PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11675390-B2
Application Number: US-202016986091-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Flexible electronic devices

Abstract:
Flexible electronic devices may be provided. A flexible electronic device may include a flexible display, a flexible housing and one or more flexible internal components configured to allow the flexible electronic device to be deformed. Flexible displays may include flexible display layers, flexible touch-sensitive layers, and flexible display cover layers. The flexible housing may be a multi-stable flexible housing having one or more stable positions. The flexible housing may include a configurable support structure that, when engaged, provides a rigid support structure for the flexible housing. The flexible internal components may include flexible batteries, flexible printed circuits or other flexible components. A flexible battery may include flexible and rigid portions or may include a lubricious separator layer that provides flexibility for the flexible battery. A flexible printed circuit may include flexible and rigid portions or openings that allow some rigid portions to flex with respect to other rigid portions.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing; 
 a display in the housing that produces display content; 
 a rigid cover layer that overlaps the display; 
 a sensor that detects a squeeze of the housing; and 
 control circuitry that changes an operational state of the electronic device in response to the squeeze of the housing, wherein the housing comprises a sidewall and wherein the sensor detects the squeeze by detecting a flexing of the sidewall of the housing. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the sensor is located along the sidewall. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the display comprises an organic light-emitting diode display. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the sensor comprises a force sensor. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the control circuitry activates a software application in response to the squeeze of the housing. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the control circuitry takes an action with respect to an incoming cellular telephone call in response to the squeeze of the housing. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the control circuitry changes a volume associated with audio in response to the squeeze of the housing. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the housing comprises a flexible material. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the display has a bent edge. 
     
     
       10. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing having a housing sidewall; 
 an organic-light emitting diode display mounted in the housing; 
 a glass cover layer overlapping the organic light-emitting diode display; 
 a sensor that detects flexing of the housing sidewall; and 
 control circuitry that changes a volume of audio output in response to the flexing of the housing sidewall. 
 
     
     
       11. The electronic device defined in  claim 10  wherein the sensor is located along the housing sidewall. 
     
     
       12. The electronic device defined in  claim 10  wherein the sensor comprises a force sensor. 
     
     
       13. The electronic device defined in  claim 10  wherein the organic light-emitting diode display comprises a flexible polymer substrate. 
     
     
       14. The electronic device defined in  claim 10  wherein the organic light-emitting diode display has a bent edge. 
     
     
       15. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing having sidewalls; 
 a sensor that detects squeeze input along at least one of the sidewalls; 
 a display mounted in the housing; 
 a rigid display cover layer overlapping the display; and 
 control circuitry that takes an action with respect to an incoming cellular telephone call in response to the squeeze input. 
 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 5  wherein the sensor comprises a force sensor. 
     
     
       17. The electronic device defined in  claim 15  wherein the display comprises organic light-emitting diode pixels. 
     
     
       18. The electronic device defined in  claim 15  wherein the housing and display are flexible. 
     
     
       19. The electronic device defined in  claim 15  wherein at least part of the display is curved.

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/421,886, filed May 24, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/974,545, filed May 8, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,318,061, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/419,730, filed Jan. 30, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,971,448, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/055,432, filed Feb. 26, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,557,874, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/589,712, filed Jan. 5, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,274,562, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/250,227, filed Sep. 30, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,929,085, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly, to flexible electronic devices. 
     Electronic devices such as portable computers and cellular telephones are often provided with rigid components. Rigid components often include rigid housing structures, rigid displays such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), rigid display cover layers formed from plastic or glass, rigid internal components such as rigid printed circuit boards, batteries, other electrical components or other rigid structural components. Electronic devices are commonly designed to have a rigid exterior structure. 
     Flexible display technologies are available that allow displays to be flexed. For example, flexible displays may be formed using flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology. Electronic devices with flexible display are commonly provided with rigid housing structures or other rigid structures that form a rigid electronic device. 
     Rigid electronic devices may be vulnerable to damage in the event of an impact such as a drop of the device on a hard surface. 
     It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved electronic devices. 
     SUMMARY 
     Electronic devices may be provided that have portions that are capable of being flexed. 
     Flexible electronic devices may include flexible housing members and flexible internal components. A flexible housing member may include a flexible device housing. Rigid and flexible internal components may be mounted in the flexible housing. Flexible internal components may include a flexible display such as an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display. A flexible display may be mounted to a flexible display cover layer. A flexible display cover layer may be mounted to a flexible device housing. Flexible internal components may include flexible circuit boards such as printed circuits having one or more flexible portions and integrated circuits that are formed on a flexible substrate. Flexible internal components may include flexible batteries such as batteries having rigid and flexible portions, batteries formed from multiple rigid portions joined in a flexible joint, and batteries formed from flexible battery layers. 
     Flexible housing members may include housing members with rigid and flexible portions, or housing members that are substantially all flexible. Flexible housing members may include hinges or elastomeric portions that allow the flexible housing members to flex. Flexible housing members may have portions that provide flexibility in one dimension and other portions that provide rigidity in another dimension. Flexible housing members may have one or more multi-stable flex regions such as bi-stable flex regions for providing two or more stable configurations for the flexible electronic device. 
     Flexible housing members may include configurable internal support structures that have flexible and rigid configurations. Flexible housing members may include fluid filled or air filled pockets for alternately stiffening and flexing the device. 
     Flexible electronic devices may include flex sensing components for sensing deformations of the flexible electronic device. Deformations of the flexible electronic device that are sensed by flex sensing components may provide user input to the electronic device. For example, twisting a flexible electronic device may change the operating mode of the device, may be interpreted by the device as a command to an electronic gaming system, may turn the device on or off, etc. 
     Flexible electronic devices may be more resistant to damage during impact events such as drops because the flexible device may bend or deform while absorbing the impact. Deformation of this type may increase the duration of an impact thereby reducing the impulse received by other components of the flexible device. 
     Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of an illustrative flexible electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a diagram of an illustrative set of display layers that may be used to form a flexible display in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  3    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative flexible electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  4    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative flexible main logic board formed from a flexible printed circuit substrate with electrical components in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  5    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative rigid flex main logic board having a flexible printed circuit substrate and electronic components in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  6 A  is a top view of an illustrative main logic board with cutaway portions for providing flexibility in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  6 B  is a top view of an illustrative elongated main logic board with cutaway portions for providing flexibility in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  7    is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative main logic board of the type shown in  FIG.  6 A  with cutaway portions for providing flexibility in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  8    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative flexible battery having flexible and rigid portions in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  9    is a top view of an illustrative flexible battery of the type shown in  FIG.  8    having flexible and rigid portions in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  10    is a perspective view of an illustrative flexible battery having flexible and rigid portions in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  11    is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative flexible battery in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  12    is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative flexible battery having lubricating separator layers in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  13    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative flexible battery having interlocking layers in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  14    is a cross-sectional end view of an illustrative flexible housing having flexible and rigid portions in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  15    is a perspective view of an illustrative flexible housing having portions of different flexibility in different dimensions in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  16    is a perspective view of an illustrative flexible housing of the type shown in  FIG.  15    showing how the flexible housing may be less flexible in one dimension than in a second dimension in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  17    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative bi-stable flexible housing having multiple stable positions in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  18    is a rear perspective view of an illustrative flexible housing having multiple multi-stable portions providing more than two multi-stable positions in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  19    is a rear perspective view of a portion of an illustrative flexible housing in the vicinity of a bi-stable portion in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  20    is an illustrative diagram showing two multi-stable positions of a flexible housing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  21    is a perspective view of a rigid flex printed circuit that may be used in a flexible electronic device having a flexible housing with multiple multi-stable portions in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  22    is a perspective side view of an illustrative flexible electronic device in a tri-folded closed position in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  23    is a perspective side view of an illustrative flexible electronic device in a partially folded position in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  24    is a perspective side view of an illustrative flexible electronic device in a folded closed position in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  25    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative flexible electronic device having a flexible expandable housing with multiple stable positions in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  26    is a perspective view of an illustrative configurable support member that includes locking spine system for providing flexible and rigid support for a flexible electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  27    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative flexible housing having a configurable support member that includes a bladder system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A flexible electronic device may be provided with flexible internal and external components that allow the device to be flexible. The flexible internal components may include a flexible display, flexible batteries, flexible circuit boards or other flexible electrical or support components. 
     Flexible exterior components may include a flexible display cover layer, a flexible housing or other flexible external components. Flexible interior and exterior components may have regions of relatively more flexibility and regions of relatively less flexibility. Flexible devices may have portions of relatively more flexibility and portions of relatively less flexibility. Flexible devices may be relatively more flexible in one dimension than in another dimension. 
     Flexible displays may be formed from flexible layers such as a flexible display layer (e.g., a flexible organic light-emitting diode array), a flexible touch-sensitive layer (e.g., a sheet of polymer with an array of transparent capacitor electrodes for a capacitive touch sensor), a flexible substrate layer, etc. These flexible layers may, if desired, be covered by a flexible cover layer (e.g., a flexible plastic or flexible thin glass layer) or may be supported by a flexible support structure (e.g., a flexible support structure on the underside of the flexible layers). 
     Cover layers may be provided with openings that provide access to the flexible layers of the display. For example, a cover layer may have an opening that allows a button member to move relative to the cover glass layer. As the button member moves within the opening, underlying portions of the flexible display may be deformed (e.g., to allow actuation of an associated switch). 
     Electronic devices may also be provided with user interface components (input-output components) such as buttons, microphones, speakers, piezoelectric actuators or (for receiving electrical input from a user or tactile feedback to users), other actuators such as vibrators, pressure sensors, and other components. These components may be mounted under portions of a flexible display. 
     User interface components may be mounted under the flexible display or may be integrated into the flexible display. The deformable nature of the flexible display may allow a user to interact with the user interface components (input-output components) by moving the display into contact with the user interface components or by otherwise allowing the display to locally flex (e.g., to allow sound to pass through the flexible display or to allow barometric pressure measurements of the exterior environment to be made by an internal pressure sensor). If desired, a portion of the flexible display may form a membrane portion of an electrical component. Components that may be provided with a membrane that is formed from a portion of a flexible display include microphones, laser microphones, pressure sensors, speakers, etc. 
     User interface components may be configured to detect deformations of all or part of the electronic device. Deformations detected by user interface components may be interpreted by processing software associated with the device as user inputs to the device. 
     As an example, a flexible device may be foldable so that the device may be folded for storage (e.g., in a pocket). User interface components may be configured to sense that a device has been folded and to cause the device to enter a standby or off mode. User interface components may be configured to sense inactive deformations of the device (e.g., a folded or open position of the device) or may be configured to detect active deformations of the device (e.g., active twisting, squeezing, bending or otherwise active deforming) of the device. 
     As another example, user interface components may be configured to detect a twist of a flexible electronic device. User interface components may be configured to initiate a response from the device to the detected twist such as turning the device on or off, entering active or standby mode, answering a cellular telephone call, starting a software application, changing a volume associated with audio or video playback of media, starting or stopping audio playback of media, etc. 
     An illustrative flexible electronic device of the type that may be provided with flexible interior and exterior components that allow the device to bend is shown in  FIG.  1   . Electronic device  10  may be a portable electronic device or other suitable electronic device. For example, electronic device  10  may be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a somewhat smaller device such as a wrist-watch device, pendant device, or other wearable or miniature device, a cellular telephone, a media player, etc. 
     Device  10  may include a flexible housing such as housing  12 . Flexible housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as a case, may be formed of a deformable material such as plastic, thin glass, fiber composites, thin metal (e.g., aluminum, etc.), fabric, silicone, other suitable materials, or a combination of these materials. In some situations, parts of housing  12  may be formed from dielectric or other low-conductivity material. In other situations, housing  12  or at least some of the structures that make up housing  12  may be formed from metal elements. 
     Housing  12  may be formed from a conformal mold (e.g., soft deformable plastic, silicone or other deformable material that bonds to internal components such as batteries, printed circuits or other components) that conforms to fill available volume in device  10  or housing  12  may be attached to internal components or a display using fasteners, adhesives, welds, or other attachment members or features. Housing  12  may include engagement features for attaching other flexible or rigid components of device  10 . Flexible housing  12  may be formed from a single flexible structure formed from a deformable material or may include multiple housing structures formed from a deformable material. 
     Device  10  may have a flexible display such as flexible display  14 . Flexible display  14  may be configured to flex with flexible housing  12  as shown in  FIG.  1   . Flexible display  14  may be formed from multiple layers of material. These layers may include a touch sensor layer such as a layer on which a pattern of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes or other suitable transparent electrodes have been deposited to form a capacitive touch sensor array. These layers may also include a layer that contains an array of display pixels. The touch sensor layer and the display layer may be formed using flexible sheets of polymer or other substrates having thicknesses of 10 microns to 0.5 mm or other suitable thicknesses (as an example). 
