KR20200047253A - Flexible display device - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, a flexible display device capable of covering space between bodies comprises: a first body and a second body; a hinge unit connecting the first body and the second body in a relatively rotatable manner; a flexible display unit disposed on one surface of the first body and the second body to be folded and unfolded by the relative rotation; a cover member disposed between the first body and the second body to cover space, which is formed by folding of the flexible display unit, between the first body and the second body; and a lever connected to the hinge unit to rotate in conjunction with the folding and the unfolding of the flexible display unit and configured to support at least a part of the cover 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 external force.

Electronic devices (hereinafter referred to as mobile terminals) that can be carried, such as communication terminals, multimedia devices, portable computers, game machines, and photographing devices, include displays that display image information. The mobile terminal also has a folding structure that can be folded to a smaller size for the convenience of portability. In this type of electronic device, two bodies are connected by a folding structure (for example, a hinge portion).

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

However, with the development of a flexible display capable of bending in recent years, research has been conducted to apply the flexible display to a mobile terminal having a folding structure. In this case, since the flexible display can be arranged across the two bodies across the folding structure, a large screen can be implemented.

However, when a flexible display is deformed into a folded (folded) state and an unfolded (unfolded) state by using the hinge part, in order to implement the function of the hinge part, the size of the display is increased, and the deformation and bending of the bent part are reduced to two. There is a problem in that the inter-body space is exposed to the outside.

More specifically, in order to supplement the characteristics of the display, the folding structure of the electronic device includes a hinge operation structure (length compensation method, concealment structure, interlocking structure for each element) or a rear surface of the display for controlling the neutral plane of the display. Various considerations are needed for the structure and the operation method to support the. Due to such considerations, the complexity of the overall structure of the hinge unit and the device is added, and accordingly, there is a limit to the implementation in the form of an actual operating terminal.

However, a flexible device developed so far has not been proposed 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 portion and the peripheral structure.

The first object of the present invention is to provide a hinge structure that can be made slimmer in size in a flexible display device.

The second object of the present invention is to provide a new mechanism that can cover the space between the bodies while being slim in the flexible display device.

The third object of the present invention is to implement a hybrid function capable of covering a space between bodies during folding while flattening the flexible display when unfolding in the flexible display device.

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

More specifically, the flexible display device is disposed on one surface of the first body and the second body, a hinge portion connecting the first body and the second body to enable relative rotation, and the first body and the second body And, between the first body and the second body to cover the space between the flexible display unit to be folded and unfolded by the relative rotation, and the first body and the second body formed by the folding of the flexible display unit It includes a cover member disposed in, and a lever connected to the hinge portion to rotate in conjunction with folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit, and supporting at least a portion of the cover member.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the obstruction member interlocks with the folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit, so that the first state supporting the flexible display unit and the second state spaced apart from the flexible display unit to cover the space between the flexible display units. Moves among them.

The obstruction 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.

In the housing, a protrusion may protrude to press one side of the obstruction member in the first state. The protruding portion may include a first portion protruding from the ends of the first body and the second body, and a second portion extending in an inclined direction with the first portion. The second portion may be formed such that at least a portion is formed in a curved surface to press one side of the obstruction member in the first state, and cover at least a portion of the obstruction member in the second state.

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

The hinge portion may further include a hinge housing in which the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft are accommodated, and an insertion hole into which at least a part of the obstruction 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 obstruction member. The moving range of the obstruction member may be limited by the upper and lower ends of the insertion hole.

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

The cover body is supported by at least one of the housings of the first body and the second body, and the insertion protrusion can be supported by the lever. The lever may include a coupling portion that is coupled to the first rotational shaft or the second rotational shaft, and a support protrusion that protrudes from the coupling portion and supports the insertion projection.

In addition, the present invention provides different functions to the upper and lower hinges of the display in order to slim the display device. As a specific example, the hinge part may include a first hinge and a second hinge respectively disposed at both ends of the cover member. In this case, one of the first hinge and the second hinge may have a gear connection for inter-axle interlocking, and a stopper structure for a free stop may be applied to the other.

For example, the rotation axes of the first hinge are geared so that the first body and the second body interlock with each other, and the rotation axes of the second hinge are fixed so that the first body and the second body are fixed at an arbitrary angle. Friction may be applied. The first hinge may include an intermediate gear disposed between the rotation axes of the first hinge, and the second hinge may include a friction member that generates frictional forces with the rotation axes of the second hinge.

In addition, the present invention refers to a space between the first body and the second body, the flexible display unit for folding and unfolding by the relative rotation of the first body and the second body, and the first body and the second body. The cover member is formed so as to have a first hinge and a second hinge respectively disposed at both ends of the cover member, and the rotation axes of the first hinge are geared so that the first body and the second body interlock with each other, A friction 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 first hinge is moved so that the obstruction member moves in conjunction with folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit. And the second hinge discloses a flexible display device characterized in that the lever for supporting at least a portion of the obstruction member are respectively coupled.

