Foldable electronic device and method for manufacturing same
By incorporating a high rigid shell layer, a bend pattern, and a shielding layer into the digitizer panel, the challenges of circuit disconnection and corrosion during folding in foldable electronic devices are addressed, enhancing the device's reliability and performance.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/KR2024/016896
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-11-10
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-31
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-08
AI Technical Summary
Existing foldable electronic devices face challenges in maintaining the integrity of the digitizer panel during folding, leading to potential circuit disconnection and corrosion issues.
The implementation of a digitizer panel with a high rigid shell layer and a bend pattern, along with at least one shielding layer, minimizes circuit disconnection during folding and prevents corrosion, thereby enhancing the display's flatness and durability.
This solution effectively reduces circuit disconnection and corrosion in the digitizer panel during folding, ensuring the reliability and performance of the foldable electronic device.
Smart Images

Figure KR2024016896_08052025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Foldable electronic device and method for manufacturing the same
[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a foldable electronic device including a digitizer panel and a method of manufacturing the same.
[0002] An electronic device may support a pen input device (e.g., a stylus pen). A user may, for example, use the pen input device to input data into the electronic device and perform various operations (e.g., writing or drawing) on the screen displayed on the electronic device.
[0003] Electronic devices can receive various input data, text, or image signals, for example, from an EMR (Electro Magnetic Resonance) type pen input device. In this case, the display of the electronic device may include a digitizer for detecting signals from the pen input device.
[0004] An EMR type pen input device includes an LC resonant circuit composed of a coil and a capacitor. The pen input device transmits a signal of a resonant frequency by the LC resonant circuit to a digitizer of an electronic device, and the electronic device detects the signal of the resonant frequency transmitted through the digitizer and performs an action corresponding to the pen input (e.g., writing or drawing).
[0005] The resonant frequency of the signal transmitted from the pen input device may vary depending on changes in the inductance of the coil and the capacitance of the capacitor.
[0006] For example, when the pen tip of a pen input device is pressed against the display of an electronic device, the capacitance of a capacitor within the pen input device may increase, and the digitizer detects a change in resonant frequency due to the increase in capacitance to recognize a pen input signal.
[0007] Similar to changes in capacitance, changes in the inductance of the coil within a pen input device can also alter the resonant frequency of the signal from the pen input device. For example, if the inductance of the coil within the pen input device decreases due to magnetic interference from magnetic fields generated by magnetic components within the electronic device, the resonant frequency will also decrease. In this case, even if there is an increase in the capacitance of the capacitor due to actual pen input, the decrease in the coil's inductance may offset this increase, causing the digitizer to not recognize the pen input and malfunction.
[0008] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a foldable electronic device including a digitizer panel including a high-strength shell layer and a curved pattern and including at least one shielding layer, and a method of manufacturing the same.
[0009] A foldable electronic device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include a first housing, a second housing, a hinge device rotatably connecting the first housing and the second housing, a flexible display disposed across the first housing and the second housing and including a folding area, and a digitizer panel disposed at a lower portion of the flexible display and including a curved pattern including a plurality of openings arranged at specified intervals. The digitizer panel may include a circuit portion including at least one wiring layer and at least one insulating layer, a first shell layer disposed above the circuit portion, and a second shell layer disposed below the circuit portion.
[0010] A method for manufacturing a foldable electronic device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include forming a flexible display that is disposed across a first housing and a second housing and includes a folding area, and forming a digitizer panel disposed below the flexible display. The forming of the digitizer panel may include forming a circuit portion including at least one wiring layer and at least one insulating layer, forming a first shell layer disposed above the circuit portion and a second shell layer disposed below the circuit portion, and forming a bending pattern including a plurality of openings disposed at specified intervals.
[0011] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the foldable electronic device of the present disclosure and the manufacturing method thereof include a digitizer panel including a high-strength shell layer and a curved pattern, thereby minimizing circuit disconnection of the digitizer panel in a folding area during folding.
[0012] In addition, the foldable electronic device of the present disclosure and the method for manufacturing the same include a digitizer panel having at least one shielding layer built in, thereby preventing corrosion of the shielding layer and improving flatness of the display.
[0013] The effects that can be obtained from the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly derived and understood by those skilled in the art to which the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure pertain from the following description. In other words, unintended effects resulting from implementing the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can also be derived by those skilled in the art from the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0015] FIGS. 2A and 2B are front and rear views of an unfolded stage of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0016] FIGS. 3A and 3B are front and rear views of a folded state of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a first display according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0019] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an electronic device including a digitizer panel according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0020] FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views showing a laminated structure of a digitizer panel according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing a curvature pattern of a digitizer panel according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0022] FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a folded state of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a digitizer panel according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0024] FIGS. 11A to 11C are cross-sectional views showing a laminated structure of a digitizer panel according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the structure of at least one shielding layer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0026] FIGS. 13A to 13D are cross-sectional views showing the configuration of a shielding layer inside a digitizer panel according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0027] FIGS. 14a and 14b are cross-sectional views showing the configuration of a shielding layer inside a digitizer panel according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0028] FIGS. 15A and 15B are cross-sectional views showing the configuration of a shielding layer inside a digitizer panel according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0029] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a laminated structure of a digitizer panel according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0030] It should be understood that the various embodiments and terms used in this document are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but rather to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments.
[0031] In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components.
[0032] The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
[0033] 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" may include any one of the items listed together in that phrase, or all possible combinations thereof.
[0034] Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish one component from another and do not qualify the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order).
[0035] When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being “coupled” or “connected” to another component (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.
[0036] The terms “include” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in this document, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.
[0037] When a component is said to be “connected,” “coupled,” “supported,” or “in contact with” another component, this includes not only cases where the components are directly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact, but also cases where the components are indirectly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact through a third component.
[0038] When we say that a component is “on” another component, this includes not only cases where the component is in contact with the other component, but also cases where there is another component between the two components.
[0039] The term “and / or” includes any combination of a plurality of related described elements or any one of a plurality of related described elements.
[0040] The operating principle and embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings below.
[0041] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0042] Referring to FIG. 1, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with an electronic device (104) or a server (108) via a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) via the server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In some embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).
[0043] The processor (120) may, for example, execute software (e.g., a program (140)) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) and perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or operations, the processor (120) may store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store result data in a non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) (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 (121). For example, when the electronic device (101) includes the main processor (121) and the auxiliary processor (123), the auxiliary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a given function. The auxiliary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.
[0044] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., a display module (160), a sensor module (176), or a communication module (190)) of the electronic device (101), for example, on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (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 (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (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, in the electronic device (101) itself where artificial intelligence is performed, or can be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). 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.
[0045] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).
[0046] The program (140) may be stored as software in the memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).
[0047] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) 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).
[0048] The audio output module (155) can output audio signals to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) 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.
[0049] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) 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.
[0050] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150), output sound through the sound output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).
[0051] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) 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 (176) 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.
[0052] The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). In one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.
[0053] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).
[0054] The haptic module (179) 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. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.
[0055] The camera module (180) can capture still images and videos. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.
[0056] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).
[0057] A battery (189) may power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.
[0058] The communication module (190) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (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 (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module can communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (199) (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 can 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 (192) can verify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) by using subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).
[0059] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following the 4G network, such as NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, 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 (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., the second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) 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.
[0060] The antenna module (197) 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 (197) 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 (197) 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 (198) or the second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by the communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) 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 (197).
[0061] According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) 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.
[0062] 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)).
[0063] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102 or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) 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 (101). The electronic device (101) 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 (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server utilizing machine learning and / or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.
[0064] FIGS. 2A and 2B are front and rear views of an unfolded stage of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIGS. 3A and 3B are front and rear views of a folded state of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0065] Referring to FIGS. 2A to 3B, an electronic device (200) (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a pair of housings (210, 220) (e.g., foldable housing structure) that are rotatably coupled about a folding axis (A) through a hinge device (e.g., hinge device (320) of FIG. 4) (e.g., hinge module) so as to be foldable with respect to each other, a first display (230) (e.g., flexible display, foldable display, or main display) arranged through the pair of housings (210, 220), and / or a second display (300) (e.g., sub-display) arranged through the second housing (220).
[0066] According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (320) of FIG. 4) may be arranged so as to be invisible from the outside through the first housing (210) and the second housing (220), and may be arranged so as to be invisible from the outside through the hinge housing (310) that covers the foldable portion when in an unfolded state. According to one embodiment, the hinge device (320) may include a gear assembly including a plurality of gears, a hinge module including a plurality of hinge cams that are coupled to hinge shafts that rotate through the gear assembly and perform a cam-linked operation, and hinge plates that connect the hinge module to the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). In this document, the surface on which the first display (230) is arranged may be defined as the front surface of the electronic device (200), and the surface opposite to the front surface may be defined as the back surface of the electronic device (200). Additionally, the surface surrounding the space between the front and back may be defined as a side surface of the electronic device (200).
