WO2021162455A1 - Protective case for foldable device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a protective case for a foldable device. The foldable device comprises two mutually rotatable housings, and may have various shapes according to a rotation angle. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a protective case for protecting a foldable device having various shapes is provided. The protective case of the present disclosure comprises: a case capable of protecting a foldable housing of the foldable device and an elastic member capable of protecting a hinge portion of the foldable device. The elastic member may be bent according to a folding angle of the foldable device, and may slide between the case and the foldable housing when the foldable device is unfolded and thus may not be visible from the outside. As the foldable device is folded, the elastic member may be in close contact with a hinge cover having a non-uniform height to protect the hinge portion.

Description

Protective case for foldable devices

The present disclosure relates to a protective case of an electronic device. Specifically, it relates to a protective case for an electronic device including a foldable housing.

Mobile terminals support communication functions based on mobility. Such a portable terminal may support a voice call function, a text transmission/reception function, a data communication function, and the like. Due to the aforementioned mobility, a portable terminal has recently become a necessity in daily life.

On the other hand, early portable terminals supported only simple communication functions because the hardware industry was not adequately supported. In particular, with the development and expansion of touch panels, the development of thin and light terminals with a wide display area is emerging as a recent trend. However, thin and light terminals capable of supporting various user functions are vulnerable to external shocks. That is, when a certain impact is applied to the terminal, it is easily broken or damaged, so that normal user functions are not supported frequently.

In order to solve this problem, the development of a protective case capable of protecting a portable terminal is being actively developed in recent years. However, the conventional portable terminal protection case is manufactured in a form that simply covers the display unit to protect the display unit of the portable terminal, or is provided in the form of a pocket and encapsulates the portable terminal.

The conventional protective case has a limit in protecting the foldable device. This is because the foldable device includes mutually rotatable parts and may have various shapes depending on an angle between the parts. In addition, when the foldable device is unfolded, a portion that is not exposed to the outside may be exposed to the outside by the folding operation of the foldable device.

If you want to include a component for protecting the part exposed to the outside by the folding operation in the protective case, the foldable device is separated from the foldable device by the unfolding or folded state by the folding operation, so that the foldable device is not sufficiently protected. Problems that can't be encountered may arise. In addition, when a component for protecting a portion exposed to the outside by a folding operation is included in the protection case, a problem in that the thickness of the protection case becomes excessively thick due to the component may occur.

Also, when the protective case is coupled to the foldable device, the protective case may cause a failure in the folding operation of the foldable device.

It is an object of the present disclosure to solve at least one of the above problems to provide a protective case capable of protecting a foldable device having various shapes from external shocks or foreign substances and maintaining the appearance of a slim foldable device. have.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first housing structure and a second housing foldable through a hinge based on a folding axis extending in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the first housing structure The protective case of the foldable device including a structure and a hinge cover for protecting the hinge includes: a first case detachably coupled to the first housing structure and enclosing a portion of the first housing structure; a second case detachably coupled to the second housing structure to surround a portion of the second housing structure; and a fixing part disposed between the first housing structure and the first case and fixed to the first case, a deformable part extending from the fixing part and bent according to the folding of the foldable device, and the moving part from the deformable part. a folding member extending in a direction opposite to the top and disposed between the second housing structure and the second case and including a slide part that slides with respect to the second case when the foldable device is folded or unfolded; The folding member is attached to a sheet member of the hinge cover including a first recess corresponding to an end portion in the first direction and a second recess corresponding to an end portion in the second direction, and one surface of the sheet member, at least a first elastic member disposed on the first recess and the second recess, wherein the deformable part surrounds the hinge cover of the foldable device in a folded state, and the foldable device is disposed between the second housing structure and the second case in an unfolded state, and a portion of the first stretchable member disposed on the first recess and the second recess is contracted according to the folding of the foldable device Thus, the hinge cover may be in close contact with the first portion adjacent to the end portion in the first direction and the second portion adjacent to the end portion in the second direction.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a first housing structure, a second housing structure foldable through a hinge based on a folding axis extending in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the first housing structure and a protective case of the foldable device including a hinge cover for protecting the hinge, the first case being detachably coupled to the first housing structure and enclosing a portion of the first housing structure; a second case detachably coupled to the second housing structure to surround a portion of the second housing structure; and an elastic member having one side fixed to the first case, the other side fixed to the second case, and a portion adjacent to the boundary in the first direction or the boundary in the second direction including two or more layers, The elastic member is extended by a length corresponding to the shape of the hinge cover according to the folding of the foldable device to be in close contact with the hinge cover, and the elastic member is contracted according to the unfolding of the foldable device to form the first case and It may be covered by the second case.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the protective case of the foldable device may properly protect various shapes that the foldable device may have. In particular, an appropriate protection means is provided for a portion exposed to the outside according to the folding of the foldable device.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a protective case capable of protecting a portion exposed to the outside by folding among a foldable device having a slim thickness is provided.

1 is a diagram illustrating an unfolded state of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

2 is a diagram illustrating a folded state of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

3A illustrates a protective case of a foldable device according to an embodiment.

3B illustrates a state in which the protective case of FIG. 3A is separated.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the second case shown in FIG. 3 .

5A illustrates a form of a protective case coupled to an unfolded foldable device according to an exemplary embodiment.

5B illustrates a form of a protective case coupled to a foldable device that is folded in one embodiment.

6 illustrates a relationship between a folding member of a protective case and a hinge cover of a foldable device according to an exemplary embodiment.

7 illustrates an elastic member enclosing the hinge cover while contracting according to the height of the hinge cover.

8 illustrates a reinforcing member added to one side of the folding member to prevent bending of the folding member according to an embodiment.

FIG. 9 shows a folding member including a sheet member and elastics attached to both sides of the sheet member in one embodiment.

FIG. 10 shows a protective case of a foldable device according to an embodiment different from the protective case of FIG. 3 .

11A illustrates a form of a protective case coupled to an unfolded foldable device according to an exemplary embodiment.

11B illustrates a form of a protective case coupled to a foldable device that is folded in one embodiment.

12 illustrates a relationship between a folding member of a protective case and a hinge cover of a foldable device according to an embodiment.

13 is a cross-sectional view of the folding member shown in FIG. 12 .

14 illustrates an elastic member enclosing the hinge cover while extending according to the height of the hinge cover according to an exemplary embodiment.

1 is a diagram illustrating an unfolded state of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. 2 is a diagram illustrating a folded state of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

1 and 2 , in an embodiment, the electronic device 10 includes a foldable housing 500 , a hinge cover 530 covering a foldable portion of the foldable housing, and the foldable housing. It may include a flexible or foldable display 100 (hereinafter, abbreviated as “display” 100 ) disposed in the space formed by 500 . In this document, the surface on which the display 100 is disposed is defined as the first surface or the front surface of the electronic device 10 . In addition, the opposite surface of the front surface is defined as the second surface or the rear surface of the electronic device 10 . In addition, a surface surrounding the space between the front and rear surfaces is defined as a third surface or a side surface of the electronic device 10 .

In one embodiment, the foldable housing 500 includes a first housing structure 510 , a second housing structure 520 including a sensor area 524 , a first rear cover 580 , and a second rear surface. A cover 590 may be included. The foldable housing 500 of the electronic device 10 is not limited to the shape and combination shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , and may be implemented by a combination and/or combination of other shapes or parts. For example, in another embodiment, the first housing structure 510 and the first rear cover 580 may be integrally formed, and the second housing structure 520 and the second rear cover 590 may be integrally formed. can be formed.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first housing structure 510 and the second housing structure 520 may be disposed on both sides about the folding axis (axis A), and may have an overall symmetrical shape with respect to the folding axis A. . As will be described later, the angle or distance between the first housing structure 510 and the second housing structure 520 may vary depending on whether the electronic device 10 is in an unfolded state, a folded state, or an intermediate state. can In the illustrated embodiment, the second housing structure 520, unlike the first housing structure 510, further includes the sensor area 524 in which various sensors are disposed, but in other areas, the shape is symmetrical to each other. can have

In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the first housing structure 510 and the second housing structure 520 may together form a recess for accommodating the display 100 . In the illustrated embodiment, due to the sensor area 524 , the recess may have at least two different widths in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis A.