     The display pixel array may be, for example, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) array containing rows and columns of OLED display pixels. Other types of flexible display pixel arrays may also be formed (e.g., electronic ink displays, etc.). The use of OLED technology to form flexible display  14  is sometimes described herein as an example. This is, however, merely illustrative. Flexible display  14  may be formed using any suitable flexible display technology. The use of flexible displays that are based on OLED technology is merely illustrative. 
     In addition to these functional display layers (i.e., the OLED array and the optional touch sensor array), display  14  may include one or more structural layers. For example, display  14  may be covered with a flexible cover layer and/or may be mounted on a support structure (e.g., a flexible support). Layers of adhesive may be used in attaching flexible display layers to each other and may be used in mounting flexible display layers to flexible structural layers. 
     Input-output components may be mounted at any suitable location under the display (e.g., along peripheral portions of the display, in a central portion of the display, etc.). If desired, the cover layer may be provided with one or more openings and the electronic components may be mounted under the openings. For example, a rigid cover layer may have openings for button  17  and a speaker port opening for a speaker such as speaker  19  (e.g., for an ear speaker for a user). Device  10  may also have other openings (e.g., openings in display  14  and/or housing  12  for accommodating volume buttons, ringer buttons, sleep/power buttons such as button  16 , and other buttons, openings for switches such as switch  15 , openings for an audio jack, data port connectors, removable media slots, etc.). 
     Buttons  17 ,  16  and switch  15  may be based on dome switches or other switch circuitry. Buttons  17 ,  16  and switch  15  may include button members that form push buttons (e.g., momentary buttons), slider switches, rocker switches, etc. Switch  15  may be used to change operational modes of device  10  (e.g., turn a ringer for a cellular telephone on, off, or switch to a vibrate-only mode) or may be used to change a physical characteristic of device  10  (e.g., to switch housing  12  from a flexible to a rigid state using internal stiffening structures). Switch  15  may be an electronic switch or a mechanical switch that engages internal stiffening structures (e.g., an internal locking skeleton, an internal bladder system, an internal configurable support structure, etc.) associated with housing  12 . 
     Device  10  may include components such as interface components  24  and  26  that may be fully internal to device  10 , but that receive input from the user or from the surrounding environment through physical interaction with flexible display  14  or other portions of flexible device  10 . Interface components  24  and  26  may be positioned underneath flexible display  14  or flexible housing  12  so that flexible display  14  or flexible housing  12  must be deformed in order to contact components  24  or  26  or, if desired may be positioned to remain in constant contact with flexible display  14 . Components  24  and  26  may be proximity sensors, pressure sensors, touch sensors (e.g., a portion of touch-sensitive display  14 ), light sensors, magnetic sensors, capacitive sensors, or other types of sensors configured to sense deformations of one or more portions of device  10 . 
     Interface components  24  and  26  may be positioned so that a deformation of flexible device  10  may activate internal components  24  or  26 . For example, interface component  26  may include a switch positioned so that a squeeze of flexible device  10  that deforms flexible housing  12  and flexible display  14  (as indicated by dashed line  18 ) activates interface component  26  (e.g., by moving a portion of housing  12  into contact with the switch and thereby operating the switch). Interface component  24  may be configured to sense the relative position of interface component  26 . Relative positions of internal components such as components  24  and  26  may provide information about the position or active flexing of device  10 . Information about the position or about active flexing of device  10  may be used to activate internal components  24  or  26  or may active software applications that run on a processor associated with device  10 . 
     For example, internal component  24  may be configured to sense a distance of internal component  24  from internal component  26 . Internal component  24  may be configured to change an operating mode of device  10  when the distance between internal component  24  and internal component  26  falls below or rises above a predetermined threshold (e.g., to put display  14  to sleep when the distance becomes less than the predetermined threshold, to turn display  14  on when the distance rises above the predetermined threshold, to turn device  10  off when the distance becomes less than the predetermined threshold, etc.) 
     An exploded perspective view of an illustrative display is shown in  FIG.  2   . As shown in  FIG.  2   , flexible display  14  may be formed by stacking multiple layers including flexible display layer  14 A, touch-sensitive layer  14 B, and cover layer  14 C. Display  14  may also include other layers of material such as adhesive layers, optical films, or other suitable layers. Flexible display layer  14  may include image pixels formed from light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic LEDs (OLEDs), plasma cells, electronic ink elements, liquid crystal display (LCD) components, or other suitable image pixel structures compatible with flexible displays. 
     Touch-sensitive layer  14 B may incorporate capacitive touch electrodes such as horizontal transparent electrodes  320  and vertical transparent electrodes  340 . Touch-sensitive layer  14 B may, in general, be configured to detect the location of one or more touches or near touches on touch-sensitive layer  14 B based on capacitive sensors, resistive sensors, optical sensors, acoustic sensors, inductive sensors, or force sensors. 
     Software and/or hardware may be used to process the measurements of the detected touches to identify and track one or more gestures. A gesture may correspond to stationary or non-stationary, single or multiple, touches or near touches on touch-sensitive layer  14 B. A gesture may be performed by moving one or more fingers or other objects in a particular manner on touch-sensitive layer  14 B such as tapping, pressing, rocking, scrubbing, twisting, changing orientation, pressing with varying pressure and the like at essentially the same time, contiguously, or consecutively. A gesture may be characterized by, but is not limited to a pinching, sliding, swiping, rotating, flexing, dragging, or tapping motion between or with any other finger or fingers. A single gesture may be performed with one or more hands, by one or more users, or any combination thereof. 
     Cover layer  14 C may be formed from plastic, thin glass (sometimes referred to as display cover glass) or other flexible transparent material. If desired, the interior surface of peripheral inactive portions of cover layer  14 C may be provided with an opaque masking layer on such as black ink. 
     Touch-sensitive flexible display section  14 AB may be formed from display pixel array layer  14 A and optional touch sensor layer  14 B. 