[0067] According to various embodiments, a pair of housings (210, 220) may include a first housing (210) and a second housing (220) that are foldably arranged relative to each other via a hinge device (e.g., a hinge device (320) of FIG. 4). In one embodiment, the pair of housings (210, 220) are not limited to the shapes and combinations illustrated in FIGS. 2A to 3B, and may be implemented by other shapes or combinations and / or combinations of parts. In one embodiment, the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may be arranged on both sides with respect to a folding axis (A) and may have an overall symmetrical shape with respect to the folding axis (A). In some embodiments, the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may be folded asymmetrically with respect to the folding axis (A). According to one embodiment, the angle or distance between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may be different depending on whether the electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, a folded state, or an intermediate state.
[0068] According to various embodiments, the first housing (210) may be connected to a hinge device (e.g., hinge device (320) of FIG. 4) in an unfolded state of the electronic device (200), and may include a first side member (211) arranged to face the front of the electronic device (200), a second side member (212) facing in an opposite direction to the first side member (211), and / or a first side member (213) surrounding at least a portion of a first space between the first side member (211) and the second side member (212). According to one embodiment, the second housing (220) may be connected to a hinge device (e.g., hinge device (320) of FIG. 4) in an unfolded state of the electronic device (200) and may include a third surface (221) arranged to face the front of the electronic device (200), a fourth surface (222) facing in an opposite direction to the third surface (221), and / or a second side member (223) surrounding at least a portion of a second space between the third surface (221) and the fourth surface (222). According to one embodiment, the first surface (211) may face substantially the same direction as the third surface (221) in an unfolded state and at least partially face the third surface (221) in a folded state. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a recess (201) formed to accommodate a first display (230) through a structural combination of a first housing (210) and a second housing (220). According to one embodiment, the recess (201) may have substantially the same size as the first display (230). According to one embodiment, the first housing (210) may include a first protective frame (213a) (e.g., a first decorative member) that is combined with a first side member (213) when the first display (230) is viewed from above and overlaps an edge of the first display (230), thereby covering the edge of the first display (230) so that it is not visible from the outside. According to one embodiment, the first protective frame (213a) may be formed integrally with the first side member (213).According to one embodiment, the second housing (220) may include a second protective frame (223a) (e.g., a second decorative member) that is coupled to the second side member (223) when the first display (230) is viewed from above and overlaps with the edge of the first display (230), thereby covering the edge of the first display (230) so that it is not visible from the outside. According to one embodiment, the second protective frame (223a) may be formed integrally with the first side member (223). In some embodiments, the first protective frame (213a) and the second protective frame (223a) may be omitted.
[0069] According to various embodiments, the hinge housing (310) (e.g., hinge cover) may be disposed between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) and may be disposed to cover a portion (e.g., at least one hinge module) of a hinge device (e.g., hinge device (320) of FIG. 4) disposed in the hinge housing (310). According to one embodiment, the hinge housing (310) may be covered by portions of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) or exposed to the outside, depending on the unfolded state, the folded state, or the intermediate state of the electronic device (200). For example, when the electronic device (200) is in the unfolded state, at least a portion of the hinge housing (310) may be covered by the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) and may not be substantially exposed. According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (200) is in a folded state, at least a portion of the hinge housing (310) may be exposed to the outside between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). According to one embodiment, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are in an intermediate state where they are folded with a certain angle, the hinge housing (310) may be at least partially exposed to the outside of the electronic device (200) between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). For example, the area where the hinge housing (310) is exposed to the outside may be less than when the electronic device (200) is in a completely folded state. According to one embodiment, the hinge housing (310) may include a curved surface.
[0070] According to various embodiments, when the electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state (e.g., the state of FIGS. 1A and 2B), the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) form an angle of about 180 degrees, and the first region (230a), the second region (230b), and the folding region (230c) of the first display (230) form the same plane and may be arranged to face substantially the same direction (e.g., the z-axis direction). In another embodiment, when the electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, the first housing (210) may be rotated at an angle of about 360 degrees with respect to the second housing (220) so that the second side (212) and the fourth side (222) face each other and may be folded in the opposite direction (out folding method).
[0071] According to various embodiments, when the electronic device (200) is in a folded state (e.g., the state of FIGS. 3A and 3B), the first surface (211) of the first housing (210) and the third surface (221) of the second housing (220) may be arranged to face each other. In this case, the first region (230a) and the second region (230b) of the first display (230) may be arranged to face each other while forming a narrow angle (e.g., in the range of 0 degrees to about 10 degrees) with each other through the folding region (230c). According to one embodiment, the folding region (230c) may be deformed into a curved shape having at least a certain curvature. According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (200) is in an intermediate state, the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may be arranged at a certain angle with each other. In this case, the first region (230a) and the second region (230b) of the first display (230) may form an angle that is larger than the folded state and smaller than the unfolded state, and the curvature of the folding region (230c) may be smaller than the folded state and larger than the unfolded state. In some embodiments, the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may form an angle that can stop at a designated folding angle between the folded state and the unfolded state through a hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (320) of FIG. 4)) (free stop function). In some embodiments, the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may be continuously operated while being pressed in the unfolding direction or the folding direction based on the designated inflection angle through a hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (320) of FIG. 4).
[0072] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include at least one of a display (230, 300), an input device (215), an audio output device (227, 228), a sensor module (217a, 217b, 226), a camera module (216a, 216b, 225), a key input device (219), an indicator (not shown), or a connector port (229) disposed in the first housing (210) and / or the second housing (220). In some embodiments, the electronic device (200) may omit at least one of the components or may additionally include at least one other component.
[0073] According to various embodiments, at least one display (230, 300) may include a first display (230) (e.g., a flexible display) that is arranged to be supported by a third side (221) of a second housing (220) from a first side (211) of a first housing (210) via a hinge device (e.g., a hinge device (320) of FIG. 4), and a second display (300) that is arranged to be at least partially visible from the outside through a fourth side (222) in an interior space of the second housing (220). In some embodiments, the second display (300) may be arranged to be visible from the outside through the second side (212) in an interior space of the first housing (210). According to one embodiment, the first display (230) may be primarily used in the unfolded state of the electronic device (200), and the second display (300) may be primarily used in the folded state of the electronic device (200). According to one embodiment, in the intermediate state, the electronic device (200) may control the first display (230) and / or the second display (300) to be usable based on the folding angles of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220).
[0074] According to various embodiments, the first display (230) may be disposed in a receiving space formed by a pair of housings (210, 220). For example, the first display (200) may be disposed in a recess (201) formed by a pair of housings (210, 220), and may be disposed to occupy substantially most of the front surface of the electronic device (200) when unfolded. According to one embodiment, the first display (230) may include a flexible display in which at least a portion of the display may be transformed into a flat or curved surface. According to one embodiment, the first display (230) may include a first region (230a) facing the first housing (210) and a second region (230b) facing the second housing (220). According to one embodiment, the first display (230) may include a folding area (230c) including a part of the first region (230a) and a part of the second region (230b) with respect to the folding axis (A). According to one embodiment, at least a part of the folding area (230c) may include an area corresponding to a hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (320) of FIG. 4). According to one embodiment, the area division of the first display (230) is merely an exemplary physical division by a pair of housings (210, 220) and a hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (320) of FIG. 4), and in reality, the first display (230) may be displayed as a seamless, full screen through a pair of housings (210, 220) and a hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (320) of FIG. 4). According to one embodiment, the first region (230a) and the second region (230b) may have an overall symmetrical shape with respect to the folding region (230c) or may have a partially asymmetrical shape.
[0075] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a first rear cover (240) disposed on a second surface (212) of the first housing (210) and a second rear cover (250) disposed on a fourth surface (222) of the second housing (220). In some embodiments, at least a portion of the first rear cover (240) may be formed integrally with the first side member (213). In some embodiments, at least a portion of the second rear cover (250) may be formed integrally with the second side member (223). In one embodiment, at least one of the first rear cover (240) and the second rear cover (250) may be formed of a substantially transparent plate (e.g., a glass plate including various coating layers, or a polymer plate) or an opaque plate. In one embodiment, the first rear cover (240) may be formed by an opaque plate, such as, for example, coated or colored glass, ceramic, polymer, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of at least two of the foregoing materials. In one embodiment, the second rear cover (250) may be formed by a substantially transparent plate, such as, for example, glass or polymer. Accordingly, the second display (300) may be arranged so as to be visible from the outside through the second rear cover (250) in the internal space of the second housing (220).
[0076] According to various embodiments, the input device (215) may include a microphone. In some embodiments, the input device (215) may include a plurality of microphones arranged to detect the direction of sound. According to one embodiment, the audio output device (227, 228) may include speakers. According to one embodiment, the audio output device (227, 228) may include a call receiver (227) arranged through the fourth side (222) of the second housing (220) and an external speaker (228) arranged through at least a portion of the second side member (223) of the second housing (220). In some embodiments, the input device (215), the audio output device (227, 228), and the connector (229) are disposed in spaces of the first housing (210) and / or the second housing (220) and can be exposed to the external environment through at least one hole formed in the first housing (210) and / or the second housing (220). In some embodiments, the holes formed in the first housing (210) and / or the second housing (220) can be used in common for the input device (215) and the audio output device (227, 228). In some embodiments, the audio output device (227, 228) may include a speaker (e.g., a piezo speaker) that operates without the holes formed in the first housing (210) and / or the second housing (220).
