TW202041127A - Living hinges for electronic devices - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure is drawn to living hinges for electronic devices. In one examples, a living hinge for an electronic device can include a first attachment portion at a first edge of the living hinge to attach to a first rigid panel of the electronic device, and a second attachment portion at a second edge of the living hinge, opposite from the first edge, to attach to a second rigid panel of the electronic device. A flexing portion can connect the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion. The flexing portion can include an electromagnetic interference shielding layer that includes conductive particles compounded in an elastomer.

Description

Living hinge for electronic device

The present invention relates to living hinges for electronic devices.

The use of various personal electronic devices continues to increase. Mobile phones including smart phones are almost everywhere. Tablet computers have also been widely used in recent years. In order to achieve personal, entertainment and business purposes, many people continue to use portable laptop computers. Especially for portable electronic devices, great efforts have been made to make these devices more useful and more efficient, while making these devices smaller, lighter and more durable. The devices are also designed to have different form factors, including convertible laptops and tablets. At present, various electronic auxiliary devices have also been developed, such as wireless keyboards and keyboard covers.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a living hinge for an electronic device is specifically proposed, which includes: a first attachment portion, which is at a first edge of the living hinge, for attaching to the electronic device A first rigid panel; a second attachment portion at a second edge of the living hinge opposite to the first edge for attaching to a second rigid panel of the electronic device; and The flexure part connects the first attachment part and the second attachment part, wherein the flexure part includes an electromagnetic interference shielding layer, and the electromagnetic interference shielding layer includes an elastomer blended in Multiple conductive particles.

The present disclosure describes a living hinge for an electronic device, an electronic device including a living hinge, and a method of manufacturing a living hinge for an electronic device. In one example, a living hinge for an electronic device may include: a first attachment part at a first edge of the living hinge for attaching to a first rigid panel of the electronic device; A second attachment part at a second edge of the living hinge opposite to the first edge for attachment to a second rigid panel of the electronic device; and a flexure part connected The first attachment part and the second attachment part. The flexure portion may include an electromagnetic interference shielding layer, and the electromagnetic interference shielding layer includes a plurality of conductive particles blended in an elastomer. In a specific example, the living hinge may include a continuous elastomer sheet substrate. The first attachment portion, the second attachment portion, and the flexure portion may include multiple portions of the continuous elastomer sheet substrate. The electromagnetic interference shielding layer may be a separate layer applied to the continuous elastomer sheet substrate. In various examples, the continuous elastomer sheet substrate may include: thermoplastic polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, polysiloxane rubber, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, chloroprene rubber, butadiene Base rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, hydrogenated nitrile rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, fluoroelastomer, perfluoroelastomer, polyether block amide (PEBA), chlorosulfonated polyethylene, ethylene acetic acid Vinyl ester (EVA) copolymer, polysulfide rubber, polyamide-polyether copolymer or a combination thereof. In another example, the entire living hinge may be composed of the electromagnetic interference shielding layer, so that the living hinge is a homogeneous plate of the elastic body, and the homogeneous plate is mixed with the conductive particles. In some examples, the conductive particles may be present in the electromagnetic interference shielding layer at a concentration of about 3 wt% to about 15 wt% relative to the total weight of the electromagnetic interference shielding layer. In other examples, the conductive particles may include graphene, graphite, carbon nanotubes, boronene, aluminum, copper, silver, gold, or combinations thereof. In another example, the elastomer of the electromagnetic interference shielding layer may include: thermoplastic polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polyester-polyether copolymer, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), nylon, polyamide Amine-polyether copolymer or a combination thereof. In some examples, the first attachment part and the second attachment part of the living hinge may include: a screw hole, a double-sided tape, an adhesive layer, or a combination thereof. In other examples, the flexure can be sufficiently flexed to fold to a maximum angle of about 90° to about 180°.

