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EP-4738057-A1 - PROTECTIVE MEMBER AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE COMPRISING SAME

EP4738057A1EP 4738057 A1EP4738057 A1EP 4738057A1EP-4738057-A1

Abstract

A foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure comprises a housing including a first housing component and a second housing component, a hinge rotatably connecting the first housing component and second housing component, a flexible display supported by the first housing component and the second housing component, a first protective member disposed on the first housing component to cover a first edge portion of the flexible display, and a second protective member disposed on the second housing component to cover a second edge portion of the flexible display . The first protective member comprises a first fiber-reinforced portion including a plurality of first fiber layers laminated together, each of the first fiber layers having a first thickness, and a second fiber-reinforced portion extending from the first fiber-reinforced portion, the second fiber-reinforced portion including a plurality of second fiber layers laminated together, each of the second fiber layers having a second thickness smaller than the first thickness. The second protective member comprises a third fiber-reinforced portion including a plurality of third fiber layers laminated together and a fourth fiber-reinforced portion extending from the third fiber-reinforced portion, the fourth fiber-reinforced portion including a plurality of fourth fiber layers laminated together. When the foldable electronic device is folded, the second fiber-reinforced portion of the first protective member and the fourth fiber-reinforced portion of the second protective member are configured to contact each other.

Inventors

  • BAEK, Moohyun
  • Moon, Heecheul
  • Son, Kwonho
  • Choi, Jongchul

Assignees

  • Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20250514

Claims (15)

  1. A foldable electronic device (101) comprising: a housing (201) including a first housing component (210) and a second housing component (220); a hinge (202) rotatably connecting the first housing component (210) and second housing component (220); a flexible display (230) supported by the first housing component (210) and the second housing component (220); a first protective member (300a) disposed at the first housing component (210) to cover a first edge portion of the flexible display (230); and a second protective member (300b) disposed at the second housing component (220) to cover a second edge portion of the flexible display (230), wherein the first protective member (300a) comprises: a first fiber-reinforced portion (310) including a plurality of first fiber layers (317) laminated together, each of the first fiber layers (317) having a first thickness (d1); and a second fiber-reinforced portion (320) extending from the first fiber-reinforced portion (310), the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) including a plurality of second fiber layers (327) laminated together, each of the second fiber layers (327) having a second thickness (d2) smaller than the first thickness, wherein the second protective member (300b) comprises: a third fiber-reinforced portion including a plurality of third fiber layers laminated together; and a fourth fiber-reinforced portion extending from the third fiber-reinforced portion, the fourth fiber-reinforced portion including a plurality of fourth fiber layers laminated together, wherein when the foldable electronic device (101) is folded, the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) of the first protective member (300a) and the fourth fiber-reinforced portion of the second protective member (300b) are configured to contact each other.
  2. The foldable electronic device (101) of claim 1, wherein the first thickness (d1) of each of the first fiber layers (317) of the first fiber-reinforced portion (310) of the first protective member (300a) is two to four times greater than the second thickness (d2) of each of the second fiber layers (327) of the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) of the first protective member (300a).
  3. The foldable electronic device (101) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first protective member (300a) further comprises a first coating layer (330) configured to surround an outer surface of the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) of the first protective member (300a), and wherein the second protective member (300b) further comprises a second coating layer configured to surround an outer surface of the fourth fiber-reinforced portion of the second protective member (300b).
  4. The foldable electronic device (101) of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the first coating layer (330) of the first protective member (300a) or the second coating layer of the second protective member (300b) forms a high-gloss surface corresponding to the flexible display (230).
  5. The foldable electronic device (101) of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a front surface (323) of the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) of the first protective member (300a) includes a flat surface (323a) parallel to the flexible display (230), and an inclined surface (323b, 323c) inclined toward the flexible display (230) with respect to the flat surface (323a).
  6. The foldable electronic device (101) of claim 5, wherein the first coating layer (330) of the first protective member (300a) includes a glossy layer arranged on the flat surface (323a) of the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) of the first protective member (300a), and a matte layer arranged on the inclined surface (323b, 323c) of the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) of the first protective member (300a).
  7. The foldable electronic device (101) of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first fiber layers (317) of the first fiber-reinforced portion (310) of the first protective member (300a) and/or the second fiber layers (327) of the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) of the first protective member (300a) includes at least one of a glass fiber reinforced polymer, GFRP, a carbon fiber reinforced polymer, CFRP, an aramid fiber reinforced polymer, AFRP, a basalt fiber reinforced polymer, BFRP, or a natural fiber reinforced polymer, NFRP.
  8. The foldable electronic device (101) of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first thickness (d1) of each of the first fiber layers (317) of the first fiber-reinforced portion (310) is 0.07 t(mm) to 0.13 t(mm), the second thickness (d2) of each of the second fiber layers (327) of the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) is 0.01 t(mm) to 0.05 t(mm), and the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) having the second thickness is configured so that the shape of the fiber is not visible when viewed from the outside.
  9. The foldable electronic device (101) of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a first length (L1) of the first fiber-reinforced portion (310), in which each of the first fiber layers (317) having the first thickness (d1) are laminated, is greater than the second length (L2) of the second fiber-reinforced portion (320), in which each of the second fiber layers (327) having the second thickness (d2) are laminated, and wherein the first width (w1) substantially perpendicular to the first length (L1) of the first fiber-reinforced portion (310) is less than the second width (w2) substantially perpendicular to the second length (L2) of the second fiber-reinforced portion (320).
  10. The foldable electronic device (101) of claim 9, wherein the first length (L1) of the first fiber-reinforced portion (310) of the first protective member (300a) is two to five times the second length (L2) of the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) of the first protective member (300a).
  11. The foldable electronic device (101) of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a boundary portion is formed between the first fiber-reinforced portion (310) and the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) of the first protective member (300a) as a curved surface (401).
  12. The foldable electronic device (101) of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein when viewed from above the flexible display (230), a portion of the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) of the first protective member (300a) overlaps an edge of a front surface of the flexible display (230).
  13. The foldable electronic device (101) of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein one end (322) of the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) of the first protective member (300a) extends toward the flexible display (230), the other end (321) of the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) of the first protective member (300a) extends toward a side wall (209b) of the housing (201), and wherein one end of the first fiber-reinforced portion (310) of the first protective member (300a) is spaced apart from the flexible display (230), and the other end of the first fiber-reinforced portion (310) of the first protective member (300a) is coupled to the housing (201).
  14. The foldable electronic device (101) of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein a rear region of the first fiber-reinforced portion (310) of the first protective member (300a) is inserted and fixed into a recess (209a) adjacent to a side wall (209b) of the housing (201).
  15. The foldable electronic device (101) of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the first fiber-reinforced portion (310) and the second fiber-reinforced portion (320) of the first protective member (300a) are formed as a monolithic body laminated to each other.

