Foldable electronic device comprising protective member

Abstract

A foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise: a hinge assembly to which a first housing and a second housing are connected; a display stack including a plurality of layers including a display panel, the display stack including a flexible third area; and a protective member disposed at the periphery of the third area and configured to be folded or unfolded together with the third area. The protective member may include a protective cover and a protective wall. The protective wall may include a first portion protruding from the protective cover below the bottom surface of the third area, and a second portion protruding from the protective cover above the bottom surface of the third area and spaced farther apart from the edge of the third area than the first portion.

Description

Foldable electronic device including a protective member

[0001] Embodiments disclosed in this document relate to foldable electronic devices, for example, foldable electronic devices including a protective member.

[0002] Electronic devices can refer to devices that perform specific functions based on the programs installed on them, such as home appliances, electronic notebooks, portable multimedia players, mobile communication terminals, tablet PCs, audio / video devices, desktop / laptop computers, or car navigation systems. For example, these electronic devices can output stored information as audio or video. As the integration of electronic devices increases and ultra-high-speed, high-capacity wireless communications become more widespread, a single electronic device, such as a mobile communication terminal, can now be equipped with various functions. For example, in addition to communication functions, entertainment functions such as games, multimedia functions such as music / video playback, communication and security functions for mobile banking, or functions such as schedule management or electronic wallets are being integrated into a single electronic device.

[0003] As the use of personal or portable communication devices, such as smartphones, becomes more widespread, user demand for portability and ease of use is increasing. For example, a touchscreen display can serve as an output device, such as a screen that outputs visual information, while also providing a virtual keypad that replaces mechanical input devices (e.g., button-type input devices). This allows portable communication devices or electronic devices to be miniaturized while still offering the same or even improved usability (e.g., a larger screen). On the other hand, with the commercialization of flexible, e.g., foldable, displays, the portability and usability of foldable electronic devices are expected to further improve. These foldable electronic devices can be carried in a folded state by combining multiple different structures (e.g., housings) and can display a larger screen when unfolded, thereby providing enhanced portability and usability.

[0004] The above information may be provided as background information to aid in understanding the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the above is prior art in connection with the present disclosure.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing, a hinge assembly in which the first housing and the second housing are connected, a display stack including a plurality of layers including a display panel, the display stack including a first region disposed in the first housing, a second region disposed in the second housing, and a third region positioned between the first region and the second region and being flexible, and a protective member disposed at a periphery of the third region of the display stack and configured to be folded or unfolded together with the third region, wherein the protective member includes a protective cover covering a periphery of the third region, and a protective wall extending along an edge of the third region and covering an edge of the third region, wherein the protective wall may include a first portion protruding downward from a bottom surface of the third region from the protective cover, and a second portion protruding upward from a bottom surface of the third region from the protective cover and spaced further from an edge of the third region than the first portion.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing, a hinge assembly in which the first housing and the second housing are connected, a display stack including a first region disposed in the first housing, a second region disposed in the second housing, and a flexible third region positioned between the first region and the second region, a protective member disposed at a periphery of the third region of the display stack and configured to be folded or unfolded together with the third region, a first damper extending along an edge of the first region of the display stack and overlapping the protective member, and a second damper extending along an edge of the second region of the display stack and overlapping the protective member, wherein the protective member includes an elastic strip contacting the periphery of the third region of the display stack, and a rigid strip having a hardness higher than a hardness of the elastic strip and laminated on the elastic strip, wherein the elastic strip has a portion that does not overlap with the first damper and the second damper, and is formed by the first damper or the second damper. It may be thicker than the part that overlaps the damper.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing, a hinge assembly in which the first housing and the second housing are connected, a hinge cover covering at least a portion of an outer side of the hinge assembly and positioned on both sides of the first housing and the second housing, a display stack including a plurality of layers including a display panel, the display stack including a first region disposed in the first housing, a second region disposed in the second housing, and a flexible third region positioned between the first region and the second region, a protective member disposed at a periphery of the third region of the display stack and configured to be folded or unfolded together with the third region, and a protective cap coupled to the hinge cover and at least partially surrounding an outer side of the protective member, wherein the protective member includes a protective cover covering a periphery of the foldable portion, and a protective wall protruding from the protective cover to cover an edge of the third region of the display stack, the protective cap surrounding at least a portion of an outer side of the protective wall and the protective member It can be configured to support the moon.

[0008] The above-described aspects or other aspects, configurations and / or advantages of various embodiments of the present disclosure may be further clarified by the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments.

[0010] FIG. 2 illustrates a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates a foldable electronic device in a folded state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a foldable electronic device in an intermediate state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 7 is a top view of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line AA' illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0017] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a protective member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 10 is a side view of a protective member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 11 is a bottom view of a protective member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device taken along line DD' of FIG. 7.

[0021] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device taken along line BB' of FIG. 7.

[0022] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line BB' of FIG. 7.

[0023] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line CC' of FIG. 7.

[0024] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line BB' of FIG. 7.

[0025] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line BB' of FIG. 7.

[0026] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line BB' of FIG. 7.

[0027] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a portion of a foldable electronic device illustrating a protective member and a protective cap according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 20 is a portion of a cross-sectional view of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line EE' of FIG. 7.

[0029] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of a foldable electronic device in a folded state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line GG' of FIG. 3.

[0030] FIG. 22 is a plan view of a rigid strip according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 23 is a portion of a cross-sectional view of a foldable electronic device in a folded state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line HH' of FIG. 3.

[0032] FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a protective member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 25 is a side view of a protective member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] The following description of the accompanying drawings may provide an understanding of various exemplary implementations of the present disclosure, including the claims and their equivalents. While the exemplary embodiments disclosed in the following description include numerous specific details to aid understanding, they are to be considered as one example of various exemplary embodiments. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations of the various implementations described herein may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0035] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to their reference meanings and can be used to clearly and consistently describe one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various implementations of the disclosure is provided for illustrative purposes, not for the purpose of limiting the scope of the disclosure and its equivalents.

[0036] Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the singular forms of "a," "an," and "the" should be understood to include plural meanings. Thus, for example, "a component surface" could be understood to include one or more of the surfaces of the component.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) within a network environment (100) according to various embodiments.

[0038] 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 at least one of 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)).

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, 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.

[0041] The number of processors (120) may be one or more. For example, the processor (120) may have a multi-core processor structure such as a dual core, quad core, or hexa core.

[0042] The processor (120) can control the operations of the electronic device (101) by executing instructions stored in the memory (130). For example, the processor (120) can correspond to a plurality of processors that collectively perform a plurality of operations by dividing them among the processors.

[0043] 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).

[0044] 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).

[0045] 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).

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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).

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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).

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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).

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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).

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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 selected at least one 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).

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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)).

[0061] 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.

[0062] Electronic devices according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may take various forms. Electronic devices may include, for example, portable communication devices (e.g., smartphones), computer devices, portable multimedia devices, portable medical devices, cameras, wearable devices, or home appliances. Electronic devices according to the embodiments of this document are not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0063] The various embodiments of this document and the terminology used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among those phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0064] The term "module" used in various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integral component, or a minimum unit or part of such a component that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0065] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (140)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (136) or an external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0067] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0068] The description of the electronic device (101) described with reference to FIG. 1 can be substantially identically applied to the foldable electronic device (200) described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 25 below, to the extent that they are not arranged with each other. As an example, the description of the components (e.g., display module (160)) of the electronic device (101) illustrated in FIG. 1 can be substantially identically applied to the components (e.g., display (240)) of the foldable electronic device (200) described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 17, to the extent that they are not arranged with each other.

[0069] FIG. 2 illustrates a foldable electronic device (200) in an unfolded state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 illustrates a foldable electronic device (200) in a folded state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0070] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device (200) may include a foldable housing (201), a hinge cover (230) covering a foldable portion of the foldable housing (201), and a display (240) (or foldable display (240)) disposed in the foldable housing (201).

[0071] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a display (240) may be referred to as a display stack (240) including a plurality of layers (e.g., a display panel, a polarizing layer, an adhesive layer, a protective window, and / or a protective film, etc.). The description of the display (240) described in this document may be equally applied to the display stack.

[0072] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the surface formed by the display (240) may be referred to as the front surface (e.g., the first front surface (210a) and the second front surface (220a)) of the foldable electronic device (200). In addition, the surface opposite to the front surface may be referred to as the back surface (e.g., the first back surface (210b) and the second back surface (220b)) of the foldable electronic device (200). The surface connecting the front and back surfaces of the foldable electronic device (200) and surrounding the space between the front and back surfaces of the foldable electronic device (200) may be referred to as the side surface (e.g., the first side surface (211a) and the second side surface (221a)) of the foldable electronic device (200).