[0077] According to various embodiments, the camera modules (216a, 216b, 225) may include a first camera module (216a) disposed on a first surface (211) of the first housing (210), a second camera module (216b) disposed on a second surface (212) of the first housing (210), and / or a third camera module (225) disposed on a fourth surface (222) of the second housing (220). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a flash (218) disposed near the second camera module (216b). According to one embodiment, the flash (218) may include, for example, a light emitting diode or a xenon lamp. According to one embodiment, the camera modules (216a, 216b, 225) may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and / or an image signal processor. In some embodiments, at least one of the camera modules (216a, 216b, 225) includes two or more lenses (e.g., wide-angle and telephoto lenses) and image sensors, and may be arranged together on either side of the first housing (210) and / or the second housing (220).
[0078] According to various embodiments, the sensor modules (217a, 217b, 226) may generate electrical signals or data values corresponding to the internal operating state of the electronic device (200) or the external environmental state. According to one embodiment, the sensor modules (217a, 217b, 226) may include a first sensor module (217a) disposed on a first surface (211) of the first housing (210), a second sensor module (217b) disposed on a second surface (212) of the first housing (210), and / or a third sensor module (226) disposed on a fourth surface (222) of the second housing (220). In some embodiments, the sensor module (217a, 217b, 226) may include at least one of a gesture sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a light sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an iris recognition sensor, or a distance detection sensor (e.g., a time of flight (TOF) sensor or a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor).
[0079] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may further include at least one sensor module not shown, for example, a pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or a fingerprint recognition sensor. In some embodiments, the fingerprint recognition sensor may be disposed through at least one of the first side member (213) of the first housing (210) and / or the second side member (223) of the second housing (220).
[0080] According to various embodiments, the key input device (219) may be arranged to be exposed to the outside through the first side member (213) of the first housing (210). In some embodiments, the key input device (219) may also be arranged to be exposed to the outside through the second side member (223) of the second housing (220). In some embodiments, the electronic device (200) may not include some or all of the key input devices (219), and the key input devices (219) that are not included may be implemented in another form, such as a soft key, on at least one display (230, 300). In another embodiment, the key input device (219) may be implemented using a pressure sensor included in at least one display (230, 300).
[0081] According to various embodiments, the connector port (229) may include a connector (e.g., a USB connector or an IF module (interface connector port module)) for transmitting and receiving power and / or data with an external electronic device. In some embodiments, the connector port (229) may also perform a function for transmitting and receiving audio signals with an external electronic device, or may further include a separate connector port (e.g., an ear jack hole) for performing a function for transmitting and receiving audio signals.
[0082] According to various embodiments, at least one of the camera modules (216a, 216b, 225), at least one of the sensor modules (217a, 217b, 226), and / or an indicator may be arranged to be exposed through at least one display (230, 300). For example, at least one of the camera modules (216a, 225), at least one of the sensor modules (217a, 226), and / or an indicator may be arranged to be exposed through at least one display (230, 300) in the interior space of at least one housing (210, 220), below an active area of at least one display (230, 300), and may be arranged to be in contact with the external environment through an opening or transparent area perforated up to a cover member (e.g., a window layer (not shown) of the first display (230) and / or a second rear cover (250)). In one embodiment, an area where at least one display (230, 300) and at least one camera module (216a, 225) face each other may be formed as a transparent area having a certain transmittance as part of an area displaying content. In one embodiment, the transparent area may be formed to have a transmittance in a range of about 5% to about 20%. This transparent area may include an area overlapping with an effective area (e.g., a field of view area) of at least one camera module (216a, 225) through which light passes to be imaged by an image sensor to create an image. For example, the transparent area of the display (230, 300) may include an area having a lower pixel density than the surrounding area. For example, the transparent area may replace an opening. For example, at least one camera module (216a, 225) may include an under-display camera (UDC) or an under-panel camera (UPC).In another embodiment, some camera modules or sensor modules (217a, 226) may be arranged to perform their functions without being visually exposed through the display. For example, the area facing the camera module (216a, 225) and / or sensor module (217a, 226) arranged under the display (230, 300) (e.g., display panel) may have an under-display camera (UDC) structure, eliminating the need for a perforated opening.
[0083] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device (200) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0084] Referring to FIG. 4, the electronic device (200) may include a first display (230) (e.g., a flexible display), a second display (300), a hinge device (320), a pair of support members (261, 262), at least one substrate (270) (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)), a first housing (210), a second housing (220), a first rear cover (240), and / or a second rear cover (250).
[0085] According to various embodiments, the first display (230) may include a display panel (430) (e.g., a flexible display panel), a support plate (450) disposed under the display panel (430), and a pair of reinforcing plates (461, 462) disposed under the support plate (450). According to one embodiment, the display panel (430) may include a first panel area (430a) corresponding to a first area of the first display (230) (e.g., the first area (230a) of FIG. 2A), a second panel area (430b) extending from the first panel area (430a) and corresponding to a second area of the first display (230) (e.g., the second area (230b) of FIG. 2A), and a third panel area (430c) connecting the first panel area (430a) and the second panel area (430b) and corresponding to a folding area of the first display (230) (e.g., the folding area (230c) of FIG. 2A). In one embodiment, the support plate (450) is disposed between the display panel (430) and a pair of support members (261, 262), and may be formed to have a material and shape to provide a planar support structure for the first panel area (430a) and the second panel area (430b) and a bendable structure to aid in bendability for the third panel area (430c). In one embodiment, the support plate (450) may be formed of a conductive material (e.g., metal) or a non-conductive material (e.g., polymer or fiber reinforced plastics (FRP)). According to one embodiment, the pair of reinforcing plates (461, 462) may include a first reinforcing plate (461) positioned between the support plate (450) and the pair of support members (261, 262) to correspond with at least a portion of the first panel area (430a) and the third panel area (430c), and a second reinforcing plate (462) positioned to correspond with at least a portion of the second panel area (430b) and the third panel area (430c).According to one embodiment, a pair of reinforcing plates (461, 462) may be formed of a metal material (e.g., SUS) to help reinforce the ground connection structure and rigidity for the first display (230).
[0086] According to various embodiments, the second display (300) may be positioned in the space between the second housing (220) and the second rear cover (250). According to one embodiment, the second display (300) may be positioned in the space between the second housing (220) and the second rear cover (250) so as to be visible from the outside through substantially the entire area of the second rear cover (250).
[0087] According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the first support member (261) may be foldably coupled to the second support member (262) via the hinge device (320). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include at least one wiring member (263) (e.g., a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB)) arranged from at least a portion of the first support member (261) across the hinge device (320) to a portion of the second support member (262). According to one embodiment, the first support member (261) may be arranged in a manner that extends from the first side member (213) or is structurally coupled with the first side member (213). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a first space (e.g., the first space (2101) of FIG. 2A) provided through the first support member (261) and the first rear cover (240). According to one embodiment, the first housing (210) (e.g., the first housing structure) may be configured through a combination of a first side member (213), a first support member (261), and a first rear cover (240). According to one embodiment, the second support member (262) may be arranged in a manner such that it extends from the second side member (223) or is structurally coupled with the second side member (223). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a second space (e.g., the second space (2201) of FIG. 2A) provided through the second support member (262) and the second rear cover (250). According to one embodiment, the second housing (220) (e.g., the second housing structure) may be configured through a combination of the second side member (223), the second support member (262), and the second rear cover (250). According to one embodiment, at least one wiring member (263) and / or at least a portion of the hinge device (320) may be arranged to be supported by at least a portion of a pair of support members (261, 262).According to one embodiment, at least one wiring member (263) may be arranged in a direction (e.g., in the x-axis direction) that crosses the first support member (261) and the second support member (262). According to one embodiment, at least one wiring member (263) may be arranged in a direction (e.g., in the x-axis direction) that is substantially perpendicular to a folding axis (e.g., the y-axis or the folding axis (A) of FIG. 2A).
[0088] According to various embodiments, at least one substrate (270) may include a first substrate (271) disposed in a first space (2101) and a second substrate (272) disposed in a second space (2201). According to one embodiment, the first substrate (271) and the second substrate (272) may include a plurality of electronic components disposed to implement various functions of the electronic device (200). According to one embodiment, the first substrate (271) and the second substrate (272) may be electrically connected through at least one wiring member (263).
[0089] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include at least one battery (291, 292). According to one embodiment, the at least one battery (291, 292) may include a first battery (291) disposed in a first space (2101) of a first housing (210) and electrically connected to a first substrate (271) and a second battery disposed in a second space (2201) of a second housing (220) and electrically connected to a second substrate (272). According to one embodiment, the first support member (261) and the second support member (262) may further include at least one swelling hole for the first battery (291) and the second battery (292).
