Roll-Slide Terminal Linkage for Stable Flexible Display Expansion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing flexible displays in mobile terminals face challenges with unstable expansion and retraction due to material characteristics and structural limitations, leading to inadequate space for electronic components and potential damage from excessive bending.

Innovation Solution

A roll-slide mobile terminal design featuring a first and second frame with a flexible display that expands or retracts, guided by a first guide rail and a linkage mechanism, including a first slider, link, and driving screw, allowing controlled movement and stabilization of the display.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a flexible display is used to expand screen size, then the display area can be increased, but the device occupies additional space and component arrangement becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay areaVSAvoidcomponent arrangement
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible display is wound and stored within the housing of the mobile terminal when not in use, similar to a nested doll structure. The display can be unrolled to expand the screen area when needed, and retracted to minimize the occupied space during normal operation, effectively nesting the expanded display within the compact device form factor.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Area of stationary object

If the display is made variable in front surface area, then the screen can be expanded, but the display cannot be stably unfolded due to material characteristics

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefront surface areaVSAvoiddisplay stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical state and configuration parameters of the flexible display by introducing a winding structure with guide rails and rollers. The display transitions between a compact wound state and an expanded unrolled state through controlled mechanical movement, stabilizing the display in both configurations through the guiding mechanism that prevents unauthorized folding or wrinkling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Area of stationary object

If a structure for guiding display expansion is provided, then the display can be expanded, but additional space is occupied compared to existing devices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay expansionVSAvoiddevice volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes the third dimension (depth/thickness) by winding the flexible display vertically within the device housing. The guide rails and rollers are arranged to accommodate the wound display in the depth direction, allowing the display to expand horizontally when unrolled while minimizing the increase in overall device volume during the wound state.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP4013021B1Roll-slide mobile terminal
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP4013021B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4013021B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(b)
  • EP4013021B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(b)

AI summary

Provided is a roll-slide mobile terminal in which a front area of a flexible display unit is variable, for solving a problem of an electric field portion narrowing due to a structure for the variation of the front area, the roll-slide mobile terminal comprising a first frame, a second frame sliding in a first direction with respect to the first frame, the flexible display unit partially fixed to the front surface of the first frame, wound around an end portion of the second frame in the first direction to be provided over the rear surface of the second frame, and having the front area extending or contracting according to movement of the second frame, a first guide rail fixed to the first frame to be parallel to the front area of the flexible display unit and provided in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a first slider moving in the second direction along the first guide rail, and a link rotatably fastened to each of the first slider and the second frame to move the second frame according to movement of the first slider.