Foldable electronic device

Abstract

A foldable electronic device is provided. The foldable electronic device includes a hinge structure, a foldable housing, a flexible display disposed inside the foldable housing, a first flexible connection member, a second flexible connection member, and an adhesive member attached to the first flexible connection member. The foldable housing includes a first housing structure and a second housing structure. The first housing structure includes a first surface, a second surface, and a first printed circuit board. The second housing structure includes a third surface, a fourth surface, and a second printed circuit board.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of a patent application with an application date of February 10, 2021, an application number of 202180006885.4, and a title of "Foldable Electronic Device". Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to flexible printed circuit boards disposed in foldable electronic devices. Background Art

[0003] As the integration level of electronic devices has increased and ultra-high-speed and high-capacity radio frequency (RF) communications have become common, recently, it has become common to provide multiple functions in a single electronic device such as a mobile communication terminal. For example, various functions such as entertainment functions (e.g., game functions), multimedia functions (e.g., music / video reproduction functions), communication and security functions for mobile banking, scheduling management functions, and electronic wallet functions, as well as communication functions, can be integrated in a single electronic device. In addition, electronic devices are increasingly equipped with wider display panels, so that users have less inconvenience when using multimedia services.

[0004] Recently, foldable electronic devices having flexible display panels have been developed. A foldable electronic device may refer to an electronic device including a plurality of housing structures that rotate relative to each other.

[0005] Printed circuit boards disposed in electronic devices can be classified into rigid printed circuit boards and flexible printed circuit boards according to physical characteristics related to flexibility. A rigid-flexible printed circuit board (hereinafter referred to as a "flexible printed circuit board") in which a rigid printed circuit board and a flexible printed circuit board are combined can be provided in order to increase the reliability of electrical connections of electronic devices and implement three-dimensional wiring.

[0006] Due to the commercialization of the fourth-generation (4G) communication system, in order to meet the increasing demand for wireless data services, the fifth-generation computer (5G) communication system has been actively developed and released. In order to achieve high data rates, the 5G communication system uses ultra-high frequencies of several tens of gigahertz (GHz) or higher (or referred to as "millimeter-wave communication"). However, in an electronic device including an ultra-high-frequency communication module, the performance exhibited by the communication module may be affected by the path (e.g., wiring) for transmitting communication signals due to high-frequency characteristics.

[0007] Therefore, for a foldable electronic device, it may be necessary to provide a flexible printed circuit board that can prevent deterioration of the RF characteristics of signals. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Technical Problem

[0009] In an electronic device, various electronic components (or electronic parts) and a printed circuit board on which various electronic components are mounted may be disposed inside a bracket on which components are mounted. In the case of a foldable electronic device, the electronic components and the printed circuit board may be separately disposed in a plurality of housing structures based on various factors such as the mounting space, communication performance, and heat dissipation performance. A flexible circuit board that is easily bendable may be used to connect the electronic components.

[0010] Since at least a part of the flexible circuit board can be flexibly bent, the flexible circuit board can be highly utilized in a narrow space and is suitable for use in a configuration in which electronic components included inside the housing structure are connected. However, it may be necessary to additionally consider various aspects of durability and service life.

[0011] According to some embodiments, when the foldable electronic device is repeatedly folded and unfolded, due to stress caused by friction with the housing, components, or another board, stress accumulates in the bent portion of the flexible circuit board, which may cause damage.

[0012] In addition, according to some embodiments, when the bent portion of the flexible circuit board moves within a specified area (i.e., when the specified shape of the bent portion is not maintained), the shape (and / or position) of the bent portion may not be maintained invariantly. Additionally, during repeated use of the foldable electronic device, the specified shape of the bent portion may be deformed, so the service life may be shortened.

[0013] When the foldable electronic device is equipped with an ultra-high frequency communication module (e.g., ultra-high communication in the range of 6 GHz or higher and lower than 100 GHz) (e.g., when including a flexible circuit board including RF signal lines), since the flexible circuit board designed in consideration of RF characteristics is formed to have a narrower width compared to a board including general signal lines, it may be difficult to maintain the specified shape of the bent portion. Additionally, when the specified shape of the bent portion is deformed and not maintained, the impedance of the flexible circuit board including RF signal lines may change, resulting in a decrease in RF characteristics and an increase in signal loss.

[0014] Various embodiments of the present disclosure can provide a foldable electronic device that can maintain the shape of the flexible circuit board even when the foldable electronic device is repeatedly folded and unfolded, so that damage to the flexible circuit board, shortening of the service life of the flexible circuit board, and deterioration of the RF characteristics of the flexible circuit board can be prevented.

[0015] Solution to the problem

[0016] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device is provided. The foldable electronic device includes: a hinge structure; a foldable housing that includes a folding region where the electronic device is substantially folded about a folding axis, the foldable housing including a first housing structure connected to the hinge structure, the first housing structure including a first surface facing a first direction and a second surface facing a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a first printed circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted; and a second housing structure connected to the hinge structure, the second housing structure including a third surface facing a third direction and a fourth surface facing a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, and a second printed circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted, the second housing structure being folded relative to the first housing structure about the hinge structure; a flexible display disposed inside the foldable housing and extending from the first surface of the first housing structure to the third surface of the second housing structure; a first flexible connection member placed across at least a portion of the interior of the first housing structure and at least a portion of the interior of the second housing structure and configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board via connection ends disposed at opposite ends of the first flexible connection member, the first flexible connection member including wiring configured to transmit communication signals including RF signals; a second flexible connection member placed across at least a portion of the interior of the first housing structure and at least a portion of the interior of the second housing structure and configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board via connection ends disposed at opposite ends of the second flexible connection member, the second flexible connection member including power lines; and an adhesive member attached to the first flexible connection member to maintain the shape of the first flexible connection member unchanged within a specified area when the foldable housing is folded and unfolded.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device is provided. The foldable electronic device includes: a hinge structure; a foldable housing that includes a folding region where the electronic device is substantially folded about a folding axis, the foldable housing includes a first housing structure that is connected to the hinge structure, the first housing structure includes a first surface and a second surface, the first surface faces a first direction, the second surface faces a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a first printed circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted; and a second housing structure that is connected to the hinge structure, the second housing structure includes a third surface and a fourth surface, the third surface faces a third direction, the fourth surface faces a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, and a second printed circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted, the second housing structure is configured to be foldable relative to the first housing structure about the hinge structure, wherein, in a folded state, the first surface faces the third surface, and in an unfolded state, the third direction is the same as the first direction; a flexible display that is disposed inside the foldable housing and extends from the first surface of the first housing structure to the third surface of the second housing structure; and a multi-layer flexible connection member that is placed across at least a part of the inside of the first housing structure and at least a part of the inside of the second housing structure, and is configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board via connection ends disposed at opposite ends of the multi-layer flexible connection member, wherein one or more slits are formed in a portion of the multi-layer flexible connection member corresponding to the hinge structure.

[0018] Advantages of the Invention

[0019] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a specified shape of a bent portion of a flexible connection member can be maintained within a specified area by providing an adhesive member.

[0020] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a specified shape of a bent portion of each of the flexible connection members can be maintained within a specified area by providing an adhesive member that connects at least two different flexible connection members.

[0021] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the bent portion of the flexible connection member can be bent more uniformly by additionally providing one or more slits in the adhesive member.

[0022] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the bent portion of the flexible connection member can be bent more uniformly by providing one or more slits in the flexible member itself.

[0023] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a specified shape of a bent portion of a flexible connection member can be maintained by applying an adhesive member or one or more slits not only to one surface (e.g., the uppermost layer) of the flexible connection member but also to the other surface (e.g., the lowermost layer) of the flexible connection member.

[0024] Accordingly, the service life of the flexible connection member and the foldable electronic device including the same can be increased. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0027] Figure 2 is a view showing a state in which an electronic device according to an embodiment is unfolded;

[0028] Figure 3A is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a display portion of an electronic device according to an embodiment is fully unfolded;

[0029] Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view showing an intermediate state in which a display portion of an electronic device according to an embodiment is partially unfolded;

[0030] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0031] Figure 5 is a view showing a part of the interior of an electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0032] Figure 6 is a view showing in Figure 5 the embodiment shown in a state in which a hinge structure is removed;

[0033] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a hinge structure and a flexible connection member in a state in which an electronic device is unfolded according to an embodiment;

[0034] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a hinge structure and a flexible connection member in a state in which an electronic device is folded according to an embodiment;

[0035] Figure 9 is a view showing a specified shape of a flexible connection member in a state in which an electronic device is unfolded according to an embodiment;

[0036] Figure 10is a view showing a flexible connection member according to an embodiment;

[0037] Figure 11 is a view showing a flexible connection member and an adhesive member according to an embodiment;

[0038] Figure 12 is a view showing a flexible connection member and an adhesive member connecting the flexible connection member according to an embodiment;

[0039] Figure 13 is a view showing a state in which one or more slits are formed in an adhesive member according to an embodiment;

[0040] Figure 14 is a view showing a state in which a flexible connection member and an adhesive member are coupled to each other according to an embodiment;

[0041] Figure 15A is a view showing the shape of one or more slits according to an embodiment;

[0042] Figure 15B is a view showing the shape of one or more slits according to an embodiment;

[0043] Figure 15C is a view showing the shape of one or more slits according to an embodiment;

[0044] Figure 15D is a view showing the shape of one or more slits according to an embodiment;

[0045] Figure 15E is a view showing the shape of one or more slits according to an embodiment;

[0046] Figure 16 is a view showing a flexible connection member and one or more slits formed in the flexible connection member according to an embodiment;

[0047] Figure 17 is a conceptual diagram showing a flexible connection member and one or more slits formed in the flexible connection member according to an embodiment;

[0048] Figure 18A is a view showing according to an embodiment Figure 17 a cross-sectional view of the flexible connection member and one or more slits formed in the flexible connection member shown in according to an embodiment;

[0049] Figure 18B is a cross-sectional view of a flexible connection member and one or more slits formed in the flexible connection member according to an embodiment;

[0050] Figure 19is a view showing a flexible connection member according to an embodiment and one or more slits formed in the flexible connection member;

[0051] Figure 20 is a view showing a state in which a specified shape of the flexible connection member is maintained when the foldable electronic device is unfolded according to an embodiment;

[0052] Figure 21 is a view showing a state in which a specified shape of the flexible connection member is maintained when the foldable electronic device is unfolded according to an embodiment;

[0053] Figure 22 is a view showing a state in which a specified shape of the flexible connection member is maintained when the foldable electronic device is unfolded according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the various embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that modifications, equivalents, and / or substitutions of the embodiments described herein can be made variably. Regarding the description of the drawings, like components may be marked with like reference numerals.