For example, the recess is formed in (1) an edge of the sensor region 524 of the first part 510a parallel to the folding axis A of the first housing structure 510 and the sensor area 524 of the second housing structure 520 . a first width w1 between the first portion 520a, and (2) the second portion 510b of the first housing structure 510 and the sensor area 524 of the second housing structure 520 . It may have a second width w2 formed by the second portion 520b parallel to the folding axis A. In this case, the second width w2 may be formed to be longer than the first width w1. In other words, the first portion 510a of the first housing structure 510 and the first portion 520a of the second housing structure 520 having a mutually asymmetric shape form a first width w1 of the recess. and the second portion 510b of the first housing structure 510 and the second portion 520b of the second housing structure 520 having a mutually symmetrical shape form a second width w2 of the recess. can In an embodiment, the first portion 520a and the second portion 520b of the second housing structure 520 may have different distances from the folding axis A. The width of the recess is not limited to the illustrated example. In various embodiments, the recess may have a plurality of widths due to the shape of the sensor region 524 or the portion having the asymmetric shape of the first housing structure 510 and the second housing structure 520 .

In an embodiment, at least a portion of the first housing structure 510 and the second housing structure 520 may be formed of a metal material or a non-metal material having a rigidity of a size selected to support the display 100 .

In an embodiment, the sensor area 524 may be formed to have a predetermined area adjacent to one corner of the second housing structure 520 . However, the arrangement, shape, and size of the sensor area 524 are not limited to the illustrated example. For example, in other embodiments, the sensor area 524 may be provided at another corner of the second housing structure 520 or any area between the top and bottom corners. In an embodiment, components for performing various functions embedded in the electronic device 10 are electronically provided through the sensor area 524 or through one or more openings provided in the sensor area 524 . It may be exposed on the front side of the device 10 . In various embodiments, the components may include various types of sensors. The sensor may include, for example, at least one of a front camera, a receiver, and a proximity sensor.

The first rear cover 580 is disposed on one side of the folding shaft on the rear surface of the electronic device, and may have, for example, a substantially rectangular periphery, and is formed by the first housing structure 510 . Edges can be wrapped. Similarly, the second rear cover 590 may be disposed on the other side of the folding shaft on the rear surface of the electronic device, and an edge thereof may be surrounded by the second housing structure 520 .

In the illustrated embodiment, the first rear cover 580 and the second rear cover 590 may have a substantially symmetrical shape with respect to the folding axis (A axis). However, the first back cover 580 and the second back cover 590 do not necessarily have symmetrical shapes, and in another embodiment, the electronic device 10 includes the first back cover 580 and the second back cover 590 having various shapes. A second rear cover 590 may be included. In another embodiment, the first rear cover 580 may be integrally formed with the first housing structure 510 , and the second rear cover 590 may be integrally formed with the second housing structure 520 . have.

In an embodiment, the first back cover 580 , the second back cover 590 , the first housing structure 510 , and the second housing structure 520 may include various components (eg: A printed circuit board (or a battery) may form a space in which it may be disposed. In an embodiment, one or more components may be disposed or visually exposed on the rear surface of the electronic device 10 . For example, at least a portion of the sub-display 190 may be visually exposed through the first rear area 582 of the first rear cover 580 . In another embodiment, one or more components or sensors may be visually exposed through the second back area 592 of the second back cover 590 . In various embodiments, the sensor may include a proximity sensor and/or a rear camera.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the hinge cover 530 is disposed between the first housing structure 510 and the second housing structure 520 to cover internal parts (eg, a hinge structure). can In an embodiment, the hinge cover 530 includes a first housing structure 510 and a second housing structure ( 520), or may be exposed to the outside.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , when the electronic device 10 is in an unfolded state, the hinge cover 530 may not be exposed because it is covered by the first housing structure 510 and the second housing structure 520 . . For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , when the electronic device 10 is in a folded state (eg, a fully folded state), the hinge cover 530 includes the first housing structure 510 and the second housing. It may be exposed to the outside between the structures 520 . For example, when the first housing structure 510 and the second housing structure 520 are in an intermediate state that is folded with a certain angle, the hinge cover 530 is the first housing structure A portion may be exposed to the outside between the 510 and the second housing structure 520 . However, in this case, the exposed area may be less than the fully folded state. In one embodiment, the hinge cover 530 may include a curved surface.

The display 100 may be disposed on a space formed by the foldable housing 500 . For example, the display 100 is seated in a recess formed by the foldable housing 500 and may constitute most of the front surface of the electronic device 10 .

Accordingly, the front surface of the electronic device 10 may include the display 100 and a partial area of the first housing structure 510 and a partial area of the second housing structure 520 adjacent to the display 100 . In addition, the rear surface of the electronic device 10 has a first rear cover 580 , a partial region of the first housing structure 510 adjacent to the first rear cover 580 , a second rear cover 590 , and a second rear cover. a portion of the second housing structure 520 adjacent to 590 .

The display 100 may refer to a display in which at least a partial area can be deformed into a flat surface or a curved surface. In an embodiment, the display 100 includes the folding area 103 , the first area 101 disposed on one side (the left side of the folding area 103 shown in FIG. 1 ) with respect to the folding area 103 , and the other side. It may include a second region 102 disposed on (the right side of the folding region 103 shown in FIG. 1 ).

The region division of the display 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 is exemplary, and the display 100 may be divided into a plurality (eg, four or more or two) regions according to a structure or function. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the region of the display 100 may be divided by the folding region 103 extending parallel to the y-axis or the folding axis (A-axis), but in another embodiment, the display ( 100) may be divided into regions based on another folding region (eg, a folding region parallel to the x-axis) or another folding axis (eg, a folding axis parallel to the x-axis).

The first area 101 and the second area 102 may have an overall symmetrical shape with respect to the folding area 103 . However, unlike the first region 101 , the second region 102 may include a notch cut according to the presence of the sensor region 524 , but in other regions, the first region 102 . The region 101 may have a symmetrical shape. In other words, the first region 101 and the second region 102 may include a portion having a shape symmetric to each other and a portion having a shape asymmetric to each other.

Hereinafter, operations of the first housing structure 510 and the second housing structure 520 and the display 100 according to states of the electronic device 10 (eg, a flat state and a folded state) Describe each area of

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 10 is in a flat state (eg, FIG. 1 ), the first housing structure 510 and the second housing structure 520 form an angle of 180 degrees and are aligned in the same direction. It can be arranged to face. The surface of the first area 101 and the surface of the second area 102 of the display 100 may form 180 degrees with each other and may face the same direction (eg, the front direction of the electronic device). The folding area 103 may form the same plane as the first area 101 and the second area 102 .

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 10 is in a folded state (eg, FIG. 2 ), the first housing structure 510 and the second housing structure 520 may be disposed to face each other. The surface of the first area 101 and the surface of the second area 102 of the display 100 may face each other while forming a narrow angle (eg, between 0 and 10 degrees). At least a portion of the folding area 103 may be formed of a curved surface having a predetermined curvature.

