WO2022245012A1

WO2022245012A1 - Electronic device with flexible display

Info

Publication number: WO2022245012A1
Application number: PCT/KR2022/006287
Authority: WO
Inventors: 이진학; 사디사지드; 박한진; 윤치열; 이민영; 이상탁; 전리오
Original assignee: 삼성전자주식회사
Priority date: 2021-05-21
Filing date: 2022-05-03
Publication date: 2022-11-24

Abstract

An electronic device with a flexible display according to an aspect of the present disclosure comprises: the flexible display; a leaf spring installed below the flexible display; a first end member fixed to one end of the lower surface of the leaf spring; a second end member fixed to the other end of the lower surface of the leaf spring; and a plurality of support members fixed on the lower surface of the leaf spring so as to be spaced apart from each other between the first end member and the second end member.

Description

Electronic device with flexible display

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device having a display, and more particularly, to an electronic device having a flexible display.

In general, mobile electronic devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, and portable multimedia players include a flat panel display and a battery.

Recently, a display size of an electronic device tends to increase so that a user can comfortably watch an image.

In order to conveniently carry an electronic device having a large screen, an electronic device using a flexible display is being developed.

An electronic device having a flexible display for portability includes a structure that can be folded or rolled.

However, the electronic device having a flexible display according to the prior art has a problem in that it is difficult to reduce the size of the electronic device because there is no space for installing a printed circuit board and a battery.

In addition, the electronic device having a flexible display according to the prior art has a problem in that the lifetime of the flexible display is shortened because a large force is applied to the flexible display when the electronic device is folded or rolled.

The present disclosure was invented in view of the above problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device having a flexible display having a space capable of accommodating a printed circuit board and a battery therein.

In addition, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device having a flexible display capable of extending the life of the flexible display by minimizing the force applied to the flexible display when bending or unfolding the electronic device.

An electronic device having a flexible display according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a flexible display; a plate spring installed under the flexible display; A first end member fixed to one end of the lower surface of the leaf spring; a second end member fixed to the other end of the lower surface of the leaf spring; and a plurality of support members fixed to the lower surface of the plate spring to be spaced apart from each other between the first end member and the second end member.

At this time, a support space may be provided on a lower surface of each of the plurality of support members, and a circuit board and a battery may be installed in the support space of the plurality of support members.

In addition, the support member, the support plate fixed to the plate spring; and a pair of support side walls extending vertically from both ends of the support plate.

In addition, a base is fixed to the lower surface of the center of the plate spring, and the plurality of support members may be installed on both sides of the base.

In addition, a base space may be provided on a lower surface of the base, and a circuit board may be installed in the base space.

In addition, the base, the base plate fixed to the plate spring; and a pair of sidewalls extending vertically from both ends of the base plate.

In addition, a lower plate spring installed below the base may be further included.

In addition, a first fixing device and a second fixing device are installed at both ends of the lower plate spring, and the first fixing device and the second fixing device are located in the lower space of the first end member and the second end member, respectively. can be accepted

In addition, each of the first fixing device and the second fixing device includes a magnet fixing part fixed to one end of the lower plate spring; an inner fixing plate installed inside the lower space of each of the first end member and the second end member and to which the magnet fixing part is selectively attached; and an outer fixing plate installed outside the lower space of each of the first end member and the second end member and to which the magnet fixing part is selectively attached.

In addition, the first fixing device and the second fixing device each include a plunger fixing part installed at one end of the lower plate spring; and a pair of guide parts installed in the lower space of each of the first end member and the second end member and including a plurality of fixing grooves to which the plunger fixing part is coupled.

In addition, a central portion of the flexible display may be fixed to the leaf spring, and other portions of the flexible display may be installed so as not to be fixed to the leaf spring.

In addition, a sliding plate may be installed on a lower surface of the flexible display.

In addition, support brackets may be installed on both side surfaces of each of the plurality of support members.

In addition, the support bracket may include a connection plate fixed to the front, and the connection plate may include a male guide formed at one end and a female guide formed at the other end.

In addition, a fixing hole and an anti-rotation groove are provided on one side of the support member, and a screw hole corresponding to the fixing hole and an anti-rotation protrusion inserted into the anti-rotation groove may be provided on the connecting plate.

In addition, base brackets are installed on both sides of the base, respectively, and male guides inserted into arm guides of the support brackets installed on both sides of the support member may be provided at both ends of the base bracket.

An electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as described above may have a space capable of accommodating electronic components such as a printed circuit board and a battery therein.

In addition, when an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is bent or unfolded, both ends of the flexible display slide with respect to the leaf spring, so that the force applied to the flexible display can be minimized. It is possible to extend the lifespan of a flexible display compared to an electronic device having a flexible display according to the present invention.

1 is a perspective view of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

2 is a bottom perspective view of an electronic device having a flexible display of FIG. 1;

3 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 1 taken along line Ⅰ-I;

4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a flexible display is separated from an electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 1;

5 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 1;

6A is a bottom perspective view illustrating a base of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

6B is a side view illustrating a base of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

7A is a bottom perspective view illustrating a support member 40 of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

7B is a side view illustrating a support member 40 of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

7C is a side view illustrating two adjacent support members 40 when an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is in an unfolded state;

7D is a side view illustrating two adjacent support members 40 when an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is in a bent state;

8A is a bottom perspective view illustrating an end member of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

8B is a side view illustrating an end member of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

9 is a partial cross-sectional view showing one end and a first end member of a flexible display of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

10 is a perspective view showing a state in which one end of the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 1 is rolled;

11 is a perspective view showing a state in which both ends of the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 1 are rolled;

12 is a bottom perspective view illustrating an electronic device having a flexible display according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

13 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a printed circuit board and a battery are installed under the electronic device having a flexible display of FIG. 12;

14 is a perspective view illustrating an electronic device having a flexible display according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

15 is a bottom perspective view of an electronic device having a flexible display of FIG. 14;

16 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device with the flexible display of FIG. 14 taken along line II-II;

17 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device with the flexible display of FIG. 14 taken along line III-III;

18 is a perspective view showing a state in which the flexible display is separated from the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 14;

19 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device having a flexible display of FIG. 14;

20 is a perspective view illustrating a base bracket installed on a base of an electronic device having a flexible display of FIG. 14;

21 is a perspective view illustrating a support bracket of an electronic device having a flexible display of FIG. 14;

22 is a perspective view showing a state in which a support bracket is installed on a support member 40 of an electronic device having a flexible display of FIG. 14;

23 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a plurality of support brackets of the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 14 are connected;

24 is a perspective view showing a state in which a support bracket of an electronic device having a flexible display of FIG. 14 and an end bracket of an end member are coupled;

25 is a view showing a fixing device installed on an end member of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

26 is a view showing a state in which the magnet fixing part of the fixing device of FIG. 25 is attached to the outer fixing plate;

27 is an exploded perspective view illustrating another example of a fixing device installed on an end member of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

28 is a view showing a state in which the plunger fixing part of the fixing device of FIG. 27 is fixed to the inner fixing groove of the guide part;

29 is a view showing a state in which the plunger fixing part of the fixing device of FIG. 27 is fixed to the outer fixing groove of the guide part;

30 is a bottom perspective view illustrating a state in which a printed circuit board and a battery are installed in the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 14;

31 is a perspective view showing a state in which one end of the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 14 is rolled;

32 is a perspective view showing a state in which both ends of the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 14 are rolled;

33 is a perspective view illustrating another example of a flexible display used in an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The embodiments described below are shown by way of example to aid understanding of the present disclosure, and it should be understood that the present disclosure may be variously modified and implemented differently from the embodiments described herein. However, in the following description of the present disclosure, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or component may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present disclosure, the detailed description and specific illustration thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are not drawn to an actual scale to aid understanding of the disclosure, and the dimensions of some components may be exaggerated.

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms may only be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, a first element may be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element may be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be interpreted as meanings commonly known to those skilled in the art unless otherwise defined.