[0055] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 according to various embodiments.

[0056] Referring to Figure 1 , the electronic device 101 in the network environment 100 may communicate with the electronic device 102 via a first network 198 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or communicate with the electronic device 104 or the server 108 via a second network 199 (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may communicate with the electronic device 104 via the server 108. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include a processor 120, a memory 130, an input device 150, a sound output device 155, a display device 160, an audio module 170, a sensor module 176, an interface 177, a haptic module 179, a camera module 180, a power management module 188, a battery 189, a communication module 190, a subscriber identification module (SIM) 196, or an antenna module 197. In some embodiments, at least one of the components (e.g., the display device 160 or the camera module 180) may be omitted from the electronic device 101, or one or more other components may be added to the electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some of the components may be implemented as a single integrated circuit. For example, the sensor module 176 (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) may be implemented as being embedded in the display device 160 (e.g., a display).

[0057] The processor 120 may run software (e.g., program 140) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware component or a software component) connected to the processor 120 of the electronic device 101, and may perform various data processing or computations. According to an embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or computation, the processor 620 may load commands or data received from another component (e.g., the sensor module 176 or the communication module 190) into the volatile memory 132, process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory 132, and store the resulting data in the non-volatile memory 134. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may include a main processor 121 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP)) and an auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP)) that is operationally independent of or combined with the main processor 121. Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary processor 123 may be adapted to consume less power than the main processor 121, or may be adapted for a specific function. The auxiliary processor 123 may be implemented separately from the main processor 121 or as part of the main processor 21.

[0058] For example, when the main processor 121 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, the auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of the functions or states related to the status of at least one component among the components of the electronic device 101 that is not the main processor 121 (e.g., the display device 160, the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190), or when the main processor 121 is in an active (e.g., running an application) state, the auxiliary processor 123 may control, together with the main processor 121, at least some of the functions or states related to the status of at least one component among the components of the electronic device 101 that is not the main processor 121 (e.g., the display device 160, the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190). According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., the ISP or the CP) may be implemented as part of another component (e.g., the camera module 180 or the communication module 190) that is functionally related to the auxiliary processor 123.

[0059] The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor 120 or the sensor module 176). The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., program 140) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory 130 may include a volatile memory 132 or a non-volatile memory 134.

[0060] The program 140 may be stored in the memory 130 as software, and the program 140 may include, for example, an operating system (OS) 142, middleware 144, or an application 146.

[0061] The input device 150 may receive commands or data to be used by components of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor 120) from the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., a user). The input device 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus).

[0062] The sound output device 155 may output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device 101. The sound output device 155 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes such as playing multimedia or playing a record, and the receiver may be used for an incoming call. According to an embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0063] The display device 160 may visually provide information to the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., a user). The display device 160 may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector, and a control circuit for controlling a corresponding one of the display, the holographic device, and the projector. According to an embodiment, the display device 160 may include a touch circuit adapted to detect a touch or a sensor circuit (e.g., a pressure sensor) adapted to measure an intensity of a force caused by the touch.

[0064] The audio module 170 may convert sound into an electrical signal and vice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 may obtain sound via the input device 150, or output sound via the sound output device 155 or an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102 (e.g., a speaker or a headphone)) directly or wirelessly coupled to the electronic device 101.

[0065] The sensor module 176 may detect an operating state of the electronic device 101 (e.g., power or temperature) or an environmental state outside the electronic device 101 (e.g., a state of a user), and then generate an electrical signal or a data value corresponding to the detected state. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0066] Interface 177 may support one or more specific protocols used to directly connect the electronic device 101 to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102) either wired or wirelessly. According to an embodiment, interface 177 may include, for example, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Secure Digital (SD) card interface, or an audio interface.

[0067] Connection end 178 may include a connector through which the electronic device 101 may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102). According to an embodiment, connection end 178 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0068] The haptic module 179 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that can be recognized by the user through his sense of touch or kinesthesia. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulator.

[0069] The camera module 180 may capture still images and moving images. According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, an ISP, or a flash.

[0070] The power management module 188 may manage the power supply to the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the power management module 188 may be implemented as at least part of, for example, a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC).

[0071] The battery 189 may supply power to at least one component of the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the battery 189 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0072] The communication module 190 may support establishing a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102, the electronic device 104, or the server 108), and perform communication via the established communication channel. The communication module 190 may include one or more communication processors capable of operating independently of the processor 120 (e.g., the AP), and support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module 192 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication (PLC) module). Each corresponding one of these communication modules may communicate with an external electronic device via a first network 198 (e.g., a short-range communication network, such as Bluetooth™, Wi-Fi Direct, or Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (e.g., a long-range communication network, such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or a wide area network (WAN))). These various types of communication modules may be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip), or these various types of communication modules may be implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module 192 may identify and authenticate the electronic device 101 in a communication network (such as the first network 198 or the second network 199) using user information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the user identification module 196.

[0073] The antenna module 197 may transmit a signal or power to the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., an external electronic device) or receive a signal or power from the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., an external electronic device). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include an antenna, and the antenna includes a radiating element formed of a conductive material or a conductive pattern formed in a substrate (e.g., a PCB) or formed on the substrate. According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include a plurality of antennas. In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication scheme used in a communication network (such as the first network 198 or the second network 199) may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module 190. Subsequently, a signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module 190 and an external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. According to an embodiment, additional components (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other than the radiating element may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module 197.

[0074] At least some of the above components may be coupled to each other via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, general-purpose input / output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)) and communicatively transmit signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween.

[0075] According to an embodiment, commands or data may be sent or received between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device 104 via a server 108 coupled to a second network 199. Each of the electronic devices 102 and 104 may be the same type of device as the electronic device 101 or a different type of device from the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, all or some of the operations running on the electronic device 101 may be run on one or more of the external electronic devices 102, 104, or 108. For example, if the electronic device 101 is to automatically perform a function or service or is to perform a function or service in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101 may request that at least part of the function or service be performed by the one or more external electronic devices instead of running the function or service, or in addition to running the function or service, the electronic device 101 may also request that at least part of the function or service be performed by the one or more external electronic devices. The one or more external electronic devices that receive the request may perform at least part of the requested function or service or perform additional functions or additional services related to the request and transmit the result of the performance to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101 may provide the result as at least part of a reply to the request with or without further processing of the result. To this end, for example, cloud computing technology, distributed computing technology, or client-server computing technology may be used.

[0076] Figure 2 is a view showing a state in which the electronic device 101 according to an embodiment is unfolded. Figure 2 shows the front surface, rear surface, and side surfaces of the electronic device 101. Figure 3A is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the display part 101 of the electronic device according to an embodiment is fully unfolded. Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view showing an intermediate state in which the display part 101 of the electronic device according to an embodiment is partially unfolded.

[0077] Reference Figure 2 , the electronic device 101 includes a foldable housing 300 and a flexible or foldable display 200 disposed in a space defined by the foldable housing 300.

[0078] The surface on which the display 200 is disposed may be the front surface of the electronic device 101. At least a part of the front surface of the electronic device 101 may be substantially a transparent front plate (e.g., a glass plate or a polymer plate including various coatings). The surface opposite to the front surface may be the rear surface of the electronic device 101. The rear surface of the electronic device 101 may be substantially an opaque rear plate or a rear cover. The rear cover may be formed of, for example, coated coated glass or colored glass, ceramics, polymers, metals (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of at least two of these materials. Additionally, the surface surrounding the space between the front surface and the rear surface may be the side surface of the electronic device 101. The side surface may be a side frame structure or a side member that is coupled to the front plate and the rear cover and includes metal and / or polymer. The rear cover and the side frame structure may be integrally formed and may include the same material (e.g., a metal material such as aluminum).

[0079] The electronic device 101 may include at least one of the following: a display 200; a microphone hole 204; speaker holes 205 and 206; a sensor module 209; camera modules 207 and 208; key input devices 211, 212, and 213; and a connector hole 214. In the electronic device 101, at least one of the components (e.g., key input devices 211, 212, and 213) may be omitted, or other components (e.g., a light emitting element) may be additionally included.

[0080] A part of the display 200 may be deformable into a flat surface or a curved surface. The display 200 may include a folding region 203, a first region 201 disposed on one side (e.g., the top side of the folding region 203) of the folding region 203, and a second region 202 disposed on the other side (e.g., the bottom side of the folding region 203) of the folding region 203. However, the display 200 may be divided into multiple regions (e.g., two regions or four or more regions) according to its structure or function. For example, the regions of the display 200 may be divided based on the folding region 203 or the folding axis A - A'. Alternatively, the regions of the display 200 may be divided based on another folding region or another folding axis (e.g., a folding axis perpendicular to the folding axis A - A').

