Electronic apparatus and display assembly

Abstract

To inhibit occurrence of troubles of a display due to bending motion.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus comprises: a first housing; a second housing; and a display assembly which is provided between the first housing and the second housing, and bent in response to relative rotation of the first housing and the second housing. The display assembly comprises a first plate, a second plate, and a flexible display. A bending region of the display forms a circular bent portion at a position which projects from a first end part and a second end part in first posture. The bent portion has an outer diameter larger than the lamination height of the first plate and the second plate in the lamination direction. The first plate has a first non-adhesive portion in which a first adhesive member is not provided and the first region is not fixed, in a predetermined range from the first end part of the surface. The second plate has a second non-adhesive portion in which a second adhesive member is not provided and the second region is not fixed, in a predetermined range from the second end part of the surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to electronic devices and display assemblies. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, electronic devices such as PCs and smartphones that have touch panel type liquid crystal displays and no physical keyboards have rapidly become popular. While it is desirable for the displays of these types of electronic devices to be large when in use, it is also desirable for them to be small when not in use. In response to this, electronic devices have been proposed that use flexible paper-like displays that are flexible, allowing not only the housing but also the display to be foldable (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-166990 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A display that is bent needs to be able to withstand repeated bending operations, and therefore needs to be bent with a desired radius of curvature as designed. On the other hand, the housing needs to be as thin as possible. For this reason, such displays may be installed with an installation structure that reverses the bending direction, as in the configuration of Patent Document 1. In this case, there is a concern that defects such as delamination may occur if the radius of curvature at the portion where the bending direction is reversed becomes too small.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device and a display assembly that can suppress the occurrence of display defects caused by bending operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An electronic device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a first housing; a second housing adjacent to the first housing and connected to the first housing so as to be rotatable relative to the first housing between a first position in which the first housing and the second housing are stacked such that their surface directions overlap, and a second position in which the first housing and the second housing are arranged side by side, and a display assembly provided between the first housing and the second housing and bent in response to the first housing and the second housing rotating relative to each other, the display assembly including a first plate having a first end and fixed to the first housing, and a second end facing the first end with a predetermined gap therebetween, the second plate being fixed to the second housing so that the first housing and the second housing are stacked such that their surface directions overlap in the first position, and the second plate being arranged side by side with the first plate in the second position. and a flexible display having a first region fixed to a surface of the first plate using a first adhesive member, a second region fixed to a surface of the second plate using a second adhesive member, and a folded region arranged to span the gap between the first region and the second region, wherein the folded region of the display forms an arc-shaped bent portion at a position protruding from the first end and the second end when in the first posture, and the bent portion has an outer diameter larger in the stacking direction than a stacking height of the first plate and the second plate, the first plate has a first non-adhesive portion on its surface within a predetermined range from the first end, where the first adhesive member is not provided and the first region is not fixed, and the second plate has a second non-adhesive portion on its surface within a predetermined range from the second end, where the second adhesive member is not provided and the second region is not fixed.

[0007] An electronic device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a first housing, a second housing adjacent to the first housing and connected to the first housing so that their surfaces overlap with each other in a first position and a second position in which the surfaces are arranged side by side laterally, and a display assembly provided between the first housing and the second housing and bent in response to the first housing and the second housing rotating relative to each other, the display assembly having a first end and a first plate fixed to the first housing and a second end facing the first end with a predetermined gap therebetween, and being fixed to the second housing, the display assembly is stacked with the first plate in the first position so that their surfaces overlap with each other, and the first plate is fixed to the second housing so that the first end and the second end are arranged side by side. and a flexible display having a second plate arranged side by side with the first plate and the second plate such that their surfaces are aligned left and right, a first region fixed to the surface of the first plate, a second region fixed to the surface of the second plate, and a bending region arranged so as to span the gap between the first region and the second region, wherein the bending region of the display forms an arc-shaped bent portion at a position protruding from the first end and the second end when in the first posture, and the bent portion has an outer diameter larger in the stacking direction than the stacking height of the first plate and the second plate, and a gap is provided between the display and the surface of the first plate in a predetermined range from the first end, and a gap is provided between the display and the surface of the second plate in a predetermined range from the second end.

[0008] An electronic device according to a third aspect of the present invention includes a first housing; a second housing adjacent to the first housing and connected to the first housing so as to be rotatable relative to the first housing between a first position in which the first housing and the second housing are stacked such that their surface directions overlap, and a second position in which the first housing and the second housing are arranged side by side; and a display assembly provided between the first housing and the second housing and bent in response to the first housing and the second housing rotating relative to each other, the display assembly having a first end and a first plate fixed to the first housing and a second end facing the first end with a predetermined gap therebetween, and being fixed to the second housing, the display assembly is stacked such that the surface directions of the first plate and the second housing overlap in the first position, and is arranged such that the surface directions of the first plate and the second housing are arranged side by side in the second position. and a flexible display having a second plate arranged in such a manner that a first region is fixed to a surface of the first plate, a second region is fixed to a surface of the second plate, and a bending region arranged to span the gap between the first region and the second region, wherein the bending region of the display forms an arc-shaped bending portion at a position protruding from the first end and the second end in the first posture, and the bending portion has an outer diameter larger in the stacking direction than a stacking height of the first plate and the second plate, and in the first posture, the display has reverse bending portions bent in a direction opposite to the bending portion at a position overlapping with the surface of the first plate within a predetermined range from the first end and a position overlapping with the surface of the second plate within a predetermined range from the second end.