       FIG.  3    is cross-sectional side view of an illustrative embodiment of device  10  with flexible internal and external components. As shown in  FIG.  3   , flexible internal and external components of device  10  may include a flexible display such as flexible display  14 , a flexible housing such as flexible housing  12 , a flexible logic board such as flexible printed circuit  30 , and a flexible battery such as flexible battery  34 . As shown in  FIG.  3   , flexible battery  34  may, if desired, include one or more battery cells or battery packs such as charge storage components  60 . 
     Flexible printed circuit  30  may be a flexible printed circuit substrate, a rigid printed circuit board with one or more flexible portions formed from a layer of flexible printed circuit substrate, or a rigid printed circuit board with rigid portions that flex with respect to other rigid portions. Integrated circuits, power management units, storage such as volatile and non-volatile memory, discrete components such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors, and other electronic components  32  may be mounted to flexible printed circuit  30 . 
     Device  10  may be provided with one or more batteries such as battery  34 . Battery  34  may be mounted to flexible housing  12 , may be mounted to flexible printed circuit  30 , or may be otherwise mounted in flexible housing  12 . 
     A device such as device  10  that includes flexible internal and external components may be a flexible device that is able to be flexed or deformed as indicated by arrows  36 . Housing  12 , display  14 , logic board  30  and battery  34  may be configured so that flexible device  10  has one or more preferred positions and so that flexible device  10  returns to one of the preferred positions in the absence of external flexing forces such as flexing forces in the direction of arrows  36 . This is merely illustrative. If desired, flexible device  10  may have no preferred position and may be configured to remain in any curved, flexed or substantially flat position. 
     As shown in  FIG.  3   , flexible display  14  may include bent sidewall portions  38  that are bent to be mounted adjacent to a flexible housing sidewall such as sidewall portions  12 S of housing  12 . Housing  12  may include a rear portion such as flexible rear housing wall  12 R that provides device  10  with a flexible rear surface. Flexible housing  12 , flexible display  14 , flexible battery  34  and flexible printed circuit  30  may allow flexible device  10  to be flexed out of, for example, an x-y plane into a z dimension as shown in  FIG.  3   . Flexible housing  12 , flexible display  14 , flexible battery  34  and flexible printed circuit  30  may be able to be flexed about an axis that is parallel to the y-axis (shown in  FIG.  3   ), about an axis that is parallel to the x-axis, and/or about an axis that is parallel to the z-axis. 
       FIG.  4    shows a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative flexible printed circuit substrate such as flexible printed circuit  30 . As shown in  FIG.  4   , printed circuit  30  may be formed from a flexible printed circuit (also sometimes referred to herein as a flex circuit). In configurations in which printed circuit  30  is formed from a flex circuit, components  32  may be mounted to flexible portions of printed circuit  30 . 
     Flexible printed circuit  30  may contain patterned conductive traces (e.g., conductive traces on flexible sheets of substrate such as polyimide sheets). 
       FIG.  5    shows a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative printed circuit  30 . As shown in  FIG.  5   , printed circuit  30  may be formed from a rigid-flex circuit having rigid portions such as rigid portions  40  and flexible portions such as flexible portions  42 . Flexible portions  42  and rigid portions  40  of printed circuit  30  may include multiple layers. A multi-layer printed circuit such as printed circuit  30  may sometimes be referred to as a printed circuit board (PCB) stack or PCB stack-up. 
     Layers of printed circuit  30  may be formed from dielectrics such as fiberglass-filled epoxy (e.g., as a rigid layer in a PCB stack) and polyimide (e.g., as a flexible layer in a PCB stack), FR-2 (phenolic cotton paper), FR-3 (cotton paper and epoxy), FR-4 (woven glass and epoxy), FR-5 (woven glass and epoxy), FR-6 (matte glass and polyester), G-10 (woven glass and epoxy), CEM-1 (cotton paper and epoxy), CEM-2 (cotton paper and epoxy), CEM-3 (woven glass and epoxy), CEM-4 (woven glass and epoxy), CEM-5 (woven glass and polyester), paper impregnated with phenolic resin, polystyrene, polyimide, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), plastic, other polymers, ceramics, or other suitable dielectrics. 
     Layers of printed circuit  30  may include attachment layers such as layers of prepreg (i.e., pre-impregnated layers of fiber and resin). Layers of copper or other conductive materials may be formed on the surfaces of other layers. 
     Flexible portions  42  may contain patterned conductive traces (e.g., conductive traces on flexible sheets of substrate such as polyimide sheets) that convey signals between rigid portions  40 , components such as components  32  or other components of device  10 . 
       FIG.  6 A  shows a top view of an illustrative printed circuit  30  formed from a rigid printed circuit board having openings that allow rigid portions to flex with respect to other rigid portions. As shown in  FIG.  6 A , printed circuit  30  may be provided with one or more patterned openings such as openings  44 . Openings  44  may be cut, etched, machined or otherwise formed in printed circuit  30 . In the example of  FIG.  6 A , printed circuit  30  is formed from a rigid circuit board  40  that has portions such as rigid portions  48  that are configured to flex with respect to other rigid portions such as central rigid portion  50  of printed circuit  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  6 A , rigid central portion  50  may include an integrated circuit such as central processing unit  46 . Central processing unit (CPU)  46  may be mounted to rigid central portion  50  to protect CPU  46  from damage due to flexing of printed circuit  30  (e.g., to protect CPU  46  from becoming separated from printed circuit  30 ). Other components  32  may be mounted to rigid portions  50  and/or rigid portions  48  of printed circuit  30 . Rigid central portion  50  may have some internal flexibility. Rigid portions  48  may have relatively more flexibility with respect to rigid central portions  50  than rigid central portion  50  has internal flexibility. 
     Compliant printed circuit  30  of  FIG.  6 A  formed from a substantially square rigid printed circuit board having openings  44  and CPU  46  mounted in a central portion is merely illustrative. If desired, CPU may be mounted in other positions on printed circuit  30  and printed circuit  30  may have other geometries. 
     As an example,  FIG.  6 B  shows an elongated printed circuit  30  formed from a rigid printed circuit board having rigid portions  48  separated by patterned openings as openings  44 . As shown in  FIG.  6 B , CPU  46  may be formed on one of rigid portions  48 . Electronic components such as components  32  may be mounted to a common rigid portion  48  with CPU  46  or mounted to other rigid portions  48 . Openings  44  of  FIGS.  6 A and  6 B  may allow rigid portions  48  to flex with respect to central portion  50  ( FIG.  6 A ) or to other rigid portions  48  ( FIGS.  6 A and  6 B ) while rigid portions  48  remain substantially flat as shown in  FIG.  7   . 
