WO2016203321A2

WO2016203321A2 - Motorized foldable flexible display

Info

Publication number: WO2016203321A2
Application number: PCT/IB2016/001492
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wasfi Alshdaifat
Original assignee: Almuhairbi, Eida
Priority date: 2016-10-18
Filing date: 2016-10-18
Publication date: 2016-12-22
Also published as: WO2016203321A3; CN109844683A; CN109844683B

Abstract

To provide a motorized mechanism based on tiny motor (25), rotatable shaft, set of flexible rotatable wires (27), spiral plate springs (29), flexible plates (30), to drive the rotation of the right/left sides (22) (23) of a flexible display screen (20) against center side to change their configuration from flat into rounded or triangular and vice versa. The center part (21) of the display has a tiny motor (25) built-in inside its backside, a double switch starts the tiny motor (25) to drive a center shaft to roll three parallel flexible wires (27) to pull the bent right and left parts of the display to become in level with the display (20) while switching the double switch fold position will release the wires and hence the tension loaded spiral springs (29) will rotate the right and left parts of the display to become a wristwatch, having a triangular shape.

Description

MOTORIZED FOLDABLE FLEXIBLE DISPLAY

Description of the Invention

Technical Field of Invention

Flexible smart displays are flopped manually in-between folded and unfolded positions from flat phone state into a wearable wristwatch, depending on simple mechanical tools which are not motorized.

Background Art

The concept of devices with flexible displays and Chassis is not new, Samsung, LG, Nokia and Lenova have worked with twistable, bendable, foldable devices.

Wasfi Alshdaifat...etal were the first who introduced motorized mechanisms to fold flexible or multi-panel display tablets into smart phones, while changing the configuration of a flexible smart phone into a smart watch is the newest concept in the art. The need for a smart phone folded into a smart wristwatch appeared due to using two devices instead of one by the same user, furthermore the smart watch display size is limited, and if it is enlarged it will be twisted around the user hand, wherein a big part of it will not be easily visible for the user.

To solve this issue, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., filed a patent application which is published by the US patent office under title: Wearable Device, Publication No.: US2015/0089974 A1, Publication date: Apr.02,2015. A plurality of connecting (segment) members are used to be manually rotated to provide an elastic twisting into annularly bent state, this mechanical arrangement of segments is supporting the flexible display from the back side to be bent with them, but, this invention is still based on a mechanical manual operation which is non-consistent with the technology of smart devices, it is neither automatic, nor smart.

Another invention filed by Young Yi Lee, it is published by the US patent office under title: Wrist-Watch Type Flexible Display Device, Publication No.: 20160124395, published at: 05.05.2016, this application is loaded with extra external tools to assist bending and un-bending the flexible device, such as: watch-strap, engaged adjustment members, flexible plates...etc, it is neither compact nor built-in, furthermore, the watch strap will stay on the hand while using the phone or returning it the pocket, also the one way string to each side creates a danger that the whole mechanism will get idle if the string got brocken, the whole mechanism looks of an old design style, it is neither automatic nor smart.

Only four embodiments in the prior art are demonstrating how to fold a flexible display tablet automatically or via a smart built-in mechanism, these are: WO/2012/098473 Motorized Tri-Phone (Moto-Phone), WO/2012/110900 Motorized Accordion Phone (A-Phone), WO/2013/076710 Motorized Flexible Display Tri- Phone (Moto-Phone), WO/2013/080191 Foldable Flexible Display (Tri-Phone)

However, nothing in these four PCT applications nor in the other prior art is demonstrating how to fold (bend or twist) a smart display device around a user wrist to be used as a smart watch, in an automatic or smart way, even the methods which are demonstrated through these four PCT applications can be applied successfully in folding automatically a flexible display into a smart wrist watch, still this invention object is to provide another method to provide an automatic (smart) and active motorized mechanism to achieve this need.

Disclosure of Invention

Brief Description

To provide a motorized mechanism based on a tiny motor, a rotatable shaft, a set of flexible rotatable wires, a pair of spiral plate springs, a pair of flexible plates, to drive the rotation of the right and left sides of a flexible display screen against center side to change their configuration from flat into triangular watch state.

In the first embodiment, spiral plate springs are installed in-between the center display and the right/left parts, the intermediate part between each side and the center is the main flexible part. When the tiny motor is switched to unfold, the side parts are pulled to rotate against the spiral plate springs force, and the configuration become flat, when the motor switch is switched to fold, the motor will release the wires, and the spiral springs will rotate the right/left display parts to be folded away from the center part to produce a triangular shape around the wrist.

In the second embodiment, the spiral springs retarding action is replaced with flexible plates that are attached to the bottom (back) of only the right/left plates. The display screen is normally flat from the center and folded from the right left sides, the flexible plates are normally bent, and so the right left sides of the display are bent too. The center part is having a tiny motor built in inside its backside along its center width, a double switch unfold position starts the tiny motor to drive a center shaft, the center shaft will roll each three parallel wires around pulleys which are installed in-between the center display and the right/left display parts, these wires are connected to the far edges of the flexible displays to pull them to straighten and be flat, and hence the whole display become flat, while switching the double switch to fold position will release the wires and hence the flexible plates will rotate the right and left parts of the flexible display to become folded creating a wristwatch, having a round shape. Brief Description of the Drawings:

• FIG. 1: Illustrates the external flat shape (phone state) of the flexible display which is related to the folded triangular configuration.