[0009] A display assembly according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes a first plate having a first end, a second plate having a second end facing the first end with a predetermined gap therebetween and arranged side by side with the first plate, and a flexible display having a first region fixed to a surface of the first plate using a first adhesive member, a second region fixed to a surface of the second plate using a second adhesive member, and a bent region arranged to straddle the gap between the first region and the second region, wherein the first plate and the second plate are connected via the display to form a first configuration in which the first plate and the second plate are stacked such that their surface directions overlap each other. and a second posture in which the surfaces of the display are arranged side by side, and the folding region of the display forms an arc-shaped bent portion at a position protruding from the first end and the second end in the first posture, and the bent portion has an outer diameter larger in the stacking direction than a stacking height of the first plate and the second plate, the first plate has a first non-adhesive portion on its surface within a predetermined range from the first end where the first adhesive member is not provided and the first region is not fixed, and the second plate has a second non-adhesive portion on its surface within a predetermined range from the second end where the second adhesive member is not provided and the second region is not fixed. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the above-described aspects of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of display defects caused by bending operations. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an electronic device according to an embodiment in a closed state at a 0 degree position. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic state of the electronic device shown in FIG. 1 in an opened 180 degree position. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a schematic internal structure of the electronic device illustrated in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the electronic device shown in FIG. 4 is in a 0 degree attitude. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a display assembly. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic bottom view of the display. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view that illustrates a state in which the display assembly is in the 0 degree attitude. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view that illustrates a display assembly according to a comparative example in a 0 degree attitude. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view that illustrates a state in which the display assembly is in a 0 degree attitude in a configuration that does not have a support plate. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a display assembly according to a comparative example of the configuration example shown in FIG. 10 in a 0 degree attitude. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an electronic device 10 according to an embodiment in a closed state at a 0 degree position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an electronic device 10 shown in Fig. 1 in a opened state at a 180 degree position. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing an internal structure of the electronic device 10 shown in Fig. 2.

[0014] 1 to 3, the electronic device 10 includes a first housing 12A and a second housing 12B, a hinge device 14, and a display 16. The electronic device 10 of the present embodiment is exemplified by a tablet PC or a notebook PC that can be folded like a book. The electronic device 10 may also be a smartphone, a portable game machine, or the like.

[0015] The housings 12A and 12B are disposed adjacent to each other. Each of the housings 12A and 12B appropriately mounts various electronic components such as a motherboard on which a CPU is mounted, a battery device, an antenna module, and a communication module.

[0016] The first housing 12A includes a frame member 17A and a cover member 18A. The frame member 17A is a rectangular frame-shaped member having upright walls formed on three sides other than the adjacent end 12Aa adjacent to the second housing 12B. The cover member 18A is a plate-shaped member that closes the rear opening of the frame member 17A (see also FIG. 4). Similarly, the second housing 12B includes a frame member 17B having upright walls formed on three sides other than the adjacent end 12Ba adjacent to the first housing 12A, and a cover member 18B that closes the rear opening of the frame member 17B. The front openings of the frame members 17A and 17B are closed by the display 16.

[0017] Each of the members 17A, 17B, 18A, and 18B is made of, for example, a metal member such as stainless steel, magnesium, or aluminum, or a fiber-reinforced resin plate containing reinforcing fibers such as carbon fibers.

[0018] The hinge device 14 connects the housings 12A and 12B to be relatively rotatable between a 0-degree position and a 180-degree position. The hinge device 14 also functions as a spine cover that hides the gap between the adjacent ends 12Aa and 12Ba formed in the 0-degree position shown in Fig. 1. The display 16 extends between the housings 12A and 12B.

[0019] Hereinafter, the electronic device 10 will be described by referring to the arrangement direction of the housings 12A and 12B as the X direction, the direction along the adjacent ends 12Aa and 12Ba perpendicular to the X direction, and the thickness direction of the housings 12A and 12B as the Z direction. In addition, the angular orientation between the housings 12A and 12B will be described by referring to the state in which the housings 12A and 12B are stacked so as to overlap each other in the surface direction as the 0 degree orientation (see FIG. 1), and the state in which the housings are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the surface direction (X direction) as the 180 degree orientation (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 3). The orientations between 0 degrees and 180 degrees can be called in increments of an appropriate angle, and for example, the state in which the surface directions of the housings 12A and 12B are perpendicular to each other is the 90 degree orientation. These angles are for convenience of explanation, and it is natural that in an actual product, the angular positions may be slightly different from the accurate angular positions indicated by the angle numbers.

[0020] Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which electronic device 10 shown in Fig. 4 is in a 0 degree attitude.

[0021] In the 0-degree position shown in FIG. 1, the housings 12A and 12B are folded in half. The display 16 is, for example, a paper-like flexible display made of organic electroluminescence (EL). In the 0-degree position, the display 16 is arranged so that the area R1 on the first housing 12A side and the area R2 on the second housing 12B side shown in FIG. 2 face each other, and the bent area R3, which is the boundary area between the areas R1 and R2, is bent in an arc shape. In the 180-degree position shown in FIG. 2, the housings 12A and 12B are arranged side by side. At this time, the display 16 has the areas R1 and R2 and the bent area R3 arranged side by side on the XY plane, and forms a single flat plate shape as a whole (see also FIG. 4).

