Foldable display device and hinge device for foldable display device

Abstract

A foldable display device and a hinge device for the foldable display device are disclosed, wherein the foldable display device comprises a display panel and a first panel supporting member, the display panel comprises a foldable display area, the first panel supporting member supports the display panel, and the first panel supporting member overlaps with the first area of ​​the display panel. The foldable display device comprises a second panel supporting member and a hinge device, the second panel supporting member supports the display panel, and the second panel supporting member overlaps with the second area of ​​the display panel, and the hinge device comprises a basic hinge device, the basic hinge device is connected to the first panel supporting member and the second panel supporting member to guide the folding and unfolding of the display panel relative to the virtual rotation axis.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0131642, filed on October 22, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a foldable display device and a hinge device used therefor. Background Art

[0004] Display devices can be used to connect users and information. As information technology continues to develop, the importance of display devices has been emphasized. Therefore, the use of display devices such as liquid crystal display devices, organic light emitting display devices, and plasma display devices has increased.

[0005] Recently, research and development of foldable display devices, bendable display devices, rollable display devices, etc. are underway. Such devices provide the advantages of a bendable or foldable flexible display panel. Such display devices can be applied to various devices such as televisions and monitors as well as portable electronic devices and wearable devices.

[0006] The foldable display device may be implemented according to an inner-folding method in which display surfaces may be folded to face each other, or according to an outer-folding method in which display surfaces may be folded outward.

[0007] The foldable display device may include a hinge device for assisting folding and supporting a folded shape and / or an unfolded shape of the foldable display device. Research and development of a hinge device having a reduced manufacturing cost while accurately assisting folding / unfolding of the foldable display device is ongoing.

[0008] It should be understood that this background technology section is intended to provide a useful background for understanding the technology. However, this background technology section may also include ideas, concepts or understandings that were not known or understood by a person skilled in the relevant art before the corresponding effective filing date of the subject matter disclosed herein. Summary of the invention

[0009] In an embodiment, a foldable display device is provided, which can control the folding and unfolding of a display panel through the rotational movement of a rotor.

[0010] In another embodiment, a hinge device is provided and may include a rotor and a follower, wherein the rotor performs a smooth rotational motion using a groove and the follower performs a linear motion through the rotor.

[0011] However, the embodiments are not limited thereto. Other embodiments are disclosed, and various extensions may be made within the scope not departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0012] In an embodiment, a foldable display device may include: a display panel, which may include a foldable display area; and a first panel support member, which supports the display panel, the first panel support member overlapping the first area of ​​the display panel. The foldable display device may include a second panel support member supporting the display panel, the second panel support member overlapping the second area of ​​the display panel. The foldable display device may include a hinge device, the hinge device including a basic hinge device, the basic hinge device is connected to the first panel support member and the second panel support member to guide the folding and unfolding of the display panel relative to the virtual rotation axis.

[0013] In an embodiment, the hinge device may further include a first base plate coupled to the first panel support member, a second base plate coupled to the second panel support member, and a hinge cover supporting the base hinge device.

[0014] Each of the base hinge devices may include: a first rotor coupled to the first base plate to rotate along a first one of the virtual rotation axes; and a second rotor coupled to the second base plate to rotate along a second one of the virtual rotation axes.

[0015] Each of the basic hinge devices may further include a bracket that supports the first rotor and the second rotor on an inner side surface of the hinge cover and guides rotational movement of the first rotor and the second rotor.

[0016] The bracket may include one of polyoxymethylene (POM), acetal, and stainless steel (STS).

[0017] The basic hinge device may include a first basic hinge device including a first rotor including a curved surface having a diameter corresponding to a first virtual rotation axis and a groove recessed in an arc shape on the curved surface.

[0018] The groove of the first rotor may be fitted to the bracket.

[0019] The first rotor may have a shape curved along a rotation radius corresponding to the first virtual rotation axis, and the first rotor may include a torque assist member extending from a side surface of the first rotor in a direction parallel to the first virtual rotation axis.

[0020] At least one surface of the torque assist member may include a groove.

[0021] The second rotor included in the first base hinge device may have the same shape as the first rotor, and may be disposed on the bracket to be rotationally symmetrical with the first rotor.

[0022] The first base hinge device may further include an auxiliary bracket disposed between the first rotor and the second rotor and overlapping at least a portion of the torque assist member of the first rotor and at least a portion of the torque assist member of the second rotor.

[0023] The first base hinge device may further include a lubricant applied between the auxiliary bracket and the first rotor torque assist member or between the auxiliary bracket and the torque assist member of the second rotor.

[0024] The basic hinge device may include a second basic hinge device including a first rotor including a curved surface having a diameter corresponding to the first virtual rotation axis and a surface protruding in an arc shape on the curved surface.

[0025] The first rotor included in the second base hinge device may further include a torque assist member having a shape curved along a rotation radius corresponding to the first virtual rotation axis and extending from a side surface of the first rotor in a direction parallel to the first virtual rotation axis.

[0026] A side surface of the first rotor opposite to a side surface to which the torque assist member may be coupled may have a cross-section of a spiral shape that may be cut in a diagonal direction.