       FIG.  7    is a cross-sectional side view of a flexible printed circuit of the type shown in  FIG.  6 A , taken along line A of  FIG.  6 A . As shown in  FIG.  6 A , forces exerted on printed circuit  30  (as indicated by arrows  59 ) may cause rigid portions  48  of printed circuit  30  to flex with respect to central portion  50 . In the presence of these flexing forces, rigid central portion  50  may flex less than rigid portions  48  flex with respect to rigid central portion  50 . Rigid central portion  50  may have a rigidity that ensures that portion  54  (e.g., the portion of central portion  50  that includes a mounted circuit such as CPU  46 ) remains substantially flat. 
     In the absence of flexing forces, rigid portions  48  may form a portion of a planar printed circuit in an x-y plane (as indicated by dashed lines  57 ). Under flexing forces such as flexing forces in directions indicated by arrows  59 , flexible printed circuit  30  may flex out of the x-y plane. Rigid portions  48  may flex about an axis parallel to the y-axis more than rigid central portion  50  flexes about that axis. Providing a rigid central portion  50  that ensures that portion  54  remains substantially flat may protect CPU  46  from becoming damaged or separated from printed circuit  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  7   , openings such as openings  44  in printed circuit  30  may allow rigid portions  48  to flex with respect to other rigid portions  48  and rigid central portion  50  while each rigid portion  48  remains substantially flat. Providing rigid portions  48  that remain substantially flat while flexing with respect to other portions of printed circuit  30  may protect components such as components  32  from becoming damaged or separated from printed circuit  30  while printed circuit  30  is being flexed or deformed. 
       FIG.  8    shows a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrative flexible battery of the type shown in  FIG.  3   . As shown in  FIG.  8   , flexible battery  34  may be designed to flex in a safe and repeatable manner under flexing forces (as indicated by arrows  52 ). In the example of  FIG.  8   , flexible battery  34  may include a segmented package of one or more battery cells such as battery cells  60 . Battery cells  60  may each be configured to store electric charge for device  10 . Battery cells  60  may be connected to each other battery cell  60  or may be coupled directly to a component of device  10  such as a power management unit for delivering electric power to components such as components  32  (see, e.g.,  FIG.  3   ) of device  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  8   , battery cells  60  may be attached using flexible members  62 . Flexible members  62  may be formed from plastic, silicon or other elastomeric material. Battery cells  60  may each include conductive structures such as conductive anodes and cathodes. Conductive anodes and cathodes in battery cells  60  may be separated by separating layers. 
     Flexible members  62  may be configured so that battery  34  may flex into a curved position such as curved position  64  under flexing forces in directions indicated by arrows  52 . Flexible members  62  may be configured so that flexible battery  34  may be returned to a substantially flat position as indicated by dashed lines  66 . In the example of  FIG.  8   , battery cells  60  may be cylindrical battery cells. 
       FIG.  9    is a top view of a flexible battery of the type shown in  FIG.  8   . As shown in  FIG.  8   , cylindrical battery cells  60  may be joined using flexible members  62 . In the example of  FIGS.  8  and  9   , flexible battery  34  may be preferentially flexible about an axis that is parallel to cylindrical members  60 . This is merely illustrative. If desired, flexible battery  34  may be configured to allow flexible battery  34  to be flexed in multiple dimensions as shown in  FIG.  10   . 
     As shown in  FIG.  10   , battery cells  60  may include one or more coin cells mounted on a sheet of flexible material such as flexible sheet  74 . Flexible sheet  74  may be formed from plastic, silicon or other flexible material. If desired, flexible sheet  74  may be implemented using flexible sheets of substrate such as a polyimide sheets. In configurations in which battery  34  is formed from coin cells on a flexible sheet, coin cells may be connected using interconnects  70 . Coin cells  60  may be coupled to other device components such as a power management unit using conductive connectors  72 . 
     Conductive connectors  72  and conductive interconnects  70  may be formed from wires, twisted wire pairs, other wires, or may be formed from conductive traces in flexible sheet  74 . Coin cells  60  may each include conductive structures such as conductive anodes and cathodes. Conductive anodes and cathodes in battery cells  60  may be separated by dielectric separating layers. Providing device  10  with a battery such a flexible battery  34  having coin cells mounted on a flexible sheet may provide flexibility in multiple dimensions for battery  34  and device  10 . The example of  FIG.  10    in which flexible battery  34  is formed from coin cells mounted on a flexible sheet is merely illustrative. If desired flexible battery may be formed by with lubricating separator layers (sometimes called slip layers) that allow battery  34  to flex as shown in  FIGS.  11  and  12   . 
     As shown in  FIG.  11   , flexible battery  34  may include layers of electrode structures such as layers  80 . Layers  80  may include anode and cathode electrodes A and C respectively and separator/electrolyte layers S/E. Cathode layer C may be attached to an upper surface of a separator layer such as separator/electrode layer S/E. Anode layer (e.g., negative electrode layer) A may be attached to an opposing lower surface of a separator layer such as separator layer S/E. The layers of electrode structures  80  are typically thin (e.g., fractions of a millimeter). 
     Battery  34  may include battery technology such as lithium-ion battery technology, lithium polymer battery technology, or other battery technology. In configurations in which battery  34  is implemented using lithium-ion battery technology, positive electrode C, which is sometimes referred to as the cathode, may include lithium, whereas negative electrode A, which is sometimes referred to as the anode, may contain carbon. 
     In configurations in which battery  34  is implemented using lithium polymer battery technology, positive and negative electrodes C and A respectively may be laminated to opposing sides of separator layer S/E formed from a polymer separator sheet. For example, a lithium polymer battery may have a positive electrode layer C that is formed from LiCoO2 or LiMnO4, a separator layer S/E that is formed from a polymer such as polyethylene oxide, and a negative electrode layer A that contains lithium or a compound of lithium and carbon (as examples). Other types of electrodes and separators may be used. These are merely illustrative examples. 
