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- Nachgewiesen in: USPTO Patent Applications
- Sprachen: English
- Document Number: 20230217616
- Publication Date: July 6, 2023
- Appl. No: 18/090948
- Application Filed: December 29, 2022
- Assignees: LG Display Co., Ltd. (Seoul, KR), LMT Co., Ltd. (Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, KR)
- Claim: 1. A foldable display apparatus, comprising: a display panel; a first set housing and a second set housing arranged in a first direction and respectively supporting two different portions of the display panel; and a hinge assembly disposed between the first set housing and the second set housing and configured to fold and unfold the first set housing and the second set housing, the hinge assembly including: a mid bar extending between the first set housing and the second set housing in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a first flap bar disposed between the first set housing and the mid bar; a second flap bar disposed between the second set housing and the mid bar; a fastening member fastened with the mid bar, the first flap bar, and the second flap bar; a support member coupled to the fastening member; a first cam and a second cam disposed respectively at opposite sides of the support member in the first direction and coupled respectively with the first flap bar and the second flap bar; and a first gear arm and a second gear arm coupled respectively with the first cam and the second cam and coupled respectively with the first housing and the second housing.
- Claim: 2. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first set housing and the second set housing includes: a support disposed below the display panel at an unfolded state, a frame disposed at an edge of the support, and a fastening unit disposed in the frame, wherein the fastening unit of the first set housing is fastened with the first gear arm, and the fastening unit of the second set housing is fastened with the second gear arm.
- Claim: 3. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the mid bar has a flat shape, and side surfaces of the mid bar adjacent respectively to the first flap bar and the second flap bar are inwardly recessed.
- Claim: 4. The foldable display apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least a part of a side portion of each of the first flap bar and the second flap bar adjacent to the mid bar has a convex surface corresponding to a respective one of the inwardly recessed side surfaces of the mid bar, and wherein the side portions of the first flap bar and the second flap bar are fastened with the fastening member so that opposite side portions of the first flap bar and the second flap bar each rotatably move with respective to a rotation axis at a respective one of the side portions of the first flap bar and the second flap bar.
- Claim: 5. The foldable display apparatus of claim 4, wherein for each of the first flap bar and the second flap bar in an out-folded state, a length V from the rotation axis to an edge of the side portion in a vertical direction and a length H from the rotation axis to an edge of the side portion in a horizontal direction satisfy the following equation: [mathematical expression included]
- Claim: 6. The foldable display apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first cam and the second cam each include a fixing portion, and wherein the side portions of the first flap bar and the second flap bar are each coupled to the fastening member, and the opposite side portions of the first flap bar and the second flap bar are coupled to the fixing portions of the first cam and the second cam, respectively.
- Claim: 7. The foldable display apparatus of claim 6, wherein the fixing portions of the first cam and the second cam each include a guide hole extending diagonally at 45 degrees between the first direction and the second direction, and wherein the first flap bar and the second flap bar each include a sliding pin at the opposite side portion, the sliding pin being disposed in the guide hole of a respective one of the first cam and the second cam.
- Claim: 8. The foldable display apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sliding pin slidably moves in the guide hole during folding and unfolding movements.
- Claim: 9. The foldable display apparatus of claim 7, wherein the fixing portions of the first cam and the second cam each further include two fastening holes spaced apart from the guide hole by a same distance with the guide hole therebetween, and the two fastening holes are fastened with a respective one of the first gear arm and the second gear arm.
- Claim: 10. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first cam and the second cam each include: a fixing portion coupled with a respective one of the first flap bar and the second flap bar; and a pressurizing portion to apply pressure to the support member during a folding movement.
- Claim: 11. The foldable display apparatus of claim 10, wherein the support member includes a flat portion at an upper surface and a circular arc portion at each side of the flat portion and having a convex surface, and wherein the pressurizing portion includes a first protruding portion protruding from the fixing portion in the first direction, a second protruding portion protruding in a direction perpendicular to the first protruding portion, and a curved portion between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion.
- Claim: 12. The foldable display apparatus of claim 11, wherein during an in-folding movement to fold the display panel inwardly, the fixing portions of the first cam and the second cam apply a pressure on the flat portion of the support member to downwardly move the support member.
- Claim: 13. The foldable display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the hinge assembly further includes a spring member disposed below the support member, and wherein during an out-folding movement to fold the display panel outwardly, the fixing portions of the first cam and the second cam are spaced apart from the flat portion of the support member, and the spring member maintains the support member in place without moving up and down.