[0073] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device may include a first housing (210), a second housing (220), and a hinge assembly (202) connecting the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). The foldable electronic device may include a foldable housing (201).

[0074] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a foldable housing (201) may include a first housing (210), a second housing (220), a first rear cover (280), a second rear cover (290), and a hinge assembly (e.g., a hinge assembly (202) of FIG. 4) in which the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are coupled. The hinge assembly (202) may provide a folding axis (FA) that serves as a reference for folding or unfolding the foldable electronic device (200). The foldable housing (201) of the foldable electronic device (200) is not limited to the shape illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, and may be implemented by a combination and / or coupling of other shapes or parts. For example, in one embodiment, the first housing (210) and the first rear cover (280) may be formed integrally, or the second housing (220) and the second rear cover (290) may be formed integrally. The foldable electronic device (200) may be folded or unfolded by the hinge assembly (202). In the folded state, the first front side (210a) may face the second front side (220a), and in the unfolded state, the third direction may be substantially parallel to the first direction. In the following, unless otherwise stated, the directions are described based on the unfolded state of the foldable electronic device (200).

[0075] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may be disposed on both sides of the hinge assembly (202) with respect to the folding axis (FA). As an example, the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may have shapes that are substantially symmetrical with respect to the folding axis (FA). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the folding axis (FA) is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction (e.g., Y-axis direction) of the foldable electronic device (200), but the direction of the folding axis (FA) is not limited thereto.

[0076] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may be formed of a metallic or non-metallic material having a rigidity of a size selected to support the display (240). At least a portion formed of the metallic material may provide a ground plane of the foldable electronic device (200) and may be electrically connected to a ground conductor provided on a printed circuit board (e.g., the board portion (260) of FIG. 4).

[0077] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the foldable electronic device (200) may include a structure into which a digital pen can be inserted. For example, a hole (223) into which the digital pen can be inserted may be formed on a side of the first housing (210) or a side of the second housing (220) of the foldable electronic device (200).

[0078] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the sensor area (224) may be formed to have a predetermined area adjacent to one corner of the second housing (220). However, the arrangement, shape, and size of the sensor area (224) are not limited to the illustrated example. According to one embodiment, components for performing various functions built into the foldable electronic device (200) may be visually exposed to the front of the foldable electronic device (200) through the sensor area (224) or through one or more openings provided in the sensor area (224). In various embodiments, the components may include various types of sensors. The sensor may include, for example, at least one of a front camera, a receiver, or a proximity sensor.

[0079] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first rear cover (280) may be disposed on one side of the folding axis (FA). An edge of the first rear cover (280) may be supported by the first housing (210). The second rear cover (290) may be disposed on the other side of the folding axis (FA). An edge of the second rear cover (290) may be supported by the second housing (220).

[0080] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first rear cover (280) and the second rear cover (290) may have shapes that are substantially symmetrical with respect to the folding axis (FA). However, the first rear cover (280) and the second rear cover (290) do not necessarily have shapes that are symmetrical with respect to each other, and in one embodiment, the foldable electronic device (200) may include the first rear cover (280) and the second rear cover (290) of various shapes.

[0081] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first rear cover (280), the second rear cover (290), the first housing (210), and the second housing (220) may form a space in which components (e.g., a printed circuit board or a battery) of the foldable electronic device (200) are accommodated. According to one embodiment, one or more components may be arranged or visually exposed on the rear surface of the foldable electronic device (200). For example, at least a portion of a sub-display (e.g., the sub-display (244) of FIG. 4) may be visually exposed through the first rear area (282) of the first rear cover (280). Alternatively, the first rear cover (280) may be replaced with the sub-display (244). In one embodiment, one or more components or sensors may be visually exposed through the second rear area (292) of the second rear cover (290). In various embodiments, the sensor may include a proximity sensor and / or a camera module (206) (e.g., a rear camera).

[0082] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a front camera visually exposed to the front of the foldable electronic device (200) through one or more openings provided in the sensor area (224) or a camera module (206) visually exposed through the second rear area (292) of the second rear cover (290) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, and / or image signal processors. In some embodiments, two or more lenses (infrared camera, wide-angle and telephoto lenses) and image sensors may be disposed on one side of the foldable electronic device (200).

[0083] Referring to FIG. 3, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a hinge cover (230) may cover at least a portion of the outer side of the hinge assembly (202). The hinge cover (230) may be positioned between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) to cover an internal component (e.g., the hinge assembly (202) of FIG. 4). The hinge cover (230) may be positioned on lateral sides of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220).

[0084] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the hinge cover (230) may be covered by a portion of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) or exposed to the outside, depending on the state (unfolded state or folded state) of the foldable electronic device (200). For example, when the foldable electronic device (200) is unfolded, the hinge cover (230) may be substantially covered by the first housing (210) and the second housing (220), and when the folded state, the outer surface of the hinge cover (230) may be exposed to the outside.

[0085] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 2, when the foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, the hinge cover (230) may be covered by the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) and may not be exposed. As another example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, when the foldable electronic device (200) is in a folded state (e.g., a fully folded state), the hinge cover (230) may be exposed to the outside between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). As another example, when the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are in an intermediate state where they are folded at a certain angle, the hinge cover (230) may be partially exposed to the outside between the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). However, in this case, the exposed area may be less than in the fully folded state. In one embodiment, the hinge cover (230) may include a curved surface.

[0086] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display (240) may include a first region (241, region) disposed in a first housing (210) and a second region (242, region) disposed in a second housing (220). The display (240) may include a flexible third region (243, region) connecting the first region (241) and the second region (242). The third region (243) may be positioned between the first region (241) and the second region (242).

[0087] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first region (241) and the second region (242) of the display (240) may have shapes that are substantially symmetrical with respect to the third region (243). According to one embodiment (not shown), the second region (242), unlike the first region (241), may include a notch cut according to the presence of the sensor region (224), but may have a shape symmetrical with respect to the first region (241) in other regions. For example, the first region (241) and the second region (242) may include portions whose shapes are symmetrical with respect to each other, and may also include portions whose shapes are not symmetrical with respect to each other.

[0088] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display (240) may refer to a display in which at least a portion of the display area can be transformed into a flat or curved surface. According to one embodiment, the display (240) may include a third area (243), a first area (241) arranged on one side (e.g., the left side of the third area (243) illustrated in FIG. 2) with respect to the third area (243), and a second area (242) arranged on the other side (e.g., the right side of the third area (243) illustrated in FIG. 2). The division of the areas of the display (240) is exemplary, and the display (240) may be divided into a plurality of areas (e.g., four or more or two) depending on the structure or function. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the display (240) may be divided into regions by a third region (243) extending parallel to the Y-axis or a folding axis (FA), but in one embodiment, the display (240) may be divided into regions based on another foldable portion (e.g., a foldable portion parallel to the X-axis) or another folding axis (FA).

[0089] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display (240) may be coupled to or disposed adjacent to a touch sensing circuit, a pressure sensor capable of measuring the intensity (pressure) of a touch, and / or a digitizer (not shown) configured to detect a magnetic field type stylus pen.

[0090] Hereinafter, the operation of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) and each area of ​​the display (240) according to the state of the foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., flat state (or unfolded state) and folded state) will be described.

[0091] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the foldable electronic device (200) is in a flat state (see FIG. 2), the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may be arranged such that they form a substantially 180-degree angle with the first region (241) and the second region (242) facing substantially the same direction. For example, in the flat state, the surface of the first region (241) and the surface of the second region (242) may form a 180-degree angle with each other and face the same direction (e.g., toward the front of the electronic device). The third region (243) may form the same plane as the first region (241) and the second region (242).

[0092] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the foldable electronic device (200) is in a folded state (e.g., see FIG. 3), the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may be arranged to face each other. The surface of the first region (241) and the surface of the second region (242) of the display (240) may form a narrow angle (e.g., between 0 and 10 degrees) with each other and may substantially face each other. The third region (243) may be formed as a curved surface having at least a portion of a predetermined curvature.

[0093] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the foldable electronic device (200) is in an intermediate state (folded state) (not shown), the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may be arranged at a certain angle with respect to each other. The surface of the first region (241) and the surface of the second region (242) of the display (240) may form an angle that is greater than the angle in the folded state and less than the angle in the unfolded state. The third region (243) may be formed as a curved surface having at least a portion of a certain curvature, and the curvature at this time may be less than that in the folded state.

[0094] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a foldable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 4, a foldable electronic device (200) may include a foldable housing (201), a display (240), a hinge assembly (202), a battery (250), and / or a substrate (260). The foldable housing (201) may include a first housing (210), a second housing (220), a first rear cover (280), and / or a second rear cover (290).