[0090] According to various embodiments, the first housing (210) may include a first rotation support surface (214), and the second housing (220) may include a second rotation support surface (224) corresponding to the first rotation support surface (214). According to one embodiment, the first rotation support surface (214) and the second rotation support surface (224) may include curved surfaces corresponding to (naturally connected to) the curved outer surface of the hinge housing (310). According to one embodiment, the first rotation support surface (214) and the second rotation support surface (224) may cover the hinge housing (310) when the electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, thereby not exposing the hinge housing (310) to the rear surface of the electronic device (200) or exposing only a portion of the hinge housing (310). In one embodiment, the first rotational support surface (214) and the second rotational support surface (224) can rotate along the outer surface of the curve of the hinge housing (310) when the electronic device (200) is in a folded state, thereby exposing at least a portion of the hinge housing (310) to the rear surface of the electronic device (200).
[0091] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include at least one antenna (276) disposed in the first space (2201). In one embodiment, the at least one antenna (276) may be disposed in the first space (2201), on the first battery (291) and the first rear cover (240). In one embodiment, the at least one antenna (276) may include, for example, a near field communication (NFC) antenna, a wireless charging antenna, and / or a magnetic secure transmission (MST) antenna. In one embodiment, the at least one antenna (276) may, for example, perform short-range communication with an external device or wirelessly transmit and receive power required for charging. In some embodiments, the antenna structure may be formed by at least a portion of the first side member (213) or the second side member (223) and / or a portion of the first support member (261) and the second support member (262), or a combination thereof.
[0092] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may further include at least one electronic component assembly (274, 275) and / or additional support members (263, 273) disposed in the first space (2101) and / or the second space (2201). For example, the at least one electronic component assembly may include an interface connector port assembly (274) or a speaker assembly (275).
[0093] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (100) may include a first waterproof structure (WP1) disposed between a first reinforcing plate (461) and a first support member (261) and a second waterproof structure (WP2) disposed between a second reinforcing plate (462) and a second support member (262). According to one embodiment, the first waterproof structure (WP1) may include a first waterproof member (481) disposed such that at least one first waterproof space (4811, 4812, 4813) is formed between the first reinforcing plate (461) and the first support member (261). According to one embodiment, the second waterproof structure (WP2) may include a second waterproof member (482), a third waterproof member (483), and a fourth waterproof member (484) arranged so that at least one second waterproof space (4821) is formed between the second reinforcing plate (462) and the second support member (262). According to one embodiment, the fourth waterproof member (484) may be arranged to connect the stepped and spaced-apart spaces of the second waterproof member (482) and the third waterproof member (483).
[0094] According to various embodiments, at least one first waterproof space (4811) may be arranged to accommodate a penetration path of an FPCB connection portion as a wiring structure for connecting an electronic component disposed between the first reinforcing plate (461) and the first support member (262) to the first space (2101) through the first waterproof member (481). According to one embodiment, at least one second waterproof space (4821) may be arranged to accommodate a penetration path of an FPCB connection portion as a wiring structure for connecting an electronic component disposed between the second reinforcing plate (462) and the second support member (262) to the second space (2201) through the second waterproof member (482), the third waterproof member (483) and the fourth waterproof member (484). According to one embodiment, at least one first waterproof space (4812, 4813) can accommodate an area corresponding to at least one electronic component (e.g., a camera module or a sensor module) arranged to be supported by the first support member (261). According to one embodiment, at least one second waterproof space (4821) can accommodate at least a portion of a bending portion (e.g., a bending portion (432) of FIG. 5) that is folded toward the back of the first display (230). For example, at least one second waterproof space (4821) can be arranged to extend from a display panel (e.g., a display panel (430) of FIG. 5) of the first display (230) and surround at least a portion of a bending portion (432) that is folded toward the back. Accordingly, the control circuit (e.g., the control circuit (4321a) of FIG. 5) and a plurality of electrical elements (not shown) arranged in the banding portion (432) can be protected from external moisture and / or foreign substances by being arranged in at least one second waterproof space (4821).
[0095] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (200) may include a waterproof tape (241) disposed between the first rear cover (240) and the first housing (210). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) may include a bonding member (251) disposed between the second rear cover (250) and the second housing (220). In some embodiments, the bonding member (251) may be disposed between the second display (300) and the second housing (220). In some embodiments, the waterproof tape (241) may be replaced with the bonding member (251), and the bonding member (251) may be replaced with the waterproof tape (241).
[0096] An electronic device (200) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least one waterproof structure (WP1, WP2) in which at least one waterproof member (481, 482, 483, 484) is disposed between a first support member (261) and a first reinforcing plate (461) of a first housing (210) and / or between a second support member (262) and a second reinforcing plate (462) of a second housing (220), so that when the first display (230) is separated from the housings (210, 220) for maintenance of the electronic device (200), the phenomenon of the first display being damaged by the waterproof member can be reduced, and since at least one waterproof member (481, 482, 483, 484) is disposed to avoid the back surface of the first display (230), external visibility can be improved and surface quality can be helped to be secured.
[0097] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a first display according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, the first display will be referred to as a "flexible display."
[0098] A flexible display according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure (e.g., the first display (230) of FIG. 4)) may include an unbreakable (UB) type OLED display (e.g., a curved display). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the flexible display (230) may also include a flat type display of an on cell touch AMOLED (active matrix organic light-emitting diode) (OCTA) type.
[0099] Referring to FIG. 5, the flexible display (230) may include a window layer (410), a polarizing layer (POL) (420) (e.g., a polarizing film) sequentially disposed on the back surface (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) of the window layer (410), a display panel (430), a polymer layer (440), a support plate (450), and reinforcing plates (461, 462). In one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may include a digitizer panel (470) disposed between the support plate (450) and the reinforcing plates (461, 462). In another embodiment, the digitizer panel (470) may be disposed between the polymer layer (440) and the support plate (450).
[0100] According to various embodiments, the window layer (410) may include a glass layer. In one embodiment, the window layer (410) may include ultra-thin glass (UTG). In some embodiments, the window layer (410) may include a polymer. In this case, the window layer (410) may include polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyimide (PI). In some embodiments, the window layer (410) may be arranged in multiple layers to include a glass layer and a polymer.
[0101] According to various embodiments, the window layer (410), the polarizing layer (420), the display panel (430), the polymer layer (440), and the support plate (450) may be arranged to span at least a portion of a first surface (e.g., the first surface (211) of FIG. 2A) of the first housing (e.g., the first housing (210) of FIG. 2A) and a third surface (e.g., the third surface (221) of FIG. 2A) of the second housing (e.g., the second housing (220) of FIG. 2A). According to one embodiment, the reinforcing plates (461, 462) may include a first reinforcing plate (461) corresponding to the first housing (e.g., the first housing (210) of FIG. 2A) and a second reinforcing plate (462) corresponding to the second housing (e.g., the second housing (220) of FIG. 2A). According to one embodiment, the reinforcing plates (461, 462) provide rigidity for the flexible display (230) and can be used as a ground to prevent malfunction of the flexible display (230). According to one embodiment, the reinforcing plates (461, 462) can be formed of a metal material. According to one embodiment, the reinforcing plates (461, 462) can be formed of SUS or AL. According to one embodiment, the window layer (410), the polarizing layer (420), the display panel (430), the polymer layer (440), the support plate (450), and the reinforcing plates (461, 462) can be attached to each other through an adhesive (P1, P2, P3) (or glue). For example, the adhesive (P1, P2, P3) can include at least one of an optical clear adhesive (OCA), a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA), a heat-reactive adhesive, a general adhesive, or a double-sided tape.
[0102] According to various embodiments, the display panel (430) may include a plurality of pixels and a wiring structure (e.g., an electrode pattern). According to one embodiment, the polarizing layer (420) may selectively transmit light generated from a light source of the display panel (430) and vibrating in a certain direction. According to one embodiment, the display panel (430) and the polarizing layer (420) may be formed integrally. According to one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may also include a touch panel (not shown).
[0103] According to various embodiments, the polymer layer (440) may be disposed under the display panel (430) to provide a dark background for ensuring visibility of the display panel (430) and may be formed as a buffering material for buffering. In some embodiments, to ensure waterproofing of the flexible display (230), the polymer layer (440) may be removed or disposed under the support plate (450).
[0104] According to various embodiments, the support plate (450) can provide bending characteristics to the flexible display (230). For example, the support plate (450) can be formed of a non-metallic thin-plate material, such as fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) (e.g., carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) or glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP)) having rigid characteristics for supporting the display panel (430). According to one embodiment, the support plate (450) can include a first flat portion (451) corresponding to a first housing (e.g., the first housing (210) of FIG. 2A), a second flat portion (452) corresponding to a second housing (e.g., the second housing (220) of FIG. 2A), and a bending portion (453) (flexible portion or bending portion) connecting the first flat portion (451) and the second flat portion (452). According to one embodiment, the banding portion (453) may include a plurality of openings (4531) arranged at a specified interval. According to one embodiment, the bending characteristic of the banding portion (453) may be determined through at least one of the size, shape, or arrangement density of at least some of the openings among the plurality of openings (4531). In some embodiments, the support plate (450) may be formed of a metal material such as SUS (steel use stainless) (e.g., STS (stainless steel)), Cu, Al, or metal CLAD (e.g., a laminated member in which SUS and Al are alternately arranged). In this case, the support plate (450) may have a plurality of openings formed throughout the entire area so that a detection operation of the digitizer panel (470) arranged below is induced. In one embodiment, the support plate (450) can help reinforce the rigidity of an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (200) of FIG. 2A), shield ambient noise, and dissipate heat emitted from surrounding heat-emitting components.
