KR102328398B1 - Flexible display device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a first body and a second body, a hinge portion connecting the first body and the second body to be rotatably relative, and disposed on one surface of the first body and the second body, a flexible display unit that is folded and unfolded by a cloaker; and a lever connected to the hinge unit to rotate in association with folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit, and configured to support at least a portion of the shielding member.

Description

Flexible display device {FLEXIBLE DISPLAY DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a flexible display device having a flexible display that can be deformed by an external force.

BACKGROUND ART A portable electronic device (hereinafter, a mobile terminal) such as a communication terminal, a multimedia device, a portable computer, a game machine, and a photographing device includes a display for displaying image information. The mobile terminal also has a folding structure that can be folded into a smaller size for convenience of portability. In this type of electronic device, two bodies are connected by a folding structure (eg, a hinge part).

Since the conventional display has a non-foldable structure, a structure in which the display is disposed over two bodies that are foldably connected could not be implemented. Therefore, a large screen cannot be applied to an electronic device having a folding structure.

However, as a flexible display capable of being bent has recently been developed, research to apply the flexible display to a mobile terminal having a folding structure is being conducted. In this case, since the flexible display may be disposed across the two bodies across the folding structure, a large screen may be realized.

However, when the flexible display is deformed into a folding (folded) state and an unfolded (unfolded) state by using the hinge part, in order to implement the function of the hinge part, the problem of increasing the size of the display, the problem of deformation of the bending part, and two problems in the folding state There is a problem in that the space between the bodies is exposed to the outside.

More specifically, for electronic devices having a folding structure, a hinge operation structure (length compensation method, concealment structure, interlocking structure for each element) for controlling the neutral plane of the display or the rear surface of the display in order to supplement the characteristics of the display Various considerations are required for the structure and operation method to support the Due to these considerations, the complexity of the overall structure of the hinge unit and the device is increasing, and accordingly, there is a limit to implementing it in the form of a terminal that is actually operated.

However, in the conventionally developed flexible device, there has been no proposal for a hinge structure capable of solving these various problems. Accordingly, the present invention solves this problem by applying a new mechanism to the hinge part and the surrounding structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A first object of the present invention is to provide a hinge structure that can be slimmed in size in a flexible display device.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a new mechanism capable of covering a space between bodies while being slim in a flexible display device.

A third object of the present invention is to implement a hybrid function capable of covering a space between bodies when folded while flattening the flexible display when unfolded in a flexible display device.

In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, the flexible display device is connected to a hinge so that a lever interlocking with the rotation of the body supports at least a portion of the shielding member. In addition, new mechanisms and hybrid functions can be implemented through this.

More specifically, the flexible display device includes a first body and a second body, a hinge portion connecting the first body and the second body to be relatively rotatable, and disposed on one surface of the first body and the second body. between the first body and the second body to cover a space between the flexible display unit that folds and unfolds by the relative rotation and the first body and the second body formed by the folding of the flexible display unit and a lever connected to the hinge unit to rotate in association with the folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit, and a lever configured to support at least a portion of the covering member.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the shielding member interlocks with the folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit to cover a first state supporting the flexible display unit and a second state spaced apart from the flexible display unit to cover the space therebetween. move between

One side of the shielding member may be supported by at least one of the housings of the first body and the second body to move between the first state and the second state, and the other side may be supported by the lever.

A protrusion may protrude from the housing to press one side of the shielding member in the first state. The protrusion may include a first portion protruding from the ends of the first body and the second body, and a second portion extending in a direction inclined to the first portion. At least a portion of the second portion may be formed to have a curved surface to press one side of the shielding member in the first state, and to cover at least a portion of the shielding member in the second state.

As another example, the hinge part includes a first rotation shaft connected to the first body and a second rotation shaft connected to the second body, and the lever is coupled to at least one of the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft. do.

The hinge part may further include a hinge housing in which the first and second rotation shafts are accommodated, and an insertion hole into which at least a portion of the shielding member is inserted may be formed at one side of the hinge housing. The lever may be accommodated in the hinge housing to support at least a portion of the shielding member. A movement range of the shielding member may be limited by the upper and lower ends of the insertion hole.

As another example, the shielding member includes a shielding body disposed between the first body and the second body, and an insertion protrusion protruding from an end of the shielding body and inserted into the insertion hole.

The shielding body may be supported by at least one of the housings of the first body and the second body, and the insertion protrusion may be supported by the lever. The lever may include a coupling portion coupled to the first or second rotation shaft and a support protrusion protruding from the coupling portion to support the insertion protrusion.

In addition, the present invention provides different functions to the upper and lower hinges of the display in order to make the display device slim. As a specific example, the hinge unit may include a first hinge and a second hinge respectively disposed at both ends of the shielding member. In this case, a gear connection for interaxial linkage may be applied to any one of the first hinge and the second hinge, and a stopper structure for free stop may be applied to the other one.

For example, the rotation shafts of the first hinge are gear-coupled so that the first body and the second body interlock with each other, and the rotation shafts of the second hinge have the first body and the second body fixed at an arbitrary angle. Friction may be applied. The first hinge may include an intermediate gear disposed between the rotation shafts of the first hinge, and the second hinge may include a friction member generating frictional force with the rotation shafts of the second hinge.

In addition, the present invention provides a first body and a second body, a flexible display unit for folding and unfolding by relative rotation of the first body and the second body, and a space between the first body and the second body. a shielding member formed to Frictional force is applied to the rotation axes of the second hinge so that the first body and the second body are fixed at an arbitrary angle, and the shielding member moves in association with the folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit, the first hinge A flexible display device is provided, wherein a lever supporting at least a portion of the shielding member is respectively coupled to the second hinge.

The effects of the present invention obtained through the above-described solution are as follows.

First, a more compact structure can be provided to the display device as the hinge unit transmits force to the shielding member only with the lever without a separate link structure.

Second, when the shielding member applies a physical force to the rear surface of the flexible display during unfolding, the flexible display is always restored to a flat state, thereby preventing the occurrence of a phenomenon in which the surface is undulating. Accordingly, the reliability of the flexible display device may be improved. In addition, since the physical force applied during unfolding is provided by the housing of the display device, it is possible to maintain a compact structure.

Third, by giving different functions to the upper and lower hinges of the display, interaxial interlocking and free stop are possible, and the display device having a compact structure can be provided. Furthermore, since the space in which the lever is coupled to the hinge part can be secured at the upper and lower hinges, the size of the hinge part can be kept compact, and thus a display device with a small bezel can be implemented.

1A is a block diagram illustrating a display device related to the present invention;
1B is a conceptual diagram illustrating a flexible display device having a flexible display;
2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of FIG. 1B for explaining the structure of a flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is an enlarged view illustrating the flexible frame of FIG. 2A;
4 is an operation diagram illustrating a basic concept of a shutter structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a basic structure of an upper and lower hinge part according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 and 7 are enlarged and exploded views, respectively, showing the upper hinge portion of FIG.
8 and 9 are enlarged and exploded views, respectively, showing the lower hinge portion of FIG.
10A and 10B are operation diagrams illustrating the operation of the flexible display apparatus according to the present invention.
11 is a partially enlarged view illustrating hinges of the display device to which the shutter structure of FIG. 4 and the upper and lower hinges of FIG. 5 are applied together;
12 is a partially enlarged view of the shielding member of FIG. 11;

Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or similar components are given the same and similar reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "part" for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of only the ease of writing the specification, and do not have a meaning or role distinct from each other by themselves. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical spirit disclosed herein is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention , should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

Terms including an ordinal number, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it is understood that the other component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in between. it should be On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that the other element does not exist in the middle.

