# US 12,216,497 B2 · Support assembly and display apparatus

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- Number: US 12,216,497 B2
- Document ID: US12216497B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/816,041
- Filed: 2022-07-29
- Published: 2022-11-24
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2022-05-26
- Assignees: Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yong Liu; Jian Jin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12216497B2

## CPC

- G06F 1/1641: {the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence)}
- G06F 1/1615: {with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function (constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206)}
- G06F 1/1652: {the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable}
- G09F 9/301: {flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED}
- H05K 5/0017: {with operator interface units}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

## Abstract

A support assembly and a display apparatus are provided. The support assembly includes first and second support units. The first support unit includes a first recessing portion. The second support unit includes a first embedding portion. The first support unit includes first and second surfaces that are opposite to each other. The second support unit includes a third surface and a fourth surface that are opposite to each other. Operating states of the support assembly include a first state and a second state. In the first state, the first embedding portion is embedded in the first recessing portion. In the second state, the first surface and the third surface are disposed in a same horizontal plane, the first surface and the third surface abut against each other, and the second surface and the fourth surface are located at a same side of the support assembly.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A support assembly, comprising:
at least one first support unit, wherein one first support unit of the at least one first support unit comprises a first recessing portion, and comprises a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other; and
at least one second support unit, wherein one second support unit of the at least one second support unit comprises a first embedding portion, and comprises a third surface and a fourth surface that are opposite to each other,
wherein the support assembly has operating states comprising a first state and a second state, wherein in the first state, the first embedding portion is embedded in the first recessing portion; and in the second state, one end of the first surface and one end of the third surface are disposed in a same horizontal plane and abut against each other, the second surface and the fourth surface are located at a same side of the support assembly, and a remaining part of the first support unit, except the end of the first surface, is separated from a remaining part of the second support unit except the end of the third surface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first support unit comprises a plurality of first support units, and the at least one second support unit comprises a plurality of second support units, and the plurality of first support units and the plurality of second support units are alternately arranged;
wherein one of the plurality of first support units comprises a second embedding portion, and one of the plurality of second support units comprises a second recessing portion; and
wherein, in the first state, the second embedding portion is embedded in the second recessing portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least one first support unit and one of the at least one second support unit have a same shape.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first surface and the second surface are opposite to each other along a thickness direction of the support assembly, and the first surface has a larger area than the second surface; the one of the at least one first support unit further comprises a fifth surface and a sixth surface that are opposite to each other; and the fifth surface is recessed toward the sixth surface to form the first recessing portion; and
wherein the third surface and the fourth surface are opposite to each other along the thickness direction of the support assembly, and the third surface has a larger area than the fourth surface; the one of the at least one second support unit further comprises a seventh surface and an eighth surface that are opposite to each other; and the fourth surface and the eighth surface intersect to form the first embedding portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The support assembly according to claim 4, wherein the fifth surface comprises a first sub-surface and a second sub-surface that intersect with each other, wherein the first sub-surface is located at a side of the second sub-surface close to the second surface; where the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface intersect at a first intersection line that is located at a side of the first sub-surface close to the sixth surface; and
wherein, in the first state, at least a part of the fourth surface is bonded to the first sub-surface, and at least a part of the eighth surface is bonded to the second sub-surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The support assembly according to claim 5, wherein an angle formed between the first surface and the second sub-surface is α, an angle formed between the second surface and the first sub-surface is β, and a distance between the first surface and the second surface is T;
wherein the support assembly has a first cross-section, the first cross-section is parallel to a direction along which the at least one first support unit and the at least one second support unit are arranged, and is parallel to the thickness direction of the support assembly, the first surface and the first cross-section intersect at a second intersection line having a length L1, the second surface and the first cross-section intersect at a third intersection line having a length L2; and a distance from the first intersection line to the sixth surface is L3; and
L1−L2=T×[cos α−tan α×(1−sin α)]; and L1−L3=T×cos α.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The support assembly according to claim 6, wherein the fourth surface and the first cross-section intersect at a fourth intersection line having a length L4, and the eighth surface and the first cross-section intersect at a fifth intersection line having a length L5,
wherein the second sub-surface and the first cross-section intersect at a sixth intersection line having a length L6, where L6=L5; and