[0096] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the foldable housing (201) may include a first housing (210), a second housing (220), a hinge cover (230), a first rear cover (280), and / or a second rear cover (290). In one embodiment, a hinge assembly (202) may be arranged inside the foldable housing (201) to rotatably connect the first housing (210) and the second housing (220). The first housing (210) and the second housing (220) may be coupled to both sides of the hinge assembly (202).

[0097] According to one embodiment, the first housing (210) may include a first support area (212) capable of supporting components of the foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., a first circuit board (262) and / or a first battery (252)). The first support area (212) may be referred to as a first support plate or a first support bracket. The first housing (210) may include a first side wall (211) surrounding at least a portion of the first support area (212). The first side wall (211) may include a first side surface of the foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., the first side surface (211a) of FIG. 2).

[0098] According to one embodiment, the second housing (220) may include a second support area (222) capable of supporting components of the foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., the second circuit board (264) and / or the second battery (254)). The second support area (222) may be referred to as a second support plate or a second support bracket. The second housing (220) may include a second side wall (221) surrounding at least a portion of the second support area (222). The second side wall (221) may include a second side surface of the foldable electronic device (200) (e.g., the second side surface (221a) of FIG. 2).

[0099] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device (200) may include a display (240) and a sub-display (244). The description of the display (240) (e.g., the first region (241), the second region (242), and the third region (243)) described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 may be substantially identically applied to the sub-display (244) illustrated in FIG. 4 to the extent that they are not arranged with each other.

[0100] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-display (244) can display a screen in a different direction from the display areas (241, 242). For example, the sub-display (244) can output a screen in a direction opposite to the first area (241). According to one embodiment, the sub-display (244) can be disposed on the first rear cover (280).

[0101] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery (250) may include a first battery (252) disposed within a first housing (210) and a second battery (254) disposed within a second housing (220). According to one embodiment, the first battery (252) may be disposed on a first circuit board (262), and the second battery (254) may be disposed on a second circuit board (264).

[0102] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the substrate portion (260) may include a first circuit board (262) disposed within a first housing (210) and a second circuit board (264) disposed within a second housing (220). According to one embodiment, the substrate portion (260) may include at least one flexible printed circuit board (266) for electrically connecting the first circuit board (262) and the second circuit board (264). The flexible printed circuit board (266) may be disposed across the hinge assembly (202). The flexible printed circuit board (266) may be disposed across the folding axis (FA). According to one embodiment, the first circuit board (262) and the second circuit board (264) may be placed inside a space formed by the first housing (210), the second housing (220), the first rear cover (280), and the second rear cover (290). Components for implementing various functions of the foldable electronic device (200) may be placed on the first circuit board (262) and the second circuit board (264).

[0103] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the foldable electronic device (200) may include a speaker module (208) (e.g., the audio module (170) of FIG. 1). According to one embodiment, the speaker module (208) may convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the speaker module (208) may be disposed within a space formed by the first housing (210), the second housing (220), the first rear cover (280), and the second rear cover (290).

[0104] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a foldable electronic device (200) in an intermediate state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the protective members (501, 502) are partially folded. FIG. 6 illustrates a protective cap (401, 402) and a protective member (501, 502) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a foldable electronic device (200) in an unfolded state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the protective members (501, 502) are unfolded.

[0105] For convenience of explanation, the peripheral portions (2431, 2432) of the third region (243) of the display (240) illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 may be referred to as a first peripheral portion (2431) and a second peripheral portion (2432), respectively. A protective member disposed in the first peripheral portion (2431) may be referred to as a first protective member (501). A protective member disposed in the second peripheral portion (2432) may be referred to as a second protective member (502). A protective cap covering the outside of the first protective member (501) may be referred to as a first protective cap (401). A protective cap covering the outside of the second protective member (502) may be referred to as a second protective cap (402).

[0106] The description of the first protective member (501) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure described below can be substantially equally applied to the second protective member (502) to the extent that they are not mutually disposed. As an example, the first protective member (501) and the second protective member (502) can have shapes that are symmetrical with respect to a plane (e.g., XZ plane) located therebetween.

[0107] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure described below, the description regarding the first protective cap (401) can be substantially equally applied to the second protective cap (402) to the extent that they are not mutually arranged. As an example, the first protective cap (401) and the second protective cap (402) can have shapes that are symmetrical with respect to a plane (e.g., XZ plane) located therebetween, and the description regarding the protrusion (410) of the first protective cap (401) can be substantially equally applied to the protrusion of the second protective cap (402) to the extent that they are not mutually arranged.

[0108] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, a foldable electronic device (200) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first damper (310) extending along a periphery of a first region (241) of a display (240). The first damper (310) may extend along an edge (210E) of a first housing (210). The first damper (310) may be disposed at the edge (210E) of the first housing (210). The first damper (310) may cover a periphery of a first portion (241) of the display (240). The first damper (310) may be visually exposed to the outside of the foldable electronic device (200).

[0109] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device (200) may include a second damper (320) extending along a periphery of a second region (242) of a display (240). The second damper (320) may extend along an edge (220E) of a second housing (220). The second damper (320) may be disposed at the edge (220E) of the second housing (220). The second damper (320) may cover a periphery of a second portion (242) of the display (240). The second damper (320) may be visually exposed to the outside of the foldable electronic device (200).

[0110] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an end of the first damper (310) may be connected to an end of a protective member (501, 502) (e.g., an end (511, 512) of the first protective member (501)). As an example, two protective members (501, 502) may be connected to both ends of the first damper (310). An end of the second damper (320) may be connected to an end of a protective member (501, 502) (e.g., an end (511, 512) of the first protective member (501)). As an example, two protective members (501, 502) may be connected to both ends of the second damper (320).

[0111] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the foldable electronic device (200) may include protective members (501, 502) disposed at a periphery (2431, 2432) of a third region (243) of the display (240). The periphery (2431, 2432) of the third region (243) of the display (240) may be understood as edge portions on both sides of the third region (243) of the display (240). The protective members (501, 502) may be configured to be folded or unfolded together with the third region (243) of the display (240). The protective members (501, 502) may be visually exposed to the outside of the foldable electronic device (200).

[0112] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the inflow of foreign substances through the periphery of the first region (241) of the display (240) can be prevented or reduced through the first damper (310). The inflow of foreign substances through the periphery of the second region (242) of the display (240) can be prevented or reduced through the second damper (320). The inflow of foreign substances through the periphery (2431, 2432) of the third region (243) of the display (240) can be prevented or reduced through the protective members (501, 502).

[0113] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the ends (311, 312) of the first damper (310) may overlap with the protective members (501, 502). The ends (321, 322) of the second damper (320) may overlap with the protective members (501, 502). The first damper (310), the second damper (320), the first protective member (501), and the second protective member (502), which are overlapped with each other, may function as a dustproof loop (or a waterproof loop) to block foreign substances from entering the interior of the foldable housing (201).

[0114] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display (240) may include a support panel (245) disposed below the display panel to support the display panel included in the display (240). The support panel (245) may include a plurality of slots extending substantially parallel to the folding axis (FA). The support panel (245) may be configured to fold or unfold together with the display panel included in the display (240). The plurality of slots of the support panel (245) may reduce a repulsive force generated when the support panel (245) is folded.

[0115] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the support panel (245) may include a first panel portion (246) positioned in a first area (241) of the display (240). The support panel (245) may include a second panel portion (247) positioned in a second area (242) of the display (240). The support panel (245) may include a third panel portion (248) positioned in a third area (243) of the display (240). The plurality of slots of the support panel (245) may be positioned in the third panel portion (248). The third panel portion (248) may be positioned between the first panel portion (246) and the second panel portion (247).

[0116] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the foldable electronic device (200) may include a protective cap (401, 402) coupled to the hinge cover (230) and at least partially surrounding the protective member (501). The protective cap (401, 402) may be coupled to an end of the hinge cover (230) extending along the folding axis (FA, see FIG. 2). An outer surface of the protective cap (401, 402) may face a portion of an inner surface of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220).

[0117] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective cap (401, 402) may include a shell (420) that at least partially surrounds the protective member (501, 502). The shell (420) may be positioned to surround a periphery (2431, 2432) of the third region (243) of the display (240). The protective cap (401, 402) may include a protrusion (410) protruding from the shell (420). The protrusion (410) may be positioned above the protective member (501, 502). As an example, the protrusion (410) of the protective cap (401, 402) may be positioned on the folding axis (FA) when viewed from above the display stack (240). When viewed from above the display (240), the protrusion (410) can overlap with the protective member (501, 502). By the protrusion (410), when the display (240) is folded, the protective member (501, 502) can be folded in the same shape as the display (240).