[0022] The display 16 has an area R1 fixed relatively to the first housing 12A, and an area R2 fixed relatively to the second housing 12B. Specifically, a rear surface 16a of the area R1 is fixed to the first housing 12A via a first plate 20A, and a rear surface 16a of the area R2 is fixed to the second housing 12B via a second plate 20B. The first plate 20A is adjacent to a first support plate 22A of the hinge device 14, and the second plate 20B is adjacent to a second support plate 22B of the hinge device 14 (see FIG. 3).

[0023] 3 to 5, the plates 20A, 20B are disposed on the left and right sides with the hinge device 14 sandwiched therebetween, and their respective surfaces 20Aa, 20Ba support the rear surface 16a of the display 16. An area R1 of the rear surface 16a of the display 16 is adhesively fixed to the surface 20Aa of the first plate 20A, and an area R2 of the rear surface 16a of the display 16 is adhesively fixed to the surface 20Ba of the second plate 20B. In this manner, the display 16 is mounted on the electronic device 10 as a display assembly 23 integrally assembled with the plates 20A, 20B.

[0024] The plates 20A and 20B are each composed of, for example, a base plate 24 and a metal frame 25. The base plate 24 is, for example, a carbon fiber reinforced resin plate in which carbon fiber is impregnated with a matrix resin such as epoxy resin. The metal frame 25 is, for example, made of a magnesium alloy or the like, and is fixed to the outer periphery of the back surface 24a of the base plate 24.

[0025] Since the plates 20A and 20B are made of carbon fiber reinforced resin, it is possible to ensure high flatness, and to make them thin and lightweight. However, carbon fiber reinforced resin has a risk of carbon fibers falling off from the outer peripheral end face (edge) in a powdery manner, and shape processing and screw processing are also difficult. Therefore, the plates 20A and 20B are provided with a metal frame 25 so as to surround the outer edge of each outer peripheral end face and the back surface 24a. The plates 20A and 20B are fixed to the frame members 17A and 17B of the housings 12A and 12B by screwing screws 27 into screw holes 26 formed in the metal frame 25. The plates 20A and 20B may be made of a metal material or a resin material instead of carbon fiber reinforced resin. In this case, the metal frame 25 may be omitted.

[0026] The folding region R3 of the display 16 is movable relative to the housings 12A and 12B. In the 180-degree position, the back surface 16a of the folding region R3 is supported by the hinge body 28 and the support plates 22A and 22B (see FIG. 4). In the 0-degree position, the folding region R3 is folded in an arc shape, with a portion of the back surface 16a supported by the support plates 22A and 22B and most of it separated from the hinge device 14 (see FIG. 5).

[0027] 3 to 5, the hinge device 14 of this embodiment includes a hinge body 28, a first support plate 22A, a second support plate 22B, a first link arm 30A, a second link arm 30B, and a first bracket 31A and a second bracket 31B. The hinge device 14 is not limited to the configuration exemplified below.

[0028] The hinge body 28 is provided at a position straddling the adjacent ends 12Aa, 12Ba of the housings 12A, 12B, and extends along the adjacent ends 12Aa, 12Ba over substantially the entire length in the Y direction. The hinge body 28 is a block-shaped part made of a metal material such as aluminum. The hinge body 28 supports two hinge shafts 14A, 14B aligned in the X direction at a 180-degree angle.

[0029] A first end of a first link arm 30A is supported on the first hinge shaft 14A so as to be rotatable about the shaft. A first end of a second link arm 30B is supported on the second hinge shaft 14B so as to be rotatable about the shaft. The link arms 30A, 30B have a boomerang-like curved shape that gradually approaches the inner surfaces 12Ab, 12Bb of the housings 12A, 12B in the direction away from the hinge shafts 14A, 14B.

[0030] A second end of the first link arm 30A is connected to the first bracket 31A by a rotating shaft 34 so as to be rotatable relative to the first bracket 31A. The first bracket 31A is fixed to the inner surface 12Ab of the first housing 12A by a screw 27 or the like. A second end of the second link arm 30B is connected to the second bracket 31B by a rotating shaft 35 so as to be rotatable relative to the second bracket 31B. The second bracket 31B is fixed to the inner surface 12Bb of the second housing 12B by a screw 27 or the like.

[0031] The link arms 30A, 30B and brackets 31A, 31B are arranged in a line along the Y direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the hinge body 28 (see FIG. 3). As a result, the hinge body 28 connects the housings 12A, 12B to be relatively rotatable. The hinge body 28 also includes a gear mechanism for synchronizing the rotational movement between the housings 12A, 12B and a torque mechanism for applying a predetermined rotational torque to the rotational movement between the housings 12A, 12B. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, a spine part 36, which serves as a decorative cover, is attached to the back surface of the hinge body 28.

[0032] In the 180-degree position shown in Fig. 4, the hinge body 28 supports the back surface 16a of the folding region R3 of the display 16 with its front surface 28a. In this case, the hinge body 28 is housed in the housings 12A, 12B and is disposed so as to straddle the adjacent ends 12Aa, 12Ba that are close to or in contact with each other in the X direction. In the 0-degree position shown in Fig. 5, the hinge body 28 is disposed so as to close the gap between the adjacent ends 12Aa, 12Ba that are widely separated from each other, and serves as the spine of the electronic device 10 that is folded like a book. In this case, the spine part 36 is exposed to the outermost surface, thereby preventing deterioration in the appearance design of the folded electronic device 10 (see Fig. 1).

[0033] The support plates 22A and 22B are plates made of a metal material such as aluminum and have a bilaterally symmetrical shape. The support plates 22A and 22B are provided on the inner surfaces 12Ab and 12Bb of the housings 12A and 12B and extend along the adjacent ends 12Aa and 12Ba in the Y direction over substantially the entire length.