     As shown in  FIG.  11   , flexible battery  34  may include lubricious separator layers such as slip layers  82 . Slip layers  82  may be interposed between electrode structures such as battery layers  80 . Providing battery  34  with lubricious separator layers may help layers  80  slide or glide with respect to other layers  80  thereby allowing battery  34  to flex. Lubricious separator  82  may be formed from tetrafluoroethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene (e.g., Teflon®), or other suitable materials. In the example of  FIG.  11   , every other separator layer in battery  34  is a slip layer such as slip layers  82 . This is merely illustrative. If desired, separator layers S/E may be lubricious, every second separator layer between layers  82  may be lubricious, a single lubricious layer may be provided, or other configurations in which battery  34  includes a lubricious layer such as layer  82  are possible. 
     Separator/electrolyte layers S/E may be an electrolyte gel or electrolyte liquid that allows ions (e.g., electrons, or other charged particles) to flow between positive electrode layers C and A. Lubricious separator layers may, for example, be formed from non-permeable material that prevents the flow of ions such as electrons or other charged particles. Separator layers S/E and lubricious separator layers  82  may be formed from a common material or may be formed from different materials. Slip layers  82  may be more lubricious than separator layers S/E of electrode structures  80 . 
     Electrode structures  80  may be sealed in a battery pouch such as pouch  84 . Pouch  84  may, for example, be formed from a polymer that is lined with a metal such as aluminum. 
     To ensure that battery  34  is formed from electrode structures  80  having sufficient charge storage capacity, the area of electrode structures  80  may be many square centimeters in size (as an example). It may therefore be desirable to fold electrode structures into a more compact shape. For example, it may be desirable to wrap electrode structures into a shape of the type shown in  FIG.  12   . 
     This type of electrode configuration, which is sometimes referred to as a jelly-roll shape, reduces the footprint of the battery and provides the battery with a size and shape that is compatible with typical device form factors. This type of electrode configuration may include lubricious layers such as layers  82  that provide glide capability between layers  80  thereby increasing the flexibility of battery  34 . 
     As described above in connection with  FIG.  11   , layers  80  of battery  34  may include cathode layers C, anode layers A and separator layers S/E that separate the conductive layers. As shown in  FIG.  12   , layers  80  may be separated from other layers  80  using a lubricious separator layer such as slip layer  82 . Providing battery  34  with lubricating separator layers such as slip layer  82  may allow battery  34  to flex under flexing forces in directions such as directions  52  and/or  78 . 
     If desired, additional lubricious material such as material  86  may be provided at the center of wrapped layers  80  of battery  34 . Additional lubricious material  86  may provide additional flexibility for battery  34  by further lubricating internal wrapped layers  80  of battery  34 . Lubricious material  86  may be formed from the same material as the material that forms slip layers  82  or may be formed from a different material from the material that forms slip layers  82 . 
     In configurations in which flexible battery  34  is includes wrapped cathode/anode/separator layers separated by lubricating separator materials such as lubricious separator  82 , battery  34  may be provided with tabs such as tabs  76 . Tabs  76  may include engagement members for mounting battery  34  to device structures such as housing  12  or cover layer  14 C. Tabs  76  may include conductive connectors for electrically coupling battery  34  to other device circuitry such as a power management unit or printed circuit  30  (see  FIG.  3   ). For example, tabs  76  may include a positive terminal connected to cathode layer C of layer  80  and a negative terminal connected to anode layer A of layer  80 . Wrapped layers  80  of battery  34  may be sealed in a pouch such as outer film  84 . Outer film  84  may be configured to provide a flexible enclosure for battery  34 . 
     The example of  FIG.  12    in which layers  80  of battery  34  are wrapped to form a jelly-roll battery is merely illustrative. If desired, layers  80  of battery  34  may be mounted in pouch  84  such that layers  80  form an interlocking interface region as shown in  FIG.  13   . In the example of  FIG.  13   , an interlocking interface region such as interface region  88  may be provided in which a portion of some layers  80  interlock with a portion of other layers  80 . Providing battery  34  with partially interlocking layers  80  as shown in  FIG.  13    may allow flexing of battery  34  in interface region  88  due to flexing forces as indicated by arrows  52 . 
       FIG.  14    shows a cross-sectional end view of an illustrative flexible housing of the type shown in  FIG.  3   . As shown in  FIG.  14   , housing  12  may include a segmented housing structure that includes relatively rigid portions such as portions  90  and relatively flexible portions such as portions  92 . 
     Rigid portions  90  may be formed from plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), fabric, silicone, other suitable materials, or a combination of these materials. Flexible portions  92  may include hinges or other rotating members that attach rigid portions  92  and allow rigid portions  92  to move with respect to other rigid portions  92  under flexing forces as indicated by arrows  52 . This is merely illustrative. 
     If desired, flexible portions  92  may include elastomeric members interposed between rigid portions  90  or may be formed from relatively soft elastomeric material that forms an integrated portion of a single housing structure  12  that includes rigid portions  90  and flexible portions  92 . For example, flexible portions  92  may be formed from an elastomeric material such as elastomeric foam, silicone, rubber, silicone rubber, a thermoplastic elastomeric (TPE) such as a thermoplastic polyurethane polymer, etc. 
     The example of  FIG.  14    is merely illustrative. If desired, flexible housing  12  may be formed from a single elastomeric structure or may include a housing structure having a variable cross section for providing varying resistance to flexing as shown in  FIGS.  15  and  16   . 
       FIG.  15    is a perspective view of a housing structure such as housing  12  having a flexible sheet such as flexible sheet  94  (e.g., a thin sheet of flexible plastic, fiber composites, metal, fabric, silicone, other suitable materials, or a combination of these materials) and a rigid support structure such as support structure  96 . Support structure  96  may be a relatively thicker material such as carbon fiber, plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), fabric, silicone, other suitable materials, or a combination of these materials. Flexible sheet  94  may form, for example, a rear wall (e.g., rear wall  12 R of  FIG.  3   ) for device  10 . Flexible sheet  94  may allow flexing of housing  12  about an axis parallel to the y-axis shown in  FIG.  15    (as indicated by arrows  98 ). 
     As shown in  FIG.  16   , support structure  96  may be formed extend along a dimension of flexible sheet  94  along a y-axis that is perpendicular to the x-axis shown in  FIGS.  15  and  16   . Support structure  96  may therefore provide resistance to flexing about an axis that is parallel to the x-axis shown in  FIGS.  15  and  16    (as indicated by arrows  99 ). Providing housing  12  with flexible sheet  94  and support structure  96  may provide preferential flexibility about an axis that is parallel to the longest dimension of support structure  96 . Support structure  96  may have a flexibility that is less than the flexibility of flexible sheet  94 . 