Description

[Technical Field] The disclosure relates to a protective member and an electronic device including the same. [Background Art] Developments in electronics, information, and communication technology include integrations of various functionalities into a single electronic device or portable communication device. For example, smartphones pack the functionalities of a sound player, photographing device, and scheduler, as well as the communication functionality and, on top of that, may implement more various functions by having applications installed thereon. As smartphones or other personal/portable communication devices spread, users' demand for portability and use convenience is on the rise. For example, a touchscreen display may not only serve as an output device of visual information but also provide a virtual keyboard that replaces a mechanical input device (e.g., a button input device). As such, portable communication devices or electronic devices may be made compact while delivering further enhanced applicability (e.g., a larger screen). Flexible displays, e.g., foldable or rollable displays, will be more commercially available, and electronic devices are expected to deliver better portability and use convenience. The above-described information may be provided as related art for the purpose of helping understanding of the disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the foregoing is applicable as background art in relation to the disclosure. [Disclosure of Invention] [Solution to Problems] A foldable electronic device, according to an embodiment of the disclosure, comprises a housing including a first housing component and a second housing component, a hinge rotatably connecting the first housing component and second housing component, a flexible display supported by the first housing component and the second housing component, a first protective member disposed on the first housing component to cover a first edge portion of the flexible display, and a second protective member disposed on the second housing component to cover a second edge portion of the flexible display. The first protective member comprises a first fiber-reinforced portion including a plurality of first fiber layers laminated together, each of the first fiber layers having a first thickness, and a second fiber-reinforced portion extending from the first fiber-reinforced portion, the second fiber-reinforced portion including a plurality of second fiber layers laminated together, each of the second fiber layers having a second thickness smaller than the first thickness. The second protective member comprises a third fiber-reinforced portion including a plurality of third fiber layers laminated together and a fourth fiber-reinforced portion extending from the third fiber-reinforced portion, the fourth fiber-reinforced portion including a plurality of fourth fiber layers laminated together. When the foldable electronic device is folded, the second fiber-reinforced portion of the first protective member and the fourth fiber-reinforced portion of the second protective member are configured to contact each other. A foldable electronic device according to an embodiment may comprise a housing including a first housing component and a second housing component, a hinge connecting the first housing component and second housing component so that the second housing component is rotatable about the first housing component, a flexible display supported by the first housing component and the second housing component, a first protective member disposed on the first housing component to cover a first edge portion of the flexible display, and a second protective member disposed on the second housing component to cover a second edge portion of the flexible display. At least one of the first protective member or the second protective member may include a first portion positioned inside the housing and including a first material and a second portion extending from one end of the first portion, forming an exterior of the electronic device, and including a second material different from the first member. The disclosure is not limited to the foregoing embodiments and various modifications or changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. [Brief Description of Drawings] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device in a network environment according to an embodiment of the disclosure;FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an unfolded state of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a folded state of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an example housing, an example flexible display, and an example protective member of an electronic device ac