TWI576796B - Foldable device - Google Patents

Description

Flexible device

This invention relates to a flexible device and, more particularly, to a flexible device having a long service life.

Products for flexible devices have been introduced for many years, such as the use of electronic paper. At present, various manufacturers are committed to applying this technology to flat-panel or mobile phones, but in the fixed way of flexible panels, most of them use adhesive to fix the flexible panel on the flat or mobile phone case, so the tablet Or when the mobile phone is bent, the flexible panel is curled and the flat or mobile phone case to which it is attached may be moved or pulled due to deformation, thereby affecting the flexible panel and the tablet or mobile phone case to which it is attached. The adhesion strength between them affects the service life of the flexible device.

The present invention provides a flexible device having a long service life.

A flexible device of the present invention includes a housing having a first engaging structure and a first rib; a pivot disposed on the outer casing to divide the outer casing into an upper zone and a lower zone, and the upper zone And the lower region is relatively expandable or superposed by the pivot; the joint cover has a second joint structure coupled with the first joint structure to be assembled to the outer casing; the substrate is disposed in the space of the outer casing a second rib, and the second rib is disposed corresponding to the first rib; a flexible panel attached to the substrate and exposed by the outer casing; and an elastic member connected And between the first rib and the second rib, and the joint cover limits the elastic member.

In an embodiment of the invention, one of the first joint structure and the second joint structure is a rib, and the other of the first joint structure and the second joint structure is concave The grooves and the shapes of the ribs and the grooves cooperate with each other.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first rib is disposed on a top surface of the outer casing, and the second rib is disposed on a top surface of the substrate.

In an embodiment of the invention, the elastic member is a spring.

In an embodiment of the invention, the side of the outer casing is provided with a sliding rail, and the substrate has lugs on opposite sides of the side, and the lug is located in the sliding rail. .

A flexible device of the present invention includes: a housing having a first hook; a pivot disposed on the housing to divide the housing into an upper area and a lower area, and the upper area and the lower The substrate can be relatively unfolded or overlapped by the pivot; the substrate is disposed in the space of the outer casing, has a second hook, and the second hook corresponds to the first hook; the flexible a panel attached to the substrate and exposed by the outer casing; an elastic member coupled between the first hook and the second hook; and a joint cover adapted to be assembled to the outer casing The first hook is disposed to limit the elastic member.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first hook is disposed on a vertical wall of the outer casing, and the second hook is disposed on a sidewall of the substrate.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first hook is disposed on a horizontal wall of the outer casing, and the second hook is disposed on a sidewall of the substrate.

In an embodiment of the invention, the elastic member is a spring.

In an embodiment of the invention, the side of the outer casing is provided with a sliding rail, and the substrate has lugs on opposite sides of the side, and the lug is located in the sliding rail. .

Based on the above, in the flexible device of the present invention, the cushioning force and the telescopic performance of the elastic member are utilized, so that when the flexible device is deployed or superposed, the substrate can be moved within the outer casing to reduce the flexibility. The effect of the adhesion strength between the panel and the substrate increases the useful life of the flexible device.

The above described features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

[First Embodiment]

All the figures in the present invention have been omitted for drawing, exaggerating the thickness of the layer or the gap between the layers. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the spirit of the case lies in the arrangement and actuation of the components, and It is not limited to the dimensions of the elements drawn in the figures. Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a flexible device of the present invention. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional perspective view of the flexible device of FIG. 1. For simplicity of illustration, the substrate 140 and the flexible panel 150 are considered as a single unit in FIG. 1, and the drawing and labeling of the flexible panel 150 are omitted. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 simultaneously, the flexible device 100 can be a smart phone or a tablet, and includes a housing 110, a pivot 120, a joint cover 130, a substrate 140, a flexible panel 150, and an elastic member 160. The outer casing 110 is provided with a first joint structure 112 and a first rib 114, and the first joint structure 112 and the first rib 114 protrude from the top surface 110a of the outer casing 110. The pivot 120 is disposed on the outer casing 110 and divides the outer casing 110 into an upper portion 100a and a lower portion 100b such that the upper portion 100a and the lower portion 100b are relatively unfolded or overlapped by the pivot 120. The joint cover 130 has a second engagement structure 132 for coupling with the first engagement structure 112 for assembly to the outer casing 110. The substrate 140 is disposed in a space of the outer casing 110, and the substrate 140 has second ribs 142 disposed corresponding to the first ribs 114. The flexible panel 150 is attached to the substrate 140 and exposed by the outer casing 110. The elastic member 160 is coupled between the first rib 114 and the second rib 142, and when the joint cover 130 is assembled to the outer casing 110, the joint cover 130 can simultaneously restrain the elastic member 160 and the flexible panel 150 adhered thereto. The substrate 140 prevents the elastic member 160 and the substrate 140 to which the flexible panel 150 is adhered from being taken out from the thickness direction of the outer casing 110.

