EP-4738058-A1 - FLEXIBLE DISPLAY INCLUDING SHAPE MEMORY FILM AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING SAME

EP4738058A1EP 4738058 A1EP4738058 A1EP 4738058A1EP-4738058-A1

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing including a first housing part and a second housing part, and a flexible display. The flexible display includes a display panel, a support plate including a bendable portion including a plurality of holes and a conductive portion formed from a thermally conductive material, and a film disposed between the display panel and the support plate. The film is formed from a shape-memory material that is restored based on a temperature of the film reaching a glass transition temperature. The film is provided heat through a thermally conductive material of the support plate to reach the glass transition temperature.

Inventors

YOON, SHINHYUK
KANG, Daewon
KIM, BYOUNGJUN
LEE, Eunbi
LEE, JUNGHYUN
CHUN, Jinwook
HONG, Hyunchul

Assignees

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20250610

Claims (15)

A foldable electronic device comprising: a housing including: a first housing part, and a second housing part moveably coupled to the first housing part; and a flexible display, disposed on a front side of the first housing part and the second housing part, the flexible display including: a display panel, a support plate, supporting the display panel, including a bendable portion, the bendable portion including a plurality of holes and a conductive portion formed from a thermally conductive material, a film, disposed between the display panel and the support plate, formed from a shape-memory material that is configured to restore based on a temperature of the film reaching a glass transition temperature, wherein the film is provided heat via the thermally conductive material of the support plate to reach the glass transition temperature.
The foldable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display panel includes: a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, disposed between the first portion of the display panel and the second portion of the display panel, configured to be bent in a folded state of the foldable electronic device, wherein the support plate includes: a first support portion corresponding to the first portion of the display panel, and a second support portion corresponding to the second portion of the display panel, and wherein the bendable portion of the support plate, disposed between the first support portion of the support plate and the second support portion of the support plate, corresponds to the third portion of the display panel.
The foldable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the conductive portion of the bendable portion corresponds to a first conductive portion, wherein the first support portion of the support plate includes a second conductive portion connected to a side of the first conductive portion of the bendable portion, and wherein the second support portion of the support plate includes a third conductive portion connected to another side of the first conductive portion of the bendable portion.
The foldable electronic device of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising electronic components disposed in the housing, wherein the conductive portion of the support plate, formed from a thermally conductive material, is configured to transfer heat, generated by at least one of the electronic components, to the film.
The foldable electronic device of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a battery electrically connected to the conductive portion of the bendable portion, wherein the conductive portion of the bendable portion includes electrical wires respectively comprising a resistor configured to generate heat according to power provided from the battery.
The foldable electronic device of claim 5, further comprising: at least one processor including processing circuitry; and memory including one or more storage mediums storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the foldable electronic device to provide the power from the battery to the electrical wires comprising the resistor, based on identifying that the battery is charging.
The foldable electronic device of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: a first printed circuit board (PCB) disposed in the first housing part; and a second PCB disposed in the second housing part, wherein the conductive portion of the bendable portion includes signal lines configured to electrically connecting the first PCB and the second PCB.
The foldable electronic device of any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: a hinge assembly including hinge plates rotatably connecting the first housing part and the second housing part; electronic components disposed in the housing; and a vapor chamber configured to spread heat generated by at least one of the electronic components, wherein the vapor chamber is disposed adjacent to the hinge assembly, to transfer the heat generated by at least one of the electronic components to the conductive portion of the bendable portion.
The foldable electronic device of any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a hinge assembly including hinge plates rotatably connecting the first housing part and the second housing part; and electronic components disposed in the housing, wherein the hinge plates of the hinge assembly are formed from a thermally conductive material, to transfer heat generated by at least one of the electronic components to the conductive portion of the bendable portion.
The foldable electronic device of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the film includes a silver - nano coating layer.
The foldable electronic device of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the flexible display includes a first adhesive layer, attached on a front surface of the support plate, formed from the shape-memory material.
The foldable electronic device of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the flexible display includes a second adhesive layer, attached on a rear surface of the support plate, formed from the shape-memory material.
The foldable electronic device of any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising: a battery electrically connected to the conductive portion of the bendable portion; a first PCB disposed in the first housing part; and a second PCB disposed in the second housing part, wherein the conductive portion of the bendable portion includes: electrical wires respectively comprising a resistor configured to generate heat according to power provided from the battery, and signal lines configured to electrically connecting the first PCB and the second PCB, and wherein the electrical wires and the signal lines are disposed on a layer of the support plate.
The foldable electronic device of any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising: a battery electrically connected to the conductive portion of the bendable portion; a first PCB disposed in the first housing part; and a second PCB disposed in the second housing part, wherein the conductive portion of the bendable portion includes: electrical wires respectively comprising a resistor configured to generate heat according to power provided from the battery, and signal lines configured to electrically connecting the first PCB and the second PCB, and wherein the electrical wires are disposed on a first layer of the support plate, and wherein the signal lines are disposed on a second layer of the support plate different from a first layer of the support plate.
The foldable electronic device of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the film is configured to provide tensile force in a direction of unfolding the display panel to reduce a crease of the display panel.