[0034] The first support plate 22A is disposed between the first plate 20A and the hinge body 28. An edge portion 22Aa of the first support plate 22A on the first plate 20A side is connected to the first bracket 31A via the rotation shaft 38 so as to be rotatable relative to the first bracket 31A. This allows the first support plate 22A to move relative to the first plate 20A so as to rotate. An edge portion 22Ab of the first support plate 22A on the hinge body 28 side is movable relative to the hinge body 28.

[0035] The second support plate 22B is disposed between the second plate 20B and the hinge body 28. An edge 22Ba of the second support plate 22B on the second plate 20B side is connected to the second bracket 31B via a rotation shaft 39 so as to be rotatable relative to the second bracket 31B. This allows the second support plate 22B to move relative to the second plate 20B so as to rotate. An edge 22Bb of the second support plate 22B on the hinge body 28 side is movable relative to the hinge body 28.

[0036] The support plates 22A and 22B swing around the rotation shafts 38 and 39 as the rotation center in response to the rotation of the housings 12A and 12B. In the 180-degree position, the support plates 22A and 22B support the back surface 16a of the folding region R3 of the display 16 with their surfaces 22Ac and 22Bc. In the angle positions other than 180 degrees, the support plates 22A and 22B contact the display 16 with a gap between them or with a small force that does not deform the display 16 (see FIG. 5). In this embodiment, the support plates 22A and 22B support the folding region R3 of the display 16 in the 0-degree position and can correct the shape of the display 16. In this way, the support plates 22A and 22B stably support the folding region R3 of the display 16 on a flat surface in the 180-degree position, while not hindering the folding operation of the folding region R3. The support plates 22A, 22B may be components other than those of the hinge device 14. For example, the rotation shafts 38, 39 may be directly supported by the housings 12A, 12B.

[0037] In the 180-degree position shown in FIG. 4, the ends 20Ab, 20Bb of the plates 20A, 20B on the support plates 22A, 22B side and the edges 22Aa, 22Ba of the support plates 22A, 22B form a single plane without any steps. Similarly, the edges 22Ab, 22Bb of the support plates 22A, 22B form a single plane without any steps between them and the hinge body 28. As a result, in the 180-degree position, the electronic device 10 has a configuration in which the back surface 16a of the display 16 forming a single large flat screen is supported by approximately a single flat plate. This prevents product defects such as curvature, waviness, poor visibility, or poor display of the display 16.

[0038] Next, a specific example of the configuration of the display assembly 23 will be described.

[0039] Fig. 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the display assembly 23. Fig. 7 is a schematic bottom view of the display 16. Fig. 8 is a side cross-sectional view showing the display assembly 23 in a 0 degree position. In Fig. 6, the plates 20A and 20B are simply shown as a single plate. In Fig. 8, the support plates 22A and 22B are also shown together with the display assembly 23.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 6, the display assembly 23 has an area R1 of the display 16 fixed to the surface 20Aa of the first plate 20A with a first adhesive member 40A, and an area R2 fixed to the surface 20Ba of the second plate 20B with a second adhesive member 40B. The adhesive members 40A, 40B are, for example, double-sided tape or adhesive. The plates 20A, 20B face each other at their ends 20Ab, 20Bb with a predetermined gap C provided therebetween in the 180-degree position shown in Fig. 6. The gap C is a space in which the hinge body 28 and the support plates 22A, 22B are disposed. In this embodiment, the width W of the gap C in the X direction is, for example, 36 mm.

[0041] In this manner, the display assembly 23 has a configuration in which the two plates 20A, 20B are connected by the flexible display 16. This allows the display assembly 23 to relatively rotate the plates 20A, 20B between a 0 degree position and a 180 degree position via the display 16.

[0042] The display 16 has a configuration in which a sheet-like member 44 is laminated on the rear surface of a display body 42. The display 16 as a whole is flexible.

[0043] The display body 42 is, for example, a plastic organic electro-luminescence diode (POLED). The display body 42 includes an active area forming the display surface 16b and an inactive area provided around the active area. The active area is an area for displaying an image, and pixels arranged in a matrix are arranged therein. The inactive area is an area for not displaying an image, and for example, wiring, terminals, and driving circuits are arranged therein. A surface sheet, in which a polarizing film is laminated under a functional film including, for example, an anti-fingerprint functional layer, is laminated on the display surface 16b of the display body 42, and is adhesively fixed thereto.

[0044] The sheet-like member 44 forms the back surface 16a of the display 16. The sheet-like member 44 is adhesively fixed to the back surface of the display body 42 so as to cover the back surface opposite the display surface 16b. The sheet-like member 44 has a certain degree of tension and is intended to ensure that the radius of curvature when the display body 42 is folded is equivalent to the design specifications. Depending on the structure, material, etc. of the display body 42, the sheet-like member 44 may be omitted.

[0045] The sheet-like member 44 of this embodiment includes portions 44A and 44B that cover the regions R1 and R2, and a portion 44C that covers the bent region R3. The bending strength of the sheet-like member 44 is greater at the portions 44A and 44B than at the portion 44C. Here, bending strength refers to the resistance to bending when an external force is applied to the sheet-like member 44 in the out-of-plane direction (Z direction). In other words, the portions 44A and 44B have greater rigidity than the portion 44C. Or, in other words, the portions 44A and 44B are harder in terms of material than the portion 44C.

