Foldable electronic device

Abstract

An electronic device includes a hinge module, a first housing, a second housing, and a flexible display. The first housing is connected to the hinge module. The second housing is connected to the hinge module. The flexible display is disposed through at least a portion of the first and second housings. The flexible display includes a display panel including a first surface facing a first direction and a second surface facing an opposite direction when the electronic device is in an expanded state. The flexible display also includes a window layer and a sheet metal layer disposed at the first surface. The display panel, the window layer and the metal sheet layer are arranged such that separation distances between the display panel, the window layer and the metal sheet layer and the inner side walls of the first shell and the second shell generate different interlayer slippage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a foldable electronic device including a display protection structure. Background Art

[0002] Electronic devices are gradually becoming thinner and improved to increase their rigidity, strengthen their design aspects, and distinguish their functional elements. These electronic devices are gradually transformed from a regular rectangular shape to various shapes. For example, the electronic device is easy to carry and can have a transformable structure that can use a large screen display when in use. As one type of such an electronic device, a foldable electronic device is provided, in which at least two housings that are operated in a manner of folding or unfolding relative to each other are continuously unlocked, and various improvements based on the folding structure are provided. Summary of the invention

[0003] Technical issues

[0004] The foldable electronic device may include a hinge module and a first shell and a second shell connected in opposite directions by the hinge module. The foldable electronic device may be operated in an inward folding and / or outward folding manner by rotating the first shell relative to the second shell in a range of 0° to 360° via the hinge module. The foldable electronic device may include a flexible display that is arranged to span the first shell and the second shell in an open state of 180°.

[0005] Because the flexible display should be bent together with the housing, unlike a general bar-shaped electronic device, the flexible display can receive support from the housing and be configured to be able to perform self-motion according to the folding and unfolding operation of the foldable electronic device. In addition, multiple layers of the flexible display (e.g., a window layer, a display panel, or a protective layer) can be attached to each other by an adhesive (e.g., a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA)), in which interlayer slippage can occur in the adhesive so as to receive the difference in the amount of interlayer displacement caused by the bending operation. Therefore, the electronic device can provide a space for receiving interlayer slippage according to the folding and unfolding operation of the flexible display and a self-moving structure.

[0006] However, due to the self-moving structure of the flexible display, when an external impact such as falling is applied to the foldable electronic device, the edge of the display panel collides with the inner side wall of the housing; therefore, the display may be damaged. In addition, when a corresponding space is increased for buffering to improve damage, this may be disadvantageous for the thinness of the foldable electronic device.

[0007] Solution to the problem

[0008] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a foldable electronic device including a display protection structure.

[0009] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes a hinge module, a first shell connected to the hinge module, a second shell connected to the hinge module to fold the first shell, and a flexible display arranged through at least a portion of the first shell and the second shell, the flexible display including a display panel, a window layer and a metal sheet layer, when the electronic device is in an unfolded state, the display panel includes a first surface facing a first direction and a second surface facing a direction opposite to the first surface, the window layer is arranged on the first surface, and the metal sheet layer is arranged on the second surface of the display panel, wherein the display panel, the window layer and the metal sheet layer are arranged so that the separation distance between the display panel, the window layer and the metal sheet layer and the inner side walls of the first shell and the second shell produces different interlayer slippage in the unfolded state and the folded state of the electronic device, and wherein when viewed from above the flexible display, the metal sheet layer is arranged to at least partially overlap with the display panel and to be closer to the inner side walls of the first shell and the second shell than the display panel.

[0010] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes a hinge module, a first shell connected to the hinge module, a second shell connected to the hinge module to fold the first shell based on a first rotation axis, and a flexible display arranged through at least a portion of the first shell and the second shell, wherein the flexible display includes a display panel, a window layer and a metal sheet layer, and when the electronic device is in an unfolded state, the display panel includes a first surface facing a first direction and a second surface facing a direction opposite to the first surface; the window layer is arranged on the first surface of the display panel; the metal sheet layer is arranged on the second surface of the display panel, wherein when the electronic device is in a folded state and an unfolded state, the flexible display is movably arranged on the first shell and the second shell in a direction perpendicular to the first rotation axis, and wherein, when viewed from above the flexible display, the metal sheet layer is arranged to at least partially overlap with the display panel, and is arranged to be closer to the inner side walls of the first shell and the second shell than the display panel.

[0011] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, by disposing at least one layer (for example, a metal sheet layer) of the protective layer constituting the flexible display to be closer to the inner wall of the shell than the display panel, when an external impact is applied, the display panel can be prevented from being damaged by the buffering effect brought about by the pre-impact of the protective layer, and no separate buffer space is included to help make the electronic device thinner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts:

[0014] Figure 1A diagram showing an unfolded state of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 2 The various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown Figure 1 A diagram of a folded state of an electronic device;

[0016] Figure 3 An exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] FIG4A illustrates an exploded perspective view of an electronic device including a flexible display according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a configuration in each area of ​​an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 5 A perspective view showing a stacking structure of a flexible display according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG6A is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a rear surface of a flexible display according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG6B is a diagram illustrating an arrangement relationship between a display panel and a metal sheet layer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] 7A illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device as viewed from line 7A-7A of FIG. 4B according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 7B illustrates a diagram describing a movement of a flexible display when an external impact is applied to the electronic device of FIG. 7A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] 8A illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device viewed from line 8A-8A of FIG. 4B according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 8B illustrates a diagram describing a flexible display when an external impact is applied to the electronic device of FIG. 8A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG9A illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG. 9B illustrates a diagram depicting movement of a flexible display when the electronic device of FIG. 9A is subjected to an external impact according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] 10A and 10B illustrate partial cross-sectional views of an electronic device showing the construction of a metal sheet layer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] Fig.11A diagram showing an unfolded state of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] Fig.12 The various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown Fig.11 A diagram of a folded state of the electronic device; and

[0031] Fig.13 According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, Fig.11 A partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device as viewed along line 13-13. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Discussed below Figures 1 to 13 The various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are merely exemplary and should not be interpreted in any way as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the principles of the present disclosure can be implemented in any appropriately arranged system or device.

[0033] The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the various embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. The various embodiments described above include various specific details to assist in understanding, but these specific details are considered to be exemplary only. Therefore, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the various embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and brevity.

[0034] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the present disclosure. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the present disclosure is provided for illustrative purposes only and not for the purpose of limiting the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0035] It should be understood that the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a component surface" includes reference to one or more of those surfaces.

[0036] Figure 1 is a view illustrating an electronic device in a flat state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a view illustrating an electronic device in a folded state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] refer to Figure 1 , the electronic device 100 may include a hinge structure (eg, Figure 3The electronic device 100 includes a pair of housing structures 110 and 120 rotatably coupled to each other via a hinge structure 164 (in a hinge structure 164) to be folded relative to each other, a hinge cover 165 covering the foldable portions of the pair of housing structures 110 and 120, and a display 130 (e.g., a flexible display or a foldable display) arranged in a space formed by the pair of housing structures 110 and 120. In the description, the surface on which the display 130 is arranged may be referred to as a front surface of the electronic device 100, and the opposite side of the front surface may be referred to as a rear surface of the electronic device 100. The surface surrounding the space between the front surface and the rear surface may be referred to as a side surface of the electronic device 100.

[0038] In one embodiment, the pair of housing structures 110 and 220 may include a first housing structure 110, a second housing structure 120, a first back cover 140 and a second back cover 150, and the first housing structure 110 includes the sensor area 131d. The pair of housing structures 110 and 120 of the electronic device 100 are not limited to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The shapes or combinations shown in the figure can be implemented in various shapes or combinations. For example, in another embodiment, the first housing structure 110 and the first rear cover 140 can be formed as a single body, and the second housing structure 120 and the second rear cover 150 can be formed as a single body.

[0039] In one embodiment, the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may be arranged on both sides relative to the folding axis (A), and may be substantially symmetrical relative to the folding axis (A). In one embodiment, the angle or distance between the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may vary depending on whether the electronic device 100 is in a flat state or a closed state, a folded state, or an intermediate state. In one embodiment, the first housing structure 110 includes a sensor area 131d in which various sensors are arranged, but may have a shape symmetrical to the second housing structure 120 in other areas. In another embodiment, the sensor area 131d may be arranged in a specific area of ​​the second housing structure 220 or may be replaced.

