Stretchable screen device

Abstract

A stretchable screen device is disclosed to address the problem of excessive changes in display ratio caused by conventional screen expansion. The present invention's stretchable screen device includes: a motherboard; a stretchable display parallel to the motherboard; and a linkage module including an active component and several passive components. The active component is disposed on the motherboard, and the several passive components are respectively coupled to several coupling portions of the stretchable display. The several coupling portions surround the active component, and the several passive components are slidably connected to the active component, so as to convert the movement of the active component into the synchronous stretching of the stretchable display by the several passive components along a first direction and a second direction that are not parallel to each other.

Description

Stretchable screen device Technical Field

[0001] This work relates to a display device, and more particularly to a stretchable screen device that can change the size of the display screen as needed. Prior Technology

[0002] With the development of display technology, currently, displays with deformability are mainly divided into two types: flexible displays and stretchable displays. Among them, a flexible display is a display screen with a fixed size, but it can be rolled up or unfolded like a scroll; a stretchable display is a display with physical extension, and its elongation rate can be as high as 20% or more without affecting the image quality.

[0003] Currently, some companies are applying flexible displays to electronic devices such as laptops. By using a roll-up or sliding mechanism, the flexible display can be rolled up or unfolded, allowing the screen to dynamically change size according to usage needs, thereby balancing portability and a large-screen visual experience.

[0004] However, electronic devices using flexible displays are limited by the fact that flexible displays are only flexible and not physically extensible. Therefore, they can only change the screen size in a single dimension (long side or wide side), which causes a significant change in the aspect ratio of the displayed image, resulting in changes in the display ratio or even distortion.

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the aforementioned conventional technology, the creator felt that it was not perfect, so he devoted his mind to researching and overcoming it, and developed a stretchable screen device that uses a stretchable display and can achieve simultaneous expansion of the long side and the wide side. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To achieve the above and other objectives, this invention provides a stretchable screen device, comprising: a motherboard; a stretchable display parallel to the motherboard; and a linkage module including an active member and several passive members. The active member is disposed on the motherboard, and the several passive members are respectively coupled to several coupling portions of the stretchable display. The several coupling portions surround the active member, and the several passive members are slidably connected to the active member to convert the movement of the active member into the synchronous stretching of the stretchable display by the several passive members along a first direction and a second direction that are not parallel to each other.

[0007] In the aforementioned stretchable screen device, the displacement of the stretchable display in the first direction and the second direction can be maintained at a fixed ratio.

[0008] In the aforementioned stretchable screen device, the first direction and the second direction can be two diagonal directions of the stretchable display, and the plurality of connecting parts can be located at the four corners of the stretchable display.

[0009] In the aforementioned stretchable screen device, the active component can rotate relative to the motherboard along an axis perpendicular to the motherboard, and the plurality of driven components can convert the rotational motion of the active component into synchronous linear displacement of the plurality of connecting parts along two diagonal directions of the stretchable display.

[0010] In the aforementioned stretchable screen device, the linkage module may include a connector and a drive controller. The connector combines the active component with the drive controller. When the drive controller rotates, it can drive the active component to rotate relative to the motherboard along an axis perpendicular to the motherboard.

[0011] In the aforementioned stretchable screen device, the active component is located between the stretchable display and an inner surface of the motherboard, and the drive controller can be located on the back side of the motherboard.

[0012] In the aforementioned stretchable screen device, the drive controller may include a gear and a rack, with the gear partially meshing with the rack, and the connecting seat may pass through and connect the drive member and the gear.

[0013] In the aforementioned stretchable screen device, the drive controller may include a handle, and the connector may pass through and connect the drive member and the handle.

