Magnetic Slide Structure for Low-Friction Flexible Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Slidable electronic devices with flexible displays experience friction-related issues that degrade slide feeling and operation, leading to potential failure and undesirable display movement during slide-in/slide-out operations, with existing friction-reducing methods losing effectiveness over time.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a friction reducing structure using magnets with identical polarities facing each other, disposed between the housing and slide structure, to provide a magnetic force that reduces friction and prevents undesirable display movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a guide structure with physical friction-reducing structures (bearing or lubricant) is used, then friction is reduced initially, but the friction reducing effect is lost over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical friction-reducing system (bearing or lubricant) with a magnetic field-based system. Magnets are disposed on the guide slit and guide protrusion to generate magnetic repulsion forces that reduce friction between sliding surfaces, eliminating the need for mechanical friction-reducing components that degrade over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and interaction mechanism between guide components by introducing magnetic fields. Instead of relying on mechanical contact with lubricants or bearings, the system uses magnetic repulsion forces to reduce friction, fundamentally changing the interaction parameter from mechanical contact to magnetic field interaction.
2Device complexity
If surface friction exists in the guide structure, then structural simplicity is maintained, but slide feeling degrades and wear occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces direct mechanical contact friction with magnetic repulsion forces. Magnets are integrated into the guide slit and guide protrusion, creating a non-contact friction-reducing mechanism that improves slide feeling without significantly complicating the overall guide structure.
3Device complexity
If surface friction exists in the guide structure, then structural simplicity is maintained, but operation failure may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes mechanical friction-based guidance with magnetic field-based guidance. The magnets disposed on the guide slit and guide protrusion create repulsion forces that prevent direct contact and wear, thereby eliminating operation failures associated with friction and wear while maintaining structural simplicity.
4Shape
If the flexible display moves to the inner space of the housing, then the display is concealed, but the display may be lifted by restoring force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies magnetic repulsion forces as a counteracting force to the restoring force that lifts the flexible display. The magnets disposed on the guide structure generate magnetic repulsion that counterbalances the elastic restoring force of the flexible display, preventing unwanted lifting and maintaining display stability during slide operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The magnetic force enhances sliding performance and maintains operational reliability over time, improving the sliding feeling and preventing display lifting during slide operations.
Implementation Method 1
a friction reducing structure using magnets with identical polarities facing each other, disposed between the housing and slide structure, to provide a magnetic force that reduces friction
Implementation Method 2
The magnetic force enhances sliding performance and maintains operational reliability over time, improving the sliding feeling and preventing display lifting during slide operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
According to various embodiments, an electronic device may include: a housing including an inner space; a slide structure including a reciprocating slide configured to be slidable from the housing by a predetermined reciprocating distance along a first direction; a flexible display at least partially supported by the slide structure and configured to be received in the inner space to be at least partially invisible from the outside in a slide-in state of the electronic device; and a first friction reducing structure disposed between the housing and the slide structure. The first friction reducing structure may include: a guide slit disposed in the housing in a direction parallel to the first direction and having a predetermined length; a guide protrusion configured to be guided by the guide slit in the slide structure; at least one first magnet disposed on the guide slit; and at least one second magnet disposed on the guide protrusion at a position affected by the magnetic force of the first magnet. The at least one first magnet and the at least one second magnet may be arranged to have identical polarities at least partially facing each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.