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

First, the hinge portion does not have a separate link structure, and as a force is transmitted to the cover member only by a lever, a more compact structure can be provided to the display device.

Second, when unfolding, the covering member exerts a physical force on the rear surface of the flexible display, and the flexible display is always restored to a flat state, so that the occurrence of a phenomenon that the surface occurs like a wave can be prevented. Therefore, reliability of the flexible display device can be improved. In addition, as the physical force applied during unfolding is provided by the housing of the display device, it is possible to maintain a compact structure.

Third, as different functions are provided to the upper and lower hinges of the display, inter-axis interlocking and free stop are possible, and it can be provided to a display device having a compact structure. Furthermore, since the space where the lever is coupled to the hinge portion can be secured at the upper and lower hinges, the size of the hinge portion can be kept compact, and a display device with a small bezel can be realized through this.

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

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or similar components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "modules" and "parts" for the components used in the following description are given or mixed only considering the ease of writing the specification, and do not have meanings or roles distinguished from each other in themselves. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, when it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein, detailed descriptions 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 in the specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all modifications included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention , It should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

Terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components.

When an element is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that other components may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in the middle. It should be. On the other hand, when a component is said to be "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that no other component exists in the middle.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In this application, the terms "comprises" or "have" are intended to indicate the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts or combinations thereof described herein, one or more other features. It should be understood that the existence or addition possibilities of fields or numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof are not excluded in advance.

Display devices described herein include mobile phones, smart phones, laptop computers, digital broadcasting terminals, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable multimedia players (PMPs), navigation, and slate PCs. , Tablet PC (tablet PC), ultrabook (ultrabook), wearable device (wearable device, for example, a watch-type terminal (smartwatch), a glass-type terminal (smart glass), a mobile terminal such as a head mounted display (HMD)) May be included.

However, the configuration according to the embodiment described in the present specification can be easily recognized by those skilled in the art that it can 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 this specification, for convenience of description, a mobile terminal will be described as one example of a flexible display device.

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. The components shown in FIG. 1A are not essential for implementing a mobile terminal, so the mobile terminal described herein may have more or fewer components than those listed above.

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

The wireless communication unit 110 may include at least one of a broadcast receiving 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 may include a camera 121 for inputting a video signal or a video input unit, a microphone for inputting an audio signal (microphone 122), or an audio input unit, a user input unit 123 for receiving information from a user, for example , A touch key, a push key, and the like. The voice data or image data collected by the input unit 120 may be analyzed and processed by 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 includes a proximity sensor 141, an illumination sensor 142, a touch sensor, an acceleration sensor, a magnetic sensor, and gravity G-sensor, gyroscope sensor, motion sensor, RGB sensor, infrared sensor (IR sensor), fingerprint scan sensor, ultrasonic sensor , Optical sensor (e.g., camera (see 121)), microphone (see 122, battery), battery gauge, environmental sensor (e.g. barometer, hygrometer, thermometer, radioactivity detection sensor, Thermal sensing sensor, gas sensing sensor, etc.), chemical sensors (eg, electronic nose, health care sensor, biometric sensor, etc.). Meanwhile, the mobile terminal disclosed in this specification may combine and use information sensed by at least two or more of these sensors.

The output unit 150 is for generating output related to vision, hearing, or tactile sense, and includes at least one of a display unit 151, an audio output unit 152, a hap tip module 153, and an optical output unit 154 can do. The display unit 151 may form a mutual layer structure with the touch sensor or may be integrally formed, thereby realizing a touch screen. The touch screen may function as a user input unit 123 that provides an input interface between the mobile terminal 100 and the user, and at the same time, 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. The interface unit 160 connects a device equipped with a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, and 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 the mobile terminal 100, in response to an external device being connected to the interface unit 160, appropriate control related to the connected external device may be performed.

Also, the memory 170 stores data supporting various functions of the mobile terminal 100. The memory 170 may store a number of application programs (application programs) that are driven in the mobile terminal 100, data for operation of the mobile terminal 100, and instructions. At least some of these applications may be downloaded from external servers via 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 of the mobile terminal 100 (for example, an incoming call, an outgoing function, a message reception, and an outgoing function). Meanwhile, the application program may be stored in the memory 170 and installed on the mobile terminal 100 to be driven by the controller 180 to perform an operation (or function) of the mobile terminal.

The controller 180 controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal 100 in addition to the operations related to the application program. 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 to drive an application program stored in the memory 170. Furthermore, the controller 180 may operate by combining at least two or more of the components included in the mobile terminal 100 for driving the application program.