[0046] The sheet-like member 44 can be formed of a punched metal sheet or a mesh sheet in which a number of holes 44a are formed through a stainless steel metal sheet (see FIG. 7). The bending strength of the sheet-like member 44 can be easily changed by changing the aperture ratio of the holes 44a between the portions 44A, 44B and the portion 44C. Specifically, the aperture ratio of the holes 44a in the portions 44A, 44B is smaller than the aperture ratio of the holes 44a in the portion 44C. As a result, the portions 44A, 44B constitute a hard portion having a greater bending strength than the portion 44C, and conversely, the portion 44C constitutes a flexible portion having a smaller bending strength than the portions 44A, 44B. Therefore, the bending strength of the entire display 16 is greater in the regions R1, R2 to which the portions 44A, 44B are fixed than in the bent region R3 to which the portion 44C is fixed.

[0047] The portions 44A and 44B may not have holes 44a. The cross-sectional shape of the holes 44a may be a circle, a rectangle, a polygon, or an oblong slit. In FIG. 6, the holes 44a are not shown. The difference in bending strength between the portions 44A and 44B and the portion 44C may be achieved by a method other than changing the aperture ratio of the holes 44a, for example, by making the thickness of the portions 44A and 44B larger than that of the portion 44C to increase the bending strength. Such a change in bending strength of the sheet-like member 44 is provided for the purpose of bending the bending region R3 easily, durability against repeated bending operations, or suppression of stress concentration at the bending portion 16c in the 0 degree position. However, the sheet-like member 44 may be formed to have a uniform bending strength as a whole.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 6, the first adhesive member 40A is provided on most of the surface 20Aa of the first plate 20A, but is not provided in a predetermined range (width W1) from the end (first end) 20Ab in the X direction. That is, the first plate 20A has a first non-adhesive portion 41A where the first adhesive member 40A is not provided in the range of width W1 along the end 20Ab of the surface 20Aa and the region R1 of the display 16 is not fixed. Similarly, the second adhesive member 40B is provided on most of the surface 20Ba of the second plate 20B, but is not provided in a predetermined range (width W2) from the end (second end) 20Bb in the X direction. That is, the second plate 20B has a second non-adhesive portion 41B where the second adhesive member 40B is not provided in the range of width W2 along the end 20Bb of the surface 20Ba and the region R2 of the display 16 is not fixed. For this reason, it can be said that the non-adhesive portions 41A, 41B form a gap G between the display 16 and the surfaces 20Aa, 20Ba, the gap being equal to the thickness of the adhesive members 40A, 40B.

[0049] Although details will be described later, it is preferable that the widths W1 and W2 of the non-adhesive portions 41A and 41B are in a relationship of (0.1≦W1 / W≦0.4) and (0.1≦W2 / W≦0.4) with respect to the width W between the ends 20Ab and 20Bb of the plates 20A and 20B. More preferably, the widths W1 and W2 and the width W are in a relationship of (0.15≦W1 / W≦0.25) and (0.15≦W2 / W≦0.25). In this embodiment, the width W is 36 mm, the widths W1 and W2 are each set to 7 mm, and (W1 / W) and (W2 / W) are both approximately 0.19.

[0050] In the sheet-like member 44 of this embodiment, the width W3 in the X direction of the portion 44C is 39 mm. Therefore, both ends of the portion 44C in the X direction overlap the plates 20A, 20B by 1.5 mm in the Z direction. In other words, the portions 44A, 44B overlap the non-adhesive portions 41A, 41B by 5.5 mm in the X direction, respectively.

[0051] Next, the operation and effects when the display assembly 23 is brought into the 0 degree position will be described.

[0052] When the housings 12A, 12B are folded to the 0 degree position (see FIG. 5), the display assembly 23 changes to the state shown in FIG. 8. That is, the plates 20A, 20B are rotated integrally with the housings 12A, 12B, and arranged so as to be stacked on top of each other. At this time, the positions of the ends 20Ab, 20Bb are approximately aligned in the stacking direction. The stacking height of the plates 20A, 20B in the stacking direction at this time is referred to as height H. Meanwhile, the bending region R3 of the display 16 forms an arc-shaped bent portion 16c at a position that protrudes outward from the ends 20Ab, 20Bb of the stacked plates 20A, 20B. The inner diameter H1 and outer diameter H2 of the bent portion 16c in the stacking direction of the plates 20A, 20B are both greater than the height H (H

[0053] In this manner, the display 16 of this embodiment forms a substantially bell-shaped bent portion 16c at a position protruding from the ends 20Ab, 20Bb of the plates 20A, 20B in the 0-degree posture. For this reason, the display 16 forms outward bent portions 16d, 16e inverted from the bent portion 16c near the ends 20Ab, 20Bb, in contrast to the bent portion 16c bent inward to include the display surface 16b on the inside. Here, the inward bend refers to a bend in which the center of the curvature radius r is located inside the bent portion 16c (on the display surface 16b side). The outward bend refers to a bend in which the center of the curvature radius r1 is located outside the bent portion 16c (on the back surface 16a side). Note that, in FIG. 8, the curvature radius r1 is illustrated only for one outward bent portion 16d, but the curvature radius r1 of the other outward bent portion 16e is omitted because it has a substantially symmetrical shape, and the same is true for the following FIGS. 9 to 11.

[0054] ​In this case, if the curvature radius r1 of the outer bent portions 16d, 16e becomes too small, shear stress is concentrated on the outer bent portions 16d, 16e, which may result in problems with the display 16, such as the sheet-like member 44 peeling off from the display 16 or the display body 42, which is a laminate, being delaminated.