wherein the first sub-surface and the first cross-section intersect at a seventh intersection line having a length L7, where L7<L4.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The support assembly according to claim 7, wherein the first sub-surface comprises a first curved surface, the second sub-surface comprises a second curved surface, and the first curved surface and the second curved surface are co-spherical; a distance t1 from a center of a sphere where the first curved surface is located to the first surface satisfy t1=L6×sin α; a distance t2 from the center of the sphere where the first curved surface is located to the second surface satisfy t2−L7×sin β; and a distance from the center of the sphere where the first curved surface is located to the sixth surface is L1; and
wherein a radius r of the sphere where the first curved surface is located satisfies: L1−L2<r<L1−L3.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The support assembly according to claim 5, wherein the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface each comprise a plane, and an angle formed between the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface is a right angle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The support assembly according to claim 4, wherein the fifth surface comprises a first sub-surface and a second sub-surface that intersect with each other, wherein the first sub-surface is located at a side of the second sub-surface close to the second surface; and the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface intersect at a first intersection line located at a side of the first sub-surface close to the sixth surface; and
wherein, in the first state, a gap is formed between the fourth surface and the first sub-surface, or a gap is formed between the eighth surface and the second sub-surface.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The support assembly according to claim 10,
wherein an angle formed between the first surface and the second sub-surface is α, an angle formed between the second surface and the first sub-surface is β, and a distance between the first surface and the second surface is T;
wherein the support assembly has a first cross-section, the first cross-section is parallel to a direction along which the at least one first support unit and the at least one second support unit are arranged, and is parallel to the thickness direction of the support assembly, the first surface and the first cross-section intersect at a second intersection line having a length L1, the second surface and the first cross-section intersect at a third intersection line having a length L2; and a distance from the first intersection line to the fourth surface is L3; and
L
⁢
1
-
L
⁢
2
=
T
sin
⁡
(
α
+
β
)
×
[
cos
⁢
α
-
sin
⁡
(
α
+
β
)
-
sin
⁢
α
tan
⁢
β
]
,
and
⁢
L
⁢
1
-
L
⁢
3
=
T
×
cos
⁢
α
sin
⁡
(
α
+
β
)
.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The support assembly according to claim 11, wherein the first sub-surface comprises a first curved surface, the second sub-surface comprises a second curved surface, and the first curved surface and the second curved surface are co-spherical; a distance t1 from a center of a sphere where the first curved surface is located to the first surface satisfies t1=L6×sin α; a distance t2 from the center of the sphere where the first curved surface is located to the second surface satisfies t2=L7×sin β; a distance from the center of the sphere where the first curved surface is located to the sixth surface is L1; and a radius r of the sphere where the first curved surface is located satisfies: L1−L2<r<L1−L3; where L6 denotes a distance between the first intersection line and an intersection line where the first surface and the second sub-surface intersect; L7 denotes a distance between the first intersection line and an intersection line where the second surface and the first sub-surface intersect.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The support assembly according to claim 10, wherein the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface each comprise a plane, and the fourth surface and the eighth surface each comprise a plane; or
an angle formed between the first sub-surface and the second sub-surface is an acute angle.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein, in the first state, an angle η1 formed between the first surface and the third surface satisfies 135°≤η1<180°; or
in the first state, the first surface abuts against the third surface.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein a distance T between the first surface and the second surface satisfies 100 μm≤T≤300 μm.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The support assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:
at least one third support unit, wherein one of the at least one third support unit is located at a side of the one of the at least one first support unit away from one of the at least one second support unit, and comprises a connection hole.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first support unit and the at least one second support unit are hinged to each other.

### Claim 18

A display apparatus, comprising:
a display panel; and
a support assembly,
wherein the support assembly comprises:
at least one first support unit, wherein one first support unit of the at least one first support unit comprises a first recessing portion, and comprises a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other; and
at least one second support unit, wherein one second support unit of the at least one second support unit comprises a first embedding portion, and comprises a third surface and a fourth surface that are opposite to each other,
wherein the support assembly has operating states comprising a first state and a second state, wherein, in the first state, the first embedding portion is embedded in the first recessing portion; and, in the second state, one end of the first surface and one end of the third surface are disposed in a same horizontal plane and abut against each other, the second surface and the fourth surface are located at a same side of the support assembly, and a remaining part of the first support unit, except the end of the first surface, is separated from a remaining part of the second support unit except the end of the third surface; and
wherein the display panel is located at a side of the first surface away from the second surface.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The display apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:
a rotating column; and
a caterpillar sleeved at a side surface of the rotating column,
wherein the support assembly is located at a side of the caterpillar away from the rotating column.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The display apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the at least one first support unit and the at least one second support unit each extend in a direction parallel to an axis of the rotating column.