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

At least some of the components may operate in cooperation with each other to implement an operation, control, or control method of a mobile terminal according to various embodiments described below. Also, 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 described above, the components listed above 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 broadcast receiving modules may be provided to the mobile terminal 100 for simultaneous broadcast reception or switching of broadcast channels for at least two broadcast channels.

The broadcast management server may mean a server that generates and transmits broadcast signals and / or broadcast-related information or a server that receives previously generated broadcast signals and / or broadcast-related information and transmits them to a terminal. The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, and a data broadcast signal, and may also include a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal combined with a data 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 receiving module 111 may The digital broadcast signal may be received using a method suitable for the technical standard determined by the 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 also 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, Electronic Program Guide (EPG) of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or Electronic Service Guide (ESG) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H). The broadcast signal and / or broadcast-related information received through the broadcast receiving 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 -Enhanced Voice-Data Optimized or Enhanced Voice-Data Only (DO), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A (Long Term Evolution-Advanced) transmits and receives wireless signals 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 and 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.

Wireless Internet technologies include, 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 (HSDPA), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A), and the wireless Internet module ( 113) transmits and receives data according to at least one wireless Internet technology in a range including the Internet technology not listed above.

In view of the wireless Internet access through WiBro, HSDPA, HSUPA, GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE, LTE-A, etc., through the mobile communication network, the wireless Internet module 113 that 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, Bluetooth (Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, NFC (Near) Field communication (Wireless-Fidelity), Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Direct, Wireless USB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus) technology can be used to support short-range communication. , Between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system via wireless area networks, between the mobile terminal 100 and another mobile terminal 100, or between the mobile terminal 100 and another mobile terminal 100, or The external server) may support wireless communication between the networks in which the local wireless communication network is located, which may be wireless personal area networks.

Here, the other mobile terminal 100 is a wearable device (for example, a smartwatch), smart glasses capable of exchanging data (or interoperable) with the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention. (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 around the mobile terminal 100. Furthermore, when the detected wearable device is a device that is authenticated to communicate with the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention, the controller 180 may include at least a portion of data processed by the mobile terminal 100, and the short-range communication module ( 114) to the wearable device. Therefore, a user of the wearable device can use data processed by the mobile terminal 100 through the wearable device. For example, according to this, the user performs a phone call through the wearable device when a call is received by the mobile terminal 100 or, when a message is received by the mobile terminal 100, the user receives the call through the wearable device. It is possible to check the message.

The location information module 115 is a module for obtaining a location (or current location) of a mobile terminal, and examples thereof include a Global Positioning System (GPS) module or a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) module. For example, if the mobile terminal utilizes a GPS module, the location of the mobile terminal can be acquired using a signal sent from a GPS satellite. As another example, if the mobile terminal utilizes a Wi-Fi module, the location of the mobile terminal may be obtained based on information of a 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 other modules of the wireless communication unit 110 in order to obtain data regarding the location of the mobile terminal by substitution or additionally. The location information module 115 is a module used to acquire the location (or current location) of the mobile terminal, and is not limited to a module that directly calculates or acquires the location of the mobile terminal.

Next, the input unit 120 is for input of image information (or signals), audio information (or signals), data, or information input from a user. For input of image information, the mobile terminal 100 is one Alternatively, a plurality of cameras 121 may be provided. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by an image sensor in a video call mode or a shooting mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on the display unit 151 or stored in the memory 170. Meanwhile, the plurality of cameras 121 provided in the mobile terminal 100 may be arranged to form a matrix structure, and through the camera 121 forming the matrix structure, various angles or focuses may be applied to the mobile terminal 100. A plurality of image information may be input. In addition, the plurality of cameras 121 may be arranged in a stereo structure to acquire left and right images for realizing a stereoscopic image.

The microphone 122 processes external sound signals as electrical voice data. The processed voice data may be variously used according to a function (or a running application program) performed by the mobile terminal 100. Meanwhile, various noise reduction 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. 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, And a jog switch) and touch input means. As an example, the touch-type input means is made 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. Meanwhile, the virtual key or the visual key may be displayed on the touch screen while having various forms, for example, a graphic, text, icon, video, or the like. It can be made of 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 driving or operation of the mobile terminal 100 based on the sensing signal, or perform data processing, function, or operation related to an application program installed in the mobile terminal 100. 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 in the vicinity using mechanical force or infrared rays, etc., without mechanical contact. The proximity sensor 141 may be provided with a proximity sensor 141 in the inner region of the mobile terminal or the touch screen, which is surrounded by the touch screen described above.

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 the object by a change in electric field according to the proximity of the conductive 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 allowing an object to be recognized as being located on the touch screen without being touched on the touch screen is called a “proximity touch”, and the touch The act of actually contacting an object on the screen is called "contact touch". The location where an object is touched close on the touch screen means a location where the object is perpendicular to the touch screen when the object is touched close. 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, as described above, the controller 180 processes data (or information) corresponding to the proximity touch operation and the proximity touch pattern detected through the proximity sensor 141, and further, visual information corresponding to the processed data. It can be output on the touch screen. Furthermore, the controller 180 may control the mobile terminal 100 such that different operations or data (or information) are processed according to whether a touch on the same point on the touch screen is a proximity touch or a touch touch. .