In an embodiment, when the electronic device 10 is in a folded state (eg, FIG. 2 ), the first housing structure 510 and the second housing structure 520 are at a certain angle to each other. ) can be placed. The surface of the first region 101 and the surface of the second region 102 of the display 100 may form an angle greater than that in the folded state and smaller than that in the unfolded state. At least a portion of the folding region 103 may be formed of a curved surface having a predetermined curvature, and the curvature in this case may be smaller than that in a folded state.

The present disclosure relates to a protective case of a foldable device, and as an object protected by the protective case, the foldable device may be referred to as the electronic device 10 of FIG. 1 . However, the foldable device to which the protective case of the present disclosure is applied is not limited to the electronic device 10 of FIG. 1 , and may be applied to a foldable device.

3A illustrates a protective case 300 of a foldable device (eg, the electronic device 10 of FIG. 1 ) according to an embodiment. 3A shows the shape of the protective case 300 when coupled to the silver foldable device.

Referring to FIG. 3A , the protective case 300 may include cases for protecting the foldable device. The foldable device may include a foldable housing (eg, the foldable housing 500 of FIG. 1 ). In one embodiment, the foldable housing includes a first housing structure (eg, the first housing structure 510 of FIG. 1 ) and a second housing structure rotatable with respect to the first housing structure (eg, the second housing structure (eg, the second housing structure ( 510 ) of FIG. 1 ) 520)) may be included.

In an embodiment, the protective case 300 may include cases 310 and 330 for protecting the first housing structure and the second housing structure, respectively. In an embodiment, the protective case 300 may include a first case 310 coupled to the first housing structure and a second case 330 coupled to the second housing structure.

In an embodiment, in order to protect the foldable device from external impact, the cases 310 and 330 may have a shape surrounding a portion of the outer surface of the foldable device. In an embodiment, the cases 310 and 330 may have a predetermined thickness and have a shell shape surrounding the foldable device. In an embodiment, the cases 310 and 330 may be made of a hard material (eg, polycarbonate or kevlar).

In an embodiment, the cases 310 and 330 may include at least one opening, and a partial region of the foldable housing may be visually recognized from the outside through the at least one opening. The first case 310 may include openings exposing a portion of the first housing structure to the outside. In the illustrated embodiment, the first case 310 includes an opening 312 for a sub-display (eg, the sub-display 190 of FIG. 1 ) provided on the rear surface of the first housing structure, and upper and lower ends of the first housing structure. An opening 313 for a speaker disposed on the , an opening 314 for a light sensor (eg, an image sensor, an illuminance sensor, etc.) disposed on a portion of the rear surface of the first housing structure, and a portion of the rear surface of the first housing structure It may include an opening 315 for a speaker for a call disposed in the . In the illustrated embodiment, the second case 330 includes an opening 332 for a camera disposed on the rear surface of the second housing structure, an opening 333 for a microphone, and a physical key provided on the side of the second housing structure. It may include an opening 334 and an opening 335 for a charging port provided at the lower end of the second housing structure. In the illustrated embodiment, the number and shape of the openings are merely examples, and embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the first case 310 and the second case 330 may be detachably coupled to the first housing structure and the second housing structure of the foldable device, respectively. In an embodiment, the first case 310 and the second case 330 may include suction pads 311 and 331 . In one embodiment, the suction pad 311 / 331 is attached to one surface of the first case 310 / second case 330 to the first case 310 / second case 330 and the first housing structure / first It can assist in bonding between the two housing structures. In an embodiment, the suction pads 311 and 331 may be made of a material having an adhesive property. For example, the adsorption pads 311 and 331 may be made of polyurethane or silicon. The adsorption pads 311 and 331 may include many micropores on their surfaces. When the foldable housing is attached to the surface of the adsorption pads 311 and 331, some of the air existing inside the micropores escapes, and the micropores are in a low pressure state. Due to the low pressure formed inside the micropores, the adhesive pads 311 and 331 may adsorb the foldable housing.

In the unfolded state of the foldable device, the first case 310 and the second case 330 may protect the foldable housing. However, when the foldable device is in a folded state, or in a state between folding and unfolding, it may have a different shape from when it is in an unfolded state. The surface exposed to the outside is also different for each of the various shapes that a foldable device can have. For example, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , in an unfolded foldable device, a hinge cover (eg, the hinge cover 530 of FIG. 1 ) is covered by the foldable housing and is not exposed to the outside. When the foldable device is folded, the hinge cover that was covered by the foldable housing is exposed to the outside. Therefore, it is insufficient to protect the foldable device with only the first case 310 and the second case 330 . In an embodiment, the protective case 300 may further include a folding member 350 that can be deformed according to various shapes of the foldable device.

In an embodiment, the folding member 350 may be formed in a thin plate shape. One side of the folding member 350 may be fixed to the first case 310 , and the other side may slide in the arrow direction 301 with respect to the second case 330 . In an embodiment, the folding member 350 may be bent according to the folding of the foldable device. When the foldable device is folded, the folding member 350 may be bent to cover the hinge cover of the foldable device. When the device is unfolded, the folding member 350 may also be unfolded.

In an embodiment, one side of the folding member 350 may be fixed to the first case 310 . A portion of the folding member 350 fixed to the first case 310 (hereinafter, 'fixed part 350a') moves integrally with the first case 310 . In an embodiment, the folding member 350 may include a deformable part 350b extending in the arrow direction 302 from the fixing part 350a. In an embodiment, the deformable part 350b may slide on the second case 330 according to folding/unfolding of the foldable device. In an embodiment, the deformable part 350b may be disposed on the second case 330 in an unfolded state of the foldable device, and the deformable part 350b may not be visually recognized from the outside. In an embodiment, the deformable part 350b slides in the arrow direction 303 (ie, out of the second case 330) according to the folding of the foldable device and is bent according to the folding angle of the foldable device. The deformable part 350b exposed to the outside and bent may cover the hinge cover exposed to the outside according to the folding of the foldable device. In an embodiment, the deformable part 350b may be bent according to the folding of the foldable device. When the foldable device is folded, the deformable part 350b slides in the arrow direction 303 in the second case 330 to be exposed to the outside. When the foldable device is unfolded again, the deformable part 350b slides again in the direction of the arrow 304 while unfolding, and is disposed on the second case 330 .

In an embodiment, the folding member 350 may include a sheet member 351 and an elastic member 352 attached to one surface of the sheet member 351 . The sheet member 351 may be made of a flexible material. This is because the folding member 350 must be bent according to the folding/unfolding of the foldable device. In an embodiment, the sheet member 351 may be made of a material having elasticity for unfolding as the foldable device is unfolded. The sheet member 351 is, for example, a film type (black PET yarn) electrified film, a high elasticity urethane black sheet, a self-healing black sheet, a PET100 double-sided AFHC charged film, a PET100 single-sided AFHC charged film, a raw black PET yarn 188, or PET yarn may include one of 100 double-sided AFHC toning charged film. The shape of the sheet member 351 is described in FIG. 6 .

In an embodiment, the folding member 350 may include an elastic member 352 attached to one surface of the sheet member 351 . The elastic member 352 may include, for example, polyurethane, leather, or a textile material. In an embodiment, the elastic member 352 may be expanded/contracted according to folding/unfolding of the foldable device. The elastic member 352 may be naturally contracted according to the shape of the hinge cover. Even when the shape of the hinge cover is non-uniform, it may be contracted to a shape corresponding to the shape of the hinge cover. The principle that the elastic member 352 protects the hinge cover is described with reference to FIG. 7 .

