Electronic device having thermal spreading through a hinge of a configurable housing that supports a front flexible display

An electronic device, comprising:

• a first device housing having a first structure that is thermally conductive and generates thermal energy, the first device housing having a first chamber;
• a second device housing having a second chamber with a heat spreader or heat sink as a second structure that is thermally conductive;
• heat generating functional components supported by the first device housing;
• a hinge coupling the first device housing to the second device housing, the first device housing pivotable about the hinge relative to the second device housing;
• a flexible display positioned on at least a portion of each of the first and the second device housings and spanning the hinge;
• and
• a flexible layer assembly extending through the first chamber and the second chamber with one segment of the flexible layer assembly extending through the hinge, the flexible layer assembly comprising a first thermal spreader layer having one end thermally coupled to the first structure within the first device housing and another end thermally coupled to the second structure within the second device housing, the first thermal spreader layer transferring thermal energy from the first device housing to the heat spreader or heat sink within the second device housing, wherein the first structure comprises a battery assembly and a circuit board assembly that generate the thermal energy, the first thermal spreader layer thermally coupled to the battery assembly, and the second thermal spreader layer thermally coupled to the circuit board assembly, the flexible layer assembly deforming to a deformed state within one or both of the first chamber or the second chamber when the first device housing and the second device housing pivot about the hinge from a closed position to an axially displaced open position.

A method, comprising:

• assembling a first thermal spreader layer positioned on a first surface of a flexible circuit to form a flexible layer assembly;
• extending the flexible layer assembly through a hinge;
• coupling the hinge between a first device housing and a second device housing, the first device housing pivotable about the hinge relative to the second device housing, the first device housing has a first chamber adjacent to one side of the hinge and the second device housing having a second chamber adjacent to an opposite side of the hinge;
• fixedly coupling a first end of the flexible circuit to a first location in a first device housing;
• thermally coupling a third end of the thermal spreader layer to a first structure of the first device housing, the first structure being thermally conductive and generating thermal energy;
• wherein the first structure comprises a battery assembly and a circuit board assembly that generate the thermal energy, and the method further comprises thermally coupling the first thermal spreader layer to the battery assembly, and thermally coupling a second thermal spreader layer to the circuit board assembly;
• and
• thermally coupling a fourth end of the thermal spreader layer to a heat spreader or heat sink within the second chamber, the heat spreader or heat sink providing a second structure of the second device housing that is thermally conductive and used for transferring thermal energy from the first structure that generates thermal energy to the second structure that is the heat spreader or heat sink;
• wherein the flexible layer assembly deforms to a deformed state within one or both of the first chamber or the second chamber when the first device housing and the second device housing pivot about the hinge from a closed position to an axially displaced open position.