In another example, an electronic device may include: a first rigid panel having a first edge; a second rigid panel having a first edge oriented parallel to the first edge of the first rigid panel Two edges; and a living hinge attached to the first rigid panel at the first edge and attached to the second rigid panel at the second edge. The living hinge may include an electromagnetic interference shielding layer including a plurality of conductive particles blended in an elastomer. In some examples, the living hinge can be sufficiently flexed and the first and second rigid panels can be sufficiently separated so that the living hinge is folded to a maximum angle of about 90° to about 180°. In other examples, the living hinge may also include a continuous elastomer sheet substrate, and the electromagnetic interference shielding layer may be applied to the continuous elastomer sheet substrate. In another example, the conductive particles may be present in the electromagnetic interference shielding layer at a concentration of about 3 wt% to about 15 wt% relative to the total weight of the electromagnetic interference shielding layer, and the conductive particles may include: graphene , Graphite, carbon nanotubes, boronene, aluminum, copper, silver, gold or combinations thereof.

In another example, a method for manufacturing a living hinge for an electronic device includes the following steps: applying an electromagnetic interference shielding layer to a continuous elastomer sheet substrate. The electromagnetic interference shielding layer may include a plurality of conductive particles blended in an elastomer. The continuous elastomer sheet substrate may include: a first attachment portion at a first edge of the living hinge for attachment to a first rigid panel of the electronic device; a second attachment Part, at a second edge of the living hinge opposite to the first edge, for attaching to a second rigid panel of the electronic device; and a flexure part, which is connected to the first attachment Part and the second attached part. In another example, the method may include the following steps: before applying the electromagnetic interference shielding layer, plasma treating the continuous elastomer sheet substrate; and after applying the electromagnetic interference shielding layer, at about 60°C to about The living hinge is baked at a temperature of 80°C.

In addition to the above examples, the following describes the living hinges, the electronic devices, and the methods of manufacturing the living hinges in more detail. It should also be noted that when describing the living hinges, electronic devices, and methods of manufacturing living hinges, these relative descriptions can be regarded as applicable to other examples regardless of whether they are clearly described in the context of the example. Therefore, for example, when describing an electromagnetic interference shielding layer related to the living hinge, the disclosure is also related to and directly supported in the context of the electronic device and method of manufacturing the living hinge described herein, and vice versa. Living hinge for electronic device

The present disclosure describes living hinges for electronic devices. The living hinges can be flexed sufficiently to operate as a hinge, while also providing electromagnetic interference shielding. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is usually any electromagnetic disturbance that is generated by an external source and affects the circuit system of the electronic device due to electromagnetic induction, electrostatic coupling, and conduction. EMI can be generated by many sources, such as radio transmitters, electrical appliances, transformers, and electric motors. In some cases, EMI can cause an electronic device to malfunction, lose data, or stop functioning altogether. Therefore, the electronic device can be equipped with EIM shielding measures to protect the circuit system of the electronic device from EMI.

The living hinge described here can provide EIM shielding and also serves as a flexible hinge of the electronic device. The "living hinge" used herein refers to a hinge formed by a flexible material that allows a bending or folding action without relative rotation or sliding of most hinge components. In other words, a living hinge can provide the bending or folding action by flexing the living hinge material itself. Therefore, living hinges are different from hinges such as door hinges, which often include two rigid plates held together by a rigid pin. In the door hinge, the plates and pins are formed of a rigid material such as metal, and the plates and pins rotate and slide relative to each other to provide the hinge's bending action. Conversely, a living hinge is flexible and can be a single piece of flexible material that provides the bending action by bending the material of the living hinge itself.

In some examples, the living hinge described herein may be a piece of flexible material, such as an elastic material, the size and shape of the piece of flexible material is a hinge that can connect two rigid components of an electronic device. For example, the living hinge can be connected to a front and a rear part of a protective cover for a smart phone or tablet computer. In another example, the living hinge can be a central hinge in a notebook computer. In other examples, the living hinge may be in an electronic auxiliary device such as a wireless keyboard. In a specific example, the living hinge can be included in a convertible notebook computer that can be folded into many configurations, such as clamshell mode, tablet mode, and media mode.

