An inward folding hinge mechanism suitable for display device

Abstract

The present invention discloses an inward-folding hinge mechanism suitable for a display device, belonging to the technical field of folding display devices, comprising a protective cover plate, wherein a first outer frame and a second outer frame are arranged on the same side of the protective cover plate, the first outer frame and the second outer frame are both in a U-shaped structure, and each arm of the U-shaped structure is provided with an inclined surface on the side facing the protective cover plate; further comprising a hinge assembly, wherein the first outer frame and the second outer frame are connected to form a frame structure through the hinge assembly, and the hinge assembly drives the first outer frame and the second outer frame to rotate around the same axis and switches the protective cover plate from a planar shape to an overlapping shape; the bending trajectory of the hinge assembly is a circular arc line, which is tangent to the extension line of the inclined surface, so as to maximize the curvature radius R of the protective cover plate during the inward folding process, and at the same time simplify the overall structure of the hinge mechanism, and improve the performance and service life of the protective cover plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of folding display devices, and in particular, relates to an inward-folding hinge mechanism suitable for a display device. Background Art

[0002] Flexible display devices have the advantages of impact resistance, light weight, and easy portability. They have functions and user experience advantages that traditional displays cannot achieve. Therefore, flexible display technology is receiving more and more attention, and the protective cover is an indispensable component in flexible display devices.

[0003] In the era of rapid development of smart phones, glass has always been the first choice for mobile phone covers due to the requirements of light transmittance, strength and surface hardness. With the maturity of 3D glass technology, glass covers have been extended to curved screen mobile phones with fixed curvature.

[0004] At present, different manufacturers have chosen CPI film as the protective cover for foldable displays. CPI film (Colorless Polyimide) is essentially a resin material polyimide, a type of polymer containing an imide ring (-CO-N-CO-) on the main chain, among which polymers containing phthalimide structure are the most important. As a special engineering material, polyimide has been widely used in aviation, aerospace, microelectronics, nano, liquid crystal, separation membrane, laser and other fields. The existing flexible OLED substrate is also PI, and CPI de-yellowing on the basis of PI to meet the optical requirements of the cover.

[0005] CPI is becoming more and more mature in technology and can be directly applied. However, its disadvantages are obvious: the surface hardness of CPI material is poor, resulting in more and more visible traces of bumps and bumps in daily use; in addition, film products have material fatigue problems and cannot restore the original flatness after tens of thousands of bends.

[0006] The existing foldable display screens mainly have the following defects:

[0007] 1) When the display screen using CPI film is unfolded, the middle of the screen is convex, with ripples and wrinkles;

[0008] 2) When the display screen using CPI film is unfolded, the screen itself is not flat enough;

[0009] 3) The display screen using CPI film is not smooth enough when opened and closed, and requires physical force;

[0010] 4) When a display screen using CPI film is folded, a gap will be formed at the fold;

[0011] 5) The hinge structure design for folding the display screen using the CPI film is complex and costly.

[0012] The reason for the above defects is that the CPI film, as a polymer material, has elastic properties. After repeated folding, the film will be relaxed, stretched and creased. This problem is a common problem when using polymer materials.

[0013] To address the above problems, the stress on the CPI film when it is repeatedly folded can be reduced, or it can be replaced with ultra-thin glass with higher surface strength and no relaxation, elongation or creases. In addition, the material itself has good self-repairing ability and can still restore its original flatness after long-term repeated bending, without the problem of fatigue of film materials. However, the fatal flaw of ultra-thin glass is that it is fragile, especially when it is folded outward or inward, the stress it is subjected to is relatively large, which can easily cause damage to the ultra-thin glass.

[0014] In summary, according to the stress formula Among them, ε = stress (dimensionless), Z = distance between the neutral plane and the surface, R = radius of curvature. From the above formula, it can be seen that in order to minimize stress, the radius of curvature R should be maximized under the required device thickness. In order to maximize the radius of curvature R, it is necessary to design an appropriate hinge mechanism to limit the inward folding motion trajectory of the ultra-thin glass or CPI film.

[0015] When a general folding device is flattened, in order to prevent a gap from appearing in the middle of the screen, the support plate needs to be designed to be longer than a general support plate. Therefore, when the device is folded, in order to accommodate the extra length of the support plate, a protruding space must be set in the middle of the folding device, and this protruding part will make the design of the device itself very unsightly. Therefore, the hinge structure design that can prevent a gap from appearing in the middle of the screen when the device is flattened, while at the same time maintaining the appearance of the device without the protruding part on the back of the device. This is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0016] In view of this, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an inward-folding hinge mechanism suitable for a display device so as to maximize the curvature radius R of the protective cover during the inward folding process, while simplifying the overall structure of the hinge mechanism, so as to prevent protruding parts from the back of the device, thereby improving the performance and service life of the protective cover.

[0017] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is: an inward-folding hinge mechanism suitable for a display device, comprising a protective cover plate, a first outer frame and a second outer frame are provided on the same side of the protective cover plate, the first outer frame and the second outer frame are both U-shaped structures, and each arm of the U-shaped structure is provided with an inclined surface on the side facing the protective cover plate; it also includes a hinge assembly, the first outer frame and the second outer frame are connected to form a frame structure through the hinge assembly, and the hinge assembly drives the first outer frame and the second outer frame to rotate around the same axis and switches the protective cover plate from a flat shape to an overlapping shape; the bending trajectory of the hinge assembly is an arc line, and the arc line is tangent to the extension line of the inclined surface, so as to constrain the bending surface of the protective cover plate to achieve the purpose of maximum curvature radius R, thereby reducing the stress of the protective cover plate during the bending process to eliminate the phenomenon of easy creases.