[0040] In one embodiment, during the flat state of the electronic device 100, the first housing structure 110 can be connected to the hinge structure (eg, Figure 3The hinge structure 164 in the electronic device 100 may include a first surface 111 facing the front surface of the electronic device 100, a second surface 112 facing away from the first surface 111, and a first side member 113 surrounding at least a portion of a space between the first surface 111 and the second surface 112. In one embodiment, the first side member 113 may include a first side surface 113a arranged parallel to the folding axis (A), a second side surface 113b extending from one end of the first side surface 113a in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis, and a third side surface 113c extending from the other end of the first side surface 113a in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis.

[0041] In one embodiment, during the flat state of the electronic device 100, the second housing structure 120 can be connected to the hinge structure (eg, Figure 3 The hinge structure 164 in the electronic device 100 may include a third surface 121 facing the front surface of the electronic device 100, a fourth surface 122 facing away from the third surface 121, and a second side member 123 surrounding at least a portion of the space between the third surface 121 and the fourth surface 122. In one embodiment, the second side member 123 may include a fourth side surface 123a arranged parallel to the folding axis (A), a fifth side surface 123b extending from one end of the fourth side surface 123a in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis, and a sixth side surface 123c extending from the other end of the fourth side surface 123a in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis. In one embodiment, the third surface 121 may face the first surface 111 in a folded state.

[0042] In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may include a recess 101 formed to accommodate the display 130 by a structural combination of the shapes of the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120. The recess 101 may have substantially the same size as the display 130. In one embodiment, due to the sensor area 131d, the recess 101 may have two or more different widths in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis (A). For example, the recess 101 may have a first width (W1) between a first portion 120a of the second housing structure 120 parallel to the folding axis (A) and a first portion 110a of the first housing structure 110 formed at an edge of the sensor area 131d, and a second width (W2) between a second portion 120b of the second housing structure 120 and a second portion 110b of the first housing structure 110 that does not correspond to the sensor area 131d and is parallel to the folding axis (A). Here, the second width (W2) may be wider than the first width (W1). In other words, the recess 101 may be formed to have a first width (W1) (asymmetric shape) from the first portion 110a of the first housing structure 110 to the first portion 120a of the second housing structure 120, and a second width (W2) (symmetric shape) from the second portion 110b of the first housing structure 110 to the second portion 120b of the second housing structure 120. In one embodiment, the first portion 110a and the second portion 110b of the first housing structure 110 may be located at different distances from the folding axis (A). The width of the recess is not limited to the examples shown above. In various embodiments, the recess 101 may have two or more different widths due to the shape of the sensor region 131d or the asymmetry of the first housing structure 110 or the second housing structure 120.

[0043] In one embodiment, at least a portion of first housing structure 110 and second housing structure 120 may be made of a metallic or non-metallic material having a stiffness value selected to support display 130 .

[0044] In one embodiment, the sensor area 131d may be formed to have a preset area near one corner of the first housing structure 110. However, the arrangement, shape or size of the sensor area 131d is not limited to the example shown. For example, in a specific embodiment, the sensor area 131d may be formed at another corner of the first housing structure 110, or in any area between the upper corner and the lower corner. In another embodiment, the sensor area 131d may be arranged at a portion of the second housing structure 120. In another embodiment, the sensor area 131d may be formed to extend between the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120. In one embodiment, in order to perform various functions, the electronic device 100 may include a component exposed to the front surface of the electronic device 100 through the sensor area 131d or through one or more openings arranged in the sensor area 131d. These components may include, for example, at least one of a front camera, a receiver, a proximity sensor, an illumination sensor, an iris recognition sensor, an ultrasonic sensor or an indicator.

[0045] In one embodiment, the first back cover 140 may be disposed on the second surface 112 of the first housing structure 110 and may have a substantially rectangular perimeter. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the perimeter may be wrapped by the first housing structure 110. Similarly, the second back cover 150 may be disposed on the fourth surface 122 of the second housing structure 120 and at least a portion of its perimeter may be wrapped by the second housing structure 120.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, the first back cover 140 and the second back cover 150 may have a substantially symmetrical shape relative to the folding axis (A). In another embodiment, the first back cover 140 and the second back cover 150 may have a variety of different shapes. In another embodiment, the first back cover 140 may be formed as a single body with the first housing structure 110, and the second back cover 150 may be formed as a single body with the second housing structure 120.

[0047] In one embodiment, the first back cover 140, the second back cover 150, the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 can be combined with each other to provide a space where various components (e.g., a printed circuit board, an antenna module, a sensor module, and a battery) of the electronic device 100 can be arranged. In one embodiment, one or more components can be arranged on the rear surface of the electronic device 100 or can be visually exposed via the rear surface of the electronic device 100. For example, one or more components or sensors can be visually exposed through the first rear area 141 of the first back cover 140. The sensor can include a proximity sensor, a rear camera, and / or a flash. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the secondary display 152 can be visually exposed through the second rear area 151 of the second back cover 150.

[0048] The electronic device 100 may be arranged on a space formed by a pair of housing structures 110 and 120. For example, the electronic device 100 may be placed in a recess (eg, Figure 1 The first housing structure 110 may be provided in a recess 101 in the electronic device 100 and may be arranged to substantially occupy a majority of the front surface of the electronic device 100. Therefore, the front surface of the electronic device 100 may include the display 130, a portion of the first housing structure 110 close to the display 130 (e.g., an edge region), and a portion of the second housing structure 120 close to the display 130 (e.g., an edge region). In one embodiment, the rear surface of the electronic device 100 may include the first back cover 140, a portion of the first housing structure 110 close to the first back cover 140 (e.g., an edge region), the second back cover 150, and a portion of the second housing structure 120 close to the second back cover 150 (e.g., an edge region).

[0049] In one embodiment, the display 130 may refer to a display at least a portion of which may be deformed into a flat or curved surface. In one embodiment, the display 130 may include a folding area 131c, a first area 131a arranged on one side (e.g., the right side of the folding area 131c) relative to the folding area 131c, and a second area 131b arranged on the other side (e.g., the left side of the folding area 131c). For example, the first area 131a may be arranged on the first surface 111 of the first shell structure 110, and the second area 131b may be arranged on the third surface 121 of the second shell structure 120. This division of the display 130 is merely an example, and the display 130 may be subdivided into a plurality of areas (e.g., four or more areas) according to structure or function. For example, in Figure 1 In the embodiment of the embodiment, the area of ​​the display 130 can be subdivided relative to the folding area 131c or the folding axis (A) extending parallel to the y-axis. However, in another embodiment, the area of ​​the display 130 can be subdivided relative to different folding areas (e.g., folding areas parallel to the x-axis) or different folding axes (e.g., folding axes parallel to the x-axis). The aforementioned subdivision of the display is only based on a pair of housing structures 110 and 120 and a hinge structure (e.g., Figure 3 The display 130 may be physically divided by a pair of housing structures 110 and 120 and a hinge structure (eg, Figure 3 The hinge structure 164 in the folding area 131a substantially presents a full screen. In one embodiment, the first area 131a and the second area 131b may have a symmetrical shape relative to the folding area 131c. Although the first area 131a may include a notch area cut according to the presence of the sensor area 131d (for example, Figure 3The notch region 133 in the first region 131a may have a shape symmetrical to the second region 131b in other parts. In other words, the first region 131a and the second region 131b may include a portion having a symmetrical shape and a portion having an asymmetrical shape.

[0050] refer to Figure 2 The hinge cover 165 may be disposed between the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 to cover the internal components (eg, Figure 3 In one embodiment, the hinge cover 165 may be partially covered by the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120, or may be exposed to the outside according to the operating state of the electronic device 100 (eg, a flat state or a folded state).