The touch sensor detects 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 capacitance generated in the specific part into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor may be configured to detect a position, an area, a pressure when a touch is touched, a capacitance when a touch object is applied on the touch screen, and the like. 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, and the like.

As such, when there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the 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 control unit 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 has been touched, and the like. Here, the touch controller may be a separate component from the controller 180, or may be the controller 180 itself.

Meanwhile, the controller 180 may perform different controls or 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 control or the same control according to the type of the touch object, it may be determined according to an operating state of the current mobile terminal 100 or an application program being executed.

On the other hand, the touch sensors and proximity sensors described above are independently or in combination, such as short (or tap) touch on the touch screen, long touch, multi touch, drag touch ), Flick touch, pinch-in touch, pinch-out touch, swipe touch, hovering touch, etc. You can sense the touch.

The ultrasonic sensor may recognize location information of a sensing target using ultrasonic waves. Meanwhile, the control unit 180 may calculate the position of the wave generating source through information sensed by the optical sensor and the plurality of ultrasonic sensors. The position of the wave generator can be calculated by using a property in which light is much faster than ultrasound, that is, a time when light reaches the optical sensor is much faster than a time when the ultrasound reaches the ultrasonic sensor. More specifically, the position of the wave generating source may be calculated by using a time difference from the time at which ultrasonic waves reach the light as a reference signal.

On the other hand, the camera 121, as seen with the configuration of the input unit 120, includes at least one of a camera sensor (eg, CCD, CMOS, etc.), a photo sensor (or 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 element, which is configured to scan the movement of the sensing object close to the touch screen. More specifically, the photo sensor mounts photo diodes and TRs (transistors) in rows / columns to scan the contents loaded on the photo sensor using electrical signals that change according to the amount of light applied to the photo diode. That is, the photo sensor performs coordinate calculation of the sensing object according to the change amount of light, and through this, location information of the sensing object may 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 by the mobile terminal 100, or UI (User Interface) or GUI (Graphic User Interface) information according to the execution screen information. .

Also, the display unit 151 may be configured as a stereoscopic display unit 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 audio 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, call mode or recording mode, voice recognition mode, broadcast reception mode, or the like. The sound output unit 152 may also output sound signals related to functions (for example, call signal reception sound, 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 typical example of the tactile effect generated by the haptic module 153 may be vibration. The intensity and pattern of vibration generated in 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 different vibrations and output them sequentially or sequentially.

In addition to vibration, the haptic module 153 is used for stimulation such as pin arrangement that vertically moves with respect to the skin surface of the contact, spraying or suctioning power of air through a spray or intake, grazing on the skin surface, contact with an electrode, and electrostatic force. Various tactile effects can be generated, such as an effect caused by an effect and an effect of reproducing a feeling of cold and warm 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 muscle sensations such as fingers or arms. Two or more haptic modules 153 may be provided according to a configuration aspect of the mobile terminal 100.

The light output unit 154 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event using the light of the light source of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events occurring in the mobile terminal 100 may include receiving messages, receiving call signals, missed calls, alarms, schedule notifications, receiving emails, and receiving information through applications.

The signal output by the light output unit 154 is implemented as the mobile terminal emits light of a single color or a plurality of colors to the front or rear. The signal output may be terminated by the mobile terminal detecting 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, transfers it to each component inside the mobile terminal 100, or allows data inside the mobile terminal 100 to be transmitted to the 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 input / output (I / O) port, a video input / output (I / O) port, an earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 160.

On the other hand, the identification module is a chip that stores various information for authenticating the usage rights of the mobile terminal 100, a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM), universal user authentication And a universal subscriber identity module (USIM). The device provided with the identification module (hereinafter referred to as an 'identification device') may be manufactured in a smart card format. Accordingly, the identification device may be connected to the terminal 100 through the interface unit 160.

In addition, when the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, the interface unit 160 becomes a passage through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100 or is input by the user from the cradle. Various command signals may be passages to the mobile terminal 100. Various command signals or power inputted 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 video, etc.). The memory 170 may store data related to various patterns of vibration and sound output when a touch is input on the touch screen.