[0014] In the aforementioned stretchable screen device, the active component can rotate relative to the motherboard along an axis perpendicular to the motherboard. The active component may be provided with several arc-shaped grooves surrounding the axis. Each driven component may include a sliding body connected to a sliding protrusion. The sliding body may be engaged with a corresponding engagement portion. Each sliding protrusion is slidably connected to a corresponding arc-shaped groove. The rotational movement of the active component drives each sliding protrusion to slide in the corresponding arc-shaped groove, and drives the several sliding bodies to linearly displace along the first direction or the second direction to stretch the stretchable display.

[0015] In the aforementioned stretchable screen device, one end of the sliding body can be coupled to a corresponding coupling part, and the other end can be connected to the sliding protrusion. The extension direction of the sliding protrusion is generally parallel to the axis, while the extension direction of the sliding body is generally orthogonal to the axis.

[0016] In the aforementioned stretchable screen device, the motherboard may be provided with several sliding guides extending along the first direction or the second direction. The several sliding bodies are guided by the corresponding sliding guides and are linearly displaced along the first direction or the second direction.

[0017] In the aforementioned stretchable screen device, each of the sliding guide portions may include a slide groove, the active member is rotatably disposed at the intersection of the slide grooves, and each sliding body is slidably disposed in the corresponding slide groove.

[0018] In the aforementioned stretchable screen device, the slide groove can be recessed into an inner surface of the motherboard, and several protrusions can be respectively connected to the inner surface of the motherboard and located on both sides of each slide groove.

[0019] The aforementioned stretchable screen device may further include several movable housings located on the back side of the motherboard and respectively coupled to the sliding body of the corresponding follower, so as to move along the first direction or the second direction with the sliding body.

[0020] Accordingly, the stretchable screen device of this invention can expand the stretchable display in different directions through a simple structure. Therefore, compared with conventional electronic devices that can only expand horizontally or vertically, the display screen of this invention will not have a significant change in the aspect ratio that would cause image distortion, thus providing a better visual experience. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0021] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional exploded structure of the first embodiment of this invention. [Figure 2] Another perspective three-dimensional exploded structure diagram of the first embodiment of this invention. [Figure 3] Front view of the first embodiment of this invention, and the stretchable display shows its edges only with two-point chain lines. [Figure 4] The state after changing from Figure 3 to an extended stretchable display. [Figure 5] A three-dimensional exploded view of the motherboard and linkage module in the first embodiment of this invention. [Figure 6] A three-dimensional exploded view of the active and driven components in the first embodiment of this invention. [Figure 7] A three-dimensional structural diagram of an electronic device including a stretchable screen device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional exploded structure of the second embodiment of this invention. [Figure 9] Rear view of the second embodiment of this invention. [Figure 10] The state after changing from Figure 9 to an extended stretchable display. Implementation

[0022] To fully understand the purpose, features, and effects of this invention, a detailed explanation is provided below with reference to the specific embodiments and accompanying drawings:

[0023] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4, which are the first embodiment of the stretchable screen device of this invention. The stretchable screen device includes a motherboard 1, a stretchable display 2, and a linkage module 3. The stretchable display 2 is parallel to the motherboard 1, and the linkage module 3 is used to stretch the stretchable display 2.

[0024] The linkage module 3 includes an active component 31 and several driven components 32. The active component 31 is disposed on the main board 1. The several driven components 32 are respectively connected to several connecting parts 21 of the stretchable display 2. The several connecting parts 21 surround the active component 31, and the several driven components 32 are slidably connected to the active component 31.

[0025] Accordingly, the stretchable screen device of this embodiment can control the actuation of the active member 31 to synchronously move the plurality of driven members 32; and convert the movement of the active member 31 into the synchronous stretching of the stretchable display 2 by the plurality of driven members 32 along a first direction D1 and a second direction D2 that are not parallel to each other. In this way, this embodiment can extend the stretchable display 2 in different directions simultaneously. Therefore, compared with conventional electronic devices that can only extend horizontally or vertically, the display image presented on the stretchable display 2 in this embodiment will not have a significant change in the aspect ratio that would cause image distortion, and can provide a better visual experience.