In order to provide EMI shielding on a living hinge, one possible solution is to add a layer of metal foil to the flexible material of the living hinge. For example, a living hinge may include an elastic material layer and an aluminum foil layer adhered to the elastic material layer. However, in many cases, the aluminum foil layer will wear out after the living hinge is flexed many (for example, more than one thousand) times and finally break. The living hinge described here does not include metal foil but includes an electromagnetic interference shielding layer, which includes a plurality of conductive particles blended in an elastomer. The conductive particles can provide EMI shielding and the elastomer is flexible and can be bent many times without breaking.

FIG. 1A shows a top view of a living hinge 100 used in an electronic device according to an example of the present disclosure. The living hinge includes: a first attachment part 110 at a first edge 115 of the living hinge; and a second attachment part 120 at one of the living hinges opposite to the first edge Second edge 125. A flexure part 130 connects the first attachment part and the second attachment part. By using the screw hole 140, the first attachment part can be attached to a first rigid panel of the electronic device and the second attachment part can be attached to a second rigid panel of the electronic device. In this example, the entire living hinge is composed of an electromagnetic interference shielding layer 150, and the electromagnetic interference shielding layer includes a plurality of conductive particles blended in an elastomer. Therefore, the living hinge is formed as a single plate in which an elastomer of one of a plurality of conductive particles is blended. Figure 1B shows an end view of the living hinge, showing that the living hinge is a single layer of material. The first attachment part, the second attachment part and the flexure part are not separate components, but rather specific areas of the living hinge, as shown in FIG. 1B.

In other examples, living hinges for electronic devices may include multiple layers of materials. For example, the living hinge may include a continuous elastomer sheet substrate that does not include conductive particles, and then an electromagnetic interference shielding layer may be a separate layer applied to the continuous elastomer sheet substrate. The electromagnetic interference shielding can be applied to the entire elastomer sheet substrate or a part of the substrate, such as the flexible part.

FIG. 2 shows an edge view of a living hinge 200 used in an electronic device according to an example of the present disclosure. In this example, the living hinge includes a continuous elastomer sheet substrate 205. The first attachment portion 210, the second attachment portion 220, and the flexure portion 230 are parts of the continuous elastomer sheet substrate. The first attachment portion is attached to a first edge 215 of the living hinge and the second attachment portion is attached to a second edge 225 of the living hinge. An electromagnetic interference shielding layer 250 is applied to a separate layer of the continuous elastomer sheet substrate. In this example, the electromagnetic interference shielding layer has the same size as the continuous elastomer sheet substrate. Therefore, the electromagnetic interference shielding layer covers the entire surface of the continuous elastomer sheet substrate.

FIG. 3 shows different examples of a living hinge 300 used in an electronic device according to one example of the present disclosure. This example includes a continuous elastomer sheet substrate 305 having: a first attachment portion 310 at a first edge 315; a second attachment portion at a second edge 325 Connecting part 320; and a flexure part 330 between the first attachment part and the second attachment part. An electromagnetic interference shielding layer 350 is applied to the flexure part instead of the first and second attachment parts. In this example, the first and second attachment parts can be electromagnetically shielded by the rigid panel of the electronic device, and the living hinge is attached to the rigid panel.

The living hinges described herein can have any size and shape to match specific electronic devices, so the living hinges can be designed for these specific electronic devices. In various examples, the living hinges can be used in electronic devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, wireless keyboards, and keyboard covers. In some examples, the living hinge may have a width of about 5 mm to about 20 cm, or about 1 cm to about 10 cm. Depending on the type of electronic device including the living hinge, the living hinge may have a length of about 1 cm to about 50 cm or about 2 cm to about 40 cm. In another example, the living hinge may have a thickness of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm. Elastomer sheet substrate