In an embodiment, the folding member 350 may include a slide part 350c extending in the arrow direction 305 from the deformable part 350b. In an embodiment, the slide unit 350c may slide with respect to the second case 330 according to folding/unfolding of the foldable device. The slide part 350c is disposed on the second case 330 whether the foldable device is in a folded state or an unfolded state.

In one embodiment, the second case 330, when coupled to the second housing structure, a first surface 336 in contact with the rear surface of the second housing structure (eg, the second rear surface 590 of FIG. 1) and A second surface 337 spaced apart from the rear surface of the second housing structure by a predetermined distance may be included. In one embodiment, the suction pad may be disposed on the first surface 336 . In an embodiment, the deformable part and the slide part of the folding member 350 may be disposed on the second surface 337 of the second case 330 . In an embodiment, the deformable portion and the slide portion of the folding member 350 may slide on the second surface 337 . Details regarding the second surface 337 of the second case 330 are described in FIG. 4 .

FIG. 3B illustrates a state in which the first case 310 and the second case 330 of the protective case shown in FIG. 3A are separated.

Referring to FIG. 3B (check reference numerals such as 330 and 320 ), the first case 310 and the second case 330 constituting the protective case 300 may be separated from each other. Since the folding member 350 is fixed to the first case 310 , it may be separated from the second case 330 together with the first case 310 . In an embodiment, the first case 310 and the second case 330 may be sequentially coupled to the foldable device. First, when the first case 310 is coupled to the first housing structure, a portion of the folding member 350 fixed to the first case 310 (ie, the deformable part 350b and the slide part 350c) is formed with the first case 310 . Case 310 is exposed to the outside. After the first case 310 is coupled to the first housing structure, the second case 330 is coupled to the second housing structure, and the folding member 350 exposed to the outside of the first case 310 is disposed on the second surface ( 337) and the rear surface of the second housing structure. According to an embodiment, in a state in which the first case 310 and the second case 330 are coupled to the foldable device, a portion of the folding member 350 (eg, the deformable part 350b and the slide part 350c) at least a portion of the second case 330 may be accommodated in a space formed between the second case 330 and the housing of the foldable device.

In an embodiment, the second case 330 may provide a space in which the deformable part 350b and the slide part 350c can slide. 4 is a cross-sectional view (A-A') of the second case 330 shown in FIG. 3A .

Referring to FIG. 4 , in one embodiment, the second case 330 includes a first surface 336 and a second surface 336 in contact with the second housing structure 520 when coupled to the second housing structure 520 of the foldable device. It may include a second surface 337 spaced apart from the second housing structure 520 . When the second case 330 is coupled to the second housing structure 520 , the second surface 337 is the rear surface 521 of the second housing structure 520 (eg, the second rear cover 590 of FIG. 1 ). )) and may be spaced apart by a predetermined distance (d). Therefore, a step by a predetermined distance d may exist at the boundary between the first surface 336 and the second surface 337 . In an embodiment, the space 401 is formed between the second housing structure 520 and the second case 330 by the second surface 337 being spaced apart from the rear surface 521 of the second housing structure 520 . The space 401 formed between the second case 330 and the second housing structure 520 may accommodate the folding member 350 . That is, the deformable part 350b and the slide part 350c that slide on the second case 330 of the folding member 350 may be disposed in the space 401 formed by the second surface 337 . The folding member 350 may slide in the space 401 formed between the second case 330 and the second housing structure 520 . The adsorption member 331 may be disposed on the first surface 336 to assist in bonding between the first surface 336 and the rear surface of the second housing structure 520 .

In an embodiment, the second surface 337 may have an area corresponding to a portion of the folding member 350 disposed on the second case 330 . Since the folding member 350 is maximally slid into the second case 330 when the foldable device is unfolded, the processing surface 336 is the second case 330 when the foldable device among the folding members 350 is unfolded. It may have an area corresponding to the portion (ie, the deformable part 350b and the slide part 350c) disposed therein.

5A and 5B illustrate a position of the folding member 350 according to folding/unfolding of a foldable device (eg, the electronic device 10 of FIG. 1 ) according to an exemplary embodiment. 5A illustrates a form of a protective case 300 coupled to an unfolded foldable device according to an embodiment. 5B illustrates a form of a protective case 300 coupled to a foldable device that is folded in one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5A , the folding member 350 is disposed on the first case 310 and the second case 330 . The folding member 350 is not visible in the arrow direction 501 because it is covered by the first case 310 and the second case 330 . The fixing part 350a of the folding member 350 is disposed on the first case 310 , and the slide part 350c and the deformable part 350b of the folding member 350 are the second case 330 and the second case 330 . It is disposed between the housing structures 520 . The hinge cover 530 of the foldable device is covered by the foldable housings 510 and 520 , and the folding member 350 contacts the foldable housings 510 and 520 . The end of the slide part 350c is located at the first position P1.

Referring to FIG. 5B , as the foldable device is folded, the hinge cover 530 that has been covered by the foldable housings 510 and 520 is exposed to the outside of the foldable housings 510 and 520 . Since the fixing part 350a of the folding member 350 is fixed to the first case 310 , when the first case 310 rotates with respect to the second case 330 according to the folding of the foldable device, the fixing part Reference numeral 350a pulls the part connected to the fixing part 350a, that is, the deformable part 350b and the slide part 350c. As a result, the deformable part 350b comes out of the space between the second case 330 and the second housing structure 520 in the arrow direction 502 according to the rotation of the first case 310 . The slide part 350c slides in the arrow direction 502, and the end of the slide part 350c in the opposite direction to the arrow direction 502 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2. Even if the slide part 350c slides in the arrow direction 502 , the slide part 350c is still disposed in the space between the second case 330 and the second housing structure 520 . As a result, the fixing part 350a is folded 180 degrees with respect to the slide part 350c, and the deformable part 350b between the fixing part 350a and the slide part 350c is bent and the hinge cover 530 of the foldable device is bent. ) surrounds

6 illustrates a relationship between the folding member 350 of the protective case 300 and the hinge cover 530 of the foldable device according to an embodiment. The left view of FIG. 6 is a view of the sub-display (eg, the sub-display 190 of FIG. 1 ) included in the first housing structure 510 of the foldable device to which the protective case 300 is coupled and folded. In the left drawing of FIG. 6 , the folding member 350 is omitted for convenience of description. The right side view of FIG. 6 shows the shape of the protective case 300 combined with the unfolded foldable device.

Referring to FIG. 6 , when the foldable device is folded, the hinge cover 530 is exposed to the outside of the foldable housings 520 and 530 . The hinge cover 530 exposed to the outside has a non-uniform height. In the present disclosure, the height of the hinge cover 530 may be defined as a distance away from the folding axis 605 in a direction 606 perpendicular to the folding axis 605 . In an embodiment, the hinge cover 530 may include a portion having a constant height and a portion having a non-constant height. In the illustrated embodiment, the first portion 531 adjacent to the end of the hinge cover 530 in the first direction 601 and the second portion 532 adjacent to the end in the second direction 602 of the hinge cover 530 are It has non-uniform heights (H1, H2). The third part 533 of the hinge cover 530 disposed between the first part 531 and the second part 532 has a uniform height H3 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first portion 531 / second portion 532 has the same height H3 as the third portion 533 in the portion connected to the third portion 533, and the third portion 533 It has a height H1/H2 that decreases as it moves away from the first direction 601/second direction 602 .