[0051] For example, when the electronic device 100 is in a state such as Figure 1 In the flat state shown, the hinge cover 165 may be covered by the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 so as not to be exposed. Figure 2 In the folded state (e.g., fully folded state) shown, the hinge cover 165 may be exposed to the outside between the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120. When the electronic device 100 is in an intermediate state where the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 form a certain angle, the hinge cover 165 may be partially exposed to the outside between the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120. In this case, the exposed portion may be smaller than the exposed portion in the fully folded state. In one embodiment, the hinge cover 165 may include a curved surface.

[0052] Next, a description is given of the configuration of the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 and the area of ​​the display 130 according to the operating state (eg, flat state or folded state) of the electronic device 100 .

[0053] In one embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in a flat state (eg, Figure 1 When the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 are in a folded state, the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may form an angle of 180 degrees, and the first area 131a and the second area 131b of the display may be arranged to face the same direction. In addition, the folding area 131c may be coplanar with the first area 131a and the second area 131b.

[0054] In one embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in a folded state (eg, Figure 2When the display 130 is in a folded state, the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may be arranged to face each other. The first area 131a and the second area 131b of the display 130 may face each other to form a narrow angle (e.g., between 0 degrees and 10 degrees). At least a portion of the folding area 131c may form a curved surface having a preset curvature.

[0055] In one embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in the intermediate state, the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may be arranged to form a certain angle. The first area 131a and the second area 131b of the display 130 may form an angle greater than the angle of the folded state and smaller than the angle of the flat state. At least a portion of the folded area 131c may form a curved surface with a preset curvature. The curvature may be less than the curvature of the folded state.

[0056] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Reference Figure 3 In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may include a display 130, a support member component 160, at least one printed circuit board 170, a first housing structure 110, a second housing structure 120, a first back cover 140, and a second back cover 150. In the description, the display 130 may be referred to as a display unit, a display module, or a display component.

[0058] The display 130 may include a display panel 131 (e.g., a flexible display panel), and at least one plate 132 or layer on which the display panel 131 is located. In one embodiment, one or more plates 132 may include a conductive plate (e.g., a Cu sheet or a SUS sheet) disposed between the display panel 131 and the support member component 160. According to one embodiment, the conductive plate may be formed to have an area substantially the same as that of the display, and the area facing the folding area of ​​the display may be formed to be bendable. The plate 132 may include at least one auxiliary material layer (e.g., a graphite member) disposed at the rear surface of the display panel 131. In one embodiment, the plate 132 may be formed into a shape corresponding to the display panel 131. For example, a partial area of ​​the first plate 132 may be formed into a shape corresponding to the cutout area 133 of the display panel 131.

[0059] The support member component 160 may include: a first support member 161; a second support member 162; a hinge structure 164 arranged between the first support member 161 and the second support member 162; a hinge cover 165 covering the hinge structure 164 when viewed from the outside; and a wiring member 163 (e.g., a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB)) that intersects the first support member 161 and the second support member 162.

[0060] In one embodiment, the support member part 160 may be disposed between the board 132 and at least one printed circuit board 170. For example, the first support member 161 may be disposed between the first area 131a of the display 130 and the first printed circuit board 171. The second support member 162 may be disposed between the second area 131b of the display 130 and the second printed circuit board 172.

[0061] In one embodiment, at least a portion of the wiring member 163 and the hinge structure 164 may be disposed within the support member part 160. The wiring member 163 may be disposed along a direction (e.g., an x-axis direction) intersecting the first support member 161 and the second support member 161. The wiring member 163 may be disposed along a folding axis (e.g., a direction perpendicular to the folding region 131c) Figure 2 The y-axis or folding axis (A) is arranged in the direction of the y-axis or folding axis (A) (for example, the x-axis direction).

[0062] As described above, at least one printed circuit board 170 may include: a first printed circuit board 171, which is arranged on the side of the first support member 161; and a second printed circuit board 172, which is arranged on the side of the second support 162. The first printed circuit board 171 and the second printed circuit board 172 may be arranged in a space formed by the support member part 160, the first housing structure 110, the second housing structure 120, the first back cover 140 and the second back cover 150. Various components for realizing the functions of the electronic device 100 may be mounted on the first printed circuit board 171 and the second printed circuit board 172.

[0063] In an embodiment, the first space of the first housing structure 110 may include: a first printed circuit board 171 arranged in a space formed by the first support member 161; a first battery 191 arranged at a position facing the first expansion hole 1611 of the first support member 161; at least one sensor module 181; or at least one camera module 182. The first housing structure 110 may include a window glass 183 arranged to protect at least one sensor module 181 and at least one camera module 182 at a position corresponding to the cutout area 133 of the display 130. In an embodiment, the second space of the second housing structure 120 may include: a second printed circuit board 172 arranged in a second space formed by the second support member 162; and a second battery 192 arranged at a position facing the second expansion hole 1621 of the second support member 162. According to one embodiment, the first housing structure 110 and the first support member 161 may be integrally formed. According to one embodiment, the second housing structure 120 and the second support member 162 may also be integrally formed. According to one embodiment, the sub display 152 may be disposed in the second space of the second case structure 120. According to one embodiment, the sub display 152 (eg, second display) may be disposed to be visible from the outside through at least a partial area of ​​the second rear cover 150.

[0064] In one embodiment, the first housing structure 110 may include a first rotation support surface 114, and the second housing structure 120 may include a second rotation support surface 124 corresponding to the first rotation support surface 114. The first rotation support surface 114 and the second rotation support surface 124 may include curved surfaces corresponding to the curved surface included in the hinge cover 165.

[0065] In one embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in a flat state (eg, Figure 1 ), the first rotation support surface 114 and the second rotation support surface 124 may cover the hinge cover 165 so that the hinge cover 165 may not be exposed or minimally exposed to the rear surface of the electronic device 100. Figure 2 , the first rotation support surface 114 and the second rotation support surface 124 may rotate along the curved surface included in the hinge cover 165 so that the hinge cover 165 may be exposed to the rear surface of the electronic device 100 to the maximum extent.

[0066] 4A illustrates an exploded perspective view of an electronic device 300 including a flexible display 400 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG4B illustrates a diagram of a configuration in each region of the electronic device 300 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0067] The electronic device 300 of FIGS. 4A and 4B may be at least partially similar to Figure 1 The electronic device 100 may include other components of the electronic device.

[0068] 4A and 4B , an electronic device 300 (eg, Figure 1 The electronic device 100 may include a first housing 310 (eg, Figure 1 The first housing structure 110 includes a first surface 311 (eg, Figure 1 a first surface 111 facing in a direction opposite to the direction of the first surface 311 and a second surface 312 facing in a direction opposite to the direction of the first surface 311 (eg, Figure 1 and a first side member 313 (eg, a first side member 314) that closes a first space between the first surface 311 and the second surface 312. Figure 1 According to one embodiment, in the unfolded state, the electronic device 300 may include a second housing 320 (eg, Figure 1 The second housing structure 120 includes a third surface 321 (eg, Figure 1 a third surface 121 facing in the same direction as the second surface 312, and a fourth surface 322 (eg, Figure 1 The fourth surface 122), and the second side member 323 (for example, Figure 1 According to one embodiment, the first housing 310 and the second housing 320 may be connected by a hinge module 364 (eg, Figure 3 The hinge structure 164 of the electronic device 300 is rotatably mounted relative to each other. For example, by rotating the first shell 310 and the second shell 320 relative to each other via the hinge module 364, the electronic device 300 can maintain a folded or unfolded state. According to one embodiment, in the folded state of the electronic device 300, the first surface 311 and the third surface 321 can face each other, and in the unfolded state of the electronic device 300, the first surface 311 and the third surface 321 can face the same direction. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may include a flexible display 400 (for example, Figure 1 The flexible display 400 is disposed to at least partially intersect the first surface 311 and the third surface 321. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may be configured to receive support from at least a portion of the first housing 310, the hinge module 364, and the second housing 320.

[0069] According to various embodiments, the electronic device 300 (eg, Figure 1The electronic device 100 may include a first area h1 facing the first housing 310, a second area h2 facing the second housing 320, and a folding area h3 facing the hinge module 364. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may be operated in a state in which the first housing 310 corresponding to the first area h1 is folded or unfolded relative to the second housing 320 corresponding to the second area h2 by the hinge module 364 corresponding to the folding area h3.