The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, terms such as "comprises" or "have" are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features It should be understood that this does not preclude the existence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

The display device described in this specification includes a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a navigation system, and a slate PC. , tablet PC (tablet PC), ultrabook (ultrabook), wearable device (wearable device, for example, watch-type terminal (smartwatch), glass-type terminal (smart glass), mobile terminals such as HMD (head mounted display)) may be included.

However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the embodiment described in this specification may be applied to a fixed terminal such as a digital TV, a desktop computer, and a digital signage, except when applicable only to a mobile terminal. will be. Hereinafter, in the present specification, a mobile terminal will be described as an example of a flexible display device for convenience of description.

1A is a block diagram illustrating a mobile terminal related to the present invention.

The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110 , an input unit 120 , a sensing unit 140 , an output unit 150 , an interface unit 160 , a memory 170 , a control unit 180 , and a power supply unit 190 . ) and the like. Since the components shown in FIG. 1A are not essential for implementing the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal described in this specification may have more or fewer components than those listed above.

More specifically, the wireless communication unit 110 among the components is between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system, between the mobile terminal 100 and another mobile terminal 100, or between the mobile terminal 100 and the external server. It may include one or more modules that enable wireless communication between them. In addition, the wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules for connecting the mobile terminal 100 to one or more networks.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include at least one of a broadcast reception module 111 , a mobile communication module 112 , a wireless Internet module 113 , a short-range communication module 114 , and a location information module 115 . .

The input unit 120 includes a camera 121 or an image input unit for inputting an image signal, a microphone 122 or an audio input unit for inputting an audio signal, and a user input unit 123 for receiving information from a user, for example, , a touch key, a push key, etc.). The voice data or image data collected by the input unit 120 may be analyzed and processed as a user's control command.

The sensing unit 140 may include one or more sensors for sensing at least one of information in the mobile terminal, surrounding environment information surrounding the mobile terminal, and user information. For example, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141, an illumination sensor 142, an illumination sensor, a touch sensor, an acceleration sensor, a magnetic sensor, and gravity. Sensor (G-sensor), gyroscope sensor, motion sensor, RGB sensor, infrared sensor (IR sensor: infrared sensor), fingerprint sensor (finger scan sensor), ultrasonic sensor , optical sensors (eg, cameras (see 121)), microphones (see 122), battery gauges, environmental sensors (eg, barometers, hygrometers, thermometers, radiation detection sensors, It may include at least one of a thermal sensor, a gas sensor, etc.) and a chemical sensor (eg, an electronic nose, a healthcare sensor, a biometric sensor, etc.). Meanwhile, the mobile terminal disclosed in the present specification may combine and utilize information sensed by at least two or more of these sensors.

The output unit 150 is for generating an output related to visual, auditory or tactile sense, and includes at least one of a display unit 151 , a sound output unit 152 , a haptip module 153 , and an optical output unit 154 . can do. The display unit 151 may implement a touch screen by forming a layer structure with the touch sensor or being formed integrally with the touch sensor. Such a touch screen may function as the user input unit 123 providing an input interface between the mobile terminal 100 and the user, and may provide an output interface between the mobile terminal 100 and the user.

The interface unit 160 serves as a passage with various types of external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100 . This interface unit 160, a wired / wireless headset port (port), an external charger port (port), a wired / wireless data port (port), a memory card (memory card) port, for connecting a device equipped with an identification module It may include at least one of a port, an audio input/output (I/O) port, a video input/output (I/O) port, and an earphone port. In response to the connection of the external device to the interface unit 160 , the mobile terminal 100 may perform appropriate control related to the connected external device.

In addition, the memory 170 stores data supporting various functions of the mobile terminal 100 . The memory 170 may store a plurality of application programs (application programs or applications) driven in the mobile terminal 100 , data for operation of the mobile terminal 100 , and commands. At least some of these application programs may be downloaded from an external server through wireless communication. In addition, at least some of these application programs may exist on the mobile terminal 100 from the time of shipment for basic functions (eg, incoming calls, outgoing functions, message reception, and outgoing functions) of the mobile terminal 100 . Meanwhile, the application program may be stored in the memory 170 , installed on the mobile terminal 100 , and driven to perform an operation (or function) of the mobile terminal by the controller 180 .

In addition to the operation related to the application program, the controller 180 generally controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal 100 . The controller 180 may provide or process appropriate information or functions to the user by processing signals, data, information, etc. input or output through the above-described components or by driving an application program stored in the memory 170 .

In addition, the controller 180 may control at least some of the components discussed with reference to FIG. 1A in order to drive an application program stored in the memory 170 . Furthermore, in order to drive the application program, the controller 180 may operate by combining at least two or more of the components included in the mobile terminal 100 with each other.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 to supply power to each component included in the mobile terminal 100 . The power supply 190 includes a battery, and the battery may be a built-in battery or a replaceable battery.

At least some of the respective components may operate cooperatively with each other to implement an operation, control, or control method of a mobile terminal according to various embodiments to be described below. In addition, the operation, control, or control method of the mobile terminal may be implemented on the mobile terminal by driving at least one application program stored in the memory 170 .

Hereinafter, before looking at various embodiments implemented through the mobile terminal 100 as described above, the above-listed components will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 1A .

First, referring to the wireless communication unit 110 , the broadcast reception module 111 of the wireless communication unit 110 receives a broadcast signal and/or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel. The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. Two or more of the broadcast reception modules may be provided to the mobile terminal 100 for simultaneous broadcast reception or broadcast channel switching for at least two broadcast channels.

The broadcast management server may mean a server that generates and transmits a broadcast signal and/or broadcast-related information or a server that receives a previously generated broadcast signal and/or broadcast-related information and transmits the received broadcast signal and/or broadcast-related information to the terminal. The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, and a data broadcast signal, as well as a TV broadcast signal or a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is combined with a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast signal may be encoded according to at least one of technical standards (or broadcast methods, for example, ISO, IEC, DVB, ATSC, etc.) for transmitting and receiving digital broadcast signals, and the broadcast reception module 111 is configured to The digital broadcast signal may be received using a method suitable for technical standards set by technical standards.

The broadcast related information may mean information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or a broadcast service provider. The broadcast-related information may be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112 .

The broadcast-related information may exist in various forms, for example, an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or an Electronic Service Guide (ESG) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H). A broadcast signal and/or broadcast related information received through the broadcast reception module 111 may be stored in the memory 160 .

The mobile communication module 112 includes technical standards or communication methods for mobile communication (eg, Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), Code Division Multi Access (CDMA), Code Division Multi Access 2000 (CDMA2000), EV -DO (Enhanced Voice-Data Optimized or Enhanced Voice-Data Only), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (Long Term Evolution-Advanced, etc.) transmits/receives a radio signal to and from at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network constructed according to (Long Term Evolution-Advanced).

The wireless signal may include various types of data according to transmission/reception of a voice call signal, a video call signal, or a text/multimedia message.

The wireless Internet module 113 refers to a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built-in or external to the mobile terminal 100 . The wireless Internet module 113 is configured to transmit and receive wireless signals in a communication network according to wireless Internet technologies.

As wireless Internet technologies, for example, WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) Direct, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), WiBro (Wireless Broadband), WiMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A), etc., and the wireless Internet module ( 113) transmits and receives data according to at least one wireless Internet technology within a range including Internet technologies not listed above.

From the point of view that wireless Internet access by WiBro, HSDPA, HSUPA, GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE, LTE-A, etc. is made through a mobile communication network, the wireless Internet module 113 performs wireless Internet access through the mobile communication network. ) may be understood as a type of the mobile communication module 112 .

The short-range communication module 114 is for short-range communication, and is for Bluetooth™ RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), UWB (Ultra Wideband), ZigBee, NFC (Near). Field Communication), Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Wi-Fi Direct, and at least one of Wireless USB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus) technologies may be used to support short-distance communication. , between the mobile terminal 100 and a wireless communication system, between the mobile terminal 100 and another mobile terminal 100, or between the mobile terminal 100 and another mobile terminal 100, or External servers) may support wireless communication between networks located in. The local area network may be wireless personal area networks.

