Foldable electronic device including housing and hinge housing

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a foldable electronic device including: a first housing; a second housing; at least one hinge structure connecting the first housing and the second housing; a flexible display placed on the first housing, the second housing, and the at least one hinge structure; and a hinge housing in which at least a part of the at least one hinge structure is seated, wherein when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, the first housing includes a first protruding structure at least a part of which overlaps one side of the hinge housing with reference to a first direction toward the hinge housing.

Description

A foldable electronic device comprising a housing and a hinged housing

[0001] Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a foldable electronic device comprising a hinge housing and a plurality of housings.

[0002] Portable electronic devices, such as smartphones, can support calling functions and various content search and provision functions based on various applications. Portable electronic devices can display screens corresponding to each function during the process of providing these various functions. Users may desire a wider screen when utilizing these various functions. In typical portable electronic devices, expanding the display to display the screen increases the overall size, which can reduce portability. Accordingly, foldable portable electronic devices have been developed to increase the screen size while maintaining portability. Foldable portable electronic devices can be folded and unfolded. Users frequently unintentionally drop foldable electronic devices while using them, which can result in impacts on the foldable electronic device. Impacts on the foldable electronic device can transmit shock not only to the housing but also to the internal structure, potentially causing damage to the internal structure.

[0003] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device (or a portable electronic device, a portable communication device, a foldable electronic device, or a foldable electronic device having a communication function) includes a first housing, a second housing, at least one hinge structure connecting the first housing and the second housing, a flexible display placed on the first housing, the second housing, and the at least one hinge structure, and a hinge housing on which at least a portion of the at least one hinge structure is seated, wherein the first housing may include a first protruding structure that overlaps at least a portion of one side of the hinge housing with respect to a first direction in which the hinge housing is viewed when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state.

[0004] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device (or a portable electronic device, a portable communication device, a foldable electronic device, or a foldable electronic device having a communication function) includes a first housing, a second housing, at least one hinge structure connecting the first housing and the second housing, a flexible display placed on the first housing, the second housing, and the at least one hinge structure, a hinge housing on which at least a portion of the at least one hinge structure is seated, a protective member placed on at least one of both edges of the hinge housing, and a first protruding structure protruding toward an inner surface of the first housing through a member hole formed in the protective member, wherein when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, at least a portion of the first protruding structure may overlap one side of the hinge housing based on a first direction facing the hinge housing.

[0005] In addition, this document presents various embodiments.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing an example of the appearance of a folded state of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0007] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an example of the shape of a hinge housing and housings of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0009] Fig. 4 is a drawing showing an example of a cross-section cut along the AA` cutting line of Fig. 3.

[0010] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing an example of a hinge housing and a folded state of the housings of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 6 is a drawing of an example of a hinge housing and an unfolded state of the housings of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 7 is a drawing showing an example of a portion of a first housing and a second housing in a folded state according to one embodiment.

[0013] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing an example of a portion of a first housing and a second housing in an unfolded state according to one embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a partial configuration of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state according to one embodiment.

[0015] Figure 10 is a drawing showing an example of a cross-section cut along the cutting lines of Figure 9.

[0016] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing an example of an axial relationship of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0017] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing an example of the relationship between rotation axes and surrounding structures according to one embodiment.

[0018] FIG. 13 is a drawing showing a first modified example of a hinge housing and housings of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 14 is a drawing showing an example of a cross-section cut along the A1-A1` cutting line of Figure 13.

[0020] FIG. 15 is a drawing showing a second modified example of a hinge housing and housings of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 16 is a drawing showing an example of a cross-section cut along the A2-A2` cutting line of Figure 15.

[0022] FIG. 17 is a drawing showing a third modified example of a hinge housing and housings of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 18 is a drawing showing another example of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0024] FIG. 19 is a drawing showing another example of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 20 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments.

[0026] Hereinafter, various embodiments of this document are described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0027] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present document propose a structure in which a protruding structure (or a support area, a support portion, a protrusion, a support rib, a mounting portion) is provided on at least a portion of a housing (or a case, a frame, a bracket) and a hinge housing, so that the housing and the hinge housing can maintain a gap therebetween when an external impact is applied. These various embodiments of the present document can improve (or prevent) damage to an internal structure caused by the hinge housing by preventing the hinge housing from entering the inside of the housing beyond a designated position by the support area provided on one side of the housing when an external impact is applied to the hinge housing. As an example, when a foldable electronic device supports an electronic pen, the foldable electronic device according to one embodiment can prevent a collision between a digitizer component disposed adjacent to a display and the hinge housing when an external impact occurs, and can also prevent deformation of the display or the digitizer. In this way, the embodiments of the present disclosure present a hinge structure and a surrounding structure that prevent damage to the internal structure even in an environment where impact is applied to a foldable electronic device or enable the internal structure to react more robustly to impact.

[0028] Other intended purposes according to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be mentioned as needed in the process of explaining each embodiment.

[0029] In addition, various purposes and effects provided by foldable electronic devices including hinge structures according to various embodiments may be mentioned according to embodiments of the detailed description.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing an example of the appearance of a folded state of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0031] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a foldable electronic device (100) (or electronic device, portable electronic device, portable communication device, foldable electronic device, portable device) according to one embodiment may include a first housing (110), a second housing (120), a hinge housing (150), wing plates (131, 132) (or plates), a display (160), and at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c). In the foldable electronic device (100), the wing plates (131, 132) may be removed or may be attached to or integrated with another structure (e.g., the display (160)). Additionally or alternatively, the foldable electronic device (100) may further include an auxiliary display (160a) and a camera (cam), and may further include structures related to user functions of the foldable electronic device (100), such as a speaker hole or connector hole, arranged on one side of the housing.

[0032] According to one embodiment, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state, at least a portion of the folding area of ​​the display (160) forms a teardrop shape (or a teardrop shape or dumbbell shape that is convex in the rearward direction when viewed from the front to the rearward direction of the display (160) (e.g., when viewed from the z-axis to the -z-axis direction), a rearward convex shape), thereby securing a folding R (curvature) that prevents cracks or buckling from occurring in the folding area of ​​the display (160). In addition, the foldable electronic device (100) can arrange the folding area of ​​the dumbbell-shaped display (160) within a predetermined space of the housings (110, 120), so that when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state, the arrangement gap between the housings (110, 120) can be maintained to be equal to or less than a reference value or in an 11-shape. The foldable electronic device (100) having the above-described structure can prevent or reduce damage to the internal structure of the foldable electronic device (100) by providing at least one support structure in at least some of the housings (110, 120) and the hinge housing (150), thereby preventing the hinge housing (150) from moving inward of the housings (110, 120) while an external impact is applied to the foldable electronic device (100).

[0033] According to one embodiment, the first housing (110) may be connected to the second housing (120) using at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c). The first housing (110) may include a first bottom area (110_bot) on which the display (160) is mounted, and side walls (e.g., 110a, 110b, 110c) or a separately provided frame that are arranged at an edge of the first bottom area (110_bot) and surround the frame of the display (160) or the edge of the area on which the display (160) is mounted. For example, the first housing (110) may include a first side wall (110a) arranged in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first side portion (110d) at both edges of the first side portion (110d) facing the second housing (120), a second side wall (110b) extending from one end of the first side wall (110a) and arranged parallel to the first side portion (110d), and a third side wall (110c) arranged parallel to the first side wall (110a) at one end of the second side wall (110b). The first to third side walls (110a, 110b, 110c) may be formed to protrude upward (e.g., in the z-axis direction) from the bottom surface of the first bottom region (110_bot) by a pre-designed height. At least a portion of the first side portion (110d) may have a concave shape and a certain curvature downward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from the bottom surface of the first bottom region (110_bot) so that at least a portion of the hinge housing (150) may be placed. Additionally, a rear cover may be arranged on the back surface of the first housing (110). The rear cover may be omitted here. At least a portion of the first housing (110) may be adhered to the first region (161) of the display (160). Alternatively, a portion of an edge of the front surface of the first housing (110) may be adhered to at least a portion of an edge of the first region (161) of the display (160).In this regard, an adhesive layer may be placed between the front surface of the first housing (110) and the first area (161) of the display (160).

[0034] According to one embodiment, the first housing (110) may be provided with at least a portion of the inside being hollow (or empty). At least one of at least one circuit board, at least one battery, and at least a portion of at least one camera module may be disposed inside the first housing (110). The circuit board and the battery disposed inside the first housing (110) may be electrically connected to at least one circuit board and at least one battery disposed inside the second housing (120) via a flexible substrate (not shown). For example, the flexible substrate (not shown) may extend from a portion of the first housing (110) across the hinge housing (150) to a portion of the second housing (120). A portion of the flexible substrate (not shown) may be located inside the hinge housing (150). For example, a processor and a memory may be disposed on the circuit board disposed in the first housing (110).

[0035] According to one embodiment, the first housing (110) may be formed of at least a portion of a metal material, or at least a portion of a non-metal material. The first housing (110) may be formed of a material having a certain amount of rigidity so as to support at least a portion of the display (160). In one embodiment, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state, at least a portion of the first side (110d) of the first housing (110) facing the second housing (120) may include a recessed portion in which at least a portion is recessed so that the hinge housing (150) can be placed.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the first housing (110) is connected to at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) and can perform a clockwise or counterclockwise rotational movement from any point between the -x-axis and the x-axis to any point between the z-axis and the -z-axis by an external pressure applied from the outside. When the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state, the first housing (110) can be arranged parallel to the z-axis or can be arranged parallel to the second housing (120). While the first housing (110) is arranged parallel to the second housing (120) (or when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state), at least a portion of the three side walls (110a, 110b, 110c) (or the border, or the edge) of the first housing (110) (e.g., the border excluding the border (e.g., the first side (110d)) that is adjacent to the second housing (120) when the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state) may be arranged to contact, face, or be adjacent to the three side walls (120a, 120b, 120c) of the second housing (120) (or the border excluding the second side (120d) that is adjacent to the first side (110d) of the first housing (110) when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state).

[0037] According to one embodiment, the first housing (110) may have a support structure formed on at least one portion of the first side wall (110a) and the third side wall (110c) to prevent the hinge housing (150) from protruding inwardly from the housing when an external impact is applied. For example, the support structure may be formed on at least one portion of the first area (110ad) where the first side wall (110a) and the first side portion (110d) meet, or the second area (110cd) where the third side wall (110c) and the first side portion (110d) meet.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the second housing (120) may be connected (or fastened, coupled) to the first housing (110) via at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c). The second housing (120) may include a front surface (or a second bottom surface (120_bot)) on which at least a portion of the display (160) (e.g., the second area (162)) is mounted, and a frame surrounding a border of at least a portion of the front surface or the second area (162) of the display (160). At least a portion of the second housing (120) may be adhered to the second area (162) of the display (160). Alternatively, a portion of an edge of the front surface of the second housing (120) may be adhered to an edge of the second area (162) of the display (160). In this regard, an adhesive layer may be placed between the front surface of the second housing (120) and the second area (162) of the display (160).