[0081] The microphone hole 204 may include a microphone disposed therein to obtain external sounds, and multiple microphones may be disposed therein to enable detection of the direction of sounds. The speaker holes 205 and 206 may include an external speaker hole and a telephone call receiver hole. The speaker holes 205 and 206 and the microphone hole 204 may be implemented as a single hole, or may include a speaker (e.g., a piezoelectric speaker) without the speaker holes 205 and 206. The positions and numbers of the microphone hole 204 and the speaker holes 205 and 206 may be variable.

[0082] The camera modules 207 and 208 may include a first camera device disposed on the first surface 310a of the first housing 310 of the electronic device 101 and a second camera device 208 disposed on the second surface 310b of the first housing 310 of the electronic device 101. In addition, the electronic device 101 may further include a flash. The camera devices 207 and 208 may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and / or an ISP. The flash may include, for example, a light-emitting diode or a xenon lamp.

[0083] The sensor module 209 may generate an electrical signal or a data value corresponding to an internal operation state or an external environmental state of the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101 may additionally include another sensor module in addition to the sensor module 209 disposed on the second surface 310b of the first housing 310, or may include another sensor module instead of the sensor module 209. The electronic device 101 may include, for example, at least one of the following as the sensor module: a proximity sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a heart rate monitor (HRM) sensor, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an IR sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0084] The key input devices 211, 212, and 213 may be disposed on a side surface of the foldable housing 300. The electronic device 101 may not include some or all of the above-mentioned key input devices 211, 212, and 213, and the key input devices not included in the electronic device 101 may be implemented on the display 200 in another form such as a soft key. The key input device may be configured such that key input is implemented through the sensor module.

[0085] The connector hole 214 may be configured to accommodate a connector (e.g., a USB connector) configured to transmit and receive power and / or data to and from an external electronic device, and as a supplement or alternative to the connector, accommodate a connector configured to transmit and receive an audio signal to and from an external electronic device.

[0086] The foldable housing 300 may include a first housing structure 310, a second housing structure 320, a first rear cover 380, a second rear cover 390, and a hinge structure 440. The foldable housing 300 of the electronic device 101 may be implemented by a combination and / or assembly of different shapes or components. For example, the first housing structure 310 and the first rear cover 380 may be integrally formed, and the second housing structure 320 and the second rear cover 390 may be integrally formed. The term "housing structure" may be a combination and / or assembly of various components of the housing.

[0087] The first housing structure 310 may be connected to the hinge structure and may include a first surface 310a facing a first direction and a second surface 310b facing a second direction opposite to the first direction. The second housing structure 320 may be connected to the hinge structure 440 and may include a third surface 320a facing a third direction and a fourth surface 320b facing a fourth direction opposite to the third direction. The second housing structure 320 may be rotatable relative to the first housing structure 310 about the hinge structure (or folding axis A-A').

[0088] The first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 may be disposed on opposite sides (or upper and lower sides) with respect to the folding axis A-A' and may have a generally symmetric shape with respect to the folding axis A-A'. The first housing 310 and the second housing 320 may form an angle or a distance therebetween, which may vary depending on whether the electronic device 101 is in an unfolded state, a folded state, or an intermediate state. Different from the second housing structure 320, the first housing structure 310 may further include various sensors. However, the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320 may have a mutually symmetric shape in other regions.

[0089] At least a part of the first housing structure 310 and at least a part of the second housing structure 320 may be made of a metallic material or a non-metallic material having a rigidity selected to support the display 200. The part made of at least the metallic material may provide a ground plane of the electronic device 101 and may be electrically connected to the ground wire formed on the printed circuit board 430.

[0090] The first rear cover 380 may be disposed on one side of the folding axis A-A' on the rear surface of the electronic device 101 and may have a substantially rectangular periphery that may be surrounded by the first housing structure 310, for example. Similarly, the second rear cover 390 may be disposed on the other side of the folding axis A-A' on the rear surface of the electronic device 101, and the periphery of the second rear cover 390 may be surrounded by the second housing structure 320.

[0091] The first rear cover 380 and the second rear cover 390 may have a substantially symmetric shape with respect to the folding axis A-A'. However, the first rear cover 380 and the second rear cover 390 do not necessarily have to have a mutually symmetric shape, and the electronic device 101 may include the first rear cover 380 and the second rear cover 390 having various shapes. Additionally, the first rear cover 380 may be integrally formed with the first housing structure 310, and the second rear cover 390 may be integrally formed with the second housing structure 320.

[0092] The first rear cover 380, the second rear cover 390, the first housing structure 310, and the second housing structure 320 may define a space in which various components (e.g., a printed circuit board or a battery) of the electronic device 101 can be disposed. One or more components may be disposed or visually exposed on the rear surface of the electronic device 101. For example, at least a part of the sub-display 210 may be visually exposed through the first rear cover 380. Additionally, one or more components or sensors may be visually exposed through the first rear cover 380. The sensors may include a proximity sensor and / or a rear camera. One or more components or sensors may be visually exposed through the second rear cover 390.

[0093] The front camera 207 exposed to the front surface of the electronic device 101 through one or more openings or the rear camera 208 exposed through the first rear cover 380 may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and / or an ISP. The flash 209 may include a light-emitting diode or a xenon lamp. Two or more lenses (e.g., an infrared camera lens, a wide-angle lens, and a telephoto lens) and an image sensor may be disposed on one surface of the electronic device 101.

[0094] Figure 3A Indicates the fully unfolded state of the display part, Figure 3B Indicates the partially unfolded state (or partially folded state) of the display part.

[0095] The display part of the electronic device 101 may include a configuration for displaying a screen and a configuration connected to the display and moving integrally with the display. Refer to Figure 3A , the display part may include a display panel 200c and a touch panel 200d disposed adjacent to the display panel 200c.

[0096] The electronic device 101 may be adjusted to a folded state or an unfolded state. The electronic device 101 may be of an "inward folding" type in which the front surface of the electronic device 101 is folded to form an acute angle when viewed in the direction of the folding axis (e.g., Figure 2 A-A' in), and an "outward folding" type in which the front surface of the electronic device 101 is folded to form an obtuse angle when viewed in the direction of the folding axis. For example, in the electronic device 101, in the inward folding type, in the state where the electronic device 101 is in the folded state, the first surface 310a may face the third surface 320a, and in the fully unfolded state, the third direction may be the same as the first direction. In another example, in the outward folding type, in the state where the electronic device 101 is folded, the second surface 310b may face the fourth surface 320b.

[0097] The inward folding type may mean a type in which the display 200 is not exposed to the outside in the fully folded state. The outward folding type may mean a type in which the display 200 is exposed to the outside in the fully folded state. Figure 3B FIG. shows an intermediate state in which the electronic device 101 is partially unfolded during the folding of the electronic device 101 in the inward folding type. Hereinafter, for convenience, the description will focus on the folded state of the electronic device 101 in the inward folding type, but it should be noted that, with necessary modifications, these descriptions can be applied to the folded state of the electronic device 101 in the outward folding type.

[0098] The display 200 may include a display panel 200c, a polarizing layer 200b disposed on the display panel 200c, and a window member 200a forming the appearance of the display. The display panel 200c, the polarizing layer 200b, and the window member 200a form one display 200 and may be formed of a flexible material. Thus, as Figure 3A shown, when an external force is applied in the state where the display 200 is unfolded, the display 200 may bend, as Figure 3B shown. Alternatively, when an external force is applied in the state where the display 200 is partially folded, as Figure 3B shown, the display 200 may unfold as Figure 3A shown.

[0099] The electronic device 101 may detect an input (e.g., a user input or an input via the input device 150) on the surface of the display 200 using the touch panel 200d. Here, the input that can be recognized by the touch panel 200d may include not only an input by directly contacting the surface of the display 200 but also an input by hovering. The touch panel 200d may have substantially the same area as the display 200. The touch panel 200d may be disposed on the top surface or the rear surface of the display 200. Figure 3A and Figure 3B FIG. shows a state in which the touch panel 200d is attached to the rear surface of the display 200.

[0100] The display device 200 can be at least partially made of a material that emits radio waves or magnetic fields. Since the display 200 can be equipped with a display panel 200c and / or a touch panel 200d, the display 200 can be used as an output device for outputting a screen and as an input device provided with a touch screen function. The display panel 200c may include a display element layer (which includes one or more pixels) and a thin film transistor (TFT) layer connected to the display element layer. The display panel 200c can correspond to a panel such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED), or an organic light emitting diode (OLED), and can display various images according to various operating states of the electronic device 101, the applications being run, and the content.

[0101] The touch panel 200d may include various types of touch members. For example, various touch panels can be used, such as a capacitive touch panel that detects capacitance changes, a pressure touch panel that detects a position by detecting the pressure applied to the panel, an optical touch panel that uses infrared rays, and a transparent electrode type touch panel that uses a contact of a transparent conductive film. In addition, various types of input position detection panels can be used, such as an electromagnetic resonance type touch panel.

[0102] The window member 200a can serve as a protective film for protecting the display panel 200c. As the protective film, the window member 200a can be made of a material that protects the display panel 200c from external influences (i.e., scratch resistance) and generates fewer wrinkles even in the folding area when the foldable housing is repeatedly folded and unfolded. A pure polyimide (CPI) film or an ultra-thin glass (UTG) can be included as the material of the window member 200a.

[0103] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an electronic device 400 according to an embodiment.