Here, the other mobile terminal 100 is a wearable device capable of exchanging data (or interworking) with the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention, for example, a smart watch, smart glasses. (smart glass), HMD (head mounted display)). The short-range communication module 114 may detect (or recognize) a wearable device capable of communicating with the mobile terminal 100 in the vicinity of the mobile terminal 100 . Furthermore, when the detected wearable device is a device authenticated to communicate with the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention, the controller 180 transmits at least a portion of data processed by the mobile terminal 100 to the short-range communication module ( 114) to transmit to the wearable device. Accordingly, the user of the wearable device may use data processed by the mobile terminal 100 through the wearable device. For example, according to this, when a call is received in the mobile terminal 100, the user performs a phone call through the wearable device, or when a message is received in the mobile terminal 100, the user receives the received call through the wearable device. It is possible to check the message.

The location information module 115 is a module for acquiring a location (or current location) of a mobile terminal, and a representative example thereof includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) module or a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) module. For example, if the mobile terminal utilizes a GPS module, it can acquire the location of the mobile terminal by using a signal transmitted from a GPS satellite. As another example, if the mobile terminal utilizes the Wi-Fi module, the location of the mobile terminal may be obtained based on information of the Wi-Fi module and a wireless access point (AP) that transmits or receives a wireless signal. If necessary, the location information module 115 may perform any function of the other modules of the wireless communication unit 110 to obtain data on the location of the mobile terminal as a substitute or additionally. The location information module 115 is a module used to obtain the location (or current location) of the mobile terminal, and is not limited to a module that directly calculates or obtains the location of the mobile terminal.

Next, the input unit 120 is for input of image information (or signal), audio information (or signal), data, or information input from a user. For input of image information, the mobile terminal 100 has one Alternatively, a plurality of cameras 121 may be provided. The camera 121 processes an image frame such as a still image or a moving image obtained by an image sensor in a video call mode or a photographing mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on the display unit 151 or stored in the memory 170 . On the other hand, the plurality of cameras 121 provided in the mobile terminal 100 may be arranged to form a matrix structure, and through the cameras 121 forming the matrix structure as described above, various angles or focal points are applied to the mobile terminal 100 . A plurality of image information having a plurality of images may be input. Also, the plurality of cameras 121 may be arranged in a stereo structure to acquire a left image and a right image for realizing a stereoscopic image.

The microphone 122 processes an external sound signal as electrical voice data. The processed voice data may be utilized in various ways according to a function (or a running application program) being performed by the mobile terminal 100 . Meanwhile, various noise removal algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal may be implemented in the microphone 122 .

The user input unit 123 is for receiving information from a user, and when information is input through the user input unit 123 , the controller 180 may control the operation of the mobile terminal 100 to correspond to the input information. . The user input unit 123 is a mechanical input means (or a mechanical key, for example, a button located on the front, rear or side of the mobile terminal 100, a dome switch, a jog wheel, jog switch, etc.) and a touch input means. As an example, the touch input means consists of a virtual key, a soft key, or a visual key displayed on the touch screen through software processing, or a part other than the touch screen. It may be made of a touch key (touch key) disposed on the. On the other hand, the virtual key or the visual key, it is possible to be displayed on the touch screen while having various forms, for example, graphic (graphic), text (text), icon (icon), video (video) or these can be made by a combination of

Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 senses at least one of information in the mobile terminal, surrounding environment information surrounding the mobile terminal, and user information, and generates a sensing signal corresponding thereto. The controller 180 may control the driving or operation of the mobile terminal 100 or perform data processing, functions, or operations related to an application program installed in the mobile terminal 100 based on the sensing signal. Representative sensors among various sensors that may be included in the sensing unit 140 will be described in more detail.

First, the proximity sensor 141 refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or an object existing in the vicinity without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. The proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal covered by the touch screen described above or in the vicinity of the touch screen.

Examples of the proximity sensor 141 include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive type proximity sensor, a magnetic type proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor. When the touch screen is capacitive, the proximity sensor 141 may be configured to detect the proximity of an object having conductivity by a change in an electric field according to the proximity of the object. In this case, the touch screen (or touch sensor) itself may be classified as a proximity sensor.

On the other hand, for convenience of description, the act of approaching an object on the touch screen without contacting it so that the object is recognized that it is located on the touch screen is called “proximity touch”, and the touch The act of actually touching an object on the screen is called "contact touch". The position where the object is touched in proximity on the touch screen means a position where the object is perpendicular to the touch screen when the object is touched in proximity. The proximity sensor 141 may detect a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (eg, proximity touch distance, proximity touch direction, proximity touch speed, proximity touch time, proximity touch position, proximity touch movement state, etc.) have. Meanwhile, the controller 180 processes data (or information) corresponding to the proximity touch operation and the proximity touch pattern sensed through the proximity sensor 141 as described above, and further, provides visual information corresponding to the processed data. It can be printed on the touch screen. Furthermore, the controller 180 may control the mobile terminal 100 to process different operations or data (or information) according to whether a touch to the same point on the touch screen is a proximity touch or a contact touch. .

The touch sensor senses a touch (or touch input) applied to the touch screen (or the display unit 151) using at least one of various touch methods such as a resistive film method, a capacitive method, an infrared method, an ultrasonic method, and a magnetic field method. do.

As an example, the touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in pressure applied to a specific part of the touch screen or a change in capacitance occurring in a specific part of the touch screen into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor may be configured to detect a position, an area, a pressure at the time of a touch, an electrostatic capacitance at the time of a touch, etc. in which a touch object applying a touch on the touch screen is touched on the touch sensor. Here, the touch object is an object that applies a touch to the touch sensor, and may be, for example, a finger, a touch pen or a stylus pen, a pointer, or the like.

As such, when there is a touch input to the touch sensor, a signal(s) corresponding thereto is sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal(s) and then transmits corresponding data to the controller 180 . Accordingly, the controller 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 has been touched, and the like. Here, the touch controller may be a component separate from the controller 180 , or may be the controller 180 itself.

Meanwhile, the controller 180 may perform different controls or may perform the same control according to the type of the touch object that touches the touch screen (or a touch key provided in addition to the touch screen). Whether to perform different controls or the same control according to the type of the touch object may be determined according to the current operating state of the mobile terminal 100 or a running application program.

On the other hand, the above-described touch sensor and proximity sensor are independently or in combination, a short (or tap) touch on the touch screen (short touch), long touch (long touch), multi touch (multi touch), drag touch (drag touch) ), flick touch, pinch-in touch, pinch-out touch, swype touch, hovering touch, etc. It can sense touch.

The ultrasonic sensor may recognize location information of a sensing target by using ultrasonic waves. Meanwhile, the controller 180 may calculate the position of the wave source through information sensed by the optical sensor and the plurality of ultrasonic sensors. The position of the wave source may be calculated using the property that light is much faster than ultrasonic waves, that is, the time for light to reach the optical sensor is much faster than the time for ultrasonic waves to reach the ultrasonic sensor. More specifically, the position of the wave source may be calculated using a time difference between the time that the ultrasonic wave arrives using light as the reference signal.

On the other hand, the camera 121 as seen in the configuration of the input unit 120 includes at least one of a camera sensor (eg, CCD, CMOS, etc.), a photo sensor (or an image sensor), and a laser sensor.

The camera 121 and the laser sensor may be combined with each other to detect a touch of a sensing target for a 3D stereoscopic image. The photo sensor may be stacked on the display device, and the photo sensor is configured to scan the movement of the sensing target close to the touch screen. More specifically, the photo sensor mounts photo diodes and transistors (TRs) in rows/columns and scans the contents placed on the photo sensor using electrical signals that change according to the amount of light applied to the photo diodes. That is, the photo sensor calculates the coordinates of the sensing target according to the amount of change in light, and through this, location information of the sensing target can be obtained.