In addition, terms such as 'front end', 'rear end', 'upper end', 'lower end', 'upper end', and 'lower end' used in the present disclosure are defined based on drawings, and by these terms, the shape and Location is not limited.

Hereinafter, an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of an electronic device including the flexible display of FIG. 1 , and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device including the flexible display of FIG. 1 taken along line I-I. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the flexible display is separated from the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 1 , and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 1 .

1 to 5, an electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a flexible display 10, a plate spring 20, a base 30, a plurality of support members ( 40), the first end member 50, and the second end member 60 may be included.

The flexible display 10 is formed to display an image. The flexible display 10 is formed to be folded or bent.

A lower surface of the flexible display 10 may be formed as a flat surface. The lower surface of the flexible display 10 may be formed as a smooth plane capable of sliding relative to the leaf spring 20 . For example, a protrusion may not exist on the lower surface of the flexible display 10 .

As another example, as shown in FIG. 33 , a sliding plate 11 may be installed on the lower surface of the flexible display 10 .

The sliding plate 11 may be formed of a rectangular plate having the same size as the flexible display 10 . The sliding plate 11 is attached to the lower surface of the flexible display 10 and is formed to be bent integrally with the flexible display 10 . The sliding plate 11 may be formed of the same material as the plate spring 20 .

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5 , the plate spring 20 is installed below the flexible display 10 . When force is applied, the leaf spring 20 is formed so that it can be bent into various curvatures or rolled into a circular shape. The plate spring 20 may be formed as a rectangular flat plate having a narrow width and a long length.

A central portion of the flexible display 10 may be fixed to the center of the leaf spring 20, and other portions of the flexible display 10 may be installed so as not to be fixed to the leaf spring 20. That is, if only the central portion of the flexible display 10 is fixed to the center of the leaf spring 20, both ends of the flexible display 10 slide with respect to the leaf spring 20 when the leaf spring 20 is bent or stretched. can

The central portion of the flexible display 10 may be fixed to the plate spring 20 in various ways. For example, the central portion of the flexible display 10 may be fixed to the leaf spring 20 by fusion, bonding, screws, or the like.

A base 30, a plurality of support members 40, a first end member 50, and a second end member 60 may be installed on the lower surface of the leaf spring 20.

The base 30 is fixed to the center of the lower surface of the plate spring 20. The first end member 50 may be fixed to one end of the lower surface of the leaf spring 20, and the second end member 60 may be fixed to the other end of the lower surface of the leaf spring 20. Therefore, the first end member 50 is spaced a certain distance from the base 30, and the second end member 60 is also spaced a certain distance from the base 30 in the opposite direction.

The plurality of support members 40 are fixed to the lower surface of the plate spring 20 so as to be spaced apart from each other between the first end member 50, the base 30, and the second end member 60. That is, the plurality of support members 40 may be fixed between the base 30 and the first end member 50 and between the base 30 and the second end member 60 .

A plurality of support members 40 are fixed to the lower surface of the plate spring 20 so as to be spaced apart from each other. That is, the plurality of support members 40 are installed on the lower surface of the plate spring 20 so as not to contact each other.

In addition, the support member 40 is spaced a certain distance from one side of the base (30). The support member 40 is spaced a certain distance from one end of the first end member 50 . The support member 40 is spaced a certain distance from one end of the second end member 60 . That is, the base 30 and the support member 40 are installed so as not to contact each other. The support member 40 is installed so as not to contact the first end member 50 and the second end member 60.

In the case of this embodiment, the first end member 50 is fixed to the left end of the lower surface of the leaf spring 20, and the second end member 60 is fixed to the right end of the lower surface of the leaf spring 20. A plurality of support members 40 are fixed between the first end member 50 and the base 30 on the lower surface of the leaf spring 20, and a plurality of support members 40 between the second end member and the base 30. ) is fixed.

The number of the plurality of support members 40 may be determined according to the length of the plate spring 20 , that is, the length of the flexible display 10 . In the case of this embodiment, nine support members 40 are installed between the first end member 50 and the base 30, and nine support members 40 are installed between the second end member 60 and the base 30. ) is installed.

The base 30, the plurality of support members 40, the first end member 50, and the second end member 60 may be fixed to the lower surface of the plate spring 20 in various ways. For example, the base 30, the plurality of support members 40, the first end member 50, and the second end member 60 are fixed to the lower surface of the leaf spring 20 by fusion, bonding, screws, or hooks. It can be.

In the case of this embodiment, the base 30, the plurality of support members 40, the first end member 50, and the second end member 60 are fixed to the plate spring 20 with screws. To this end, a plurality of through holes 22 may be formed in the plate spring 20 .

A plurality of concave portions 21 are formed in the plate spring 20 so that heads of screws inserted into the plurality of through holes 22 do not protrude above the upper surface of the plate spring 20, and the plurality of concave portions 21 A through hole 22 may be formed at the bottom. A plurality of concave portions 21 may protrude from the lower surface of the leaf spring 20 .

At least one long hole 23 may be formed in the leaf spring 20 . At least one long hole 23 may be formed between the plurality of concave portions 21 . In the case of this embodiment, two long holes 23 are formed side by side in the longitudinal direction of the plate spring 20, but the number of long holes 23 is not limited thereto.

The base 30 is fixed to the center of the lower surface of the leaf spring 20. The base 30 may be formed as a substantially rectangular flat plate. A base space 33 may be provided on the lower surface of the base 30 . A printed circuit board 90 (see FIG. 13 ) may be installed in the base space 33 . Alternatively, the printed circuit board 90 and the battery may be installed in the base space 33 .

6A is a bottom perspective view illustrating a base of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 6B is a side view illustrating a base of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. .

Referring to FIG. 6A , the base 30 may be formed in a substantially U-shape. That is, a channel may be formed on the lower surface of the base 30 . For example, the base 30 may include a base plate 31 fixed to the plate spring 20 and a pair of side walls 32 extending vertically downward from both ends of the base plate 31 .

Referring to FIG. 6B , downward inclined surfaces 34 may be formed on both side surfaces of the base plate 31 on which the pair of side walls 32 are not formed. Specifically, the inclined surface 34 of the base plate 31 may be formed to be inclined downward from the upper surface 30a of the base 30 . The base plate 31 may be installed so that the downward inclined surface 34 is parallel to the support member 40 .

Both ends of each of the pair of side walls 32 may be formed to be inclined. That is, upwardly inclined surfaces 35 may be formed at both ends of the side wall 32 . Specifically, the inclined surfaces 35 formed at both ends of the side wall 32 may be inclined upward from the lower surface 32a of the side wall 32 . The lower surface 32a of the side wall 32 may be formed parallel to the upper surface 30a of the base 30 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , a plurality of receiving grooves 36 may be provided on the upper surface 30a of the base 30 . The plurality of receiving grooves 36 may be formed to correspond to the plurality of concave portions 21 of the plate spring 20 . A screw hole 37 having a female screw may be formed at the bottom of each of the plurality of receiving grooves 36 .

Therefore, when the plate spring 20 is coupled to the upper surface 30a of the base 30, the plurality of recesses 21 of the plate spring 20 are inserted into the plurality of receiving grooves 36 of the base 30 and , The through holes 22 of the plurality of concave portions 21 coincide with the screw holes 37 of the plurality of receiving grooves 36. Therefore, the base 30 can be fixed to the lower surface of the leaf spring 20 using a plurality of screws. At this time, the heads of the plurality of screws do not protrude above the upper surface of the leaf spring 20 .

A plurality of support members 40 are installed on both sides of the base 30 . That is, the plurality of support members 40 may be fixed to the lower surface of the plate spring 20 in parallel with the downward inclined surface 34 of the side surface of the base 30 .

A plurality of support members 40 may be formed in a bar shape. That is, the support member 40 may be formed in a rectangular shape with a narrower width than its length. The length of the support member 40 may be substantially the same as that of the base 30 . The width W2 of the support member 40 may be narrower than the width W1 of the base 30 . The width W2 of the support member 40 can be formed as narrow as possible if it can be fixed to the lower surface of the plate spring 20 .