[0104] Reference Figure 4 , the electronic device 400 includes a display 410, a foldable housing 420, a printed circuit board 430, a hinge structure 440, a flexible connection member 450, a hinge cover 460, an antenna module 470, and a rear cover 480. Hereinafter, the detailed description of the components that are the same as those described with reference Figure 2 and those shown in FIG. 3 (e.g., the display 410, the foldable housing 420, and the rear cover 480) will be omitted.

[0105] A substantial portion of the display 410 can be exposed through the front plate 411. The shape of the display 410 can be substantially the same as the shape of the periphery of the front plate 411.

[0106] The foldable housing 420 may include a first housing 421 and a second housing 422. The first housing 421 may include a first surface 421a and a second surface 421b facing away from the first surface 421a, and the second housing 422 may include a third surface 422a and a fourth surface 422b facing away from the third surface 422a. The foldable housing 420 may additionally or alternatively include a bracket assembly. The bracket assembly may include a first bracket assembly 423 disposed on the first housing structure 421 and a second bracket assembly 424 disposed on the second housing structure 422. At least a portion of the bracket assembly (e.g., portion 425 including at least a portion of the first bracket assembly 423 and at least a portion of the second bracket assembly 424) may serve as a plate for supporting the hinge structure 440.

[0107] Various electrical components may be disposed on the printed circuit board 430. For example, the processor 120, the memory 130, and / or the interface 177 may be mounted on the printed circuit board 430. The processor may include at least one of a CPU, an AP, a graphics processor, an ISP, a sensor hub processor, or a CP. The memory may include, for example, a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory. The interface may include, for example, an HDMI, a USB interface, an SD card interface, and / or an audio interface. The interface may electrically or physically connect the electronic device 300 to an external electronic device, and may include a USB connector, an SD card / multimedia card (MMC) connector, or an audio connector.

[0108] The printed circuit board 430 may include a first printed circuit board 431 disposed on the side of the first bracket assembly 423 and a second printed circuit board 432 disposed on the side of the second bracket assembly 424. The first printed circuit board 431 and the second printed circuit board 432 may be disposed in a space defined by the foldable housing 420, the bracket assembly, the first rear cover 481, and / or the second rear cover 482. Components for implementing various functions of the electronic device 400 may be mounted on the first printed circuit board 431 and the second printed circuit board 432 so as to be separated from each other. The processor may be disposed on the first printed circuit board 431, and the audio interface may be disposed on the second printed circuit board 432.

[0109] The battery can be arranged adjacent to the printed circuit board 430 to supply power to the electronic device 400. At least a portion of the battery can be arranged to be substantially flush with the printed circuit board 430. The first battery 433 can be arranged adjacent to the first printed circuit board 431, and the second battery 434 can be arranged adjacent to the second printed circuit board 432. The battery is a device for supplying power to at least one component of the electronic device 400, and can include a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell. The battery can be integrally arranged inside the electronic device 400, or can be detachably arranged on the electronic device 400. The hinge structure 440 can be configured to support the foldable housing 420 and / or the bracket assembly such that the foldable housing 420 can rotate about a folding axis (e.g., Figure 2 A-A' in

[0110] The "housing structure" can be a structure including the foldable housing 420, and one or more components arranged inside the housing 420 can be assembled and / or combined with each other. The housing structure can include a first housing structure and a second housing structure. An assembled configuration including the first housing 421 and further including at least one of the first bracket assembly 423, the first printed circuit board 431, and the first battery 433 arranged inside the first housing 421 can be referred to as the "first housing structure". An assembled configuration including the second housing 422 and further including at least one of the second bracket assembly 424, the second printed circuit board 432, and the second battery 434 arranged inside the second housing 422 can be referred to as the "second housing structure". However, it should be noted that the "first housing structure" and the "second housing structure" are not limited to the components described above, and can additionally include or omit other components.

[0111] The flexible connection member 450 can be a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). Various electrical components arranged on the first printed circuit board 431 and the second printed circuit board 432 can be connected to each other using the flexible connection member 450. Thus, the flexible connection member 450 can be arranged to span the "first housing structure" and the "second housing structure". The flexible connection member 450 can be arranged to span at least a portion of the hinge structure 440. The flexible connection member 450 can be configured to be along with Figure 4The first printed circuit board 431 and the second printed circuit board 432 are connected to each other across the hinge structure 440 in a direction parallel to the y-axis. The flexible connection member 450 can be fitted and coupled to the openings 441h and 442h in the hinge structure 440. In this case, a portion 450a of the flexible connection member 450 can be arranged to span one side (e.g., the upper side) of the first hinge structure 441, and another portion 450b of the flexible connection member 450 can be arranged to span one side (e.g., the upper side) of the hinge structure 442. In addition, another portion 450c of the flexible connection member 450 can be arranged on the other side (e.g., the lower side) of the first hinge structure 441 and the second hinge structure 442. At a position adjacent to the first hinge structure 441 and the second hinge structure 442, a space (hereinafter referred to as the "hinge space") surrounded by at least a portion of the first hinge structure 441, at least a portion of the second hinge structure 442, and at least a portion of the hinge cover 460 can be formed. At least the portion 450c of the flexible connection member 450 can be arranged in the hinge space.

[0112] The hinge cover 460 can be configured to at least partially surround the hinge space. The hinge cover 460 can close the hinge space together with the hinge structure 440 and can protect the structures (e.g., at least the portion 450c of the flexible connection member 450) arranged inside the hinge space from external influences. The hinge cover 460 can be arranged between the first housing 421 and the second housing 422. The hinge cover 460 can be coupled to at least a portion of the first housing (e.g., the first rotary support 511 to be described with reference to Figure 7 and at least a portion of the second housing (e.g., the second rotary support 521 to be described later with reference to Figure 7 .

[0113] The antenna module 470 can be arranged between the rear cover 480 and the battery. The antenna module 470 can include multiple antenna modules in one electronic device 400. For example, the antenna module 470 can include a first antenna module 471 arranged on the side of the first housing 421 and a second antenna module 472 arranged on the side of the second housing 422. The antenna module can include at least one radiator. In addition, the antenna module 470 can include, for example, a near field communication (NFC) antenna, a wireless charging antenna, and / or a magnetic secure transmission (MST) antenna. The antenna module 470 can perform short-range communication with an external electronic device or can wirelessly transmit / receive the power required for charging to / from an external device. The antenna structure can be formed by a portion of the side border structure of the foldable housing 420, a portion of the bracket assembly, or a combination thereof.

[0114] The rear cover 480 may include a first rear cover 481 and a second rear cover 482. The rear cover 480 may be coupled to the foldable housing 420 to protect the above-described components (e.g., the printed circuit board 430, the battery, the flexible connection member 450, and the antenna module 470) disposed inside the foldable housing 420. As described above, the rear cover 480 may be configured substantially integrally with the foldable housing 420.

[0115] Hereinafter, the flexible connection member 550 will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 5 to 8 FIGs.

[0116] Figure 5 is a view showing a part of the inside of the electronic device 101 according to an embodiment. Figure 6 is a view showing the state in which the hinge structure 540 is removed in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 FIG. In Figure 5 and Figure 6 the embodiment shown, the inside of the electronic device is enlarged to focus on the flexible connection member 450 when the Figure 4 plurality of components (e.g., the flexible connection member 450 and the foldable housing 420) shown in FIG. are coupled.

[0117] In Figure 5 and Figure 6 FIGs., the foldable housing 501 includes a first housing 510 and a second housing 520. Here, the first housing 510 and the second housing 520 may be cover portions surrounding the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320, respectively.

[0118] Referring to Figure 5 FIGs., the flexible connection member 550 may be placed across at least a part of the inside of the first housing structure 310 and at least a part of the inside of the second housing structure 320. Here, the phrase "placing the flexible connection member 550 across the inside of the housing structure" may mean that the flexible connection member 550 having a relatively long elongated shape is disposed above or below the housing structure. As described above, the housing structure may include a housing and may be assembled in a configuration including at least one of a bracket assembly, a printed circuit board, and a battery disposed inside the housing. Therefore, the phrase "placing the flexible connection member 550 across at least a part of the inside of the housing structure" may mean placing the flexible connection member 550 across at least some of the components included in the housing structure. For example, the flexible connection member 550 may be placed across at least a part of the first bracket assembly 523 and at least a part of the second bracket assembly 524.

[0119] Referring together to Figure 5 and Figure 6, when viewing the interior of the foldable housing 501 from above, at least a portion of the flexible connection member 550 may be covered by the hinge structure 540. The covered portion H of the flexible connection member 550 corresponds to the hinge space, and movement (e.g., bending) repeatedly occurs in the flexible connection member 550 during the unfolding operation and the folding operation of the foldable electronic device.

[0120] The flexible connection member 550 included in the foldable electronic device may include a plurality of flexible connection members 551 and 552. At least a portion of the flexible connection member 550 may be placed across the interior of the first housing structure including the first housing 510, the first bracket assembly 523, and the first printed circuit board 531, and another portion may be placed across the interior of the second housing structure including the second housing 520 and the second bracket assembly 524. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The state in which the second printed circuit board is shown is illustrated. The flexible connection member 550 may be placed across the hinge structure 540 on the first housing structure and the second housing structure. In this case, a portion of the flexible connection member 550 may be configured to pass through the opening 540h in the hinge structure 540.

[0121] will be described in detail later in the Figure 10 embodiment of the plurality of flexible connection members 551 and 552.

[0122] In the following, reference will be made to Figure 7 and Figure 8 to describe the movement of the flexible connection member 550 in the hinge space. Here, the dashed line B-B' represents a virtual surface perpendicular to the folding axis A-A' shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 .