The memory 170 is a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a solid state disk type, an SDD type (Silicon Disk Drive type), a multimedia card micro type ), Card-type memory (e.g. SD or XD memory, etc.), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read (EPMROM) It may include a storage medium of at least one type of -only memory), PROM (programmable read-only memory), magnetic memory, magnetic disk, and optical disk. The mobile terminal 100 may be operated in connection with a web storage performing 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 overall operation of the mobile terminal 100 in general. For example, when 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 control unit 180 performs control and processing related to voice calls, data communication, video calls, etc., or performs pattern recognition processing to recognize handwriting input or picture input input on a touch screen as text and images, respectively. You 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 combination of the above-described components.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 to supply power required for the operation of each component. The power supply unit 190 includes a battery, and the battery may be a built-in battery made to be charged, and may be detachably coupled to a terminal body for charging and 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 an 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 wirelessly 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 from an external wireless power transmission device or a magnetic resonance coupling method based on an electromagnetic resonance phenomenon. Power can be delivered.

Meanwhile, various embodiments below may be implemented in a recording medium readable by a computer or a similar device 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 by the mobile terminal 100, or UI (User Interface) or 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), a three-dimensional display (3D display), and an electronic ink display (e-ink display).

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

The display unit 151 may include a touch sensor that senses a touch on the display unit 151 so that a control command can be 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 can be configured to generate a control command corresponding to the touch based on the touch. The content input by the touch method may be a letter or a number, or an instruction or designable menu item 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 is 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 other devices (eg, earphones, external speakers), a port for short-range communication (eg, an infrared port (IrDA Port), a Bluetooth port (Bluetooth) Port, 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 that accommodates an external card such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a user identity module (UIM) or a memory card for storing information.

The terminal body may be provided with at least one antenna for wireless communication. The antenna may be built in the terminal body or may be formed in the case. For example, an antenna forming part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1A) may be configured to be pulled out from the terminal body. Alternatively, the antenna may be formed of a film type and attached to the inner surface of the housing, or 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 (see FIG. 1A) for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100. The power supply unit 190 may include a battery 191 built in the terminal body or configured to be detachable 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. Also, the battery 191 may be configured to be wirelessly charged through a wireless charger. The wireless charging may be implemented by a magnetic induction method or a resonance method (magnetic resonance method).

An accessory that protects the appearance or assists or expands the function of the mobile terminal 100 may be added to the mobile terminal 100. An example of such an accessory is a cover or pouch that covers or accommodates at least one side of the mobile terminal 100. The cover or pouch may be configured to expand the function of the mobile terminal 100 in conjunction with the display unit 151. Another example of an accessory is a touch pen for assisting or extending a touch input to a touch screen.

1B is a conceptual diagram for describing a mobile terminal having a flexible display as a flexible display device. The mobile terminal 200 according to the present invention includes a flexible display unit 251 made to be deformable by 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 and electronic paper (e-paper) and combinations thereof.

A general flexible display refers to a sturdy display that is light and easy to break because it is made on a thin and flexible substrate that can bend, bend, fold, twist, or curl like paper, while maintaining the characteristics of a conventional flat panel display.

In addition, the electronic paper is a display technology to which general ink characteristics are applied, and the point of using reflected light may be different from a conventional flat panel display. The electronic paper may change information by using a twist ball or electrophoresis using a capsule.

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

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

The flexible display unit 251 may be placed in a curved state (for example, a vertically or horizontally curved state) rather than a flat state in the first 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 a less curved state) or a more curved state.

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 (see FIG. 1A) may perform control corresponding to the touch input. The flexible touch screen may be configured to sense a touch input in the first state as well as the second state.

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

The deformation detecting means is 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, an acceleration at which the deformed flexible display unit 251 is restored, and the like. In addition, it may be a variety of information that can be detected 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.

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

The mobile terminal 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a housing 210 made of folding and unfolding. The housing 210 may be a case (eg, frame, cover, etc.) forming the appearance of the mobile terminal. The housing 210 includes a plurality of cases, and various electronic components are disposed in an inner space formed by a combination of them.

According to the drawing, the housing 210 may be provided on the first and second bodies 201 and 202, which are rotatably connected to each other. 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 region of the flexible display unit 251, and the second body 202 supports another region (the remaining region) of the flexible display unit 251. A plurality of electronic components for driving the mobile terminal 200 are mounted on at least one area of the first and second bodies 201 and 202.

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

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

Although only the first and second states are illustrated in the drawing, there is also a state in which an angle between one area of the flexible display unit 251 and the other area is varied while being transformed from the first state 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 a bent portion 252 (see FIG. 2B). That is, the flexible display unit 251 may be formed with a bent portion 252 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 part 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 the 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 plane length in folding and unfolding operations. In order to compensate for 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 exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing 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 second body 202 in the first body 201. It is in a superimposed second state. The mobile terminal 200 is configured to freely transform 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 are respectively connected to the hinge portion 230 and can be configured to be rotatable with respect to the hinge portion 230.

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 over the first body 201 and the second body 202, thereby realizing a large screen.