[0026] It is worth noting that, in one embodiment of this invention, the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 can be two diagonal directions of the stretchable display 2 (as shown in Figure 4); that is, the direction from the upper left corner to the lower right corner of the stretchable display 2 forms one of the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, and the direction from the upper right corner to the lower left corner forms the other of the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. However, this invention is not limited to this; in other embodiments, the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 can also be the long side extension direction (X direction in Figure 4) and the wide side extension direction (Y direction in Figure 4) of the stretchable display 2, respectively. Alternatively, they can be any two or more directions that can expand the stretchable display 2 as evenly as possible.

[0027] Furthermore, regardless of the aforementioned expansion direction, the displacement of the stretchable display 2 in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 can be maintained at a fixed ratio. In this way, the long side (the side extending along the X direction in Figure 4) and the wide side (the side extending along the Y direction in Figure 4) of the stretchable display 2 can be simultaneously displaced proportionally; therefore, during the stretching process, the stretchable display 2 can maintain its original aspect ratio, keeping the screen display ratio unchanged. For example, but not limited to, the stretchable display 2 shown in Figure 3 is approximately 14 inches in size, and the stretchable display 2 shown in Figure 4 is approximately 16 inches in size, with the aspect ratio remaining around 16:10.

[0028] Wherein, when the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 are respectively two diagonal directions of the stretchable display 2, the plurality of connecting parts 21 can be selectively provided at the four corners of the stretchable display 2, so as to facilitate the installation and connection of the plurality of driven members 32, and to achieve good stretching efficiency of the stretchable display 2 by the plurality of driven members 32. For example, but not limited to, each driven member 32 can be firmly connected to the corresponding connecting part 21 by means of screws, clamps or other components or adhesives.

[0029] The following describes one embodiment of the linkage between the driving member 31 and the plurality of driven members 32:

[0030] In this embodiment, the active member 31 can rotate relative to the motherboard 1 along an axis AX perpendicular to the motherboard 1, and the plurality of driven members 32 can convert the rotational motion of the active member 31 into synchronous linear displacement of the plurality of connecting parts 21 along two diagonal directions of the stretchable display 2.

[0031] More specifically, referring to Figures 1 and 5, the linkage module 3 may further include a connecting seat 33 and a drive controller 34. The connecting seat 33 can directly or indirectly connect the driving member 31 and the drive controller 34, so that when the drive controller 34 is controlled to rotate, it can drive the driving member 31 to rotate. Specifically, in one embodiment of this invention, the drive controller 34 may include a gear 341 and a rack 342, with the gear 341 partially meshing with the rack 342. Both the gear 341 and the driving member 31 are provided with non-circular engagement holes. The connecting seat 33 passes through the engagement holes connecting the driving member 31 and the gear 341, so when the rack 342 is pushed, it can drive the gear 341 to rotate, and the connecting seat 33 ensures that the driving member 31 rotates synchronously with the gear 341. The active component 31 is located between the stretchable display 2 and an inner surface 11 of the motherboard 1, while the drive controller 34 can be located on the back side of the motherboard 1, allowing the user to drive the rack 342 from the outside.

[0032] On the other hand, referring to Figures 1 and 6, the driving member 31 may have several arc-shaped grooves 311 surrounding the axis AX. Each driven member 32 may include a sliding body 321 connected to a sliding protrusion 322. This invention does not limit the form of the sliding body 321. In this embodiment, the sliding body 321 may, for example, have a slider 3212 attached to each end of a shaft 3211. Furthermore, in this embodiment, one end of the sliding body 321 may be attached to a corresponding connecting part 21, and the other end may be connected to the sliding protrusion 322. The extending direction of the sliding protrusion 322 may be parallel to the axis AX, while the extending direction of the sliding body 321 is approximately orthogonal to the axis AX. For example, but not limited to, the inner wall of the arc-shaped groove 311 in this embodiment may have a shoulder. The sliding protrusion 322 in this embodiment may be a screw, with the head of the screw located inside the arc-shaped groove 311 and the lower end extending out of the arc-shaped groove 311 and locked to the sliding body 321. Accordingly, referring to Figures 3 and 4, each of the sliding protrusions 322 can be slidably connected to the corresponding arc-shaped groove 311. Therefore, during the rotation of the active member 31, the groove wall of each arc-shaped groove 311 will push against and drive the corresponding sliding protrusion 322 to slide, so that the rotational movement of the active member 31 (for example, rotating about 90 degrees) can drive each of the sliding protrusions 322 to generate relative sliding displacement in the corresponding arc-shaped groove 311, thereby causing the plurality of sliding bodies 321 to move away from each other along the first direction D1 or the second direction D2, so as to stretch the stretchable display 2.