[0123] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the hinge structure 540 and the flexible connection member 660 in a state where the electronic device 500 is unfolded according to an embodiment. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the hinge structure 540 and the flexible connection member 550 in a state where the electronic device is folded according to an embodiment.

[0124] Operations of the first housing 510 and the second housing 520, and operations of the hinge structure 540 and the flexible connection member 550 will be described according to the state of the electronic device 500 (e.g., unfolded state, folded state, and intermediate state).

[0125] Reference Figure 7, when the electronic device 500 is in the unfolded state, the first surface 421a of the first housing 510 and the third surface 422a of the second housing 520 can be arranged to face the same direction while forming an angle of approximately 180 degrees. The surface of the first area 201 of the display and the surface of the second area 202 can form an angle of approximately 180 degrees therebetween and can face the same direction (e.g., the forward direction of the electronic device). The folding area 203 formed between the first area 201 and the second area 202 can form the same plane as the first area 201 and the second area 202.

[0126] refer to Figure 8 , when the electronic device 500 is in a folded state, the first surface 421a of the first housing 510 and the second surface 422a of the second housing 520 are arranged to face each other. The first surface 421a and the second surface 422a may form an acute angle (e.g., an angle between approximately 0 and 10 degrees) relative to a virtual plane BB' perpendicular to the folding axis A-A'. The surface of the first area 201 and the surface of the second area 202 of the display may also face each other while forming a narrow angle (e.g., an angle between approximately 0 and 10 degrees) with respect to each other. At least a portion of the folding area 203 may have a curved surface having a predetermined curvature.

[0127] refer to Figure 8 , will describe Figure 3B The electronic device 500 shown is in an embodiment of an intermediate state. The first surface 421a of the first housing 510 and the second surface 422a of the second housing 520 may be arranged at a certain angle to each other. The surface of the first area 201 of the display 200 and the surface of the second area 202 may form an angle that is greater than the angle in the folded state and less than the angle in the unfolded state. At least a portion of the folding area 203 may have a curved surface (the curved surface has a predetermined curvature), and the curvature at this time may be less than the curvature in the folded state.

[0128] Reference together Figure 7 and Figure 8 , the hinge structure 540 includes a first hinge structure 541 and a second hinge structure 542. Each of the first hinge structure 541 and the second hinge structure 542 may include a hinge plate. The first hinge structure 541 may support at least a portion of the flexible connection member 550, and the second hinge structure 542 may also support at least a portion of the flexible connection member 550. In the above structure, the hinge structure 540 may be coupled to the hinge cover 570 so as to define a hinge space S at least partially surrounded by the hinge structure 540 and the hinge cover 570. At least a portion of the flexible connection member 550 may be arranged in the hinge space S.

[0129] The first housing 510 may include a first rotary support 511 coupled to one side of the hinge cover 570, and the second housing 520 may include a second rotary support 521 coupled to the other side of the hinge cover 570. The first rotary support 511 may include a first rotary support surface 511a, and the second rotary support 521 may include a second rotary support surface 521a. The first rotary support surface 511a and the second rotary support surface 521a face each other and may operate symmetrically with respect to the virtual surface B-B'. Each of the first rotary support surface 511a and the second rotary support surface 521a may include a curved surface corresponding to the curved surface included in the hinge cover 570.

[0130] When the electronic device 500 is in the unfolded state (e.g., Figure 7 the illustrated embodiment), the first rotary support surface 511a and the second rotary support surface 521a may cover the hinge cover 570 such that the hinge cover 570 cannot be exposed to the rear surface of the electronic device 500 or can be minimally exposed to the rear surface of the electronic device 101. When the electronic device 500 is in the folded state (e.g., Figure 8 the illustrated embodiment), the first rotary support surface 511a and the second rotary support surface 521a may rotate along the curved surface included in the hinge cover 570 such that the hinge cover 570 can be exposed to the rear surface of the electronic device 500.

[0131] Figure 9 is a view showing a disturbed (e.g., irregularly shaped) specified shape of the flexible connection member 650 in the state where the electronic device is unfolded.

[0132] Refer to Figure 9 , the shape of the flexible connection member 650 in the hinge space S may be disturbed due to repeated operations of folding and unfolding the foldable electronic device. The phrase "the specified shape is disturbed" may include a case where the specified shape of the flexible connection member 650 is permanently deformed, or a case where the shape of the flexible connection member 650 is deformed due to the foldable electronic device being repeatedly folded and unfolded.

[0133] According to an example of the specified shape being disturbed, when a plurality of flexible connection members are arranged in the hinge space S, the specified shape of each flexible connection member 650 may be more easily disturbed, and the disturbance of the specified shape of any one flexible connection member may affect the signal transmission performance and the service life of other flexible connection members.

[0134] Refer to Figure 9, two flexible connection members 651 and 652 are illustrated as a plurality of flexible connection members arranged in the hinge space S. When the specified shapes of the two flexible connection members 651 and 652 are not maintained when the electronic device is in the unfolded state, at one side P1 of the hinge side S, the flexible connection members 651 and 652 may be in excessive close contact with the structure (e.g., the hinge cover 670) side of the foldable electronic device. On the other side P2, at least one of the flexible connection members 651 and 652 may be in excessive close contact with the structure (e.g., the hinge cover 670) side of the foldable electronic device and may be spaced apart from the other flexible connection member. If the specified shapes of the two flexible connection members 651 and 652 are not maintained, the shapes of the flexible connection members 651 and 652 on one side P1 and the shapes of the flexible connection members 651 and 652 on the other side P2 may be different from each other. In addition, in another portion P3, the flexible connection members 651 and 652 may rub against the structure (e.g., the hinge cover 670) of the foldable electronic device when the electronic device is in the unfolded state, which may cause damage due to cumulative stress or a rapid reduction in service life.

[0135] In the following description, various embodiments for preventing the specified shape of the flexible connection member from being disturbed will be described.

[0136] First, various embodiments of the flexible connection member 550 will be described. Figure 10 is a view showing a flexible connection member according to an embodiment.

[0137] Reference Figure 10 , the flexible connection member 550 may include a plurality of flexible connection members. For example, the flexible connection member 550 may include a first flexible connection member 551 and a second flexible connection member 552. Additionally, the flexible connection member 550 may further include three or more flexible connection members.

[0138] In Figure 10 , the first flexible connection member 551 and the second flexible connection member 552 are completely separated from each other and are illustrated as two separate flexible connection members.

[0139] Basically, a flexible connection member can be divided into a first flexible connection member 551 and a second flexible connection member 552. For example, a flexible connection member that is not substantially physically divided can be divided into a first flexible connection member 551 and a second flexible connection member 552 according to the type of signal line, and can be branched into two or more branches in some areas where only the flexible connection member is located. The first flexible connection member 551 and the second flexible connection member 552 can have the form of an integrated flexible connection member inside the first housing structure 310, and can be branched into two different flexible connection members 551 and flexible connection member 552 inside the second housing structure 320. As described above, it should be noted that the shape of the flexible connection member can be set differently in different embodiments. In the following description, for the convenience of description, the case of two flexible connection members 551 and flexible connection member 552 that are physically spaced apart from each other and have different shapes will be described, but it should be noted that the scope of the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0140] Reference Figure 10 , the first flexible connection member 551 can be placed across at least a part of the inside of the first housing structure 310 and at least a part of the second housing structure 320. The second flexible connection member 552 can also be placed across at least a part of the first housing structure 310 and at least a part of the second housing structure 320.

[0141] Each of the first flexible connection member 551 and the second flexible connection member 552 may include a device for connecting to the first printed circuit board 431 or the second printed circuit board 432. The first flexible connection member 551 may electrically connect the first printed circuit board 431 and the second printed circuit board 432 via connection ends 551a and 551b disposed at its opposite ends. The second flexible connection member 552 may also electrically connect the first printed circuit board 431 and the second printed circuit board 432 via connection ends 552a and 552b disposed at its opposite ends. Here, each connection end may include a receptacle or a header in which at least one pin is formed. The first flexible connection member 551 and the second flexible connection member 552 may be connected to at least one of the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board via various other devices as well as the receptacle or header structure. For example, the flexible connection members 551 and 552 may be connected to at least one of the first printed circuit board 431 and the second printed circuit board 432 via solder joints formed using hot pressing, by a hot-bar process. The shape of the connection ends and their manufacturing methods are not limited to any specific configuration. Based on the shape of the connection ends, the first flexible connection member 551 and the second flexible connection member 552 may include, for example, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a flexible flat cable (FFC) type connector structure, a board-to-board (B-to-B) type connector structure, a zigzag type connector structure, a solder type connector structure formed by a hot-bar process, a low insertion force (LIF) connector structure, or a zero insertion force (ZIF) connector structure.

[0142] Each of the first flexible connection member 551 and the second flexible connection member 552 may include at least one conductive path that connects the first printed circuit board 431 and the second printed circuit board 432 to each other. Power or control signals provided from a power management module or a processor may be transmitted via the conductive path. The flexible connection members 551 and 552 may each include RF wiring (which is a high-frequency signal line) as a conductive path for transmitting communication signals provided from an RF transceiver to another RF transceiver or communication signals received via a communication device. For example, the first flexible connection member 551 may include wiring (or a conductive path) for transmitting communication signals including RF signals. In addition, the second flexible connection member 552 may include wiring for transmitting electrical signals that are less sensitive to impedance changes compared to the wiring included in the first flexible connection member 551. The second flexible connection member 552 may include power lines. As a supplement to or in place of the power lines, the second flexible connection member 552 may include wiring for transmitting data and / or wiring (conductive path) for transmitting control signals. Depending on the RF signal characteristics, the first flexible connection member 551 may be formed to be thinner and narrower than the second flexible connection member 552. Therefore, when the first flexible connection member 551 including a conductive path for transmitting RF signals is repeatedly used in a state where its specified shape is disturbed in the hinge space, the durability of the first flexible connection member 551 will be relatively weaker compared to the second flexible connection member 552, and it may be difficult to exhibit stable communication performance because the first flexible connection member 551 is vulnerable to impedance changes.