A support space 43 may be provided on the lower surface of each of the plurality of support members 40 . The support space 43 of the support member 40 may be formed to communicate with the base space 33 of the base 30 . Accordingly, the plurality of support members 40 may form an accommodation space in which the printed circuit board 90 and the battery 91 are accommodated under the leaf spring 20 together with the base 30 .

Since all of the plurality of support members 40 are formed in the same shape, one support member 40 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B.

7A is a bottom perspective view illustrating a support member of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 7B is a side view illustrating a support member of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7A , the support member 40 may be formed in a substantially U-shape. That is, a channel may be formed on the lower surface of the support member 40 . The channel of the support member 40 may be formed to communicate with the channel of the base 30 . For example, the support member 40 may include a support plate 41 fixed to the plate spring 20 and a pair of support side walls 42 extending vertically downward from both ends of the support plate 41 .

Referring to FIG. 7B , downward slopes 44 may be formed on both side surfaces of the support plate 41 on which the pair of support side walls 42 are not formed. Specifically, the inclined surface 44 of the support plate 41 may be formed to be inclined downward from the upper surface 40a of the support member 40 . The inclination angle of the downwardly inclined surface 44 of the support plate 41 of the support member 40 may be the same as that of the downwardly inclined surface 34 of the base 30 .

Both ends of each of the pair of supporting side walls 42 may be formed to be inclined. That is, upwardly inclined surfaces 45 may be formed at both ends of the supporting sidewall 42 . Specifically, the inclined surfaces 45 formed at both ends of the supporting side wall 42 may be inclined upward from the lower surface 42a of the supporting side wall 42 . The lower surface 42a of the supporting sidewall 42 may be formed parallel to the upper surface 40a of the supporting member 40 . The inclination angle of the upwardly inclined surface 45 of the support sidewall 42 of the support member 40 may be formed to be the same as the inclination angle of the sidewall 32 of the base 30 .

The support member 40 adjacent to the base 30 may be installed on the lower surface of the plate spring 20 so that the downward inclined surface 44 is parallel to the downward inclined surface 34 of the base 30 . In addition, the plurality of support members 40 may be installed on the lower surface of the plate spring 20 so that the downward inclined surfaces 44 are parallel to each other.

Referring to FIG. 5 , a plurality of receiving grooves 46 may be provided on the upper surface of the support member 40 . The plurality of receiving grooves 46 may be formed to correspond to the plurality of concave portions 21 of the plate spring 20 . A screw hole 47 having a female screw may be formed at the bottom of each of the plurality of accommodating grooves 46 of the support member 40 .

Therefore, when the plate spring 20 is coupled to the upper surface of the support member 40, the plurality of recesses 21 of the plate spring 20 are inserted into the plurality of receiving grooves 46 of the support member 40, The through holes 22 of the plurality of concave portions 21 coincide with the screw holes 47 of the plurality of receiving grooves 46 . Therefore, the support member 40 can be fixed to the lower surface of the plate spring 20 using a plurality of screws. At this time, the heads of the plurality of screws fixed to the support member 40 do not protrude above the upper surface of the plate spring 20 .

7C is a side view illustrating two adjacent support members when an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is in an unfolded state. 7D is a side view illustrating two adjacent support members when an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is in a bent state.

Referring to FIG. 7C , two adjacent support members 40 among a plurality of support members 40 do not contact each other and may be installed on the lower surface of the leaf spring 20 to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

When the electronic device 1 with the flexible display is bent, the plate spring 20 and the flexible display 10 are bent at a predetermined curvature. At this time, the two adjacent support members 40 are adjacent to each other on the upward slope 45 of the support side wall 40, as shown in FIG. 7D. When the leaf spring 20 is bent to the maximum, that is, when the leaf spring 20 is bent to the minimum radius of curvature, the support side walls 42 of the two support members 40 fixed to the lower surfaces of the leaf spring 20 are upwardly The inclined plane 44 may be maximally close. That is, the distance between the upwardly inclined surfaces 45 of the two supporting members 40 can be minimized. Alternatively, the upwardly inclined surfaces 45 of the two support members 40 may contact each other.

Accordingly, the plurality of support members 40 may be bent in various curvatures together with the leaf spring 20 . At this time, since the flexible display 10 is fixed to the upper surface of the leaf spring 20, when the leaf spring 20 is bent, the force applied to the flexible display 10 is very small.

The first end member 50 and the second end member 60 are fixed to both ends of the lower surface of the plate spring 20. The first end member 50 and the second end member 60 may be formed as substantially rectangular flat plates. Each of the first and

second end members

50 and 60 may include lower spaces 53 and 63 . The lower spaces 53 and 63 may be formed to communicate with the support space 43 of the adjacent support member 40 .

An upper space 73 may be provided on the upper surface of each of the first and

second end members

50 and 60 . The upper space 73 is formed to accommodate one end of the flexible display 10 . The upper space 73 may be formed of a cover 70 installed on each of the first and

second end members

50 and 60 to the upper side of the plate spring 20 .

When the plate spring 20 is bent or unfolded, one end of the flexible display 10 accommodated in the upper space 73 can slide with respect to the plate spring 20 .

Since the first end member 50 and the second end member 60 may be formed in the same shape, the first end member 50 will be described in detail below. Hereinafter, the first end member 50 is referred to as the end member 50 and will be described.

8A is a bottom perspective view illustrating an end member of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 8B is a side view illustrating an end member of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to Figure 8a, the end member 50 may be formed in a substantially U shape. That is, a channel may be formed on the lower surface of the end member 50 . One end of the channel of the end member 50 may be formed to communicate with the channel of the support member 40 . The other end of the channel of the end member 50 is blocked. For example, the end member 50 includes an end plate 51 fixed to the leaf spring 20, a pair of end side walls 52 extending vertically downward from both ends of the end plate 51, and a pair of It may include an end wall 58 connecting one end to the end side wall 52 .

Referring to FIG. 8B , a downward inclined surface 54 may be formed on one side of the end plate 51 on which the pair of end side walls 52 are not formed. That is, a downward slope 54 may be formed on one side of the end plate 51 facing the support member 40 . Specifically, the inclined surface 54 of the end plate 51 may be formed to be inclined downward from the upper surface of the end plate 51 . The inclination angle of the downwardly inclined surface 54 of the end plate 51 of the end member 50 may be the same as that of the downwardly inclined surface 44 of the supporting member 40 .

One end of each of the pair of distal side walls 52 may be formed to be inclined. That is, an upward slope 55 may be formed at one end of the end sidewall 52 facing the support member 40 . Specifically, the inclined surface 55 formed at one end of the distal sidewall 52 may be formed to be inclined upward from the lower surface 52a of the distal sidewall 52 . The lower surface 52a of the end sidewall 52 may be formed parallel to the upper surface of the end plate 51 . The inclination angle of the upwardly inclined surface 55 of the distal sidewall 52 of the end member 50 may be the same as the inclined angle of the upwardly inclined surface 45 of the supporting sidewall 42 of the supporting member 40 .

The support member 40 adjacent to the end member 50 may be installed on the lower surface of the leaf spring 20 so that the downward slope 44 is parallel to the downward slope 54 of the end member 50.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 9 , the end member 50 may include a cover 70 installed on an upper surface of the end plate 51 . The cover 70 may form an upper space 73 together with the end plate 51 .

9 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating one end and an end member of a flexible display of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The cover 70 is installed on the upper surface of the end plate 51 to cover one end of the leaf spring 20 and one end of the flexible display 10 . The cover 70 includes a display accommodating groove 71 in which one end of the flexible display 10 is accommodated and one side is open. Therefore, when the cover 70 is installed on the upper surface of the end member 50, the display receiving groove 71 of the cover 70 and the upper surface of the end plate 51 of the end member 50 form an upper space 73. form One end of the flexible display 10 is accommodated in the upper space 73 .