[0118] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a foldable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line AA' illustrated in FIG. 3, showing an edge of a third area (243) of a display (240) partially covered by a protective member (501) in a folded state.

[0119] Referring to FIG. 8, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a protective member (501) may include a protective wall (528) that at least partially covers an edge (e.g., edge (243e) of FIGS. 14 and 15) of a third area (243) of a display (240). The protective member (501) may prevent foreign substances from entering by covering a side surface of the third area (243) of the display (240).

[0120] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective wall (528) of the protective member (501) may include a first portion (e.g., the first portion (525, 527) of FIGS. 9 to 11) having a height greater than the thickness of the third region (243) of the display (240), and a second portion (e.g., the second portion (524, 526) of FIGS. 9 to 11) having a height less than the thickness of the third region (243) of the display (240). The second portion of the protective member (501) may be folded or unfolded together with the third region (243) of the display (240). The protective wall (528) may reduce deformation of the protective wall (528) when the display (240) is folded or unfolded by including the second portion (e.g., the second portion (524, 526) of FIGS. 9 to 11).

[0121] The first and second portions of the protective wall (528) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. The deformation of the protective wall (528) that occurs when the display (240) is folded or unfolded will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13.

[0122] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective member (501) may include a rigid strip (510). The rigid strip (510) may extend along a periphery (2431) of the third region (243) of the display (240). The rigid strip (510) may be disposed on the periphery (2431) of the third region (243) of the display (240). The rigid strip (510) may be disposed on a surface of the periphery (2431) of the third region (243) of the display (240). As an example, the rigid strip (510) may be formed of a polyurethane (PU), a polycarbonate (PC), or a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material.

[0123] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective member (501) may include an elastic strip (520). The protective wall (528) of the protective member (501) may be formed integrally with the elastic strip (520). The rigid strip (510) of the protective member (501) may have a higher hardness than the protective wall (528) and the elastic strip (520). As an example, the protective wall (528) of the protective member (501) and the elastic strip (520) may be formed of a silicone or rubber material.

[0124] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the rigid strip (510) may be laminated on the elastic strip (520). The rigid strip (510) may be visually exposed to the outside of the foldable electronic device (200). In order to facilitate elastic deformation of the protective member (501) that is folded or unfolded together with the third region (243) of the display (240), the protective member (501) is formed of a low-hardness material (e.g., the elastic strip (520) and the protective wall (528)), and the portion exposed to the outside (e.g., the rigid strip (510)) is formed of a high-hardness material, thereby facilitating elastic deformation when the foldable electronic device (200) is folded or unfolded, while protecting the periphery (2431) of the third region (243) of the display (240) from external impact.

[0125] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a protective member (501) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a side view of a protective member (501) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a bottom view of a protective member (501) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0126] Referring to FIGS. 9 to 11, the protective member (501) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a protective cover (501c) covering a periphery (2431) of the third region (243). The protective cover (501c) may include an elastic strip (520) and a rigid strip (510) laminated to the elastic strip (520). The elastic strip (520) may contact a periphery (2431) of the third region (243) of the display stack (240).

[0127] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the elastic strip (520) may include a first elastic section (521) that contacts a periphery of a first region (241) of the display (240). The elastic strip (520) may include a second elastic section (522) that contacts a periphery of a second region (242) of the display (240). The elastic strip (520) may include a third elastic section (523) that contacts a periphery (2431) of a third region (243) of the display (240). The first elastic section (521) and the second elastic section (522) of the elastic strip (520) may extend from the third elastic section (523). As an example, the first elastic section (521) and the second elastic section (522) of the elastic strip (520) may extend in opposite directions from the third elastic section (523).

[0128] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the rigid strip (510) may include a first rigid section (511) laminated to a first elastic section (521) of an elastic strip (520). The rigid strip (510) may include a second rigid section (512) laminated to a second elastic section (522) of the elastic strip (520). The rigid strip (510) may include a third rigid section (513) laminated to a third elastic section (523) of the elastic strip (520). The first rigid section (511) and the second rigid section (512) of the rigid strip (510) may extend from the third rigid section (513). As an example, the first rigid section (511) and the second rigid section (512) of the rigid strip (510) may extend in opposite directions from the third rigid section (513).

[0129] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first elastic section (521) and the second elastic section (522) of the elastic strip (520) may each include both ends of the elastic strip (520). The first rigid section (511) and the second rigid section (512) of the rigid strip (510) may each include both ends of the rigid strip (510). The first elastic section (521) of the elastic strip (520) and the first rigid section (511) of the rigid strip (510) may be referred to as one end (or one side) (511, 521) of the protective cover (501c). The second elastic section (522) of the elastic strip (520) and the second rigid section (512) of the rigid strip (520) may be referred to as the other end (or the other side) (512, 522) of the protective cover (501c).

[0130] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective member (501) may include a first hole (H1) formed in a first elastic section (521) of the elastic strip (520). The protective member (501) may include a second hole (H2) formed in a second elastic section (522) of the elastic strip (520). The first damper (310, see FIGS. 5 to 7) may be coupled to the protective cover (501c) of the protective member (501) through the first hole (H1). The second damper (320, see FIGS. 5 to 7) may be coupled to the protective cover (501c) of the protective member (501) through the second hole (H2). The holes (H3, H4) formed in the first rigid section (511) and the second rigid section (512) of the rigid strip (510) will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 11.

[0131] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective wall (528) can be bent together with the third region (243) of the display (240) when the display (240) is folded or unfolded (see FIG. 8). The protective wall (528) can be connected to the protective cover (501c). The protective wall (528) can extend along the protective cover (501c). The protective wall (528) can protrude from the protective cover (501c). The protective wall (528) can protrude from the elastic strip (520) of the protective cover (501c). The protective wall (528) can protrude from the third elastic section (523) of the elastic strip (520) of the protective cover (501c).

[0132] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective wall (528) may include first portions (525, 527) and second portions (524, 526) that protrude from the protective cover (501c) (e.g., the third elastic section (523) of the elastic strip (520)) with different lengths. The length by which the first portions (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) protrude from the protective cover (501c) may be greater than the length by which the second portions (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) protrude from the protective cover (501c). For convenience of explanation, the first portions (525, 527) may be named as the 1-1 portion (525) and the 1-2 portion (527), respectively. For convenience of explanation, the second parts (524, 526) may be named as the 2-1 part (524) and the 2-2 part (526), ​​respectively.

[0133] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective wall (528) may include an opposing surface (528s) facing an edge (243e) of the third region (243) of the display (240), with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 . With reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 , when the foldable electronic device (200) is unfolded, the opposing surface (528s) may be spaced apart from the edge (243e) of the third region (243) of the display stack (240). The edge (243e) of the third region (243) of the display (240) may be understood as an edge that most protrudes toward the protective wall (528) among a plurality of layers (e.g., display panels) included in the display (240).

[0134] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the opposing surface (528s) of the protective wall (528) may include a first region (525s, 527s) located in the first portion (525, 527) and a second region (524s, 526s) located in the second portion (524, 526). The second region (524s, 526s) of the opposing surface (528s) may be sunken relative to the first region (525s, 527s) of the opposing surface (528s).

[0135] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first region (525s, 527s) of the opposing surface (528s) may extend from a protruding end (525p) of the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528). The first region (525s, 527s) of the opposing surface (528s) may be connected to the third elastic section (523) of the elastic strip (520). According to one embodiment (not shown), the first region (525s, 527s) of the opposing surface (528s) may not be connected to the third elastic section (523) of the elastic strip (520) and may be located at the protruding end (524p) of the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528).

[0136] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second region (524s, 526s) of the opposing surface (528s) may extend from a protruding end (524p) of the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528). The second region (524s, 526s) of the opposing surface (528s) may be connected to the third elastic section (523) of the elastic strip (520). According to one embodiment (not shown), the second region (524s, 526s) of the opposing surface (528s) may not be connected to the third elastic section (523) of the elastic strip (520) and may be located at the protruding end (524p) of the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528).

[0137] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first portion (525, 527) and the second portion (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may be positioned symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the protective member (501) (e.g., the folding axis (FA) of FIG. 2). The first-first portions (525) may be positioned on both sides of the second-first portion (524). The first-second portions (527) may be positioned on both sides of the second-first portion (524). The second-second portions (526) may be positioned on both sides of the second-first portion (524).

