Foldable Display Hinge and Supporting Layer Stress Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic devices with displays face challenges in providing sufficient screen real estate while maintaining compactness, as enlarging the display size can make devices bulky.
Innovation Solution
The use of a foldable display supported by a foldable electronic device housing with hinge structures that allow the device to be folded, providing a flexible display that overlaps the housing portions and hinge structures, and incorporating a flexible supporting layer to reduce stress on the display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the display size is enlarged to provide sufficient screen real estate, then the viewable display area is increased, but the device becomes bulky and less portable
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into multiple housing portions (first housing portion, second housing portion) connected by hinge structures, allowing the display to be folded into different configurations. This segmentation enables the display area to be expanded when needed while maintaining a compact form factor when folded, resolving the contradiction between large display area and small device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge structures enable dynamic reconfiguration of the device between folded and unfolded states. The display can transition from a compact folded configuration to an expanded unfolded configuration, allowing the device to adapt its display area and volume based on usage requirements, thus resolving the static contradiction between large display and small size.
2Volume of moving object
If the display is folded to maintain portability, then the device remains compact, but stress is applied to the display pixels and brittle layers
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible supporting layer is introduced as an intermediary between the display and the hinge structures. This supporting layer distributes and reduces the stress applied to the display pixels and brittle layers during folding, preventing damage while maintaining the compact folded configuration, thus resolving the contradiction between portability and display durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible supporting layer provides beforehand cushioning to the display before stress is applied during folding. By positioning the supporting layer to overlap the hinge structures and provide support in advance, the display is protected from excessive stress and potential damage, ensuring reliability while maintaining compactness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If hinge structures are added to enable folding, then the device becomes reconfigurable between folded and unfolded states, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Flexible display and supporting layers are used to enable the folding functionality. These flexible components allow the device to be reconfigured between folded and unfolded states without requiring complex mechanical hinge mechanisms, thus achieving adaptability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional rigid mechanical hinge systems with flexible display technologies and supporting layers. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining the ability to reconfigure the device between different states, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device has a foldable display. First and second portions of an electronic device housing for the device may be joined using hinge structures. A flexible display may overlap the first housing portion, the hinge structures, and the second housing portion. A layer such as a layer of sheet metal may be used in supporting the display and may overlap the hinge structures. The hinge structures may include gear teeth, belts, and/or other movement synchronization structures. The hinge structures may include members that move relative to each other during bending. The moving members may include bars and links with opposing curved bearing surfaces. Stop surfaces may prevent excessive rotation of the bars and links with respect to each other. The links may rotate about pivot points that lie within the thickness of the display without the hinge structure living within the thickness of the display.