The cover 70 may be fixed to the end member 50 in various ways. In the case of this embodiment, the cover 70 is fixed to the end member 50 with a plurality of screws 75. For example, a plurality of screw holes 72 in which female screws are formed may be provided on the lower surface of the cover 70 . A plurality of through holes 56 corresponding to the plurality of screw holes 72 may be provided in the end plate 51 of the end member 50 . Each of the plurality of through holes 56 may include a head groove 57 in which a screw head is accommodated. Accordingly, the screw head may not protrude from the lower surface of the end plate 51 .

The plurality of screw holes 72 of the cover 70 may be formed to correspond to the plurality of fixing holes 24 provided at one end of the leaf spring 20 . Therefore, when one end of the leaf spring 20 is placed between the end member 50 and the cover 70, the end member 50, the leaf spring 20, and the cover 70 are connected by using a plurality of screws 75. ) can be integrally combined.

Since the central portion of the flexible display 10 is fixed to the leaf spring 20 and both ends are not fixed to the leaf spring 20, when the leaf spring 20 is bent or unfolded, one end of the flexible display 10 is attached to the leaf spring 20. It can slide and move within the display accommodating groove of the cover 70 fixed to (20) (refer to the arrow in FIG. 9).

As described above, in the electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, both ends of the flexible display 10 are not fixed to the leaf spring 20 and can slide with respect to the leaf spring 20. , the force applied to the flexible display 10 when bending or unfolding the electronic device 1 can be minimized.

An electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure having the above structure can be bent in various shapes.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which one end of the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 1 is rolled.

Referring to FIG. 10 , one end of an electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be rolled. However, the extent to which one end of the electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is bent is not limited to FIG. 10 . The electronic device 1 having a flexible display may be bent with an arbitrary curvature between a state in which it is unfolded on a flat surface as in FIG. 1 and a state in which it is maximally rolled as in FIG. 10 .

In addition, both ends of the electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be bent in various curvatures.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which both ends of the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 1 are rolled.

Referring to FIG. 11 , both ends of an electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be rolled. However, the degree of bending of both end portions of the electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to FIG. 11 . The electronic device 1 having a flexible display may be bent with an arbitrary curvature between a state in which both ends are maximally rolled as in FIG.

In the above, the base 30 is fixed to the center of the lower surface of the leaf spring 20, and the case where a plurality of support members 40 are installed on both sides of the base 30 has been shown and described, but the present disclosure is limited to this It is not.

As another example, the base 30 may not be installed on the lower surface of the plate spring 20 . That is, a plurality of support members 40 may be installed on the lower surface of the plate spring 20 instead of the base 30 . Specifically, the first end member 50 and the second end member 60 are installed at both ends of the leaf spring 20, and the first end member 50 and the second end member 50 and the second end member are installed on the lower surface of the leaf spring 20. (60) between the plurality of support members 40 can be fixed at regular intervals. In this case, since the base 30 is not provided, the printed circuit board 90 and the battery 91 may be mounted in the support spaces 43 provided on the lower surfaces of the plurality of support members 40 .

In addition, in the above, the case where one base 30 is installed on the lower surface of the leaf spring 20 has been shown and described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. As another example, two or more bases 30 may be installed on the lower surface of the plate spring 20 .

Hereinafter, an electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13 .

12 is a bottom perspective view illustrating an electronic device having a flexible display according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 13 illustrates a state in which a printed circuit board and a battery are installed under the electronic device having a flexible display of FIG. 12 It is an exploded perspective view shown.

Referring to FIG. 12 , an electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a flexible display 10, a plate spring 20, a base 30, a plurality of support members 40, It may include a first end member 50, a second end member 60, and a lower plate spring 80.

Since the flexible display 10, the plate spring 20, the base 30, the plurality of support members 40, the first end member 50, and the second end member 60 are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, detailed omit explanation.

The lower leaf spring 80 is installed below the electronic device 1 having a flexible display. The lower leaf spring 80 may be fixed to the lower surface of the base 30 . The lower plate spring 80 is installed to cover the base space 33 formed on the lower surface of the base 30 .

A first fixing device 120 and a second fixing device 130 may be installed at both ends of the lower plate spring 80 . The first fixing device 120 is fixed to one end of the lower plate spring 80 and may be installed in the lower space 53 of the first end member 50. The second fixing device 130 is fixed to the other end of the lower plate spring 80 and may be installed in the lower space 63 of the second end member 60.

When the electronic device 1 with the flexible display is in an unfolded state as shown in FIG. 12, the first fixing device 120 is located at the first position of the first end member 50, and the second fixing device 130 is It may be located in the first position of the second end member (60). When the first and

second fixing devices

120 and 130 are positioned at the first positions of the first and

second end members

50 and 60, respectively, the electronic device 1 with the flexible display may maintain a flat state.

When both ends of the electronic device 1 with the flexible display are bent as shown in FIG. 11, the first fixing device 120 is located at the second position of the first end member 50, and the second fixing device 130 may be located at the second position of the second end member (60). When the first and

second fixing devices

120 and 130 are positioned at the second positions of the first and

second end members

50 and 60, respectively, the electronic device 1 with the flexible display may maintain a rolled state.

As shown in FIG. 13, the space formed under the electronic device 1 having a flexible display, that is, the base space 33 of the base 30 and the support space 43 of the plurality of support members 40 are printed. The circuit board 90 and the battery 91 may be accommodated.

A printed circuit board 90 may be installed in the base space 33 . The printed circuit board 90 may include a processor capable of controlling the flexible display 10 to display an image and a speaker capable of outputting sound. In addition, the printed circuit board 90 may include various electronic components and software capable of implementing the functions of a portable electronic device according to the prior art.

The two batteries 91 may be installed in the support space 43 formed by the plurality of support members 40 on both sides of the printed circuit board 90 . The battery 91 may be formed to be bent together with a plurality of support members 40 installed on the leaf spring 20 . That is, the battery 91 can be formed to be flexible.

A lower plate spring 80 may be installed below the printed circuit board 90 and the battery 91 . The central portion of the lower leaf spring 80 may be fixed to the lower surface of the base 30, one end may be fixed to the first fixing device 120, and the other end may be fixed to the second fixing device 130.

Hereinafter, an electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 14 to 19 .

14 is a perspective view illustrating an electronic device having a flexible display according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 15 is a bottom perspective view of an electronic device having a flexible display of FIG. 14 . FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device including the flexible display of FIG. 14 taken along line II-II. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device with the flexible display of FIG. 14 taken along line III-III. FIG. 18 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a flexible display is separated from the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 14 . 19 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device having a flexible display of FIG. 14;

14 to 19, an electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a flexible display 10, a plate spring 20, a base 30, a plurality of support members ( 40), a first end member 50, a second end member 60, a plurality of support brackets 100, a base bracket 110, an end bracket 120, and a lower leaf spring 80. .

The flexible display 10 is formed to display an image. The flexible display 10 may be folded or bent.

A lower surface of the flexible display 10 may be formed as a flat surface. The lower surface of the flexible display 10 may be formed as a smooth plane capable of sliding relative to the leaf spring 20 . For example, the lower surface of the flexible display 10 may be formed such that no protruding portion exists.

As another example, as shown in FIG. 33 , the sliding plate 11 may be integrally installed on the lower surface of the flexible display 10 .

Referring to FIGS. 16 to 19 , the leaf spring 20 is installed below the flexible display 10 . When force is applied, the leaf spring 20 is configured to be able to bend. For example, when a certain force is applied, the plate spring 20 is formed to be bent in various curvatures or rolled in a circular shape. The plate spring 20 may be formed as a rectangular flat plate having a narrow width and a long length.

The base 30 is fixed to the center of the lower surface of the leaf spring 20. The first end member 50 may be fixed to one end of the lower surface of the leaf spring 20, and the second end member 60 may be fixed to the other end of the lower surface of the leaf spring 20. Accordingly, the first end member 50 is spaced a certain distance from the base 30, and the second end member 60 is spaced a certain distance from the base 30 in the opposite direction.