- Claim: 14. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly further includes: a spring member disposed below the support member; a first rotary gear and a second rotary gear coupled to the first gear arm and the second gear arm, respectively; and a gear housing accommodating the first rotary gear and the second rotary gear, wherein the gear housing includes a support portion extending to the support member, and the spring member is disposed on the support portion.
- Claim: 15. The foldable display apparatus of claim 14, wherein the gear housing includes a guide groove facing the support member, and wherein the support member includes a protruding portion disposed in the guide groove to move up and down along the guide groove.
- Claim: 16. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display panel has a shape of omega (Ω) in an in-folded state in which the display panel is disposed between the first set housing and the second set housing.
- Claim: 17. The foldable display apparatus of claim 16, wherein, in the in-folded state, an interval between a first point at which the first flap bar is in contact with the display panel and a second point at which the second flap bar is in contact with the display panel is in a range from 4 mm to 5 mm.
- Claim: 18. The foldable display apparatus of claim 17, wherein a maximum distance between two opposing upper surfaces of the display panel facing each other at the first point and the second point, respectively, is in a range from 3.2 mm to 3.8 mm.
- Claim: 19. The foldable display apparatus of claim 1, wherein: respective side portions of the first flap bar and the second flap bar adjacent to the mid bar are fastened with the fastening member, and other respective side portions of the first flap bar and the second flap bar are coupled respectively to fixing units of the first cam and the second cam, the fixing units of the first cam and the second cam each includes a guide hole to allow a sliding pin formed at the other side portion of a corresponding one of the first flap bar and the second flap bar to slidably move, and the guide hole includes: a first end portion at which the sliding pin is located with the display panel in an in-folded state in which the display panel is disposed between the first set housing and the second set housing; and a second end portion at which the sliding pin is located with the display panel in an out-folded operation state in which the first set housing and the second set housing are disposed between a folded surface of the display panel.
- Claim: 20. The foldable display apparatus of claim 19, wherein, in the in-folded state: a folding angle formed by the rotation axis of the first flap bar and the first end portion of the first cam and a folding angle formed by the rotation axis of the second flap bar and the first end portion of the second cam are each in a range from 93° to 97°.
- Claim: 21. The foldable display apparatus of claim 19, wherein, with the display panel in the in-folded state, a gradient formed by the first end portion and the second end portion with respect to an imaginary line connecting the rotation axis of the first flap bar and the rotation axis of the second flap bar is in a range from 2.25 to 2.75.
- Claim: 22. A foldable display apparatus, comprising: a display panel; a first set housing and a second set housing arranged in a first direction and supporting the display panel; and a hinge assembly disposed between and connected to the first set housing and the second set housing, the hinge assembly being configured to: rotate the first set housing and the second set housing inward to in-fold the display panel so that the display panel is disposed between the first set housing and the second set housing; rotate the first set housing and the second set housing outward to out-fold the display panel so that the first set housing and the second set housing are disposed between the out-folded display panel; and position the first set housing and the second set housing flat to unfold the display panel so that the display panel is flat on the first set housing, the second set housing, and the hinge assembly.
- Claim: 23. The foldable display apparatus of claim 22, wherein the hinge assembly includes: a mid bar extending between the first set housing and the second set housing in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a first flap bar disposed between the first set housing and the mid bar; a second flap bar disposed between the second set housing and the mid bar; and a first cam and a second cam coupled respectively with the first flap bar and the second flap bar.
- Claim: 24. The foldable display apparatus of claim 23, wherein the hinge assembly further includes: a fastening member fastened with the mid bar, the first flap bar, and the second flap bar; and a support member coupled to the fastening member, wherein the first cam and the second cam are disposed respectively at opposite sides of the supporting member in the first direction.
- Claim: 25. The foldable display apparatus of claim 24, wherein the hinge assembly further includes: a first gear arm and a second gear arm coupled respectively with the first cam and the second cam and coupled respectively with the first housing and the second housing; and a first rotary gear and a second rotary gear coupled with the first gear arm and the second gear arm respectively, the first rotary gear and the second rotary gear being configured to support in-folding, out-folding, and unfolding movements of the display panel.
- Claim: 26. The foldable display apparatus of claim 22, wherein a folded portion of the display panel has an omega (Ω) shape in an in-folded state.
- Current International Class: 05; 16
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