[0039] According to one embodiment, the second housing (120) may have a hollow formed in at least a portion of the inside, similar to the first housing (110). At least one circuit board and at least one battery may be disposed inside the second housing (120). Alternatively, the at least one battery may be disposed in either the first housing (110) or the second housing (120), or in both. At least one of the printed circuit board or the battery disposed inside the second housing (120) may be electrically connected to a component (e.g., at least one of the printed circuit board or the battery) disposed inside the first housing (110) via a flexible substrate.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the second housing (120) may be formed of at least a portion of a metal material, similar to the first housing (110), or may be formed of at least a non-metal material. The second housing (120) may be formed of a material having a certain amount of rigidity so as to support at least a portion of the display (160). The side wall structure of the second housing (120) may be formed to correspond to the side wall structure of the first housing (110). In one embodiment, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state, the second housing (120) may include a second side portion (120d) facing the first housing (110) (or a portion adjacent to the first housing (110), and fourth to sixth side walls (120a, 120b, 120c) surrounding the second side portion (120d). The second side (120d) may include a recessed portion (e.g., a recessed portion) at least partially recessed so that the hinge housing (150) can be placed. The recessed portion of the second housing (120) may be placed adjacent to the recessed portion of the first housing (110). A rear cover may be placed on the rear of the second housing (120). Here, the rear cover may be omitted. When the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state, the fourth side wall (120a) may be placed in a shape similar to that of being connected to the first side wall (110a) with a predetermined gap therebetween, and the sixth side wall (120c) may be placed in a shape similar to that of being connected to the third side wall (110c) with a predetermined gap therebetween. The fifth side wall (120b) may be arranged to face the second side wall (110b) with respect to the second side (120d) or the first side (110d), or may be arranged parallel to the y-axis direction at a position spaced apart by the width of the first side wall (110a) and the fourth side wall (120a), depending on the observation direction (e.g., when looking at the y-axis from the -y-axis).

[0041] According to one embodiment, the second housing (120) may include at least one support structure to prevent the hinge housing (150) from entering the inside of the housing when an external impact is applied. Similar to the first housing (110), the support structure may be arranged at least in one of the third section (120ad) where the fourth side wall (120a) meets the second side (120d) (or a portion of the fourth side wall (120a) adjacent to the first section (110ad)) or the fourth section (120cd) where the sixth side wall (120c) meets the second side (120d) (or a portion of the sixth side wall (120c) adjacent to the second section (110cd)). As an example, at least one support structure formed in the second housing (120) may be arranged in pairs with at least one support structure formed in the first housing (110).

[0042] According to one embodiment, the hinge housing (150) may be at least partially disposed in recessed portions formed in portions (e.g., first side portions (110d) and second side portions (120d)) where the first housing (110) and the second housing (120) face each other or are adjacent to each other when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state. The hinge housing (150) may be provided in a form that extends longer in the y-axis direction than in the x-axis direction as a whole. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and depending on the type of the foldable electronic device (100), the x-axis direction may be longer than the y-axis direction, or the lengths of the x-axis and y-axis directions may be the same or similar within a certain range. According to one embodiment, the hinge housing (150) may include a hinge housing body (150_b) formed to be elongated in the y-axis direction, and hinge housing side walls (150_wr, 150_wl) (or hinge side walls, or side walls) arranged at both edges of the hinge housing body (150_b).

[0043] According to one embodiment, the z-axis cross-section of the hinge housing body (150_b) may include a flat area formed flatly and exposed to the outside through the first housing (110) and the second housing (120) when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state, and curved areas extending with a curvature in the z-axis direction from both edges of the flat area. The curved areas may be arranged in a wing shape at both edges of the flat area. For example, the z-axis cross-section of the hinge housing body (150_b) may have a semi-circular or semi-elliptical shape in which at least a portion of the bottom portion is formed flat. The inner side of the hinge housing body (150_b) includes an empty space, and at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) and at least a part of the FPCB can be arranged in the inner empty space of the hinge housing body (150_b). The first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) (or the right hinge housing side wall) can be arranged to close (block) a first side edge (e.g., a -y-axis edge) based on the center of the hinge housing body (150_b). For example, the first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) can include a shape corresponding to a shape of a z-axis cross-section of the hinge housing body (150_b). The second hinge housing side wall (150_wl) (or right hinge housing side wall) has a shape similar to or identical to the first hinge housing side wall (150_wr), and may be formed at a position (e.g., as a second side edge, a y-axis edge) symmetrical to the first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) with respect to the center of the hinge housing body (150_b). The hinge housing (150) described above can suppress protrusion (or deformation protrusion) in the z-axis direction of the support structure of the housings (110, 120) when the foldable electronic device (100) collides with the ground due to being dropped.Accordingly, collision between the hinge housing (150) and the internal structure of the foldable electronic device (100) can be prevented (or improved).

[0044] According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the display (160) may have flexibility. For example, the display (160) may include a first region (161) at least a portion of which is disposed on the first housing (110), a second region (162) at least a portion of which is disposed on the second housing (120), and a third region (163) (or folding region, or folding region) positioned between the first region (161) and the second region (162). As an example, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded or unfolded state, at least a portion of the first region (161) and the second region (162) may be disposed in a flat state, and at least a portion of the third region (163) may be in a curved state when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state. For example, the first region (161) and the second region (162) can remain flat regardless of the state of the foldable electronic device (100) (the arrangement position of the flat surface is changed), and the third region (163) can be transformed into a curved state or a flat state corresponding to the state of the foldable electronic device (100). For example, the third region (163) can have a flat state (or a flat state) when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state, and at least a portion of the third region (163) can have a curved state (or a curved state) when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the display (160) may include various layers. For example, the display (160) may include an outer protective layer (or a glass layer, or a polymer layer) having a certain amount of transparency and a specified size, a display panel layer disposed under the outer protective layer to display a screen, and at least one first back layer disposed under the display panel layer. The first back layer (or back panel, back portion) may include at least one layer (or a layer excluding at least one of the above-described layers) of a shock absorption layer (or an embossing layer), a heat dissipation layer (or a metal sheet layer, a metal layer, a conductive sheet). Additionally or alternatively, the first back layer may further include an electromagnetic induction panel (e.g., a digitizer). The display (160) may further include a second back layer disposed under the first back layer. The second back layer (or back panel, back portion) may include at least one metal layer (or metal sheet) at least partially formed of a metal material. At least a portion of the second backing layer may include a designated pattern (e.g., a lattice pattern, a slit pattern) so as to be bendable. Alternatively, at least a portion of the second backing layer may be formed of another bendable material (e.g., a polymer material, rubber, leather material). At least one of the first backing layer and the second backing layer may be omitted.

[0046] At least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) may be arranged in the hinge housing (150), and at least some of the plurality of hinge structures (200a, 200b, 200c) may have similar structures and shapes to each other, and may have different structures and shapes from the remaining hinge structures. Alternatively, all three hinge structures (200a, 200b, 200c) may have the same or similar structures, and may be arranged in different directions. Meanwhile, in the illustrated drawing, a form in which three hinge structures (200a, 200b, 200c) are arranged is exemplified, and the foldable electronic device (100) may have two hinge structures or four or more hinge structures arranged.

[0047] The wing plates (131, 132) are placed on at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) or are combined with at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) so as to cover a surface in the z-axis direction of at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state. The wing plates (131, 132) may be provided in a form separate from the housings (110, 120). Accordingly, a gap may be formed between the wing plates (131, 132) and the housings (110, 120). The wing plates (131, 132) may be arranged to correspond to at least a portion of the lower surface (e.g., the surface in the -z-axis direction) of the third region (163) of the display (160). The wing plates (131, 132) rotate clockwise or counterclockwise according to the hinge operation of at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c). For example, while the first wing plate (131) rotates counterclockwise, the second wing plate (132) may rotate clockwise, and while the first wing plate (131) rotates clockwise, the second wing plate (132) may rotate counterclockwise. The first wing plate (131) can support a flat first surface of a third region (163) of a display (160) that folds into a dumbbell shape, and the second wing plate (132) can support a flat second surface (a surface symmetrical to the first surface with respect to the z-axis) of a third region (163) of a display (160) that folds into a dumbbell shape.

[0048] The above-described foldable electronic device (100) may include a support structure (e.g., a protruding structure) formed in a certain area (e.g., at least one of the first zone (110ad), the second zone (110cd), the third zone (120ad), and the fourth zone (120cd)) of the first housing (110) and the second housing (120) when viewed in the z-axis direction in a folded state, and formed so as to overlap at least a portion with the side walls of the hinge housing (150). Based on this, the foldable electronic device (100) according to one embodiment can prevent or reduce damage to the display (160) or other various internal structures arranged inside the foldable electronic device (100) by preventing the hinge housing (150) from entering the inside of the housings (110, 120).

[0049] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an example of the shape of a hinge housing and housings of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an example of a cross-section taken along the AA` line of FIG. 3.

[0050] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a foldable electronic device (100) according to an embodiment may include, for example, at least a first housing (110), a second housing (120), and a hinge housing (150). Additionally or alternatively, as described above, the foldable electronic device (100) may include at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) that allows the first housing (110) and the second housing (120) to have a folded or unfolded state while performing a hinge operation, and may include a first protective member (300) (or a protective cap, a support member, a support structure, a side wall structure) and a first dust prevention member (200) (or a dust blocking member, a variable member, an elastic member, a bendable structure)) arranged on one side of the hinge housing (150). The first protective member (300) and the first dust prevention unit (200) may be arranged so as not to be exposed to the outside when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state, as they are covered by the hinge housing (150) and the housings (110, 120). When the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state, at least a portion of the first protective member (300) and the first dust prevention unit (200) may be arranged so as to be exposed to the outside.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the first housing (110) and the second housing (120) may be arranged parallel in the z-axis direction, as illustrated, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state. When the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state, the hinge housing (150) may have at least a portion exposed to the outside in the -z-axis direction, as illustrated. According to one embodiment, when observed in the y-axis direction (e.g., a first direction looking at the hinge housing (150)) from the -y-axis, one side of the first side wall (110a) of the first housing (110) may overlap one side of the hinge housing (150), and one side of the fourth side wall (120a) of the second housing (120) may overlap the other side of the hinge housing (150).

[0052] According to one embodiment, a first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) may be formed at one end of the hinge housing (150). The first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) may include, for example, two sub-side walls (150_w1, 150_w2) spaced apart from a predetermined distance upward (e.g., in the z-axis direction) from the bottom surface of the hinge housing body (150_b). Alternatively, the first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) may include a first member receiving portion (150_r) (or first groove, or first receiving portion) having a predetermined depth in the -z-axis direction from the z-axis so that at least a portion of the first protective member (300) can be inserted. The first member receiving portion (150_r) may be defined, for example, as a space between two sub-side walls (150_w1, 150_w2) spaced apart from the bottom surface of the hinge housing body (150_b) upwardly (e.g., in the z-axis direction) by a certain distance. At least a part of the first protective member (300) may be inserted into the first member receiving portion (150_r). As an example, a lower region of the first protective member (300) may be inserted and fixed into the first member receiving portion (150_r).

[0053] According to one embodiment, a second hinge housing side wall (150_wl) having the same or similar structure as the first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) described above may be formed at the other end of the hinge housing (150). The second hinge housing side wall (150_wl) may include a second member receiving portion (or a member receiving portion identical to or similar to the first member receiving portion (150_r), or a second groove) having a certain depth in the -z-axis direction from the z-axis so that at least a portion of a second protective member corresponding to the first protective member (300) can be inserted. The second member receiving portion may be defined as a space between two sub-side walls (e.g., sub-side walls corresponding to the two sub-side walls (150_w1, 150_w2)) spaced apart from the bottom surface of the hinge housing body (150_b) upwardly (e.g., in the z-axis direction) by a certain distance. The first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) and the second hinge housing side wall (150_wl) may be formed of the same material as the hinge housing (150).

