US 12,309,306 B2
Adjusting mechanisms for flexible display panels
Chien-Kuo Lee, Taipei (TW)
Assigned to Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Spring, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/919,149
Filed by Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Spring, TX (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 30, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/030748
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 14, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/221662, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 4, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0119184 A1, Apr. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. G06F 1/16 (2006.01); H04M 1/02 (2006.01)
CPC H04M 1/0268 (2013.01) [G06F 1/1616 (2013.01); G06F 1/1652 (2013.01); G06F 1/1681 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A foldable device comprising:
an enclosure having a first segment and a second segment connected to each other by a hinge;
a flexible display panel housed inside the enclosure, wherein the flexible display panel comprises a folding portion in proximity of the hinge; and
an adjusting mechanism operably coupled to the enclosure and the flexible display panel, the adjusting mechanism comprising:
a linkage having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the flexible display panel;
an actuator coupled to the second end of the linkage, wherein the actuator is movably coupled to the enclosure;
a first wheel rotatably coupled to the first segment of the enclosure to be rotatable upon movement of the first segment in relation to the second segment;
a second wheel rotatably coupled to the second segment of the enclosure;
a drive transfer mechanism to couple the first wheel to the second wheel to transfer motion of the first wheel to the second wheel; and
a rack mechanism operably coupled to the second wheel and coupled to the second end of the linkage, wherein a rotation of the second wheel is to move the rack mechanism to move the linkage to retract the flexible display panel from the enclosure;
wherein the actuator is to move the linkage upon relative motion between the first segment and the second segment of the enclosure from an operable state of the foldable device to a non-operable state of the foldable device, and wherein movement of the linkage is to retract the flexible display panel from the enclosure; and
wherein, upon the relative motion between the first segment and the second segment of the enclosure, the adjusting mechanism is to adjust a curvature of the flexible display panel to about a permissible curvature and the adjusting mechanism is to retract the folding portion away from the enclosure to form a space between the enclosure and the folding portion.