[0138] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device (200) taken along the line DD' of FIG. 7. FIG. 12 illustrates step-by-step how a protective member (501) is elastically deformed during the process of folding the foldable electronic device (200) from an unfolded state. Referring to FIG. 12, the protective members (501, 501A, 501B) can be gradually deformed from the protective member (501) in an unfolded state to the protective member (501A) in an intermediate state (e.g., see FIG. 5) and to the protective member (501B) in a folded state (see FIG. 8). FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device (200) taken along the line BB' of FIG. 7. FIG. 13 illustrates a state in which a protective member (501') retracted into the interior of the foldable electronic device (200) and an adjacent internal component (e.g., a support panel (245)) interfere with each other when the foldable electronic device (200) is folded.

[0139] Meanwhile, the degree to which the protective member (501) illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13 is elastically deformed is intended to easily explain the shape of the protective member (501) during the folding process of the foldable electronic device (200), and it is to be understood that the protective member (501) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may be deformed differently from the shapes illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13.

[0140] Referring to FIGS. 9, 12, and 13, the protective member (501) including the protective cover (501c) and the protective wall (528) can be elastically deformed when the foldable electronic device (200) is folded. The protective cover (501c) disposed at the periphery (2431) of the third region (243) of the display (240) can be folded or unfolded together with the third region (243) of the display (240). As the protective cover (501c) is folded or unfolded together with the third region (243) of the display (240), the protective wall (528) can also be bent or unfolded along the third region (243) of the display (240).

[0141] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, since the protective member (501) including the protective cover (501c) disposed on the periphery (2431) of the third region (243) of the display (240) and the protective wall (528) covering the edge (243e) of the third region (243) of the display (240) has a roughly folded structure, when the protective member (501) is folded or unfolded, the protective cover (501c) and the protective wall (528) of the protective member (501) can be elastically deformed to move away from each other. The elastic deformation of the protective cover (501c) and the protective wall (528) to move away from each other can be understood as a result of the protective member (501) being deformed to come closer to the folding axis (FA, see FIG. 2) in order to reduce stress generated when the protective member (501) is folded.

[0142] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, during the elastic deformation process of the protective member (501), the protective cover (501c) may be elastically deformed in a direction facing upward of the display (240), and the protective wall (528) may be elastically deformed to move away from the edge (243e) of the third region (243) of the display (240). Referring to FIG. 13, when the protective cover (501c) and the protective wall (528) of the protective member (501') are elastically deformed, the protective member (501) may be retracted into the foldable electronic device (200) due to interference with a surrounding structure (e.g., the protrusion (410) of the protective cap (401). In addition, the protective member (501) may be pushed into the interior of the foldable electronic device (200) due to contact with an external object, such as a user's touch.

[0143] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when comparing the positions of the protrusions (524p') of the protective wall (528) of the protective member (501) when the foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state (see FIG. 16) and when it is in a folded state (see FIG. 17), when the foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, the protrusions (524p') of the protective wall (528) are positioned at a position that does not interfere with the edge (243e) of one layer (e.g., support panel (245)) of the display (240), but when the foldable electronic device (200) is in a folded state, the end (524p') of the protective wall (528) may interfere with the edge (243e) of one layer (e.g., support panel (245)) of the display (240) as the protective member (501') is elastically deformed. Accordingly, damage may be caused to an edge (243e) of one layer (e.g., support panel (245)) of the display (240) or a seam may occur during the process of one layer (e.g., support panel (245)) of the display (240) being restored to its original form when the foldable electronic device (200) changes from a folded state to an unfolded state.

[0144] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective member (501) can reduce interference between the protective wall (528) and one layer of the display (240) (e.g., the support panel (245)) by spacing apart a portion (524' or 524p') (e.g., the second portion (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) of FIGS. 14 and 15) that may interfere with one layer of the display (240) (e.g., the support panel (245)) during the elastic deformation process from an edge (243e) of one layer of the display (240) (e.g., the support panel (245)). Alternatively, the protective member (501) can reduce the occurrence of the joint by first contacting a part (e.g., a first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) of FIGS. 14 and 15) that does not interfere with one layer (e.g., a support panel (245)) of the display (240) during the elastic deformation process, and then causing a part (524' or 524p') that interferes with one layer (e.g., a support panel (245)) of the display (240) (e.g., a second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) of FIGS. 14 and 15) to first contact an edge (243e) of one layer (e.g., a support panel (245)) of the display (240).

[0145] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device (200) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line BB' of FIG. 7. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device (200) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line CC' of FIG. 7. FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate a state in which the foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state, and the edge (243e) of the third region (243) of the display (240) is spaced apart from each other.

[0146] The description of the second-first part (524) of the protection wall (528) and the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) with reference to FIG. 14 can be substantially equally applied to the second-second part (526) of the protection wall (528) and the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) to the extent that they are not aligned with each other.

[0147] The description of the first-first part (525) of the protection wall (528) and the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) with reference to FIG. 15 can be substantially equally applied to the first-second part (527) of the protection wall (528) and the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) within a range where they are not aligned with each other.

[0148] Referring to FIGS. 9, 14, and 15, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a protective wall (528) may cover an edge (243e) of a third area (243) of the display (240). A first portion (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) may protrude downward from the protective cover (501c) below a bottom surface (243B) of the third area (243) of the display (240). A first portion (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) may protrude downward from the protective cover (501c) below a bottom surface (243B) of a third panel portion (248) of the support panel (245). The protrusion (525p) of the first part (525, 527) of the protection wall (528) may be positioned lower than the bottom surface (243B) of the third area (243) of the display (240). The protrusion (525p) of the first part (525, 527) of the protection wall (528) may be positioned lower than the bottom surface (243B) of the third panel part (248) of the support panel (245).

[0149] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) may protrude downward from the protective cover (501c) below the upper surface (B) of the third panel part (248) of the support panel (245). The protruding end (525p) of the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) may be positioned below the upper surface (B) of the third panel part (248) of the support panel (245). As an example, the protruding end (525p) of the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) may be spaced apart downward from the upper surface (B) of the third panel part (248) of the support panel (245) by a predetermined distance (G3).

[0150] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may protrude from the protective cover (501c) above the bottom surface (243B) of the third area (243) of the display (240). The second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may protrude from the protective cover (501c) above the bottom surface (243B) of the third panel part (248) of the support panel (245). The protruding end (524p) of the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may be positioned above the bottom surface (243B) of the third area (243) of the display (240). The protrusion (524p) of the second part (524, 526) of the protection wall (528) may be positioned above the bottom surface (243B) of the third panel part (248) of the support panel (245).

[0151] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may protrude upward from the protective cover (501c) above the upper surface (B) of the third panel part (248) of the support panel (245). The protruding end (524p) of the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may be positioned above the upper surface (B) of the third panel part (248) of the support panel (245). As an example, the protruding end (524p) of the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may be spaced upward from the upper surface (B) of the third panel part (248) of the support panel (245) by a predetermined distance (G1).

[0152] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) may be spaced apart from the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) by a predetermined distance (G2). The second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may be spaced apart from the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) by a distance (G4) that is greater than the distance (G2) by which the first part (525, 527) is spaced apart from the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240).

[0153] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the edge (243e) of the third panel portion (248) of the support panel (245) located in the third region (243) may protrude further toward the protective wall (528) than the edge of another layer (e.g., display panel) included in the display (240). When an external force is applied to the foldable electronic device (200), the support panel (245) protruding further toward the protective wall (528) first contacts a surrounding structure such as the protective wall (528), thereby protecting other layers (e.g., display panel) included in the display (240).

[0154] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state and viewed from above the display (240), the second-first portion (524) of the protective wall (528) may be positioned on the folding axis (FA, see FIGS. 2 and 7) of the foldable electronic device (200). When the foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state and viewed from above the display (240), the protrusion (410) of the protective cap (401) may be positioned on the folding axis (FA, see FIGS. 2 and 7) of the foldable electronic device (200).

[0155] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective member (501) can reduce interference between the protrusion (524p) of the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) and the edge (243e) of the support panel (245) by spacing the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528), which may interfere with the support panel (245) of the display (240) during the elastic deformation process, away from the edge (243e) of the support panel (245). Alternatively, the protective member (501) can reduce occurrence of a joint due to deformation of the support panel (245) by allowing the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) to contact the edge (243e) of the support panel (245) before the second part (524, 526) during the elastic deformation process.

[0156] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device (200) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line BB' of FIG. 7. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device (200) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line BB' of FIG. 7. Compared to the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15, FIGS. 16 and 17 can be understood as embodiments in which an edge of another layer (e.g., a protective film or a display panel) included in the display (240), rather than a third panel portion (1248) of the support panel (1245), is closest to the protective wall (528).

[0157] The description of components (e.g., the support panel (245) and the third panel portion (248) of the support panel (245)) of the foldable electronic device (200) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 can be substantially identically applied to components of the same name (e.g., the support panel (1245) and the third panel portion (1248) of the support panel (1245)) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17, to the extent that they are not arranged with each other.