[0070] According to various embodiments, the electronic device 300 may include at least one of protective frames 340 and 350 (e.g., decorative members or decorative pieces) disposed on the flexible display 400. According to one embodiment, at least one of the protective frames 340 and 350 may include a first protective frame 340 disposed on the flexible display in the first area h1 and a second protective frame 350 disposed on the flexible display in the second area h2. According to one embodiment, the protective frames 340 and 350 may be made of a polymer material or a metal material and disposed on each of the housings 310 and 320 by at least one connection method among bonding, adhesive bonding, welding, or structural connection.

[0071] According to various embodiments, when viewed from above the flexible display 400, the electronic device may include a metal sheet layer 450 disposed below the display panel 430 and disposed to at least partially overlap the display panel 430. According to one embodiment, when viewed from above the flexible display 400, the metal sheet layer 450 may be disposed closer to a first side member (e.g., a first side member formed along edges of the first housing 310 and the second housing 320) than to an edge of the display panel 430. Figure 1 The first side member 113 and the second side member (eg, Figure 1 7A and the second inner wall 3102 of the second side member 213 of the flexible display 400). According to one embodiment, when viewed from above the flexible display 400, the metal sheet layer 450 may include edges 4501, 4502, 4503 and 4504, which are formed along the edge of the display panel 430 to protrude more outward than the display panel. For example, the metal sheet layer 450 may include a first edge 4501 facing at least a portion of the first shell 310, a second edge 4502 facing at least a portion of the second shell 320, a third edge 4503 connecting one end of the first edge 4501 and one end of the second edge 4502, and a fourth edge 4504 connecting the other end of the first edge 4501 and the other end of the second edge 4502. According to one embodiment, the third edge 4503 and the fourth edge 4504 may be arranged to pass through the second shell 320 from the first shell 310 through the hinge module 364.

[0072] According to various embodiments, the flexible display 400 may be arranged so that the edge of the display panel 430 and a portion of the first edge 4501, the third edge 4503, and the fourth edge 4504 of the metal sheet layer 450 are not exposed to the outside from between the first protective frame 340 and the first housing 310. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may be arranged so that the edge of the display panel 430 and a portion of the second edge 4502, the third edge 4503, and the fourth edge 4504 of the metal sheet layer 450 are not exposed to the outside from between the second protective frame 350 and the second housing 320. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may be movably arranged to be able to receive a slip according to the folding and unfolding operation of the electronic device 300 between the first housing 310 and the second housing 320 and the first protective frame 340 and the second protective frame 350. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may slide in a direction (x-axis direction) perpendicular to the rotation axis (axis A) of the electronic device.

[0073] According to various embodiments, in the folding area h3 corresponding to the hinge module 364 for folding and unfolding operations of the first shell 310 and the second shell 320 based on the hinge module 364, a pair of protective frames 340 and 350 may be omitted. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may include a protective structure 500, which is configured to protect the edge of the flexible display 400 exposed to the outside in the folding area h3. According to one embodiment, the edge of the flexible display 400 exposed by the folding area h3 may be blocked to be at least partially invisible from the outside by the protective structure 500. According to one embodiment, the protective structure 500 may include a protective cap 510 provided in the hinge housing 370 supporting the hinge module 364 and a blocking member 520 supported by the protective cap 510 and configured to at least partially hide the edge of the flexible display 400 from the outside.

[0074] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the flexible display 400 is observed from above, because the edges 4501, 4502, 4503 and 4504 of the metal sheet layer 450 disposed under the display panel 430 are disposed closer to the inner walls of the shells 310 and 320 (for example, the first inner wall 3102 of Figure 7A and the second inner wall 3202 of Figure 7A) than the display panel, even if the flexible display 400 collides with any one of the inner walls of the shells 310 and 320 (for example, the first inner wall 3102 of Figure 7A and the second inner wall 3202 of Figure 8A) due to external impact, the pre-impact of the metal sheet layer 450 will also play a buffering role; therefore, damage to the display panel 430 can be prevented. According to one embodiment, in the flexible display 400, the inner side walls of the third edge 4503 of the first shell 310 and the second shell 320 facing the metal sheet layer 450 and the inner side walls of the fourth edge 4504 of the first shell 310 and the second shell 320 facing the metal sheet layer 450 are arranged in basically the same structure; therefore, in the event of an external impact, basically the same buffering action can be performed.

[0075] Figure 5 A perspective view illustrating a stacking structure of a flexible display 400 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0076] Figure 5 The flexible display 400 may be at least partially similar to Figure 1 The display 130 may include other components of a flexible display.

[0077] Reference Figure 5 , the flexible display 400 may include a window layer 410 and a polarization layer (e.g., polarizer (POL)) 420 (e.g., polarizing film) sequentially disposed at the rear surface of the window layer 410, a display panel 430, a polymer member 440, and a metal sheet layer 450. According to one embodiment, the window layer may include a polymer layer and a glass layer laminated with the polymer layer. According to one embodiment, the polymer layer may include polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyimide. According to one embodiment, the glass layer may include ultra-thin glass (UTG).

[0078] According to various embodiments, the window layer 410, the polarizing layer 420, the display panel 430, the polymer member 440, and the metal sheet layer 450 may be disposed to be aligned with the first housing (eg, Figure 1 The first surface of the first housing structure 110 (eg, Figure 1 The first surface 111 of the housing and the second housing (eg, Figure 1 The third surface of the second housing structure 120 (eg, Figure 1According to one embodiment, the window layer 410, the polarizing layer 420, the display panel 430, the polymer member 440 and the metal sheet layer 450 may be connected to each other by adhesives P1, P2 and P3. For example, the adhesives P1, P2 and P3 may include at least one of an optically clear adhesive (OCA), a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), a heat-reactive adhesive, a common adhesive or a double-sided tape. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may include another adhesive member (e.g., a double-sided tape or a waterproof member) at least partially disposed on one surface of the metal sheet layer 450. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may be attached to an electronic device (e.g., Figure 3 The electronic device 100) includes a supporting member component (eg, Figure 3 support member component 160).

[0079] According to various embodiments, the polymer member 440 may be applied with a dark color (eg, black) to help achieve a background when the display is turned off. According to one embodiment, the polymer member 440 may be used as a cushion to absorb impact from outside the electronic device to prevent damage to the flexible display 400.

[0080] According to various embodiments, the metal sheet layer 450 may help to enhance the rigidity of the electronic device, shield environmental noise, and be used to dissipate heat dissipated from peripheral heat dissipation components. According to one embodiment, the metal sheet layer 450 may include at least one of stainless steel (SUS) (e.g., stainless steel (STS)), Cu, Al, or CLAD (e.g., a stacked member in which SUS and Al are alternately arranged). In another embodiment, the metal sheet layer 450 may include other alloy materials. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 300 of FIG. 4A ) faces the first housing (e.g., Figure 1The portion facing the first housing 310 of FIG. 4A and the portion facing the second housing (e.g., the second housing 320 of FIG. 4A ) are connected to the bendable portion formed in the portion facing the hinge module (e.g., the hinge module 364 of FIG. 4A ); therefore, the metal sheet layer 450 may be formed integrally. In another embodiment, in the metal sheet layer 450, excluding the portion facing the hinge module (the hinge module 364 of FIG. 4A ), the portion facing the first housing (e.g., the first housing 310 of FIG. 4A ) and the portion facing the second housing (e.g., the second housing 320 of FIG. 4A ) may be formed separately. According to various embodiments, the flexible display 400 may further include a reinforcing plate 460 of a metal for rigid reinforcement disposed below the metal sheet layer 450. According to one embodiment, the reinforcing plate 460 may include a first reinforcing plate 461 facing the first housing (e.g., the first housing 310 of FIG. 4A ) and a second reinforcing plate 462 facing the second housing (e.g., the second housing 320 of FIG. 4A ).