[0054] According to one embodiment, the first housing (110) may include a first protrusion (110_p) (or a first protrusion structure, a first mounting portion), and the second housing (120) may include a second protrusion (120_p) (or a second protrusion structure, a second mounting portion). The first protrusion (110_p) may be formed to protrude, for example, from the inside of the first side wall (110a) of the first housing (110) toward the third side wall (110c). The first housing (110) may rotate around a first rotation axis (110_ax) (or a first virtual axis) corresponding to the center of the first protrusion (110_p). The second housing (120) may rotate around a second rotation axis (120_ax) corresponding to the center of the second protrusion (120_p). The first protrusion (110_p) and the second protrusion (120_p) may be formed at positions spaced apart from each other by a pre-designed constant interval. According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the first protrusion (110_p) may be placed in the first groove of the first protective member (300) arranged in the hinge housing (150). The first protrusion (110_p) may be formed of the same material as the first housing (110) (e.g., a metal material). Alternatively, the first protrusion (110_p) may be formed of a different material from the first housing (110) (e.g., a non-metallic material having a strength greater than a pre-designed constant size). As the first protrusion (110_p) is formed to protrude in the y-axis direction from the inner surface of the first side wall (110a), when viewed from the z-axis direction to the -z-axis direction, at least a portion of the first protrusion (110_p) and at least a portion of the first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) of the hinge housing (150) can be arranged to overlap.

[0055] According to one embodiment, the second protrusion (120_p) may be formed to protrude, for example, from the inner side of the fourth side wall (120a) of the second housing (120) toward the sixth side wall (120c). The second protrusion (120_p) may protrude from the outer side surface (120_out) of the second housing (120) toward the inner side surface (120_in) and may be formed to protrude further toward the first protective member (300) than the periphery of the inner side surface (120_in) of the second housing (120). At least one of the shape, the size, and the material of the second protrusion (120_p) may be formed to be the same as at least one of the shape, the size, and the material of the first protrusion (110_p) described above. As an example, the second protrusion (120_p) may be arranged so as to overlap at least a portion of the second hinge housing side wall (150_wl) (or at least a portion of the hinge housing (150), or at least a portion of the upper portion forming the opening of the hinge housing (150)) when viewed in the -z-axis direction (e.g., the direction in which the foldable electronic device (100) is viewed when the display (160) is in an unfolded state) in the z-axis direction. According to one embodiment, the second protrusion (120_p) may be at least a portion of the second groove of the first protective member (300). The second protrusion (120_p) may be formed of the same material as the second housing (120) or the first protrusion (110_p).

[0056] According to one embodiment, the first protective member (300) may be formed to protrude higher in the z-axis direction than the upper end of the hinge housing (150) from one edge of the hinge housing (150), thereby blocking the inside of the foldable electronic device (100) from being observed from the outside. Alternatively, the first protective member (300) may be disposed at one edge of the hinge housing (150) to prevent or reduce the inflow of foreign substances from the outside into the inside of the foldable electronic device (100). The first protective member (300) may have a plate shape in which the thickness of the y-axis is smaller than the length of the z-axis or the x-axis. At least a portion of the outer surface of the first protective member (300) in the -y-axis direction may be positioned on the same plane as the outer surface of the hinge housing (150) in the -y-axis direction. Alternatively, the first protective member (300) may be positioned so as not to protrude further in the -y-axis direction than the outermost surface (e.g., one surface when viewed in the direction looking in the y-axis direction from the -y-axis) of the first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) of the hinge housing (150). The first protective member (300) may be formed of a metal material similar to that of the hinge housing (150). Alternatively, the first protective member (300) may be formed of at least one material among a plastic material or a polymer material different from that of the hinge housing (150). The first protective member (300) may include a first groove in which at least a portion of the first protrusion (110_p) of the first housing (110) is received (or inserted) and a second groove in which at least a portion of the second protrusion (120_p) of the second housing (120) is received (or inserted).

[0057] According to one embodiment, the hinge housing (150) of the foldable electronic device (100) may further include a second protective member arranged on a second hinge housing side wall (150_wl), and the second protective member may be formed to have at least one of the shape, size, and material of the first protective member (300) that is identical or similar.

[0058] As described above, in the foldable electronic device (100) according to one embodiment, the first protrusion (110_p) of the first housing (110) and the second protrusion (120_p) of the second housing (120) are arranged to overlap the first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) in the z-axis direction, so that even if external pressure is applied in the direction of the first hinge housing side wall (150_wr), the hinge housing (150) can maintain its initial state without entering into the first housing (110) and the second housing (120). Similarly, according to one embodiment, the foldable electronic device (100) is arranged so that the third protrusion (a protrusion having the same or similar structure as the first protrusion (110_p) and formed on the third side wall (110c)) of the first housing (110) and the fourth protrusion (a protrusion having the same or similar structure as the second protrusion (120_p) and formed on the sixth side wall (120c)) of the second housing (120) overlap the second hinge housing side wall (150_wl) in the z-axis direction, so that even if external pressure is applied in the direction of the second hinge housing side wall (150_wl), the hinge housing (150) can maintain its initial state without entering into the first housing (110) and the second housing (120).

[0059] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing an example of a hinge housing and a folded state of the housings of an electronic device according to one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a drawing showing an example of a hinge housing and an unfolded state of the housings of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0060] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a foldable electronic device (100) according to one embodiment may include a first housing (110), a second housing (120), a first protective member (300), and a first dust prevention member (200).

[0061] According to one embodiment, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state (or closed state) (500_c), the first housing (110) and the second housing (120) may be arranged in a parallel manner in an 11 shape facing the z-axis direction. Since the first protective member (300) is fixed to one edge of the hinge housing (150) (e.g., the edge where the first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) is formed), the foldable electronic device (100) may maintain its initial state without a state change while performing a folding or unfolding operation.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the first protective member (300) may include a plate-shaped protective body (cap_b), at least a portion of which may be inserted and fixed into the hinge housing (150), and the remaining portion may be formed to protrude a certain height toward the upper side (e.g., in the z-axis direction) of the hinge housing (150). Correspondingly, the z-axis height of the protective body (cap_b) of the first protective member (300) may be formed to be higher than the upper end of the hinge housing (150). A first groove (cap_r1) in which at least a portion of a first protrusion (110_p) formed on a first housing (110) is placed (or inserted into) and a second groove (cap_r2) in which at least a portion of a second protrusion (120_p) formed on a second housing (120) is placed (or inserted into) may be formed on one side of a protection body (cap_b) of a first protection member (300). The first protection member (300) may be formed by metal injection molding (MIM). As an example, at least a portion of the first protection member (300) may be formed of an F75 composite material metal for MIM.

[0063] According to various embodiments, the second protective member disposed on the second hinge housing side wall (150_wl) of the hinge housing (150) may have the same or similar structure and size as the first protective member (300).

[0064] According to one embodiment, the first dust prevention unit (200) may be arranged adjacent to the first protection member (300). The first dust prevention unit (200) may include, for example, a prevention unit center region (200_cen), a first wing (200_w1), and a second wing (200_w2). The prevention unit center region (200_cen) may be arranged adjacent to the first protection member (300) while being inserted into an area between the first housing (110) and the second housing (120). According to one embodiment, the height and shape of the prevention unit center region (200_cen) in the z-axis direction may be formed to be the same as or similar to the height and shape of the first protection member (300) in the z-axis direction. The first wing (200_w1) of the first dust prevention unit (200) may be arranged on one side of the first housing (110) (e.g., within at least a portion of the space inside the first side wall (110a)), and the second wing (200_w2) may be arranged on one side of the second housing (120) (e.g., within at least a portion of the space inside the fourth side wall (120a)). Accordingly, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state (500_c), at least a portion of the first wing (200_w1) and the second wing (200_w2) may be arranged to correspond to the arrangement states of the first housing (110) and the second housing (120). Alternatively, the first wing (200_w1) and the second wing (200_w2) may be arranged to face (or oppose) each other. The first dust prevention member (200) may be formed of, for example, rubber, plastic, polymer, or a mixture thereof. As an example, at least a portion of the first dust prevention member (200) may include a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) material.

[0065] According to various embodiments, a second dust prevention unit identical or similar to the first dust prevention unit (200) may be arranged on the second hinge housing side wall (150_wl) of the hinge housing (150). The second dust prevention unit may have at least one of the same or similar size, shape, material, and position as the first dust prevention unit (200).

[0066] According to one embodiment, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state (or an open state) (500_o), the first protective member (300) can be maintained in a state fixed to the hinge housing (150). In this state, at least a part of the first protrusion (110_p) of the first housing (110) can be placed or inserted into the first groove (cap_r1) of the first protective member (300), and at least a part of the second protrusion (120_p) of the second housing (120) can be placed or inserted into the second groove (cap_r2) of the first protective member (300).

[0067] According to one embodiment, the first wing (200_w1), at least a portion of which is inserted into the first side wall (110a) of the first housing (110), and the second wing (200_w2), at least a portion of which is inserted into the fourth side wall (120a) of the second housing (120), may be arranged to face the same direction in response to the unfolded state (500_o) of the foldable electronic device (100). According to one example, the upper surface of the first wing (200_w1) and the upper surface of the second wing (200_w2) may both be arranged to face upward (e.g., the direction in which the display (160) is observed). At least a portion of the first wing (200_w1) and the second wing (200_w2) may not be observed from the outside as they are arranged on the inner side of the first side wall (110a) and the inner side of the fourth side wall (120a), and at least a portion of the center region of the prevention section (200_cen) may be observed from the outside when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state (500_o) and may not be observed from the outside when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state (500_c).

[0068] FIG. 7 is a drawing showing an example of a portion of a first housing and a second housing in a folded state according to one embodiment. FIG. 8 is a drawing showing an example of a portion of a first housing and a second housing in an unfolded state according to one embodiment.

[0069] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 8, a foldable electronic device (100) according to one embodiment may include at least a first housing (110) and a second housing (120).

[0070] According to one embodiment, the first housing (110) may include, for example, a first bottom area (110_bot), a first housing side wall (110_swl) (or at least one of the first side wall (110a) and the third side wall (110c)), a first housing inner curve area (110_crv), a first housing inner space (110_spa), a first cutting area (110_tcut) and a first protrusion (110_p). As an example, the first housing side wall (110_swl) may be at least a part of the third side wall (110c) (or the first side wall (110a)) described above in FIG. 2. At least one of the first housing inner curve area (110_crv), the first housing inner space (110_spa), the first cutting area (110_tcut) and the first protrusion (110_p) may be formed on each or at least one of the first side wall (110a) or the third side wall (110c).

[0071] According to one embodiment, the first bottom area (110_bot) may include an outer surface on which a rear cover (or an auxiliary display (160a)) is placed and an inner surface on which internal components of the foldable electronic device (100) are placed. The outer surface height of the first bottom area (110_bot) may be formed lower than the periphery (e.g., the upper ends of the first to third side walls (110a, 110b, 110c)). The height difference between the outer surface of the first bottom area (110_bot) and the periphery may correspond to the thickness of the rear cover. The inner surface of the first bottom area (110_bot) may include various shapes so that various internal structures or internal components related to the operation of the foldable electronic device (100) may be placed. As an example, at least a portion of the inner surface of the first bottom area (110_bot) may be formed of a metal material, and the remaining at least a portion may be formed of an injection-molded material.