[0158] Referring to FIGS. 9, 16 and 17, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first portion (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) may protrude from the protective cover (501c) below the bottom surface (243B) of the third panel portion (1248) of the support panel (1245). The protruding end (525p) of the first portion (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) may be positioned below the bottom surface (243B) of the third panel portion (1248) of the support panel (1245).

[0159] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) may protrude lower than the top surface (or boundary surface, B') of a layer (e.g., a protective film) forming an edge (243e) of a third area (243) of the display (240) among a plurality of layers (e.g., a display panel) included in the display (240). The protruding end (525p) of the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) may be positioned lower than the top surface (B') of the layer (e.g., a protective film) forming an edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240). As an example, the protrusion (525p) of the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) may be spaced apart from the upper surface (B') of the layer (e.g., protective film) forming the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) by a predetermined distance (G7).

[0160] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may protrude upward from the protective cover (501c) above the bottom surface (243B) of the third area (243) of the display (240). The protruding end (524p) of the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may be positioned above the bottom surface (243B) of the third area (243) of the display (240). The second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may protrude upward from the protective cover (501c) above the bottom surface (243B) of the third panel part (248) of the support panel (245). The protrusion (524p) of the second part (524, 526) of the protection wall (528) may be positioned above the bottom surface (243B) of the third panel part (248) of the support panel (245).

[0161] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may protrude above the upper surface (B') of a layer (e.g., a protective film or a display panel) forming an edge (243e) of a third area (243) of the display (240) among the plurality of layers included in the display (240) from the protective cover (501c). The protruding end (524p) of the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may be positioned above the upper surface (B') of a layer (e.g., a protective film or a display panel) forming an edge (243e) of a third area (243) of the display (240) among the plurality of layers included in the display (240). As an example, the protrusion (524p) of the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may be spaced apart from the upper surface (B') of a layer (e.g., a protective film or a display panel) forming an edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) among the multiple layers included in the display (240) by a predetermined distance (G5).

[0162] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) may be spaced apart from the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) by a predetermined distance (G8). The second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may be spaced apart from the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) by a distance (G6) greater than the distance (G8) by which the first part (525, 527) is spaced apart from the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240).

[0163] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective member (501) can reduce interference between the protrusion (524p) of the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) and the edge (243e) of the layer (e.g., a protective film or a display panel) forming the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) among the plurality of layers included in the display (240) by spacing the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) apart from the edge (243e) of the layer (e.g., a protective film or a display panel) forming the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) among the plurality of layers included in the display (240) during the elastic deformation process. Alternatively, the protective member (501) may reduce the occurrence of a seam due to deformation of the layer forming the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) by having the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) come into contact with the edge (243e) of the layer forming the edge (243e) of the third area (243) of the display (240) among the multiple layers included in the display (240) before the second part (524, 526) of the protective member (501) during the elastic deformation process.

[0164] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a foldable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line BB' of FIG. 7.

[0165] The description of components (e.g., protective cap (401), shell (420) of protective cap (401), and / or protrusion (410) of protective cap (401)) of a foldable electronic device (200) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 15 can be substantially equally applied to components (e.g., protective cap (1401), shell (1420) of protective cap (1401), and / or protrusion (1410) of protective cap (1401)) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure described with reference to FIG. 18, to the extent that they are not mutually arranged.

[0166] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the foldable electronic device may include a protective cap (1401) coupled to the hinge cover (230) and at least partially surrounding an outer side of the protective member (501). The protective cap (1401) may be configured to surround at least a portion of an outer side of the protective wall (528) and support the protective wall (528).

[0167] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the shell (1420) of the protective cap (1401) may include a first portion (1421) that covers the outside of the protective wall (528) and a second portion (1422) that includes a support surface (1423) configured to support the protective wall (528). The first portion (1421) of the shell (1420) may protrude from the second portion (1422) of the shell (1420). The support surface (1423) of the shell (1420) may be configured to support a protruding end of the protective wall (528) (e.g., a protruding end (525p) of the first portion (525) of the protective wall (528) or a protruding end (524p) of the second portion (524). Accordingly, even if the foldable electronic device is repeatedly folded or touched by a user, the protective member (501) does not retreat into the interior of the foldable electronic device and can be stably placed in a preset position by the protective cap (1401).

[0168] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective cap (1401) may include a protrusion (1410) that protrudes from the first part (1421) of the shell (1420) and is positioned above the protective cover (501c), and is positioned on the folding axis (FA, see FIG. 2) when viewed from above the display stack (240).

[0169] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a portion of a foldable electronic device (200) showing a protective member (501) and a protective cap (401) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 19 enlarges the protective cap (401) and the protective member (501) exposed to the outside of the foldable electronic device (200). FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of a foldable electronic device (200) in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along the line EE' of FIG. 7, showing the shape of the protective member (501) in an unfolded state. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of a foldable electronic device (200) in a folded state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along the line GG' of FIG. 3, showing the shape of the protective member (501) in a folded state.

[0170] Referring to FIGS. 19 to 21, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a portion (511, 512) of the rigid strip (510) overlapping the first damper (310) or the second damper (320) may be thicker than a portion (521, 522) of the elastic strip (520) overlapping the first damper (310) or the second damper (320).

[0171] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a portion (523) of the elastic strip (520) that does not overlap the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) may be thicker than a portion (513) of the rigid strip (510) that does not overlap the first damper (310) and the second damper (320).

[0172] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the third elastic section (523) of the elastic strip (520) may have a thickness (T2) greater than the thicknesses of the first elastic section (521) and the second elastic section (522). The sum of the thickness (T2) of the third elastic section (523) of the elastic strip (520) and the thickness (T1) of the third rigid section (513) of the rigid strip (510) may be greater than the sum of the thickness of the first elastic section (521) of the elastic strip (520) and the thickness (T1) of the third rigid section (513) of the rigid strip (510). The sum of the thickness (T2) of the third elastic section (523) of the elastic strip (520) and the thickness (T1) of the third rigid section (513) of the rigid strip (510) may be greater than the sum of the thickness of the second elastic section (522) of the elastic strip (520) and the thickness of the second rigid section (512) of the rigid strip (510).

[0173] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective cover (501c) may be thicker in a portion (513, 523) that does not overlap with the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) than in a portion (511, 512, 521, 522) that overlaps with the first damper (310) and the second damper (320). By reducing the thickness of the protective cover (501c) in the area overlapping with the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) while ensuring a sufficient thickness of the protective cover (501c) in the area not overlapping with the first damper (310) and the second damper (320), the peripheral portion (2431, 2432, see FIG. 6) of the third area (243) of the display (240) can be stably protected. In addition, by increasing the resistance of the protective member (501) to being pushed due to contact with a user, the phenomenon of the protective member (501) being retracted into the interior of the foldable electronic device (200) can be improved.

[0174] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protrusion (410) of the protective cap (401) can be spaced apart from the protective member (501) by a predetermined distance (U). By securing the thickness of the portion (513, 523) overlapping with the protrusion (410) of the protective cap (401) and reducing the predetermined distance (U) between the protrusion of the protective cap (401) and the protective cover (501c), the step perceived by the user through the sense of touch can be reduced, and the user's usability can be improved.

[0175] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when viewed from above the display stack (240), the width of a portion (523) of the elastic strip (520) that does not overlap the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) may be greater than the width of a portion (521, 522) that overlaps the first damper (310) or the second damper (320).

[0176] FIG. 22 is a plan view of a rigid strip (510) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0177] Referring to FIGS. 19 and 22, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a rigid strip (510) may include a third hole (H3) formed in a first rigid section (511). The rigid strip (510) may include a fourth hole (H4) formed in a second rigid section (512). The first rigid section (511) of the rigid strip (510) and the first damper (310, see FIG. 6) may be connected through the third hole (H3). The second rigid section (512) of the rigid strip (510) and the second damper (320, see FIG. 6) may be connected through the fourth hole (H4).

[0178] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the third rigid section (513) of the rigid strip (513) may include a first sub-rigid section (5131), a second sub-rigid section (5132), and a third sub-rigid section (5133) positioned between the first sub-rigid section (5131) and the second sub-section (5132). Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20 , the first sub-rigid section (5131) and the second sub-rigid section (5132) may be understood as sections positioned in a section in which the thickness of the protective cover (501c) gradually increases, and the third sub-rigid section (5133) may be understood as a section positioned in a section closest to the protrusion (410) of the protective cap (401) of the protective cover (501c).

[0179] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the description of the thickness (T2) of the third elastic section (523) of the elastic strip (520) described with reference to FIGS. 19 to 21 may be understood as a description of the thickness at the portion overlapping with the third sub-rigid section (5133) of the third rigid section (513) of the rigid strip (513).