[0081] According to various embodiments, the flexible display 400 may include at least one functional component disposed between the polymer component 440 and the metal sheet layer 450. According to one embodiment, the functional component may include a graphite sheet for heat dissipation, an additional display, a force-touch flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), a fingerprint sensor FPCB, a communication antenna radiator, a heat sink, a conductive / non-conductive belt or an open-cell sponge. According to one embodiment, when the functional component can be bent, the functional component may be arranged to reach at least a portion of the second housing (the second housing 320 of FIG. 4A) from the first housing (e.g., the first housing 310 of FIG. 4A) through the hinge module (e.g., the hinge module 364 of FIG. 4A). In another embodiment, the flexible display 400 may also include a detection component for detecting the input of the electromagnetic induction type writing component. According to one embodiment, the detection component may include a digitizer.

[0082] 6A is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a rear surface of a flexible display 400 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating an arrangement relationship between a display panel 430 and a metal sheet layer 450 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0083] 6A and 6B, the flexible display 400 may include an FPCB 432 disposed in a folded manner from the display panel 430 to at least a portion of the rear surface (e.g., the second surface 4302 of FIG. 7A) of the flexible display 400. According to one embodiment, the FPCB 432 may include an extension portion 4321 extending from the display panel 430, a connection pad 4322 electrically connected from the extension portion 4321 and including a control circuit 4311, and an element arrangement portion 4323 electrically connected to the connection pad 4322. According to one embodiment, the control circuit 4311 may include a display driver IC (DDI) or a touch display driver IC (TDDI) mounted in the connection pad 4322 having an electrical wiring structure. According to one embodiment, the connection pad 4322 may include a separate FPCB or film including the control circuit 4311 disposed in a chip on film (COF) manner. In another embodiment, the control circuit 4311 may have a chip on board (COP) structure directly mounted in the extension portion 4321 without connecting the pads 4322. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may include a plurality of components 4324 disposed in the component arrangement portion 4323. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may include an electrical connector 433 extending from the component arrangement portion 4323 and electrically connected to an electronic device (e.g., Figure 3 The second printed circuit board (eg, Figure 3 According to one embodiment, the plurality of components 4324 may include a touch IC, a flash memory for a display, an ESD protection diode, a pressure sensor, or a passive component such as a decap. In another embodiment, when the FPCB 432 is disposed on the flexible display 400 facing the first housing (e.g., Figure 1 When the electrical connector 433 is in the region of the first housing structure 110, the electrical connector 433 can be electrically connected to an electronic device (eg, Figure 3 The electronic device 100) includes a first printed circuit board (eg, Figure 3 first printed circuit board 171).

[0084] According to various embodiments, the FPCB 432 extending from the display panel 430 may be folded by any one edge (e.g., the second edge 4502) of the metal sheet layer 450 and then disposed in a manner of contacting the metal sheet layer 450. According to one embodiment, the metal sheet layer 450 may include an accommodating portion 4502a disposed in a portion of the folded portion of the FPCB 432 extending from the display panel 430 among the second edge 4502. According to one embodiment, the accommodating portion 4502a may be formed to be more deeply recessed than the second edge 4502. Therefore, even if the FPCB 432 is folded by the accommodating portion 4502a, the second edge 4502 protrudes more than the FPCB 432; therefore, the second edge 4502 of the metal sheet layer 450 may be guided to receive a pre-impact due to an external impact rather than being received by the second housing (e.g., the second housing 320 of FIG. 4A). In another embodiment, since the FPCB 432 is disposed to protrude further than the second edge 4502 of the metal sheet layer 450 , a buffering action may be performed by the FPCB 432 during an external impact.

[0085] 7A illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device 300 viewed from line 7A-7A of FIG. 4B according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 7B illustrates a schematic diagram of movement of the flexible display 400 when an external impact is applied in the electronic device 300 of FIG. 7A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0086] 7A , the electronic device 300 may include a first housing 310 having a first side member 313, a first protective frame 340 disposed in at least a portion of the first side member 313, and a flexible display 400 disposed between the first side member 313 and the first protective frame 340. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may be disposed to receive support through a first support member 3131 that is structurally coupled or extended at least partially from the first side member 313 to an inner space of the first housing 310. According to one embodiment, at least a portion of an edge of the flexible display 400 may be disposed in a first space 3101 between a first inner side wall 3102 of the first side member 313 and the first protective frame 340. Therefore, the edge of the flexible display 400 may be disposed so as not to be visible from the outside of the electronic device 300.

[0087] According to various embodiments, the flexible display 400 may include a display panel 430 including a first surface 4301 facing a first direction (direction ①) and a second surface 4302 facing a second direction (direction ②), the second direction (direction ②) being a direction opposite to the direction of the first surface 4301. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may include a window layer 410 disposed to face the first surface 4301 and a metal sheet layer 450 disposed to face the second surface 4302. According to one embodiment, the window layer 410 may include a polymer layer 411 (e.g., PET) and a glass layer 412 (e.g., UTG or polyimide) disposed below the polymer layer 411. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may include a polarization layer 420 (e.g., POL) disposed between the first surface 4301 of the display panel 430 and the glass layer 412. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may include a first reinforcing plate (e.g., a metal sheet) (not shown) disposed between the first supporting member 3131 and the metal sheet layer 450, and a polymer member 440 disposed between the second surface 4302 of the display panel 430 and the metal sheet layer 450. According to one embodiment, each layer may be connected to each other by adhesives P1, P2, and P3. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may be attached to the first supporting member 3131 by an adhesive member P4. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may further include a sealing member 341 disposed between the polymer layer 411 of the window layer 410 and the first protective frame 340 to prevent external foreign matter from entering.

[0088] According to various embodiments, when viewed from above the flexible display 400 (for example, when viewed from the second direction (direction ②)), the edge of the metal sheet layer 450 may be disposed closer to the first inner sidewall 3102 than the edge of the display panel 430. According to one embodiment, the metal sheet layer 450 may have a first protrusion amount d1 that protrudes further toward the first inner sidewall 3102 than the display panel 430, and is disposed to protrude further than the display panel 430. According to one embodiment, the first protrusion amount d1 may be determined by a first separation distance d2 between the metal sheet layer 450 and the first inner sidewall 3102. According to one embodiment, the first separation distance d2 may be determined based only on a distance that can receive the self-movement of the flexible display 400 and receive interlayer slippage according to the folding and unfolding operation of the electronic device 300 in the first space 3101. According to one embodiment, according to the arrangement structure of the metal sheet layer 450 having the first protrusion amount d1 configured by the embodiment of the present disclosure, since there is no need to consider the collision of the display panel 430 due to external collision, the first separation distance d2 can be determined to be minimized and contributes to the thinning of the electronic device 300.

[0089] According to various embodiments, when viewed from above the flexible display 400, the polymer layer 411 may have the same size as the glass layer 412, or may be formed larger so as to have a second protrusion amount d3 in the inner sidewall direction (x-axis direction). According to one embodiment, the polymer layer 411 may be formed larger than the glass layer 412 to protect the glass layer 412 and help prevent glass chips from scattering when the glass layer is damaged. According to one embodiment, between the glass layer 412 and the polarizing layer 420, when viewed from above the flexible display 400, the adhesive P1 may be set smaller than the glass layer 412. For example, the non-adhesive area 4121 provided between the glass layer 412 and the polarizing layer 420 may help reduce the black matrix (BM) area of ​​the flexible display 400. According to one embodiment, the polymer member 440 between the display panel 430 and the metal sheet layer 450 also provides an area 4401 provided smaller than the display panel 430, thereby helping to reduce the first protrusion amount d1 of the metal sheet layer 450.

[0090] 7B, when the electronic device 300 is in the unfolded state, if an external impact such as falling occurs, the flexible display 400 movably disposed between the first protection frame 340 and the first housing 310 can move toward the first inner side wall 3102 (in the x-axis direction). In this case, since the edge of the metal sheet layer 450 disposed to protrude further than the display panel 430 first contacts the first inner side wall 3102 of the first side member 313 of the first housing 310, the edge can receive a pre-impact, and the display panel 430 can receive a relatively small impact to prevent damage.