As mentioned above, in some instances the living hinge may include a continuous elastomeric sheet substrate. The "continuous elastomer sheet" used herein refers to a single sheet of elastic material. Compared with the length and/or width of the plate, the plate can be relatively thin, so that the plate can be easily bent and folded. In some instances, the elastomeric sheet can be sufficiently flexed to fold to an angle of about 90° to about 180°. In more detail, the folding angle may represent the change of the angle between the first attachment part and the second attachment part when the flexure part is bent to fold the living hinge. Broadly speaking, the angle can mean that the angle between the first and second rigid panels of the electronic device changes, and the first and second rigid panels are attached to the first and second attachment parts. For example, the living hinge can be flat and not bent, and the folding angle is 0°. If the flexure is bent to a point where the second attachment portion and the first attachment portion are at a right angle, the flexure is folded to an angle of 90°. If the hinge is fully folded so that the second attachment part is in contact with or parallel to the first attachment part, the flexure part is folded to an angle of 180°. Because the rigid panels of the electronic device are in contact with each other at 180° and the living hinge can no longer be folded, 180° is usually the maximum folding angle that can be achieved.

In various examples, the continuous elastomer sheet substrate may have any of the above-mentioned dimensions of the living hinge. For example, the continuous elastomer sheet substrate may have a width of about 5 mm to about 20 cm, or about 1 cm to about 10 cm. Depending on the type of the electronic device including the living hinge, the length may be about 1 cm to about 50 cm or about 2 cm to about 40 cm. Because the electromagnetic interference shielding layer can be applied to a surface of the substrate, the continuous elastomer sheet substrate can constitute a part of the thickness of the living hinge. In some examples, the continuous elastomer sheet substrate may have a thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 4 mm.

The first attachment part and the second attachment part may have an appropriate size allowing attachment to the rigid panel of the electronic device. In some examples, the first attachment portion may include a portion of the width of the living hinge starting from a first edge of the living hinge. In some examples, the first attachment portion may include about 5% to about 49% of the width of the living hinge measured from the first edge of the living hinge. The second attachment portion may also include about 5% to about 49% of the width of the living hinge measured from the second edge of the living hinge. The flexure part may be a part of the living hinge between the first attachment part and the second attachment part.

In another example, the first attachment part and/or the second attachment part may include a plurality of features for attaching to a rigid panel of an electronic device. Non-limiting examples of attachment features may include: screw holes, double-sided tape, adhesive layer, or a combination thereof. In other examples, the living hinge may not include an attachment feature, but the panel of the electronic device may be designed to be attached to the living hinge in a certain way, for example, by clamping.

The continuous elastomer sheet substrate can be formed of any elastomer that has sufficient flexibility to bend or fold as a hinge and sufficient to withstand many bending/folding cycles and other normal use of an electronic device Strength of. Non-limiting examples of elastic materials that can be used include: thermoplastic polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, silicone rubber, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, chloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, styrene -Butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, hydrogenated nitrile rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, fluoroelastomer, perfluoroelastomer, polyether block amide (PEBA), chlorosulfonated polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer Polysulfide rubber, polyamide-polyether copolymer and combinations thereof. In some examples, the substrate may be formed of a homogeneous mixture or copolymer of two or more of the above materials. In other examples, the substrate may include multiple layers of material. Multiple layers of a single material or multiple layers of different materials can be used in various examples. EMI shielding layer

The living hinge described herein may include an electromagnetic interference shielding layer on the flexure of the living hinge. The electromagnetic interference shielding layer may include a plurality of conductive particles blended in an elastomer. In some examples, the electromagnetic interference shielding layer can be applied to a surface of a continuous elastomer sheet substrate as described above. In other examples, the electromagnetic interference shielding layer can be used without a separate substrate layer. For example, the living hinge may be substantially constituted by the electromagnetic interference shielding layer.

