On October 11th the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) published a patent application from Samsung covering a foldable device, never referring to it as a smartphone in any shape or form. There were no points of reference pointing to wireless connectivity.

This week USPTO published another patent-pending foldable display device from Samsung, the most common form factor in recent months. In this patent application Samsung reveals an interface on the front display that is a part of what is known in the industry as a 'fold out' design.

Patently Apple posted a report in January 2017 with a photo of a Lenovo 'fold out' smartphone prototype as noted below, along with a similar Samsung form factor patent figure.



In this latest patent filing the interface noted in the patent figures clearly illustrate a 'Mail' app which would confirm that the foldable device could support a wireless data plan even though Samsung's patent filing provides no details regarding wireless technologies, even Wi-Fi.

Samsung has hinted that they may show their foldable smartphone design to developers at their conference in San Francisco on November 7, 2018. Patently Apple also covered news on Friday that Samsung was going to be aggressive in 2019 with 5G and a foldable smartphone in the first half of 2019.

Samsung's patent filing notes that currently display apparatuses including flexible display members capable of being folded or rolled are being developed. A flexible display apparatus is designed to be folded, rolled, or bent like paper, unlike a rigid or non-flexible flat display apparatus. The flexible display apparatus capable of varying in shape may be easily carried and enhance users' convenience.

Samsung begins the summary of their invention by stating that the invention provides a display apparatus having improved durability.

They go on to describe an embodiment of their inventive concept providing a display apparatus including: a display module configured to display an image and to be folded about a folding axis at a folding area defined on a plane; a support member below the display module; and a protective member between the display module and the support member.

The support member includes a folding part overlapping the folding area and configured to be folded about the folding axis. The folding part includes a plurality of joint portions extending parallel to the folding axis and connected to each other, and each of the joint portions include a support surface supporting the display module. When the support member is folded, a cusp point is formed between adjacent ones of the support surfaces on a cross-section.



The support member may further include a support plate connected to the folding part and overlapping a non-folding area of the display module that is adjacent to the folding area on the plane.

The protective member may include: a first portion overlapping the folding area; and a second portion overlapping the non-folding area, and the first portion may include a material different from that of the second portion.

The first portion may have a strength that is less than that of the second portion.



The support plate may have a thickness greater than that of the folding part.

The display apparatus may further include an adhesion member between the support member and the protective member to couple the support member to the protective member.

The protective member may have a strength greater than that of the display module and equal to or less than that of the support member.

The protective member may include metal.

The protective member may include a plastic material.

The folding part may further include a plurality of connection members respectively connecting adjacent ones of the joint portions to each other, and each of the joint portions may be configured to rotate to allow the folding part to be folded.

Each of the joint portions may further include a bottom surface opposite the support surface and nearer to the folding axis than the support surface is.

The support surface may have a surface area greater than that of the bottom surface.

Each of the joint portions may have a reverse trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

Each of the joint portions may further include a plurality of side surfaces extending between the support surface and the bottom surface, and corners between the support surface and the side surfaces may have a chamfered shape.

Each of the joint portions may have a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

The support surface may include a curved surface.

The protective member may have a surface area equal to that of the folding area.

The display module may include: a display member configured to display the image; and an input detection member on the display member and configured to detect an external input. The input detection member may include a plurality of input detection sensors.

Another embodiment of the inventive concept provides a display apparatus including: a display module configured to display an image and to be folded about a folding axis at a folding area defined on a plane; a support member below the display module; and a protective member between the display module and the support member. The support member includes a folding part overlapping the folding area and configured to be folded about the folding axis, and the folding part includes a plurality of joint portions connected to each other and extending parallel to the folding axis.

An embodiment of the inventive concept provides a display apparatus including: a display module configured to display an image and to be folded about a folding axis at a folding area defined on a plane; a support member below the display module; and a protective member between the display module and the support member. The support member includes a plurality of joint portions extending parallel to the folding axis. Each of the plurality of joint portions includes a support surface supporting the display module, and each of the support surfaces has a flat plate shape.



Samsung filed their patent application back in Q4 2017 and it was published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on October 25, 2018. Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.

Patently Mobile has posted roughly 60 patent reports to date covering Samsung's foldable, scrollable and rollable smart device patents.

Patently Mobile presents a detailed summary of patent applications with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent application should be read in its entirety for full and accurate details.