Meanwhile, since the sheet member 351 is made of a non-stretchable material, when the sheet member 351 covers the first part 531 / second part 532 of the hinge cover 530 , the hinge cover 530 is formed. A gap may be formed between the first part 531/second part 532 and the folding member 350 . That is, a space may be formed between the folding member 350 and the first portion 531 and the second portion 532 of the hinge cover 530 , and foreign substances may be introduced into the space. When a foreign material is introduced between the folding member 350 and the hinge cover 530 , the hinge cover 530 cannot be properly protected. Also, if foreign substances introduced through the space between the folding member 350 and the hinge cover 530 enter the space between the hinge cover 530 and the foldable housings 510 and 520 , a problem may occur. In order to eliminate or minimize the space between the hinge cover 530 and the folding member 350 , a portion corresponding to the first part 531 / the second part 532 of the hinge cover 530 in the folding member 350 . The silver sheet member 351 may be formed only by the elastic member 352 without the sheet member 351 . In the folding member 350 , the portion corresponding to the first part 531 / second part 532 of the hinge cover 530 is formed by the folding member 350 when the hinge cover 530 is folded according to the folding of the foldable device. When surrounding, it is a portion surrounding the first portion 531 / second portion 532 of the hinge cover 530 .

In an embodiment, the sheet member 351 may include recesses 621 and 622 in some regions to form a portion made of only the elastic member 352 in the folding member 350 . In an embodiment, the folding member 350 includes a first recess 621 corresponding to the first portion 531 of the hinge cover 530 and a second portion 532 corresponding to the second portion 532 of the hinge cover 530 . may include a recess 622 . In an embodiment, the first recess 621 extends in the second direction 602 from the boundary 651 in the first direction 601 of the sheet member 351 . In an embodiment, a length L3 of the first recess 621 extending in the second direction 602 may correspond to a length L1 of the first portion 531 of the hinge cover 530 . In an embodiment, the boundary 631 of the third direction 603 of the first recess 621 may coincide with or be adjacent to the boundary 661 of the deformable part 350b and the fixed part 350a. The boundary 632 of the fourth direction 604 of the first recess 621 may coincide with or be adjacent to the boundary 662 of the deformable portion 350b and the slide portion 350c. That is, the width of the first recess 621 may be substantially the same as the width of the deformable portion 350b.

In an embodiment, the second recess 622 extends in the first direction 601 from the boundary 652 in the second direction 602 of the sheet member 351 . In an embodiment, a length L4 of the second recess 622 extending in the first direction 601 may correspond to a length L2 of the second portion 532 of the hinge cover 530 . In an embodiment, the boundary 641 of the third direction 603 of the second recess 622 may coincide with or be adjacent to the boundary 661 of the deformable part 350b and the fixed part 350a. The boundary 642 of the fourth direction 604 of the second recess 622 may coincide with or be adjacent to the boundary 662 of the deformable portion 350b and the slide portion 350c. That is, the width of the second recess 622 may be substantially the same as the width of the deformable portion 350b.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sheet member 351 includes recesses 621 and 622 in the first direction 601 and the second direction 602, respectively, but the embodiment of the present document is not limited thereto. For example, the sheet member 351 may include only the first recess 621 formed in the first direction 601 . As another example, the sheet member 351 may include only the second recess 622 formed in the second direction 602 .

In an embodiment, the elastic member 352 may be attached on the sheet member 351 including the recesses 621 and 622 . In an embodiment, the stretchable member 352 may be attached on the unfolded sheet member 351 . In an embodiment, the portion of the stretchable member 352 disposed on the recesses 621 and 622 of the sheet member 351 is extended in the arrow direction 670 (ie, the horizontal direction) in the sheet member 351 . ) can be attached to The length at which the elastic member 352 is stretched when attached on the sheet member 351 does not deviate from the elastic limit of the elastic member 352 . That is, when the elastic member 352 is attached to the sheet member 351 , the elastic member 352 may be elongated without causing permanent deformation of the elastic member 352 . When the folding member 350 is unfolded (that is, when the foldable device is in an unfolded state), a portion of the elastic member 352 disposed on the recesses 621 and 622 of the sheet member 351 is indicated by an arrow direction ( 680), the contractile force acts. When the folding member 350 is bent according to the folding of the foldable device, the third- direction boundaries 631 and 641 and the fourth- direction boundaries 632 and 642 of the recesses 621 and 622 become closer to each other and the recess 621, The elastic member 352 disposed on the 622 may contract. The stretchable member 352 disposed on the recesses 621 and 622 may be in close contact with the first part 531 and the second part 532 of the hinge cover 530 while contracting.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the folding member 350 that is bent according to the folding of the foldable device may be deformed without lifting the hinge cover 530 of the foldable device. A portion of the folding member 350 in which the recesses 621 and 622 are disposed may be contracted to correspond to the shape of the hinge cover 530 exposed to the outside of the foldable housings 510 and 520 according to the folding of the foldable device. . Because the elastic member 352 disposed on the recesses 621 and 622 of the folding member 350 is in close contact with the surfaces of the first part 531 and the second part 532 of the hinge cover 350 while contracting. , the folding member 350 may prevent foreign substances from entering between the hinge cover 530 and the folding member 350 when the foldable device is folded.

7 illustrates that the elastic member 352 surrounds the hinge cover 530 while contracting according to the height of the hinge cover 530 . 7 is a cross-sectional view of the foldable device coupled to the protective case 300 and folded. Referring to FIG. 7 , the fixing part 350a of the folding member 350 is disposed between the first case 310 and the first housing structure 510 , and the slide part 350c is formed between the second case 330 and the second case 330 . It is disposed between the housing structures 520 .

The left view of FIG. 7 is a first cross-section A-A' of FIG. 6 . The first cross-section A-A' includes a third portion 533 of the hinge cover 530 having a uniform first height Ha. In the first cross-section A-A', the deformable portion 350b of the folding member 350 includes a sheet member 351 and an elastic member 352 . A sheet member 351 is disposed between the hinge cover 530 and the elastic member 352 . The hinged cover 530 exposed to the outside of the foldable housings 510 and 520 is surrounded by the bent folding member 350 .

The middle/right diagram of FIG. 7 is a second cross-section (B-B')/third cross-section (C-C') of FIG. 6 . The second end surface B-B' and the third end surface C-C' include portions in which the height of the hinge cover 530 changes. Referring to the second cross section B-B', the hinge cover 530 has a second height Hb that is lower than the first height Ha. Since the second end face B-B' includes the second recess 622 formed in the sheet member 351 , the deformable portion 350b of the folding member 350 in the second end face B-B' is formed in the sheet member 351 . It includes an elastic member 352 without the member 351 . The elastic member 352 may contract by a length corresponding to the second height Hb of the hinge cover 530 to be in close contact with the hinge cover 530 .

Referring to the third cross section C-C′, the hinge cover 530 has a third height Hc that is lower than the second height Hb. Since the third cross-section C-C' includes the second recess 622 formed in the sheet member 351 , the deformable portion 350b of the folding member 350 in the third cross-section C-C' is formed in the sheet member 351 . It includes an elastic member 352 without the member 351 . The elastic member 352 may contract by a length corresponding to the third height Hc of the hinge cover 530 to be in close contact with the hinge cover 530 . Since the third height Hc is lower than the second height Hb, the contracted length of the elastic member 352 in the third cross-section C-C' is equal to the length in which the elastic member 352 is contracted in the second cross-section B-B'. 352) is longer than the retracted length. That is, the length of the stretchable member 352 disposed on the deformable portion 350b in the third cross-section C-C′ is the length of the elastic member 352 disposed on the deformable portion 350b in the second cross-section B-B′. 352).

Even if the hinge cover has a non-uniform height, the stretchable member 352 according to an embodiment may be contracted to correspond to the height. Accordingly, there may be no gap or a relatively small gap between the elastic member 352 and the hinge cover. As a result, it is possible to prevent foreign substances such as dust from entering between the hinge cover and the folding member 350 . Furthermore, it is possible to prevent foreign substances from entering into the gap between the hinge cover and the foldable housing.