The display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100 . For example, the display unit 151 may display execution screen information of an application program driven in the mobile terminal 100 or UI (User Interface) and GUI (Graphic User Interface) information according to the execution screen information. .

Also, the display unit 151 may be configured as a stereoscopic display unit for displaying a stereoscopic image.

A three-dimensional display method such as a stereoscopic method (glasses method), an auto stereoscopic method (glasses-free method), or a projection method (holographic method) may be applied to the stereoscopic display unit.

The sound output unit 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 170 in a call signal reception, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, and the like. The sound output unit 152 also outputs a sound signal related to a function (eg, a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100 . The sound output unit 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The haptic module 153 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A representative example of the tactile effect generated by the haptic module 153 may be vibration. The intensity and pattern of vibration generated by the haptic module 153 may be controlled by a user's selection or setting of the controller 180 . For example, the haptic module 153 may synthesize and output different vibrations or output them sequentially.

In addition to vibration, the haptic module 153 is configured to respond to stimuli such as a pin arrangement that moves vertically with respect to the contact skin surface, a jet force or suction force of air through a nozzle or an inlet, a brush against the skin surface, contact of an electrode, an electrostatic force, etc. Various tactile effects can be generated, such as an effect caused by heat absorption and an effect by reproducing a feeling of cold and heat using an element capable of absorbing heat or generating heat.

The haptic module 153 may not only deliver a tactile effect through direct contact, but may also be implemented so that the user can feel the tactile effect through a muscle sense such as a finger or arm. Two or more haptic modules 153 may be provided according to the configuration of the mobile terminal 100 .

The light output unit 154 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event by using the light of the light source of the mobile terminal 100 . Examples of the event generated in the mobile terminal 100 may be message reception, call signal reception, missed call, alarm, schedule notification, email reception, information reception through an application, and the like.

The signal output from the optical output unit 154 is implemented as the mobile terminal emits light of a single color or a plurality of colors toward the front or rear. The signal output may be terminated when the mobile terminal detects the user's event confirmation.

The interface unit 160 serves as a passage with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100 . The interface unit 160 receives data from an external device, receives power and transmits it to each component inside the mobile terminal 100 , or transmits data inside the mobile terminal 100 to an external device. For example, a wired/wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired/wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device equipped with an identification module (port), an audio I/O (Input/Output) port, a video I/O (Input/Output) port, an earphone port, etc. may be included in the interface unit 160 .

On the other hand, the identification module is a chip storing various information for authenticating the usage right of the mobile terminal 100, a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (subscriber identity module; SIM), universal user authentication It may include a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) and the like. A device equipped with an identification module (hereinafter, 'identification device') may be manufactured in the form of a smart card. Accordingly, the identification device may be connected to the terminal 100 through the interface unit 160 .

In addition, the interface unit 160 is a passage through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100 when the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, or is input from the cradle by a user. It may be a path through which various command signals are transmitted to the mobile terminal 100 . Various command signals or the power input from the cradle may be operated as signals for recognizing that the mobile terminal 100 is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The memory 170 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 , and may temporarily store input/output data (eg, a phone book, a message, a still image, a moving image, etc.). The memory 170 may store data related to vibrations and sounds of various patterns output when a touch input on the touch screen is input.

The memory 170 is a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a solid state disk type (SSD), a silicon disk drive type (SDD), and a multimedia card micro type. ), card-type memory (such as SD or XD memory), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read (EEPROM) -only memory), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk may include at least one type of storage medium. The mobile terminal 100 may be operated in relation to a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 170 on the Internet.

Meanwhile, as described above, the controller 180 controls the operation related to the application program and the general operation of the mobile terminal 100 in general. For example, if the state of the mobile terminal satisfies a set condition, the controller 180 may execute or release a lock state that restricts input of a user's control command to applications.

In addition, the controller 180 performs control and processing related to voice call, data communication, video call, etc., or performs pattern recognition processing capable of recognizing handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively. can Furthermore, in order to implement various embodiments described below on the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention, the controller 180 may control any one or a plurality of the components described above by combining them.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the control unit 180 to supply power necessary for the operation of each component. The power supply unit 190 includes a battery, and the battery may be a built-in battery configured to be rechargeable, and may be detachably coupled to the terminal body for charging or the like.

In addition, the power supply unit 190 may include a connection port, and the connection port may be configured as an example of the interface 160 to which an external charger that supplies power for charging the battery is electrically connected.

As another example, the power supply unit 190 may be configured to charge the battery in a wireless manner without using the connection port. In this case, the power supply unit 190 uses one or more of an inductive coupling method based on a magnetic induction phenomenon or a resonance coupling method based on an electromagnetic resonance phenomenon from an external wireless power transmitter. power can be transmitted.

Meanwhile, various embodiments below may be implemented in a computer-readable recording medium using, for example, software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

The display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100 . For example, the display unit 151 may display execution screen information of an application program driven in the mobile terminal 100 or UI (User Interface) and GUI (Graphic User Interface) information according to the execution screen information. .

The display unit 151 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), and a flexible display (Flexible Display). display), a three-dimensional display (3D display), and an electronic ink display (e-ink display) may include at least one.

In addition, two or more display units 151 may exist depending on the implementation form of the mobile terminal 100 . In this case, in the mobile terminal 100 , a plurality of display units may be spaced apart from each other on one surface or may be integrally disposed, or may be respectively disposed on different surfaces.

The display unit 151 may include a touch sensor for sensing a touch on the display unit 151 so as to receive a control command input by a touch method. Using this, when a touch is made to the display unit 151, the touch sensor detects the touch, and the controller 180 may generate a control command corresponding to the touch based thereon. The content input by the touch method may be letters or numbers, or menu items that can be instructed or designated in various modes.

The microphone 122 is configured to receive a user's voice, other sounds, and the like. The microphone 122 may be provided at a plurality of locations and configured to receive stereo sound.

The interface unit 160 serves as a passage through which the mobile terminal 100 can be connected to an external device. For example, the interface unit 160 is a connection terminal for connection with another device (eg, earphone, external speaker), a port for short-range communication (eg, infrared port (IrDA Port), Bluetooth port (Bluetooth) Port), a wireless LAN port, etc.], or at least one of a power supply terminal for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100 . The interface unit 160 may be implemented in the form of a socket for accommodating an external card such as a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM), a User Identity Module (UIM), or a memory card for information storage.

At least one antenna for wireless communication may be provided in the terminal body. The antenna may be built into the terminal body or formed in the case. For example, an antenna forming a part of the broadcast reception module 111 (refer to FIG. 1A ) may be configured to be withdrawable from the terminal body. Alternatively, the antenna may be formed in a film type and attached to the inner surface of the housing, and a case including a conductive material may be configured to function as an antenna.

The terminal body is provided with a power supply unit 190 (refer to FIG. 1A ) for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100 . The power supply unit 190 may include a battery 191 that is built into the terminal body or is detachably configured from the outside of the terminal body.

The battery 191 may be configured to receive power through a power cable connected to the interface unit 160 . In addition, the battery 191 may be configured to be wirelessly charged through a wireless charging device. The wireless charging may be implemented by a magnetic induction method or a resonance method (magnetic resonance method).

An accessory for protecting the appearance of the mobile terminal 100 or supporting or extending a function of the mobile terminal 100 may be added. As an example of such an accessory, there may be a cover or a pouch that covers or accommodates at least one surface of the mobile terminal 100 . The cover or pouch may be configured to extend the function of the mobile terminal 100 by interworking with the display unit 151 . As another example of the accessory, there may be a touch pen for assisting or extending a touch input to a touch screen.