[0027] The spiral-shaped cross-section may have an arc-shaped groove along the first virtual rotation axis.

[0028] The second base hinge device may further include a follower which may be fitted into the groove of the spiral-shaped cross-section of the first rotor and may be pushed by the rotational movement of the first rotor to move linearly in a direction horizontal to the first virtual rotation axis.

[0029] The second rotor included in the second base hinge device may have a shape symmetrical to the first rotor with respect to the follower, and may be provided on a side opposite to the first rotor.

[0030] The second rotor may convert a force according to the linear motion of the follower into a rotational force to rotate in a direction opposite to a rotational direction of the first rotor.

[0031] The first rotor and the second rotor may simultaneously rotate in opposite directions at the same angle.

[0032] An aspect of the present disclosure for achieving the above content provides a hinge device for a foldable display device.

[0033] The hinge device for the foldable display device may include a first base plate coupled to a first panel support member, a second base plate coupled to a second panel support member, and a basic hinge device coupled to the first panel support member and the second panel support member. The hinge device may include a hinge cover supporting the basic hinge devices, wherein each of the basic hinge devices may include a first rotor coupled to the first base plate to rotate along a first virtual rotation axis, a second rotor coupled to the second base plate to rotate along a second virtual rotation axis, and a bracket that supports the first rotor and the second rotor on an inner side of the hinge cover and guides the rotational movement of the first rotor and the second rotor.

[0034] The foldable display device and the hinge device therefor according to the present disclosure may be advantageous in assembly and production management through modularization by configuring the interior of the hinge device in a part of a base hinge device.

[0035] The two screen angles caused by the folding and unfolding operations can be linked to each other and symmetrical by providing a follower that performs linear motion between the rotors. By additionally providing a fixed type bracket at the lower ends of the rotor and the follower, linear motion can be easily performed while minimizing wear due to friction.

[0036] The rotor may include a groove structure, and thus can easily generate torque required for rotation. Therefore, a natural folding or unfolding operation can be achieved.

[0037] However, the effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described effects, and various extensions can be made within a range not departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The above and other features of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing the embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0039] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram for describing the appearance of a foldable display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a coupling relationship between a hinge device and a panel supporting member in a foldable display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Figure 3 is an exploded schematic perspective view for describing components of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram for describing the arrangement structure of a basic hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 5 is an exploded schematic perspective view of a first basic hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram for describing a folding operation of a first basic hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 7 is an exploded schematic perspective view of a second basic hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram for describing a folding operation of a second base hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0047] Fig. 9 2 is a schematic diagram for describing a folding operation of a third basic hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. The present disclosure can be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0049] In order to clearly describe the present disclosure, parts that may be irrelevant to the description may be omitted, and the same or similar components may be denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the specification and the drawings.

[0050] The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “have,” “having” and the like specify the presence of stated components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other components.

[0051] For convenience of description, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings may be arbitrarily shown, and therefore the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to those shown in the drawings. In the drawings, the thickness may be exaggerated to clearly indicate various layers and regions.

[0052] The term "overlapping" may include "layer," "stack," "face" or "facing," "extending across," "covering" or "partially covering" or any other suitable term that would be appreciated and understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0053] For the purpose of its meaning and interpretation, the term "and / or" is intended to include any combination of the terms "and" and "or". For example, "A and / or B" may be understood to mean "A, B, or A and B". The terms "and" and "or" may be used in conjunction or disjunction and may be understood to be equivalent to "and / or".

[0054] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram for describing the appearance of a foldable display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] Reference Figure 1 , the foldable display device FDD may include a first surface (or front surface portion FDF) and a second surface (or back surface portion FDB).

[0056] The front surface portion FDF of the foldable display device FDD may be a direction along which the display panel FDP having a foldable display area may be exposed (for example, the front surface portion FDF may be a surface from which an image of the display panel FDP is viewed). The display panel FDP may be a flexible display panel. For example, the display panel FDP may include a flexible substrate such as a plastic film, and an image may be displayed using a pixel circuit (a plurality of transistors) and a light-emitting element such as an organic light-emitting diode disposed on the flexible substrate. The light-emitting element and the pixel circuit may be covered by a thin film encapsulation layer. The thin film encapsulation layer may seal the light-emitting element to avoid the influence of an external air environment including water and oxygen, thereby suppressing characteristic degradation. The light-emitting element is not limited to an organic light-emitting diode. For example, the light-emitting element may be an inorganic light-emitting element including an inorganic light-emitting material or a light-emitting element (quantum dot display element) that emits light by changing the wavelength of light emitted using quantum dots.

[0057] The foldable display area of ​​the display panel FDP may include pixels, and may include at least one of an area that can be bent by a folding operation and an area that may not be bent. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the foldable display device FDD may be folded in an inner folding method in which the foldable display area can be folded to face each other. More specifically, the foldable display device FDD may be folded using two virtual rotation axes axis1 and axis2 so that the left surface and the right surface of the foldable display area face each other. In the following, for ease of description, a description will be given on the premise that the foldable display area can be folded in an inner folding method. However, the foldable display area may be folded in an outer folding method.