In some examples, the electromagnetic interference shielding layer has the same dimensions as the dimensions disclosed above for the continuous elastomer sheet substrate. For example, the shielding layer may have a width of about 5 mm to about 20 cm or about 1 cm to about 10 cm. Depending on the type of the electronic device including the living hinge, the length may be about 1 cm to about 50 cm or about 2 cm to about 40 cm. The shielding layer can be used alone without a separate substrate layer. In these examples, the shielding layer may have a thickness of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm. In other examples, the shielding layer may form part of a thickness of the living hinge together with the separate elastomeric sheet substrate layer. In these examples, the shielding layer may have a thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 4 mm.

In another example, the electromagnetic interference shielding layer may be applied to a part of the surface of the continuous elastomer sheet substrate. In some cases, the electromagnetic interference shielding layer can be applied to the flexure. In a more specific example, the electromagnetic interference shielding layer may have a width ranging from about 50% of the width of the flexure to the full width of the living hinge.

The electromagnetic interference shielding layer may include a plurality of conductive particles blended in an elastomer. "Blend" as used herein may mean that the conductive particles are mixed into the elastomer when the elastomer is in a molten or softened state. The conductive particles can be sufficiently mixed in the elastomer so that the distribution of the conductive particles is substantially uniform throughout the elastomer. The concentration of conductive particles in the elastomer can be sufficient to provide electromagnetic interference shielding to the electronic device incorporating the living hinge. In some examples, relative to the total weight of the electromagnetic shielding layer, the concentration of conductive particles in the electromagnetic interference shielding layer may be about 3 wt% to about 15 wt%.

The conduction can be formed of any conductive material that can provide electromagnetic interference shielding. In some examples, the conductive particles may include graphene, graphite, carbon nanotubes, boronene, aluminum, copper, silver, gold, or a combination thereof. The conductive particles can generally have any shape. In some examples, the average particle diameter of the conductive particles may be about 10 nm to about 100 μm or about 50 nm to about 10 μm.

In another example, the elastic material used in the electromagnetic interference shielding layer may be any material that is sufficiently flexed to bend or fold as a hinge and sufficiently strong to withstand many bending/folding cycles. In some examples, the elastic material may be one of the aforementioned elastomers used in the continuous elastomer sheet substrate. In other examples, the elastomer used in the electromagnetic interference shielding layer may include: thermoplastic polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polyester-polyether copolymer, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), nylon , Polyamide-polyether copolymer or a combination thereof. Electronic device

The living hinge described here can be used in any electronic device having multiple segments designed to fold or bend each other. In one example, the electronic device may be a laptop computer. The living hinge can connect the display part of the laptop computer and the keyboard part of the laptop computer. The living hinge can be folded 180° to allow the display part to close against the keyboard part. In this example, the living hinge can also be folded 180° in the opposite direction, so that the display can be viewed and the keyboard can be folded horizontally behind the display part. This design can be used as a convertible laptop that can be converted into, for example, a tablet mode.

In another example, the living hinge can be used in a protective cover for a tablet computer. The living hinge can allow a panel of the outer cover to be folded sideways and the electromagnetic interference shielding layer can provide shielding for the tablet computer. The "electronic device" used here may include auxiliary equipment for electronic devices, such as a cover. In another example, the protective cover may include a wireless keyboard to allow typing on the tablet computer. In another example, the protective cover may include a plurality of living hinges that can be folded in various directions to allow the cover to transform into various shapes.

Other electronic devices that may include the living hinge may include: smart phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, wireless keyboards, keyboard covers, etc.

FIG. 4A shows a top view of an example of an electronic device 400. The device includes a living hinge 402 attached to a first rigid panel 412 and a second rigid panel 422 using a plurality of screws 440. 4B shows a three-dimensional view of the electronic device, and the flexure of the living hinge flexes so that the rigid panels are at an angle to each other. In some instances, the living hinge can be flexed sufficiently to fold the rigid panels to a maximum angle of about 90° to about 180°.

