Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Jongmin Kang

Suman Lee

Chungkeun Yoo

Jungjin Kim

Jongyoon Kim

Chijoon Kim

Jungwon Park

Hyunggeun Lee

Seungwhee Choi

Dooryong Kim

Seungjun Lee

Junyoung Choi

Daeyoung Kim

Sunghun Kim

Hyosang An

Yonghee Jang

Yunsik Kim

Seungchul Baek

Sungkyu Hwang

JinGook Kim

Heebo Shim

Seongki Jeong

Wonseok Rhee

Jihoon Kang

Jonghwan Choi

Jingook Kim

Inyoul Baek

Doosun Yoon

Chungil Choi

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first housing structure, a second housing structure, a hinge structure rotatably connecting the first housing structure and the second housing structure and including a first hinge plate and a second hinge plate, a hinge cover covering at least part of the hinge structure when the hinge structure is viewed from the outside, and a flexible printed circuit board crossing the hinge structure and extending from an inside of the first housing structure to an inside of the second housing structure and including a pair of fixing members to permit deformation of the flexible printed circuit board in the internal space of the hinge cover, wherein the hinge structure includes a first member attached to the first hinge plate, and a second member attached to the second hinge plate, and wherein the first member and the second member are disposed to face the flexible printed circuit board so as to prevent direct contact between the hinge structure and the printed circuit board during folding and/or unfolding of the electronic device.

Electronic device including elastic member

An electronic device includes a first housing having a first through-hole, of which a first opening and a second opening are communicated with each other, and a second housing connected to the first housing to be rotatable. A flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) extends from the first housing to the second housing via the first through-hole. The FPCB includes a plurality of layers, a first sealing member disposed in the first through-hole and surrounding the FPCB, and a lamination part toward the first sealing member. A portion of a first layer and/or a second layer corresponding to the second lamination part includes at least one first valley extending from a surface that faces an adjacent layer in a lengthwise direction of the FPCB. The lamination part includes a first adhesive layer interposed between the first layer and the second layer and filling the at least one first valley.

Flexible printed circuit board having waterproof structure and foldable electronic device including the same

An electronic device is provided, which includes a first housing; a second housing; a hinge structure including a hinge module connecting the first housing and the second housing; a flexible display including a first region, a second region, and a bending region; a first protection cover disposed over the first housing; a second protection cover disposed over the second housing; a protective cap disposed over the hinge structure; and a blocking member disposed between the flexible display and the protective cap and connecting the first protection cover and the second protection cover, the blocking member being composed of an elastic material to bend corresponding to the foldable manner.

Foldable electronic device including display protection structure

An electronic device is provided, which includes a first housing including at least one first electronic component, a second housing including at least one second electronic component, a hinge housing disposed between the first housing and the second housing, a hinge assembly assembled to the hinge housing to rotatably couple the first housing and the second housing, a flexible printed circuit board electrically coupling the first electronic component and the second electronic component via the hinge housing, and a flexible display, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a support portion located between the flexible printed circuit board and the flexible display, wherein, as the electronic device rotates from folded to 180-degree unfolded, the support portion moves into the flexible display, and wherein, as the electronic device rotates from 180-degree unfolded to folded, the support portion moves into the flexible printed circuit board to be spaced apart from the flexible display.

Foldable electronic device including hinge assembly

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first housing structure including a first surface facing in a first direction, a second surface facing in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a first side surface member at least partially surrounding a space between the first surface and the second surface, a second housing structure including a third surface facing in a third direction, a fourth surface facing in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, and a second side surface member at least partially surrounding a space between the third surface and the fourth surface, a hinge structure rotatably connecting the first housing structure and the second housing structure, the hinge structure providing a folding axis on which the first housing structure and the second housing structure rotate, the hinge structure including a first hinge plate mounted inside the first housing structure and a second hinge plate mounted inside the second housing structure, at least one flexible printed circuit board crossing the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate and extending from an inside of the first housing structure to an inside of the second housing structure, and at least one elastic member disposed on at least one of the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate in a position adjacent to the folding axis. The elastic member is, at least one of, disposed between at least one of the first hinge plate or the flexible printed circuit board or disposed between the second hinge plate and the flexible printed circuit board.