Meanwhile, the folding member 350 may be bent by the elastic member 352 disposed on the recess. Referring to FIG. 8 , since portions of the stretchable member 352 disposed on the recesses 621 and 622 of the sheet member 351 are in a state of being extended in the arrow direction 670 , the folding member 350 may be unfolded. At this time, a contracting force in the direction of the arrow 680 is applied to portions of the folding member 350 corresponding to the recesses 621 and 622 of the sheet member 351 . A portion of the folding member 350 fixed to the first case 310 (ie, the fixing part 350a) is not bent by coupling with the first case 310 . However, the deformable part 350b and the slide part 350c that are not fixed to other components may be bent by the contracting force of the elastic member 352 .

8 illustrates a reinforcing member 353 added to one side of the folding member 350 to prevent bending of the folding member 350 in an embodiment. In an embodiment, the reinforcing member 353 may be made of the same or similar material as the sheet member 351 . The reinforcing member 353 is, for example, a film type (black PET yarn) electrified film, a high elastic urethane black sheet, a self-healing black sheet, a PET100 double-sided AFHC electrified film, a PET100 single-sided AFHC electrified film, a raw black PET yarn 188, or It may be one of PET yarn 100 double-sided AFHC toning charged film. Referring to FIG. 8 , the folding member 350 may further include a reinforcing member 353 (or a second sheet member) attached to the slide part 350c among the sheet member 351 (or the first sheet member). . The reinforcing member 353 may suppress the bending of the folding member 350 due to the elastic member 352 by reinforcing the folding member 350 .

9 illustrates a folding member 350 including a sheet member 351 and elastic members 352 and 354 attached to both surfaces of the sheet member 351 in one embodiment. The upper view of FIG. 9 is a folding member 350 in an embodiment, and the lower view is a cross-sectional view (A-A') including a recess of the sheet member. A portion of the second recess 622 in the cross-sectional view A-A' is marked as an empty space, but this is for convenience of description. That is, the elastic members 352 and 354 disposed on both sides of the second recess 622 come into contact with the second recess 622 through the second recess 622 , and extend from the cross-sectional view A-A′ to the second recess 622 . The marked empty space may not exist.

The folding member 350 includes a sheet member 351 , a first elastic member 352 attached to a surface of the sheet member 351 facing the first direction 901 , and a second direction 902 of the sheet member 351 . ) may include a second elastic member 354 attached to the facing surface. The first elastic member 352 has the same configuration as that of the elastic member 352 of FIG. 5 , and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

When the elastic members 352 and 354 are attached to both surfaces of the sheet member 351 , the appearance of the folding member 350 itself may be improved. Since the folding member 350 is thickened by the added second elastic member 354 , the hinge cover 530 may be better protected than the folding member 350 of FIG. 5A .

FIG. 10 illustrates a protective case 1000 of a foldable device (eg, the electronic device 10 of FIG. 1 ) as a different embodiment from the protective case 1000 of FIG. 3A . The protective case 1000 shown in FIG. 10 includes a first case 1010 and a second case 1030, which have substantially the same configuration as the first case 1010 and the second case 1030 of FIG. 3A. A duplicate description will be omitted.

In an embodiment, the protective case 1000 may include a first case 1010 and an elastic member 1050 connected to the second case 1030 . In an embodiment, one side of the elastic member 1050 may be attached to the first case 1010 , and the other side may be attached to the second case 1030 . The folding member 1050 may extend according to the folding of the foldable device to cover the hinge cover 530 of the foldable device.

In an embodiment, the folding member 1050 includes a first fixing part 1050a fixed to the first case 1010 , a second fixing part 1050c fixed to the second case 1030 , and a first fixing part ( It may include a deformable part 1050b between the 1050a and the second fixing part 1050c. The first fixing part 1050a and the second fixing part 1050c may be respectively attached to the first case 1010 and the second case 1030 through an adhesive member (not shown).

11A and 11B illustrate a position of the elastic member 1050 according to folding/unfolding of the foldable device according to an exemplary embodiment. 11A illustrates a form of a protective case 1000 coupled to an unfolded foldable device according to an exemplary embodiment. 11B illustrates a form of a protective case 1000 coupled to a foldable device that is folded according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 11A , the elastic member 1050 is disposed on the first case 1010 and the second case 1030 . The elastic member 1050 is not viewed in the direction of the arrow 1101 because it is covered by the first case 1010 and the second case 1030 . The first fixing part 1050a of the elastic member 1050 is disposed on the first case 1010 , and the deformable part 1050b and the second fixing part 1050c of the elastic member 1050 are disposed on the second case 1030 . ) and the second housing structure 520 . The hinge cover 530 is covered by the foldable housing, and the elastic member 1050 is in contact with the foldable housings 510 and 520 .

Referring to FIG. 11B , as the foldable device is folded, the hinge cover 530 that has been covered by the foldable housings 510 and 520 is exposed to the outside of the foldable housings 510 and 520 . The deformable portion 1050b of the elastic member 1050 is stretched according to the folding of the foldable device, and a portion of the deformable portion 1050b protrudes in the direction of the arrow 1102 . Since the portions connected to both sides of the deformable portion 1050b (ie, the first fixing portion 1050a and the second fixing portion 1050c) are fixed to the first case 1010 and the second case 1030, the deformable portion ( 1050b is in close contact with the hinge cover 530 while extending according to the folding of the foldable device.

12 illustrates a relationship between the elastic member 1050 of the protective case 1000 and the hinge cover 530 of the foldable device according to an exemplary embodiment. The left view of FIG. 12 is a view of the sub-display (eg, the sub-display 190 of FIG. 1 ) included in the first housing structure 510 when the foldable device is folded. For convenience of description, the elastic member 1050 is omitted from the left drawing of FIG. 12 . The right side view of FIG. 12 shows the shape of the protective case 1000 combined with the unfolded foldable device.

12 , when the foldable device is folded, the hinge cover 530 is exposed to the outside of the foldable housings 510 and 520 . The hinge cover 530 exposed to the outside has a non-uniform height. In the present disclosure, the height of the hinge cover 530 may be defined as a distance away from the folding axis 605 in a direction 606 perpendicular to the folding axis 605 . In an embodiment, the hinge cover 530 may include a portion having a constant height and a portion having a non-constant height. In the illustrated embodiment, the first portion 531 adjacent to the end of the hinge cover 530 in the first direction 601 and the second portion 532 adjacent to the end in the second direction 602 of the hinge cover 530 are It has non-uniform heights (H1, H2). The third part 533 of the hinge cover 530 disposed between the first part 531 and the second part 532 has a uniform height H3 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first portion 531 / second portion 532 has the same height H3 as the third portion 533 in the portion connected to the third portion 533, and the third portion 533 It has a height H1/H2 that decreases as it moves away from the first direction 601/second direction 602 .

In an embodiment, a portion surrounding at least the first portion 531 or the second portion 532 of the hinge cover 530 among the elastic members 1050 may be formed of two or more layers. That is, when the foldable device is folded, the first portion 531 or the second portion 532 of the hinge cover 530 may be surrounded by a portion made of two or more layers of the elastic member 1050 . In the illustrated embodiment, the portion adjacent to the boundary of the first direction 1201 and the boundary of the second direction 1202 (hereinafter, the boundary portion 1050d) of the elastic member 1050 may be formed of two or more layers. In the elastic member 1050 , the inner portion 1050e excluding the boundary portion 1050d may be formed as a single layer. In an embodiment, the lengths L3 and L4 of the boundary portion 1050d of the elastic member 1050 may be the length L1 of the first portion 531 of the hinge cover 530 or the length of the second portion 532 ( L2) can be matched.