The rigid panel attached to the living hinge can be any part of the electronic device combined with the living hinge. In some examples, the panels can be internal components of the device, such as a frame component or a circuit board or other internal components, while in other examples the panels can be external enclosure panels, etc. The rigid panels can have any shape and size, and are not limited to the flat rectangular panels shown in the figure. Generally, these living hinges can be used in any electronic device that needs to be bent or folded, and therefore a rigid panel can be any rigid part of an electronic device designed to bend or fold each other or another panel of the electronic device or part. In some examples, the rigid panels themselves can be formed of a material that can provide electromagnetic interference shielding. In some examples, the rigid panels may include metals, such as steel, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, lithium, niobium, zinc, or alloys thereof. In another example, the rigid panels may be aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy. Non-limiting examples of other elements that may be contained in aluminum or magnesium alloys may include: aluminum, magnesium, titanium, lithium, niobium, zinc, bismuth, copper, cadmium, iron, thorium, strontium, zirconium, manganese, nickel, lead, Silver, chromium, silicon, tin, gamma, yttrium, calcium, antimony, cerium or lanthanum, etc. Method of manufacturing living hinge

The method of manufacturing the living hinge described herein may include forming the electromagnetic interference shielding layer, the electromagnetic interference shielding layer having an appropriate shape and a concentration of blended conductive particles to provide electromagnetic interference shielding. In some instances, the conductive particles can be blended with the elastomer as described above by melting or softening an elastomer and mixing the conductive particles with the elastomer. In some examples, the living hinge may be a single layer composed of the electromagnetic interference shielding layer. This layer can be formed by any suitable method such as extrusion, casting, coating, and stamping to form an elastomer sheet. In some examples, a large sheet of elastomer with conductive particles can be formed and then the sheet can be cut to a predetermined size to form a separate electromagnetic interference shielding layer for living hinges.

In some examples, the method of manufacturing a living hinge may include: applying the electromagnetic interference shielding layer to a continuous elastomer sheet substrate. The electromagnetic interference shielding layer can be applied to the substrate by various methods such as coating, co-extrusion, adhesion with adhesive, stamping, and lamination.

In a specific example, the continuous elastomer sheet substrate can be prepared by treating the continuous elastomer sheet substrate with plasma to accommodate the electromagnetic interference shielding layer. Plasma treatment can be performed using various plasma treatment procedures such as argon/oxygen plasma treatment, CF ₄ plasma treatment, SF ₆ plasma treatment, NF ₃ plasma treatment, or a combination thereof. The electromagnetic interference shielding layer can be applied to the continuous elastomer sheet substrate by a roll-to-roll coating process. In some examples, the shielding layer and the substrate layer can be baked at a temperature of about 60°C to about 80°C after applying the shielding layer. In some examples, the baking may be performed for a baking time of about 20 minutes to about 40 minutes.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of 500 examples of a method for manufacturing a living hinge for an electronic device. The method includes the following step 510: applying an electromagnetic interference shielding layer to a continuous elastomer sheet substrate, wherein the electromagnetic interference shielding layer may include a plurality of conductive particles blended in an elastomer, and wherein the continuous elastomer The plate base material includes: a first attachment part at a first edge of the living hinge for attachment to a first rigid panel of the electronic device; a second attachment part at A second edge of the living hinge opposite to the first edge is used to be attached to a second rigid panel of the electronic device; and a flexure part that connects the first attachment part and the first Two attachment parts. definition

It should be noted that, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular terms "a" and "the" used in this specification and the scope of additional patent applications include plural reference objects.

The term "approximately" as used in this disclosure allows for a value or range to allow that value or range, for example, 5% of the stated limit of a stated value or a range or some other reasonable increase in the range Degree changes. It should also be understood that when modifying a value, the term "approximately" includes the exact value. For example, a range of about 1 wt% to about 5 wt% includes 1 wt% to 5 wt% as a clear support sub-range .