[0055] Therefore, the display assembly 23 of this embodiment has non-adhesive portions 41A, 41B that do not fix the display 16 in a predetermined range (width W1, W2) from the ends 20Ab, 20Bb on the surfaces 20Aa, 20Ba of the plates 20A, 20B. As a result, in the 0-degree attitude, the outwardly bent portions 16d, 16e of the display 16 are formed from positions that overlap the non-adhesive portions 41A, 41B. This prevents the outwardly bent portions 16d, 16e of the display 16 from being formed suddenly from the ends 20Ab, 20Bb, and increases the radius of curvature r1, thereby suppressing the occurrence of the above-mentioned problems.

[0056] Here, the results of a comparison made in a simulation experiment between the display assembly 23 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 and the display assembly 50 according to the comparative example shown in FIG. 9 will be described.

[0057] The display assembly 50 of the comparative example shown in Figure 9 is identical in configuration to the display assembly 23 of the embodiment shown in Figure 8, except that it does not have non-adhesive portions 41A, 41B, and adhesive members 40A, 40B are provided on the entire surfaces 20Aa, 20Bba of the plates 20A, 20B to fix the display 16.

[0058] 8, the stacking height H of the plates 20A and 20B is 2.2 mm, the radius of curvature r of the bent portion 16c is 3.0 mm, the inner diameter H1 of the bent portion 16c is 6.6 mm, the outer diameter H2 is 7.6 mm obtained by adding H1 to twice the thickness (e.g., 0.5 mm) of the display 16, and the overhang distance L of the bent region R3 from the ends 20Ab and 20Bb is 15.8 mm. In this case, the radius of curvature r1 of the outer bent portions 16d and 16e is 21.0 mm.

[0059] 9, the stack height H of plates 20A, 20B was 2.2 mm, the radius of curvature r of bent portion 16c was 3.0 mm, the inner diameter H1 of bent portion 16c was 6.6 mm, the outer diameter H2 was 7.6 mm, and the protruding distance L of bending region R3 from ends 20Ab, Bb was 15.8 mm. The radius of curvature r2 of outer bent portions 16d, 16e in this case was 15.9 mm.

[0060] As shown by the above experimental results, the radius of curvature of the outer bent portions 16d, 16e was 21.0 mm for the example, whereas the radius of curvature r2 for the comparative example was 15.9 mm. In other words, the radius of curvature r1 for the example was significantly larger than the radius of curvature r2 for the comparative example, which was 15.9 mm. Therefore, it was found that the display assembly 23 for the example can suppress stress concentration at the outer bent portions 16d, 16e compared to the display assembly 50 for the comparative example, and can further suppress the occurrence of the above-mentioned defects in the display 16. The reason for this is that the display assembly 50 for the comparative example does not have the non-adhesive portions 41A, 41B. As a result, it is considered that the outer bent portions 16d, 16e in the display assembly 50 start to be formed suddenly from the ends 20Ab, 20Bb of the plates 20A, 20B, and the curvatures become large.

[0061] Further, as a result of the experiment, in the embodiment of FIG. 8, the stress generated in the display 16 due to the stress concentration was particularly high at two points, positions P1 and P2, with the stress at position P1 being 7.2 MPa and the stress at position P1 being 7.0 MPa. On the other hand, in the comparative example of FIG. 9, the stress generated in the display 16 due to the stress concentration was particularly high at one point, position P3, with the stress being 17.0 MPa. This also makes it clear that the stress peak of the display 16 in the display assembly 23 of the embodiment is significantly lower than that of the comparative example. The offset distance of positions P1 to P3 from the end 20Ab toward the bent portion 16c was 0.2 mm for positions P1 and P3, and 2.8 mm for position P3.

[0062] As described above, the electronic device 10 and the display assembly 23 of the present embodiment are configured such that the bending region R3 of the display 16 forms the arc-shaped bent portion 16c at a position that protrudes outward from the ends 20Ab, 20Bb of the plates 20A, 20B in the 0-degree attitude. The surfaces 20Aa, 20Ba of the plates 20A, 20B have non-adhesive portions 41A, 41B to which the display 16 is not fixed within a predetermined range (widths W1, W2) from the ends 20Ab, 20Bb, respectively. For this reason, the display 16 can increase the curvature radius r1 of the outer bent portions 16d, 16e where the bending direction is reversed, and can suppress the occurrence of defects such as delamination.

[0063] In other words, the display assembly 23 has a gap G between the display 16 and the surfaces 20Aa, 20Ba of the plates 20A, 20B in a predetermined range (W1, W2) from the ends 20Ab, 20Bb, respectively. Therefore, in the 0 degree posture shown in Fig. 8, the display 16 can form the outwardly bent portions 16d, 16e by using the range (width W1, W2) offset toward the center of the plates 20A, 20B from the ends 20Ab, 20Bb. As a result, the display 16 can increase the radius of curvature r1 at the outwardly bent portions 16d, 16e.

[0064] In other words, in the 0-degree attitude, the display 16 has reverse bent portions (outer bent portions 16d, 16e) bent in the opposite direction to the bent portion 16c in predetermined ranges (widths W1, W2) from the ends 20Ab, 20Bb at positions overlapping the surfaces 20Aa, 20Ba of the plates 20A, 20B, respectively. This allows the display 16 to increase the radius of curvature r1 at the outer bent portions 16d, 16e.