FIG. 1B is a conceptual diagram illustrating a mobile terminal having a flexible display as a flexible display device. Referring to FIG. The mobile terminal 200 according to the present invention includes a flexible display unit 251 configured to be deformable by an external force.

The deformation may be at least one of bending, bending, folding, twisting, and curling of the display module. Such a deformable display module may be referred to as a 'flexible display'. Here, the flexible display unit 251 may include both a general flexible display, e-paper, and a combination thereof.

A general flexible display refers to a durable display that is not easily broken because it is manufactured on a thin and flexible substrate that can be bent, bent, folded, twisted or curled like paper while maintaining the characteristics of a conventional flat panel display.

In addition, electronic paper is a display technology to which characteristics of general ink are applied, and may differ from conventional flat panel displays in that it uses reflected light. Electronic paper can change information by using a twisted ball or by using electrophoresis using a capsule.

In a state in which the flexible display unit 251 is not deformed (eg, a state having an infinite radius of curvature, hereinafter referred to as a first state, refer to (b) of FIG. 1B ), the display area of the flexible display unit 251 becomes flat. In a state deformed by an external force in the first state (for example, a state having a finite radius of curvature, hereinafter referred to as a second state, refer to (a) of FIG. 1B ), the display area may be a curved surface. .

As illustrated, the information displayed in the second state may be visual information output on the curved surface. Such visual information is implemented by independently controlling the light emission of sub-pixels arranged in a matrix form. The unit pixel means a minimum unit for realizing one color.

In the first state, the flexible display unit 251 may be in a curved state (eg, vertically or horizontally curved) rather than in a flat state. In this case, when an external force is applied to the flexible display unit 251 , the flexible display unit 251 may be deformed into a flat state (or less curved) or more curved.

Meanwhile, the flexible display unit 251 may be combined with a touch sensor to implement a flexible touch screen. When a touch is made on the flexible touch screen, the controller 180 (refer to FIG. 1A ) may perform a control corresponding to the touch input. The flexible touch screen may be configured to sense a touch input not only in the first state but also in the second state.

On the other hand, the mobile terminal 200 according to the present modified example may be provided with a deformation detecting means for detecting the deformation of the flexible display unit 251. Such a deformation detecting means may be included in the sensing unit 140 (refer to FIG. 1A ).

The deformation detecting means may be provided on the flexible display unit 251 or the bodies 201 and 202 to detect information related to deformation of the flexible display unit 251 . Here, the information related to the deformation may be a direction in which the flexible display unit 251 is deformed, a deformed degree, a deformed position, a deformed time, and an acceleration at which the deformed flexible display unit 251 is restored. In addition, it may be various pieces of information detectable due to the bending of the flexible display unit 251 .

In addition, the controller 180 (refer to FIG. 1A ) changes or moves information displayed on the flexible display unit 251 based on information related to the deformation of the flexible display unit 251 sensed by the deformation detecting means. A control signal for controlling the function of the terminal 200 may be generated.

The state transformation of the flexible display unit 251 is not limited only to an external force. For example, when the flexible display unit 251 has a first state, it may be transformed into a second state by a command of a user or an application.

The mobile terminal 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a housing 210 that can be folded and unfolded. The housing 210 may be a case (eg, a frame, a cover, etc.) forming the exterior of the mobile terminal. The housing 210 includes a plurality of cases, and various electronic components are disposed in an internal space formed by combining them.

As shown, the housing 210 may be provided in the first and second bodies 201 and 202 rotatably connected to each other, respectively. The flexible display unit 251 is coupled to one surface of the housing 210 and is formed to be deformable.

The first body 201 supports one area of the flexible display unit 251 , and the second body 202 supports another area (the remaining area) of the flexible display unit 251 . A plurality of electronic components for driving the mobile terminal 200 are mounted on at least one region of the first and second bodies 201 and 202 .

The first and second bodies 201 and 202 are connected to each other and rotate relative to each other while forming an angle, whereby the flexible display unit 251 is bent, and the flexible display unit 251 has at least one area. It becomes a folded state (folded state, second state) that is folded to overlap.

(a) of FIG. 1B is a conceptual diagram illustrating an unfolding (unfolded state, a first state) in which the flexible display unit 251 is in an unfolded state, and (b) of FIG. 1B is a view in which the flexible display unit 251 is folded. It is a conceptual diagram showing the folding state (second state).

Although only the first and second states are illustrated in the drawings, there is also a state in which an angle between one area of the flexible display unit 251 and the remaining area is varied while the first state is transformed to the second state. .

In the second state, the first and second bodies 201 and 202 overlap each other, and a space between the one area and the other area of the flexible display unit 251 is curved while forming a curved surface. In this case, the portion forming the curved surface may be the bent portion 252 (refer to FIG. 2B ). That is, the flexible display unit 251 may have a bent portion 252 that is bent by folding of the housing 210 .

Meanwhile, in the mobile terminal, the first and second bodies 201 and 202 may be rotatably connected to each other by a hinge unit 230 . That is, the hinge part 230 connects the first and second bodies 201 and 202 to be relatively rotatable, and is disposed between the first and second bodies 201 and 202 . The flexible display unit 251 is disposed on one surface of the first and second bodies 201 and 202, and is folded and unfolded by the relative rotation.

In this case, in a foldable mobile terminal, there is a limit to the bending radius of the flexible display. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the difference between the length of the bent portion and the length of the plane in the folding and unfolding operations. In order to offset this length change, in this example, the flexible display is disposed between the upper hinge and the lower hinge. Hereinafter, the flexible display device of this example will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of FIG. 1B for explaining the structure of a flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating the flexible frame of FIG. 2A .

As shown, FIG. 2A shows a first state in which the first body 201 and the second body 202 are arranged in parallel, and FIG. 2B shows the first body 201 and the second body 202. It is showing the overlapping second state. The mobile terminal 200 is configured to freely change its shape from the first state to the second state, or from the second state to the first state.

To implement this, the first body 201 and the second body 202 may be respectively connected to the hinge part 230 and configured to be rotatable with respect to the hinge part 230 .

Referring to FIG. 2A , the flexible display unit 251 is disposed on one surface of the first body 201 and one surface of the second body 202 . That is, the flexible display unit 251 is disposed across the first body 201 and the second body 202 to realize a large screen.

In this case, the flexible frame 220 may be disposed on the rear surface of the flexible display unit 251 . The flexible frame 220 may be formed to have a size equal to or smaller than that of the flexible display unit 251 in the X direction. Accordingly, the first hinge 230a and the second hinge 230b (refer to FIG. 1B above) of the hinge unit 230 may be disposed on both sides of the flexible display unit 251 and the flexible frame 220 , respectively. . However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and the flexible frame 220 may be slightly larger than the flexible display unit 251 in the X direction.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the flexible frame 220 includes a flexible region 225 capable of being bent to at least one maximum curvature. The flexible region 225 may include flexible portions 221 , 222 , 223 , and 224 capable of being bent at different maximum curvatures. The flexible portions 221 , 222 , 223 , and 224 are sequentially arranged along one direction (the Y direction in this drawing) of the flexible frame 220 so that the flexible frame 220 can be bent in one direction. do. In the following description, the X direction corresponds to the width direction of the flexible frame 220 , and the Y direction corresponds to the length direction of the flexible frame 220 .

In this example, the flexible region 225 includes a first flexible portion 221 capable of being bent up to a state having a maximum first curvature and a second flexible portion 222 capable of being bent up to a state having a maximum second curvature. . As shown, the second flexible portion 222 is provided in two, and may be respectively disposed on both sides of the first flexible portion 221 in the Y direction.

In order to implement the bending of the first flexible portion 221 , first holes are repeatedly formed in the first flexible portion 221 . That is, flexibility is generated in the first flexible portion 221 by the first holes, and the first flexible portion 221 is configured to be bendable to a state having a maximum first curvature.