In detail, in the present embodiment, the pivot 120 includes a gear, so that the angle of the upper portion 100a with respect to the lower portion 100b can be controlled by the engagement of the gears. In addition, the first joint structure 112 is a rib, and the second joint structure 132 is a groove, and the shapes of the rib and the groove cooperate to each other to be engaged with each other. However, those skilled in the art can also make the second joint structure 132 as a rib according to requirements, and the second joint structure 132 can be made into a groove; or can be made into other structures that can cooperate with each other to achieve the carding effect. Further, the first rib 114 is disposed on the top surface 110a of the outer casing 110, and the second rib 142 is disposed on the top surface 140a of the substrate 140.

3A and 3B are partial schematic views of different perspectives of the flexible device of FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B simultaneously, the elastic member 160 of the embodiment is a spring, and one end of the spring is fixed to the first rib 114, and the other end of the spring is fixed to the second rib 142.

As is known to those skilled in the art, the flexible panel in the conventional flexible device is directly attached to the inner surface of the outer casing or directly attached to the flat plate; thus, when bending the flexible device When the flexible panel is deformed, it is pulled with the outer casing or the flat plate, thereby breaking the adhesiveness of the flexible panel attached to the inner surface of the outer casing or attached to the flat plate.

4 is a schematic view showing the flexible panel and the substrate of the flexible device of FIG. Referring to FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 simultaneously, unlike the conventional flexible device, the flexible panel 150 of the present embodiment is attached to the substrate 140 , and the substrate 140 is not directly attached to the outer casing 110 . The inner surface (not shown) is placed in the space inside the outer casing 110, and the substrate 140 is connected to the first rib 114 and the second rib 142 by the first rib 114, the second rib 142, and the second rib 142. The elastic member 160 therebetween can slide in the space inside the outer casing 110.

In detail, when the flexible device 100 of the present embodiment is bent, the upper region 100a and the lower region 100b of the flexible device 100 are rotated from the unfolded state to the superposed state with the pivot 120 as a rotating shaft. As the rotation of the upper region 100a and the lower region 100b is superimposed and pressed onto the substrate 140, it is noted that the substrate 140 will first slide in the space of the outer casing 110 (for example, from the upper region 100a toward the direction of the arrow in the figure). The lower region 100b is slipped), at this time, the elastic member 160 of the spring is stretched, and after the substrate 140 is slipped to the extent that it cannot slip (i.e., the lower edge of the substrate 140 is raised to the edge of the lower region 100b of the outer casing 110) The substrate 140 is gradually bent as the flexible device 100 is bent.

In addition, a groove (not shown) may be further provided in the outer casing 110, and the elastic member 160 may be disposed in the groove to ensure the expansion and contraction direction of the elastic member 160, and prevent the substrate 140 from shaking left and right. Of course, in the case where the dimensions of the outer casing 110 and the substrate 140 are within tolerances and it is confirmed that the substrate 140 does not have excessive left and right sway and the product yield is affected, the groove may not be provided.

When the flexible device 100 is rotated from the superposed state to the unfolded state, the elastic restoring force of the stretched elastic member 160 causes the substrate 140 to return to the original position as the upper portion 100a is unfolded relative to the lower portion 100b. In the unfolded state, there may be a distance of about 2 mm between the upper and lower edges of the substrate 140 and the outer casing 110 in the longitudinal direction of the outer casing 110 to cope with the sliding of the substrate 140 when the flexible device 100 is in the folded state. Move and deform.

Incidentally, by the cooperation of the elastic member 160 with the first rib 114 and the second rib 142, the edge of the substrate 140 can be prevented from being abutted due to the multiple bending of the flexible device 100. To the outer casing 110, the edges of the flexible panel 150 attached to the substrate 140 are prevented from being flipped up against the outer casing 110.

Of course, those skilled in the art can conceive that the first rib 114 is disposed on both the upper region 100a and the lower region 100b of the outer casing 110, and the upper and lower edges of the substrate 140 are corresponding to the first rib 114. The second ribs 142 are disposed to prevent the upper and lower edges of the flexible panel 150 from being lifted up against the outer casing 110.

5 is a schematic view of a lug of a substrate of the flexible device of FIG. 1 and a slide rail of the outer casing. Referring to FIG. 5, the side edges of the outer casing 110 may be provided with slide rails 116, and the base plate 140 has lugs 144 corresponding to the sides of the side edges, and the lugs 144 are located in the slide rails 116. By positioning the lugs 144 in the slide rails 116, the direction of movement of the substrate 140 in the outer casing 110 can be limited. That is, the substrate 140 may move along the slide rail 116 in the longitudinal direction L of the outer casing 110 (shown in FIG. 1), but may not be taken out of the outer casing 110 along the thickness direction Z (shown in FIG. 1) of the outer casing 110. [Second embodiment]

6 is a partial schematic view of a second embodiment of the flexible device of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 3B and FIG. 6 simultaneously, the first embodiment provides a first rib 114 on the outer casing 110 and a second rib 142 on the substrate 140 to fix the two ends of the elastic member 160 to the first rib. 114 and the second rib 142; the present embodiment is different from the foregoing first embodiment in that the rib in the first embodiment is changed to a hook.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first hook 118 is disposed in the outer casing 110 and is located on the vertical wall 110b of the outer casing 110, and the second hook 146 is disposed on the side wall 140b of the substrate 140, and is a resilient member 160 of the spring. The two ends are connected to the first hook 118 and the second hook 146, respectively. [Third embodiment]

7 is a partial schematic view of a third embodiment of the flexible device of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 3B and FIG. 7 simultaneously, the present embodiment is different from the foregoing second embodiment in that the first hook 118 disposed on the vertical wall 110b of the outer casing 110 in the foregoing second embodiment is instead The horizontal wall 110c of the outer casing 110.

