Patent Publication Number: US-2013250738-A1

Title: Clock

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Utility Model Application No. 20-2012-0002358 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Mar. 23, 2012, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     (a) Field 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a clock. 
     (b) Description of the Related Art 
     A clock is a device for displaying or representing time, and may have various shapes and/or purposes. For example, a clock may be a small portable clock that is capable of confirming the time when a person is travelling, a desktop clock or a wall mounted clock that is installed at a predetermined place to be seen by many people, or an industrial clock used to determine a work process in various factories. Clocks are classified into an analog display type or a digital display type according to the method of displaying the time. 
     An analog clock displays time by a motion of clock hands that continuously or intermittently move. 
     A digital clock displays the passage of time as a number (or numbers) corresponding to the time, which may include hours, minutes and seconds. For example, a digital clock may display the current time, and/or may be used as a stopwatch. Further, an additional function may be added such as, for example, a display of the month, day, and year. 
     Recently, digital clocks have been designed with various shapes and functions in addition to the simple display of time. 
     The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art. 
     SUMMARY 
     An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a clock, which may also have various additional functions. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a clock includes: a display including a plurality of planar portions and a plurality of bending portions disposed between the planar portions, the display being configured to display at least one of time, day, or day of week; and a bottom support supporting one of two opposite ends of the display. 
     The display may be alternately bent or unbent at the plurality of bending portions to be folded or unfolded. 
     The display may be turned off when it is folded, and the display may be turned on when it is unfolded. 
     The display may include a plurality of organic light emitting elements. 
     At least a portion of the display may be configured to generate light. 
     The display may include a transparent or semi-transparent region. 
     The bottom support may include a fastener that is adapted to be fastened to the other of the two opposite ends of the display when the display is in a folded state. 
     The bottom support may have an alarm function for automatically generating a sound if a predetermined time is reached. 
     The display may be unfolded when the predetermined time is reached while the display is in a folded state. 
     The sound generated in the bottom support may be stopped when the unfolded display is folded. 
     The bottom support may further include controls for controlling at least one of information displayed at the display or an alarm time. 
     The bottom support may include a battery for supplying power to at least one of the display or the bottom support. 
     The clock may further include a side support at both sides of the display between the two opposite ends and supporting the display. 
     The side support may transmit an electrical signal to the display. 
     The side support may provide an elastic force in a direction in which the display is unfolded. 
     The clock according to exemplary embodiments may have various additional functions, thereby providing a convenience to a user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a clock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of an operation shape of the clock of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the clock of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the clock of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an exemplary embodiment is shown. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiment may be modified in various ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. 
     It shall be noted that the drawings are schematic and do not depict exact dimensions. The relative proportions and ratios of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated or diminished in size for the sake of clarity and convenience in the drawings, and such arbitrary proportions are only illustrative and not limiting in any way. Like reference numerals are used for like structures, elements, or parts shown in two or more drawings to show similar characteristics. When one part is said to be “over” or “on” another part, the one part may be directly over the other part or may be accompanied by another part interposed therebetween. 
     A described embodiment may specifically show one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. For example, embodiments depicted in the drawings may be variously modified as those skilled in the art would appreciate. Further, the present invention is not limited to the particular illustrated embodiments, but may include forms that are modified from the illustrated embodiments. 
     A clock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a clock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a display (e.g., display portion or display unit)  100  and a bottom support (e.g., bottom supporting portion)  200 . Also, the clock may further include a side support (e.g., side supporting portion)  300 . 
     The display  100  may display one or more of time, date, or day of the week. 
     Also, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the display  100  includes a plurality of planar portions  110  and a plurality of bending portions  170  disposed between the planar portions  110 . The plurality of bending portion  170  may be alternately bent or unbent (e.g., straightened) to fold or unfold the display  100 . Here, when the display  100  is folded, the display  100  may be turned off such that the display of information such as time, date, or day of the week may be suspended. When the display  100  is unfolded, the display  100  may be turned on such that the information such as time, date, or day of the week may be displayed. 