[0072] According to one embodiment, the first housing side wall (110_swl) may extend in a direction perpendicular to a predetermined point of the first bottom area (110_bot) (or in a direction having an angle greater than 0). The first housing side wall (110_swl) may be, for example, at least one of the first side wall (110a) or the third side wall (110c). The first housing side wall (110_swl) may be formed to surround one edge of the display (160).

[0073] According to one embodiment, the first housing inner curve region (110_crv) is positioned in an area close to the first side (110d) or the second area (110cd) (or the first area (110ad)) of the first bottom area (110_bot), and may have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of at least a portion of the outer surface of the hinge housing (150). The first housing inner curve region (110_crv) may be arranged to surround a portion of the hinge housing (150) (e.g., one side (e.g., the left rear side) based on the center line in the direction of the housing side wall of the hinge housing (150) when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state. When the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state, the first housing inner curve region (110_crv) may be spaced apart from one side of the rear side of the hinge housing (150) (e.g., arranged perpendicular to the rear side of the hinge housing (150).

[0074] According to one embodiment, the first housing inner space (110_spa) may be formed by at least a first housing inner curved region (110_crv). A portion of the hinge housing (150) (e.g., a left portion based on the center line of the hinge housing (150)) may be mounted in the first housing inner space (110_spa). According to one embodiment, a portion of a hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) at least a portion of which is mounted in the hinge housing (150) may be disposed in the first housing inner space (110_spa).

[0075] According to one embodiment, the first cutting area (110_tcut) may include at least a portion of the first housing side wall (110_swl) excluding the first protrusion (110_p). In the process of forming the first protrusion (110_p), a cutting process may be applied to the first housing side wall (110_swl) made of a metal material to form a protrusion area having a length longer than the first protrusion (110_p) (e.g., a length including the first cutting area (110_tcut) and the first protrusion (110_p)). Additionally, when the size and shape of the first protrusion (110_p) are determined to correspond to the groove size of the first protective member (300), the first cutting area (110_tcut) may be formed by a cutting process (e.g., a CNC (computerized numerical control) T-cut process), and the first protrusion (110_p) may be formed.

[0076] According to one embodiment, the first protrusion (110_p) may be formed to protrude further from the inner surface of the first housing side wall (110_swl) than the periphery. This first protrusion (110_p) is formed in the inner space (110_spa) of the first housing and may be coupled to the first groove (cap_r1) of the first protective member (300) arranged in the hinge housing (150). According to one embodiment, the first protrusion (110_p) includes a central region and a peripheral region, and the central region is formed to be at least partially flat, and the peripheral region may have a certain curvature toward the center in the z-axis direction or toward the center in the -z-axis direction. The central region may have a polygonal (e.g., square) shape or a circular (or oval) shape.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the second housing (120) may have a structure that is the same as or similar to the first housing (110) within a certain range. For example, the second housing (120) may include a second bottom area (120_bot), a second housing side wall (120_swl) (or at least one of the fourth side wall (120a) and the sixth side wall (120c)), a second housing inner curve area (120_crv), a second housing inner space (120_spa), a second cutting area (120_tcut), and a second protrusion (120_p). As an example, the second housing side wall (120_swl) may be at least a part of the sixth side wall (120c) (or the fourth side wall (120a)) described above in FIG. 2. At least one of the second housing inner curve area (120_crv), the second housing inner space (120_spa), the second cutting area (120_tcut) and the second protrusion (120_p) may be formed on at least one of the fourth side wall (120a) and the sixth side wall (120c).

[0078] According to one embodiment, the second bottom area (120_bot) may include an outer surface on which a rear cover (or auxiliary display (160a)) is placed and an inner surface on which internal components of the foldable electronic device (100) are placed, which are the same as or similar to the first bottom area (110_bot). As an example, if the structure placed on the first housing (110) is different, the shape of the second bottom area (120_bot) may be different from the shape of the first bottom area (110_bot).

[0079] According to one embodiment, the second housing side wall (120_swl) may be, for example, at least one of the fourth side wall (120a) or the sixth side wall (120c). The second housing side wall (120_swl) may be formed to surround the other edge of the display (160). This second housing side wall (120_swl) may have the same or similar structure, size, and material as the first housing side wall (110_swl).

[0080] According to one embodiment, the second housing inner curve area (120_crv) may correspond to the first housing inner curve area (110_crv), the second housing inner space (120_spa) may correspond to the first housing inner space (110_spa), and the second cutting area (120_tcut) may correspond to the first cutting area.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the second protrusion (120_p) may be formed to protrude further than the periphery from the inner surface of the second housing side wall (120_swl), similar to the first protrusion (110_p). The protrusion height of the second protrusion (120_p) may be the same as the protrusion height of the first protrusion (110_p). The second protrusion (120_p) may be positioned symmetrically with respect to the folding axis along which the display (160) is folded.

[0082] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a partial configuration of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state according to one embodiment. FIG. 10 is a drawing showing an example of a cross-section cut along the cutting lines of FIG. 9.

[0083] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 10, a foldable electronic device (100) according to an embodiment may include at least a hinge housing (150). Additionally or alternatively, the foldable electronic device (100) may include a first protective member (300) and a first dust prevention unit (200). In addition, as described above, the foldable electronic device (100) may further include a second protective member corresponding to the first protective member (300) and a second dust prevention unit corresponding to the first dust prevention unit (200).

[0084] According to one embodiment, the hinge housing (150) includes a hinge housing body (150_b), which may include a flat hinge bottom region (150bc), a first curved portion (150_bl) (or left curved portion) extending to one side (e.g., left) of the hinge bottom region (150bc), and a second curved portion (150_br) (or right curved portion) extending to the other side (e.g., right) of the hinge bottom region (150bc). Additionally or alternatively, the hinge housing (150) may further include hinge housing side walls (150_wr, 150_wl) arranged on both edges in the longitudinal direction (or in the folding axis direction along which the display (160) is folded) of the hinge housing body (150_b), as described above with reference to FIG. 4. The drawing currently shown shows a position where the first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) (or the right housing side wall) is observed. As described above, the first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) includes a first member receiving portion (150_r) into which at least a portion of the first protective member (300) can be inserted, and a lower portion of the first protective member (300) can be inserted into the first member receiving portion (150_r).

[0085] According to one embodiment, the first protective member (300) is provided in a plate shape and may include a first groove (cap_r1) in which at least a portion of the first protrusion (110_p) of the first housing (110) is received (or inserted) and a second groove (cap_r2) in which at least a portion of the second protrusion (120_p) of the second housing (120) is received (or inserted). The first protective member (300) may be arranged adjacent to the first dust prevention unit (200). At least a portion of the upper portion of the first protective member (300) may be exposed to the outside when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state, and at least a portion may be covered by the first housing (110) and the second housing (120) depending on the folded state of the foldable electronic device (100).

[0086] According to one embodiment, the first dust prevention unit (200) may have a state in which the first wing (200_w1) and the second wing (200_w2) are horizontally spread out to the left and right based on the center region (200_cen) of the prevention unit when the foldable electronic device (100) is in the unfolded state (900_o). As described above, the first wing (200_w1) may be arranged on one side of the first side wall (110a) (e.g., between the first side wall (110a) and the deco arranged on the upper part of the first side wall (110a), or, when the z-axis cross-section of the first side wall (110a) is provided in an inverted L shape, below the upper end of the first side wall (110a). The first wing (200_w1) may rotate according to the rotational motion of the first housing (110). The second wing (200_w2) may be disposed on one side of the fourth side wall (120a) (e.g., between the fourth side wall (120a) and the deco disposed on the upper side of the fourth side wall (120a), or, when the z-axis cross-section of the fourth side wall (120a) is formed in an inverted L shape, below the upper end of the fourth side wall (120a). The second wing (200_w2) may rotate according to the rotational motion of the second housing (120). As an example, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state (900_c), the center region of the prevention part (200_cen) may be bent into a water droplet shape, and the first wing (200_w1) and the second wing (200_w2) may be disposed in the z-axis direction.

[0087] According to one embodiment, when looking at a cross-sectional shape (1000a) considering the D1-D1` cutting line for a part of a foldable electronic device (100) illustrated in FIG. 9, the foldable electronic device (100) may have at least a part of a first dust prevention member (200) placed on an upper edge of a display (160), and a first protection member (300) disposed adjacent to the first dust prevention member (200). The first protection member (300) may be seated in a first member receiving portion (150_r) provided in a hinge housing (150). When the foldable electronic device (100) is viewed in a direction in which the display (160) is exposed (e.g., from the -z-axis to the z-axis direction), a part (e.g., an outer surface) of the first protection member (300) may at least partially overlap with the outer surface of the hinge housing (150).

[0088] Looking at a cross-sectional shape (1000b) considering the D2-D2` cutting line for a part of the foldable electronic device (100) illustrated in FIG. 9, the foldable electronic device (100) may have at least a part of the first dust prevention member (200) placed on the upper edge of the display (160), and a first protection member (300) may be arranged adjacent to the first dust prevention member (200). The first protection member (300) may be seated in the first member receiving portion (150_r) provided in the hinge housing (150). At least a part of the second protrusion (120_p) of the second housing (120) may be placed in the second groove (cap_r2) of the first protection member (300). When the foldable electronic device (100) is viewed from the direction in which the display (160) is exposed in the unfolded state (900_o), a portion (e.g., an outer surface) of the first protective member (300), at least a portion of the second protrusion (120_p), and the outer surface of the hinge housing (150) may be arranged in a state in which at least a portion overlaps.

[0089] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing an example of an axial relationship of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0090] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 11, a foldable electronic device (100) according to one embodiment may include a first housing (110), a second housing (120), a hinge housing (150), and at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) mounted on the hinge housing (150).

[0091] According to one embodiment, the hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) may include a first rotation member (200a_rot1) that is involved in the rotation of the first housing (110) and rotates around a first axis (rot1_ax) (virtual first axis), and a second rotation member (200a_rot2) that is involved in the rotation of the second housing (120) and rotates around a second axis (rot2_ax) (virtual second axis) that is different from the first axis (rot1_ax). Additionally or alternatively, the hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) may include a first arm member that rotates in response to the rotation of the first rotation member (200a_rot1) and rotates about a third axis (e.g., a first real axis) different from the first rotation member (200a_rot1), a second arm member that rotates in response to the rotation of the second rotation member (200a_rot2) and rotates about a fourth axis (e.g., a second real axis) different from the second rotation member (200a_rot2), at least one gear that rotates in response to the rotation of the first and second arm members (e.g., a first main gear coupled to the first arm member, a second main gear coupled to the second arm member, and first and second idle gears connecting the first main gear and the second main gear), a cam structure, and a plurality of elastic members. The first rotation member (200a_rot1) and the second rotation member (200a_rot2) may be included, for example, in at least one of the hinge structures (200a, 200b, 200c). The hinge structures (200a, 200b, 200c) may be fixed within the hinge housing (150). The first rotation member (200a_rot1) may be coupled with the first housing (110), and the second rotation member (200a_rot2) may be coupled with the second housing (120).