[0058] The foldable display device FDD may further include an input sensing sensor disposed in the foldable display area of ​​the display panel FDP or embedded in the display panel FDP. The input sensing sensor may include a touch sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a motion sensor, an iris sensor, and the like.

[0059] A transparent cover window may be provided in the foldable display area of ​​the display panel FDP. The cover window may protect the display panel FDP from external impact, scratches, etc. while transmitting an image of the display panel FDP. The cover window may include a transparent material having rigidity and flexibility.

[0060] The back surface portion FDB of the display panel FDP may be supported by the panel support members 200 and 300. Referring to the back surface portion FDB of the foldable display device FDD, the panel support members 200 and 300 may be exposed on the back surface of the foldable display device FDD. The foldable display device FDD may further include a back surface display panel EDP. The back surface display panel EDP may be coupled to at least one of the panel support members 200 and 300 on opposite sides of the display panel FDP. The back surface display panel EDP may be a display panel that may not be foldable. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the back surface display panel EDP of the back surface portion FDB may be a flexible display panel.

[0061] Referring to the foldable display device FDD in the folded state FDI, the hinge device 100 guiding the folding and unfolding of the foldable display device FDD may be exposed to the outside. On the other hand, referring to the back surface portion FDB of the foldable display device FDD, when the foldable display device FDD is in the unfolded state (or flat state), the two panel supporting members 200 and 300 may contact each other while surrounding both sides of the hinge device 100.

[0062] Therefore, the hinge device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented in a form in which the hinge device 100 may be covered by the panel support members 200 and 300 and may not be exposed to the outside in the unfolded state (or flat state), and the hinge device 100 may be exposed to the outside in the folded state FDI. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the hinge device 100 may be implemented in a form in which the hinge device 100 is not exposed to the outside even in the folded state FDI.

[0063] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a coupling relationship between a hinge device and a panel supporting member in a foldable display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] Reference Figure 2 , foldable display device (see Figure 1 The “FDD” in FIG. 1 may include a display panel FDP, a first panel supporting member 200 , a second panel supporting member 300 , and a hinge device 100 .

[0065] The display panel FDP may include a foldable display area.

[0066] The first panel supporting member 200 may overlap with the first area Area1 of the back surface side of the display panel FDP to support the display panel FDP. A direction along which a screen may be displayed on the display panel FDP may be defined as a front surface side direction DR3, and a direction opposite to the front surface side direction DR3 may be defined as a back surface side direction DR4 of the display panel FDP.

[0067] A direction parallel to the first virtual rotation axis axis1 and the second virtual rotation axis axis2 can be defined as a first direction DR1, wherein the first panel supporting member 200 rotates along the first virtual rotation axis axis1 through the hinge device 100, and the second panel supporting member 300 rotates along the second virtual rotation axis axis2 through the hinge device 100; and a direction perpendicular to the first direction DR1 on a horizontal plane (for example, a plane parallel to the display panel FDP) can be defined as a second direction DR2.

[0068] However, Figure 2 The first direction DR1, the second direction DR2, the front surface side direction DR3, and the back surface side direction DR4 shown in FIG. 1 are exemplary and may be converted into other directions satisfying the relative directions.

[0069] The second panel supporting member 300 may overlap the second area Area2 of the back surface side of the display panel FDP to support the display panel FDP. For example, the second panel supporting member 300 may support the second area Area2 of the display panel FDP thereon.

[0070] In an embodiment, the first and second panel supporting members 200 and 300 may be attached to the display panel FDP by an adhesive. The first and second panel supporting members 200 and 300 may include a flexible PCB (FPCB) for driving and / or operating the foldable display device, a battery, a speaker, etc.

[0071] As will be described in more detail later, the hinge device 100 may be coupled to the first panel supporting member 200 and the second panel supporting member 300 to guide folding and unfolding of the display panel FDP with respect to two virtual rotation axes axis1 and axis2.

[0072] The hinge device 100 may include a first base plate 170 coupled to the first panel support member 200 and a second base plate 180 coupled to the second panel support member 300. Therefore, the first panel support member 200 and the first base plate 170 may be rotated (or folded and unfolded) independently of each other, and the second panel support member 300 and the second base plate 180 may also be rotated (or folded and unfolded) independently of each other. The first base plate 170 and the second base plate 180 may be rotated symmetrically at the same time.

[0073] The first base plate 170 may include a fastening hole for coupling to the first panel support member 200 (see Figure 3 174, 175, 176, 177, and 178). The second base plate 180 may include fastening holes for coupling to the second panel support member 300 (see Figure 3 184, 185, 186, 187, and 188 in the table above).

[0074] The first base plate 170 and the second base plate 180 may contact each other at one side surface of the hinge device 100 to form a flat surface, and the formed flat surface may be used to support the third area Area3 of the display panel FDP. Here, the third area Area3 may include an area where folding and unfolding are possible in the foldable display area.

[0075] Figure 3 is an exploded schematic perspective view for describing components of a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 2 is a schematic diagram for describing an arrangement structure of a basic hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] Reference Figure 3 The hinge device 100 may include basic hinge devices 120 , 140 and 160 , a first base plate 170 , a second base plate 180 and a hinge cover 190 .