     The display  100  may include one or more organic light emitting elements (e.g., organic light emitting diodes). That is, the display  100  may include a flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) display that may be folded or unfolded. The flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) display forming the display  100  may be one of various organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays. In the described embodiment, both the planar portions  110  and the bending portions  170  of the display  100  may include one or more light emitting elements of the flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. This way, the bending portions  170  as well as the planar portions  110  may be used to display information or light. 
     Also, the display  100  may include a transparent or semi-transparent region. 
     For example, the region other than the region representing the time, date, day of the week, or any other information in the display  100  may be transparent or semi-transparent. 
     The display  100  may generate light as well as the display of at least one of time, day, or day of the week. When the display  100  includes a transparent or semi-transparent region, the light may be generated in the transparent or semi-transparent region. 
     The bottom support  200  supports one end of the display  100 . The folded display  100  may be adjacently located at (and supported by) the bottom support  200 . Also, as shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the bottom support  200  includes a fastener (e.g., hook)  270  fastened (e.g., hooked) at the other end of the display  100  when the display  100  is folded. Accordingly, the display  100  may be fastened or hooked to the bottom support  200  in the folded state. In other words, the end of the display  100  that is opposite the end supported by the bottom support  200 , may be held closely to (e.g., in proximity to or adjacent) the bottom support  200  by the fastener  270 . 
     In  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the fastener  270  has a hook shape, however the present invention is not limited thereto. The fastener  270  may use a magnet or various other structure and/or methods that are known to those skilled in the art. 
     Also, the bottom support  200  may have an alarm function for automatically generating a sound when a previously predetermined time is reached. 
     Also, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the display  100  may be unfolded from the folded state when the previously predetermined time is reached. That is, the display  100  may be unfolded when the sound is generated at the bottom support  200 . Further, when the unfolded display  100  is folded, the sound may be stopped. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the bottom support  200  may further include controls (e.g., an adjusting portion)  210  for controlling information and/or the alarm time displayed on the display portion  100 . The controls may also be used for turning the clock functionalities off/on. For example, the controls  210  may be located at the bottom surface of the bottom support  200 . 
     The bottom support  200  may further include a battery  290  for supplying power to the display  100  and/or the bottom support  200 . 
     In the above, as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the side support  300  is respectively located at both edges of the display  100  to support the display  100 . The side support  300  guides the operation in which the display  100  is folded or unfolded, and provides an elastic force in a direction in which the display  100  is unfolded. Accordingly, when the fastener  270  at the bottom support  200  is released while the display  100  is folded, the display  100  is slowly unfolded by the elastic force provided by the side support  300 . 
     Also, the side support  300  electrically connects the bottom support  200  and the display  100 , thereby transmitting electrical signals to the display  100 . 
     An operating shape of the clock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention having this constitution will now be described in detail. 
     When a predetermined time is reached while the display  100  is in a folded state, the bottom support  200  may generate a sound. Also, the bottom support  200  releases the fastener  270  that is fastened to the other end of the display  100 . The fastening by the fastener  270  may be released by the top portion of the display  100  moving away from the fastener  270  at the bottom support  200 . Meanwhile, if the fastener  270  includes a magnet, the fastener may be released (e.g., the top portion of the display  100  is released by the fastener  270 ) by removing a magnetic force from the fastener  270 . Thus, the folded display  100  is slowly unfolded by the elastic force of the side support  300 . Additionally, the unfolded display  100  may be turned on, various information may be displayed and/or the light may be lit. The user may fold the unfolded display  100  to stop the sound corresponding to the alarm function. Finally, the folded display  100  may stop or suspend the information display or the generation of the illumination light. 
     By this constitution, a clock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may have various additional functions, thereby providing convenience to the user. Also, the volume thereof is reduced during non-use while in the folded state, thereby providing greater portability. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, and their equivalents. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Description of Some of Symbols 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 100: display 
                 110: planar portion 
               
               
                   
                 170: bending portion 
                 200: bottom support 
               
               
                   
                 210: controls 
                 270: fastener (e.g., hook) 
               
               
                   
                 290: battery 
                 300: side support