In this case, a 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 the same or smaller size than the flexible display unit 251 in the X direction. Therefore, the first hinge 230a and the second hinge 230b 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 to this, 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 that can be bent with at least one maximum curvature. The flexible region 225 may include flexible portions 221, 222, 223, and 224 that can be bent at different maximum curvatures. The flexible portions 221, 222, 223, and 224 are sequentially arranged along one direction (in the Y direction) of the flexible frame 220, so that the flexible frame 220 can be bent with respect to 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 longitudinal direction of the flexible frame 220.

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

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 bent to a state having a maximum first curvature.

The first holes are formed repeatedly along the crossing X and Y directions, respectively. The first holes are formed to extend 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 generated in the second flexible portion 222 by the second holes, and the second flexible portion 222 is configured to be bent to a state having a maximum second curvature. Here, the second curvature has a curvature different from the first curvature.

The second holes are formed in a shape different from or parallel to the first holes, and the second flexible portion 222 is configured to be bent with respect to the Y direction along with the first flexible portion 221. The second holes are formed repeatedly along the crossing X and Y directions, respectively. The second holes are elongated 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 bend more 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 is more bent than the second flexible portion 222. In may be larger than the total area occupied by the second hole per unit area.

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

A rigid potion 226 is disposed on one side of the second flexible potion 222 in the Y direction. The rigid potion 226 is a portion hardly bent by external force, and may be formed in a plane. The rigid potion 226 is not formed with holes having the intention to implement bending.

As described above, 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 the state where the first and second flexible potions 221 and 222 are bent to the maximum, the rigid potions 226 are disposed to face each other.

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

A connecting portion 223 is formed between the first flexible portion 221 and the second flexible portion 222 to smoothly connect them. Likewise, 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 potion 226, a boundary potion 224, a second flexible potion 222, a connecting potion 223, a first flexible potion 221, and a connecting potion 223 along the Y direction. ), The second flexible potion 222, the boundary potion 224, and the rigid potion 226 may be sequentially arranged.

The connecting portion 223 is configured to bend less than the first flexible portion 221 and bend more 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 potion 226 is disposed to cover the first body 201 and the second body 202, and supports the flexible display unit 251 on both sides of the bent portion 252 in a flat state.

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

Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B together with FIG. 1B, the first body 201 and the second body 202 rotate around the hinge portion 230, and thus, between the second state and the first state. , The ends of the first body 201 and the second body 202 rotate along the outer periphery 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, the first hinge 230a and the second hinge 230b of the hinge part 230. It may be formed, the flexible display device 200 may be provided with a cover member 260 to cover the space.

In the present invention, the obstruction 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 showing a basic concept of a shutter structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

Referring to these drawings, the obstruction member 260 is disposed adjacent to the flexible display unit 251 in a first state, and then pressed by a lever 270 to first body 201 in a second state. And sliding between the second body 202 to cover the space. For example, the obstruction member 260 interlocks with the folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit 251, so that the second state and the flexible display spaced apart from the flexible display unit 251 to cover the space therebetween. It moves between the first states supporting the part 251. 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 obstruction member 260 is the flexible frame 220 Can support.

At this time, the lever 270 is connected to the hinge part 230 to rotate in conjunction with folding and unfolding of the flexible display part 251, and is configured to support at least a part of the obstruction 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 is the first body It can be combined with at least one of the first rotating shaft 231 and the second rotating shaft (232).

In this example, a first lever 271 and a 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 with the first body 201 and the second body 202.

According to the drawing, the lever 270 protrudes from the engaging portion 273 and the engaging portion 273 coupled to the first rotating shaft 231 or the second rotating shaft 232, so that the blocking member 260 A support protrusion 274 supporting at least a portion may be provided. The support protrusion 274 is formed to be caught by the obstruction member 260 in the thickness direction of the obstruction member 260 in the first state, so that the obstruction member 260 is rotated when the engaging portion 273 is rotated. Will exert power on it. By the force, the obstruction member 260 moves to a position that covers the space between the bodies 201 and 202.

As described above, according to the present invention, as the hinge portion 230 transmits the force to the cover 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, as different functions are provided to upper and lower hinges of the display, inter-axis interlocking and free stop are possible, and it is implemented in a display device having a compact structure. Hereinafter, the structure of the hinge portion 230 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9.

5 is a conceptual view 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 respectively showing the upper hinges of FIG. 5, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are respectively It is an enlarged view and an exploded view showing the lower hinge portion of 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, hinge portions 230 may be disposed on both sides of the flexible display unit 251, respectively. As an example of this, the hinge part 230 may include a first hinge 230a and a second hinge 230b respectively disposed at both ends of the cover member 260. At this time, different functions may be provided to the first hinge 230a and the second hinge 230b, respectively. The other function may be inter-axis interlocking and free-stop implemented in addition to the function of connecting the bodies to enable relative rotation. For example, an inter-axis interlocking function may be provided to the first hinge 230a, and a free stop function may be provided to the second hinge 230b.