[0105] According to various embodiments, the display (230) may be disposed under the support plate (450) and may include a digitizer panel (470) as a detection member that receives an input from an electronic pen (e.g., a stylus). According to one embodiment, the digitizer panel (470) may include coil members disposed on a dielectric substrate (e.g., a dielectric film or a dielectric sheet) so as to detect an electromagnetic induction resonance frequency applied from the electronic pen. According to one embodiment, the digitizer panel (470) may include a planar area including a first planar area facing the first housing (210) and a second planar area facing the second housing (220), and a folding area facing the white paper device (320). According to one embodiment, the digitizer panel (470) can perform the function of a digitizer by being electrically connected to substrates (e.g., substrates (271, 272) of FIG. 4) of an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (200) of FIG. 4) through an FPCB connection.
[0106] According to various embodiments, the flexible display (230) may include at least one functional member (not shown) disposed between the polymer layer (440) and the support plate (450), or under the support plate (450). In one embodiment, the functional member may include a graphite sheet for heat dissipation, an added display, a force touch FPCB, a fingerprint sensor FPCB, an antenna radiator for communication, or a conductive / non-conductive tape. In one embodiment, the functional member may be individually disposed in a first housing (e.g., a first housing (210) of FIG. 2A) and a second housing (e.g., a second housing (220) of FIG. 2A) when the functional member is not bendable. In one embodiment, the functional member, if bendable, may be positioned from a first housing (e.g., the first housing (210) of FIG. 2a) to at least a portion of a second housing (e.g., the second housing (220) of FIG. 2a) via a hinge device (e.g., the hinge device (320) of FIG. 4).
[0107] According to various embodiments, the flexible display (230) may include a bending portion (432) arranged in a manner of being folded from the display panel (430) to at least a portion of the back surface (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) of the flexible display (230). According to one embodiment, the bending portion (432) may include an extension portion (4321) extending from the display panel (430) and including a control circuit (4321a), and a flexible substrate (4322) electrically connected to the extension portion (4321) and including a plurality of electrical elements. According to one embodiment, the control circuit (4321a) may include a display driver IC (DDI) or a touch display driver IC (TDDI) mounted on the extension portion (4321) having an electrical wiring structure. In one embodiment, the bending portion (432) may include a COP (chip on panel or chip on plastic) structure in which the control circuit (4321a) is directly disposed on the extension portion (4321). In some embodiments, the bending portion (432) may include a COF (chip on film) structure in which the control circuit (4321a) is mounted on a separate connecting film (not shown) that connects the extension portion (4321) and the flexible substrate (4322). In one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may include a plurality of electrical elements (not shown) disposed on the flexible substrate (4322). In one embodiment, the flexible display (230) may include an FPCB connection (4323) extending from a flexible substrate (4322) and electrically connected to a substrate (e.g., a second substrate (272) of FIG. 4) of an electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (200) of FIG. 4). In one embodiment, the plurality of electrical components may include passive components such as a touch IC, a flash memory for a display, an ESD prevention diode, a pressure sensor, a fingerprint sensor, or a decap.In another embodiment, when the banding portion (432) is positioned in an area facing the first housing (e.g., the first housing (210) of FIG. 2A) of the flexible display (230), the FPCB connection portion (4323) may be electrically connected to another substrate (e.g., the second substrate (271) of FIG. 4) of the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (200) of FIG. 4).
[0108] According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (200) of FIG. 4) may include a digitizer panel including a high-rigidity shell layer and a curved pattern, and at least one shielding layer. For example, the electronic device may include a digitizer panel including a high-rigidity shell layer and a curved pattern, thereby minimizing circuit breakage of the digitizer panel in a folding area when folded. For example, the electronic device may include a digitizer panel including at least one shielding layer, thereby preventing corrosion of the shielding layer and improving flatness of the display.
[0109] Hereinafter, the digitizer panel (470) included in the electronic device will be described in detail.
[0110] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an electronic device (200) including a digitizer panel (470) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, FIGS. 7a and 7b are cross-sectional views showing a laminated structure of a digitizer panel (470) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, FIG. 8 is a drawing showing a bending pattern (4731) of a digitizer panel (470) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a folded state of an electronic device (200) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0111] Referring to FIGS. 6, 7a, and 7b, the electronic device (200) may include a digitizer panel (470) disposed below the flexible display (230). The digitizer panel (470) may include a planar area including a first planar area (230a) facing the first housing (210) and a second planar area (230b) facing the second housing (220), and a folding area (230c) facing the white device (320). For example, the digitizer panel (470) may be implemented as an integrated digitizer panel (470) including a planar area and a folding area (230c).
[0112] According to one embodiment, the integrated digitizer panel (470) may include a curvature pattern (4731) including at least one opening and / or at least one recess arranged at a specified interval and a specified arrangement density to improve the curvature of the flexible display (230). For example, the curvature pattern (4731) may include a plurality of openings arranged at a specified interval. For example, the curvature pattern (4731) may be formed in at least one of a planar area and a folding area (230c) of the integrated digitizer panel (470).
[0113] According to one embodiment, the digitizer panel (470) may include a circuit portion (471) including at least one wiring layer and at least one insulating layer, a first shell layer (472) disposed above the circuit portion (471), and a second shell layer (473) disposed below the circuit portion (471). The circuit portion (471) may include N wiring layers (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2). For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, the circuit portion (471) may include a first wiring layer (4711), a second wiring layer (4713), a third wiring layer (4715), and a fourth wiring layer (4717). Here, at least one insulating layer (e.g., a first insulating layer (4712), a second insulating layer (4714), and a third insulating layer (4716)) may be disposed between each of the wiring layers. For example, as shown in FIG. 7b, the circuit portion (471) may include a first wiring layer (4711), a second wiring layer (4713), and a third wiring layer (4715). Here, at least one insulating layer (e.g., a first insulating layer (4712), a second insulating layer (4714)) may be disposed between each wiring layer.
[0114] The first shell layer (472) may be formed on top of the circuit portion (471). The second shell layer (473) may be formed on the bottom of the circuit portion (471). The first shell layer (472) and the second shell layer (473) may be formed of a non-metallic thin plate material such as fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) having rigid properties. For example, the first shell layer (472) and the second shell layer (473) may include at least one of a carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) sheet and a glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) sheet. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the first shell layer (472) and the second shell layer (473) having rigid properties are arranged in a form that surrounds the circuit portion (471), so that when the electronic device (200) is folded, the digitizer panel (470) can be bent while forming a radius larger than that of the flexible display (230) in the folding area (230c). Accordingly, when folding, the breakage of the circuit portion (471) of the digitizer panel (470) can be minimized.
[0115] The folding area (230c) of the digitizer panel (470) may include a bending section. In addition, the planar area of the digitizer panel (470) may include a reverse bending section. For example, the first planar area (230a) may include a first reverse bending section (230d), and the second planar area (230b) may include a second reverse bending section (230e). According to one embodiment, the bending pattern (4731) of the integrated digitizer panel (470) may be formed in a bending section corresponding to the folding area (230c) when the flexible display (230) is viewed from above, as illustrated in FIG. 8. According to one embodiment, the bending pattern (4731) of the integrated digitizer panel (470) may be formed in a portion corresponding to the reverse bending section (230d, 230e) of the flat area (230a, 230b) when the flexible display (230) is viewed from above.
[0116] According to one embodiment, the plurality of openings of the bending pattern (4731) may have a shape, an arrangement structure, and an arrangement density that can determine the bending characteristics of the flexible display (230). Each of the plurality of openings may be formed as a slit having a predetermined length and width along the folding axis (A-axis) and a predetermined spacing with respect to each other. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the bending section may include the bending pattern (4731) including the plurality of openings having a first length (H1) along the folding axis, a first width (W1) smaller than the first length (H1), and arranged at a first spacing (D1). For example, the reverse bending section may include the bending pattern (4731) including the plurality of openings having a second length along the folding axis, a second width smaller than the second length, and arranged at a second spacing. For example, the second length may be the same as the first length, the second width may be the same as the first width (W1), and the second interval may be the same as the first interval.
[0117] According to one embodiment, the digitizer panel (470) can provide elasticity and bending characteristics through the bending pattern (4731), and at the same time, can induce the digitizer panel (470) to detect a wireless signal of an external electronic pen. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the bending pattern (4731) can be arranged to have a zigzag wave shape while progressing in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis (A) in at least one of the bending section and the reverse bending section of the digitizer panel (470), thereby helping to improve the bending characteristics of the flexible display (230). For example, the first length of the plurality of openings can have a length that is 15 to 30 times the first spacing. For example, the first width (W1) of the plurality of openings can have a length that is 1.2 to 1.5 times the first spacing. However, the shape and size of the curved pattern (4731) are not limited thereto and may be changed in various ways.