[0143] Figure 11 is a view showing a flexible connection member and an adhesive member according to an embodiment.

[0144] Reference Figure 11 , the foldable electronic device includes an adhesive member 553 attached to the first flexible connection member 551. The adhesive member 553 may be a component that maintains the shape of the first flexible connection member 551 unchanged within a specified area when the foldable housing 300 is folded and unfolded. A band portion (e.g., an insulating band portion) may be used as the adhesive member 553. Even when the foldable electronic device is repeatedly folded and unfolded, the first flexible connection member 551 and the second flexible connection member 552 may maintain their specified shapes through the adhesive member 553.

[0145] The adhesive member 553 may be arranged to cover at least a partial area of the first flexible connection member 551. Here, the portion 450c (or “flexible portion”) of the flexible connection member described with reference to Figure 4 may correspond to the “at least partial area” of the first flexible connection member 551.

[0146] Each portion of the flexible connection member will be described. Referring together toFigure 10 and Figure 11 The first flexible connection member 551 may include, along the longitudinal direction of the first flexible connection member 551, a rigid portion 551c fixed to the side of the first housing structure 310, a rigid portion 551d fixed to the second housing structure 320, and a flexible portion 551e between the rigid portion 551c and the rigid portion 551d. The second flexible connection member 552 may include, along the longitudinal direction of the flexible connection member 551, a rigid portion 552c fixed to the side of the first housing structure 310, a rigid portion 552d fixed to the second housing structure 320, and a flexible portion 552e between the rigid portion 552c and the rigid portion 552d. Here, the wording "the rigid portions 551c and 551d of the first flexible connection member 551 are fixed to the first housing structure side and the second housing structure side" may include the case where the rigid portion 551c of the first flexible connection member 551 is fixed to the first hinge structure 441, the first printed circuit board 431, or the first bracket assembly 423 disposed inside the first housing structure 310. The rigid portion 551d of the first flexible connection member 551 may be fixed to the second hinge structure 442, the second printed circuit board 432, or the second bracket assembly 424 disposed inside the second housing structure 320. The wording "the rigid portions 552c and 552d of the second flexible connection member 552 are fixed to the first housing structure side and the second housing structure side" may be similarly applied to the embodiment in which the rigid portions 551c and 551d of the first flexible connection member 551 are fixed to the first housing structure side and the second housing structure side.

[0147] The flexible portions 551e and 552e may be movable portions in the space inside the hinge structure (e.g., in the hinge space S in Figure 7 ). The adhesive member 553 may be stacked on the flexible portion 551e of the first flexible connection member 551 and may guide the flexible portion 551e to be movable within a specified area (e.g., the hinge space S) while maintaining its shape (and / or position) unchanged.

[0148] The first flexible connection member 551 may include a cover layer to increase the rigidity of the first flexible connection member 551 and thus maintain the specified shape of the flexible connection member 551. However, when the cover layer is added to the first flexible connection member 551, the flexibility of the flexible portion 551e may be reduced. Therefore, an embodiment may be provided that uses the adhesive member 553 to maintain the specified shape of the first flexible connection member 551 without the cover layer.

[0149] Figure 12 is a view showing a flexible connection member and an adhesive member 554 connecting the flexible connection members according to an embodiment. Figure 13It is a view showing a state in which one or more slits 555 are formed in the adhesive member 554 according to an embodiment.

[0150] Reference Figure 12 , the foldable electronic device includes an adhesive member 554 that connects the flexible connection members 551 and 552 to each other. The adhesive member 554 may be a component configured to: fix the positions of two different flexible connection members 551 and the flexible connection member 552 together, and maintain the specified shape (and / or position) of the first flexible connection member 551 and the second flexible connection member 552 unchanged within a specified area when the foldable housing 300 is folded and unfolded. The adhesive member 554 can be used to connect the first flexible connection member 551 and the second flexible connection member 552 as if they were a single flexible connection member.

[0151] The first flexible connection member 551 and the second flexible connection member 552 can be connected to each other using a band portion as the adhesive member 554. Even when the foldable electronic device is repeatedly folded and unfolded, the first flexible connection member 551 and the second flexible connection member 552 can maintain their specified shapes through the adhesive member 554.

[0152] Reference Figure 13 , the adhesive member 554 can be arranged to cover at least a partial area of the first flexible connection members 551 and 552. Here, the portion (or "flexible portion") 450c of the flexible connection member described in the above reference Figure 4 may correspond to the "at least partial area" of the flexible connection members 551 and 552. Hereinafter, for each part of the adhesive member 554, the description of the part that repeats the description of Figure 11 will be omitted.

[0153] The flexible portions 551e and 552e may be portions that are movable within the space inside the hinge structure (e.g., Figure 7 the hinge space S in). The adhesive member 554 can be stacked on the flexible portion 551e of the first flexible connection member 551 and the flexible portion 552 of the second flexible connection member 552, and can guide the flexible portions 551e and 552e to be movable within a specified area (e.g., the hinge space S) while maintaining their shapes (and / or positions) unchanged.

[0154] Reference Figure 13, opposite sides of the bonding member 554 can be connected to the rigid portions 551c and 551d of the first flexible connecting member 551 and the rigid portions 552c and 552d of the second flexible connecting member 552, respectively. For example, the bonding member 554 can have a shape that completely covers the flexible portions 551e and 552e. Alternatively, the bonding member 554 can have a shape that covers only a portion of the flexible portions 551e and 552e.

[0155] The shape of the bonding member 554 can be set differently. For example, in addition to covering a portion of the flexible portions 551e and 552e, the bonding member 554 can further include a handle portion 553a that allows a user to directly attach the bonding member 554 to the first flexible connecting member 551 and the second flexible connecting member 552.

[0156] One or more slits can be formed in the bonding member 554 to maintain the specified shapes of the flexible connecting members 551 and 552. One or more slits 555 can be used to balance the movement of the flexible portions when the flexible connecting members 551 and 552 are bent.

[0157] The longitudinal direction of one or more slits 555 can be parallel to the folding axis A - A' of the electronic device 101. When multiple slits are included, the arrangement direction of the multiple slits can be formed perpendicular to the folding axis A - A'.

[0158] Figure 14 is a view showing a state in which the flexible connecting members 551 and 552 and the bonding member 554 are coupled to each other according to an embodiment.

[0159] Reference Figure 14 , in the bonding member 554, the handle member 554a included in the bonding member 554 can be arranged in different portions of the bonding member 554 to form different shapes of the bonding member 554. Compared with Figure 13 , only one side of the bonding member 554 is connected to the rigid portion 551d of the first flexible connecting member 551 and the rigid portion 552d of the second flexible connecting member 552, and the other side is stacked on the flexible portions 551e and 552e in a state of being spaced apart from the rigid portions 551c and 552c by a predetermined distance.

[0160] In addition, the shape and / or number of one or more slits 555 provided in the bonding member 554 can vary. In Figures 15A to 15E described below, according to various embodiments, one or more slits are disclosed.

[0161] Figure 15A is a view showing the shape of one or more slits 555 according to an embodiment. Figure 15Bis a view showing the shape of one or more slits 555 according to an embodiment. Figure 15C is a view showing the shape of one or more slits 556 according to an embodiment. Figure 15D is a view showing the shape of one or more slits 557 according to an embodiment. Figure 15E is a view showing the shape of one or more slits 557 and 558 according to an embodiment.

[0162] One or more slits formed in the adhesive member 554 may have various forms, numbers, and various widths and lengths. For example, as Figure 15A shown, a plurality of slits 555 having the same width t and length l may be formed in the adhesive member 553, and the spacing d1 and d2 between the slits may be set differently according to the position of the slits provided in the adhesive member 554. The slits near the center of the adhesive member 554 may have a smaller spacing d1 such that the slits are densely arranged, and the slits away from the center may have a relatively large spacing d2 such that the density of the slits is arranged relatively sparsely.

[0163] Alternatively, as Figure 15B shown, a plurality of slits 555 having different widths t1 and t2 or different lengths may be formed in the adhesive member 554. For example, the narrow slit 555a may be arranged near the center of the adhesive member 554, and the relatively wide slit 555b may be arranged away from the center of the adhesive member 554.

[0164] Alternatively, as Figure 15C shown, one or more slits 556 may have a very narrow width (like a thin line shape) and a very long length compared to the width. Some of the one or more slits 556 may extend to the handle portion 554a.

[0165] Alternatively, as Figure 15D shown, a cross-shaped pattern may be repeated in the form of at least one slit 557.

[0166] Alternatively, as Figure 15E shown, one or more slits 557 and 558 having two or more different shapes may be used in combination. Among the one or more slits 557 shown in Figure 15E , some of the slits 557 may adopt a cross-shaped pattern, and other slits 558 may adopt an opening shape pattern formed by punching.

[0167] Additionally, one or more slits may include reference Figures 15A to 15EVarious embodiments other than the described embodiments. When one or more slits can function to make the movement of the flexible part uniform when the flexible connection members 551 and 552 are bent, the slits may include similar patterns such as holes, grooves, notches, and openings.