 According to the drawing, the rotation shafts 231a and 232a of the first hinge 230a may be geared so that the first body 201 and the second body 202 interlock with each other. More specifically, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the first hinge 230a includes a hinge housing 235a, a first rotating shaft 231a, a second rotating shaft 232a, and an intermediate gear 233a. You can.

The hinge housing 235a includes a base portion 236a and a cover portion 237a, and the first rotating shaft 231a in an interior space defined by the combination of the base portion 236a and the cover portion 237a, The second rotating shaft 232a and the intermediate gear 233a may be disposed.

The first rotation shaft 231a and the second rotation shaft 232a are rotation shafts 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. 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 rotating shafts 231a and 232a are the hinges. It may be inserted into the groove 213.

According to the drawing, gears may be formed along the outer circumferences of the first rotation shaft 231a and the second rotation shaft 232a, respectively, by a pair of intermediate gears 233 provided on the first hinge 230a. They are geared together. More specifically, the intermediate gear 233 is provided with a first intermediate gear (233-1) and a second intermediate gear (233-2), the gear of the first rotating shaft (231a), the first intermediate gear (233) -1), the second intermediate gear 233-2 and the second rotation shaft 232a are sequentially connected in the order of the gears. According to this structure, the first hinge 230a can perform the function of inter-axis interlocking.

In addition, in this case, the above-described lever 270 may be coupled to the first rotation shaft 231a and the second rotation shaft 232a, respectively. A coupling groove 275 into which the first rotating shaft 231a and the second rotating shaft 232a are inserted may be formed in the engaging portion 273 of the lever 270, and the supporting protrusion 274 is provided with the engaging portion ( 273).

Further, 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, the housings 211 and 212 support the ends of the first rotating shaft 231a, the first intermediate gear 233-1, the second intermediate gear 233-2, and the second rotating shaft 232a. Grooves can be formed.

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

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

 According to the illustration, when the first body 201 and the second body 202 are rotated relative to each other, frictional force may be applied to the rotational 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 rotating shaft 231b, a second rotating shaft 232b, and a friction member 238.

The hinge housing 235b includes a base portion 236b and a cover portion 237b, and the first rotating shaft 231b in an interior space defined by the combination of the base portion 236b and the cover portion 237b. The second rotating shaft 232b and the friction member 238 may be disposed.

The first rotation shaft 231b and the second rotation shaft 232b are rotation shafts 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. 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 the hinges. It can be inserted into the groove 214. In the above example, if the hinge groove of the housing that engages with the first hinge 230a is an upper hinge groove, in this example, the hinge groove of the housing that engages with the second hinge 230b may be referred to as a lower hinge groove. .

According to the illustration, as an example of applying the frictional force, the second hinge 230b may include a friction member 238 that generates frictional forces with the rotating shafts 231b and 232b of the second hinge 230b.

The friction member 238 includes a through hole 239 through which the first rotation shaft 231b and the second rotation shaft 232b are inserted, and an inner surface of the through hole 239 is the first rotation shaft 231b. , In contact with the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating shaft (232b) to generate the friction 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 in order 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 rotating shaft 231b and the second rotating shaft 232b are inserted may be formed in the engaging portion 273 of the lever 270, and the supporting protrusion 274 is provided with the engaging portion ( 273).

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

On the other hand, as described above, the first hinge and the second hinge are respectively engaged with the lever to perform a shutter function. Hereinafter, a structure related to this will be described in more detail.

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

Referring to these drawings, as shown in the example described above with reference to FIG. 4, the first body 201 and the second body 202 in which the cover 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.

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

The other side is supported by the lever 270, as in the example described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 9, the lever 270 is provided on the first rotation shaft 231 and the second rotation shaft 232 of the hinge portion 230 Combined, it can be a structure that presses the cover member 260 in conjunction with the rotation of the bodies 201 and 202. The first rotation axis 231 and the second rotation axis 232 are rotation axes of the first hinge or the second hinge, respectively, and 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 to be inserted into the hinge grooves 213 and 214. You can.

Through this, the obstruction member 260 is disposed adjacent to the flexible display unit 251 in the first state, and is pressed by the lever 270 to first body 201 and second in the second state. The body 202 is slid to move between the spaces.

At this time, in order to support one side of the obstruction member 260, the housings 211 and 222 may have protrusions 223 and 224 protruding to press one side of the obstruction 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 based on the center of the obstruction member 260. .