[0180] FIG. 23 is a part of a cross-sectional view of a foldable electronic device (200) in a folded state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line HH' of FIG. 3.

[0181] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in a folded state, the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) of the foldable electronic device (200) may be spaced apart by a damper gap (DG). The damper gap (DG) illustrated in FIG. 23 is exemplary, and according to one embodiment (not illustrated), the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) may be in close contact with each other.

[0182] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a portion (511, 521) overlapping the first damper (310) of the protective cover (501c) and a portion (512, 522) overlapping the second damper (320) may have a predetermined thickness (T3), which may be understood as the sum of the thicknesses of the first rigid section (511) of the rigid strip (510) and the first elastic section (521) of the elastic strip (520), and the sum of the thicknesses of the second rigid section (512) of the rigid strip (510) and the second elastic section (522) of the elastic strip (520).

[0183] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in a folded state, the first region (241) and the second region (242) of the display (240) may be spaced apart by a display gap (PG). The display gap (PG) may be understood as a gap between portions of the first region (241) and the second region (242) of the display (240), respectively, of a layer (e.g., a polarizing layer or a glass window) of the display (240) exposed to the outside of the foldable electronic device (200) when the foldable electronic device (200) is unfolded.

[0184] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective cover (501c) of the protective member (501) can reduce the thickness (T3) of the portion (511, 521) overlapping with the first damper (310) and the portion (512, 522) overlapping with the second damper (320) while increasing the thickness (T1, T2, see FIG. 20) of the portion (513, 523) not overlapping with the first damper (310) and the second damper (320), thereby stably protecting the display (240) and reducing the thickness of the foldable electronic device (200) in a folded state.

[0185] Fig. 24 is a perspective view of a protective member (2501) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 25 is a side view of a protective member (2501) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiments illustrated in Figs. 24 and 25 can be understood as embodiments in which the protective cap (2401) and the protective member (2501) are coupled to each other, unlike the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 5 to 15 in which the protective cap (401) and the protective member (501) are spaced apart from each other.

[0186] The description of components of the foldable electronic device (200) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 15 (e.g., the protective cap (401), the shell (420) of the protective cap (401), the protrusion (410) of the protective cap (401), the protective member (501), the protective cover (501c) of the protective member (501), the protective wall (528) of the protective member (501), the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528), and / or the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528)) is similar to the description of components of the same name, described with reference to FIGS. 24 and 25 (e.g., the protective cap (2401), the shell (2420) of the protective cap (2401), the protrusion (2410) of the protective cap (2401), the protective member (2501), the protective member (2501) The cover (2501c), the protective wall (2528) of the protective member (2501), the first part (2521, 2522, 2524, 2526) of the protective wall (2528), and / or the second part (2525, 2527) of the protective wall (2528) may be substantially identically applied to the extent that they are not mutually disposed.

[0187] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective member (2501) and the protective cap (2401) can be coupled to each other. The protrusion (2410) of the protective cap (2401) can be inserted into the protective member (2501), so that the protective member (2501) and the protective cap (2401) can be connected to each other through the protrusion (2410) of the protective cap (2401). The protective member (2501) can be configured to be folded or unfolded together with the third region (243) of the display (240) based on the protrusion (2410) of the protective cap (2401). As an example, the protective member (2501) can be formed of a silicone material, and the protective cap (2401) can be formed of a metal material.

[0188] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a protective cover (2501c) of a protective member (2501) may include a first section (2511) that overlaps a first damper (310, see FIG. 6). The protective cover (2501c) may include a second section (2512) that overlaps a second damper (320, see FIG. 6). The protective cover (2501c) may include a third section (2513) that does not overlap the first damper (310) and the second damper (320). The third section (2513) of the protective cover (2501c) may have a predetermined thickness (T4). As an example, the predetermined thickness (T4) of the third section (2513) of the protective cover (2501c) may be understood as a maximum thickness of the third section (2513).

[0189] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, for convenience of explanation, each of the plurality of first portions (2521, 2522, 2524, 2526) of the protection wall (2528) may be named a 1-1 portion (2524), a 1-2 portion (2526), ​​and a 1-3 portion (2521, 2522). For convenience of explanation, each of the plurality of second portions (2525, 2527) of the protection wall (2528) may be named a 2-1 portion (2525), and a 2-2 portion (2527). The 1-2 portion (2526) and the 1-3 portions (2521, 2522) of the protection wall (2528) may be arranged on both sides of the 1-1 portion (2524), respectively. The 2-1 part (2525) and the 2-2 part (2527) of the protection wall (2528) can be placed on either side of the 1-1 part (2524).

[0190] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protrusion (2410) of the protective cap (2401) can be inserted into the first part (2521, 2522, 2524, 2526) of the protective wall (2528). When the foldable electronic device (200) is unfolded, the protrusion (2410) of the protective cap (2401) can be positioned on the folding axis (FA, see FIG. 2). When the foldable electronic device (200) is unfolded, the first part (2524) of the protective wall (528), into which the protrusion (2410) of the protective cap (2401) is inserted, can be positioned on the folding axis (FA, see FIG. 2).

[0191] A foldable electronic device may include a protective member that folds or unfolds along with the foldable display and protects the edges of the foldable display. The protective member may gradually be pushed into the foldable electronic device due to its own elastic deformation during the folding or unfolding process, or due to being pushed by contact with a user. This may result in interference between the retracted protective member and adjacent internal components.

[0192] A problem to be solved in the present disclosure may be to reduce interference between a protective member retracted into the interior of a foldable electronic device and internal components adjacent to the protective member.

[0193] A problem to be solved in the present disclosure may be to reduce the displacement of a protective member into the interior of a foldable electronic device.

[0194] The problem to be solved in this disclosure is not limited to the problem mentioned above, and may be determined in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0195] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, interference between a protective member retracted into the interior of a foldable electronic device and an adjacent internal component can be reduced by spacing a portion of the protective member proximate to the adjacent internal component away from the internal component.

[0196] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, by reinforcing the rigidity of a portion of the protective member that can come into physical contact with a user, the sliding of the protective member into the foldable electronic device can be reduced.

[0197] The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs from the above description.

[0198] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device may include a first housing (210), a second housing (220), and a hinge assembly (202) in which the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) are connected.

[0199] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device may include a display stack (240) including a plurality of layers including a display panel.

[0200] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display stack (240) may include a first region (241) disposed in the first housing (210), a second region (242) disposed in the second housing (220), and a flexible third region (243) positioned between the first region (241) and the second region (242).

[0201] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a foldable electronic device may include a protective member (501) disposed at a periphery (2431) of a third region (243) of the display stack (240) and configured to be folded or unfolded together with the third region (243).

[0202] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective member (501) may include a protective cover (501c) covering a periphery (2431) of the third region (243).

[0203] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective member (501) may include a protective wall (528) extending along an edge (edge, 243e) of the third region (243) and covering the edge (243e) of the third region (243).

[0204] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective wall (528) may include a first portion (525, 527) protruding downward from the protective cover (501c) below the bottom surface (243B) of the third region (243).

[0205] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective wall (528) may include a second portion (524, 526) that protrudes above the bottom surface (243B) of the third region (243) from the protective cover (501c) and is spaced further from the edge (243e) of the third region (243) than the first portion (525, 527).

[0206] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective wall (528) may include an opposing surface (528s) facing the edge (243e) of the third region (243) of the display stack (240).

[0207] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the opposing surface (528s) of the protective wall (528) may include a first region (525s, 527s) located in the first portion (525, 527) and a second region (524s, 526s) located in the second portion (524, 526).

[0208] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second region (524s, 526s) of the opposing surface (528s) can be sunken relative to the first region (525s, 527s) of the opposing surface (528s).

[0209] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second region (524s, 526s) of the opposing surface (528s) may extend from a protruding end (524p) of the second portion (524, 526) of the protective wall (528).

[0210] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first region (525s, 527s) of the opposing surface (528s) may extend from a protruding end (525p) of the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528).

[0211] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display stack (240) may include a support panel (245) disposed below the display panel to support the display panel and configured to be folded or unfolded.

[0212] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the support panel (245) may include a plurality of slots extending substantially parallel to the folding axis (FA).

[0213] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second portion (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may protrude above the bottom surface (243B) of the support panel (245).

[0214] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an edge (243e) of a portion (248) of the support panel (245) located in the third region (243) may protrude further toward the protective wall (528) than an edge of the display panel.

[0215] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second part (524, 526) of the protective wall (528) may be spaced further from the edge (243e) of the support panel (245) than the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) when the foldable electronic device (200) is in an unfolded state.