[0077] The base hinge devices 120, 140 and 160 may include first rotors 121, 141 and 161 and second rotors 122, 142 and 162, the first rotors 121, 141 and 161 being coupled to the first base plate 170 to rotate along first virtual rotation axes (see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The second rotors 122, 142 and 162 are connected to the second base plate 180 to rotate along a second virtual rotation axis (see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The "axis2" in the rotation.

[0078] The first rotors 121 , 141 , and 161 may be coupled to the fastening holes 171 , 172 , and 173 of the first base plate 170 , and the second rotors 122 , 142 , and 162 may be coupled to the fastening holes 181 , 182 , and 183 of the second base plate 180 .

[0079] The basic articulation devices 120, 140 and 160 may be arranged on a straight line parallel to the first virtual rotation axis and the second virtual rotation axis to share the first virtual rotation axis and the second virtual rotation axis. Figure 3 , which may correspond to the first direction DR1 shown in FIG. Figure 2 On a straight line having the same direction axis as the first direction DR1).

[0080] The basic hinge devices 120 , 140 , and 160 may include a first basic hinge device 160 , a second basic hinge device 120 , and a third basic hinge device 140 .

[0081] The hinge cover 190 may support the base hinge devices 120, 140, and 160. Therefore, the hinge cover 190 may include fastening holes for coupling to the base hinge devices 120, 140, and 160. For example, the hinge cover 190 may include fastening holes 193a, 193b, 194a, and 194b for coupling to the first base hinge device 160. The hinge cover 190 may include fastening holes 191a, 191b, 192a, and 192b for coupling to the second base hinge device 120. The hinge cover 190 may include fastening holes 195a, 195b, 196a, and 196b for coupling to the third base hinge device 140. The hinge cover 190 may include aluminum (Al), but is not limited thereto.

[0082] Reference Figure 4 The basic hinge devices 120 , 140 , and 160 may include a first basic hinge device 160 located at the center, and a second basic hinge device 120 and a third basic hinge device 140 disposed symmetrically to each other with respect to the first basic hinge device 160 .

[0083] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in , the articulated device 100 does not necessarily have to include three basic articulated devices. An even number of basic articulated devices can be arranged to be symmetrical with respect to the basic articulated device located at the center. For example, the articulated device 100 can include an odd number of basic articulated devices (such as 3, 5 and 7). In some cases, the basic articulated device located at the center can be omitted, and the articulated device 100 can include an even number of basic articulated devices.

[0084] The second basic hinge device 120 and the third basic hinge device 140 may include the same components. The components of the second basic hinge device 120 and the third basic hinge device 140 may be arranged to be symmetrical with each other in the diagonal direction (or 180-degree rotational symmetry) relative to the first basic hinge device 160 located at the center. For example, the diagonal direction may refer to the direction relative to Figure 3 The first direction DR1 shown in FIG. 5 is within 90 degrees of the diagonal directions DR5 and DR6. Figure 3 The first direction DR1 shown in FIG. 1 may be the same as that according to Figure 2 The first direction DR1 is similarly parallel to the directions of the first virtual rotation axis axis1 and the second virtual rotation axis axis2.

[0085] In other words, in the case where the second base hinge device 120 can rotate 180 degrees, the second base hinge device 120 can have the same components and the same arrangement structure as the third base hinge device 140. For example, the components of the second base hinge device 120 and the third base hinge device 140 can be arranged to be 180 degrees rotationally symmetrical with each other relative to the first base hinge device 160 located at the center.

[0086] Reference Figure 4 , the basic hinge devices 120, 140 and 160 may be spaced apart from each other at regular intervals along a linear direction parallel to the first virtual rotation axis axis1 and the second virtual rotation axis axis2.

[0087] Therefore, the foldable display device (see Figure 1 The “FDD” in the figure may further include a connection circuit CC that provides a current path between the first panel supporting member 200 and the second panel supporting member 300 through regular intervals between the base hinge devices 120, 140, and 160. Specifically, the connection circuit CC may provide a current path between a flexible PCB (FPCB) that may be included in the first panel supporting member 200 and a flexible PCB (FPCB) that may be included in the second panel supporting member 300. For example, a coated conductive line may pass through an area indicated by the connection circuit CC.

[0088] Figure 5 is an exploded schematic perspective view of a first basic hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0089] Reference Figure 5 The first basic hinge device 160 may include a first rotor 161 , a second rotor 162 , an auxiliary bracket 163 and a bracket 164 .

[0090] The first rotor 161 may include a curved surface 161a having a diameter corresponding to the first virtual rotation axis axis1, and a groove 161b recessed in an arc shape on the curved surface 161a. The groove 161b recessed in an arc shape on the curved surface 161a may be assembled to the bracket 164 to prevent the first rotor 161 from deviating from a rotation path according to the first virtual rotation axis axis1.

[0091] In particular, the first rotor 161 may further include a torque assist member 161c having a uniform thickness and a rectangular surface curved along a rotation radius corresponding to the first virtual rotation axis axis1. The torque assist member 161c may be coupled to the first rotor 161 in a form in which a side surface of the first rotor 161 may extend along the first virtual rotation axis axis1.