[0092] According to one embodiment, when the first rotation member (200a_rot1) rotates along the rail of the fixed bracket provided in the hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c), the first rotation member (200a_rot1) can perform a rotational movement based on the first axis (rot1_ax) (or the first virtual axis). As an example, when the foldable electronic device (100) performs a folding operation in an unfolded state, the first rotation member (200a_rot1) can rotate clockwise based on the first axis (rot1_ax), and when performing an unfolding operation in a folded state, the first rotation member (200a_rot1) can rotate counterclockwise based on the first axis (rot1_ax). While the first rotation member (200a_rot1) rotates around the first axis (rot1_ax), the first housing (110) can rotate around the first rotation axis (110_ax) corresponding to the center point of the first protrusion (110_p). Here, the first rotation axis (110_ax) may be located at a different position from the first axis (rot1_ax).

[0093] According to one embodiment, when the second rotation member (200a_rot2) rotates along the rail of the fixed bracket provided in the hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c), the second rotation member (200a_rot2) can perform a rotational movement based on the second axis (rot2_ax) (or the second virtual axis). The second axis (rot2_ax) may be formed at a different position from the first axis (rot1_ax). As an example, when the foldable electronic device (100) performs a folding operation in an unfolded state, the second rotation member (200a_rot2) rotates counterclockwise based on the second axis (rot2_ax), and when performing an unfolding operation in a folded state, the second rotation member (200a_rot2) can rotate clockwise based on the second axis (rot2_ax). While the second rotation member (200a_rot2) rotates around the second axis (rot2_ax), the second housing (120) can rotate around the second rotation axis (120_ax) corresponding to the center point of the second protrusion (120_p). Here, the second rotation axis (120_ax) may be at a different position from the second axis (rot2_ax). In addition, the second rotation axis (120_ax) may be formed at a different position from the first rotation axis (110_ax).

[0094] According to one embodiment, the distance between the first axis (rot1_ax) and the second axis (rot2_ax) may be formed longer than the distance between the first rotation axis (110_ax) and the second rotation axis (120_ax). Alternatively, the distance between the first rotation axis (110_ax) and the second rotation axis (120_ax) may be formed shorter than the distance between the first axis (rot1_ax) and the second axis (rot2_ax). According to one embodiment, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state, the positions of the first axis (rot1_ax) and the second axis (rot2_ax) in the z-axis direction with respect to the rear surfaces of the first housing (110) and the second housing (120) may be formed higher than the positions of the first rotation axis (110_ax) and the second rotation axis (120_ax) in the z-axis direction. Alternatively, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state, the distance between the first axis (rot1_ax) or the second axis (rot2_ax) and the front (or rear) of the display (160) may be formed shorter than the distance between the first rotation axis (110_ax) or the second rotation axis (120_ax) and the front (or rear) of the display (160). Alternatively, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state, the first axis (rot1_ax) or the second axis (rot2_ax) may be arranged closer to the front (or rear) of the display (160) than the first rotation axis (110_ax) or the second rotation axis (120_ax).

[0095] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing an example of the relationship between rotation axes and surrounding structures according to one embodiment.

[0096] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 12, a foldable electronic device (100) according to an embodiment may include at least a first housing (110), a second housing (120), and a hinge housing (150). As described above, the first housing (110) may rotate within a specified angular range with respect to a first rotation axis (110_ax) corresponding to a center point of a first protrusion (110_p) formed on the inside. Similarly, the second housing (120) may rotate within a specified angular range with respect to a second rotation axis (120_ax) corresponding to a center point of a second protrusion (120_p) formed on the inside.

[0097] According to one embodiment, the hinge housing body (150_b) of the hinge housing (150) may include a hinge bottom region (150bc) in which at least a portion is formed flat, a first curved portion (150_bl) extending to one side (e.g., the left side) of the hinge bottom region (150bc), and a second curved portion (150_br) extending to the other side (e.g., the right side) of the hinge bottom region (150bc). The center point of an imaginary circle including the curve of the outer surface of the first curved portion (150_bl) may be the center point of the first protrusion (110_p). The center point of an imaginary circle including the curve of the outer surface of the second curved portion (150_br) may be the center point of the second protrusion (120_p).

[0098] According to one embodiment, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state, the outer surface of the first curved portion (150_bl) may face the inner surface of the first housing inner curved area (110_crv) formed on the inner side of the first housing (110). Similarly, when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state, the outer surface of the second curved portion (150_br) may face the inner surface of the second housing inner curved area (120_crv) formed on the inner side of the second housing (120). The center point of an imaginary circle including the second housing inner curved area (120_crv) may be the center point of the second protrusion (120_p). Additionally, the center point of a virtual circle including the first housing inner curve area (110_crv) may be the center point of the first protrusion (110_p).

[0099] According to one embodiment, a virtual circle including the curvature of the first curved portion (150_bl) as an arc and a virtual circle including the curvature of the first housing inner curved area (110_crv) as an arc may have the same center point (e.g., the center point of the first protrusion (110_p)) when the foldable electronic device (100) is in an unfolded state or a folded state (or when it is placed at a specific angle between 0 degrees and 180 degrees). A virtual circle including the curvature of the second curved portion (150_br) as an arc and a virtual circle including the curvature of the second housing inner curved area (120_crv) as an arc may have the same center point (e.g., the center point of the second protrusion (120_p)).

[0100] According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the curve (or arc region) of the first housing inner curve region (110_crv) when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state and an unfolded state (or when it is placed at a specific angle between 0 degrees and 180 degrees) may be located on a virtual circle with the first protrusion (110_p) as a center point. At least a portion of the curve (or arc region) of the second housing inner curve region (120_crv) when the foldable electronic device (100) is in a folded state and an unfolded state (or when it is placed at a specific angle between 0 degrees and 180 degrees) may be located on a virtual circle with the second protrusion (120_p) as a center point.

[0101] Fig. 13 is a drawing showing a first modified example of a hinge housing and housings of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment. Fig. 14 is a drawing showing an example of a cross-section taken along the A1-A1` cutting line of Fig. 13.

[0102] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 14, a foldable electronic device or a first modified foldable electronic device (101) according to an embodiment may include, for example, at least a first modified housing (110_1), a second modified housing (120_1), and a hinge housing (150). As an example, the first modified foldable electronic device (101) may include at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) that allows the first modified housing (110_1) and the second modified housing (120_1) to have a folded or unfolded state while performing a hinge operation, and may include a first protective member (300) and a first dust prevention member (200) arranged on one side of the hinge housing (150). Here, the hinge housing (150), the first protective member (300), and the first dust prevention unit (200) may be the same or similar in at least one of structure, size, and material compared to the hinge housing (150), the first protective member (300), and the first dust prevention unit (200) described above. For example, the hinge housing (150) may include a hinge housing body (150b) and a first hinge housing side wall (150_wr). The first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) may include sub-side walls (150_w1, 150_w2) and a first member receiving portion (150_r) defined by the sub-side walls (150_w1, 150_w2) spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. At least a part of the first protective member (300) may be mounted in the first member receiving portion (150_r).

[0103] The first modified housing (110_1) and the second modified housing (120_1) may be formed to have at least one of the same or similar structure, size, and material as the housings (110, 120) described above in FIGS. 3 and 4, except for the protruding structures (140_p1, 140_p2). As an example, the first modified housing (110_1) may include the first protruding structure (140_p1), and the second modified housing (120_1) may include the second protruding structure (140_p2). Additionally or alternatively, the first modified housing (110_1) and the second modified housing (120_1) may include housing holes into which the first protruding structure (140_p1) and the second protruding structure (140_p2) may be respectively mounted.

[0104] According to one embodiment, the second deformation housing (120_1) may have a structure in which the second protrusion (120_p) described above in FIGS. 3 and 4 is provided as a separate structure and then coupled to the second deformation housing (120_1). The first deformation housing (110_1) may have the same structure and size as the second deformation housing (120_1).

[0105] According to one embodiment, the second modified housing (120_1) may have a housing hole (120_h) (or a through hole penetrating in the y-axis direction from the -y-axis) formed on the inner side surface (120_in) (or the inner side surface of at least one of the fourth side wall (120a) and the sixth side wall (120c)) of the second housing outer side surface (120_out) (or the outer side surface of at least one of the fourth side wall (120a) and the sixth side wall (120c)). When the first modified foldable electronic device (101) is in a folded state, the housing hole (120_h) may include, for example, a first housing hole (120_h1) and a second housing hole (120_h2). The first housing hole (120_h1) may have a first depth in the direction from the second housing outer surface (120_out) to the second housing inner surface (120_in), and may have a first size in the size of the z-axis cross-section. The second housing hole (120_h2) may be connected at least partially to the first housing hole (120_h1), and may have a second depth in the direction from a portion of the second deformed housing (120_1) (e.g., the y-axis direction of the first housing hole (120_h1)) to the second housing inner surface (120_in), and may have a second size in the size of the z-axis cross-section. The first depth may be greater than or equal to the second depth. The first size may be greater than or equal to the second size. According to one embodiment, the first housing hole (120_h1) and the second housing hole (120_h2) may have the same center. According to one embodiment, the housing hole (120_h) is formed to penetrate from the outer surface (120_out) of the second housing (or the outer surface of the first housing) to the inner surface (120_in) (or the inner surface of the first housing), and may be formed in a multi-stage (or stepped shape, staircase shape). According to one embodiment, the housing hole (120_h) may change the size of the opening as it penetrates from the outer surface (120_out) of the second housing (or the outer surface of the first housing) to the inner surface (120_in) (or the inner surface of the first housing).

[0106] The first modified foldable electronic device (101) may include a second protruding structure (140_p2) that is positioned to protrude further in the y-axis direction than the inner surface (120_in) of the second housing while being seated in the housing hole (120_h). According to one embodiment, the first protruding structure (140_p1) may be the same as the second protruding structure (140_p2) in at least one of structure, size, and material.

[0107] The above second protruding structure (140_p2) is inserted from the second housing outer surface (120_out) toward the second housing inner surface (120_in) through the housing hole (120_h), and may protrude further toward the first protective member (300) than the periphery of the second housing inner surface (120_in). According to one embodiment, the second protruding structure (140_p2) may include a first support structure (141) (or a first part) that is seated in the first housing hole (120_h1), a first protruding portion (142) (or a second part, or an extended portion) that is seated in the second housing hole (120_h2) and penetrates the second housing hole (120_h2) so as to protrude further toward the first protective member (300) (or toward the display (160) or toward the center of the second deformable housing (120_1)) than the periphery of the inner surface (120_in) of the second housing. The first support structure (141) and the first protruding portion (142) may have a continuous structure. The first protruding portion (142) may protrude in a direction parallel to the folding axis along which the display (160) is folded. The second protruding structure (140_p2) may have, for example, a T-shape in which a cross-section in the z-axis direction is rotated 90 degrees to the right. The second protruding structure (140_p2) (or the first protruding structure (140_p1)) may have the same material (e.g., metal or elastic material) as the second deformable housing (120_1) or the hinge housing (150). The first deformable housing (110_1) rotates around a first rotation axis (110_ax) corresponding to the center of the first protruding structure (140_p1), and the second deformable housing (120_1) rotates around a second rotation axis (120_ax) corresponding to the center of the second protruding structure (140_p2).