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

In the second state, since both sides of the obstruction member 260 are covered, a space between the first body 201 and the second body 202 in the second state is formed between the protrusions 223 and 224 and the obstruction. It can be completely covered by the member 260. According to this structure, the cover-up operation in the opening and closing operation of the flexible display device can be implemented. In addition, according to this structure, it is possible to hide the outer surface of the hinge or the housing inward, and thus it is possible to implement the shape of the fold that was previously expressed at an angle 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 in each of the second portions 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 obstruction member 260, and this pressing force is transmitted to the rear surface of the flexible display unit 251 through the obstruction member 260. You can. The pressing force may function to flatten the bent portion 252 of the flexible display portion 251. That is, the flat surface is maintained by pressing the rear surface of the flexible display unit 251 in an unfolded state. However, when the above-described flexible frame 220 is disposed on the rear surface of the flexible display unit 251, in the first state, the obstruction member 260 supports the flexible frame 220, and the protrusion ( 223, 224), the obstruction member 260, the flexible frame 220 via the pressing force may be transmitted to the bending portion 252.

In addition, referring to FIG. 10B, sliding movement of the obstruction 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 obstruction member 260 is inserted may be formed on one side of the hinge housing 235. More specifically, the hinge portion of the hinge housing has 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 obstruction member 260 inserted into the insertion hole 235-1, and the obstruction member 260 by the upper and lower ends of the insertion hole 235-1. The range of movement may be limited.

More specifically, the obstruction member 260 protrudes from an end portion of the obstruction body 261 and the obstruction body 261 disposed between the first body and the second body, and the insertion hole 235-1 It may be provided with an insertion protrusion 262 to be inserted into.

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

The insertion protrusion 262 may be formed such that both sides are inclined. A structure in which at least a part of the support protrusion 274 of the lever 270 overlaps in the thickness direction of the obstruction member 260 on this inclined side, and through this, the support protrusion 274 of the lever 270 is engaged. Can be implemented.

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

As described above, in the present invention, by applying a shutter structure using a hinge housing, the degree of freedom in 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.

The flexible display device described above is not limited to the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments, and the above embodiments are configured by selectively combining all or part of each embodiment so that various modifications can be made. It may be.

Claims (18)

A first body and a second body;
A hinge part connecting the first body and the second body to be capable of relative rotation;
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 blocking 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
A flexible display device including a lever connected to the hinge portion to rotate in conjunction with folding and unfolding of the flexible display portion and supporting at least a portion of the obstruction member. According to claim 1,
The obstruction member interlocks with the folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit, and moves between the flexible display unit and the spaced apart second state to cover the first state supporting the flexible display unit and the space between the flexible display units. Flexible display device. According to claim 2,
The cover 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. According to claim 3,
In the first state, the flexible display device is characterized in that the protruding portion protrudes to press one side of the obstruction member in the first state. According to claim 4,
The protruding portion includes a first portion protruding from the ends of the first body and the second body, and a second portion extending in an inclined direction with the first portion. The method of claim 5,
The second portion is formed of at least a portion of a curved surface to press one side of the cover member in the first state, and the flexible display device, characterized in that made to cover at least a portion of the cover member in the second state. According to claim 1,
The hinge portion 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 axis and the second rotation axis flexible display device. The method of claim 7,
The hinge portion further includes a hinge housing in which the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft are accommodated,
A flexible display device characterized in that an insertion hole into which at least a part of the obstruction member is inserted is formed on one side of the hinge housing. The method of claim 8,
The lever is accommodated in the hinge housing to support at least a portion of the cover member flexible display device. The method of claim 8,
Flexible display device characterized in that the movement range of the obstruction member is limited by the upper and lower ends of the insertion hole. The method of claim 8,
The obscuring member is a flexible display device, characterized in that it comprises an obscuring body disposed between the first body and the second body, and an insertion protrusion protruding from an end of the obscuring body and inserted into the insertion hole. The method of claim 11,
The shielding 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. The method of claim 11,
The lever is a flexible display device, characterized in that it comprises a coupling protrusion coupled to the first rotation axis or the second rotation axis and a support protrusion protruding from the coupling portion to support the insertion protrusion. According to claim 1,
The hinge portion is a flexible display device, characterized in that it comprises a first hinge and a second hinge respectively disposed on both ends of the cover member. The method of claim 14,
The rotation axes of the first hinge are geared so that the first body and the second body interlock with each other, and a 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. Flexible display device, characterized in that. The method of claim 15,
The first hinge is provided with an intermediate gear disposed between the rotating shafts of the first hinge, the second hinge is a flexible display, characterized in that it comprises a friction member for generating friction with the rotating 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 blocking member formed to cover a space between the first body and the second body; And
It is provided with a first hinge and a second hinge respectively disposed at both ends of the cover member,
The rotation axes of the first hinge are geared so that the first body and the second body interlock with each other, and 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. ,
The flexible display device is characterized in that a lever supporting at least a part of the obstruction member is coupled to the first hinge and the second hinge so that the obstruction member moves in conjunction with folding and unfolding of the flexible display unit. The method of claim 17,
Each of the first hinge and the second hinge includes a first rotating shaft connected to the first body and a second rotating shaft connected to the second body,
The lever is a flexible display device, characterized in that coupled to the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft.

Images