[0091] 8A illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device 300 viewed from line 8A-8A of FIG. 4B according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 8B illustrates a diagram describing movement of the flexible display 400 when an external impact occurs in the electronic device 300 of FIG. 8A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0092] In describing FIGS. 8A and 8B , components substantially identical to those of FIGS. 7A and 7B may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the configuration structure of the flexible display 400 is substantially identical; therefore, a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0093] 8A , the electronic device 300 may include a second housing 320 having a second side member 323, a second protective frame 350 disposed in at least a portion of the second side member 323, and a flexible display 400 disposed between the second side member 323 and the second protective frame 350. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 400 may be disposed to receive support through a second support member 3231 that is structurally coupled or extended at least partially from the second side member 323 to the inner space of the second housing 320. According to one embodiment, at least a portion of an edge of the flexible display 400 may be disposed in a second space 3201 between the second protective frame 350 and the second inner side wall 3202 of the second side member 323. Therefore, the edge of the flexible display 400 may be disposed to be invisible from the outside of the electronic device 300. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 300 may further include a sealing member 351 disposed between the polymer layer 411 of the window layer 410 and the second protective frame 350 to prevent external foreign matter from entering.

[0094] According to various embodiments, when viewed from above the flexible display 400 (for example, when viewed from the second direction (direction ②)), the edge of the metal sheet layer 450 may be disposed closer to the second inner sidewall 3202 than the edge of the display panel 430. According to one embodiment, the metal sheet layer 450 may have a first protrusion amount d1 that protrudes further toward the second inner sidewall 3202 than the display panel 430, and is disposed to protrude further than the display panel 430. According to one embodiment, the first protrusion amount d1 may be determined by a first separation distance d2 between the metal sheet layer 450 and the second inner sidewall 3202. According to one embodiment, the first separation distance d2 may be determined based only on a distance that can receive the self-movement of the flexible display 400 and receive interlayer slippage according to the folding and unfolding operation of the electronic device 300 in the second space 3201. According to one embodiment, according to the arrangement structure of the metal sheet layer 450 having the first protrusion amount d1 configured by the embodiment of the present disclosure, since there is no need to consider the collision of the display panel 430 due to external impact, the first separation distance d2 can be determined to be minimized and contributes to the thinning of the electronic device 300.

[0095] According to various embodiments, the flexible display 400 may include an FPCB 432 extending from the display panel 430, folded toward the second surface 4302, and attached to the metal sheet layer 450. According to one embodiment, the folded portion of the FPCB 432 may protrude from the display panel 430 toward the second inner side surface 3202 in the direction (-x axis direction). According to one embodiment, since the folded portion of the FPCB 432 may be received in the receiving portion 4302a formed to be more deeply recessed than the edge in the metal sheet layer 450, the folded portion may have a protrusion amount less than the first protrusion amount d1 of the metal sheet layer 450. Therefore, when the flexible display 400 moves due to an external impact, the edge of the metal sheet layer 450 may receive a pre-impact.

[0096] 8B, when the electronic device 300 is in an unfolded state, if an external impact such as falling occurs, the flexible display 400 movably disposed between the second protection frame 350 and the second housing 320 can move toward the second inner side wall 3202 (along the -x axis direction). In this case, the edge of the metal sheet layer 450 disposed to protrude further than the FPCB 432 first contacts the second inner side wall 3202 of the second side member 323 of the second housing 320, thereby receiving a pre-impact, and the display panel 430 can receive a relatively small impact to prevent damage.

[0097] 9A illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device 300 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 9B illustrates a diagram describing a movement of the flexible display 400 when an external impact occurs in the electronic device 300 of FIG. 9A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0098] In describing FIGS. 9A and 9B , components having substantially the same structure as those of the electronic device 300 of FIGS. 8A and 8B are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the configuration structure of the flexible display 400 is substantially the same; therefore, a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0099] 9A, the flexible display 400 may include an FPCB 432 extending from the display panel 430, folded toward the second surface 4302, and attached to the metal sheet layer 450. According to one embodiment, the folded portion of the FPCB 432 may be protruded so that the third protrusion amount d4 further protrudes than the third protrusion amount of the metal sheet layer 450 in the direction (-x axis direction) from the display panel 430 toward the second inner side surface 3202. Therefore, when the flexible display 400 moves due to an external impact, the folded portion of the FPCB 432 may receive a pre-impact. According to one embodiment, the third protrusion amount d4 may be determined by a second separation distance d5 between the metal sheet layer 450 and the first inner side wall 3202. According to one embodiment, the second separation distance d5 may be determined based only on a distance that can receive the self-movement of the flexible display 400 and receive interlayer slip according to the folding and unfolding operation of the electronic device 300 in the second space 3201. According to one embodiment, through the embodiment of the present disclosure, since it is not necessary to consider the collision of the display panel 430 by the external impact according to the arrangement structure having the third protrusion amount d4 passing through the folded portion of the FPCB 432, the second separation distance d5 can be determined to be minimized and contribute to the thinness of the electronic device 300. According to one embodiment, the first separation distance d2 and the second separation distance d5 may be substantially the same. According to one embodiment, the first protrusion amount d1 and the third protrusion amount d4 may be substantially the same.

[0100] 9B, when the electronic device 300 is in the unfolded state, if an external impact such as falling occurs, the flexible display 400 movably disposed between the second protection frame 350 and the second housing 320 can move toward the second inner side wall 3202 (along the -x axis direction). In this case, the folded portion of the FPCB 432 is disposed to protrude further than the metal sheet layer 450, first contacts the second inner side wall 3202 of the second side member 323 of the second housing 320, thereby receiving a pre-impact, and the display panel 430 can receive a relatively small impact to avoid damage.

[0101] 10A and 10B illustrate partial cross-sectional views of the electronic device 300 , which illustrate the configuration of the metal sheet layer 450 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0102] In describing FIGS. 10A and 10B , components substantially the same as those of the electronic device 300 of FIGS. 7A and 7B are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the arrangement structure of the flexible display 400 is substantially the same; therefore, a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0103] 10A, the end of the metal sheet layer 450 may include a bent portion 4511, which is bent in a predetermined direction for rigid reinforcement. According to an embodiment, the folding direction of the bent portion 4511 may be determined according to the folding method of the electronic device 300. For example, as shown in the figure, when the electronic device 300 is folded in an inner folding manner, the layer of the flexible display 400 (e.g., the window layer 410, the polarizing layer 420, the display panel 430, the polymer member 440, or the metal sheet layer 450) may generate an interlayer slippage whose length gradually increases along the first inclined line L1 toward the window layer 410. Therefore, the bent portion 4511 may be bent in the second direction (direction ②) so as not to interfere with the interlayer slippage of the layer (e.g., the window layer 410, the polarizing layer 420, the display panel 430, or the polymer member 440) disposed on the metal sheet layer 450.

[0104] 10B , the bent portion 4512 may be bent in the second direction (direction ②) through a hemming process and then formed to face the rear surface of the metal sheet layer 450 again.

[0105] Fig.11 A diagram showing an unfolded state of an electronic device 600 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; Fig.12 Various embodiments according to the present disclosure are shown. Fig.11 FIG. 6 is a diagram of an electronic device 600 in a folded state.

[0106] Reference Fig.11 and Fig.12 , the electronic device 600 may include a first housing 610 including a first surface 611, a second surface 612 facing in a direction opposite to the direction of the first surface 611, and a first side member 613 surrounding a first space between the first surface 611 and the second surface 612. According to an embodiment, in the unfolded state, the electronic device 600 may include a second housing 620 including a third surface 621 facing in the same direction as the first surface 611, a fourth surface 622 facing in the same direction as the second surface 612, and a second side member 623 surrounding a second space between the third surface 621 and the fourth surface 622.