[0108] According to one embodiment, the first modified foldable electronic device (101) may include packing members (141a, 141b) arranged on the bottom of the first housing hole (120_h1) or the peripheral portion forming the second housing hole (120_h2). The packing members (141a, 141b) may be arranged between the first support structure (141) of the second protruding structure (140_p2) and the bottom surface of the first housing hole (120_h1), for example. At least some of the packing members (141a, 141b) may be formed of an elastic material or a rubber material. In the illustrated drawing, two packing members (141a, 141b) are illustrated as being arranged, but the first packing member (141a) and the second packing member (141b) may be included in a continuous ring shape. By means of the above packing members (141a, 141b), the inflow of foreign substances through the area where the second protruding structure (140_p2) is arranged can be prevented or reduced. The packing members (141a, 141b) may correspond to a part of the second protruding structure (140_p2). Alternatively, the packing members (141a, 141b) may be a separate, independent configuration from the second protruding structure (140_p2).

[0109] The first protective member (300) may include a protective body, a first groove, and a second groove, as described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The first protective member (300) may have the same or similar structure as the protective member described with reference to FIG. 4. According to one embodiment, when the shapes of the protruding structures (140_p1, 140_p2) are different, the shapes of the first groove and the second groove may be different. For example, when the cross-sectional shape of the protruding structures (140_p1, 140_p2) in the z-axis direction is polygonal or elliptical, the shapes of the first groove and the second groove of the first protective member (300) may be polygonal or elliptical. The size of the first groove and the second groove of the first protective member (300) may be formed to be equal to or larger than the size of the z-axis cross-section of the portion protruding from the inner surface (120_in) of the second housing of the protruding structures (140_p1, 140_p2). According to one embodiment, the first modified foldable electronic device (101) may further include an adhesive member (or adhesive material, or adhesive layer) between the first and second protruding structures (140_p1, 140_p2) and at least a portion of the modified housing forming the housing hole.

[0110] The first modified foldable electronic device (101) described above adopts a structure in which the first and second protruding structures (140_p1, 140_p2) are separately prepared and then combined with the deformable housings (110_1, 120_1), thereby enabling the deformable housings (110_1, 120_1) to be processed through a simpler processing process. In addition, the packing members (141a, 141b) (or one packing member) can block the inflow of external foreign substances. According to one embodiment, since the first modified foldable electronic device (101) does not apply T-cut processing in the process of implementing the protrusions on the inner surfaces of the deformable housings (110_1, 120_1), the thickness of the housings can be sufficiently secured, so that rigidity according to the design can be easily secured. The first modified foldable electronic device (101) can facilitate assembly of the electronic device by simplifying the inner and outer sides of the modified housings (110_1, 120_1) and separately providing the protruding structures (140_p1, 140_p2), and can facilitate securing the rigidity of the assembly object by reducing (making smaller) the process of removing at least a part of the assembly object (e.g., a protective cap) to secure a rotational space of the modified housings (110_1, 120_1).

[0111] Fig. 15 is a drawing showing a second modified example of a hinge housing and housings of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment. Fig. 16 is a drawing showing an example of a cross-section taken along the A2-A2` line of Fig. 15.

[0112] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 16, a foldable electronic device or a second modified foldable electronic device (102) according to an embodiment may include, for example, at least a third modified housing (110_2), a fourth modified housing (120_2), and a hinge housing (150). As an example, the second modified foldable electronic device (102) may include at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) that allows the third modified housing (110_2) and the fourth modified housing (120_2) to have a folded or unfolded state while performing a hinge operation, and may include a deformation protection member (300_1) (or protection member) disposed on one side of the hinge housing (150) and a first dust prevention member (200). Here, the hinge housing (150) and the first dust prevention unit (200) may be the same or similar in at least one of structure, size, and material compared to the hinge housing (150) and the first dust prevention unit (200) described above. For example, the hinge housing (150) may include a hinge housing body (150_b) and a first hinge housing side wall (150_wr). The first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) may include sub-side walls (150_w1, 150_w2) and a first member receiving portion (150_r) defined by the sub-side walls (150_w1, 150_w2) spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. At least a portion of the deformation protection member (300_1) may be mounted in the first member receiving portion (150_r).

[0113] The third modified housing (110_2) and the fourth modified housing (120_2) may each have grooves arranged to accommodate the third protruding structure (150_p1) and the fourth protruding structure (150_p2). According to one embodiment, the fourth modified housing (120_2) includes an outer surface (120_out) that is visible from the outside and an inner surface (120_in) that is not visible from the outside, and a groove (120_rec) (e.g., a T-cut machined groove) may be formed on the inner surface (120_in) to accommodate at least a portion of the fourth protruding structure (150_p2). The groove (120_rec) may include a shape that is engraved by a certain depth from the inner surface (120_in) to the outer surface (120_out) of the fourth modified housing (120_2). The shape of the above-mentioned groove (120_rec) may include a shape corresponding to at least a portion of the shape of the tip of the fourth protruding structure (150_p2). The third modified housing (110_2) may have a structure identical or similar to that of the fourth modified housing (120_2). As an example, the third modified housing (110_2) may have a groove formed on the inner surface thereof into which at least a portion of the third protruding structure (150_p1) may be seated, and the groove formed on the inner surface of the third modified housing (110_2) may have a shape identical or similar to that of the groove (120_rec) formed on the inner surface (120_in) of the fourth modified housing (120_2).

[0114] The above deformation protection member (300_1) may include a portion that is accommodated in the first member receiving portion (150_r) of the hinge housing (150) and a remaining portion that protrudes in the direction of the display (160). The above deformation protection member (300_1) may include a member hole (150_h) formed in the -y-axis direction (or in the direction from the inner surface (120_in) of the fourth deformation housing (120_2) to the outer surface (120_out)). The shape of the above-mentioned member hole (150_h) (or at least a part of the shape of the deformation protection member (300_1) forming the member hole (150_h)) may include a shape in which the size of the hole changes in the y-axis direction (or in the direction from the inner surface (120_in) of the fourth deformation housing (120_2) (or the outer surface (120_out) of the third deformation housing (110_2))). According to one embodiment, the member hole (150_h) may be formed in a multi-stage (or stepped shape, or stair shape). According to one embodiment, the member hole (150_h) may include a first member hole (150_h1) having a third size in the size of the z-axis cross-section, and a second member hole (150_h2) having a fourth size in the size of the z-axis cross-section. According to one embodiment, the third size may be larger than the fourth size. According to one embodiment, the first member The depth of the hole (150_h1) may be smaller than the depth of the second member hole (150_h2). Alternatively, the depth of the second member hole (150_h2) may be larger than the depth of the first member hole (150_h1). The second member hole (150_h2) is connected to the first member hole (150_h1), and the first member hole (150_h1) and the second member hole (150_h2) may have the same center point. At least a part of the fourth protruding structure (150_p2) may be inserted and fixed into the member hole (150_h).According to one embodiment, the deformation protection member (300_1) includes a plurality of member holes (e.g., two member holes), and a third protruding structure (150_p1) and a fourth protruding structure (150_p2) may be disposed to penetrate the plurality of member holes, respectively.

[0115] The fourth protruding structure (150_p2) may have a structure that protrudes toward the fourth deformable housing (120_2) while being placed in the member hole (150_h). As an example, the fourth protruding structure (150_p2) may include a second support structure (151) that is seated in the first member hole (150_h1), and a second protruding portion (152) (or extension portion) that is seated in the second member hole (150_h2) and protrudes further toward the fourth deformable housing (120_2) than the second member hole (150_h2). The second support structure (151) and the second protruding portion (152) may be formed integrally. The shape of the z-axis cross-section of the fourth protruding structure (150_p2) may have a T-shape that is rotated 90 degrees to the left. The fourth protruding structure (150_p2) may be formed of the same material as the deformation protection member (300_1). Alternatively, the fourth protruding structure (150_p2) may be formed of the same material as the material of the fourth deformation housing (120_2) (or hinge housing (150)). According to one embodiment, the fourth protruding structure (150_p2) may be formed of an elastic material (e.g., polymer, rubber, plastic). Alternatively, the fourth protruding structure (150_p2) may be formed of a material that is metallic and has a certain amount of elasticity. The second deformation foldable electronic device (102) may further include at least one packing member (151a, 151b). For example, it may further include a first packing member (151a) disposed between the inner wall of the deformation protection member (300_1) forming the first member hole (150_h1) and the second support structure (151), and a second packing member (151b) disposed between the inner wall of the deformation protection member (300_1) forming the second member hole (150_h2) and the second protruding portion (152). According to one embodiment, the third protruding structure (150_p1) may have the same or similar structure and material as the fourth protruding structure (150_p2) described above.

[0116] According to one embodiment, the second modified foldable electronic device (102) may further include an adhesive member (or adhesive material, or adhesive layer) in at least a portion of the area between the third and fourth protruding structures (150_p1, 150_p2) and the deformation protection member (300_1) forming the member hole (150_h).

[0117] FIG. 17 is a drawing showing a third modified example of a hinge housing and housings of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0118] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 17, a foldable electronic device or a third modified foldable electronic device (103) according to one embodiment may include, for example, at least a third modified housing (110_2), a fourth modified housing (120_2), and a hinge housing (150), and may further include a fifth protruding structure (150_p3) disposed on one side of the hinge housing (150).

[0119] According to one embodiment, the third modified foldable electronic device (103) described above may include at least one hinge structure (200a, 200b, 200c) that allows the third modified housing (110_2) and the fourth modified housing (120_2) to have a folded or unfolded state while performing a hinge operation, and may include a deformation protection member (300_1) and a first dust prevention unit (200) arranged on one side of the hinge housing (150). Here, the third modified housing (110_2), the fourth modified housing (120_2), the hinge housing (150), the deformation protection member (300_1), and the first dust prevention unit (200) may be the same or similar in at least one of structure, size, and material compared to the configurations described above in FIG. 16. For example, the hinge housing (150) may include a hinge housing body (150_b) and a first hinge housing side wall (150_wr). The first hinge housing side wall (150_wr) may include sub-side walls (150_w1, 150_w2) and a first member receiving portion (150_r) defined by the sub-side walls (150_w1, 150_w2) spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. At least a portion of the deformation protection member (300_1) may be mounted in the first member receiving portion (150_r).

[0120] The above-described deformation protection member (300_1) includes a member hole (150_h) formed in multiple stages, and the member hole (150_h) may include a first member hole (150_h1) and a second member hole (150_h2). The above-described member hole (150_h) (or the first member hole (150_h1) and the second member hole (150_h2)) may have the same structure as the member hole (150_h) described above in FIG. 16. According to one embodiment, the above-described deformation protection member (300_1) may include a plurality of member holes (e.g., two member holes).

