Display device with flexible display
The invention relates to a display device comprising a device body with upper and lower body sides and having at least one surface support part for supporting the body on a surface, and a continuous flexible display. A support frame is configured to support at least a part of the flexible display, at least a portion of the support frame is connected with the device body and is movable with respect to the device body between a closed configuration for fixing the flexible display in a storage position and an open configuration for fixing the flexible display in an open position. There is at least one surface support part for supporting the support frame on a surface. In the open configuration the surface support parts of the support frame and of the lower body side are positioned in one plane, enabling a supporting of the surface support parts on a surface for a stable user interaction with the device in the open position of the display.
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The present invention generally relates to display devices with a flexible display. The present invention specifically relates to display devices with a flexible display, a supporting frame and a device body.
BACKGROUNDMobile display devices, such as mobile phones or e-readers, which make use of flexible displays have in their storage position a compact state, for instance for transportation, previewing or phone calls. In the open position they are in a reading/viewing state with the flexible display in extended position supported by a support frame.
A display device that makes use of these two states will have a specific shape that is different from mobile products that do not use flexible displays. This specific shape can make the user interaction with the device mechanically instable or can make it difficult to handle by a user.
A number of product concepts have been developed for devices with flexible displays. The most important concepts are the ‘wrap’, the ‘book’ and the ‘roll’. An example of a ‘wrap’ concept is shown in WO 2008/054206 A2, of a ‘roll’ concept in WO 2006/038171 A1.
One of the problems in user interaction with a mobile e-reader in the use of a prior art “wrap”-type e-reader, as shown in
In a ‘book’ type e-reader as shown in
On the other hand a problem as shown in
A special form of the book device is the so-called asymmetric book as shown in
Another type of e-reader with a flexible display is a “roll-type” e-reader as shown in
It is an object of the invention to improve the physical user interaction with a mobile display device provided with a flexible display.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.
SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTSAccording to the invention the display device comprises a device body with upper and lower body sides and has at least one surface support part for supporting the body on a surface, a continuous flexible display, a support frame configured to support at least a part of the flexible display, at least a portion of the support frame being connected with the device body and being movable with respect to the device body between a closed configuration for fixing the flexible display in a storage position and an open configuration for fixing the flexible display in an open position, and having at least one surface support part for supporting the support frame on a surface, wherein in the open configuration the at least one surface support part of the support frame and the surface support part of the lower body side are positioned in one plane, enabling a supporting of the surface support parts of the support frame and of the device body on a surface for a stable user interaction with the device in the open position of the display.
In accordance with the invention, by positioning in the open position in one common plane the surface support parts of the device body and the support frame that supports the flexible display, the freedom of movement of the device is limited during user interaction with the display device.
By doing this the device is better supported when placed on a surface such as a table. The user can interact with buttons on the device body, without creating unwanted movements of the flexible display device.
According to one embodiment of the invention in the open configuration the flexible display is positioned in a plane located under an obtuse angle with respect to the lower body side. Preferably the device body comprises at the lower body side an extending portion, the lower end of which is configured as surface support part.
In accordance with this aspect of the invention, by positioning in the open position the device body and the support frame under an obtuse angle the device is stably supported on a surface.
According to a “wrap” embodiment of the invention the support frame comprises hinge portions to enable in the closed configuration a wrapped storage position of the flexible display, one of the hinge portions being hingeably connected with the device body, the hingeable connection with the body being located at some distance above a plane through the lower body side of the device body.
According to another “wrap” embodiment of the invention the support frame comprises hinge portions to enable in the closed configuration a wrapped storage position of the flexible display, one of the hinge portions being hingeably connected with the device body, the hingeable connection being located near the lateral end of the extending portion of the device body comprising the surface support part.
According to a “book” embodiment of the invention the support frame comprises two portions, each configured to support a part of the display, the device body at its upper body side being a first portion of the support frame, a second portion of the support frame being hingeably connected with the first portion of the support frame, wherein the hingeable connection in the support frame in the open configuration is being moved upwardly in the direction of the display, enabling a stable positioning of the device in the open position of the display. This offers a special advantage for substantially symmetrical “book” concepts.
According to an asymmetrical “book” embodiment of the invention the support frame comprises two portions, each configured to support a part of the display, the device body at its upper body side being a first portion of the support frame, a second portion of the support frame being hingeably connected with the first portion of the support frame, in the open configuration the maximum height of the device being largest at the device body side, wherein in the open configuration of the support frame the flexible display is positioned in a plane located under an obtuse angle with respect to the lower sides of both frame portions. This enables a practical and stable open positioning of the display.
According to a “roll type” embodiment of the invention the display is a rollable display, the device body is housing a display roll element, said element extending partially below the lower body side and having a surface support part, in the open configuration the lower body side being positioned by the surface support part of said element under an angle with respect to the surface.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, dimensions reaction conditions and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about”.