The first holes are respectively repeatedly formed along the mutually intersecting X and Y directions. The first holes are formed to extend long in the X direction.

Similarly, in order to implement the bending of the second flexible portion 222 , second holes are repeatedly formed in the second flexible portion 222 . That is, flexibility is created in the second flexible portion 222 by the second holes, and the second flexible portion 222 is configured to be bendable to a state having a maximum second curvature. Here, the second curvature has a different curvature from the first curvature.

The second holes are formed in a different shape or parallel to the first holes, so that the second flexible portion 222 can be bent in the Y direction together with the first flexible portion 221 . The second holes are respectively repeatedly formed along the mutually intersecting X and Y directions. The second holes are formed to extend long in the X direction.

In this example, the first curvature may be greater than the second curvature. That is, the first flexible portion 221 is configured to be more bendable than the second flexible portion 222 . As such, the total area occupied by the first holes per unit area in the first flexible portion 221 is the second flexible portion 212 so that the first flexible portion 221 can be bent more than the second flexible portion 222 . may be larger than the total area occupied by the second holes per unit area.

Accordingly, in a state in which the first and second flexible portions 221 and 222 are bent at the first and second curvatures, respectively, the repulsive force acting on the first flexible portion 221 is the repulsive force acting on the second flexible portion 222 . can be larger

A rigid portion 226 is disposed on one side of each of the second flexible portions 222 in the Y direction. The rigid portion 226 is a portion that is hardly bent by an external force, and may be formed in a planar shape. Holes intended to implement bending are not formed in the rigid portion 226 .

As such, the rigid portion 226 and the first flexible portion 221 are disposed on both sides of the second flexible portion 222 in the Y direction. In a state in which the first and second flexible portions 221 and 222 are maximally bent, the rigid portions 226 are disposed to face each other.

As described above, the second flexible portions 222 are respectively disposed on both sides of the first flexible portion 221 in the Y direction, and the rigid portion 226 is located on one side of each second flexible portion 222 in the Y direction. this is placed

A connecting portion 223 is formed between the first flexible portion 221 and the second flexible portion 222 to smoothly connect them. Similarly, a boundary portion 224 is formed between the second flexible portion 222 and the rigid portion 226 to smoothly connect them.

That is, the flexible frame 220 includes a rigid portion 226 , a boundary portion 224 , a second flexible portion 222 , a connecting portion 223 , a first flexible portion 221 , and a connecting portion 223 along the Y direction. ), the second flexible portion 222 , the boundary portion 224 , and the rigid portion 226 may be sequentially disposed.

The connecting portion 223 is less curved than the first flexible portion 221 and is configured to be more curved than the second flexible portion 222 . Also, the boundary portion 224 may be configured to be less curved than the second flexible portion 222 .

Referring to FIG. 2A , the first flexible portion 221 of the flexible frame 220 is formed in the middle portion of the flexible frame 220 to support the bent portion 252 of the flexible display unit 251 . The rigid portion 226 is disposed to cover the first body 201 and the second body 202 , and supports the flexible display unit 251 in a flat state at both sides of the bent part 252 .

Referring to FIG. 2B , when the second body 202 is superimposed on the first body 201 , the flexible display unit 251 is bent by the corresponding external force. The first flexible portion 221 is bent at a first curvature, the second flexible portion 222 is curved at a second curvature, and the rigid portion 226 is disposed to face each other. In this case, since the hinge parts 230 are disposed on both sides of the flexible frame 220 , the bent cross-sectional shape of the first flexible portion 221 may overlap the rotation axis of the hinge part 230 . In another view, the bent cross-sectional shape of the bent part 252 of the flexible display part 251 may overlap the rotation axis of the hinge part 230 . Although the positional relationship between the flexible frame 220, the flexible display unit 251, and the hinge unit 230 has been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and a configuration without the flexible frame 220 is also possible. do.

On the other hand, referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B together with FIG. 1B , the first body 201 and the second body 202 rotate about the hinge part 230 , and thus, between the first state and the second state. , the ends of the first body 201 and the second body 202 are rotated along the outside of the hinge part 230 . In this case, in the second state, an interspace is formed between the ends of the first body 201 and the second body 202 . More specifically, there is an empty space between the end of the first body 201 , the end of the second body 202 , and the first hinge 230a and the second hinge 230b of the hinge part 230 . may be formed, and the flexible display apparatus 200 may include a shielding member 260 capable of covering this space.

In the present invention, the shielding member 260 is implemented as a shutter structure to provide a new mechanism that can cover the space between the bodies while being slim in the flexible display device. Hereinafter, this mechanism will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4 .

4 is an operation diagram illustrating a basic concept of a shutter structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The shielding member 260 covers the space between the first body 201 and the second body 202 formed by folding of the flexible display unit 251 (refer to FIGS. 2A and 2B ). It may be disposed between the body 201 and the second body 202 . The shielding member 260 is elongated along the edges of the ends of the first body 201 and the second body 202 , and both sides (long edges) of the shielding member 260 are respectively the first body. The ends of the 201 and the second body 202 face each other. In addition, the hinge part 230 is disposed adjacent to both ends (short corners) of the shielding member 260 .

Referring to the drawings, the shielding member 260 is disposed adjacent to the flexible display unit 251 in the first state, and is pressed by the lever 270 to the first body 201 in the second state. And it slides to cover the space between the second body (202). For example, the shielding member 260 interlocks with the folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit 251 to cover the space therebetween in a second state and the flexible display spaced apart from the flexible display unit 251 . The part 251 is moved between the first states of supporting it. However, when the above-described flexible frame 220 (refer to FIGS. 2A and 3 ) is disposed on the rear surface of the flexible display unit 251 , in the first state, the shielding member 260 is the flexible frame 220 . can support

In this case, the lever 270 is connected to the hinge unit 230 to rotate in association with the folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit 251 , and to support at least a portion of the shielding member 260 . For example, the hinge part 230 includes a first rotation shaft 231 connected to the first body 201 and a second rotation shaft 232 connected to the second body, and the lever It may be coupled to at least one of the first rotation shaft 231 and the second rotation shaft 232 .

In this example, the first lever 271 and the second lever 272 are coupled to the first rotation shaft 231 and the second rotation shaft 232, respectively, and the first lever 271 and the second lever ( 272 rotates together with the first body 201 and the second body 202 .

As shown, the lever 270 is a coupling portion 273 coupled to the first rotation shaft 231 or the second rotation shaft 232 and protrudes from the coupling portion 273 of the shielding member 260 . A support protrusion 274 for supporting at least a portion may be provided. The support protrusion 274 is formed to be caught by the shielding member 260 in the thickness direction of the shielding member 260 in the first state, and therefore, when the coupling part 273 rotates, the shielding member 260 will apply force to By the force, the shielding member 260 moves to a position that covers the space between the bodies 201 and 202 .

As described above, in the present invention, as the hinge unit 230 transmits force to the shielding member 260 only with the lever 270 without a separate link structure, a more compact structure can be provided to the display device.

On the other hand, in the present invention, by giving different functions to the upper and lower hinges of the display, interlocking between axes and free stop are possible, and it is implemented in a display device having a compact structure. Hereinafter, the structure of the hinge part 230 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9 .

5 is a conceptual diagram showing the basic structure of the upper and lower hinges according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 6 and 7 are enlarged and exploded views showing the upper hinge of FIG. 5, respectively, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are respectively FIG. 5 is an enlarged view and an exploded view showing the lower hinge part.