[0121] The fifth protruding structure (150_p3) may have a structure that protrudes toward the fourth deformation housing (120_2) while being placed in the member hole (150_h). As an example, the fifth protruding structure (150_p3) may include a second support structure (151) that is seated in the first member hole (150_h1), a second deformation protruding portion (152_1) that is seated in the second member hole (150_h2), and a tip-mounted portion (153) that is connected to the second deformation protruding portion (152_1) and protrudes further in the -y-axis direction (or toward the fourth deformation housing (120_2)) than one surface (e.g., a surface facing the -y-axis) of the deformation protection member (300_1). The second support structure (151) and the second deformation protruding portion (152_1) may be formed integrally. The second deformable protrusion portion (152_1) and the tip-mounted portion (153) may be formed of different materials and formed as one piece. According to one embodiment, the second deformable protrusion portion (152_1) may be formed of an elastic material (e.g., at least one of rubber, plastic, polymer, or a combination thereof), and the tip-mounted portion (153) may be formed of a different material (e.g., a metal material) from the second deformable protrusion portion (152_1). As an example, the tip-mounted portion (153) may be mounted in a groove (120_rec) of the fourth deformable housing (120_2).

[0122] According to one embodiment, the third modified foldable electronic device (103) may further include an adhesive member (or adhesive material, or adhesive layer) in at least a portion of the area between the fifth protruding structure (150_p3) and the deformation protection member (300_1) forming the member hole (150_h).

[0123] According to one embodiment, the third modified foldable electronic device (103) may further include at least one packing member (151a, 151b). For example, the first packing member (151a) may be disposed between the inner wall of the deformation protection member (300_1) forming the first member hole (150_h1) and the second support structure (151), and the second packing member (151b) may be disposed between the inner wall of the deformation protection member (300_1) forming the second member hole (150_h2) and the second deformation protrusion portion (152_1). In the above description, one fifth protruding structure (150_p3) has been described, but the third modified foldable electronic device (103) may further include another fifth protruding structure in which a leading edge mounting portion is mounted in a groove of the third modified housing (110_2), together with a structure mounted in a groove of the fourth modified housing (120_2). The third modified foldable electronic device (103) described above can reduce the occurrence of scratches caused by collision between the inner surfaces of the deformed housings (110_2, 120_2) and the protruding structures during the assembling process of the deformation protection member (300_1), and can strengthen the rigidity of the leading edge mounting portion (153).

[0124] As described above, the foldable electronic device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can prevent (or improve) damage to the internal structure by providing a protrusion or a protrusion structure in at least one of the housings (or the deformed housings) and the protective member (or the deformed protective member) so that the housings and the hinge housing directly or indirectly at least partially overlap each other when observed in the z-axis direction in the folded state, thereby preventing the hinge housing from entering the inside of the housings even when an external impact occurs, and can prevent (or improve) internal and external deformation of the foldable electronic device.

[0125] FIG. 18 is a drawing showing another example of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0126] Referring to FIG. 18, a foldable electronic device (1800) according to an embodiment may include a first housing (1810) in which a display (1860) is disposed, a second housing (1820) in which an input module is disposed, and a hinge housing (1850) in which at least one hinge structure is disposed, and an area in which the hinge housing (1850) is disposed may include structures (1800_p1, 1800_p2) including at least one of the protrusions and protrusion structures described above in FIGS. 1 to 17.

[0127] According to one embodiment, the first housing (1810) and the second housing (1820) are connected by at least one hinge structure, and at least a portion of the hinge structure may be mounted on the hinge housing (1850). The hinge housing (1850) may include, for example, the hinge housing 150 described above in FIG. 2, and a first structure (1800_p1) and a second structure (1800_p2) may be arranged on both edges of the hinge housing (1850). At least one of the first structure (1800_p1) and the second structure (1800_p2) may correspond to any one of the protrusions or protrusion structures described above in FIGS. 1 to 17.

[0128] As described above, since the structures (1800_p1, 1800_p2) described in the present disclosure are arranged in the notebook-type foldable electronic device (1800) according to one embodiment, even if an external impact is applied to the hinge housing (1850) portion of the notebook-type foldable electronic device (1800), the hinge housing (1850) is protected from entering the inside of the first and second housings (1810, 1820), and thus the notebook-type foldable electronic device (1800) can reduce or prevent damage to the internal structures arranged inside the first and second housings (1810, 1820).

[0129] FIG. 19 is a drawing showing another example of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 19, a foldable electronic device (1900) according to an embodiment may include a plurality of housings (1910, 1920, 1930) in which a plurality of consecutive displays (1960) (or a single foldable display) are arranged, at least one hinge structure arranged in a folding area, at least one hinge housing (1950) in which at least one hinge structure is arranged, and the area in which the hinge housing (1950) is arranged may include structures (1900_p1, 1900_p2) including at least one of the protrusions and protrusion structures described above in FIGS. 1 to 17.

[0131] According to one embodiment, the first housing (1910) and the second housing (1920) may be coupled by at least one first type hinge structure, and the second housing (1920) and the third housing (1930) may be coupled by at least one second type hinge structure. According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the first type hinge structures may be at least a portion mounted on the hinge housing (1950). The hinge housing (1950) may include, for example, the hinge housing 150 described above in FIG. 2, and the first structure (1900_p1) and the second structure (1900_p2) may be arranged on both edges of the hinge housing (1950). At least one of the first structure (1900_p1) and the second structure (1900_p2) may correspond to any one of the protrusions or protruding structures described above in FIGS. 1 to 17.

[0132] As described above, since the structures (1900_p1, 1900_p2) described in the present disclosure are arranged in a plurality of infolding and outfolding type foldable electronic devices (1900) according to one embodiment, even if an external impact is applied to the hinge housing (1950) portion of the infolding and outfolding type foldable electronic devices (1900), the hinge housing (1950) is protected from entering the inside of the first and second housings (1910, 1920), and thus the infolding and outfolding type foldable electronic devices (1900) can reduce or prevent damage to the internal structures arranged inside the first and second housings (1910, 1920).

[0133] Meanwhile, in the above description, a form in which a protruding structure is arranged on both of the two foldable housings has been exemplified, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to one embodiment, a protruding structure (or protrusion) may be formed only on the first housing (or one of the transformable housings), and a separate protruding structure (or protrusion) may not be formed on the second housing (or the other of the transformable housings).

[0134] In addition, although the above description presents an example in which the same protrusion structure (or protrusion portion) is formed in each of the housings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the protrusion structures formed in the first housing and the second housing (or each of the modified housings) may be different from each other. For example, at least one of the protrusion portion of the foldable electronic device (100) described in FIGS. 3 to 12 , the first type protrusion structure of the first modified foldable electronic device (101) described in FIGS. 13 and 14 , the second type protrusion structure of the second modified foldable electronic device (102) described in FIGS. 15 and 16 , and the third type protrusion structure of the third modified foldable electronic device (103) described in FIG. 17 may all be applied to one foldable electronic device, or only some of the structures may be applied to one foldable electronic device. Alternatively, according to one embodiment, in one foldable electronic device, different types of protrusion structures (or protrusion portions) may be applied to one housing (e.g., the first housing). Alternatively, according to one embodiment, in one foldable electronic device, different types of protrusion structures (or protrusions) may be applied to different housings (e.g., the first housing and the second housing). As described above, the protrusions or various types of protrusion structures of the present disclosure are not limited to the foldable electronic device of a specific drawing, but may be applied to the foldable electronic device in various forms. According to various embodiments, the protective member may be integrated with the side wall of the hinge housing. In this case, the grooves of the protective member may correspond to grooves formed in the side wall of the hinge housing.

[0135] When the above-described protective member is integrated with the hinge housing side wall, at least a portion of the hinge housing side wall may correspond to the protective member area, and accordingly, at least one of the first housing and the second housing may include a protruding structure that is fastened or mounted on the hinge housing side wall. Additionally or alternatively, although the description of each of the above-described embodiments has mentioned a structure in which a dust prevention unit is arranged, in each of the embodiments, the configuration of the dust prevention unit may be removed, and the protective member may replace at least a portion of the role of the dust prevention unit. Alternatively, in at least one of the above-described embodiments, both the protective member and the dust prevention unit may be excluded. In this way, in at least some of the embodiments, the protective member and the dust prevention unit are not essential components, but may be components that can be added or excluded depending on the modification of the hinge housing or the intention or selection of the designer.

[0136] As described above, a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment includes a first housing, a second housing, at least one hinge structure connecting the first housing and the second housing, a flexible display placed on the first housing, the second housing and the at least one hinge structure, and a hinge housing on which at least a portion of the at least one hinge structure is seated, wherein the first housing may include a first protruding structure that overlaps at least a portion of one side of the hinge housing with respect to a first direction in which the hinge housing is viewed when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state.

[0137] According to one embodiment, the first protruding structure is characterized in that, when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, the first protruding structure protrudes from the inner surface of the first housing in the direction of the hinge housing and is positioned above the upper end of the hinge housing.

[0138] According to one embodiment, when the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state, the center point of the inner curved surface of the first housing that contacts (or faces) the back surface of the hinge housing is characterized by coinciding with the center point of the first protruding structure.

[0139] According to one embodiment, the hinge housing includes a hinge housing body that is opened in the direction of the flexible display and on which at least a portion of the at least one hinge structure is seated, and at least a portion of a cross-section in the first direction includes a curve, a first hinge housing side wall and a second hinge housing side wall formed on both edges of the hinge housing body, and the foldable electronic device further includes a protective member that is mounted on the first hinge housing side wall, and the protective member is characterized in that it includes a first groove in which at least a portion of the first protruding structure is seated.

[0140] According to one embodiment, the first housing includes a housing hole penetrating from an outer surface of the first housing toward an inner surface, and the first protruding structure is inserted into the housing hole from the outer surface of the first housing and protrudes toward a first hinge housing side wall.

[0141] According to one embodiment, the foldable electronic device is characterized in that it further includes at least one of an adhesive member disposed in at least a portion of an area between the first protruding structure and a peripheral portion forming the housing hole, and a packing member disposed in at least a portion of an area between the peripheral portion forming the housing hole and the first protruding structure.

[0142] According to one embodiment, the housing hole is characterized in that the size of the opening changes from the outer surface of the first housing to the inner surface.

[0143] According to one embodiment, the housing hole includes a first housing hole of a first size and a second housing hole of a second size connected to the first housing hole and smaller than the first size, and the first protruding structure includes a first support structure that is seated in the first housing hole and a first protruding portion that further protrudes in the direction of the hinge housing while being seated partially in the second housing hole.

[0144] According to one embodiment, when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, the position of the center of the first protruding structure is the same as the position of the center of the first protruding structure when the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state.

[0145] According to one embodiment, the second housing is characterized in that it includes a second protruding structure that overlaps at least a portion of the other side of the hinge housing with respect to the first direction when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state.

[0146] According to one embodiment, the protective member is characterized in that it further includes a second groove in which at least a portion of the second protruding structure is received.

[0147] According to one embodiment, the second housing includes a second housing hole penetrating from an outer surface of the second housing toward an inner surface, and the second protruding structure is inserted into the second housing hole from the outer surface of the second housing and protrudes toward a second hinge housing side wall.

[0148] According to one embodiment, the foldable electronic device is characterized in that it further includes an adhesive member disposed in at least a portion of an area between the second protruding structure and the peripheral portion forming the second housing hole.

[0149] According to one embodiment, when the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state, the center point of the inner curved surface of the second housing that contacts (or faces) the back surface of the hinge housing is characterized by coinciding with the center point of the second protruding structure.

[0150] According to one embodiment, when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, the position of the center of the second protruding structure is the same as the position of the center of the second protruding structure when the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state.