In summary, in the flexible device of the present invention, the elastic member is used to connect the substrate and the outer casing, so that when the flexible device is deployed or superposed, the cushioning force and the expansion and contraction performance of the elastic member are The assembly relationship between the groove and the lug, the substrate can move in the outer casing, and has a sufficient space in the outer casing to tolerate the expansion and contraction of the substrate, reduce the influence on the adhesion strength between the flexible panel and the substrate, and thereby increase The service life of the flexible device.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and any one of ordinary skill in the art can make some changes and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

100‧‧‧Flexible device
100a‧‧‧Upper District
100b‧‧‧Under District
110‧‧‧Shell
110a, 140a‧‧‧ top surface
110b‧‧‧ vertical wall
110c‧‧‧ horizontal wall
112‧‧‧First joint structure
114‧‧‧First rib
116‧‧‧Slide rails
118‧‧‧First card hook
120‧‧‧ pivot
130‧‧‧Joint cover
132‧‧‧Second joint structure
140‧‧‧Substrate
140b‧‧‧ side wall
142‧‧‧second rib
144‧‧‧ lugs
146‧‧‧Second card
150‧‧‧flexible panels
160‧‧‧Flexible parts
L‧‧‧ Length direction
Z‧‧‧ Thickness direction

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a flexible device of the present invention. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional perspective view of the flexible device of FIG. 1. 3A and 3B are partial schematic views of different perspectives of the flexible device of FIG. 2. 4 is a schematic view showing the flexible panel and the substrate of the flexible device of FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a lug of a substrate of the flexible device of FIG. 1 and a slide rail of the outer casing. 6 is a partial schematic view of a second embodiment of the flexible device of FIG. 1. 7 is a partial schematic view of a third embodiment of the flexible device of FIG. 1.

100‧‧‧Flexible device

110‧‧‧Shell

110a, 140a‧‧‧ top surface

112‧‧‧First joint structure

114‧‧‧First rib

130‧‧‧Joint cover

132‧‧‧Second joint structure

140‧‧‧Substrate

142‧‧‧second rib

150‧‧‧flexible panels

160‧‧‧Flexible parts

Claims (10)

A flexible device comprising: a housing having a first engagement structure and a first rib; a pivot disposed on the outer casing to divide the outer casing into an upper zone and a lower zone, and the upper zone and the The lower portion can be relatively unfolded or overlapped by the pivot; the joint cover has a second joint structure coupled with the first joint structure to be assembled to the outer casing; the substrate is disposed in the space of the outer casing, Having a second rib, and the second rib is disposed corresponding to the first rib; a flexible panel attached to the substrate and exposed by the outer casing; and an elastic member connected to the Between the first rib and the second rib, and the joint cover limits the elastic member. The flexible device of claim 1, wherein one of the first joint structure and the second joint structure is a rib, and the first joint structure and the second joint The other of the structures is a groove, and the shapes of the ribs and the grooves match each other. The flexible device of claim 1, wherein the first rib is disposed on a top surface of the outer casing, and the second rib is disposed on a top surface of the substrate. The flexible device of claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a spring. The flexible device of claim 1, wherein a side of the outer casing is provided with a slide rail, and the substrate has lugs on both sides corresponding to the side edges, and the convex The ear is located in the slide rail. A flexible device comprising: a housing having a first hook; a pivot disposed on the housing to divide the housing into an upper zone and a lower zone, and wherein the upper zone and the lower zone are The pivoting body can be relatively unfolded or overlapped; the substrate is disposed in the space of the outer casing, has a second hook, and the second hook corresponds to the first hook; the flexible panel is attached Attached to the substrate and exposed by the outer casing; an elastic member connected between the first hook and the second hook; and a joint cover adapted to be assembled to the outer casing The first hook is described to limit the elastic member. The flexible device of claim 6, wherein the first hook is disposed on a vertical wall of the outer casing, and the second hook is disposed on a sidewall of the substrate. The flexible device of claim 6, wherein the first hook is disposed on a horizontal wall of the outer casing, and the second hook is disposed on a sidewall of the substrate. The flexible device of claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a spring. The flexible device of claim 1, wherein a side of the outer casing is provided with a slide rail, and the substrate has lugs on both sides corresponding to the side edges, and the convex The ear is located in the slide rail.