[0092] The torque assist member 161c may include a groove 161d located on at least one of the rectangular surfaces. Figure 5 As shown in , the groove 161d may be included on the rectangular surface. Therefore, the first rotor 161 may generate sufficient rotation torque by using the groove 161d.

[0093] The first rotor 161 may further include a fastening hole 161e to be coupled to the first base plate 170. More specifically, the first rotor 161 may further include a fastening hole 161e, which may be coupled to the first base plate 170 by a screw, a pin, etc. Figure 3 The fastening holes 172 of the first base plate 170 are provided.

[0094] Since the second rotor 162 may have the same shape as the first rotor 161, the description according to the first rotor 161 may be applied to the second rotor 162. However, the fastening hole 162e of the second rotor 162 may be coupled to the second base plate 180. The second rotor 162 may have a curved surface 162a and a groove 162b recessed in an arc shape on the curved surface 162a, the curved surface 162a having a diameter corresponding to the second virtual rotation axis axis2. The second rotor 162 may have a shape obtained by rotating the first rotor 161 180 degrees, and may be disposed on the bracket 164 to be symmetrical with the first rotor 161 in a diagonal direction. The torque assist member 161c of the first rotor 161 and the torque assist member 162c of the second rotor 162 may be disposed to face each other in a diagonal direction. The first rotor 161 and the second rotor 162 may perform rotational motion relative to different virtual rotation axes by being arranged in a diagonal direction.

[0095] The bracket 164 may support the first rotor 161 and the second rotor 162 on the inner side surface of the hinged cover 190, and may guide the rotational movement of the first rotor 161 and the second rotor 162. The bracket 164 may include the same material (e.g., plastic or metal) as the first rotor 161 and the second rotor 162. More specifically, the bracket 164 may include polyoxymethylene (POM) or acetal or stainless steel (STS).

[0096] In the bracket 164, a surface that may contact the torque assist members 161c and 162c of the first and second rotors 161 and 162 may be smooth, however, may include grooves having shapes complementary to the grooves 161d and 162d included in the torque assist members 161c and 162c.

[0097] The auxiliary bracket 163 may cover the torque assist member 161c of the first rotor 161 and the torque assist member 162c of the second rotor 162 between the first rotor 161 and the second rotor 162, and may form a closed space between the grooves 161d included in the torque assist member 161c of the first rotor 161 and the grooves 162d included in the torque assist member 162c of the second rotor 162, respectively.

[0098] For example, the auxiliary bracket 163 may fix the torque assist members 161 c and 162 c of the first and second rotors 161 and 162 together with the bracket 164 to prevent the first and second rotors 161 and 162 from deviating from a rotation path according to each virtual rotation axis.

[0099] The auxiliary bracket 163 may include fastening holes 163a and 163b for coupling to the bracket 164. For example, the auxiliary bracket 163 may include two fastening holes 163a and 163b for coupling to the bracket 164.

[0100] The bracket 164 may further include at least one fastening hole 164 a and 164 b for coupling to the auxiliary bracket 163 and at least one fastening hole 164 c and 164 d for coupling to the hinge cover 190 .

[0101] Figure 6 2 is a schematic diagram for describing a folding operation of a first basic hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0102] Reference Figure 6 , the first basic articulation device (see Figure 3 The first rotor 161 of the invention may include a torque assist member 161c, and may have a groove on at least one of two side surfaces of the rectangular shape of the torque assist member 161c (see Figure 5 161d). The contact surfaces of the bracket 164 and the auxiliary bracket 163 that may respectively contact the side surface of the torque assist member 161c may be smooth without a groove. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the contact surfaces of the bracket 164 and the auxiliary bracket 163 may have a groove complementary to the groove included in the side surface of the torque assist member 161c.

[0103] Therefore, the auxiliary bracket 163 may overlap the torque assist member 161c of the first rotor 161 and the torque assist member 162c of the second rotor 162 on the bracket 164 to form a groove between the torque assist members 161c and 162c (see FIG. Figure 5 Here, a lubricant may be applied between the bracket 164 and the torque assisting members 161c and 162c.

[0104] For example, since lubricant may be applied to the grooves on at least one of the two side surfaces of the torque assist members 161c and 162c of the first rotor 161 (or the second rotor 162) (see Figure 5 161d and 162d in ), so in the foldable display device (see Figure 1 In the case of "FDD" in the figure, torque can be easily generated, wear due to repeated friction can be minimized, and reliability of repeated folding can be maintained.

[0105] Figure 7 is an exploded schematic perspective view of a second basic hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0106] Reference Figure 7 The second basic hinge device 120 may include a first rotor 121 , a second rotor 122 , a follower 123 , a bracket 124 , a first auxiliary bracket 125 , a second auxiliary bracket 126 and a third auxiliary bracket 127 .

[0107] The first rotor 121 may include a curved surface 121a having a diameter corresponding to the first virtual rotation axis axis1, and a surface 121b protruding in an arc shape on the curved surface 121a. The surface 121b protruding in an arc shape on the curved surface 121a may be assembled to the bracket 124 to prevent the first rotor 121 from deviating from a rotation path according to the first virtual rotation axis axis1.