[0107] According to various embodiments, the first housing 610 and the second housing 620 may be rotatably mounted relative to each other by the hinge module 664. For example, by rotating the first housing 610 and the second housing 620 relative to each other by the hinge module 664, the electronic device 600 may remain in a folded or unfolded state. According to an embodiment, in the folded state of the electronic device 600, the second surface 612 and the fourth surface 622 may face each other, and in the unfolded state of the electronic device 600, the first surface 611 and the third surface 621 may face the same direction. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 600 may include a flexible display 630 (e.g., the flexible display 400 of FIG. 4A), which is configured to at least partially span the first surface 611 and the third surface 621. According to an embodiment, the flexible display 630 may be configured to receive support from at least a partial area of ​​the first housing 610, the hinge module 664, and the second housing 620.

[0108] According to various embodiments, in the folded state of the electronic device 600, the second surface 612 and the fourth surface 622 face each other, and the first surface 611 and the third surface 621 are arranged to face the outside; therefore, the flexible display 630 may be exposed to the outside. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 600 may include a protruding portion 614, which is provided in at least a portion of the second surface 612 and is formed to be higher than the second surface 612. According to an embodiment, the first housing 610 may be formed to be larger than the second housing 620. According to an embodiment, in the folded state of the electronic device 600, the fourth surface 622 of the second housing 620 partially faces the second surface 612 of the first housing 610, and the protruding portion 614 may be provided at the remaining portion of the second surface 612 that is not faced. In this case, in the electronic device 600, the third surface 621 of the second housing 620 may be folded in a manner of being assembled together to correspond to the outer surface of the protruding portion 614. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 600 may include at least one camera device 6141 provided in the protruding portion 614. Although not shown, the electronic device 600 may include Figures 1 to 3 And / or all components of the electronic devices 100 and 300 shown in Figures 4A to 9B are substantially the same components.

[0109] Fig.13 According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, Fig.11 A partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device 600 as viewed along line 13-13.

[0110] exist Fig.13 In the description of FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B , components substantially the same as those of the electronic device 300 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the arrangement structure of the flexible display 630 is substantially the same; therefore, a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0111] Reference Fig.13 , the electronic device 600 may include a second housing 620 having a second side member 623, a protective frame 340 disposed in at least a portion of the second side member 623, and a flexible display 630 disposed between the protective frame 340 and the second side member 623. According to one embodiment, the flexible display 630 may be configured to receive support through a support member 6231 that is structurally coupled or extends at least partially from the second side member 623 to the inner space of the second housing 620. According to an embodiment, at least a portion of an edge of the flexible display 630 may be disposed in a space 6101 between the second side member 623 and the protective frame 340. Therefore, the edge of the flexible display 630 may be disposed so as not to be visible from the outside of the electronic device 600. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 600 may further include a sealing member 341 disposed between the polymer layer 411 of the window layer 410 and the protective frame 340 to prevent external foreign matter from entering.

[0112] According to various embodiments, the end of the metal sheet layer 450 may include a bent portion 4513 that is bent in a predetermined direction for rigid reinforcement. According to an embodiment, the folding direction of the bent portion 4513 may be determined according to the folding method of the electronic device 600. For example, as shown in the figure, when the electronic device 600 is folded in an outward folding manner, the layers of the flexible display 630 (e.g., the window layer 410, the polarizing layer 420, the display panel 430, the polymer member 440, or the metal sheet layer 450) may generate interlayer slippage, and when they are along the second inclined line L2 toward the window layer 410, the length of the interlayer slippage gradually decreases. Therefore, because the bent portion 4513 does not interfere with the interlayer slippage of the layer (e.g., the window layer 410, the polarizing layer 420, the display panel 430, or the polymer member 440) disposed on the metal sheet layer 450, the bent portion 4513 may be bent in the first direction (direction ①). In another embodiment, the bent portion 4513 may be bent in the second direction (direction ②). In another embodiment, the bent portion 4513 may be bent in the first direction (direction ①) or the second direction (direction ②) by a hemming process and then formed in a manner facing the surface of the metal sheet layer 450 .

[0113] According to various embodiments, a structure has been shown and described in which the edge of the flexible display 400 and 630 is interrupted by the space provided between the housings 310 and 320 and the protective frames 340 and 350. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and in the absence of the protective frames 340 and 350, the flexible display 400 and 630 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided so that the edge is interrupted by the space provided by the structure passing through the housings 310 and 320.

[0114] According to various embodiments, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 300 of FIG. 4A ) includes a hinge module (e.g., hinge module 364 of FIG. 4A ), a first shell connected to the hinge module (e.g., first shell 310 of FIG. 4A ), a second shell connected to the hinge module to fold the first shell (e.g., second shell 320 of FIG. 4A ), and a flexible display (e.g., flexible display 400 of FIG. 4A ) disposed through at least a portion of the first shell and the second shell, wherein the flexible display includes a display panel (e.g., display panel 430 of FIG. 7A ), a window layer (e.g., window layer 410 of FIG. 7A ), and a metal sheet layer (e.g., metal sheet layer 450 of FIG. 7A ), wherein, when the electronic device is in an unfolded state, the display panel includes a first surface (e.g., first surface 4301 of FIG. 7A ) facing a first direction (e.g., direction ① of FIG. 7A ) and a second surface (e.g., first surface 4302 of FIG. 7A ) facing a first direction (e.g., direction ① of FIG. 7A ). A second surface (e.g., second surface 4302 in FIG. 7A ) in a direction opposite to a direction of a surface, a window layer (e.g., window layer 410 in FIG. 7A ) is disposed at the first surface; a metal sheet layer (e.g., metal sheet layer 450 in FIG. 7A ) is disposed on the second surface of the display panel, wherein the display panel, the window layer and the metal sheet layer are disposed such that a separation distance (e.g., first separation distance d2 in FIG. 7A ) between the display panel, the window layer and the metal sheet layer and inner side walls of the first shell and the second shell (e.g., first inner side wall 3102 in FIG. 7A and second inner side wall 3202 in FIG. 8A ) produces different interlayer slippage in an unfolded state and a folded state of the electronic device, and wherein, when viewed from above the flexible display, the metal sheet layer is disposed to at least partially overlap the display panel, and is disposed to be closer to the inner side walls of the first shell and the second shell than the display panel.

[0115] According to various embodiments, the window layer may include a polymer layer (e.g., polymer layer 411 of FIG. 7A ) and a glass layer (e.g., glass layer 412 of FIG. 7A ) disposed between the polymer layer and the display panel, and when viewed from above the display, the polymer layer may be disposed to at least partially overlap the glass layer and to be disposed closer to the inner side wall than the glass layer.

[0116] According to various embodiments, the glass layer and the display panel may be at least partially connected by an adhesive (eg, glass layer P1 of FIG. 7A ).

[0117] According to various embodiments, the adhesive may be disposed at a position overlapping with at least one active area of ​​the display panel when viewed from above the flexible display.

[0118] According to various embodiments, the electronic device may further include a polarization layer (eg, polarization layer 420 of FIG. 7A ) disposed between the display panel and the glass layer.

[0119] According to various embodiments, the electronic device may further include a touch panel disposed between the glass layer and the polarizing layer, between the polarizing layer and the display panel, or in the display panel.

[0120] According to various embodiments, the electronic device may further include at least one sub-material layer (eg, Figure 5 of polymer component 440).

[0121] According to various embodiments, the electronic device may also include a first protective frame (e.g., the first protective frame 340 of Figure 7A) and a second protective frame (e.g., the second protective frame 350 of Figure 8A), wherein the first protective frame is connected to the first shell, and a first edge of the metal sheet layer facing the first shell is placed between the first protective frame and the first shell; and the second protective frame is connected to the second shell, wherein a second edge of the metal sheet layer facing the second shell is placed between the second protective frame and the second shell.

[0122] According to various embodiments, the flexible display may be movably disposed in a space (eg, the first space 3101 of FIG. 7A or the second space 3201 of FIG. 8A ) between the first case and the first protective frame and between the second case and the second protective frame.

[0123] According to various embodiments, when the electronic device is in a folded state and an unfolded state, a space having a size to accommodate an edge of the flexible display may be formed.

[0124] According to various embodiments, when viewed from above the flexible display, the metal sheet layer may be formed to a size in which all edges of the metal sheet layer are visible outside the edges of the display panel.