The "average particle diameter" used herein means the average number of particle diameters used for spherical particles or the average number of volume equivalent to spherical diameters used for non-spherical particles. The volume equivalent sphere diameter is the diameter of a sphere having the same volume as the particle. The average particle size can be measured using a particle analyzer such as the Nanotrac® Wave II particle size analyzer available from Microtrac. The particle analyzer can use laser diffraction to measure particle size. A laser beam can pass through a sample of the particles and can measure the angular change of the light intensity scattered by the particles. Larger particles scatter light at a smaller angle, while smaller particles scatter light at a larger angle. The particle analyzer can then analyze the angular scattering data to calculate the particle size using Mie's theory of light scattering. The particle size can be reported as a volume equivalent to the diameter of the sphere.

For convenience, a plurality of objects, structural elements, constituent elements and/or materials used herein may be stored in a shared list. However, these lists should be regarded as the individual components of the list represented independently as a separate and unique component. Therefore, if there is no indication to the contrary, the independent components of the list should not be regarded as an actual equivalent of any other components of the same list simply because they exist in a common group.

Concentration, size, amount and other numerical data can be presented here in a range format. It should be understood that the range format is used only for convenience and simplification, and therefore should be flexibly interpreted as including the values that are explicitly recited as the limits of the range, and that the respective values or sub-ranges are included as if they are clearly recited. All individual values or sub-ranges within the range. For example, the thickness of a layer of about 0.1 μm to about 0.5 μm should be interpreted as including the clear enumerated limit of 0.1 μm to 0.5 μm, and includes thicknesses such as about 0.1 μm and about 0.5 μm, and such as about 0.2 μm to about 0.4 μm, about 0.2 μm to about 0.5 μm, about 0.1 μm to about 0.4 μm, etc.

An example of this disclosure is described below. However, it should be understood that the following is an explanation of the application of the principles of this disclosure. Many modifications and alternative components, methods, and systems can be conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. The scope of additional patent application is intended to cover these modifications and configurations. example

An example of a living hinge for an electronic device is made as follows: 1) A continuous elastomer sheet substrate with a thickness of about 2 mm is prepared from thermoplastic polyurethane. 2) Treat the substrate by an argon/oxygen plasma processing procedure. 3) Blending conductive aluminum powder and thermoplastic polyurethane to produce an elastic material for the electromagnetic interference shielding layer. 4) The elastic material is coated on the substrate by a roll-to-roll coating process to form the electromagnetic interference shielding layer. 5) Next, bake the plate at a temperature between about 60°C and about 80°C for a baking time of about 20 minutes to about 40 minutes. 6) Cut the plate into a size of about 5 cm by about 20 cm to form a living hinge and cut out screw holes near the edge of the living hinge. 7) Attach the living hinge to the two rigid panels of an electronic device by using screws attached through the screw holes. 8) Test the living hinge by bending it back and forth 1,000 times without any breakage.

100, 200, 300, 402: living hinge 110, 210, 310: the first attachment part 115,215,315: the first edge 120, 220, 320: second attachment part 125,225,325: second edge 130,230,330: deflection part 140: screw hole 150, 250, 350: electromagnetic interference shielding layer 205,305: Continuous elastomer sheet substrate 400: Electronic device 412: First rigid panel 422: second rigid panel 440: Screw 500: method 510: Step

1A is a top view showing an example of a living hinge used in an electronic device according to an example of the present disclosure;

Figure 1B is an end view of the living hinge example in Figure 1A;

FIG. 2 is an end view showing another example of a living hinge used in an electronic device according to an example of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an end view showing another example of a living hinge used in an electronic device according to an example of the present disclosure;

4A is a top view showing an example of an electronic device according to an example of the present disclosure;

Fig. 4B is a perspective view of the example of the electronic device in Fig. 4A; and

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a method of manufacturing a living hinge according to one example of the present disclosure.