• FIG. 2: Illustrates the shape of the folded triangular configuration (watch state).

• FIG. 3: Illustrates a 3-D schematic sketch for the triangular configuration motorized mechanism.

• FIG. 4: Illustrates the external flat shape (phone state)of the flexible display which is related to the folded rounded configuration (watch state). · FIG. 5: Illustrates the shape of the folded rounded configuration (watch state).

• FIG. 6: Illustrates a 3-D schematic sketch for the rounded configuration motorized mechanism.

Detailed description

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention:

In order to make it easy to carry out the invention, a detailed description of the parts of the invention supported with figures is provided here, as each part has many features, we made it easy to read, by referring to each feature with a number included in the parts description text and in the parts numbering list, the numbering of parts features is indicated here by starting it sequentially from number 20, whenever a part feature appears in a text, it will be directly assigned its required serial number. As example in FIG. 1, the parts' features are arranged sequentially from number 20 to 21, 22...

The first embodiment is related to a normally folded configuration of a flexible display 20 into a triangular shape (Fig. 1) the main external parts of this flexible display 20 are the center part 21 which is a non-flexible display, it is acting as a watch while the display 20 is folded around the hand, the right part 22 and left part 23 are connected to the center rigid part 21 via a flexible displaying parts 24 (intermediate parts) from the right and left sides. The motorized mechanism is based on a tiny motor 25 engaged via gears to a rotatable shaft 26, engaged at three points (two ends and center) from its bottom to a right side set of three flexible rotatable wires 27 passing through grooves (not shown), and from its top at three points (two ends and center) to a left side set of three flexible rotatable wires welded to the right and left parts 22, 23 far edges at specific engagement spots 28. A spiral plate spring 29 is installed along each flexible part 24 and engaged to right/left parts 22, 23 to drive the retarding rotation of these right and left parts 22, 23 of the flexible display 20 against the center part 21 to change their configuration from flat into triangular state (Fig. 3).

As the flexible display 20 should be normally installed around the wrist like a watch, then the normal configuration and setting is to be a triangular shape (folded state), the spiral plate springs 29 carry out the job of keeping the right/left parts 22, 23 pressed against the user hand. When the user receives a call, or would like to use the flexible display 20 applications, he needs just to push a conventional switch into unfold, then the tiny motor 25 will start pulling the side parts 22, 23 to rotate against the spiral plate springs force (loading them with tension) and the configuration become flat (phone state). In more detail, the motor 25 will rotate the shaft 26 as shown in Fig.3, such that the right wires 27 (right of the viewer will be rolled clockwise around the shaft 26, so they will become shorter and pull the right part 22, it will rotate around the right spiral plate spring 29 axis, until it come in level with the center part 21, meanwhile the left wires 27 are rotated counterclockwise around the shaft 26, and the left part 23 is rotated clockwise and pulled up to be in level with the center part 21, such that the whole flexible display is released by itself from around the hand without any human interference, the user now can use it as a phone.

When the phone is to be returned back to the hand to be used as a watch, then the switch is switched to fold, the motor 25 will release the wires 27, and the high tension which is loaded in the spiral springs 29 which are engaged to the right left parts 22, 23 will be released to rotate the right/left display parts 22, 23 to be folded away from the center part 21 to produce a triangular shape around the wrist.

Note-1: the spiral springs 30 are having different direction of rotation, while unfolding the left spiral spring 29 (left of viewer) is rotated clockwise, while the right one is rotated counterclockwise.

Note-2: the right side spiral spring 29 is shown only as a 2-D sketch for figure clarity, while the wires 27 grooves are not shown for the same reason.

Note-3: three wires 27 are used in each side via such arrangement to guarantee a smooth, harmonic and parallel folding, in addition to having the others working as a spare in case of accidental idle of any of them, however they are recommended to be of metal rather than being strings which may be cut easily.

Note-4: it is obvious for the inventors that spiral plate springs can be replaced with other kinds of springs, or tiny tools achieving the same target. In the second embodiment, the flexible display 20 is to be having a rounded shape Fig. (4, 5) when used as a watch, to achieve this the spiral springs 29 retarding action is replaced with external flexible plates 30 action, that are attached to the bottom (back) of only the right left parts 31, 32 which are to be flexible too (Fig. 6), while the prior flexible parts 24 in the prior embodiment are removed. The display screen 20 is normally flat from the center 21 and folded from the right/left flexible sides 31 , 32, the flexible plates 30 are normally bent, and so the right/left flexible sides 31, 32 of the display 20 are bent with them too. The center part 21 is having the same tiny motor 25 built in inside its backside along its center width, a double switch at unfold position starts the tiny motor 25 to rotate and drive a center shaft 26 clockwise, the center shaft 26 will roll each three parallel wires 27 over the pulleys 33 which are installed in- between the center display 21 and the right/left display parts 31,32, these wires 27 are connected to the far edges of the flexible displays 31 , 32 to pull them to straighten to be flat, the motor's 25 force will be transferred to the flexible plates 30 and pull them to be straight, loading them with tension, and hence the whole display 20 become flat as a phone, while switching the double switch to fold position will let the motor 25 to rotate the shaft 26 counterclockwise and release the wires 27 and hence the flexible plates 30 will rotate under their loaded tension to be bent again, bending with them the right and left flexible parts 31, 32 of the flexible display 20 to become folded creating a wristwatch, having a rounded shape.

