US 12,498,766 B2
Hinge assembly and electronic device including the same
Chongkun Cho, Suwon-si (KR); Donghyun Byun, Suwon-si (KR); Chungkeun Yoo, Suwon-si (KR); and Sukjin Yun, Suwon-si (KR)
Assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed by SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed on Dec. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/076,617.
Application 18/076,617 is a continuation of application No. PCT/KR2022/015461, filed on Oct. 13, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2021-0174725 (KR), filed on Dec. 8, 2021; and application No. 10-2021-0189770 (KR), filed on Dec. 28, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0176629 A1, Jun. 8, 2023
Int. Cl. G06F 1/16 (2006.01); H04M 1/02 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 1/1681 (2013.01) [G06F 1/1652 (2013.01); H04M 1/0216 (2013.01); H04M 1/0268 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electronic device comprising:
a display comprising a first area, a second area, and a folding area between the first area and the second area;
a first housing configured to support the first area;
a second housing configured to support the second area; and
a hinge assembly configured to connect the first housing to the second housing and operate between a folded state in which the first area and the second area face each other and an unfolded state in which the first area and the second area do not face each other,
wherein the hinge assembly comprises:
a hinge bracket;
a slider slidably connected to the hinge bracket and comprising a pair of reference cams and a pair of rotation rails configured to define a pair of parallel hinge axes;
a pair of rotators rotatably connected to the slider with the pair of hinge axes as centers, respectively, and each comprising a rotation cam configured to interoperate with a corresponding one of the reference cams; and
elastic members, each comprising an elastic material, and each configured to provide an elastic force in a direction in which the reference cams and the corresponding rotation cams press each other,
wherein, as the rotators rotate on the respective hinge axes, the slider slides relative to the hinge bracket in a direction of the hinge axes by interoperation between the reference cams and the rotation cams.