

a hinge structure with which the first housing and the second housing are pivotably connected to be folded or unfolded relative to each other;

a flexible display including:

a first area disposed in the first housing,

a second area disposed in the second housing, and

a folding area between the first area and the second area and configured to be deformed depending on the first housing and the second housing being folded or unfolded;

a hinge housing for the hinge structure and being disposed between the first housing and the second housing, the hinge housing having a first sidewall and a second sidewall at opposite ends in a length direction of the hinge housing, the hinge housing including a coupling protrusion formed on each of the sidewalls, each coupling protrusion including a first portion protruding from the respective sidewall in a first direction which is substantially parallel to that sidewall, and a second portion protruding from the first portion in a respective second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and

a respective cushioning member coupled to each of the coupling protrusions, wherein the flexible display is disposed such that a portion of each cushioning member faces a corresponding periphery of the folding area.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each cushioning member is coupled to a respective coupling protrusion such that at least one portion of that cushioning member is exposed between the first housing and the second housing.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each cushioning member includes a support surface facing a direction opposite the first direction, wherein an opening is formed on the support surface into which the respective coupling protrusion is inserted.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a surface of each cushioning member is disposed between the second portion of the respective coupling protrusion and the flexible display.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein said surface of each cushioning member extends from the respective sidewall of the hinge housing.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the first housing is rotatably coupled to one side of the hinge structure about a first axis and the second housing is rotatably coupled to an opposite side of the hinge structure about a second axis parallel to the first axis, and

wherein the second direction is substantially parallel to the first axis and the second axis.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , each coupling protrusion including a further second portion protruding from the first portion in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and opposite to the respective second direction.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the first housing and the second housing are configured to be folded or unfolded about a folding axis, and

wherein the hinge housing extends in a direction of the folding axis, and wherein the second direction is substantially parallel to the folding axis.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of each cushioning member is disposed between the respective coupling protrusion and the periphery of the folding area facing the direction of the folding axis.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the folding area of the flexible display is disposed between the respective cushioning members.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of each cushioning member is positioned between the respective coupling protrusion and the folding area of the flexible display.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein said portion of each cushioning member is positioned between the first portion of the respective coupling protrusion and the folding area of the flexible display in the folded state and the unfolded state of the first housing and the second housing.

13 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of each cushioning member remains in contact with at least one of the first portion and the second portion while the first housing and the second housing are folded or unfolded.

14 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the periphery of the folding area is spaced apart from the first sidewall by a first gap and spaced apart from the cushioning member coupled to the coupling protrusion formed on the first sidewall by a second gap smaller than the first gap, and wherein the periphery of the folding area is spaced apart from the second sidewall by a third gap and spaced apart from the cushioning member coupled to the coupling protrusion formed on the second sidewall by a fourth gap smaller than the third gap.

15 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one portion of each cushioning member is disposed to overlap an exterior surface of a portion of the folding area between the first housing and the second housing.

Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2019-0052458 · May 3, 2019 · national
Continuity (4)
Continuation 18541998 · Dec 15, 2023
Continuation 18178171 · Mar 3, 2023
Continuation 16861989 · Apr 29, 2020
Related Publication 20250016937A1 · Jan 9, 2025
References Cited (78)
US 6577496B1 · Gioscia et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 6909475B2 · Kojima et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 7645022B2 · Silverbrook et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 8118395B2 · Silverbrook et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8937804B2 · Tanaka · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9075567B2 · Mathew et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9535452B2 · Ahn · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9690407B2 · Chien · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 9715257B2 · Manullang et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9786207B2 · Kim et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9791892B2 · Park et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9818974B2 · Kwon et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9874904B2 · Xu · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10032391B2 · Kim et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10104790B2 · Lee et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10306783B2 · Seo et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10306788B2 · Bi et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10403177B2 · Lim · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10412846B1 · Phan Thanh et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10466747B2 · Yun et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10509439B2 · Choi et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 11112631B2 · Oh · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20070229727A1 · Yamazaki · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20100061040A1 · Dabov et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20100110139A1 · Silverbrook et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20110063783A1 · Shim et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20110103041A1 · Mathew et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20120281383A1 · Hwang et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20130188301A1 · Tanaka · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140313746A1 · Song et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150245513A1 · Moon · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150301565A1 · Manullang et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150366089A1 · Park et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160044801A1 · Lee et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160062391A1 · Choi et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160066412A1 · Choi et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160066440A1 · Choi et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160070306A1 · Shin et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160187935A1 · Tazbaz et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160295709A1 · Ahn · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170061836A1 · Kim et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170179423A1 · Kwon et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170365197A1 · Kim et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170374749A1 · Lee et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180032108A1 · Park et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180110139A1 · Seo et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180295735A1 · Ahn · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180317333A1 · Bi · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180343332A1 · Kim et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190012028A1 · Park · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190033920A1 · Yun et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190079561A1 · Park et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190094906A1 · Choi et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200192435A1 · Park · 2020 [cited by applicant]
CN 106486018A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 107547700A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 108831311A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 208737802U · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2011112891A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020130085218A · 2013 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020160024151A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020160027878A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020160118407A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020170071986A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020180001818A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020180040968A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report dated Aug. 14, 2020, issued in International Patent Application No. PCT/KR2020/005600. [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report dated Oct. 6, 2020, issued in European Patent Application No. 20172601.5-1216. [cited by applicant]
European Search Report dated Jul. 18, 2023, issued in European Application No. 23168617.1. [cited by applicant]
Korean Notice of Allowance dated Feb. 22, 2024, issued in Korean Application No. 10-2023-0063150. [cited by applicant]
Korean Office Action dated Apr. 2, 2024, issued in Korean Application No. 10-2019-0052458. [cited by applicant]
European Search Report dated May 17, 2024, issued in European Application No. 24154939.3. [cited by applicant]
Korean Notice of Allowance dated Jul. 30, 2024, issued in Korean Application No. 10-2024-0069386. [cited by applicant]
Chinese Office Action dated Nov. 11, 2024, issued in Chinese Application No. 202010369914.0. [cited by applicant]
Korean Office Action dated Dec. 4, 2024, issued in Korean Application No. 10-2019-0052458. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Notice of Allowance dated Dec. 13, 2024, issued in U.S. Appl. No. 18/541,998. [cited by applicant]
Chinese Notice of Allowance dated Jun. 18, 2025, issued in Chinese Application No. 202010369914.0. [cited by applicant]
Indian Office Action dated May 6, 2026, issued in Indian Application No. 202318028186. [cited by applicant]