Description

[Technical Field] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device including a flexible display including a shape memory film. [Background Art] An electronic device may include housing parts movably coupled and a flexible display. As the housing parts rotate, a portion of the flexible display may be bent. The electronic device may include a hinge assembly rotatably connecting the housing parts. A portion of the flexible display may be folded or unfolded according to a folding movement and an unfolding movement. The above-described information may be provided as a related art for the purpose of helping to understand the present disclosure. No claim or determination is raised as to whether any of the above-described information may be applied as a prior art related to the present disclosure. [Disclosure] [Technical Solution] An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device may comprise a housing including a first housing part and a second housing part movably coupled to the first housing part. The electronic device may comprise a flexible display disposed on a front side of the first housing part and the second housing part. The flexible display may include a display panel. The flexible display may include a support plate including a bendable portion including a conductive portion formed from a plurality of holes and a thermally conductive material. The support plate may support the display panel. The flexible display may include a film disposed between the display panel and the support plate. The film may be formed from a shape-memory material that is restored based on a temperature of the film reaching a glass transition temperature. The film may receive heat via the thermally conductive material of the support plate to reach the glass transition temperature. A flexible display module is disclosed. The flexible display module may include a display panel including a transparent cover. The flexible display module may include a substrate that includes a bendable portion and a rigid portion and supports at least a portion of the display panel. The bendable portion may include a plurality of holes. The flexible display module may include a shape-memory film disposed between the display panel and the substrate. A foldable electronic device is disclosed. The foldable electronic device may include a foldable housing including a first housing part and a second housing part rotatably coupled to the first housing part. The foldable electronic device may include a flexible display. The flexible display may include a display panel including a transparent cover, a support plate supporting the display panel and including a bendable port including a plurality of holes and a conductive portion, and a film, disposed between the display panel and the support plate, formed from a shape-memory material. The film may be configured to provide tensile force in a direction of unfolding the display panel to reduce a crease of the display panel by a shape of the film being restored based on a temperature of the film reaching a glass transition temperature. The film may be provided with heat via the conductive portion to reach the glass transition temperature. A flexible display module is disclosed. The flexible display module may include a display panel including a transparent cover. The flexible display module may include a bendable portion including a plurality of holes and a conductive portion, and a support plate supporting at least a portion of the display panel. The flexible display module may include a shape-memory film formed from a shape-memory material and disposed between the display panel and the support plate. The shape-memory film may be configured to provide tensile force in a direction of unfolding the display panel to reduce a crease of the display panel by a shape of the shape-memory film being restored based on a temperature of the shape-memory film reaching a glass transition temperature. The shape-memory film may be provided with heat through the conductive portion to reach the glass transition temperature. [Description of the Drawings] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to an embodiment.FIG. 2A illustrates an example of an unfolded state of an electronic device according to an embodiment.FIG. 2B illustrates an example of a folded state of an electronic device according to an embodiment.FIG. 2C is an exploded view of an electronic device according to an embodiment.FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a flexible display of a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment.FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible display cut along line A-A' of FIG. 2C, according to an embodiment.FIG. 5 illustrates a portion of a foldable electronic device.FIG. 6 illustrates a portion of an exemplary first support plate.FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating a temperature change in a partial region according to an operation of an electronic component.FIG. 8