A hinge module according to one embodiment includes a fixed structure including a central portion, a guide portion having an edge facing an edge of the central portion, and a support portion configured to connect the central portion and the guide portion, wherein an interior space is formed between the central portion and the guide portion, a connecting shaft extending into the interior space through the central portion and including a gear formed on at least a part of an outer circumferential surface of the connecting shaft, and a rotary structure disposed in the interior space, the rotary structure including a circular arc shaped gear having a plurality of gear teeth arranged in a circular arc shape and that are engaged with the gear, wherein the rotary structure rotates about a virtual axis of rotation passing through a center of a circular arc of the circular arc shaped gear.

Hinge module and foldable electronic device including the same

An electronic device is provided, which includes a first housing; a second housing; a hinge structure connecting the first housing and the second housing in a foldable manner; a flexible display including a first region corresponding to the first housing, a second region corresponding to the second housing, and a folding region corresponding to the hinge structure; a first protection cover disposed on the first housing to cover a periphery of the first region of the flexible display; a second protection cover disposed on the second housing to cover a periphery of the second region of the flexible display; and at least one protection structure.

A portable communication device includes a housing including a first housing portion and a second housing portion; a flexible display accommodated in the first housing portion and the second housing portion; a first hinge plate coupled to the first housing portion; a second hinge plate coupled to the second housing portion; and a first hinge structure disposed between the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate, the first hinge structure including a first plate coupling portion coupled with the first hinge plate, the first plate coupling portion including a first protruding portion and a second protruding portion spaced apart from each other to form a space therebetween; and a second plate coupling portion coupled with the second hinge plate, the second plate coupling portion configured to be, at least partially, engaged in the space between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion if the housing is unfolded, and to be disengaged from the space if the housing is folded.

Hinge module including detent structure and foldable electronic device including the hinge module

Disclosed is a hinge module a hinge structure for a wireless communication device, the hinge structure preventing a rotary structure from being separated from a fixed structure in a flat state and a folded state.

An electronic device is provided, which includes a first housing; a second housing; a hinge housing; a hinge assembly; first and second hinge plates covering at least part of the hinge assembly; an FPCB; and a flexible display. The hinge assembly includes a support portion having a plurality of support grooves and at least part of the first and second hinge plates may be supported by the support grooves in an unfolded state of the electronic device.

An electronic device is provided, which includes a first housing; a second housing; a hinge structure connecting the first housing and the second housing in a foldable manner; a flexible display that includes a first region facing the first housing, a second region facing the second housing, and a folding region facing the hinge structure; a protective cap including a protrusion that projects outward from the hinge structure; and a blocking member that is disposed between the flexible display and the protective cap to be supported by the protrusion in the folding region and is made of a material having elasticity.

A portable communication device includes a housing including a first housing portion and a second housing portion; a flexible display accommodated in the first housing portion and the second housing portion; a first hinge plate coupled to the first housing portion; a second hinge plate coupled to the second housing portion; and a hinge coupled to the first housing portion and the second housing portion, wherein the hinge includes a first hinge structure coupled to the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate, wherein the first hinge structure includes a first gear configured to be rotated corresponding to a rotation of the first hinge plate; a second gear configured to be rotated corresponding to a rotation of the second hinge plate; and a third gear located between the first gear and the second gear and configured to link the first gear and the second gear; a second hinge structure coupled to the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate, wherein the second hinge structure includes a first member having a first rail part and a second rail part formed thereon; a second member at least partially accommodated in the first rail part and configured to rotate in a first direction relative to the first member, the second member being coupled to the first hinge plate; and a third member at least partially accommodated in the second rail part and configured to rotate in a second direction relative to the first member, the third member being coupled to the second hinge plate; and a third hinge structure coupled to the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate and located between the second hinge structure and the first hinge structure, wherein the third hinge structure includes a first plate coupling portion coupled with the first hinge plate; and a second plate coupling portion coupled with the second hinge plate, wherein the first plate coupling portion and the second plate coupling portion are engaged with each other in a state in which the housing is unfolded and are disengaged from each other in a state in which the housing is at least partially folded, wherein the first plate coupling portion includes a first wing and a second wing spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval, and wherein at least part of the second plate coupling portion is inserted and fastened between the first wing and the second wing e state in which the housing is unfolded.

A foldable electronic device includes a foldable housing including a hinge structure, a first housing structure, a second housing structure, and a hinge housing, a flexible display, and a first detent structure. The first detent structure includes a first member connected to the first housing structure, a second member connected with the second housing structure, a first ball and a second ball disposed in the first member, and an elastic member that is located in the first member between the first ball and the second ball and that presses the first ball and the second ball outward.

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Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Jongmin Kang