Flexible Display Hinge with Purlins for Deformation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices face challenges in providing uniform mechanical support and limiting deformation during bending operations, especially in maintaining the flexibility of flexible displays and supporting various layers away from the neutral axis of hinges.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a multi-link hinge with continuous support beams, referred to as purlins, that provide mechanical support beneath the flexible display, along with optional struts and springs to bias the device housing portions, allowing the device to pivot and deform within a predefined radius, and incorporating flex sensors to detect bending configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible display is used to enable device deformation, then adaptability and versatility are improved, but mechanical support and structural stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into multiple housing portions (first housing portion, second housing portion) connected by hinges, allowing independent movement and deformation of each segment while maintaining overall structural integrity. This segmentation enables the device to transform between different configurations (flat, bent, folded) while the rigid housing portions provide mechanical support.
Solution Approach 2:
The device combines flexible materials (flexible display, flexible circuit board) with rigid materials (housing portions) to create a composite structure. The flexible components enable deformation and bending, while the rigid housing portions provide mechanical support and structural stability, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and strength.
2Volume of moving object
If the device is deformed into bent or folded configurations, then compactness and portability are improved, but uniform mechanical support and deformation control worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The hinges provide dynamic connection between housing portions, allowing controlled movement and deformation. The hinge mechanism defines specific rotation axes and enables precise angular positioning, ensuring that the device deforms in a controlled manner rather than arbitrary bending, thus maintaining deformation control precision while achieving compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinges act as intermediaries between the rigid housing portions, mediating the deformation process. They provide a controlled pivot point that ensures uniform deformation across the device structure, preventing unpredictable bending and maintaining manufacturing precision during transformation to compact configurations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If flex sensors are added to detect bending configurations, then adaptability and automated functionality are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Flex sensors provide feedback about the device's bending configuration to the processor, which then automatically adjusts the display orientation and other functions. This feedback mechanism enables the device to adapt to different configurations (flat, bent, folded) without user intervention, improving adaptability while keeping the control logic relatively simple through automatic detection and response.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a first device housing and a second device housing. A hinge, which can be a multi-link hinge, couples the first device housing to the second device housing. The first device housing is pivotable about the hinge relative to the second device housing. A flexible display is coupled to the first device housing and the second device housing and spans the hinge. The flexible display is to deform when the first device housing pivots about the hinge relative to the second device housing.