[0108] In particular, the first rotor 121 may further include a torque assist member 121c having a uniform thickness and a rectangular surface curved along a rotation radius corresponding to the first virtual rotation axis axis1. The torque assist member 121c may be coupled to the first rotor 121 in a form in which one side surface of the first rotor 161 may extend along the first virtual rotation axis axis1.

[0109] The torque assist member 121c may include a groove 121d located on at least one of the two rectangular surfaces. Figure 7As shown in , the groove 121d may be included on the rectangular surface. Therefore, the first rotor 121 may generate sufficient rotation torque by using the groove 121d.

[0110] The first rotor 121 may further include a fastening hole 121e to be coupled to the first base plate 170. More specifically, the first rotor 121 may further include a fastening hole 121e, which may be coupled to the first base plate 170 by a screw, a pin, etc. Figure 3 The fastening holes 171 of the first base plate 170 are provided.

[0111] according to Figure 5 (or included in the first basic articulation device (see Figure 3 The length of the side surface of the first rotor 161 extended by the torque assist member 161c may be greater than that according to Figure 7 (or included in the second basic hinge device (see Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, the length of one side surface of the first rotor 121 (in the “120” in the figure) extended by the torque assist member 121c is long. For example, by using the torque assist member 161c to generate a strong torque at the center, the first base hinge device 160 can extend one side surface of the first rotor 161 to be longer, and by using the torque assist member 121c to assist the torque generation, the second base hinge device 120 can extend one side surface of the first rotor 121 to be shorter.

[0112] The first auxiliary bracket 125 may overlap the torque assist member 121c of the first rotor 121 to form a closed space between the grooves 121d that may be included in the curved rectangular surface of the torque assist member 121c of the first rotor 121. The first auxiliary bracket 125 may include a fastening hole 125a for coupling to the fastening hole 124a of the bracket 124.

[0113] The side of the first rotor 121 opposite to the side to which the torque assist member 121c may be coupled may have a spiral-shaped cross section 121f that may be cut in a diagonal direction. The spiral-shaped cross section 121f may have a first virtual rotation axis (see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The follower 123 may be in contact with the arc-shaped groove 121g included in the spiral-shaped section 121f. To this end, one side surface of the follower 123 may have a shape complementary to the shape of the arc-shaped groove 121g included in the spiral-shaped section 121f. The central portion of the follower 123 may have a hole 123a.

[0114] The second auxiliary bracket 126 may be fastened (e.g., directly fastened) to the bracket 124 through the hole 123a of the central portion of the follower 123. More specifically, the second auxiliary bracket 126 may include a fastening hole 126a that may be fastened (e.g., directly fastened) to a fastening hole 124b of the bracket 124 through the follower 123 by a screw or the like.

[0115] In order to prevent the follower 123 from deviating from the linear motion path in the direction parallel to the first virtual rotation axis, the follower 123 may have a wall shape outside the hole 123a, and the second auxiliary bracket 126 may be inserted into the wall shape. The second auxiliary bracket 126 may be inserted into the hole 123a of the follower 123 through the wall shape, and the follower 123 may be forced (or constrained) to move only in the linear motion path in the direction parallel to the first virtual rotation axis.

[0116] The second rotor 122 may have a shape symmetrical to the first rotor 121 with respect to the follower 123. For example, when included in the Figure 5 When the first rotor 161 and the second rotor 162 in the first basic hinge device 160 can have the same shape and can be arranged to be symmetrical to each other in the diagonal direction, including according to Figure 7 The first rotor 121 and the second rotor 122 in the second basic hinge device 120 may have shapes that are symmetrical to each other with respect to the follower 123, and may be arranged on the bracket 124 to be symmetrical to each other with respect to the follower 123. The second rotor 122 may include a second virtual rotation axis (see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The second rotor 122 may further include a fastening hole 122a, which may be connected to the second rotor 122 by screws, pins, etc. Figure 3 The fastening holes 181 of the second base plate 180. The torque assist member 122c of the second rotor 122 may include a groove 122d located on at least one of the two rectangular surfaces, and the second rotor 122 may generate sufficient rotation torque by using the groove 122d.

[0117] The bracket 124 may support the first rotor 121 and the second rotor 122 on the inner side surface of the hinge cover 190, and may guide the rotational movement of the first rotor 121 and the second rotor 122. Figure 3 Unlike the bracket 164 of the first basic hinge device 160, the bracket 124 of the second basic hinge device 120 can guide the linear movement of the follower 123 in a direction parallel to the first virtual rotation axis.

[0118] The bracket 124 may include the same material (e.g., plastic or metal) as the first rotor 121, the second rotor 122, and the follower 123. More specifically, the bracket 124 may include polyoxymethylene (POM) or acetal or stainless steel (STS). The linear motion of the follower 123 and the rotational motion of the rotors 121 and 122 may be smoothly guided by configuring the same materials to contact each other. The bracket 124 may prevent the rotational friction of the rotors 121 and 122 and the sliding friction of the follower 123 from being transmitted (e.g., directly transmitted) to the hinged cover 190.