     If desired, housing  12  may be configured to have one or more stable configurations as shown in  FIG.  17   . In the example of  FIG.  17   , housing  12  is formed from a bi-stable housing structure having two preferred positions. As shown in  FIG.  17   , housing  12  may have a stable position such as position  100 . Housing  12  may be configured so that, when in position  100 , housing  12  remains in position  100  in the absence of external flexing forces. 
     A user of device  10  may apply a force in direction  102  to housing  12 . Housing  12  may be configured to deform in response to the force in direction  102  until housing  12  reaches a second stable position  104 . Housing  12  may be configured so that, when in position  104 , housing  12  remains in position  104  in the absence of external flexing forces. A user of device  10  may apply a force in direction  106  to device  10 . Housing  12  may be configured to deform in response to the force in direction  106  until housing  12  returns to stable position  100 . 
     Providing device  10  with a housing such as housing  12  having more than one stable position may increase the ergonomic usage of device  10  while provide stable positions for resting device  10  on a surface. Providing device  10  with a housing such as housing  12  having more than one stable position may allow a user of device  10  to alter the shape of display  14  from a shape having a concave outer surface (e.g., in position  100 ) to a shape having convex outer surface (e.g., in position  104 ). This is merely illustrative. If desired, housing  12  may have more than one stable position, more than two stable positions, more than three stable positions, or may be continuously flexible so that device  10  may be flexed in to any position. 
     As shown in  FIG.  18   , housing  12  may include one or more multi-stable regions such as regions  110 . Regions  110  may include hinges or other bearings having discrete stable positions, elastomeric materials attached to or integrated into other portions of housing  12 , or may include patterned holes, bulges, protrusions, openings or features for providing multi-stable portions  110  with one or more stable positions. Providing housing  12  with one or more multi-stable regions such as regions  110  may allow portions such as top portion  112 , central portion  114  and bottom portion  116  to flex separately into multiple stable positions. 
       FIG.  19    shows an illustrative portion of housing  12  in the vicinity of one of multi-stable regions  110 . As shown in  FIG.  19   , multi-stable regions  110  of housing  12  may include one or more bi-stable protrusions such as bulges  113 . Bulges  113  may be bi-stable bulges that have an external (i.e., convex) stable position and an internal (i.e., concave) stable position. Flexing bottom portion  116  as indicated by arrows  118  may cause bulges  113  to “pop” into or out of device  10 . Housing  12  may be provided with a stable bent position in the configuration in which bulges  113  bulge inward and another stable bent position in the configuration in which bulges  113  bulge outward of device  10 . This is merely illustrative. If desired, housing  12  may be configured to have a shape that allows a bi-stable portion  110  to be formed at any location along a length of housing  12  as shown in  FIG.  20   . 
       FIG.  20    is a perspective rear view of a device having a housing such as housing  12  having a flexible sidewall portion  12 S that forms at least a portion of a sidewall for device  10  and a convex rear portion  12 R that provides device  10  with a rear enclosure having bi-stable portions  110 . As shown in  FIG.  20   , top portion  112  may be bent from a substantially straight position such as position  128  (in the x-y plane shown in  FIG.  20   ) to a bent position such as position  124  that is out of the x-y plane. Similarly, bottom portion  116  may be bent from a substantially straight position such as position  122  in the x-y plane to a bent position such as position  120 . Convex rear surface  12 R may provide device  10  with a stable straight configuration (i.e., a configuration in which top portion  112  and bottom portion  116  are in positions  128  and  112  in the x-y plane respectively). Convex rear surface  12  may have one or more multi-stable portions  110  that allow top portion  112  and bottom portion  116  to be flexed (e.g., into positions  124  and  120  respectively) out of the x-y plane about an axis that is parallel to the x-axis. 
     In order to provide device  10  with flexing capabilities of the type shown in  FIG.  20   , device  10  may be provided with a printed circuit  30  having rigid portions such as rigid portions  40  that correspond to top portion  112 , central portion  114  and bottom portion  116  of device  10  as shown in  FIG.  21   . As shown in  FIG.  21   , rigid portions  40  may be connected with flexible portions such as flexible portions  42 . Flexible portions  42  may be implemented using flexible printed circuits or may be a flexible polymer for forming a structural connection between rigid portions  40 . If desired, flexible portions  42  may contain patterned conductive traces (e.g., conductive traces on flexible sheets of substrate such as polyimide sheets) that convey signals between rigid portions  40 , components such as components  32  or other components of device  10 . 
     A device such as device  10  having flexible internal and external components may be flexed into open positions (e.g., for display in information on a flat display), closed positions (e.g., for turning off device  10 , for storing device  10 , etc.), or partially open positions. 
     As shown in  FIG.  22   , flexible device  10  may have a closed position such as closed position  121  in which top portion  112  and bottom portion  116  are folded such that top portions of display  14  on top portion  112  and bottom portion  116  face display  14  of central portion  114  of device  10 . Closed position  121  may be used for storing device  10  (e.g., in a pocket). Storing device  10  in a closed position such as closed position  121  may protect display  14  from scratching or other damage. Internal components such as components  24  and  26  may include proximity sensors that sense when another of components  24  or  26  or when another portion of display  14  is nearby. Internal components such as components  24  and  26  may be configured to alter the operational state of device  10  based on proximity data gathered by components  24  and/or  26  (e.g., to turn device  10  off or put device  10  in a sleep or low energy state when in closed position  121 ). 
     As shown in  FIG.  23   , flexible device  10  may have a partially open position such as position  123  in which a first portion such as portion  126  of device  10  is bent upward while a second portion such as portion  129  of device  10  is substantially flat. Partially open position  123  may be used for resting device  10  on a surface (e.g., on a desk, table or other surface) while a user views display  14  (e.g., while a user reads text, watches media or other visual output on display  14 ). Partially open position  123  may provide a more ergonomic position for a user to read text on display  14  while holding device  10  (e.g., while holding device  10  in a position typically used for holding a book, magazine, newspaper or other paper media). 
     As shown in  FIG.  24   , flexible device  10  may have a closed position such as closed position  125  in device  10  is folded in half. Closed position  125  may be used for storing device  10  (e.g., in a pocket). Storing device  10  in a closed position such as closed position  120  may protect display  14  from scratching or other damage. Internal components such as components  24  and  26  may include proximity sensors that sense when another of components  24  or  26  or when another portion of display  14  is nearby. Internal components such as components  24  and  26  may be configured to alter the operational state of device  10  based on proximity data (e.g., to turn device  10  off or put device  10  in a sleep or low energy state when in closed position  125 ). 