[0033] Furthermore, referring to Figures 3 and 5, the main board 1 may also be provided with several sliding guide portions 12 extending along the first direction D1 or the second direction D2, so that the several sliding bodies 321 can be guided by the corresponding sliding guide portions 12 respectively, and thus more stably and accurately linearly displace along the first direction D1 or the second direction D2. For example, the number of the sliding guide portions 12 can be selected to correspond to the number of the follower 32 as four, of which two sliding guide portions 12 are set along the first direction D1 and the other two sliding guide portions 12 are set along the second direction D2.

[0034] In one embodiment of this invention, each of the sliding guide parts 12 may include a slide groove 121, the active member 31 is rotatably disposed at the intersection of the plurality of slide grooves 121, and each sliding body 321 is slidably disposed in the corresponding slide groove 121.

[0035] Furthermore, the slide groove 121 can be recessed into the inner surface 11 of the motherboard 1, and each sliding guide portion 12 can also have several protrusions 122, which are respectively connected to the inner surface 11 of the motherboard 1 and located on both sides of each slide groove 121. In this way, the sliding body 321 can be stably displaced by the several protrusions 122, and the required thickness of the motherboard 1 and the linkage module 3 in the Z direction can be reduced, which is beneficial to the thinning of the stretchable screen device.

[0036] Referring to Figure 1, in one embodiment of this invention, the stretchable screen device may further include several movable housings 4. These movable housings 4 are located on the back side of the motherboard 1 and are directly or indirectly connected to the sliding body 321 of the corresponding follower 32, so as to move along the first direction D1 or the second direction D2 with the sliding body 321. In this embodiment, the several movable housings 4 can jointly enclose a space for setting the drive controller 34; and the gap between the several movable housings 4 can gradually widen during the stretching process of the stretchable display 2 (as shown in Figure 4). Thus, this embodiment can provide protection for the inner components through the several movable housings 4, without interfering with the setting of the drive controller 34.

[0037] Referring to Figure 7, when the stretchable screen device of the first embodiment of this invention is applied to electronic devices such as laptops, the motherboard 1 can be pivotally connected to one side of the laptop host, and the stretchable display 2 can dynamically change its size according to usage needs. That is, when using the laptop, the user can expand the stretchable display 2 to a larger size through the linkage module 3; when not using the laptop, the user can then change the stretchable display 2 back to a smaller size through the linkage module 3 for portability.

[0038] In addition to the embodiments described above, please refer to Figures 8 to 10. In the second embodiment of this invention, the drive controller 34 may include a handle 343. Both the handle 343 and the active member 31 are provided with non-circular connecting holes. The connecting seat 33 passes through the connecting holes of the active member 31 and the handle 343, and the handle 343 is located on the back side of the motherboard 1. Accordingly, the user can externally control the rotation of the handle 343, and the handle 343 will drive the active member 31 to rotate synchronously to stretch the stretchable display 2.

[0039] This invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this invention. It should be noted that all variations and substitutions equivalent to these embodiments should be considered within the scope of this invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of this invention shall be determined by the claims.