[0118] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a digitizer panel (470) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, FIGS. 11a to 11c are cross-sectional views showing the laminated structure of a digitizer panel (470) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the structure of at least one shielding layer (474) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0119] Referring to FIG. 10, the digitizer panel (470) may include a planar area including a first planar area (230a) facing the first housing (210) and a second planar area (230b) facing the second housing (220), and a folding area (230c) facing the white device (320). The digitizer panel (470) may include a circuit portion (471) including at least one wiring layer and at least one insulating layer, a first shell layer (472) disposed above the circuit portion (471), and a second shell layer (473) disposed below the circuit portion (471). At least one wiring layer may include a plurality of wirings. For example, the folding area (230c) of the circuit portion (471) may include N wiring layers (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2). For example, the planar area of the circuit portion (471) may include M wiring layers (M is a natural number smaller than N) and at least one shielding layer (474).
[0120] According to one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11a, the folding area (230c) of the circuit portion (471) may include four of the wiring layers, and the planar area of the circuit portion (471) may include three of the wiring layers and at least one shielding layer (474). For example, at least one shielding layer (474) of the planar area may be formed on the same layer as the fourth wiring layer (4717) of the folding area (230c). For example, the shielding layer (474) may include a first shielding layer (4741) of the first planar area (230a) formed on the same layer as the fourth wiring layer (4717), and a second shielding layer (4742) of the second planar area (230b) formed on the same layer as the fourth wiring layer (4717).
[0121] According to one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11b, the folding area (230c) of the circuit portion (471) may include four of the wiring layers, and the planar area of the circuit portion (471) may include two of the wiring layers and at least one shielding layer (474). For example, at least one shielding layer (474) of the planar area may be formed in a layer corresponding to the third wiring layer (4715) and the fourth wiring layer (4717) of the folding area (230c). For example, the shielding layer (474) may include a first shielding layer (4741) of a first plane area (230a) formed in a layer corresponding to the third wiring layer (4715) and the fourth wiring layer (4717) and a second shielding layer (4742) of a second plane area (230b) formed in a layer corresponding to the third wiring layer (4715) and the fourth wiring layer (4717).
[0122] According to one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11c, the folding region (230c) of the circuit portion (471) may include three wiring layers, and the planar region of the circuit portion (471) may include two wiring layers and at least one shielding layer (474). For example, at least one shielding layer (474) of the planar region may be formed on the same layer as the third wiring layer (4715) of the folding region (230c). For example, the shielding layer (474) may include a first shielding layer (4741) of the first planar region (230a) formed on the same layer as the third wiring layer (4715), and a second shielding layer (4742) of the second planar region (230b) formed on the same layer as the third wiring layer (4715). The digitizer panel (470) of the present disclosure can prevent corrosion of the shielding layer (474) and improve the flatness of the display by including at least one shielding layer (474) corresponding to the wiring layer of the folding area (230c) in the flat area.
[0123] Referring to Fig. 12, the shielding layer (474) may include a predetermined area corresponding to the flexible display (230). The shielding layer (474) may be arranged at regular intervals and may include a plurality of filling holes (FH) through which resin is introduced. For example, when the first shell layer (472) and the second shell layer (473) are laminated on the upper and lower portions of the circuit portion (471), the resin is introduced through the plurality of filling holes (FH), thereby firmly fixing each component of the digitizer panel (470) and minimizing delamination between layers of the shielding layer (474). For example, the filling holes (FH) may have a diameter of between 0.1 mm and 5 mm to facilitate the introduction of the resin.
[0124] FIGS. 13A to 13D are cross-sectional views showing the configuration of a shielding layer (474) inside a digitizer panel (470) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0125] The digitizer panel (470) may include at least one shielding layer (474) in a planar area. The digitizer panel (470) may include a planar area including a first planar area (230a) facing the first housing (210) and a second planar area (230b) facing the second housing (220), and a folding area (230c) facing the white device (320). The first planar area (230a) may include a first-first planar area (230a1) in an opposite direction of the folding area (230c) with respect to the first reverse bending section (230d), and a first-second planar area (230a2) between the folding area (230c) and the first reverse bending section (230d). The second plane region (230b) may include a 2-1 plane region (230b1) in the opposite direction of the folding region (230c) with respect to the second reverse bending section (230e), and a 2-2 plane region (230b2) between the folding region (230c) and the second reverse bending section (230e). The at least one shielding layer (474) may include a first shielding layer (4741) arranged in the circuit portion (471) of the 1-1 plane region (230a1), and a second shielding layer (4742) arranged in the circuit portion (471) of the 2-1 plane region (230b1). For example, the first shielding layer (4741) and the second shielding layer (4742) may include at least one of a magnetic shielding material, a conductive shielding material, and a magnet shielding material.
[0126] Referring to FIG. 13A, the digitizer panel (470) may include a first shielding layer (4741) including a magnetic shielding material and a second shielding layer (4742) including a magnetic shielding material. The first shielding layer (4741) and the second shielding layer (4742) may be formed in a layer corresponding to at least one wiring layer of the circuit portion (471). For example, the first shielding layer (4741) disposed in the circuit portion (471) of the 1-1 planar area (230a1) may include a magnetic shielding material. For example, the second shielding layer (4742) disposed in the circuit portion (471) of the 2-1 planar area (230b1) may include a magnetic shielding material.
[0127] Referring to FIG. 13b, the digitizer panel (470) may include a first shielding layer (4741) including a magnetic shielding material (4741a) and a conductive shielding material (4741b) and a second shielding layer (4742) including a magnetic shielding material (4742a) and a conductive shielding material (4742b). The first shielding layer (4741) and the second shielding layer (4742) may be formed in a layer corresponding to at least one wiring layer of the circuit unit (471). In the first shielding layer (4741) and the second shielding layer (4742), the conductive shielding materials (4741b, 4742b) may be formed under the magnetic shielding materials (4741a, 4742a). For example, the first shielding layer (4741) disposed in the circuit portion (471) of the 1-1 planar region (230a1) may include a magnetic shielding material (4741a) and a conductive shielding material (4741b) formed under the magnetic shielding material (4741a). For example, the second shielding layer (4742) disposed in the circuit portion (471) of the 2-1 planar region (230b1) may include a magnetic shielding material (4742a) and a conductive shielding material (4742b) formed under the magnetic shielding material (4742a).
[0128] Referring to FIG. 13c, the digitizer panel (470) may include a first shielding layer (4741) including a magnetic shielding material (4741a), a conductive shielding material (4741b), and a magnetic shielding material (4741c), and a second shielding layer (4742) including a magnetic shielding material (4742a), a conductive shielding material (4742b), and a magnetic shielding material (4742c). The first shielding layer (4741) and the second shielding layer (4742) may be formed in a layer corresponding to at least one wiring layer of the circuit unit (471). The conductive shielding materials (4741b, 4742b) may be formed under the magnetic shielding materials (4741a, 4742a). The magnetic shielding material (4741c, 4742c) may be formed on one side of the magnetic shielding material (4741a, 4742a). For example, the first shielding layer (4741) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 1-1 planar region (230a1) may include a magnetic shielding material (4741a), a conductive shielding material (4741b) formed under the magnetic shielding material (4741a), and a magnetic shielding material (4741c) formed on one side of the magnetic shielding material (4741a). For example, the second shielding layer (4742) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 2-1 plane area (230b1) may include a magnetic shielding material (4742a), a conductive shielding material (4742b) formed under the magnetic shielding material (4742a), and a magnetic shielding material (4742c) formed on one side of the magnetic shielding material (4741a).
[0129] Referring to FIG. 13D, the digitizer panel (470) may include a first shielding layer (4741) including at least one of a magnetic shielding material, a conductive shielding material, and a magnetic shielding material, and a second shielding layer (4742) including at least one of a magnetic shielding material, a conductive shielding material, and a magnetic shielding material. The first shielding layer (4741) and the second shielding layer (4742) may be formed in a layer corresponding to at least one wiring layer of the circuit portion (471). For example, the first shielding layer (4741) and the second shielding layer (4742) may include different configurations. For example, the first shielding layer (4741) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 1-1 planar area (230a1) may include a magnetic shielding material (4741a). For example, the second shielding layer (4742) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 2-1 plane area (230b1) may include a magnetic shielding material (4742a), a conductive shielding material (4742b) formed under the magnetic shielding material (4742a), and a magnetic shielding material (4742c) formed on one side of the magnetic shielding material (4742a).
[0130] FIGS. 14a and 14b are cross-sectional views showing the configuration of a shielding layer (474) inside a digitizer panel (470) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0131] The digitizer panel (470) may include at least one shielding layer (474) in a planar area. The digitizer panel (470) may include a planar area including a first planar area (230a) facing the first housing (210) and a second planar area (230b) facing the second housing (220), and a folding area (230c) facing the white device (320). The first planar area (230a) may include a first-first planar area (230a1) in an opposite direction of the folding area (230c) with respect to the first reverse bending section (230d), and a first-second planar area (230a2) between the folding area (230c) and the first reverse bending section (230d). The second plane region (230b) may include a second-first plane region (230b1) in the opposite direction of the folding region (230c) with respect to the second reverse bending section (230e), and a second-second plane region (230b2) between the folding region (230c) and the second reverse bending section (230e).