In the case of this embodiment, the first end member 50 is fixed to the left end of the lower surface of the leaf spring 20, and the second end member 60 is fixed to the right end of the lower surface of the leaf spring 20. A plurality of support members 40 are fixed between the first end member 50 and the base 30 on the lower surface of the leaf spring 20, and a plurality of support members 40 are fixed between the second end member 60 and the base 30. Member 40 is fixed.

The base 30 is fixed to the center of the lower surface of the leaf spring 20. The base 30 may be formed as a substantially rectangular flat plate. A base space 33 may be provided on the lower surface of the base 30 . A printed circuit board 90 may be installed in the base space 33 . Alternatively, the printed circuit board 90 and the battery may be installed in the base space 33 .

The base 30 may be formed identically or similarly to the base 30 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

Referring to FIG. 6B , downward inclined surfaces 34 may be formed on both side surfaces of the base plate 31 on which the pair of side walls 32 are not formed. Specifically, the inclined surface 34 of the base plate 31 may be formed to be inclined downward from the upper surface 30a of the base 30 . The base 30 may be installed on the lower surface of the plate spring 20 so that the downward inclined surface 34 of the base plate 31 is parallel to the support member 40 .

Referring back to FIG. 6A , two bracket grooves 117 may be formed on the front surface of the side wall 32 . The two bracket grooves 117 are formed a certain distance apart. A through hole 39 is formed at the bottom of the bracket groove 117. The base bracket 110 may be fixed to the through hole 39 of the bracket groove 117 .

Referring to FIG. 20 , the base bracket 110 may be formed as a substantially rectangular flat plate. The base bracket 110 may be formed with a length corresponding to the width of the base 30 .

Two bracket protrusions 111 may be formed on the front surface of the base bracket 110 . The two bracket protrusions 111 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the two bracket grooves 117 of the side wall 32 of the base 30 . Therefore, when the two bracket protrusions 111 of the base bracket 110 are inserted into the two bracket grooves 117 of the base 30, the base bracket 110 does not move with respect to the base 30.

A screw hole 115 having a female screw may be formed in each of the two bracket protrusions 111 . The screw hole 115 of the bracket protrusion 111 is formed to correspond to the through hole 39 of the bracket groove 117 of the base 30 . Therefore, the base bracket 110 can be fixed to the sidewall 32 of the base 30 using screws.

Both side surfaces of the base bracket 110 may include inclined surfaces 114, respectively. The inclined surface 114 may be formed to be inclined upward in an upward direction from the lower surface of the base bracket 110. For example, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 114 of the base bracket 110 may be formed at the same inclined angle as that of the upwardly inclined surface 35 of the base 30 . The lower surface of the base bracket 110 may be formed parallel to the upper surface of the base bracket 110 .

Each of the upper portions 118 of both sides of the base bracket 110 may be formed perpendicularly to the upper surface of the base bracket 110 .

Male guides 116 may be formed on both sides of the base bracket 110, respectively. The male guide 116 may be formed to protrude outward from the inclined surface 114 . The male guide 116 is formed of a square plate, and both protruding corners of the square plate may be formed in a rounded shape.

The male guide 116 is provided on the inner part of the inclined surface 114, that is, the part of the inclined surface 114 adjacent to the side wall 32 of the base 30, and is inserted into the arm guide 107 of the support bracket 100. formed so that As shown in FIG. 20, the male guide 116 of the base bracket 110 is inserted into the arm guide 107 of the support bracket 100, and the inside of the arm guide 107 according to the bending of the plate spring 20. can move from

A display guide 112 covering an edge of the flexible display 10 may be formed at an upper end of the base bracket 110 . The display guide 112 may be formed to extend vertically with respect to the front surface of the base bracket 110 .

Referring again to FIG. 6A , a plurality of screw holes 38 for fixing the lower plate spring 80 may be formed on the lower surface 32a of the pair of side walls 32 of the base 30 .

Referring to FIG. 19 , a plurality of receiving grooves 36 may be provided on the upper surface of the base 30 . The plurality of receiving grooves 36 may be formed to correspond to the plurality of concave portions 21 of the plate spring 20 . A screw hole 37 having a female screw may be formed at the bottom of each of the plurality of receiving grooves 36 .

Therefore, when the plate spring 20 is coupled to the upper surface of the base 30, the plurality of recesses 21 of the plate spring 20 are inserted into the plurality of receiving grooves 36 of the base 30, and the plurality of The through hole 22 of the concave portion 21 coincides with the screw hole 37 of the plurality of receiving grooves 36. Therefore, the base 30 can be fixed to the lower surface of the leaf spring 20 using a plurality of screws. At this time, the heads of the plurality of screws do not protrude above the upper surface of the leaf spring 20 .

A plurality of support members 40 are all formed in the same shape. The support member 40 may be formed identically or similarly to the support member 40 shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b.

Both ends of each of the pair of supporting side walls 42 may be formed to be inclined. That is, upwardly inclined surfaces 45 may be formed at both ends of the supporting sidewall 42 . Specifically, the inclined surfaces 45 formed at both ends of the supporting side wall 42 may be inclined upward from the lower surface 42a of the supporting side wall 42 . The lower surface 42a of the supporting sidewall 42 may be formed parallel to the upper surface 40a of the supporting member 40 . The inclination angle of the upwardly inclined surface 45 of the supporting sidewall 42 of the support member 40 may be formed to be the same as the inclined angle of the upwardly inclined surface 35 of the sidewall 32 of the base 30 .

Referring back to FIGS. 7A and 7B , the support side wall 42 of the support member 40 may include a fixing hole 48 and an anti-rotation groove 47 . The fixing hole 48 is formed in the support sidewall 42 so as to fix the support bracket 100 thereto. The anti-rotation groove 47 is formed on the support sidewall 42 so that the anti-rotation protrusion 109 of the support bracket 100 can be inserted.

Referring to FIG. 21 , the support bracket 100 may be formed as a substantially rectangular flat plate. The support bracket 100 may be formed with a length corresponding to the width of the support member 40 .

Both side surfaces of the support bracket 100 may each include an inclined surface 104 . The inclined surface 104 may be formed to be inclined upward in an upward direction from the lower surface of the support bracket 100 . For example, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 104 of the support bracket 100 may be formed at the same inclined angle as the upwardly inclined surface 45 of the support member 40 . The lower surface of the support bracket 100 may be formed parallel to the upper surface of the support bracket 100 .

Upper portions 101 of both side surfaces of the support bracket 100 may be formed at right angles to the upper surface of the support bracket 100 .

A connection piece 105 may be provided on the front of the support bracket 100 . The connecting piece 105 is formed in a flat plate shape, and a male guide 106 may be formed at one end of the connecting piece 105 and a female guide 107 may be formed at the other end.

The male guide 106 may be formed to protrude outward from the inclined surface 104 of the support bracket 100 . The male guide 106 is formed of a square plate, and both protruding corners of the square plate may be formed in a rounded shape.

The arm guide 107 is formed to be located on the front side of the support bracket 100. The female guide 107 is formed so that the male guide 106 of the adjacent support bracket 100 can be inserted. Therefore, when the male guide 106 of the adjacent support bracket 100 is inserted into the female guide 107, the male guide 106 can be supported by the front surface of the support bracket 100.

The arm guide 107 may be formed as a curved groove. The female guide 107 may be formed in a shape in which the inserted male guide 106 can move within the female guide 107 according to the bending of the leaf spring 20 . That is, the two adjacent support members 40 can be smoothly bent or stretched along the plate spring 20 by the coupled arm guide 107 and male guide 106 .

A screw hole 108 having a female screw and an anti-rotation protrusion 109 may be formed in the connection piece 105 of the support bracket 100 . The screw hole 108 and the anti-rotation protrusion 109 may be formed between the male guide 106 and the female guide 107. The screw hole 108 of the support bracket 100 is formed to correspond to the fixing hole 48 of the support side wall 42 of the support member 40, and the anti-rotation protrusion 109 prevents rotation of the support side wall 42. It may be formed to be inserted into the groove 47. Therefore, the support bracket 100 may be fixed to the support sidewall 42 of the support member 40 using screws.