Referring to FIG. 5 , hinge units 230 may be disposed on both sides of the flexible display unit 251 . For this example, the hinge part 230 may include a first hinge 230a and a second hinge 230b respectively disposed at both ends of the shielding member 260 . In this case, different functions may be provided to the first hinge 230a and the second hinge 230b. The other function may be inter-axis interlocking and free stop implemented in addition to the function of connecting the bodies to be relatively rotatable. For example, an interaxial linkage function may be provided to the first hinge 230a, and a free stop function may be provided to the second hinge 230b.

As shown, the rotation shafts 231a and 232a of the first hinge 230a may be gear-coupled so that the first body 201 and the second body 202 are interaxially interlocked. More specifically, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 , the first hinge 230a may include a hinge housing 235a, a first rotation shaft 231a, a second rotation shaft 232a, and an intermediate gear 233a. can

The hinge housing 235a includes a base portion 236a and a cover portion 237a, and the first rotation shaft 231a is formed in an internal space defined by combining the base portion 236a and the cover portion 237a; A second rotation shaft 232a and an intermediate gear 233a may be disposed.

The first rotation shaft 231a and the second rotation shaft 232a are rotation axes of the first hinge 230a, respectively, and are coupled to the housings 211 and 212 of the first body 201 and the second body 202, respectively. can be To this end, hinge grooves 213 or upper hinge grooves are formed in the housings 211 and 212 of the first body 201 and the second body 202, and the rotation shafts 231a and 232a are connected to the hinges. It may be inserted into the groove 213 .

As shown, gears may be formed along the outer periphery of the first and second rotation shafts 231a and 232a, respectively, and by a pair of intermediate gears 233 provided in the first hinge 230a. are geared to each other. More specifically, the intermediate gear 233 includes a first intermediate gear 233-1 and a second intermediate gear 233-2, and includes a gear of the first rotation shaft 231a and a first intermediate gear 233. -1), the second intermediate gear 233-2 and the gears of the second rotation shaft 232a are sequentially connected. According to this structure, the first hinge 230a can perform the function of inter-axis interlocking.

Also, in this case, the above-described lever 270 may be coupled to the first and second rotation shafts 231a and 232a, respectively. A coupling groove 275 into which the first rotation shaft 231a and the second rotation shaft 232a are inserted may be formed in the coupling portion 273 of the lever 270, and the support protrusion 274 may be formed in the coupling portion ( 273) may protrude from the outer periphery.

In addition, in order to fix the positions of the gears, the first rotation shaft 231a, the first intermediate gear 233-1, the second intermediate gear 233-2, and the second rotation shaft 232a are inserted through the gear plate. 234 may be provided. In addition, in the housings 211 and 212, the ends of the first rotation shaft 231a, the first intermediate gear 233-1, the second intermediate gear 233-2, and the second rotation shaft 232a are supported. Grooves may be formed.

According to this structure, in the first hinge 230a, a structure of inter-shaft interlocking through gear coupling and a shutter structure using a lever connected to a rotating shaft may be implemented together.

Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 5, 8 and 9 , a free stop function may be provided to the second hinge 230b.

As shown, when the first body 201 and the second body 202 rotate relative to each other, a frictional force may be applied to the rotation axes of the second hinge 230b so that they can be fixed at an arbitrary angle. More specifically, the second hinge 230b may include a hinge housing 235b , a first rotation shaft 231b , a second rotation shaft 232b , and a friction member 238 .

The hinge housing 235b includes a base portion 236b and a cover portion 237b, and the first rotation shaft 231b is formed in an internal space defined by combining the base portion 236b and the cover portion 237b; A second rotation shaft 232b and a friction member 238 may be disposed.

The first rotation shaft 231b and the second rotation shaft 232b are rotation axes of the second hinge 230b, respectively, and are coupled to the housings 211 and 212 of the first body 201 and the second body 202, respectively. can be To this end, hinge grooves 214 (or lower hinge grooves) are formed in the housings 211 and 212 of the first body 201 and the second body 202 , and the rotation shafts 231b and 232b are connected to the hinges. It may be inserted into the groove 214 . In the above example, if the hinge groove of the housing coupled to the first hinge 230a is an upper hinge groove, in this example, the hinge groove of the housing coupled to the second hinge 230b may be referred to as a lower hinge groove. .

As illustrated, as an example of applying the frictional force, the second hinge 230b may include the rotation shafts 231b and 232b of the second hinge 230b and a friction member 238 generating frictional force.

The friction member 238 has a through hole 239 through which the first rotation shaft 231b and the second rotation shaft 232b are inserted, and the inner surface of the through hole 239 is the first rotation shaft 231b. , in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the second rotation shaft 232b to generate the frictional force. The through hole 239 is formed in the body of the friction member 238 , and the body of the friction member 238 may be made of polyacetal (POM) resin to generate an appropriate friction force.

In addition, in this case, the above-described lever 270 may be coupled to the first rotation shaft 231b and the second rotation shaft 232b, respectively. A coupling groove 275 into which the first rotation shaft 231b and the second rotation shaft 232b are inserted may be formed in the coupling portion 273 of the lever 270, and the support protrusion 274 may be formed in the coupling portion ( 273) may protrude from the outer periphery.

As described above, in the second hinge, a structure for free stop and a shutter structure using a lever connected to the rotation shaft may be implemented together.

Meanwhile, as described above, the first hinge and the second hinge are respectively coupled to the lever to perform a shutter function. Hereinafter, a structure related thereto will be described in more detail.

10A and 10B are operation diagrams illustrating the operation of the flexible display device according to the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view showing the hinge parts of the display device to which the shutter structure of FIG. 4 and the upper and lower hinge parts of FIG. 5 are applied together. , FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged view of the shielding member 260 of FIG. 11 .

Referring to the drawings, as in the example described above with reference to FIG. 4 , the first body 201 and the second body 202 in which the shielding member 260 is formed by folding the flexible display unit 251 . It may be disposed between the first body 201 and the second body 202 to cover the space between the .

In this case, the shielding member 260 is moved between the first state and the second state by at least one of the housings 211 and 222 of the first body 201 and the second body 202 . One side may be supported, and the other side may be supported by the lever 270 . In this example, the one side may be the outside of the covering member 260 , and the other side may be the inside of the covering member 260 .

The other side supported by the lever 270 is, as in the example described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 9 , the lever 270 is connected to the first rotation shaft 231 and the second rotation shaft 232 of the hinge part 230 . Combined, it may have a structure that presses the shielding member 260 in association with the rotation of the bodies 201 and 202 . The first rotation shaft 231 and the second rotation shaft 232 are rotation axes of the first hinge or the second hinge, respectively, and include the housings 211 and 222 of the first body 201 and the second body 202 . can be combined. To this end, hinge grooves 213 and 214 are formed in the housings 211 and 222 of the first body 201 and the second body 202, and the rotation shafts are inserted into the hinge grooves 213 and 214. can

Through this, the shielding member 260 is disposed adjacent to the flexible display unit 251 in the first state, and is pressed by the lever 270 to the first body 201 and the second body 201 in the second state. It slides to cover the space between the bodies 202 .

At this time, in order to support one side of the shielding member 260, protrusions 223 and 224 may protrude from the housings 211 and 222 to press one side of the shielding member 260 in the first state. have.

The shapes of the protrusions 223 and 224 protrude toward each other from the first body 201 and the second body 202 , and thus may be formed symmetrically with respect to the center of the shielding member 260 . .

Referring to the drawings, the protrusion 223 of the first body and the protrusion 224 of the second body may include a first portion 225 and a second portion 226 , respectively.

The first part 225 protrudes from the ends of the first body 201 and the second body 202 , and the second part 226 is inclined with the first part 225 in the direction of the second body 202 . It may extend from one portion 225 . The second part 226 may extend in a direction perpendicular to the first part 225 . At this time, at least a portion of the second part 226 is formed in a curved surface to press one side of the shielding member 260 in the first state, and at least part of the shielding member 260 in the second state. made to cover

Since both sides of the shielding member 260 are covered in the second state, the space between the first body 201 and the second body 202 in the second state is between the protrusions 223 and 224 and the shielding It may be completely covered by the member 260 . According to this structure, the cover operation can be implemented in the opening and closing operation of the flexible display apparatus. In addition, according to this structure, the outer surface of the hinge or the housing can be hidden inside, and the shape of the folding part, which was previously expressed as an angle, can be implemented close to the curved surface.