[0040] 1: Motherboard 11: Inner surface 12: Sliding guide section 121: Slide 122: Protrusion 2: Stretchable display 21: Joint 3: Linkage Module 31: Active component 311: Arc-shaped groove 32: Follower 321: Moving Body 3211: Shaft 3212: Slider 322: Sliding convex post 33: Connector 34: Drive Controller 341: Gear 342: rack and pinion 343: Grip 4: Active outer shell AX: Axis D1: First Direction D2: Second Direction

Claims

1. A stretchable screen device, comprising: a motherboard; a stretchable display parallel to the motherboard; and a linkage module including an active member and a plurality of passive members, the active member being disposed on the motherboard, the plurality of passive members being respectively coupled to a plurality of coupling portions of the stretchable display, the plurality of coupling portions surrounding the active member, and the plurality of passive members being slidably connected to the active member to convert the movement of the active member into the plurality of passive members synchronously stretching the stretchable display along a first direction and a second direction that are not parallel to each other.

2. The stretchable screen device as described in claim 1, wherein, The displacement of the stretchable display in the first direction and the second direction is maintained at a fixed ratio.

3. The stretchable screen device as described in claim 1, wherein, The first direction and the second direction are respectively two diagonal directions of the stretchable display, and the plurality of joints are located at the four corners of the stretchable display.

4. The stretchable screen device as described in claim 3, wherein, The active component rotates relative to the motherboard along an axis perpendicular to the motherboard, and the driven components convert the rotational motion of the active component into synchronous linear displacement of the driven components along two diagonal directions of the stretchable display.

5. The stretchable screen device as described in claim 1, wherein, The linkage module includes a connector and a drive controller. The connector connects the active component and the drive controller. When the drive controller rotates, it drives the active component to rotate relative to the motherboard along an axis perpendicular to the motherboard.

6. The stretchable screen device as described in claim 5, wherein, The active component is located between the stretchable display and an inner surface of the motherboard, and the drive controller is located on the back side of the motherboard.

7. The stretchable screen device as described in claim 5, wherein, The drive controller includes a gear and a rack, with the gear partially meshing with the rack, and the connecting seat penetrating and connecting the drive member and the gear.

8. The stretchable screen device as described in claim 5, wherein, The drive controller includes a handle, and the connector extends through and combines the drive element and the handle.

9. The stretchable screen device as described in claim 1, wherein, The active component rotates relative to the motherboard along an axis perpendicular to the motherboard. The active component has several arc-shaped grooves surrounding the axis. Each driven component includes a sliding body connected to a sliding protrusion. The sliding body is engaged with a corresponding joint. Each sliding protrusion is slidably connected to a corresponding arc-shaped groove. The rotational motion of the active component drives each sliding protrusion to slide in the corresponding arc-shaped groove, and drives the several sliding bodies to linearly displace along the first direction or the second direction to stretch the stretchable display.

10. The stretchable screen device as described in claim 9, wherein, One end of the sliding body is connected to the corresponding joint, and the other end is connected to the sliding protrusion. The extension direction of the sliding protrusion is parallel to the axis, and the extension direction of the sliding body is orthogonal to the axis.

11. The stretchable screen device as described in claim 9, wherein, The motherboard is provided with several sliding guides extending along the first direction or the second direction. The several sliding bodies are guided by the corresponding sliding guides and are linearly displaced along the first direction or the second direction.

12. The stretchable screen device as described in claim 11, wherein, Each sliding guide includes a slide groove, the active member is rotatably disposed at the intersection of the slide grooves, and each sliding body is slidably disposed in the corresponding slide groove.

13. The stretchable screen device as described in claim 12, wherein, The slide groove is recessed on an inner surface of the motherboard, and several protrusions are respectively connected to the inner surface of the motherboard and located on both sides of each slide groove.

14. The stretchable screen device as described in claim 9 further includes a plurality of movable housings located on the back side of the motherboard and respectively coupled to the sliding body of the corresponding follower, so as to move along the first direction or the second direction with the sliding body.

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