[0168] In the above-described embodiments, the adhesive member for maintaining a specified shape when two or more flexible connection members are bent and the slit structure formed therein have been described. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the slit structure for maintaining a specified shape when a multi-layer flexible connection member is bent.

[0169] Figure 16 is a view showing a flexible connection member 750 and one or more slits 755 formed in the flexible connection member 750 according to an embodiment. Figure 17 is a conceptual diagram showing a flexible connection member 750 and one or more slits 755 formed in the flexible connection member 750 according to an embodiment. Figure 18A is a view showing according to an embodiment according to Figure 17 a cross-sectional view of the flexible connection member 750 and one or more slits 755 formed in the flexible connection member shown in the embodiment. Figure 18B is a cross-sectional view showing a flexible connection member 750 and one or more slits 755 and 755' formed in the flexible connection member. Here, Figure 18A and Figure 18B each show a cross-sectional view of the flexible connection member 750 according to the embodiment shown in the direction of line C-C' obtained according to Figure 17 the embodiment shown in.

[0170] The flexible connection member 750 may generally be formed of one flexible connection member. Referring to Figure 16 , the flexible connection member 750 may be regarded as a single flexible connection member and include a plurality of connection ends 750aa, 750ab, 750ba, and 750bb branched from at least one of the first housing structure 310 and the second housing structure 320. Figure 16 The flexible connection member 750 shown in may include a plurality of signal lines and may be implemented as a multi-layer printed circuit board in which a plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of insulating layers are alternately stacked.

[0171] Referring to Figure 17, the flexible connection member 750 includes, along its longitudinal direction, rigid portions 750c and 750d fixed to the housing, the bracket assembly, or the printed circuit board. Additionally, a flexible portion 750e may be disposed between the rigid portions 750c and 750d. Here, when the flexible connection member 750 is installed inside the foldable housing 420 or the foldable housing structure 330, the flexible portion 750e may be disposed in a hinge space S that is at least partially surrounded by the hinge structure 440 and / or the hinge cover 470.

[0172] Reference Figure 18A and Figure 18B , the flexible portion 750e of the flexible connection member 750 has a plurality of layered structures. Further, at least one slit 755 may be formed in the outermost layer of the plurality of layered structures, for example, formed in the uppermost layer and / or the lowermost layer. Figure 18A Shows a plurality of slits 755 formed in the uppermost layer of the flexible connection member 750. As Figure 18B shown, a plurality of slits 755 may be formed in the uppermost layer of the flexible connection member 750, and a plurality of slits 755' may also be formed in the lowermost layer.

[0173] The flexible connection member 750 may include a plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of insulating layers as the plurality of layered structures. The plurality of conductive layers and the plurality of insulating layers included in the flexible portion 750e may extend integrally from the rigid portions 750c and 750d. The flexible portion 750 may include a first cover layer 751, a stacked structure 752 of at least one conductive layer and at least one insulating layer, and a second cover layer 753. Here, the stacked structure 752 of at least one conductive layer and at least one insulating layer may be a sequentially stacked first conductive layer, a first insulating layer, a second conductive layer, and a second insulating layer. At least a part of the flexible connection member 750 (for example, the upper surface of the first conductive layer) may be visible to the outside and may be covered by the first cover layer 751. Similarly, the lower end of the flexible connection member 750 may also be covered by the second cover layer 752. By forming slits 755 in at least one of the first cover layer 751 and the second cover layer 753, for example, by forming one or more slits in a portion corresponding to the hinge structure (or the hinge space) in the multi-layer flexible connection member, a specified shape can be maintained when the multi-layer printed circuit board is bent. Therefore, the service life of the flexible connection member can be improved.

[0174] One or more slits 755 may also be formed in a direction parallel to the folding axis A-A'. Additionally, one or more slits 755 may also have various shapes, numbers, and various widths and lengths similar to the slits formed in the adhesive member 553.

[0175] Figure 19is a view showing a flexible connection member 950 according to an embodiment and one or more slits formed in the flexible connection members 951 and 952.

[0176] Reference Figure 19 , the multi-layer flexible connection member includes: a first multi-layer flexible connection member 951, which is placed across at least a part of the first housing structure 310 and at least a part of the second housing structure 320 and is configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board 431 and the second printed circuit board 432 via connection ends located at opposite ends of the first multi-layer flexible connection member 951; and a second multi-layer flexible connection member 952, which is placed across at least a part of the first housing structure 310 and at least a part of the second housing structure 320 and is configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board 431 and the second printed circuit board 432 via connection ends arranged at opposite ends of the second multi-layer flexible connection member 952.

[0177] One or more slits 955 and 956 may be formed in each of the first multi-layer flexible connection member 951 and the second multi-layer flexible connection member 952. One or more slits 955 and 956 may be formed in at least one of the uppermost layer and the lowermost layer of the first multi-layer flexible connection member 951, and may be formed in at least one of the uppermost layer and the lowermost layer of the second multi-layer flexible connection member 951. One or more slits 955 and 956 may be formed in a part of at least one of the uppermost layer and the lowermost layer of the first multi-layer flexible connection member 951, for example, formed between the rigid parts 951c, 952c, 951d and 952d.

[0178] As Figure 19 shown in, when a plurality of multi-layer flexible connection members are provided, a specified shape of the multi-layer flexible connection member can be maintained by forming one or more slits in each of the multi-layer flexible connection members.

[0179] In the case where a plurality of flexible connection members are provided in a foldable housing, the method of using the adhesive member 553 to maintain the specified shape described above with reference to Figures 10 to 15E and the method of directly forming slits in the multi-layer flexible connection member described above with reference to Figures 16 to 18B can be applied together.

[0180] Figure 20 is a view showing a state in which the specified shape of the flexible connection member 1051 is maintained when the foldable electronic device is unfolded according to an embodiment.

[0181] Reference Figure 20, when the bonding member 1053 is attached to the first flexible connection member 1051, it can be seen that the specified shape of the first flexible connection member 1051 is maintained even when the foldable electronic device is repeatedly folded and unfolded.

[0182] Comparing Figure 20 with Figure 9 it can be seen that, compared with the embodiment shown in Figure 9 , there is a significant improvement in the uniformity of the specified shape of the first flexible connection member 1051 in the embodiment shown in Figure 20 . For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 20 , it can be seen that the specified shape of the first flexible connection member 1051 is not disturbed in the portion corresponding to P1 in Figure 9 . In addition, in the embodiment shown in Figure 20 , friction with the structure of the foldable electronic device (e.g., the hinge cover 1070) can be prevented or significantly reduced.

[0183] Figure 21 is a view showing a state in which the specified shapes of the flexible connection members 1151 and 1152 are maintained when the foldable electronic device is unfolded according to an embodiment.

[0184] Referring to Figure 21 , when the bonding member 1154 is attached to two different flexible connection members 1151 and 1152, the specified shapes of the flexible connection members 1151 and 1152 are maintained even when the foldable electronic device is repeatedly folded and unfolded. In addition, by forming a plurality of slits 1155 in the bonding member 1154, the uniformity of the specified shapes of the flexible connection members 1151 and 1152 can be further improved. When Figure 21 is compared with Figure 9 , it can be seen that, compared with the embodiment shown in Figure 9 , in the embodiment shown in Figure 21 , there is a significant improvement in the uniformity of the specified shapes of the first flexible connection member 1151 and the second flexible connection member 1152. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 21 , it can be seen that the specified shapes of the first flexible connection member 1151 and the second flexible connection member 1152 are not disturbed in the portion corresponding to P1 in Figure 9 . In addition, in the embodiment shown in Figure 21 , friction with the structure of the foldable electronic device (e.g., the hinge cover 1170) can be prevented or significantly reduced.

[0185] Figure 22 is a view showing a state in which the specified shape of the flexible connection member 1250 is maintained when the foldable electronic device is unfolded according to an embodiment.

[0186] Reference Figure 22 , the flexible connection member 1250 is a multi-layer flexible connection member 1250. When the foldable electronic device is repeatedly folded and unfolded, the laminated portions of the multi-layer flexible connection member 1250 may separate and the specified shape may be disturbed. To prevent this from occurring, by forming one or more slits 1255 in at least one outermost layer of the multi-layer flexible connection member 1250, as described above, it can be seen that even when the foldable electronic device is repeatedly folded and unfolded, the specified shape of the plurality of flexible connection members 1250 is maintained. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 22 , it can also be seen that the specified shape of the first flexible connection member 1250 is not disturbed. In addition, in the embodiment shown in Figure 22 , friction with the structure of the foldable electronic device (e.g., the hinge cover 1270) can be prevented or significantly reduced.

[0187] The electronic device according to various embodiments may be one of various types of electronic devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a household appliance. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device is not limited to the electronic devices described above.

[0188] It should be understood that the various embodiments disclosed and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features set forth herein to specific embodiments, but include various changes, equivalent forms or alternative forms corresponding to the respective embodiments. For the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used to refer to like or related elements. It will be understood that a singular noun corresponding to a term may include one or more things, unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of the phrases such as "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B or C", "at least one of A, B and C", and "at least one of A, B or C" may include any one or all possible combinations of the items listed together in the corresponding one of the plurality of phrases. As used herein, terms such as "first" and "second" or "1st" and "2nd" may be used to simply distinguish the corresponding components from another component and do not limit the components in other respects (e.g., importance or order). It will be understood that, in the case where the terms "operably" or "communicatively" are used or where the terms "operably" or "communicatively" are not used, if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as "coupled with another element (e.g., a second element)", "coupled to another element (e.g., a second element)", "connected with another element (e.g., a second element)", or "connected to another element (e.g., a second element)", it means that the one element can be directly (e.g., wired) connected to the other element, wirelessly connected to the other element, or connected to the other element via a third element.