In one embodiment, the layers forming the plurality of plies may be attached to each other via a stretchable thread or adhesive. In an embodiment, one end of the stretchable member 1050 made of a single ply is folded inward one or more times to form a portion (ie, the boundary portion 1050d) made of two or more layers. 13 is a cross-sectional view (D-D') including the boundary portion 1050d of the elastic member 1050 shown in FIG. 12 . Referring to FIG. 13 , one end of the single-ply elastic member 1050 is folded inward twice to form a boundary portion 1050d composed of three layers.

When a partial region of the elastic member 1050 is formed in multiple layers, the hinge cover 530 corresponding to the region may be well protected from external impact. The third portion 533 of the hinge cover 530 has a uniform height H3, so that when an impact is applied to the third portion 533, the impact is distributed over a relatively large area. However, when an impact is applied to the first portion 531 or the second portion 532 of the hinge cover 530 , the impact is concentrated in a relatively narrow area. That is, the first part 531 and the second part 532 of the hinge cover 530 are more vulnerable to external impact than the third part 533 . Accordingly, when the boundary portion 1050d surrounding the first portion 531 and the second portion 532 of the hinge cover 530 of the elastic member 1050 is formed of a plurality of layers, the elastic member 1050 is formed by the hinge cover ( 530) can be effectively protected.

On the other hand, the boundary portion 1050d made of a plurality of layers has a higher elastic modulus than the inner portion 1050e made of a single layer. Accordingly, a relatively large restoring force (ie, contractile force) occurs when the stretchable portion of the elastic member 1050 is made of a plurality of layers. That is, if a first magnitude of contraction force is generated in the inner portion 1050e according to the elongation by the first length, a contraction force greater than the first magnitude is generated in the boundary portion 1050d. Since the height of the first part 531 and the second part 532 of the hinge cover 530 is lower than that of the third part 533, the length at which the boundary part 1050d is extended according to the folding of the foldable device is the inner part. (1050e) is less than the stretched length. Since the boundary portion 1050d has a large elastic modulus, a relatively large contractile force acts on the boundary portion 1050d even if it is slightly elongated. Accordingly, as the foldable device is folded, the boundary portion 1050d may strongly adhere to the first portion 531 and the second portion 532 of the hinge cover 530 . When the boundary portion 1050d strongly adheres to the first portion 531 and the second portion 532 of the hinge cover 530 , it effectively prevents foreign substances from being introduced between the elastic member 1050 and the hinge cover 530 . can be stopped

According to an embodiment, even if the hinge cover 530 exposed according to the folding of the foldable device has a non-uniform height, there may be little or no gap between the hinge cover 530 and the elastic member 1050 . This is because the elastic member 352 may extend to various lengths depending on which part of the hinge cover 530 is covered. 14 illustrates an elastic member 352 extending according to the height of the hinge cover 530 in an embodiment.

The left view of FIG. 14 is a first cross-section A-A' of FIG. 12 . The first cross-section A-A' is a cross-section cut to include the second portion 533 having a uniform first height Ha among the hinge covers 530 . The elastic member 352 is extended according to the folding of the foldable device and is in close contact with the hinge cover 530 exposed outside the foldable housings 510 and 520 .

The middle/right view of FIG. 14 is the second cross-section (B-B')/third cross-section (C-C') of FIG. 12 . The second end surface B-B' and the third end surface C-C' are cross-sections cut to include a portion in which the height of the hinge cover 530 changes. Referring to the second cross section B-B', the hinge cover 530 has a second height Hb that is lower than the first height Ha. The elastic member 352 may contract by a length corresponding to the second height Hb of the hinge cover 530 to be in close contact with the hinge cover 530 . Since the second cross-section B-B' includes the boundary portion 1050d of the stretchable member 1050, the stretchable member 1050 shown in the second cross-section B-B' has two layers.

Referring to the third cross section C-C', the hinge cover 530 has a third height that is lower than the second height. The elastic member 352 may contract by a length corresponding to the third height Hc of the hinge cover 530 to be in close contact with the hinge cover 530 . Since the second section includes the boundary portion 1050d of the elastic member 1050 , the elastic member 1050 shown in the second section has two layers. Since the third height Hc is lower than the second height Hb, the length of the stretchable member 1050 in the third cross-section C-C' is equal to the length in which the elastic member 1050 is extended in the second cross-section B-B'. 352) is shorter than the stretched length. However, since a relatively strong contractile force acts on the stretchable member 1050 even when the stretchable member 1050 made of two layers is slightly elongated, the stretchable member 1050 may be in relatively strong contact with the hinge cover 530 .

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a first housing structure (eg, the first housing structure 510 of FIG. 1 ) extends in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the first housing structure. A second housing structure (eg, the second housing structure 520 of FIG. 1 ) foldable through a hinge based on the folding axis, and a hinge cover (eg, the hinge cover 530 of FIG. 1 ) for protecting the hinge The protective case of the foldable device (eg, the protective case 300 of FIG. 3A ) is detachably coupled to the first housing structure and encloses a portion of the first housing structure (eg, the first case (eg, FIG. 3A ) of the first housing structure). of the first case 310); a second case detachably coupled to the second housing structure and enclosing a portion of the second housing structure (eg, the second case 320 of FIG. 3A ); and a fixing part disposed between the first housing structure and the first case and fixed to the first case (for example, the fixing part 350a in FIG. 3A ), extending from the fixing part and supporting the folding of the foldable device. a deformable portion (eg, the deformable portion 350b of FIG. 3A ) that is bent along with the deformable portion extending in a direction opposite to the fixing portion from the deformable portion and disposed between the second housing structure and the second case of the foldable device and a folding member (eg, the folding member 350 of FIG. 3A ) including a slide part (eg, the slide part 350c of FIG. 3A ) that slides with respect to the second case according to folding or unfolding, and the folding The member includes a first recess (eg, the first recess 621 in FIG. 6 ) corresponding to the end in the first direction and a second recess (eg, in the second direction) corresponding to the end of the hinge cover. A sheet member (eg, the sheet member 351 of FIG. 3A ) including a second recess 622 of FIG. 6 ) and attached to one surface of the sheet member, at least the first recess and the second recess a first elastic member (eg, the elastic member 352 of FIG. 6 ) disposed on the first elastic member, wherein the deformable part surrounds the hinge cover of the foldable device in a folded state, and The device is disposed between the second housing structure and the second case in an unfolded state, and a portion of the first stretchable member disposed on the first recess and the second recess may be adjusted according to the folding of the foldable device. A first portion (eg, the first portion 531 of FIG. 6 ) adjacent to the end of the hinge cover in the first direction and a second portion adjacent to the end of the hinge cover in the second direction (eg, the second portion 531 of FIG. 6 ) ) can be adhered to.

In an embodiment, portions of the first stretchable member disposed on the first recess and the second recess may be attached to the sheet member in a state in which they extend in a direction away from the folding axis within an elastic deformation limit.

In an embodiment, the first recess extends from a boundary of the elastic member in the first direction by a predetermined length in the second direction, and a width of the first recess corresponds to a width of the deformable portion, and the second A recess may extend from a boundary of the elastic member in a second direction by a predetermined length in the first direction, and a width of the second recess may correspond to a width of the deformable part.

In an embodiment, the second case includes a surface (eg, the second surface 337 of FIG. 4 ) that forms a space in which the deformable part and the slide part can be accommodated on a surface facing the second housing structure. can do.

In an embodiment, the first case may include an opening (eg, the opening 312 of FIG. 3A ) corresponding to the display viewed through a portion of the first housing structure.