22 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a support bracket is installed on a support member of an electronic device having a flexible display of FIG. 14;

Referring to FIG. 22, support brackets 100 are installed on both sides of the support member 40, respectively. Insert the anti-rotation protrusion 109 of the support bracket 100 into the anti-rotation groove 47 of the support member 40, and screw the screw through the fixing hole 48 from the inside of the support member 40 to the support bracket 100. When fastened to the screw hole 108 of ), the support bracket 100 can be fixed to the side of the support member 40. At this time, since the anti-rotation protrusion 109 of the support bracket 100 is inserted into the anti-rotation groove 47 of the support member 40, the support bracket 100 can be prevented from rotating with respect to the support member 40. have.

A display guide 102 covering an edge of the flexible display 10 may be formed at an upper end of the support bracket 100 . The display guide 102 may be formed to extend vertically with respect to the front surface of the support bracket 100 .

A spring guide 103 capable of covering an edge of the lower plate spring 80 may be formed at a lower end of the support bracket 100 . The spring guide 103 may be formed to extend perpendicularly to the front surface of the support bracket 100 . The spring guide 103 of the support bracket 100 may be formed parallel to the display guide 102 .

The downward inclined surface 44 of the support member 40 adjacent to the base 30 may be installed on the lower surface of the plate spring 20 in parallel with the downward inclined surface 34 of the base 30 . In addition, the plurality of support members 40 may be installed on the lower surface of the plate spring 20 so that the downward inclined surfaces 44 are parallel to each other.

Referring to FIG. 19 , a plurality of receiving grooves 46 may be provided on the upper surface of the support member 40 . The plurality of receiving grooves 46 may be formed to correspond to the plurality of concave portions 21 of the plate spring 20 . A screw hole 47 having a female screw may be formed at the bottom of each of the plurality of receiving grooves 46 .

As shown in FIG. 16 , the plurality of support members 40 may be installed on the lower surface of the leaf spring 20 at a predetermined distance so that the two adjacent support members 40 do not contact each other.

When the electronic device 1 including the flexible display 10 is bent, the leaf spring 20 and the flexible display 10 are bent at a predetermined curvature. At this time, the two adjacent support members 40 are adjacent to each other on the upward inclined surface 45 of the support side wall 42 (see FIG. 7d). When the leaf spring 20 is bent to the maximum, that is, when the leaf spring 20 is bent to the minimum radius of curvature, the support side walls 42 of the two support members 40 fixed to the lower surfaces of the leaf spring 20 are upwardly The inclined plane 45 can be maximally close. That is, the distance between the upwardly inclined surfaces 45 of the two supporting members 40 can be minimized. Alternatively, the upwardly inclined surfaces 45 of the two support members 40 may be in contact with each other.

Accordingly, the plurality of support members 40 may be bent in various curvatures together with the plate spring 20, and a space may be formed under the plate spring 20. At this time, since the flexible display 10 is fixed to the upper surface of the leaf spring 20, the force applied to the flexible display 10 is very small when the leaf spring 20 is bent.

A plurality of support brackets 100 installed on both sides of the plurality of support members 40 may be connected to each other.

23 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a plurality of support brackets of the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 14 are connected.

As shown in FIG. 23 , when the plurality of support brackets 100 are connected, the male guides 106 of the two adjacent support brackets 100 are inserted into the female guides 107 . At this time, the male guide 106 is supported by the adjacent support bracket 100 . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18, when the plurality of support brackets 100 are installed on both side surfaces of the plurality of support members 40, the plate springs 20 to which the plurality of support members 40 are fixed are moved in the width direction. Burning can be prevented. If the plurality of support brackets 100 are not installed on both side surfaces of the plurality of support members 40, the electronic device 1 with the flexible display may be bent in the width direction (direction of the arrow in FIG. 1). can

second end members

An upper space 73 may be provided on the upper surface of each of the first and

second end members

50 and 60 to the upper side of the plate spring 20 .

The end member 50 may be formed identically or similarly to the end member 50 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

Referring to Figure 8a, the end member 50 may be formed in a substantially U shape. That is, a channel may be formed on the lower surface of the end member 50 . One end of the channel of the end member 50 is open to communicate with the channel of the support member 40. The other end of the channel of the end member 50 is blocked. For example, the end member 50 includes an end plate 51 fixed to the leaf spring 20, a pair of end side walls 52 extending vertically downward from both ends of the end plate 51, and a pair of It may include an end wall 58 provided between one end of each of the end side walls 52 .

One end of each of the pair of distal side walls 52 may be formed to be inclined. That is, an upward slope 55 may be formed at one end of the end sidewall 52 facing the support member 40 . Specifically, the inclined surface formed at one end of the distal sidewall 52 may be inclined upward from the lower surface of the distal sidewall 52 . The lower surface of the end sidewall 52 may be formed parallel to the upper surface of the end plate 51 . The inclination angle of the upwardly inclined surface 55 of the distal sidewall 52 of the end member 50 may be the same as the inclined angle of the upwardly inclined surface 45 of the supporting sidewall 42 of the supporting member 40 .

Referring back to FIG. 8A , a bracket seat 77 in which the end bracket 150 is installed may be provided near one end of the end side wall 52 facing the support member 40 . The bracket seat 77 may be formed to form a step with the distal side wall 52 .

The bracket seat 77 may include a fixing hole 78 and an anti-rotation groove 79. The fixing hole 78 is formed to fix the end bracket 150, and the anti-rotation groove 79 is formed so that the anti-rotation protrusion 159 of the end bracket 150 can be inserted. Accordingly, a pair of end brackets 150 may be installed on the pair of end side walls 52 of the end member 50 .

24 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a support bracket of an electronic device having a flexible display of FIG. 14 and an end bracket of an end member are coupled.

Referring to FIG. 24 , the end bracket 150 may be formed as a substantially rectangular flat plate. The end bracket 150 may be formed in a size corresponding to the bracket seat 77 of the end member 50.

The side of the end bracket 150 facing the support member 40 may include an inclined surface 124 . The inclined surface 124 may be formed to be inclined upward in an upward direction from the lower surface of the end bracket 150. For example, the inclined angle of the inclined surface 154 of the end bracket 150 may be formed at the same inclined angle as the upward inclined surface 45 of the supporting member 40 . The lower surface of the end bracket 150 may be formed parallel to the upper surface 151 of the end bracket 150 .

An end connection piece 155 may be provided on the front of the end bracket 150. The end connection piece 155 is formed in a flat plate shape, and an arm guide 157 may be formed at one end of the end connection piece 155.

The arm guide 157 is formed to be located on the front side of the end bracket 150. The female guide 157 is formed so that the male guide 106 of the adjacent support bracket 100 can be inserted. Therefore, when the male guide 106 of the adjacent support bracket 100 is inserted into the female guide 157 of the end bracket 150, the male guide 106 of the support bracket 100 is in front of the end bracket 150. can be supported by

The arm guide 157 may be formed as a curved groove. The female guide 157 may be formed in a shape in which the inserted male guide 106 can move within the female guide 157 according to the bending of the plate spring 20 . That is, the support member 40 and the end bracket 150 can be smoothly bent or stretched along the leaf spring 20 by the coupled arm guide 157 and male guide 106 .

A screw hole 158 having a female screw and an anti-rotation protrusion 159 may be formed in the connection piece 155 of the end bracket 150. The screw hole 158 and the anti-rotation protrusion 159 may be formed on one side of the arm guide 157. The screw hole 158 of the end bracket 150 is formed to correspond to the fixing hole 78 of the bracket seat 77 of the end member 50, and the anti-rotation protrusion 159 prevents the end member 50 from rotating. It may be formed to be inserted into the groove 79. Therefore, the end bracket 150 may be fixed to the end sidewall 52 of the end member 50 using screws.

Referring to FIG. 24, end brackets 150 are installed on each side of the end member 50. Insert the anti-rotation protrusion 159 of the end bracket 150 into the anti-rotation groove 79 of the end member 50, and screw the screw through the fixing hole 78 from the inside of the end member 50 to the end bracket 150. When fastened to the screw hole 158 of ), the end bracket 150 can be fixed to the side of the end member 50. At this time, since the anti-rotation protrusion 159 of the end bracket 150 is inserted into the anti-rotation groove 79 of the end member 50, the end bracket 150 can be prevented from rotating with respect to the end member 50. have.