     If desired, housing  12  may be formed from a fabric or other expandable material and an internal configurable support structure as shown in  FIG.  25   . As shown in  FIG.  25   , housing  12  may be configured to have multiple stable positions such as positions  130  and  132 . Position  132  may be a substantially flat position. Housing  12  may include an internal configurable support structure such as structure  140  that changes the exterior shape of expandable housing  12  to produce an additional stable position such as position  130 . In the example of  FIG.  25   , housing  12  is expanded by an internal configurable support structure to form a stand that supports device  10  in a partially open position such as position  130 . Partially open position  130  may provide a more ergonomic position for a user to read text or view other media on display  14  while resting device  10  (e.g., on a desk, table or other surface) while supporting device  10  with expanded housing  12 . 
       FIG.  26    shows a perspective view of a portion of an illustrative internal configurable support structure that includes an internal locking skeleton for changing the shape or flexibility of housing  12  of the type described above in connection with  FIG.  25   . As shown in  FIG.  26   , a configurable support structure such as configurable support structure  140  may include a rigid spine such as spine  142  having a locking hinge such as locking hinge  144  and one or more segmented arms such as arms  146 . Locking hinge  144  may be configured to engage (e.g., lock) when spine  142  is twisted, compressed, stretched or otherwise manipulated. 
     Spine  142  may be manipulated by twisting, squeezing, stretching, compressing or otherwise manipulating housing  12  of device  10  or may be manipulated mechanically or electrically based on user input to device  10  (e.g., using buttons, switches such as switch  15  ( FIG.  1   ), touch-sensitive displays, etc.). Arms  146  may each include one or more segments such as segments  148 . Segments  148  may include segments that are formed along sidewalls of housing  12 , segments that are formed along rear portions of housing  12  and/or segments formed within other portions of housing  12 . 
     Support  140  may be integrated into housing  12  (e.g., housing  12  may be molded over support  140 ) or may be attached to housing  12 . Engaging hinge  144  may engage arms  146  in a rigid state. Disengaging hinge  144  may disengage arms  146  so that segments  148  may move independently. Engaging and disengaging hinge  144  may therefore alter the physical state of device  10  from flexible to rigid and rigid to flexible respectively. This is merely illustrative. If desired, internal configurable support structure may be formed from pockets of air, gas or liquid in portions of housing  12  as shown in  FIG.  27   . 
       FIG.  27    shows a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative internal configurable support structure that includes a bladder system for changing the shape or flexibility of housing  12  of the type described above in connection with  FIG.  25   . As shown in  FIG.  27   , internal configurable support structure  140  may include one or more pockets such as cavities  150  in housing  12 . 
     Cavities  150  may be temporarily or permanently filled with air, fluid, gas or other material such as material  152 . Cavities  150  may be coupled to one or more channels  154  for delivering and removing material  152  from cavities  150 . Filling cavities  150  with material  152  may cause housing  12  to stiffen thereby providing a rigid housing for device  10 . Removing material  152  from cavities  150  may relieve pressure from within cavities  150  and allow housing  12  to become flexible. 
     Cavities  150  may be filled with material  152  due to exterior mechanical manipulation of housing  12  (e.g., compression or other manipulation of housing  12  by a user of device  10 ), or due to mechanical or electrical pressurization of material  152  in cavities  150  (e.g., using an electrically powered pump or other pressure regulation device to move material  152  into cavities  150 ) based on user input to device  10  (e.g., using buttons, switches such as switch  15  ( FIG.  1   ), touch-sensitive displays, etc.). For example, in one configuration, material  152  may be pressurized in cavities  150  by a pressure regulation device in order to stiffen housing  12  (e.g., to form a rigid support structure for housing  12 ). In another configuration, material  152  may be unpressurized in cavities  150  allowing housing  12  to be deformed. This is merely illustrative. 
     If desired, cavities  150  may be partially filled with material  152  so that housing  12  may be flexed until material  152  fills the volume of cavities  150 . For example, the flexibility of housing  12  may decrease during deformation of housing  12  due to increasing pressure of material  152  in cavities  150  due to compression of cavities  150  due to deformation (flexing) of housing  12 . If desired, cavities  150  may be deformable cavities that conform to the shape of a user&#39;s hand or body (e.g., while device  10  is stored in a pocket). Deformable cavities may enhance the ergonomic features of device  10 . 
     Filling and emptying cavities  150  may therefore alter the physical state of device  10  from flexible to rigid and rigid to flexible respectively. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20200805
Publication Date: 20230613
Grant Date: 20230613
Priority Date: 20110930
Inventors: FRANKLIN, JEREMY C.
MYERS, SCOTT A.
RAPPOPORT, BENJAMIN M.
LYNCH, STEPHEN BRIAN
TERNUS, JOHN P.
WODRICH, JUSTIN R.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01M50/463", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1626", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/3208", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02D10/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02D10/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0268", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04101", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0216", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/213", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/2092", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04103", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/3265", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/216", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/035", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04102", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M2220/30", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0262", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1626", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1652", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0412", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02E10/549", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0416", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0268", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/044", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1652", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1652", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/163", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1677", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2330/027", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/105", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/035", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04102", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/20", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04105", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02E10/549", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/469", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1626", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/3265", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/20", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0262", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/409", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H10K2102/311", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/213", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/0436", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M2220/30", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/2092", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H10K59/40", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/0436", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/409", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04102", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0262", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/293", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/293", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02E60/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/216", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/105", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02P70/50", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H10K59/40", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1677", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/469", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0216", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H10K2102/311", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H10K77/111", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H10K77/111", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/2092", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/3208", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04103", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04102", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02E10/549", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/3265", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H10K59/40", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/216", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/409", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H10K2102/311", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0216", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M2220/30", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0262", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/044", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04105", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/035", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/105", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G2330/027", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/469", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0416", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H10K77/111", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1652", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1677", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M10/0436", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/213", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02D10/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0268", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1626", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0412", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/293", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/20", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/163", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04101", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1681", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0216", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/213", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/411", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09G3/035", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0268", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M50/105", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H10K59/40", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H10K77/111", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H10K2102/311", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02D10/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02E10/549", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02E60/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02P70/50", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01M
Family ID: 47116317