In an embodiment, a portion of the first elastic member disposed on the first recess is contracted to correspond to a height of the first portion of the hinge cover according to the folding of the foldable device, and among the first elastic member A portion disposed on the second recess may be contracted to correspond to a height of the second portion of the hinge cover according to the folding of the foldable device.

In an embodiment, according to the folding of the foldable device: a portion of the first elastic member that is in close contact with a first point having a first height of the first portion of the hinge cover by a length corresponding to the first height A portion of the first stretchable member that is in close contact with a second point having a second height of the first portion of the hinge cover may be contracted by a length corresponding to the second height.

In an embodiment, the sheet member may include a PET film or a highly elastic urethane sheet.

In an embodiment, the first elastic member may include at least one of polyurethane, leather, or fabric.

In an embodiment, the first case or the second case may include polycarbonate or Kevlar.

In an embodiment, the elastic member may further include a reinforcing member disposed on the slide unit.

In an embodiment, the reinforcing member may include a PET film or a highly elastic urethane sheet.

In an embodiment, the folding member may further include a second elastic member (eg, the second elastic member 354 of FIG. 9 ) attached to the other surface of the sheet member.

In an embodiment, the second elastic member may include at least one of polyurethane, leather, or fabric.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a first housing structure (eg, the first housing structure 510 of FIG. 1 ) extends in a first direction with respect to the first housing structure and in a second direction opposite to the first direction. A second housing structure (eg, the second housing structure 520 of FIG. 1 ) that is foldable through a hinge based on the folded axis, and a hinge cover that protects the hinge (eg, the hinge cover 530 of FIG. 1 ). The protective case of the foldable device (eg, urban protective case 1000) including first case 1010); a second case (eg, the second case 1020 of FIG. 10 ) that is detachably coupled to the second housing structure and surrounds a portion of the second housing structure; and an elastic member having one side fixed to the first case, the other side fixed to the second case, and a portion adjacent to the boundary in the first direction or the boundary in the second direction having two or more layers (eg, FIG. 10 ). a stretchable member 1050 of It may be contracted according to the unfolding of the device and covered by the first case and the second case.

In an embodiment, the elastic member may be extended to correspond to a height of the first portion or a height of the second portion of the hinge cover according to the folding of the foldable device.

In an embodiment, according to the folding of the foldable device: a portion of the first elastic member that is in close contact with a first point having a first height of the first portion of the hinge cover by a length corresponding to the first height A portion of the first stretchable member that is in close contact with a second point having a second height of the first portion of the hinge cover may extend by a length corresponding to the second height.

In an embodiment, the first case may include an opening corresponding to the display viewed through a portion of the first housing structure.

In an embodiment, the elastic member may include at least one of polyurethane, leather, or fabric.

In an embodiment, the first case or the second case may include polycarbonate or Kevlar.

The electronic device according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may have various types of devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (eg, a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance device. The electronic device according to the embodiment of the present document is not limited to the above-described devices.

It should be understood that the various embodiments of this document and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of the noun corresponding to the item may include one or more of the item, unless the relevant context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, “at least one of A or B,” “A, B or C,” “at least one of A, B and C,” and “A , B, or C" each may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding one of the phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as “first”, “second”, or “first” or “second” may simply be used to distinguish the component from other such components, and refer to those components in other aspects (e.g., importance or order) is not limited.

Claims (15)

1. A first housing structure, a second housing structure foldable through a hinge with respect to a folding axis extending in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the first housing structure, and a hinge for protecting the hinge In the protective case of a foldable device comprising a cover,

   a first case detachably coupled to the first housing structure and enclosing a portion of the first housing structure;

   a second case detachably coupled to the second housing structure to surround a portion of the second housing structure; and

   A fixing part disposed between the first housing structure and the first case and fixed to the first case, a deformable part extending from the fixing part and bent according to the folding of the foldable device, and the fixing part from the deformable part and a folding member extending in the opposite direction and disposed between the second housing structure and the second case and including a slide part that slides with respect to the second case according to the folding or unfolding of the foldable device,

   The folding member is attached to a sheet member of the hinge cover including a first recess corresponding to an end portion in the first direction and a second recess corresponding to an end portion in the second direction, and one surface of the sheet member, a first elastic member disposed on at least the first recess and the second recess;

   The deformable part surrounds the hinge cover of the foldable device in a folded state, and is disposed between the second housing structure and the second case in an unfolded state of the foldable device,

   A portion of the first elastic member disposed on the first recess and the second recess is contracted according to the folding of the foldable device, so that the first portion and the second direction end adjacent to the first direction end of the hinge cover and a protective case that is in close contact with the second part adjacent to it.
2. According to claim 1,

   and a portion of the first elastic member disposed on the first recess and the second recess is attached to the sheet member in a state in which it extends in a direction away from the folding axis within an elastic deformation limit.
3. According to claim 1,

   the first recess extends from a boundary of the elastic member in the first direction by a predetermined length in the second direction, and a width of the first recess corresponds to a width of the deformable part;

   The second recess extends from a boundary of the elastic member in the second direction by a predetermined length in the first direction, and a width of the second recess corresponds to a width of the deformable portion.
4. According to claim 1,

   The second case includes a surface that forms a space in which the deformable portion and the slide portion can be accommodated on a surface facing the second housing structure, the protective case.
5. According to claim 1,

   The first case includes an opening corresponding to the display viewed through a portion of the first housing structure, the protective case.
6. 3. The method of claim 2,

   a portion of the first elastic member disposed on the first recess is contracted to correspond to a height of the first portion of the hinge cover according to the folding of the foldable device;

   a portion of the first elastic member disposed on the second recess is contracted to correspond to a height of the second portion of the hinge cover according to the folding of the foldable device.
7. 7. The method of claim 6,

   According to the folding of the foldable device:

   A portion of the first elastic member in close contact with a first point having a first height of the first portion of the hinge cover is contracted by a length corresponding to the first height;

   A portion of the first elastic member that is in close contact with a second point having a second height of the first portion of the hinge cover is contracted by a length corresponding to the second height.
8. According to claim 1,

   The sheet member is a PET film or a protective case comprising a highly elastic urethane sheet.
9. According to claim 1,

   The first elastic member comprises at least one of polyurethane, leather, or fabric, a protective case.
10. According to claim 1,

    The first case or the second case is a protective case comprising polycarbonate or Kevlar.
11. According to claim 1,

    The elastic member further comprises a reinforcing member disposed on the slide portion, the protective case.
12. 12. The method of claim 11,

    The reinforcing member includes a PET film or a highly elastic urethane sheet, a protective case.
13. According to claim 1,

    The folding member further comprises a second elastic member attached to the other surface of the sheet member, the protective case.
14. 14. The method of claim 13,

    The second elastic member comprises at least one of polyurethane, leather, or fabric, a protective case.
15. A first housing structure, a second housing structure foldable through a hinge with respect to a folding axis extending in a first direction with respect to the first housing structure and a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a hinge for protecting the hinge In the protective case of a foldable device comprising a cover,

    a first case detachably coupled to the first housing structure and enclosing a portion of the first housing structure;

    a second case detachably coupled to the second housing structure to surround a portion of the second housing structure; and

    One side is fixed to the first case, the other side is fixed to the second case, and a portion adjacent to the boundary in the first direction or the boundary in the second direction comprises an elastic member consisting of two or more layers,

    The elastic member is extended by a length corresponding to the shape of the hinge cover according to the folding of the foldable device and is in close contact with the hinge cover,

    The elastic member is contracted according to the unfolding of the foldable device and is covered by the first case and the second case.

Images