A spring guide 153 may be formed at a lower end of the end bracket 150 to cover an edge of the lower plate spring 80 . The spring guide 153 may be formed to extend perpendicularly to the front surface of the end bracket 150 .

The support member 40 adjacent to the end member 50 may be installed on the lower surface of the leaf spring 20 so that the downwardly inclined surface 44 is parallel to the downwardly inclined surface 54 of the terminal member 50.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 19 , the end member 50 may include a cover 70 installed on an upper surface of the end plate 51 . The cover 70 may form an upper space 73 together with the end plate 51 .

The cover 70 is installed on the upper surface of the end plate 51 to cover one end of the leaf spring 20 and one end of the flexible display 10 . The cover 70 includes a display accommodating groove 71 open at one side so that one end of the flexible display 10 can be accommodated. Therefore, when the cover 70 is installed on the upper surface of the end member 50, the display receiving groove 71 of the cover 70 and the upper surface of the end plate 51 form an upper space 73. One end of the flexible display 10 may be accommodated in the upper space 73 .

The cover 70 may be fixed to the end member 50 in various ways. In the case of this embodiment, the cover 70 is fixed to the end member 50 with a plurality of screws (see Fig. 9). For example, a plurality of screw holes 72 in which female screws are formed may be provided on the lower surface of the cover 70 . A plurality of through holes 56 corresponding to the plurality of screw holes 72 may be provided in the end plate 51 of the end member 50 . Each of the plurality of through holes 56 may include a head groove 57 in which a screw head is accommodated. Accordingly, the screw head may not protrude from the lower surface of the end plate 51.

Since the central portion of the flexible display 10 is fixed to the leaf spring 20 and both ends are not fixed to the leaf spring 20, when the leaf spring 20 is bent or unfolded, one end of the flexible display 10 is attached to the leaf spring 20. It can slide within the display accommodating groove 71 of the cover 70 fixed to (20).

The lower leaf spring 80 is installed below the electronic device 1 having the flexible display 10 . The lower leaf spring 80 may be fixed to the lower surface of the base 30 . The lower plate spring 80 is installed to cover the base space 33 formed on the lower surface of the base 30 .

Both edges of the lower plate spring 80 may be supported by the spring guides 103 of the plurality of support brackets 100 and the spring guides 153 of the end bracket 150 .

Also, the lower leaf spring 80 may include a plurality of openings 82 . If the opening 82 is formed in the lower leaf spring 80, the weight of the lower leaf spring 80 can be reduced.

When the electronic device 1 with the flexible display is in an unfolded state as shown in FIG. 14, the first fixing device 120 is located at the first position of the first end member 50, and the second fixing device 130 is It may be located in the first position of the second end member (60). When the first and

second fixing devices

120 and 130 are positioned at the first positions of the first and

second end members

When both ends of the electronic device 1 with the flexible display are bent as shown in FIG. 31, the first fixing device 120 is located at the second position of the first end member 50, and the second fixing device 130 may be located at the second position of the second end member (60). When the first and

second fixing devices

120 and 130 are positioned at the second positions of the first and

second end members

Since the first fixing device 120 and the second fixing device 130 have the same structure, only the first fixing device 120 will be described below. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the first fixing device 120 will be referred to as the fixing device 120 and will be described.

Hereinafter, the fixing device will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 19, 25, and 26.

25 is a view showing a fixing device installed on an end member of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 26 shows a state in which a magnet fixing part of the fixing device of FIG. 25 is attached to an outer fixing plate. It is a drawing that represents

19 and 25, the fixing device 120 may include a magnet fixing part 121, an inner fixing plate 123, and an outer fixing plate 122.

The magnet fixing part 121 may be fixed to one end of the lower plate spring 80 . Since the magnet fixing part 121 is fixed to one end of the lower plate spring 80, the magnet fixing part 121 can move integrally with the lower plate spring 80.

The magnet fixing part 121 may include a magnet 126 and a fixing part 127 formed to fix the magnet 126 .

The fixing part 127 is provided with a magnet hole into which the magnet 126 is inserted, and a plurality of screw holes 128 for fixing the lower plate spring 80 may be formed on the upper surface. Openings are formed on the front and rear surfaces of the fixing part 127 so that the magnet 126 can be exposed.

The magnet 126 is inserted into the magnet hole of the fixing part 127 and is formed to be fixed. The magnet 126 may be formed of a permanent magnet.

The inner fixing plate 123 may be installed inside the lower space 53 of the end member 50 . That is, the inner fixing plate 123 may be installed in the lower space 53 of the end member 50 so as to be adjacent to the support member 40 .

The outer fixing plate 122 may be installed outside the lower space 53 of the end member 50 . That is, the outer fixing plate 122 may be installed in the lower space 53 of the end member 50 farthest from the support member 40 . That is, the outer fixing plate 122 may be installed in close contact with the end wall 58 of the end member 50 .

The inner fixing plate 123 and the outer fixing plate 122 may be fixed to the lower space 53 of the end member 50 by a pair of fixing brackets 124 . The inner fixing plate 123, the outer fixing plate 122, and the pair of fixing brackets 124 may form a rectangular frame. A pair of fixing brackets 124 may be fixed to the lower surface of the end plate 51 of the end member 50 with screws 125. In addition, the pair of fixing brackets 124 may guide the movement of the magnet fixing part 121 .

The inner fixing plate 123 and the outer fixing plate 122 may be formed of a magnetic material to which the magnet 126 is attached. For example, the inner fixing plate 123 and the outer fixing plate 122 may be formed of an iron plate. Therefore, the magnet fixing part 121 may be selectively attached to either one of the inner fixing plate 123 and the outer fixing plate 122 .

When the electronic device 1 with the flexible display is unfolded as shown in FIG. 14 , the magnet fixing part 121 is attached to the inner fixing plate 123 as shown in FIG. 25 . Thus, the electronic device 1 with the flexible display can maintain a flat state.

When the electronic device 1 with the flexible display is maximally rolled as shown in FIG. 32 , the magnet fixing part 121 is attached to the outer fixing plate 122 as shown in FIG. 26 . Then, the electronic device 1 with the flexible display can maintain a rolled state.

Hereinafter, another example of the fixing device will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 27 to 29 .

27 is an exploded perspective view illustrating another example of a fixing device installed on an end member of an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 28 is a view showing a state in which the plunger fixing part of the fixing device of FIG. 27 is fixed to the inner fixing groove of the guide part, and FIG. 29 is a view showing a state in which the plunger fixing part of the fixing device of FIG. 27 is fixed to the outer fixing groove of the guide part. to be.

Referring to FIGS. 27 and 28 , the fixing device 140 may include a plunger fixing part 141 and a pair of guide parts 142 .

The plunger fixing part 141 may be fixed to one end of the lower leaf spring 80 . Since the plunger fixing part 141 is fixed to one end of the lower leaf spring 80, the plunger fixing part 141 can move integrally with the lower leaf spring 80.

The plunger fixing part 141 may include a pair of spring plungers 147 and a fixing block 146 configured to fix the pair of spring plungers 147 .

The fixing block 146 is provided with plunger holes into which the spring plungers 147 are inserted at both ends, and a plurality of screw holes 149 for fixing the lower plate spring 80 may be formed on the upper surface.

A tip 148 protrudes from one end of the spring plunger 147, and a spring elastically supporting the tip 148 is installed inside.

The pair of guide parts 142 are installed in the lower space 53 of the end member 50 and may include a plurality of fixing

grooves

144a, 144b, and 144c to which the plunger fixing part 141 is coupled. For example, a pair of guide parts 142 may be installed on both sides of the end plate 51 of the end member 50. A fixing part 143 having a screw hole may be provided at one side of each of the pair of guide parts 142 . Accordingly, the pair of guide parts 142 may be fixed to the lower surface of the end plate 51 with screws.