In this application and the claims, the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise. In addition, use of “or” means “and/or” unless stated otherwise. Moreover, the use of the term “including”, as well as other forms, such as “includes” and “included”, is not limiting. Also, terms such as “element” or “component” encompass both elements and components comprising one unit and elements and components that comprise more than one unit unless specifically stated otherwise.
The prior art display device 1 schematically shown in
In the open position as shown in
In
In
A special form of the “book” type prior art device, shown in
Another type of prior art device with a flexible display is the roll type device 17 as shown in
The display device 1 of
In another “wrap” type embodiment, shown in a storage position (
In an alternative “wrap” type embodiment, shown in an open position put on a surface 8 in
For stable positioning the device in the open position on a surface, under the body 7 downwardly extending portions, in this embodiment two protrusions 7i, are provided located at opposite sides of the display when the flexible display is in the storage position. Preferably the frame portion 3 comprises at the opposite sides recesses enabling positioning the protrusions 7i in the storage position of the display.
A variation of this solution would be to make these local protrusions 7i movable, preferably retractable from the open to the storage position. In open position of the device they move out of the device and become locked in their extended state. In this way these protrusions 7i do not necessarily need to be located at the sides of the support frame, but can be below them.
A schematic side view of an asymmetrical ‘book’ device 20 of the type shown before in
In the asymmetrical ‘book’ device shown in
In the embodiments of
In
In the open configuration of
In
In
In
In
It is noted that preferably at least one of the desk support parts 26a of the embodiment of
In
Various embodiments of the disclosure could also include permutations of the various elements recited in the claims as if each dependent claim was a multiple dependent claim incorporating the limitations of each of the preceding dependent claims as well as the independent claims. Such permutations are expressly within the scope of this disclosure.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a number of embodiments, it would be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in the form and details may be made to the various embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and that the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to act as limitations on the scope of the claims. All references cited herein are incorporated in their entirety by reference.
Claims
1. A display device comprising:
- a device body with upper and lower body sides and having at least one surface support part for supporting the device body on a surface;
- a continuous flexible display; and
- a support frame configured to support at least a part of the flexible display and comprising: a hinge portion rotatably connected with the device body, wherein the support frame is movable with respect to the device body between a closed configuration for fixing the flexible display in a storage position and an open configuration for fixing the flexible display in an open position; and at least one surface support part for supporting the support frame on a surface;
- wherein in the open configuration the at least one surface support part of the support frame and the surface support part of the lower body side are positioned in one plane, enabling a supporting of the surface support parts of the support frame and of the device body on a surface for a stable user interaction with the device in the open position of the flexible display,
- wherein in the closed configuration the device body is partially covered by a portion of the support frame, and the flexible display is sandwiched between the device body and the portion of the support frame, and
- wherein the flexible display is a rollable display, the device body houses a display roll element, said element extending partially below the lower body side and having a surface support part, arranged such that in the open configuration the lower body side is positioned by the surface support part of said element at an angle with respect to the surface.
2. The display device in accordance with claim 1, wherein in the open configuration the rollable display is positioned at an obtuse angle with respect to the lower body side.
3. A device comprising:
- a flexible display comprising a first portion, a second portion and a third portion located between the first portion and the second portion;
- a display support frame including a first support frame portion supporting the first portion and a second support frame portion supporting the second portion; and
- a hinge module connecting the first support frame portion and the second support frame portion,
- wherein the hinge module is positioned in line with a side of the first support frame portion and a side of the second support frame portion when the device is opened, and
- wherein the display support frame comprises a recess configured to accommodate the third portion of the flexible display and to confine a curvature of the third portion of the flexible display when the device is closed.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the hinge module comprises at least one slot which extends substantially parallel in the frame portions when the device is closed.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein the hinge module comprises at least one hinge, and the at least one hinge is moved along with the at least one slot while the device is opened.
6. The device of claim 3, wherein the hinge module comprises a first hinge and a second hinge, the first hinge is inserted in a first slot, and the second hinge is inserted in a second slot.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein the first hinge is moved along with the first slot and the second hinge is moved along with the second slot while the device is opened.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Dec 10, 2015
Date of Patent: Nov 5, 2019
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Suwon-si)
Inventors: Volker Barnhart Verschoor (Eindhoven), Johannes Cornelis Adriaan Hamers (Eindhoven), Hendrik Visser (Eindhoven), Michael Johannes Anna Maria Walters (Eindhoven)
Primary Examiner: Linh M Nguyen
Application Number: 14/965,207
International Classification: G06F 1/16 (20060101); H05K 5/00 (20060101); H04M 1/00 (20060101); H05K 7/00 (20060101);