Meanwhile, in the first state, the protrusion 223 of the first body and the protrusion 224 of the second body may be formed to meet each other at each of the second parts 226 .

As shown in FIG. 10 , according to this structure, the protrusions 223 and 224 cover between the bodies 201 and 202 in the first state. In addition, in the first state, the protrusions 223 and 224 press one side of the shielding member 260 , and this pressing force is transmitted to the rear surface of the flexible display unit 251 through the shielding member 260 . can Such a pressing force may serve to flatten the bent portion 252 of the flexible display unit 251 . That is, flatness is maintained by pressing the rear surface of the flexible display unit 251 in the unfolded state. However, when the above-described flexible frame 220 is disposed on the rear surface of the flexible display unit 251, the shielding member 260 supports the flexible frame 220 in the first state, and the protrusion ( 223 and 224 , the blocking member 260 , and the flexible frame 220 may transmit the pressing force to the bending part 252 .

Also, referring to FIG. 10B , the sliding movement of the shielding member 260 may be guided by the hinge housing 235 of the hinge part 230 .

For example, an insertion hole 235 - 1 into which at least a portion of the shielding member 260 is inserted may be formed at one side of the hinge housing 235 . More specifically, the hinge housing may include a base portion and a cover portion, and the insertion hole 235 - 1 may be formed in at least one of the base portion and the cover portion. The lever is accommodated in the hinge housing to support at least a part of the shielding member 260 inserted into the insertion hole 235-1, and the shielding member 260 by the upper and lower ends of the insertion hole 235-1. movement range may be limited.

More specifically, the shielding member 260 includes a shielding body 261 disposed between the first body and the second body, and the insertion hole 235-1 protruding from an end of the shielding body 261. It may be provided with an insertion protrusion 262 that is inserted into the.

The shielding body 261 is supported by at least one of the housings of the first body and the second body. The shielding body 261 includes a flat portion 263 pressed by the above-described protrusions 223 and 224 in the first state, and an extension portion 264 extending from both sides of the flat portion 263 and formed of an inclined or curved surface. ) can be provided. The extension 264 may be a portion covered by the above-described protrusions 223 and 224 in the second state.

Both sides of the insertion protrusion 262 may be inclined. At least a portion of the support protrusion 274 of the lever 270 overlaps in the thickness direction of the shielding member 260 on the inclined side surface, through which the support protrusion 274 of the lever 270 is caught. can be implemented.

In addition, the insertion protrusion 262 may protrude from the flat portion 263 and be inserted into the insertion hole 235 - 1 . For this example, the insertion protrusions 262 may be respectively formed at both ends of the planar portion 263 , and may be respectively inserted into the first hinge 230a and the second hinge 230b described above. Through this structure, the insertion protrusion 262 may be supported by the lever 271 coupled to the first hinge 230a and the lever 272 coupled to the second hinge 230b, respectively.

As described above, in the present invention, by applying the shutter structure using the hinge housing, the degree of freedom in the design of the region where the hinge is located can also be improved. In addition, it is possible to minimize the gap formed between the hinge portion 130 and the body.

In the flexible display device described above, the configurations and methods of the above-described embodiments are not limitedly applicable, but all or part of the embodiments are selectively combined so that various modifications can be made. could be

Claims (18)

a first body and a second body;
a hinge portion connecting the first body and the second body to be relatively rotatable;
a flexible display unit disposed on one surface of the first body and the second body and folding and unfolding by the relative rotation;
a shielding member disposed between the first body and the second body to cover a space between the first body and the second body formed by folding of the flexible display unit; and
and a lever connected to the hinge part and rotating in association with the rotation of the rotation shaft of the hinge part,
The hinge part further includes a hinge housing disposed on both sides of the flexible display part and accommodating the rotation shaft,
The lever is accommodated in the hinge housing, is inserted into the rotation shaft, and rotates in association with the rotation of the rotation shaft, and supports at least a portion of the blocking member to move or support the blocking member. A flexible display device made to do so. According to claim 1,
The shielding member interlocks with the folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit to move between a first state supporting the flexible display unit and a second state spaced apart from the flexible display unit to cover the space therebetween. a flexible display device. 3. The method of claim 2,
The shielding member is flexible, characterized in that one side is supported by at least one of the housings of the first body and the second body to move between the first state and the second state, and the other side is supported by the lever. display device. 4. The method of claim 3,
A flexible display device, wherein a protrusion protrudes from the housing to press one side of the shielding member in the first state. 5. The method of claim 4,
The protrusion portion includes a first portion protruding from the ends of the first body and the second body, and a second portion extending in a direction inclined to the first portion. 6. The method of claim 5,
At least a portion of the second portion is formed in a curved surface to press one side of the shielding member in the first state, and to cover at least a portion of the shielding member in the second state. According to claim 1,
The rotating shaft of the hinge part includes a first rotating shaft connected to the first body and a second rotating shaft connected to the second body,
The lever is coupled to at least one of the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft. 8. The method of claim 7,
The hinge housing accommodates the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft,
The flexible display device, characterized in that an insertion hole into which at least a portion of the shielding member is inserted is formed at one side of the hinge housing. delete 9. The method of claim 8,
A flexible display device, characterized in that the moving range of the shielding member is limited by the upper and lower ends of the insertion hole. 9. The method of claim 8,
The shielding member comprises a shielding body disposed between the first body and the second body, and an insertion protrusion protruding from an end of the shielding body and inserted into the insertion hole. 12. The method of claim 11,
The cover body is supported by at least one of the housings of the first body and the second body, and the insertion protrusion is supported by the lever. 12. The method of claim 11,
The lever includes a coupling portion coupled to the first or second rotation shaft and a support protrusion protruding from the coupling portion to support the insertion protrusion. According to claim 1,
The flexible display device according to claim 1, wherein the hinge part includes a first hinge and a second hinge respectively disposed at both ends of the shielding member. 15. The method of claim 14,
The rotation shafts of the first hinge are gear-coupled so that the first body and the second body interlock with each other, and frictional force is applied to the rotation shafts of the second hinge so that the first body and the second body are fixed at an arbitrary angle. A flexible display device, characterized in that. 16. The method of claim 15,
The first hinge includes an intermediate gear disposed between the rotation shafts of the first hinge, and the second hinge includes a friction member for generating frictional force with the rotation shafts of the second hinge. Device. a first body and a second body;
a flexible display unit for folding and unfolding by the relative rotation of the first body and the second body;
a shielding member formed to cover a space between the first body and the second body; and
and a hinge portion including a first hinge and a second hinge respectively disposed at both ends of the shielding member,
The rotation shafts of the first hinge are gear-coupled so that the first body and the second body interlock with each other, and frictional force is applied to the rotation shafts of the second hinge so that the first body and the second body are fixed at an arbitrary angle. ,
A lever is respectively coupled to the first hinge and the second hinge so that the shielding member moves in association with the folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit,
The hinge part further includes a hinge housing accommodating the rotation shafts of the first hinge and the second hinge,
The lever is accommodated in the hinge housing, is inserted into the rotation shaft, rotates in association with the rotation of the rotation shaft, and supports at least a portion of the blocking member to move or support the blocking member. Flexible display device, characterized in that made to deliver. 18. The method of claim 17,
The first hinge and the second hinge each have a first rotation shaft connected to the first body and a second rotation shaft connected to the second body,
The lever is a flexible display device, characterized in that coupled to the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft.

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