[0216] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the foldable electronic device (200) is viewed from above the display stack (240) in an unfolded state, the second part (524) of the protective wall (528) may be positioned on the folding axis (FA) of the foldable electronic device (200).

[0217] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the foldable electronic device may include a hinge cover (230) that covers at least a portion of the outer side of the hinge assembly (202) and is positioned on lateral sides of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220).

[0218] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the foldable electronic device may include a protective cap (401) coupled to the hinge cover (230) and at least partially surrounding the protective member (501).

[0219] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective cap (401) may include a shell (420) covering the outer side of the protective wall (528), and a protrusion (410) protruding from the shell (420) and positioned above the protective cover (501c).

[0220] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protrusion (410) of the protective cap (401) may be positioned on the folding axis (FA) when viewed from above the display stack (240).

[0221] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display stack (240) may include a first damper (310) extending along an edge of a first region (241) and overlapping one end of the protective cover (501c).

[0222] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a second damper (320) may be included that extends along an edge of a second region (242) of the display stack (240) and overlaps the other end of the protective cover (501c).

[0223] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective cover (501c) may have a portion (513, 523) that does not overlap with the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) thicker than a portion (511, 512, 521, 522) that overlaps with the first damper (310) and the second damper (320).

[0224] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective cover (501c) may include an elastic strip (520) connected to the protective wall (528) and in contact with a peripheral portion (2431) of the third region (243) of the display stack (240).

[0225] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective cover (501c) may include a rigid strip (510, hard strip) having a hardness higher than that of the elastic strip (520) and covering the elastic strip (520).

[0226] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the elastic strip (520) may have a thickness of a portion (523) that does not overlap with the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) that is thicker than a thickness of a portion (521, 522) that overlaps with the first damper (310) or the second damper (320).

[0227] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when viewed from above the display stack (240), the width of a portion (523) of the elastic strip (520) that does not overlap the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) may be greater than the width of a portion (521, 522) that overlaps the first damper (310) or the second damper (320).

[0228] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a portion (511, 512) of the rigid strip (510) overlapping the first damper (310) or the second damper (320) may be thicker than a portion (521, 522) of the elastic strip (520) overlapping the first damper (310) or the second damper (320).

[0229] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a portion (523) of the elastic strip (520) that does not overlap the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) may be thicker than a portion (513) of the rigid strip (510) that does not overlap the first damper (310) and the second damper (320).

[0230] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the elastic strip (520) may have a portion (523) that does not overlap with the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) thicker than a portion (521, 522) that overlaps with the first damper (310) or the second damper (320).

[0231] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first damper (310) may cover a periphery of the first part (241) of the display (240), and the second damper (320) may cover a periphery of the second part (242) of the display (240).

[0232] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the foldable electronic device may include a protective cap (1401) coupled to the hinge cover (230) and at least partially surrounding the outer side of the protective member (501).

[0233] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective cap (1401) may be configured to surround at least a portion of the outer side of the protective wall (528) and support the protective wall (528).

[0234] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective cap (1401) may include a shell (1420) including a first portion (1421) covering the outside of the protective wall (528) and a second portion (1422) including a supporting surface (1423) configured to support a protruding end (524p, 525p) of the protective wall (528).

[0235] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective cap (1401) may include a protrusion (1410) that protrudes from the first part (1421) of the shell (1420) and is positioned above the protective cover (501c), and is positioned on the folding axis (FA) when viewed from above the display stack (240).

[0236] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first portion (1421) of the shell (1420) may protrude from the second portion (1422) of the shell (1420).

[0237] While this disclosure has been described by way of example and illustration, it should be understood that these various embodiments are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the overall scope of this disclosure, including the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. In foldable electronic devices, First housing (210); Second housing (220); A hinge assembly (202) connecting the first housing (210) and the second housing (220); A display stack (240) comprising a plurality of layers including a display panel, the display stack (240) comprising a first region (241, region) disposed in the first housing (210), a second region (242) disposed in the second housing (220), and a flexible third region (243) positioned between the first region (241) and the second region (242); and A protective member (501) is disposed on the periphery (2431) of the third region (243) of the display stack (240) and is configured to be folded or unfolded together with the third region (243). The above protective member (501) is: A protective cover (501c) covering the periphery (2431) of the third area (243); and It includes a protective wall (528) extending along the edge (edge, 243e) of the third area (243) and covering the edge (243e) of the third area (243). The above protection month (528) is: A first portion (525, 527) protruding downward from the bottom surface (243B) of the third region (243) from the protective cover (501c); and A foldable electronic device including a second portion (524, 526) protruding from the protective cover (501c) above the bottom surface (243B) of the third region (243) and spaced further from the edge (243e) of the third region (243) than the first portion (525, 527).

2. In paragraph 1, The above protection wall (528) is, The third area (243) of the display stack (240) includes an opposing surface (528s) that faces the edge (243e) and includes a first area (525s, 527s) located in the first part (525, 527) and a second area (524s, 526s) located in the second part (524, 526). A foldable electronic device in which the second region (524s, 526s) of the opposing surface (528s) is sunken relative to the first region (525s, 527s) of the opposing surface (528s).

3. In paragraph 2, The second area (524s, 526s) of the above opposing surface (528s) is A foldable electronic device extending from a protruding end (524p) of the second part (524, 526) of the above protective wall (528).

4. In paragraph 2 or paragraph 3, The first region (525s, 527s) of the above opposing surface (528s) is A foldable electronic device extending from a protruding end (525p) of the first part (525, 527) of the above protective wall (528).

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, The above display stack (240) is A support panel (245) is disposed below the display panel to support the display panel and is configured to be folded or unfolded. A foldable electronic device in which the second part (524, 526) of the above protective wall (528) protrudes above the bottom surface (243B) of the above support panel (245).

6. In paragraph 5, A foldable electronic device in which an edge (243e) of a portion (248) of the support panel (245) located in the third region (243) protrudes further toward the protective wall (528) than the edge of the display panel.

7. In paragraph 6, The second part (524, 526) of the above protection wall (528) is A foldable electronic device (200) in an unfolded state, wherein the first part (525, 527) of the protective wall (528) is spaced further from the edge (243e) of the support panel (245).

8. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, A foldable electronic device in which, when viewed from above the display stack (240) in an unfolded state of the foldable electronic device (200), the second part (524) of the protective wall (528) is positioned on the folding axis (FA) of the foldable electronic device (200).

9. In paragraph 8, A hinge cover (230) covering at least a portion of the outer side of the hinge assembly (202) and positioned on both lateral sides of the first housing (210) and the second housing (220); and A protective cap (401) coupled to the hinge cover (230) includes a shell (420) covering the outer side of the protective wall (528) and a protective cap (401) including a protrusion (410) protruding from the shell (420) and positioned above the protective cover (501c). The protrusion (410) of the above protective cap (401) is A foldable electronic device positioned on the folding axis (FA) when viewed from above the display stack (240).

10. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 9, A first damper (310) extending along the edge of the first region (241) of the display stack (240) and overlapping one end (511, 512) of the protective cover (501c); and It further includes a second damper (320) extending along the edge of the second area (242) of the display stack (240) and overlapping the other end (521, 522) of the protective cover (501c), The above protective cover (501c) is A foldable electronic device in which a portion (513, 523) that does not overlap with the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) is thicker than the first end (511, 512) and the other end (521, 522).

11. In paragraph 10, The above protective cover (501c) is: An elastic strip (520) connected to the above protective wall (528) and in contact with the periphery (2431) of the third area (243) of the display stack (240); and A foldable electronic device comprising a rigid strip (510, hard strip) having a hardness higher than the hardness of the elastic strip (520) and covering the elastic strip (520).

12. In paragraph 11, The above elastic strip (520) is, A foldable electronic device in which the thickness of a portion (523) that does not overlap with the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) is thicker than the thickness of a portion (521, 522) that overlaps with the first damper (310) or the second damper (320).

13. In paragraph 11 or 12, The above elastic strip (520) is, A foldable electronic device in which, when viewed from above the display stack (240), the width of a portion (523) that does not overlap with the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) is greater than the width of a portion (521, 522) that overlaps with the first damper (310) or the second damper (320).

14. In any one of paragraphs 11 to 13, A foldable electronic device in which a portion (511, 512) of the rigid strip (510) overlapping the first damper (310) or the second damper (320) is thicker than a portion (521, 522) of the elastic strip (520) overlapping the first damper (310) or the second damper (320).

15. In any one of paragraphs 11 to 14, A foldable electronic device in which a portion (523) of the elastic strip (520) that does not overlap the first damper (310) and the second damper (320) is thicker than a portion (513) of the rigid strip (510) that does not overlap the first damper (310) and the second damper (320).

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