[0151] As described above, according to one embodiment, a foldable electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing, at least one hinge structure connecting the first housing and the second housing, a flexible display placed on the first housing, the second housing and the at least one hinge structure, a hinge housing on which at least a portion of the at least one hinge structure is seated, a protective member placed on at least one of both edges of the hinge housing, and a first protruding structure protruding toward an inner surface of the first housing through a member hole formed in the protective member, wherein when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, at least a portion of the first protruding structure overlaps with one side of the hinge housing based on a first direction facing the hinge housing.

[0152] According to one embodiment, the first housing is characterized by including a first groove in which one end of the first protruding structure is received.

[0153] According to one embodiment, the member hole includes a first member hole of a first size, a second member hole having a second size smaller than the first size and connected to the first member hole, and the first protruding structure includes a second support structure that is seated in the first member hole, and a second protruding portion that is connected to the second support structure and is partially seated in the second member hole.

[0154] According to one embodiment, the foldable electronic device is characterized in that it further includes at least one of an adhesive member disposed in at least a portion of an area between a peripheral portion forming the member hole and the first protruding structure, and a packing member disposed in at least a portion of an area between a peripheral portion forming the member hole and the first protruding structure.

[0155] According to one embodiment, the second protruding portion is characterized by including a first portion that is seated in the second member hole, a second portion that is connected to the first portion and protrudes from the second member hole toward the first housing and is formed of a different material from the first portion.

[0156] FIG. 20 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments.

[0157] Referring to FIG. 20, in a network environment (2000), an electronic device (2001) may communicate with an electronic device (2002) via a first network (2098) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with at least one of an electronic device (2004) or a server (2008) via a second network (2099) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). In one embodiment, the electronic device (2001) may communicate with the electronic device (2004) via the server (2008). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (2001) may include a processor (2020), a memory (2030), an input module (2050), an audio output module (2055), a display module (2060), an audio module (2070), a sensor module (2076), an interface (2077), a connection terminal (2078), a haptic module (2079), a camera module (2080), a power management module (2088), a battery (2089), a communication module (2090), a subscriber identification module (2096), or an antenna module (2097). In some embodiments, the electronic device (2001) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (2078)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (2076), the camera module (2080), or the antenna module (2097)) may be integrated into a single component (e.g., the display module (2060)). At least one configuration included in the electronic device (2001) described above may be applied to at least one of the foldable electronic device (100) or modified foldable electronic devices (101, 102, 103) described above.

[0158] The processor (2020) may, for example, execute software (e.g., a program (2040)) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (2001) connected to the processor (2020) and perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or operations, the processor (2020) may store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (2076) or a communication module (2090)) in the volatile memory (2032), process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory (2032), and store the resulting data in the non-volatile memory (2034). According to one embodiment, the processor (2020) may include a main processor (2021) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or a secondary processor (2023) (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor) that can operate independently or together with the main processor (2021). For example, when the electronic device (2001) includes the main processor (2021) and the secondary processor (2023), the secondary processor (2023) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (2021) or to be specialized for a given function. The secondary processor (2023) may be implemented separately from the main processor (2021) or as a part thereof.

[0159] The auxiliary processor (2023) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., the display module (2060), the sensor module (2076), or the communication module (2090)) of the electronic device (2001), for example, on behalf of the main processor (2021) while the main processor (2021) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (2021) while the main processor (2021) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (2023) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (2080) or a communication module (2090)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (2023) (e.g., a neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence models may be generated through machine learning. This learning can be performed, for example, on the electronic device (2001) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or can be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (2008)). The learning algorithm can include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model can include multiple artificial neural network layers.The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to, or alternatively to, a hardware structure, an artificial intelligence model may include a software structure.

[0160] The memory (2030) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., the processor (2020) or the sensor module (2076)) of the electronic device (2001). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., the program (2040)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (2030) can include volatile memory (2032) or non-volatile memory (2034).

[0161] The program (2040) may be stored as software in memory (2030) and may include, for example, an operating system (2042), middleware (2044), or an application (2046).

[0162] The input module (2050) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (2001) (e.g., a processor (2020)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (2001). The input module (2050) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0163] The audio output module (2055) can output audio signals to the outside of the electronic device (2001). The audio output module (2055) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. In one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0164] The display module (2060) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (2001). The display module (2060) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. In one embodiment, the display module (2060) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

[0165] The audio module (2070) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa. According to one embodiment, the audio module (2070) can acquire sound through the input module (2050), output sound through the sound output module (2055), or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (2002)) (e.g., speaker or headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (2001).

[0166] The sensor module (2076) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (2001) or the external environmental status (e.g., user status) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected status. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (2076) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0167] The interface (2077) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (2001) to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (2002)). In one embodiment, the interface (2077) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0168] The connection terminal (2078) may include a connector through which the electronic device (2001) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (2002)). In one embodiment, the connection terminal (2078) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0169] The haptic module (2079) can convert electrical signals into mechanical stimuli (e.g., vibration or movement) or electrical stimuli that a user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sensations. In one embodiment, the haptic module (2079) may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0170] The camera module (2080) can capture still images and videos. In one embodiment, the camera module (2080) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0171] The power management module (2088) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (2001). According to one embodiment, the power management module (2088) can be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0172] A battery (2089) may power at least one component of the electronic device (2001). In one embodiment, the battery (2089) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0173] The communication module (2090) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (2001) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (2002), electronic device (2004), or server (2008)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (2090) may operate independently from the processor (2020) (e.g., application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (2090) may include a wireless communication module (2092) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (2094) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Any of these communication modules may communicate with an external electronic device (2004) via a first network (2098) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (2099) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (2092) may use subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (2096) to identify or authenticate the electronic device (2001) within a communication network such as the first network (2098) or the second network (2099).

[0174] The wireless communication module (2092) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following the 4G network, such as NR access technology (new radio access technology). NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimizing terminal power and connecting multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (2092) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (2092) can support various technologies for securing performance in high-frequency bands, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (2092) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (2001), an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (2004)), or a network system (e.g., the second network (2099)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (2092) can support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.

[0175] The antenna module (2097) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). In one embodiment, the antenna module (2097) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). In one embodiment, the antenna module (2097) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (2098) or the second network (2099), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by the communication module (2090). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (2090) and an external electronic device via the at least one selected antenna. In some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (2097).

[0176] According to various embodiments, the antenna module (2097) may form a mmWave antenna module. In one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) disposed on or adjacent a second side (e.g., a top side or a side side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high frequency band.

[0177] At least some of the above components can be interconnected and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)).

[0178] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (2001) and an external electronic device (2004) via a server (2008) connected to a second network (2099). Each of the external electronic devices (2002 or 2004) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (2001). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (2001) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (2002, 2004, or 2008). For example, when the electronic device (2001) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (2001) may, instead of or in addition to executing the function or service itself, request one or more external electronic devices to perform the function or at least a part of the service. One or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute at least a portion of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (2001). The electronic device (2001) may process the result as is or additionally and provide it as at least a portion of a response to the request. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. The electronic device (2001) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (2004) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (2008) may be an intelligent server utilizing machine learning and / or a neural network.According to one embodiment, an external electronic device (2004) or server (2008) may be included within the second network (2099). The electronic device (2001) may be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart homes, smart cities, smart cars, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0179] Electronic devices according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may take various forms. Electronic devices may include, for example, portable communication devices (e.g., smartphones), computer devices, portable multimedia devices, portable medical devices, cameras, wearable devices, or home appliances. Electronic devices according to the embodiments of this document are not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0180] The various embodiments of this document and the terminology used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among those phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0181] The term "module" used in various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integral component, or a minimum unit or part of such a component that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0182] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (2040)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (2036) or an external memory (2038)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (2001)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (2020)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (2001)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

[0183] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a commodity between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0184] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

Claims

1. In a foldable electronic device, 1st housing; Second Housing; At least one hinge structure connecting the first housing and the second housing; A flexible display placed on the first housing, the second housing and the at least one hinge structure; A hinge housing in which at least a portion of at least one hinge structure is secured; The above first housing A foldable electronic device, characterized in that it includes a first protruding structure that overlaps at least a portion of one side of the hinge housing with respect to a first direction facing the hinge housing when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state.

2. In paragraph 1, The above first protruding structure is, A foldable electronic device, characterized in that when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, the first housing protrudes from the inner surface thereof in the direction of the hinge housing and is positioned above the upper end of the hinge housing.

3. In paragraph 1, When the above foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state, the center point of the inner curved surface of the first housing facing the back surface of the hinge housing coincides with the center point of the first protruding structure, A foldable electronic device, characterized in that when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, the center point of the inner curved surface of the first housing coincides with the center point of the first protruding structure.

4. In paragraph 1, The above hinge housing, A hinge housing body that is opened in the direction of the flexible display and on which at least a portion of the at least one hinge structure is secured, and at least a portion of a cross-section in the first direction includes a curve; Including a first hinge housing side wall and a second hinge housing side wall formed on both sides of the hinge housing body; The above foldable electronic device further includes a protective member mounted on the side wall of the first hinge housing; The above protection absence is, A foldable electronic device characterized by including a first groove in which at least a portion of the first protruding structure is settled.

5. In paragraph 4, The above first housing, Including a housing hole penetrating from the outer surface of the first housing toward the inner surface; The above first protruding structure A foldable electronic device characterized in that the first housing is inserted into the housing hole on the outer surface thereof and protrudes toward the first hinge housing side wall.

6. In paragraph 5, An adhesive member disposed at least in a portion of a region between the first protruding structure and the peripheral portion forming the housing hole; A foldable electronic device characterized by further comprising at least one of a packing member disposed at least in a portion between a peripheral portion forming the housing hole and the first protruding structure.

7. In paragraph 5, A foldable electronic device, characterized in that the housing hole has an opening whose size changes from the outer surface of the first housing to the inner surface.

8. In paragraph 5, The above housing hole includes a first housing hole of a first size and a second housing hole of a second size connected to the first housing hole and smaller than the first size. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that the first protruding structure includes a first support structure that is seated in the first housing hole and a first protruding portion that further protrudes toward the hinge housing while being seated partially in the second housing hole.

9. In paragraph 5, A foldable electronic device, characterized in that when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, the position of the center of the first protruding structure is the same as when the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state.

10. In paragraph 4, The above second housing A foldable electronic device, characterized in that it includes a second protruding structure that overlaps at least a portion of the other side of the hinge housing with respect to the first direction when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state.

11. In paragraph 10, The above protection absence is, A foldable electronic device further characterized by comprising a second groove in which at least a portion of the second protruding structure is received.

12. In paragraph 10, The above second housing, Including a second housing hole penetrating from the outer surface of the second housing toward the inner surface; The above second protruding structure A foldable electronic device characterized in that the second housing is inserted into the second housing hole on the outer surface of the second housing and protrudes toward the second hinge housing side wall.

13. In paragraph 12, A foldable electronic device further comprising: an adhesive member disposed in at least a portion of a region between the second protruding structure and the peripheral portion forming the second housing hole.

14. In paragraph 10, When the above foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state, the center point of the inner curved surface of the second housing facing the back surface of the hinge housing coincides with the center point of the second protruding structure, A foldable electronic device, characterized in that when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, the center point of the inner curved surface of the second housing coincides with the center point of the second protruding structure.

15. In paragraph 10, A foldable electronic device, characterized in that when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, the position of the center of the second protruding structure is the same as the position of the center of the second protruding structure when the foldable electronic device is in an unfolded state.

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