[0125] According to various embodiments, the flexible display may be provided such that an end portion of the metal sheet layer selectively approaches the inner side wall according to a folding operation of the electronic device.

[0126] According to various embodiments, the flexible display may include a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) (e.g., FPCB432 of Figure 8A) that extends from the display panel and contacts at least a portion of the metal sheet layer by bending, and the metal sheet layer may include an accommodating portion (e.g., the second edge 4502 of Figure 8A) that is formed to be more deeply recessed than the edge (e.g., the second edge 4502 of Figure 8A) to accommodate the bent portion of the FPCB.

[0127] According to various embodiments, the accommodation portion may be formed to a depth such that the bent portion of the FPCB does not protrude more than the edge of the metal sheet layer.

[0128] According to various embodiments, when viewed from above the flexible display, the amount by which the metal sheet layer protrudes farther toward the inner side wall than the display panel (e.g., the first protrusion amount d1 of FIG. 7A ) can be determined by the separation distance between the metal sheet layer and the inner side wall (e.g., the first separation distance d2 of FIG. 7A ).

[0129] According to various embodiments, the end portion of the metal sheet layer may further include a bent portion (eg, bent portion 4511 of FIG. 10A ) bent in the first direction or the second direction.

[0130] According to various embodiments, the bending direction of the bent portion may be determined according to an interlayer sliding direction of the window layer, the display panel, or the metal sheet layer in the unfolded state and the folded state of the electronic device.

[0131] According to various embodiments, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 300 of FIG. 4A ) includes a hinge module (e.g., hinge module 364 of FIG. 4A ), a first shell connected to the hinge module (e.g., first shell 310 of FIG. 4A ), a second shell connected to the hinge module to fold the first shell (e.g., second shell 320 of FIG. 4A ), and a flexible display (e.g., flexible display 400 of FIG. 4A ) disposed through at least a portion of the first shell and the second shell, wherein the flexible display includes a display panel (e.g., display panel 430 of FIG. 7A ), a window layer (e.g., window layer 410 of FIG. 7A ), and a metal sheet layer (e.g., metal sheet layer 450 of FIG. 7A ), wherein, when the electronic device is in an unfolded state, the display panel includes a first surface (e.g., first surface 4301 of FIG. 7A ) facing a first direction (e.g., the direction of FIG. 7A ) and a surface A second surface (e.g., second surface 4302 in FIG. 7A ) is disposed at the first surface in a direction opposite to the direction of the first surface, and a metal sheet layer (e.g., metal sheet layer 450 in FIG. 7A ) is disposed on the second surface of the display panel, wherein, when the electronic device is in a folded state and an unfolded state, the flexible display is movably disposed on the first shell and the second shell in a direction perpendicular to a first rotation axis (e.g., first rotation axis A in FIG. 4B ) (e.g., x-axis direction in FIG. 4A ), and wherein the metal sheet layer is disposed to at least partially overlap the display panel, and when viewed from above the flexible display, the metal sheet layer is disposed to be closer to the inner side walls of the first shell and the second shell (e.g., the first inner side wall 3102 in FIG. 7A and the second inner side wall 3202 in FIG. 8A ) than the display panel.

[0132] According to various embodiments, the window layer may include a polymer layer and a glass layer disposed between the polymer layer and the display panel, and when viewed from above the display, the polymer layer may be disposed to at least partially overlap the glass layer and be disposed closer to the inner side wall than the glass layer.

[0133] According to various embodiments, when viewed from above the flexible display, the glass layer and the display panel may be at least partially connected by an adhesive, and the adhesive may be disposed at a position overlapping at least one active area of ​​the display panel.

[0134] Although the present disclosure has been described with various embodiments, various changes and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art. The present disclosure is intended to encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A foldable electronic device, comprising: A housing, comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion; a hinge module connected to the first housing portion and the second housing portion, such that the first housing portion and the second housing portion are configured to rotate respectively relative to a folding axis provided by the hinge module; as well as A flexible display is accommodated in the first housing portion and the second housing portion, and the flexible display includes: a display panel including a first surface facing a first direction and a second surface facing a second direction opposite to the first direction when the foldable electronic device is fully unfolded, the display panel being arranged so that a space is provided between an edge of the display panel and an inner surface of a side wall of a corresponding one of the first housing portion and the second housing portion; a window cover, disposed above the first surface of the display panel; and A conductive plate is disposed below the second surface of the display panel, so that when the foldable electronic device is fully unfolded, an edge of the conductive plate protrudes outward toward the inner surface of the side wall of the corresponding housing portion beyond the edge of the display panel.

2. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: At least a portion of the conductive plate is recessed into an edge of the conductive plate such that an inner edge of the portion recessed into the edge of the conductive plate is farther from an inner surface of the side wall than the edge of the conductive plate.

3. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: At least a portion of an edge of the conductive plate is disposed in contact with an inner surface of the side wall.

4. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: A portion of the conductive plate that protrudes outward beyond the edge of the display panel toward the inner surface of the side wall of the corresponding housing portion includes a bent portion including a bend in the conductive plate in a predetermined direction.

5. The foldable electronic device according to claim 4, wherein: The predetermined direction of the bend in the conductive plate is positioned to not interfere with inter-layer slippage within the flexible display during folding and unfolding of the foldable electronic device.

6. The foldable electronic device according to claim 4, wherein: The predetermined direction of the bend in the conductive plate is toward the first surface of the display panel.

7. The foldable electronic device according to claim 4, wherein: The predetermined direction of the bend in the conductive plate is toward the second surface of the display panel.

8. The foldable electronic device according to claim 4, wherein: The predetermined direction of the bend in the conductive plate is inwardly toward the display panel.

9. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: The tape portion is disposed between the conductive plate and one or more of the first shell portion or the second shell portion.

10. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: a protective frame disposed on one or more of the first housing portion or the second housing portion, and A sealing member is disposed between the flexible display and the protection frame.

11. A foldable electronic device comprising: a first shell; a second shell; A hinge module connected to the first shell and the second shell; as well as A flexible display is accommodated in the first shell and the second shell, and the flexible display includes: a display panel including a first surface facing a first direction and a second surface facing a second direction opposite to the first direction when the foldable electronic device is fully unfolded, the display panel being arranged so that a space is provided between an edge of the display panel and an inner surface of a side wall of a corresponding one of the first housing and the second housing; a window cover, disposed above the first surface of the display panel; and A conductive plate is arranged below the second surface of the display panel, so that when the foldable electronic device is fully unfolded, the edge of the conductive plate protrudes outward toward the inner surface of the side wall of the first shell or the second shell beyond the edge of the display panel, so that at least a portion of the edge of the conductive plate prevents the display panel from colliding with the inner surface of the side wall.

12. The foldable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: A portion of the conductive plate that protrudes outward beyond the edge of the display panel toward the inner surface of the side wall of the corresponding housing includes a bent portion including a bend in the conductive plate in a predetermined direction.

13. The foldable electronic device according to claim 12, wherein: The predetermined direction of the bend in the conductive plate is positioned to not interfere with inter-layer slippage within the flexible display during folding and unfolding of the foldable electronic device.

14. The foldable electronic device according to claim 12, wherein: The predetermined direction of the bend in the conductive plate is toward the first surface of the display panel.

15. The foldable electronic device according to claim 12, wherein: The predetermined direction of the bend in the conductive plate is toward the second surface of the display panel.

16. The foldable electronic device according to claim 12, wherein: The predetermined direction of the bend in the conductive plate is inwardly toward the display panel.

17. The foldable electronic device according to claim 11, further comprising: The tape portion is disposed between the conductive plate and one or more of the first shell or the second shell.

18. The foldable electronic device according to claim 11, further comprising: a protection frame, disposed on one or more of the first shell or the second shell; as well as A sealing member is disposed between the flexible display and the protection frame.

19. The foldable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: At least a portion of the conductive plate is recessed into an edge of the conductive plate such that an inner edge of the recessed portion is farther from an inner surface of the side wall than the edge of the conductive plate.

20. The foldable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The conductive plate includes a bendable portion formed at a position corresponding to a folding area of ​​the flexible display when the foldable electronic device is at least partially folded.

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