[0119] The bracket 124 may include fastening holes 124d and 124e for coupling to the hinge cover 190. The bracket 124 may include a fastening hole 124b for coupling to the second auxiliary bracket 126, a fastening hole 124a for coupling to the first auxiliary bracket 125, and a fastening hole 124c for coupling to the third auxiliary bracket 127.

[0120] Figure 8 2 is a schematic diagram for describing a folding operation of a second base hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0121] Reference Figure 8 , the second basic articulation device (see Figure 3 The first rotor 121 ("120" in FIG. 1) may include a torque assist member 121c, and may have a groove on at least one of two side surfaces of the rectangular shape of the torque assist member 121c (see FIG. 12). Figure 7 121d). The contact surfaces of the bracket 124 and the first auxiliary bracket 125 that may respectively contact the two side surfaces of the torque assist member 121c may be smooth without a groove. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the contact surfaces of the bracket 124 and the first auxiliary bracket 125 may have a groove complementary to the groove included in at least one of the two side surfaces of the torque assist member 121c.

[0122] Therefore, the first auxiliary bracket 125 may overlap the torque assist member 121c of the first rotor 121 on the bracket 124 to form a groove in the torque assist member 121c (see FIG. Figure 7 Similarly, the third auxiliary bracket 127 can be connected to the torque auxiliary member 122c ( Figure 8 ) overlap to overlap the groove of the torque assist member 122c (see Figure 7 Here, a lubricant may be applied between the auxiliary brackets 125 and 127 and the torque assisting members 121c and 122c and / or between the bracket 124 and the torque assisting members 121c and 122c.

[0123] For example, the lubricant may be applied to the first rotor 121 (or the second rotor (see Figure 7 The groove on at least one of the two side surfaces of the torque assist member 121c (or the torque assist member 122c) in the torque assist member 121c (or the torque assist member 122c) (see Figure 7 ” 121d or “ 122d ” in ), and in folding the foldable display device by the applied lubricant (see Figure 1 In the case of "FDD" in the figure, torque can be easily generated.

[0124] The torque assist members 121c and 122c having a width may be coupled to the Figure 7 and Figure 8 The second basic articulation device (see Figure 3 The rotors 121 and 122 of the embodiment of the present invention are connected to the rotors 121 and 122 of the embodiment of the present invention, and thus the torque generating area (contact surface) can be relatively small, wherein the width of the torque assisting members 121c and 122c can be larger than that of the rotors 121 and 122 connected to the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 The width of the torque assist member 163 of the rotors 161 and 162 of the first basic hinge device 160 is relatively narrow. Figure 6 The first basic hinge device 160 can be used to generate a strong torque at the center of the hinge device 100, and the second basic hinge device 120 or the third basic hinge device 140 can be used to assist the torque generation and possibly support a symmetrical folding operation.

[0125] Fig. 9 2 is a schematic diagram for describing a folding operation of a third basic hinge device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0126] Reference Fig. 9 , the first rotor 141 of the third basic hinge device 140 can rotate along the first virtual axis (see Figure 1 and Figure 2”axis1” in the figure. The first auxiliary bracket 145 may overlap with the torque assist member (not shown) of the first rotor 141 on a bracket (not shown) to form a closed space between the grooves (not shown) on at least one of the two rectangular surfaces of the torque assist member included in the first rotor 141. Since the spiral profile formed on the side surface of the first rotor 141 may contact one side surface of the follower 143, the first rotor 141 may push the follower 143 in a direction horizontal to the first virtual rotation axis. Therefore, the follower 143 that may be pushed by the first rotor 141 may perform a linear motion in a direction horizontal to the first virtual rotation axis. Since the follower 143 may have a hole at the central portion, the follower 143 may perform a linear motion in a direction horizontal to the first virtual rotation axis without being restricted by the connection of the second auxiliary bracket 146.

[0127] The follower 143 that may be pushed by the first rotor 141 may push the second rotor 142 adjacent to the first rotor 141 in the opposite direction in the direction horizontal to the first virtual rotation axis. Since the second rotor 142 may be fixed to a bracket (not shown) by the third auxiliary bracket 147, the second rotor 142 may convert the force pushed in the horizontal direction into a rotational force. Therefore, the second rotor 142 may rotate along the second virtual rotation axis (see 1 and Figure 2 The second rotor 142 may rotate about the second virtual rotation axis by -90 degrees (or 90 degrees counterclockwise) while the first rotor 141 rotates about the first virtual rotation axis by +90 degrees (or 90 degrees clockwise).

[0128] As described above, the rotational movement of the first rotor 141 may cause the rotational movement of the second rotor 142 through the follower 143 , and thus the first rotor 141 and the second rotor 142 may simultaneously rotate at the same angle in opposite directions.

[0129] Although the folding operation using the third base hinge device 140 as an example has been described, the same method may be applied to the second base hinge device 120 , and a detailed description thereof will be omitted in order to prevent duplication of description.

[0130] The referenced drawings and the detailed description of the present disclosure described are merely examples of the present disclosure and are only used to describe the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the meaning and scope of the present disclosure described in the claims. Therefore, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and other equivalent embodiments are also possible through this detailed description. Therefore, the true scope of the present disclosure should be determined by the technical spirit of the attached claims, including any equivalents.