A plurality of fixing

grooves

144a, 144b, and 144c are formed on the side of the guide part 142. The plurality of fixing

grooves

144a, 144b, and 144c may be formed to accommodate the tip 148 of the spring plunger 147. Accordingly, the plunger fixing part 141 may be stopped in the plurality of fixing

grooves

144a, 144b, and 144c. A space between the plurality of fixing

grooves

144a, 144b, and 144c may be formed as a curved surface. The tip 148 of the spring plunger 147 can move smoothly along a curved surface between the plurality of fixing

grooves

144a, 144b, and 144c.

A pair of guide parts 141 may guide the movement of the plunger fixing part 141 . The pair of spring plungers 147 provided in the plunger fixing part 141 may be located in one of the plurality of fixing

grooves

144a, 144b, and 144c of the pair of guide parts 142. Specifically, when the tips 148 of the pair of spring plungers 147 are positioned in the fixing

grooves

144a, 144b, and 144c, the plunger fixing part 141 is fixed to the end member 50.

When a certain force is applied to the plunger fixing part 141 , the plunger fixing part 141 may move along the side of the pair of guide parts 142 . Specifically, when a certain force is applied to the plunger fixing part 141, the tip 148 of the pair of spring plungers 147 escapes from the fixing

grooves

144a, 144b, and 144c and moves the pair of guide parts 142. It can move along the curved surface of the side.

The number of the plurality of fixing

grooves

144a, 144b, and 144c of the pair of guide parts 142 may be appropriately determined as needed. In this embodiment, three fixing

grooves

144a, 144b, and 144c are formed in the guide part 142. That is, the guide part 142 includes an inner fixing groove 144a formed closest to the support member 40, an outer fixing groove 144c formed farthest from the support member 40, and an inner fixing groove 144a. An intermediate fixing groove 144b formed between the outer fixing grooves 144c may be included. However, this is only an example, and two or more fixing grooves may be formed in the guide part 142 .

When the electronic device 1 with the flexible display is unfolded as shown in FIG. 14 , the plunger fixing part 141 is located in the inner fixing groove 144a as shown in FIG. 28 . Thus, the electronic device 1 with the flexible display can maintain a flat state.

When the electronic device 1 with the flexible display is maximally rolled as shown in FIG. 32 , the plunger fixing part 141 is located in the outer fixing groove 144c as shown in FIG. 29 . Then, the electronic device 1 with the flexible display can maintain a rolled state.

The plunger fixing part 141 may be located in the middle fixing groove 144b. In this case, the electronic device 1 with the flexible display may be maintained in a bent state with a larger radius of curvature than the electronic device 1 with the flexible display shown in FIG. 32 .

A printed circuit board 90 and a battery 91 may be installed in the

lower spaces

33 and 43 formed by the base 30 and the plurality of support members 40 .

FIG. 30 is a bottom perspective view illustrating a state in which a printed circuit board and a battery are installed in the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 14 .

A printed circuit board 90 may be installed in the base space 33 formed below the base 30 . The two batteries 91 may be installed in the support space 43 formed by the plurality of support members 40 on both sides of the printed circuit board 90 . The battery 91 may be formed to be bent together with a plurality of support members 40 installed on the leaf spring 20 . That is, the battery 91 can be formed to be flexible. Thus, the battery 91 can be bent or unfolded together with the plate spring 20 and the plurality of support members 40 .

Lower plate springs 80 may be installed below the printed circuit board 90 and the two batteries 91 . The lower leaf spring 80 may protect and support the printed circuit board 90 and the battery 91 .

The electronic device 1 having the flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure having the above-described structure may be bent in various shapes.

FIG. 31 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which one end of the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 14 is rolled.

Referring to FIG. 31 , one end of an electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be rolled, and may be maintained in this state by a first fixing device 120 . However, the degree of bending of one end of the electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to FIG. 31 . The electronic device 1 with the flexible display can be bent with an arbitrary curvature between a state of being flattened as shown in FIG. 14 and a state of maximum curl as shown in FIG. 31 .

FIG. 32 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which both ends of the electronic device having the flexible display of FIG. 14 are rolled.

Referring to FIG. 32 , both ends of an electronic device 1 having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be rolled, and this state may be maintained by first and

second fixing devices

120 and 130. . However, the degree of bending of both ends of the electronic device 1 with a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to FIG. 32 . The electronic device 1 with the flexible display may be bent with an arbitrary curvature between a state in which both ends are maximally curled as shown in FIG.

According to the electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure having the above structure, a space capable of accommodating electronic components such as a printed circuit board and a battery may be provided therein.

In addition, when an electronic device having a flexible display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is bent or unfolded, both ends of the flexible display slide with respect to a leaf spring, so that force applied to the flexible display can be minimized. Therefore, it is possible to extend the life of the flexible display compared to an electronic device having a flexible display according to the prior art.

The present disclosure has been described above in an exemplary manner. The terms used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be construed in a limiting sense. Depending on the above, various modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible. Accordingly, the present disclosure may be freely practiced within the scope of the claims unless otherwise stated.

Claims

flexible display;

a plate spring installed below the flexible display;

A first end member fixed to one end of the lower surface of the leaf spring;

a second end member fixed to the other end of the lower surface of the leaf spring; and

An electronic device with a flexible display comprising: a plurality of support members fixed to the lower surface of the plate spring to be spaced apart from each other between the first end member and the second end member.
According to claim 1,

A support space is provided on the lower surface of each of the plurality of support members,

An electronic device with a flexible display, in which a circuit board and a battery are installed in the support space of the plurality of support members.
According to claim 1,

The support member is

a support plate fixed to the plate spring; and

An electronic device with a flexible display comprising: a pair of support sidewalls extending vertically from both ends of the support plate.
According to claim 1,

A base is fixed to the lower surface of the center of the leaf spring,

The plurality of support members are installed on both sides of the base, an electronic device with a flexible display.
According to claim 4,

A base space is provided on the lower surface of the base,

An electronic device having a flexible display in which a circuit board is installed in the base space.
According to claim 4,

The base is

a base plate fixed to the plate spring; and

An electronic device with a flexible display comprising: a pair of side walls extending vertically from both ends of the base plate.
According to claim 4,

An electronic device with a flexible display, further comprising a lower plate spring installed below the base.
According to claim 7,

A first fixing device and a second fixing device are installed at both ends of the lower plate spring,

The first fixing device and the second fixing device are accommodated in lower spaces of the first end member and the second end member, respectively.
According to claim 8,

The first fixing device and the second fixing device are respectively

a magnet fixing part fixed to one end of the lower leaf spring;

an inner fixing plate installed inside the lower space of each of the first end member and the second end member and to which the magnet fixing part is selectively attached; and

An electronic device with a flexible display comprising: an outer fixing plate installed outside the lower space of each of the first end member and the second end member and to which the magnet fixing part is selectively attached.
According to claim 8,

The first fixing device and the second fixing device are respectively

a plunger fixing part installed at one end of the lower leaf spring; and

An electronic device with a flexible display comprising: a pair of guide parts installed in the lower space of each of the first end member and the second end member and including a plurality of fixing grooves to which the plunger fixing part is coupled.
According to claim 1,

An electronic device with a flexible display, wherein a central portion of the flexible display is fixed to the leaf spring, and another portion of the flexible display is installed so as not to be fixed to the leaf spring.
According to claim 11,

An electronic device with a flexible display, wherein a sliding plate is installed on the lower surface of the flexible display.
According to claim 1,

An electronic device with a flexible display, wherein support brackets are installed on both side surfaces of each of the plurality of support members.
According to claim 13,

The support bracket includes a connection plate fixed to the front side,

The connecting plate includes a male guide formed at one end and a female guide formed at the other end, an electronic device having a flexible display.
According to claim 4,

Base brackets are installed on both sides of the base, respectively,

An electronic device with a flexible display, wherein male guides are provided at both ends of the base bracket to be inserted into female guides of the support brackets installed on both sides of the support member.