Industrial applicability

The subject invention has the following benefits which make it easier to be industrially applicable:

1- A motorizing mechanism which can be easily manufactured from available tools and materials with easy modifications.

2- Built-in modification inside the phone body, is occupying a small size without widely disturbing the inner content, or changing the final shape of the phone.

3- Smart start for a smart device, with a smooth flexible display sides.

4- Easily handled, practically operating.

5- A costless weightless spiral plate springs, tiny motor, shaft and wires with flexible plates establishing a mechanism with great results.

6- Compact and attractive designs, with a great looking performance.

Parts Drawing Index:

20 Flexible display

21 Center part

22 Right part

23 Left part

24 Intermediate flexible part

25 Tiny motor

26 Rotatable shaft

27 Flexible wire

28 Engagement spot

29 Spiral plate spring

30 Flexible plate

31 Right flexible part

32 Left flexible part

33 Pulley

Claims

1- A flexible display device (20) with a motorized mechanism for folding and unfolding it comprising:

a center rigid part (21);

a right and left rigid parts (22), (23);

an intermediate flexible parts (24);

a built-in components:

a tiny motor (25);

a rotational shaft (26);

a set of flexible wires (27);

a spiral plate spring (29);

a flexible plate (30);

a right left flexible plates (31 ,32)

a pulley (33)

2- The flexible display (20) in claim 1, wherein in a first embodiment the display is divided into a center rigid part (21), right and left parts (22), (23) and intermediate parts (24).

3- The flexible display in claims 1 and 2, wherein the location of each intermediate flexible part (24) is in-between each of the right (22) or left (23) display parts.

4- The flexible display (20) in claim 1, wherein the normal configuration of the display in a first embodiment is triangular, such that the center part (21) is acting as a rigid watch body, while the right and left parts (22) (23) are bent against the user hand to hold the display (20).

5- The flexible display (20) in claims 1 and 4, wherein switching automatically the triangular (watch) configuration into a flat (phone configuration is achieved via pushing a conventional switch into unfold, such that the tiny motor (25) which is located along the width of the center part rotates the shaft (26) to rotate right wires (27) to be rolled clockwise around the shaft (26) pulling the right part (22) to rotate counterclockwise around the right spiral plate spring (29) axis, until it come in level with the center part (21) meanwhile the left wires (27) are rotated counterclockwise around the shaft (26), as a result the left part (23) is rotated clockwise and pulled up to be in level with the center part (21), such that the whole flexible display (21) is released by itself from around the hand as a phone.

6- The flexible display (20) in claim 1, wherein the triangular (watch) configuration is returned via switching to fold position, such that the motor (25) releases the wires (27), wherein the high tension which is loaded in the spiral springs (29) which are engaged to the right/left parts (22) (23) will be released to rotate the right/left display parts (22) (23) to be folded away from the center part (21) to produce a triangular shape holding around the wrist.

7- The flexible display (20) in claim 1, wherein in a second embodiment, the flexible display (20) is to be having a rounded shape when used as a watch.

8- The flexible display (20) in claims 1 and 7, wherein the right and left parts 31 and 32 are flexible and engaged to the center rigid part (21) directly without intermediate parts (24) and the spiral springs (29) retarding action in the first embodiment is replaced with external flexible plates (30) tension, such that these plates (30) are attached to the bottom (back) of only the right/left flexible parts (31) (32) which are to be flexible too.

9- The flexible display (20) in claim 1, wherein unfoding the display (20) from rounded (watch) state into flat (phone) state starts when the tiny motor (25) rotates and drives the center shaft (26) clockwise to roll each three right parallel wires (27) over the pulleys (33) which are installed in-between the center display (21) and the right/left display parts (31) (32), these wires (27) are connected to the far edges of the flexible displays (31) (32) to pull them to straighten to be flat, the motor's (25) force will be transferred to the flexible plates (30) and pull them to be straight, loading them with tension, and hence the whole display (20) become flat as a phone. The flexible display (20) in claim 1, wherein switching the double switch to fold position will let the motor (25) to rotate the shaft (26) counterclockwise and release the wires (27) and hence the flexible plates (30) will rotate under their loaded tension to be bent again, bending with them the right and left flexible parts (31) (32) of the flexible display (20) to become folded creating a wristwatch, having a rounded shape.