[0065] By the way, even if the widths W1 and W2 are increased from the above-mentioned 7 mm (for example, to 15 mm), there is an advantage that the radius of curvature r1 itself becomes large and stress concentration can be further alleviated. However, in this case, the formation of the outwardly bent portions 16d and 16e of the display 16 starts at a position considerably recessed from the ends 20Ab and 20Bb of the plates 20A and 20B. Therefore, there is a concern that the display 16 will be significantly raised between the plates 20A and 20B, causing them to come into contact with each other or that the bezel member attached to the display surface 16b will be peeled off. On the other hand, if the widths W1 and W2 are too small, the radius of curvature r1 will become small. Therefore, as described above, the display assembly 23 of this embodiment balances the advantages and disadvantages by setting the widths W1 and W2 to the width W such that they are (0.1≦W1 / W≦0.4) and (0.1≦W2 / W≦0.4), respectively, and more preferably such that they are (0.15≦W1 / W≦0.25) and (0.15≦W2 / W≦0.25).

[0066] The display assembly 23 can be provided with a hard portion having a greater bending strength than the portion covering the bent region R3 in the portion overlapping the non-adhesive portions 41A, 41B of the display 16 by changing the bending strength of the sheet-like member 44. This prevents the outer bent portions 16d, 16e of the display 16 from being excessively bent or bent at the positions overlapping the non-adhesive portions 41A, 41B. As a result, the curved shape of the outer bent portions 16d, 16e becomes more gentle, and the radius of curvature r1 becomes larger.

[0067] Fig. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic state in which display assembly 23 is in a 0 degree position in a configuration that does not have support plates 22A, 22B. Fig. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic state in which display assembly 51 according to a comparative example of the configuration example shown in Fig. 10 is in a 0 degree position. In Figs. 10 and 11, the same reference symbols as those shown in Figs. 1 to 9 indicate the same or similar configurations, and therefore detailed descriptions will be omitted as they have the same or similar functions and effects.

[0068] The electronic device 10 described above has the support plates 22A and 22B, and has a function of correcting the shape of the bending region R3 of the display 16 when the support plates 22A and 22B are in the 0 degree position. However, this correction function provided by the support plates 22A and 22B is not essential.

[0069] That is, the electronic device 10 may have a configuration that does not have members (support plates 22A, 22B) that support the display 16 between the bent portion 16c and the ends 20Ab, 20Bb in the 0 degree posture, as shown in Fig. 10. A display assembly 51 of a comparative example shown in Fig. 11 is the same in configuration as the display assembly 23 shown in Fig. 10, except that no non-adhesive portions 41A, 41B are provided, and adhesive members 40A, 40B are provided entirely over the surfaces 20Aa, 20Bba of the plates 20A, 20B to fix the display 16.

[0070] In the configuration example shown in FIG. 10, the height of the gap G at the position where the display 16 overlaps the non-adhesive portions 41A and 41B is higher than that of the configuration example shown in FIG. 8. This is because the support plates 22A and 22B do not have a function of correcting the display 16. As a result, the radius of curvature r3 of the outer bent portions 16d and 16e shown in FIG. 10 is slightly smaller than the radius of curvature r1 of the outer bent portions 16d and 16e shown in FIG. 8. However, this radius of curvature r3 is sufficiently larger than the radius of curvature r4 of the display assembly 51 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 11. Therefore, the display assembly 23 shown in FIG. 10 can suppress the occurrence of defects in the display 16 at the outer bent portions 16d and 16e compared to the display assembly 51 shown in FIG. 11.

[0071] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can of course be freely modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0072] The above describes an example of electronic device 10 that can be folded in half like a book. However, the present invention can be applied to various configurations other than a configuration in which housings of the same shape are folded in half, such as a double-door configuration in which smaller housings are foldably connected to the left and right edges of a larger housing, an S-shaped folding configuration in which housings with different folding directions are connected to the left and right edges of a single housing, and a J-shaped folding configuration in which a small housing is foldably connected to one of the left and right edges of a large housing, and the number of connected housings may be four or more. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 10 Electronic equipment 12A 1st housing 12B 2nd cabinet 16 Display 16c Bending section 16d, 16e Outer bend 20A First Plate 20B Second Plate 22A First Support Plate 22B Second support plate 23,50,51 Display Assembly 40A First adhesive member 40B second adhesive member 41A 1st non-adhesive part 41B 2nd non-adhesive part 42 Display body 44 Sheet-like members

Claims

1. An electronic device, A first housing; a second housing adjacent to the first housing and connected to the first housing so as to be relatively rotatable between a first position in which the first housing and the second housing are stacked such that their faces overlap each other and a second position in which the first housing and the second housing are stacked such that their faces are aligned to the left and right; a display assembly provided between the first housing and the second housing and bent in response to relative rotation of the first housing and the second housing; Equipped with The display assembly includes: a first plate having a first end and fixed to the first housing; a second plate having a second end portion facing the first end portion with a predetermined gap provided therebetween, and being fixed to the second housing, so that the second plate and the first plate are stacked such that their respective faces overlap in the first position, and are arranged side by side with the first plate in the second position; a flexible display having a first region fixed to a surface of the first plate using a first adhesive member, a second region fixed to a surface of the second plate using a second adhesive member, and a bent region disposed between the first region and the second region so as to span the gap; having the bending region of the display forms an arc-shaped bent portion at a position protruding from the first end portion and the second end portion when in the first position, and the bent portion has an outer diameter larger in a stacking direction than a stacking height of the first plate and the second plate; the first plate has a first non-adhesive portion on a surface thereof, the first adhesive member is not provided thereon, and the first region is not fixed within a predetermined range from the first end portion; The second plate has a second non-adhesive portion on its surface in a predetermined range from the second end, where the second adhesive member is not provided and the second region is not fixed.