100: living hinge

110: The first attachment part

115: first edge

120: The second attachment part

125: second edge

140: screw hole

150: EMI shielding layer

Claims (15)

A living hinge for an electronic device, which includes: A first attachment part at a first edge of the living hinge for attaching to a first rigid panel of the electronic device; A second attachment portion at a second edge of the living hinge opposite to the first edge for attaching to a second rigid panel of the electronic device; and A flexure connecting the first attachment part and the second attachment part, wherein the flexure part includes an electromagnetic interference shielding layer, the electromagnetic interference shielding layer includes blending in an elastomer的Multiple conductive particles. Such as the living hinge of claim 1, wherein the living hinge comprises a continuous elastomer plate base, wherein the first attachment part, the second attachment part and the flexure part comprise the continuous elastomer plate base The electromagnetic interference shielding layer is applied to a separate layer of the continuous elastomer sheet substrate. Such as the living hinge of claim 2, wherein the continuous elastomer sheet substrate comprises: thermoplastic polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, polysiloxane rubber, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, chloroprene Rubber, butyl rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, hydrogenated nitrile rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, fluoroelastomer, perfluoroelastomer, polyether block amide (PEBA), chlorosulfonated polyethylene , Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer, polysulfide rubber, polyamide-polyether copolymer or a combination thereof. Such as the living hinge of claim 1, wherein the entire living hinge is composed of the electromagnetic interference shielding layer, so that the living hinge is a homogeneous plate of the elastic body, and the homogeneous plate is mixed with the conductive particles. According to the living hinge of claim 1, wherein the conductive particles are present in the electromagnetic interference shielding layer at a concentration of about 3 wt% to about 15 wt% relative to the total weight of the electromagnetic interference shielding layer. Such as the living hinge of claim 1, wherein the conductive particles include graphene, graphite, carbon nanotubes, boronene, aluminum, copper, silver, gold, or a combination thereof. Such as the living hinge of claim 1, wherein the elastomer of the electromagnetic interference shielding layer includes: thermoplastic polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polyester-polyether copolymer, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), nylon , Polyamide-polyether copolymer or a combination thereof. Such as the living hinge of claim 1, wherein the first attachment part and the second attachment part of the living hinge include: a screw hole, a double-sided tape, an adhesive layer or a combination thereof. Such as the living hinge of claim 1, wherein the flexure portion can be flexed sufficiently to be folded to a maximum angle of about 90° to about 180°. An electronic device comprising: A first rigid panel having a first edge; A second rigid panel having a second edge oriented parallel to the first edge of the first rigid panel; and A living hinge attached to the first rigid panel at the first edge and attached to the second rigid panel at the second edge, wherein the living hinge includes an electromagnetic interference shielding layer, and the electromagnetic interference shielding layer includes A plurality of conductive particles blended in an elastomer. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the living hinge can be fully flexed and the first rigid panels and the second rigid panels are sufficiently separated, so that the living hinge is folded to a maximum angle of about 90° to about 180° . The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the living hinge further comprises a continuous elastomer sheet substrate, and wherein the electromagnetic interference shielding layer is applied to the continuous elastomer sheet substrate. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the conductive particles are present in the electromagnetic interference shielding layer at a concentration of about 3 wt% to about 15 wt% relative to the total weight of the electromagnetic interference shielding layer, and wherein the conductive particles The particles include: graphene, graphite, carbon nanotubes, boronene, aluminum, copper, silver, gold or a combination thereof. A method of manufacturing a living hinge for an electronic device includes the following steps: Applying an electromagnetic interference shielding layer to a continuous elastomer sheet substrate, wherein the electromagnetic interference shielding layer includes a plurality of conductive particles blended in an elastomer, and wherein the continuous elastomer sheet substrate includes: A first attachment part at a first edge of the living hinge for attaching to a first rigid panel of the electronic device; A second attachment portion at a second edge of the living hinge opposite to the first edge for attaching to a second rigid panel of the electronic device; and A flexible part connecting the first attachment part and the second attachment part. Such as the method of claim 14, further comprising the following steps: before applying the electromagnetic interference shielding layer, plasma processing the continuous elastomer sheet substrate; and after applying the electromagnetic interference shielding layer, at about 60°C to about 80°C Bake the living hinge at a temperature of ℃.

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