[0132] In one embodiment, at least one shielding layer (474) may include a first shielding layer (4741) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 1-1 planar region (230a1), and a second shielding layer (4742) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 2-1 planar region (230b1). In addition, at least one shielding layer (474) may further include a third shielding layer (4743) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 1-2 planar region (230a2), and a fourth shielding layer (4744) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 2-2 planar region (230b2). For example, the first shielding layer (4741), the second shielding layer (4742), the third shielding layer (4743), and the fourth shielding layer (4744) may include at least one of a magnetic shielding material, a conductive shielding material, and a magnetic shielding material.
[0133] Referring to FIG. 14A, the digitizer panel (470) may include a first shielding layer (4741) including a magnetic shielding material, a second shielding layer (4742) including a magnetic shielding material, a third shielding layer (4743) including a magnetic shielding material, and a fourth shielding layer (4744) including a magnetic shielding material. The first to fourth shielding layers (4741 to 4744) may be formed in a layer corresponding to at least one wiring layer of the circuit portion (471). For example, the first shielding layer (4741) disposed in the circuit portion (471) of the 1-1 planar area (230a1) may include a magnetic shielding material. For example, the second shielding layer (4742) disposed in the circuit portion (471) of the 2-1 planar area (230b1) may include a magnetic shielding material. The third shielding layer (4743) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the first-second planar region (230a2) may include a magnetic shielding material. The fourth shielding layer (4744) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the second-second planar region (230b2) may include a magnetic shielding material.
[0134] Referring to FIG. 14b, the digitizer panel (470) may include a first shielding layer (4741) including a magnetic shielding material (4741a) and a conductive shielding material (4741b), a second shielding layer (4742) including a magnetic shielding material (4742a) and a conductive shielding material (4742b), a third shielding layer (4743) including a magnetic shielding material (4743a) and a conductive shielding material (4743b), and a fourth shielding layer (4744) including a magnetic shielding material (4744a) and a conductive shielding material (4744b). The first shielding layer (4741) to the fourth shielding layer (4744) may be formed in a layer corresponding to at least one wiring layer of the circuit portion (471). In the first shielding layer (4741) to the fourth shielding layer (4744), the conductive shielding material may be formed under the magnetic shielding material. For example, the first shielding layer (4741) disposed in the circuit portion (471) of the 1-1 planar region (230a1) may include a magnetic shielding material (4741a) and a conductive shielding material (4741b) formed under the magnetic shielding material (4741a). For example, the second shielding layer (4742) disposed in the circuit portion (471) of the 2-1 planar region (230b1) may include a magnetic shielding material (4742a) and a conductive shielding material (4742b) formed under the magnetic shielding material (4742a). For example, the third shielding layer (4743) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the first-second planar region (230a2) may include a magnetic shielding material (4743a) and a conductive shielding material (4743b) formed under the magnetic shielding material (4743a). For example, the fourth shielding layer (4744) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the second-second planar region (230b2) may include a magnetic shielding material (4744a) and a conductive shielding material (4744b) formed under the magnetic shielding material (4744a).
[0135] FIGS. 15a and 15b are cross-sectional views showing the configuration of a shielding layer (474) inside a digitizer panel (470) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0136] The digitizer panel (470) may include at least one shielding layer (474) in a planar area. The digitizer panel (470) may include a planar area including a first planar area (230a) facing the first housing (210) and a second planar area (230b) facing the second housing (220), and a folding area (230c) facing the white device (320). The first planar area (230a) may include a first-first planar area (230a1) in an opposite direction of the folding area (230c) with respect to the first reverse bending section (230d), and a first-second planar area (230a2) between the folding area (230c) and the first reverse bending section (230d). The second plane region (230b) may include a second-first plane region (230b1) in the opposite direction of the folding region (230c) with respect to the second reverse bending section (230e), and a second-second plane region (230b2) between the folding region (230c) and the second reverse bending section (230e).
[0137] Referring to FIG. 15A, the electronic device (200) may further include a shielding sheet (484) disposed under the digitizer panel (470). For example, the digitizer panel (470) may include a first shielding layer (4741) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 1-1 planar area (230a1), and a second shielding layer (4742) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 2-1 planar area (230b1). For example, the first shielding layer (4741) and the second shielding layer (4742) may be formed on a layer corresponding to at least one wiring layer of the circuit portion (471). For example, the first shielding layer (4741) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 1-1 planar area (230a1) may include a magnetic shielding material. For example, the second shielding layer (4742) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 2-1 plane area (230b1) may include a magnetic shielding material. The shielding sheet (484) disposed on the lower portion of the digitizer panel (470) may include a conductive shielding material. For example, the shielding sheet (484) may include a conductive shielding material (4841) corresponding to the first shielding layer (4741) and a conductive shielding material (4842) corresponding to the second shielding layer (4742).
[0138] Referring to FIG. 15b, the electronic device (200) may further include a shielding sheet (484) disposed below the digitizer panel (470). For example, the digitizer panel (470) may include a first shielding layer (4741) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 1-1 planar area (230a1), a second shielding layer (4742) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 2-1 planar area (230b1), a third shielding layer (4743) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 1-2 planar area (230a2), and a fourth shielding layer (4744) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the 2-2 planar area (230b2). For example, the first shielding layer (4741) to the fourth shielding layer (4744) may be formed in a layer corresponding to at least one wiring layer of the circuit portion (471). For example, the first shielding layer (4741) disposed in the circuit portion (471) of the 1-1 planar region (230a1) may include a magnetic shielding material. For example, the second shielding layer (4742) disposed in the circuit portion (471) of the 2-1 planar region (230b1) may include a magnetic shielding material. For example, the third shielding layer (4743) disposed in the circuit portion (471) of the 1-2 planar region (230a2) may include a magnetic shielding material. For example, the fourth shielding layer (4744) disposed in the circuit portion (471) of the 2-2 planar region (230b2) may include a magnetic shielding material. The shielding sheet (484) disposed under the digitizer panel (470) may include a conductive shielding material. For example, the shielding sheet (484) may include a conductive shielding material (4841) corresponding to the first shielding layer (4741), a conductive shielding material (4842) corresponding to the second shielding layer (4742), a conductive shielding material (4843) corresponding to the third shielding layer (4743), and a conductive shielding material (4844) corresponding to the fourth shielding layer (4744).
[0139] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a laminated structure of a digitizer panel (470) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0140] Referring to FIG. 16, the digitizer panel (470) may include a planar area including a first planar area (230a) facing the first housing (210) and a second planar area (230b) facing the second housing (220), and a folding area (230c) facing the white device (320). The digitizer panel (470) may include a circuit portion (471) including at least one wiring layer and at least one insulating layer, a first shell layer (472) disposed above the circuit portion (471), and a second shell layer (473) disposed below the circuit portion (471). At least one wiring layer may include a plurality of wirings. For example, the folding area (230c) of the circuit portion (471) may include N wiring layers (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2). For example, the planar area of the circuit portion (471) may include M wiring layers (M is a natural number smaller than N) and at least one control IC (475).
[0141] According to one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the folding area (230c) of the circuit portion (471) may include four of the wiring layers, and the planar area of the circuit portion (471) may include three of the wiring layers and at least one control IC (475). For example, at least one control IC of the planar area may be formed in the same layer as the fourth wiring layer (4717) of the folding area (230c). Meanwhile, the control IC (475) of the digitizer panel (470) of the present disclosure is not limited to FIG. 16, and the control IC of the present disclosure may be variously arranged within the digitizer panel (470). For example, the control IC (475) may be arranged in at least one of the first planar area (230a) and the second planar area (230b). For example, the control IC (475) can be formed in a layer corresponding to the third wiring layer (4715) and the fourth wiring layer (4717) of the folding area (230c).
[0142] As such, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the foldable electronic device (200) of the present disclosure and the manufacturing method thereof include a digitizer panel (470) including a high-rigidity shell layer and a curved pattern (4731), thereby minimizing circuit breakage of the digitizer panel (470) in the folding area (230c) when folding. In addition, the foldable electronic device (200) of the present disclosure and the manufacturing method thereof include a digitizer panel (470) including at least one shielding layer (474), thereby preventing corrosion of the shielding layer (474) and improving flatness of the display. However, since this has been described above, a redundant description thereof will be omitted.
[0143] A foldable electronic device (200) according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include a first housing, a second housing, a hinge device rotatably connecting the first housing and the second housing, a flexible display (230) disposed across the first housing and the second housing and including a folding area (230c), and a digitizer panel (470) disposed at a lower portion of the flexible display (230) and including a curved pattern (4731) including a plurality of openings arranged at specified intervals. The digitizer panel (470) may include a circuit portion (471) including at least one wiring layer and at least one insulating layer, a first shell layer (472) disposed above the circuit portion (471), and a second shell layer (473) disposed below the circuit portion (471).
[0144] In one embodiment, the digitizer panel (470) may include a planar area including a first planar area (230a) facing the first housing and a second planar area (230b) facing the second housing, and the folding area (230c). The folding area (230c) of the circuit portion (471) may include N wiring layers (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2). The planar area of the circuit portion (471) may include M wiring layers (M is a natural number less than N) and at least one shielding layer (474).