Claims

1. A foldable display device, comprising: a display panel including a foldable display area; a first panel supporting member, supporting the display panel, wherein the first panel supporting member overlaps with a first area of ​​the display panel; a second panel supporting member, supporting the display panel, wherein the second panel supporting member overlaps with a second area of ​​the display panel; as well as a hinge device, comprising a basic hinge device, the basic hinge device being coupled to the first panel supporting member and the second panel supporting member to guide the folding and unfolding of the display panel relative to a virtual rotation axis, Wherein, the articulated device further comprises: a first base plate coupled to the first panel support member; a second base plate coupled to the second panel support member; and a hinged cover supporting the base hinge device, Wherein, each of the basic articulated devices comprises: a first rotor coupled to the first base plate to rotate along a first one of the virtual rotation axes; and a second rotor coupled to the second base plate to rotate along a second one of the virtual rotation axes, wherein each of the basic hinge devices further comprises a bracket, the bracket supporting the first rotor and the second rotor on the inner side surface of the hinge cover and guiding the rotational movement of the first rotor and the second rotor, Wherein, the basic articulated device comprises a first basic articulated device, the first basic articulated device comprises the first rotor, and the first rotor comprises: a curved surface having a diameter corresponding to the first virtual rotation axis; and The groove is recessed in an arc shape on the curved surface.

2. The foldable display device according to claim 1, wherein: The bracket includes one of polyoxymethylene, acetal and stainless steel.

3. The foldable display device according to claim 1, wherein: The groove of the first rotor is fitted to the bracket.

4. The foldable display device according to claim 1, wherein: The first rotor has a shape curved along a rotation radius corresponding to the first virtual rotation axis, and The first rotor includes a torque assist member extending from a side surface of the first rotor in a direction parallel to the first virtual rotation axis.

5. The foldable display device according to claim 4, wherein: At least one surface of the torque assist member includes a groove.

6. The foldable display device according to claim 4, wherein: The second rotor included in the first base hinge device has the same shape as the first rotor, and is disposed on the bracket to be rotationally symmetrical with the first rotor.

7. The foldable display device according to claim 6, wherein: The first basic hinge device further includes an auxiliary bracket disposed between the first rotor and the second rotor and overlapping at least a portion of the torque assist member of the first rotor and at least a portion of the torque assist member of the second rotor.

8. The foldable display device according to claim 7, wherein: The first basic hinge device further includes a lubricant applied between the auxiliary bracket and the torque assist member of the first rotor or between the auxiliary bracket and the torque assist member of the second rotor.

9. The foldable display device according to claim 1, wherein: The basic articulated device comprises a second basic articulated device, the second basic articulated device comprises the first rotor, the first rotor comprises: a curved surface having a diameter corresponding to the first virtual rotation axis; and A surface protrudes in an arc shape on the curved surface.

10. The foldable display device according to claim 9, wherein: The first rotor included in the second base hinge device further includes a torque assist member having a shape curved along a rotation radius corresponding to the first virtual rotation axis and extending from a side surface of the first rotor included in the second base hinge device in a direction parallel to the first virtual rotation axis.

11. The foldable display device according to claim 10, wherein: A side surface opposite to the side surface to which the torque assist member is coupled in the first rotor included in the second base hinge device has a cross section of a spiral shape cut in a diagonal direction.

12. The foldable display device according to claim 11, wherein: The cross section of the spiral shape has an arc-shaped groove along the first virtual rotation axis.

13. The foldable display device according to claim 12, wherein: The second base hinge device also includes a follower, which is fitted into the groove of the cross-section of the spiral shape of the first rotor included in the second base hinge device, and is driven by the rotational movement of the first rotor included in the second base hinge device to move linearly in a direction horizontal to the first virtual rotation axis.

14. The foldable display device according to claim 13, wherein: The second rotor included in the second base hinge device has a shape symmetrical to the first rotor included in the second base hinge device with respect to the follower, and is provided on a side opposite to the first rotor included in the second base hinge device.

15. The foldable display device according to claim 14, wherein: The second rotor included in the second base hinge device converts a force according to the linear motion of the follower into a rotational force to rotate in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the first rotor included in the second base hinge device.

16. The foldable display device according to claim 15, wherein: The first rotor and the second rotor included in the second base hinge device are simultaneously rotated in opposite directions at the same angle.

17. A hinge device for a foldable display device, the hinge device comprising: a first base plate coupled to the first panel support member; a second base plate coupled to the second panel support member; a base hinge assembly coupled to the first panel support member and the second panel support member; as well as a hinged cover supporting the base hinge device, Wherein, each of the basic articulated devices comprises: a first rotor coupled to the first base plate for rotation along a first virtual rotation axis; a second rotor coupled to the second base plate to rotate along a second virtual rotation axis; and a bracket, supporting the first rotor and the second rotor on the inner side of the hinged cover and guiding the rotational movement of the first rotor and the second rotor, Wherein, the basic articulated device comprises a first basic articulated device, the first basic articulated device comprises the first rotor, and the first rotor comprises: a curved surface having a diameter corresponding to the first virtual rotation axis; and The groove is recessed in an arc shape on the curved surface.

Images