[0189] As used herein, the term "module" may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware and may be used interchangeably with other terms (e.g., "logic", "logic block", "portion", or "circuit"). A module may be a single integrated component adapted to perform one or more functions or the smallest unit or portion of the single integrated component. For example, according to an embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0190] The various embodiments described herein can be implemented as software (e.g., program 140) including one or more instructions readable by a machine (e.g., electronic device 101) stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 136 or external memory 138). For example, a processor (e.g., processor 120) of a machine (e.g., electronic device 101) can call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and run it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions can include code generated by a compiler or code that can be run by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium can be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Herein, the term "non-transitory" only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), but this term does not distinguish between data being stored semi-permanently in the storage medium and data being stored temporarily in the storage medium.

[0191] The methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure can be included and provided in a computer program product. The computer program product can be traded between a seller and a purchaser as a product. The computer program product can be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or the computer program product can be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., PlayStore TM )), or the computer program product can be directly distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). If it is distributed online, at least part of the computer program product can be generated temporarily, or at least part of the computer program product can be stored at least temporarily in a machine-readable storage medium (such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a forwarding server).

[0192] According to various embodiments, each of the above components (e.g., modules or programs) can include a single entity or multiple entities. According to various embodiments, one or more of the above components or operations can be omitted, or one or more other components or operations can be added. Optionally or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) can be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component can still perform each of the one or more functions of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as the corresponding one of the multiple components performed the one or more functions before integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, a program, or another component can be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or in a heuristic manner, or one or more of the operations can be run in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations can be added.

[0193] According to an embodiment, a foldable electronic device includes: a hinge structure; a foldable housing that includes a folding region where the electronic device is substantially folded about a folding axis, the foldable housing including a first housing structure connected to the hinge structure, the first housing structure including a first surface facing a first direction and a second surface facing a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a first printed circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted; and a second housing structure connected to the hinge structure, the second housing structure including a third surface facing a third direction and a fourth surface facing a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, and a second printed circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted, the second housing structure being folded relative to the first housing structure about the hinge structure; a flexible display disposed inside the foldable housing and extending from the first surface of the first housing structure to the third surface of the second housing structure; a first flexible connection member placed across at least a part of the inside of the first housing structure and at least a part of the inside of the second housing structure and configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board via connection ends disposed at opposite ends of the first flexible connection member, the first flexible connection member including wirings configured to transmit communication signals including RF signals; a second flexible connection member placed across at least a part of the inside of the first housing structure and at least a part of the inside of the second housing structure and configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board via connection ends disposed at opposite ends of the second flexible connection member, the second flexible connection member including power lines; and an adhesive member attached to the first flexible connection member to maintain the shape of the first flexible connection member unchanged within a specified area when the foldable housing is folded and unfolded.

[0194] The adhesive member may be provided on each of the top surface and the bottom surface of the first flexible connection member.

[0195] The adhesive member may be attached to at least a part of the first flexible connection member and may include a part extending from the part attached to at least a part of the first flexible connection member and attached to the second flexible connection member, thereby connecting the first flexible connection member and the second flexible connection member.

[0196] Each of the first flexible connection member and the second flexible connection member may include, along its longitudinal direction: a rigid portion respectively fixed to one side of the first housing structure and one side of the second housing structure, and a flexible portion disposed between the rigid portions.

[0197] The flexible portion may be configured to be movable within the space inside the hinge structure.

[0198] The bonding member may be stacked on the flexible portions of the first flexible connecting member and the second flexible connecting member.

[0199] At least one of the opposite sides of the bonding member may be connected to the rigid portions of the first flexible connecting member and the second flexible connecting member.

[0200] The first flexible connecting member and the second flexible connecting member may be substantially branched from one flexible connecting member.

[0201] The first flexible connecting member or the second flexible connecting member may include RF wiring.

[0202] One or more slits may be formed in a direction parallel to the folding axis.

[0203] A plurality of slits may be provided, and the plurality of slits may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other at a greater interval as the distance from the center of the folding axis increases.

[0204] A plurality of slits may be provided, and the width of the slit farther from the center of the folding axis may be greater than the width of the slit closer to the center of the folding axis.

[0205] According to an embodiment, a foldable electronic device includes: a hinge structure; a foldable housing including a folding region where the electronic device is substantially folded about a folding axis, the foldable housing including: a first housing structure connected to the hinge structure, the first housing structure including a first surface facing a first direction and a second surface facing a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a first printed circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted; and a second housing structure connected to the hinge structure, the second housing structure including a third surface facing a third direction and a fourth surface facing a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, and a second printed circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted, the second housing structure being configured to be foldable relative to the first housing structure about the hinge structure, wherein, in a folded state, the first surface faces the third surface, and in an unfolded state, the third direction is the same as the first direction; a flexible display disposed inside the foldable housing and extending from the first surface of the first housing structure to the third surface of the second housing structure; and a multi-layer flexible connection member placed across at least a part of the inside of the first housing structure and at least a part of the inside of the second housing structure and configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board via connection ends disposed at opposite ends of the multi-layer flexible connection member, wherein one or more slits are formed in a part of the multi-layer flexible connection member corresponding to the hinge structure.

[0206] One or more slits may be formed in each of the topmost layer and the bottommost layer of the multi-layer flexible connection member.

[0207] The multi-layer flexible connection member may include, along its longitudinal direction: rigid portions respectively fixed to one side of the first housing structure and one side of the second housing structure; and a flexible portion disposed between the rigid portions and configured to move in a space inside the hinge structure, and one or more slits may be formed in the flexible portion.

[0208] One or more slits may be formed in a direction parallel to the folding axis.

[0209] A plurality of slits may be provided, and the plurality of slits may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other at a greater interval as the distance from the center of the folding axis increases.

[0210] A plurality of slits may be provided, and the plurality of slits may be arranged at a smaller density as the distance from the center of the folding axis increases.

[0211] A plurality of slits may be provided, and the width of the slit farther from the center of the folding axis may be greater than the width of the slit closer to the center of the folding axis.

[0212] The multi-layer flexible connection member may include: a first multi-layer flexible connection member disposed across at least a portion of the interior of the first housing structure and at least a portion of the interior of the second housing structure and configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board via connection ends disposed at opposite ends of the first multi-layer flexible connection member; and a second multi-layer flexible connection member disposed across at least a portion of the interior of the first housing structure and at least a portion of the interior of the second housing structure and configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board via connection ends disposed at opposite ends of the second multi-layer flexible connection member. One or more slits may be formed in at least one of the uppermost layer and the lowermost layer of the first multi-layer flexible connection member, and in at least one of the uppermost layer and the lowermost layer of the second multi-layer flexible connection member.

[0213] Although the present disclosure has been specifically shown and described with reference to certain embodiments thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A foldable electronic device, the foldable electronic device comprising: A foldable housing, the foldable housing including a first housing portion, a second housing portion, and a hinge structure, the hinge structure being connected to the first housing portion and the second housing portion, the foldable housing being configured to fold about a folding axis through the hinge structure; A flexible display, the flexible display being disposed in the first housing portion and the second housing portion; A plurality of printed circuit boards (PCBs), the plurality of PCBs including a first PCB disposed in the first housing portion and a second PCB disposed in the second housing portion; A first flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), the first FPCB being configured to be connected to the first PCB and the second PCB and including at least one RF signal line, the first FPCB including a first flexible portion positioned through a designated area of the hinge structure, A second FPCB, the second FPCB being configured to be connected to the first PCB and the second PCB and including a power line, the second FPCB including a second flexible portion positioned through the designated area of the hinge structure, and An adhesive member, the adhesive member being attached to a portion of the first flexible portion of the first FPCB and a portion of the second flexible portion of the second FPCB, so as to maintain the shape or position of the portion of the first flexible portion and the portion of the second flexible portion when the foldable housing is folded and unfolded.

2. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, Among them, The adhesive member located within the designated area of the hinge structure is configured to guide the portion of the first flexible portion and the portion of the second flexible portion to be movable within the designated area when the foldable housing is folded and unfolded, so as to maintain the bent shape of the first flexible portion and the bent shape of the second flexible portion.

3. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, Among them, An antenna module disposed in the second housing portion is configured to transmit RF signals to a communication processor included in the first housing portion via the at least one RF signal line included in the first FPCB.

4. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, The first FPCB is formed to be thinner and narrower than the second FPCB.

5. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, Among them, The second flexible portion of the second FPCB is spaced apart from the first flexible portion of the first FPCB and is substantially laterally parallel.

6. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, Among them, The adhesive member is provided on each of the top surface and the bottom surface of the first FPCB.

7. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, The adhesive member is attached to at least a portion of the first FPCB, and a portion of the adhesive member extends from the at least a portion of the first FPCB and is attached to the second FPCB, thereby connecting the first FPCB to the second FPCB.

8. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, The first FPCB and the second FPCB branch from one FPCB.

9. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, One or more slits are formed in the bonding member.

10. The foldable electronic device according to claim 9, wherein, The slits are formed in a direction parallel to the folding axis.

11. The foldable electronic device according to claim 9, wherein, A plurality of slits are provided, and the plurality of slits are arranged to be spaced apart from each other at a greater interval as the distance from the center of the folding axis increases.

12. The foldable electronic device according to claim 9, wherein, A plurality of slits are provided, and the width of the slit farther from the center of the folding axis is greater than the width of the slit closer to the center of the folding axis.

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