[0145] In one embodiment, the first shell layer (472) and the second shell layer (473) may include at least one of a carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) sheet and a glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) sheet.
[0146] In one embodiment, the folding area (230c) of the digitizer panel (470) may include a bending section. The bending section may include the bending pattern (4731) having a first length along the folding axis, a first width (W1) smaller than the first length, and including the plurality of openings arranged at a first interval.
[0147] In one embodiment, the first length of the plurality of openings may have a length of 15 to 30 times the first spacing. The first width (W1) of the plurality of openings may have a length of 1.2 to 1.5 times the first spacing.
[0148] In one embodiment, the planar region of the digitizer panel (470) may include a reverse bending section. The reverse bending section may include the bending pattern (4731) having a second length along the folding axis, a second width smaller than the second length, and including the plurality of openings arranged at a second interval.
[0149] In one embodiment, the folding region (230c) of the circuit portion (471) may include four of the wiring layers. The planar region of the circuit portion (471) may include three of the wiring layers and at least one shielding layer (474).
[0150] In one embodiment, the folding region (230c) of the circuit portion (471) may include four of the wiring layers. The planar region of the circuit portion (471) may include two of the wiring layers and at least one shielding layer (474).
[0151] In one embodiment, the folding region (230c) of the circuit portion (471) may include three of the wiring layers. The planar region of the circuit portion (471) may include two of the wiring layers and at least one shielding layer (474).
[0152] In one embodiment, the at least one shielding layer (474) may include a plurality of filling holes (FH) arranged at regular intervals and through which resin is introduced. The filling holes (FH) may have a diameter of between 0.1 mm and 5 mm.
[0153] In one embodiment, the first plane region (230a) may include a first-first plane region (230a1) in the opposite direction of the folding region (230c) with respect to the first reverse bending section (230d), and a first-second plane region (230a2) between the folding region (230c) and the first reverse bending section (230d). The second plane region (230b) may include a second-first plane region (230b1) in the opposite direction of the folding region (230c) with respect to the second reverse bending section (230e), and a second-second plane region (230b2) between the folding region (230c) and the second reverse bending section (230e).
[0154] In one embodiment, the at least one shielding layer (474) may include a first shielding layer (4741) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the first-first planar region (230a1), and a second shielding layer (4742) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the second-first planar region (230b1).
[0155] In one embodiment, the first shielding layer (4741) and the second shielding layer (4742) may include at least one of a magnetic shielding material, a conductive shielding material, and a magnetic shielding material.
[0156] In one embodiment, the at least one shielding layer (474) may further include a third shielding layer (4743) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the first-second planar region (230a2), and a fourth shielding layer (4744) disposed on the circuit portion (471) of the second-second planar region (230b2).
[0157] In one embodiment, the third shielding layer (4743) and the fourth shielding layer (4744) may include at least one of a magnetic shielding material, a conductive shielding material, and a magnetic shielding material.
[0158] In one embodiment, the digitizer panel (470) may further include a shielding sheet (484) disposed below the digitizer panel (470). The at least one shielding layer (474) may include a magnetic shielding material. The shielding sheet may include a conductive shielding material.
[0159] In one embodiment, the digitizer panel (470) may include a planar area including a first planar area (230a) facing the first housing and a second planar area (230b) facing the second housing, and the folding area (230c). The folding area (230c) of the circuit portion (471) may include N wiring layers (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2). The planar areas (230a, 230b) of the circuit portion (471) may include M wiring layers (M is a natural number less than N) and at least one control IC (475).
[0160] A method for manufacturing a foldable electronic device (200) according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include an operation of forming a flexible display (230) that is arranged across a first housing and a second housing and includes a folding area (230c), and an operation of forming a digitizer panel (470) that is arranged under the flexible display (230). The operation of forming the digitizer panel (470) may include an operation of forming a circuit portion (471) that includes at least one wiring layer and at least one insulating layer, an operation of forming a first shell layer (472) that is arranged over the circuit portion (471) and a second shell layer (473) that is arranged under the circuit portion (471), and an operation of forming a curved pattern (4731) that includes a plurality of openings arranged at specified intervals.
[0161] In one embodiment, the digitizer panel (470) may include a planar area including a first planar area (230a) facing the first housing and a second planar area (230b) facing the second housing, and the folding area (230c). The operation of forming the circuit portion (471) may include an operation of forming N wiring layers (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) in the folding area (230c) of the circuit portion (471), and an operation of forming M wiring layers (M is a natural number less than N) and at least one shielding layer (474) in the planar area of the circuit portion (471).
[0162] In one embodiment, the first shell layer (472) and the second shell layer (473) may include at least one of a carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) sheet and a glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) sheet.
Claims
1. In a foldable electronic device, 1st housing (210); Second housing (220); A hinge device (320) that rotatably connects the first housing (210) and the second housing (220); A flexible display (230) arranged across the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) and including a folding area (230c); and A digitizer panel (470) is disposed at the lower portion of the flexible display (230) and includes a curved pattern including a plurality of openings arranged at specified intervals, The above digitizer panel (470) is A circuit portion (471) comprising at least one wiring layer and at least one insulating layer; A first shell layer (472) arranged on the upper part of the circuit section; and Including a second shell layer (473) arranged at the lower part of the above circuit section, device.
2. In paragraph 1, The above digitizer panel, A planar area including a first planar area (230a) facing the first housing and a second planar area (230b) facing the second housing, and the folding area (230c), The folding area (230c) of the above circuit portion includes N wiring layers (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2), The above-mentioned planar area (230a, 230b) of the above-mentioned circuit portion includes M (M is a natural number smaller than N) wiring layers and at least one shielding layer. device.
3. In paragraph 2, The above first shell layer and the above second shell layer, Comprising at least one of a CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastics) sheet and a GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastics) sheet, device.
4. In paragraph 2 or 3, The folding area of the above digitizer panel includes a bending section, The above bending section has a first length along the folding axis, a first width smaller than the first length, and includes a bending pattern including the plurality of openings arranged at a first interval. device.
5. In paragraph 4, The first length of the above plurality of openings has a length of 15 to 30 times that of the first interval, The first width of the above plurality of openings has a length of 1.2 to 1.5 times that of the first interval. device.
6. In paragraph 4 or 5, The above flat area of the above digitizer panel includes a reverse bending section, The above reverse bending section has a second length along the folding axis, a second width smaller than the second length, and includes the bending pattern including the plurality of openings arranged at a second interval. device.
7. In any one of paragraphs 2 to 6, The folding area of the above circuit portion includes four wiring layers, The planar area of the circuit portion includes three wiring layers and at least one shielding layer. device.
8. In any one of paragraphs 2 to 6, The folding area of the above circuit portion includes four wiring layers, The planar area of the circuit portion includes two wiring layers and at least one shielding layer. device.
9. In any one of paragraphs 2 to 6, The folding area of the above circuit portion includes three wiring layers, The planar area of the circuit portion includes two wiring layers and at least one shielding layer. device.
10. In any one of paragraphs 2 to 6, At least one of the above shielding layers, It includes a plurality of filling holes arranged at regular intervals and into which resin is introduced. The above filling hole has a diameter of between 0.1 mm and 5 mm. device.
11. In any one of paragraphs 2 to 6, The above first plane region includes a 1-1 plane region in the opposite direction of the folding region with respect to the first reverse bending section, and a 1-2 plane region between the folding region and the first reverse bending section. The second plane region includes a second-first plane region in the opposite direction of the folding region with respect to the second reverse bending section, and a second-second plane region between the folding region and the second reverse bending section. device.
12. In paragraph 11, At least one of the above shielding layers, A first shielding layer arranged on the circuit portion of the above 1-1 plane area; and Includes a second shielding layer arranged on the circuit section of the above 2-1 plane area, The above first shielding layer and the above second shielding layer, Comprising at least one of a magnetic shielding material, a conductive shielding material, and a magnetic shielding material; device.
13. In paragraph 12, At least one of the above shielding layers, A third shielding layer arranged on the circuit portion of the first-second plane area; and It further includes a fourth shielding layer arranged in the circuit section of the above 2-2 plane area, The third shielding layer and the fourth shielding layer, Comprising at least one of a magnetic shielding material, a conductive shielding material, and a magnetic shielding material; device.
14. In paragraph 12, It further includes a shielding sheet (484) placed at the bottom of the above digitizer panel, wherein at least one of the shielding layers comprises a magnetic shielding material; The above shielding sheet comprises a conductive shielding material, device.
15. A method for manufacturing a foldable electronic device, An operation of forming a flexible display (230) that is arranged across the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) and includes a folding area (230c); and Including an operation of forming a digitizer panel (470) disposed at the lower portion of the flexible display (230), The operation of forming the above digitizer panel (470) is as follows: An operation of forming a circuit portion (471) including at least one wiring layer and at least one insulating layer; An operation of forming a first shell layer (472) arranged on the upper part of the circuit portion and a second shell layer (473) arranged on the lower part of the circuit portion; and Comprising an action of forming a curved pattern including a plurality of openings spaced at specified intervals; method.
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