1. An electronic device comprising:

2. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, The width of the gap between the first end and the second end when the arrangement direction of the first plate and the second plate in the second posture is taken as a reference is referred to as W, the width of the first non-adhesive portion on the surface of the first plate is referred to as W1, and the width of the second non-adhesive portion on the surface of the second plate is referred to as W2. W and W1 have a relationship of 0.1≦W1 / W≦0.4, The relationship between W and W2 is 0.1≦W2 / W≦0.

4.

1. An electronic device comprising:

3. 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, The display comprises: a display body having a display surface for displaying an image; a sheet-like member fixed to a back surface of the display body so as to cover the back surface; having The sheet-like member has a hard portion in each of the portions overlapping the first non-adhesive portion and the second non-adhesive portion, the hard portion having a bending strength greater than that of a portion covering the bent region.

1. An electronic device comprising:

4. 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, a first support plate that is provided in the gap along the first end portion, moves relative to the first plate as the first housing and the second housing rotate, and presses a back surface of the display between the bent portion and the first end portion when the display is in the first position; a second support plate that is provided in the gap along the second end portion, moves relative to the second plate as the first housing and the second housing rotate, and presses a back surface of the display between the bent portion and the second end portion when the display is in the first position; Further equipped 1. An electronic device comprising:

5. 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, a gap is provided between the display and the surface of the first plate at a position overlapping the first non-adhesive portion; A gap is provided between the display and the surface of the second plate at a position overlapping the second non-adhesive portion.

1. An electronic device comprising:

6. 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, In the first position, the display has reverse bent portions bent in a direction opposite to the bent portion at positions overlapping the first non-adhesive portion and the second non-adhesive portion.

1. An electronic device comprising:

7. An electronic device, A first housing; a second housing adjacent to the first housing and connected to the first housing so as to be relatively rotatable between a first position in which the first housing and the second housing are stacked such that their faces overlap each other and a second position in which the first housing and the second housing are stacked such that their faces are aligned to the left and right; a display assembly provided between the first housing and the second housing and bent in response to relative rotation of the first housing and the second housing; Equipped with The display assembly includes: a first plate having a first end and fixed to the first housing; a second plate having a second end portion facing the first end portion with a predetermined gap provided therebetween, and being fixed to the second housing, so that the second plate and the first plate are stacked such that their respective faces overlap in the first position, and are arranged side by side with the first plate in the second position; a flexible display having a first region fixed to a surface of the first plate, a second region fixed to a surface of the second plate, and a bending region disposed between the first region and the second region so as to span the gap; having the bending region of the display forms an arc-shaped bent portion at a position protruding from the first end portion and the second end portion when in the first position, and the bent portion has an outer diameter larger in a stacking direction than a stacking height of the first plate and the second plate; a gap is provided between the display and the surface of the first plate within a predetermined range from the first end, A gap is provided between the display and the surface of the second plate within a predetermined range from the second end.

1. An electronic device comprising:

8. An electronic device, A first housing; a second housing adjacent to the first housing and connected to the first housing so as to be relatively rotatable between a first position in which the first housing and the second housing are stacked such that their faces overlap each other and a second position in which the first housing and the second housing are stacked such that their faces are aligned to the left and right; a display assembly provided between the first housing and the second housing and bent in response to relative rotation of the first housing and the second housing; Equipped with The display assembly includes: a first plate having a first end and fixed to the first housing; a second plate having a second end portion facing the first end portion with a predetermined gap provided therebetween, and being fixed to the second housing, so that the second plate and the first plate are stacked such that their respective faces overlap in the first position, and are arranged side by side with the first plate in the second position; a flexible display having a first region fixed to a surface of the first plate, a second region fixed to a surface of the second plate, and a bending region disposed between the first region and the second region so as to span the gap; having the bending region of the display forms an arc-shaped bent portion at a position protruding from the first end portion and the second end portion when in the first position, and the bent portion has an outer diameter larger in a stacking direction than a stacking height of the first plate and the second plate; In the first position, the display has a reverse bent portion bent in a direction opposite to the bent portion at a position where the display overlaps with the surface of the first plate within a predetermined range from the first end and at a position where the display overlaps with the surface of the second plate within a predetermined range from the second end.

1. An electronic device comprising:

9. 1. A display assembly comprising: a first plate having a first end; a second plate having a second end portion opposed to the first end portion with a predetermined gap therebetween and disposed alongside the first plate; a flexible display having a first region fixed to a surface of the first plate using a first adhesive member, a second region fixed to a surface of the second plate using a second adhesive member, and a bent region disposed between the first region and the second region so as to span the gap; Equipped with the first plate and the second plate are connected via the display, and thereby are relatively rotatable between a first position in which the first plate and the second plate are stacked such that their surfaces overlap each other, and a second position in which the first plate and the second plate are arranged side by side such that their surfaces overlap each other; the bending region of the display forms an arc-shaped bent portion at a position protruding from the first end portion and the second end portion when in the first position, and the bent portion has an outer diameter larger in a stacking direction than a stacking height of the first plate and the second plate; the first plate has a first non-adhesive portion on a surface thereof, the first adhesive member is not provided thereon, and the first region is not fixed within a predetermined range from the first end portion; The second plate has a second non-adhesive portion on its surface in a predetermined range from the second end, where the second adhesive member is not provided and the second region is not fixed. A display assembly comprising:

Images