[0018] Furthermore, a support plate is hinged between the two arms of the first outer frame and the second outer frame. The support plate is attached to the surface of the protective cover and rotates with the protective cover. The rotation trajectories of the two support plates do not intersect and are respectively located in the corresponding bending trajectories. At this time, when the device is folded, there is no need to set up additional space on the back of the device.

[0019] Furthermore, the protective cover is made of ultra-thin glass. Ultra-thin glass has a high surface hardness and can still restore its original flatness after long-term repeated bending. It is not easy to produce creases and can effectively prevent breakage when the curvature radius R is controlled.

[0020] Furthermore, the protective cover is a CPI film. In order to keep the middle part of the screen of the device flat when unfolded, a flexible thin sheet needs to be provided. The use of a flexible thin sheet can effectively compensate for the defect that the CPI film is prone to collapse at the bend, thereby improving the flatness of the CPI film in the unfolded state.

[0021] Furthermore, the hinge assembly includes a bending channel arranged between the first outer frame and the second outer frame, a plurality of gears are arranged in the bending channel, and driving plates are provided on both sides of the bending channel, and driving teeth meshing with the gears are provided at the ends of the driving plates; the two driving plates are respectively slidably arranged at the ends of the arms of the first outer frame and the second outer frame, and the hinge assembly can realize a circular arc when the gears therein are meshed with each other, thereby well constraining the bending surface of the protective cover.

[0022] Furthermore, the ends of the arms of the first outer frame and the second outer frame are both provided with a slide groove, in which the drive plate is mounted, and a reserved space for the movement of the drive plate can be formed in the slide groove to realize the linkage of the drive plate.

[0023] Furthermore, the bending channel includes a first bending plate and a second bending plate which are arranged in parallel. The relative movement of the first outer frame and the second outer frame drives the bending movement of the first bending plate and the second bending plate. The first bending plate and the second bending plate realize the function of limiting each gear and can cooperate with each gear to realize the formation of a bending surface.

[0024] Furthermore, the first bending plate and the second bending plate are both made of flexible materials, and the flexible materials can ensure smooth bending operations.

[0025] Furthermore, it also includes a shell bottom plate, the first outer frame and the second outer frame are connected to the same side of the shell bottom plate, and the second bent plate is provided on the shell bottom plate; the two ends of the first bent plate are respectively assembled on the end parts of the arms of the first outer frame and the second outer frame, and the second bent plate and the shell bottom plate are integrated, which can simplify the complexity of the overall structure. At the same time, since there is no protruding part on the back of the device, the appearance can be maintained in good condition.

[0026] Furthermore, it also includes a shell side panel, which is configured as a corrugated strip, and the side surface of the shell side panel is connected to the side surface of the frame structure. On the one hand, the shell side panel can improve the aesthetics of the entire hinge mechanism, and on the other hand, it will not affect the relative rotational movement between the first outer frame and the second outer frame.

[0027] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0028] 1. The inward-folding hinge mechanism suitable for the display device provided by the present invention is adopted to realize the relative rotation of the first outer frame and the second outer frame through the hinge assembly, and the bending trajectory of the hinge assembly is a circular arc line, which is tangent to the inclined surface to ensure that after the protective cover plate is bent, the bending curve of the protective cover plate has the largest curvature radius, so as to minimize the stress borne by the protective cover plate, so as to alleviate the problem of a large number of creases easily appearing on the protective cover plate during the reciprocating folding process in the prior art.

[0029] 2. Support plates are provided inside the first outer frame and the second outer frame, and the support plates are supported on the surface of the protective cover plate to provide good support for the protective cover plate to prevent the protective cover plate from being damaged when it spans the first outer frame and the second outer frame; at the same time, when the protective cover plate is a CPI film, the support for the CPI film can be further enhanced by providing a flexible thin sheet to prevent it from collapsing.

[0030] 3. The hinge assembly used in the present application is driven by multiple gears and driving plates at both ends, so that when the first outer frame and the second outer frame rotate relative to each other, the bending trajectory of the hinge assembly is an arc line. Compared with the existing hinge assembly, it has the advantages of simple structure and uniform and smooth bending trajectory.

[0031] 4. The rotation trajectory range of the two support plates is limited to the bending trajectory range of the hinge assembly. When the protective cover plates are in an overlapping state, the aesthetics of the entire hinge assembly can be ensured. At the same time, a corrugated strip-shaped shell side panel is arranged on the outside of the entire frame structure, which can also improve the overall aesthetics. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall assembly structure of Example 1 of the inward-folding hinge mechanism applicable to a display device provided by the present invention in an unfolded state;

[0033] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of

[0034] Figure 3 1 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of Example 1 of the inward-folding hinge mechanism applicable to a display device provided by the present invention in an unfolded state;

[0035] Figure 4 is a partial structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 1 of the inward-folding hinge mechanism applicable to a display device provided by the present invention in a folded state;

[0036] Figure 5 1 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of Example 1 of the inward-folding hinge mechanism applicable to a display device provided by the present invention in a folded state;

[0037] Figure 6 is a partial structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 2 of the inward-folding hinge mechanism applicable to a display device provided by the present invention in an unfolded state;

[0038] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of Embodiment 2 of the inward-folding hinge mechanism applicable to a display device provided by the present invention in an unfolded state;

[0039] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of Example 2 of the inward-folding hinge mechanism applicable to a display device provided by the present invention in a folded state;

[0040] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the inward folding hinge mechanism applicable to a display device provided by the present invention;

[0041] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the hinge assembly in Example 3 of the inward-folding hinge mechanism applicable to a display device provided by the present invention;

[0042] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the hinge assembly in Embodiment 4 of the inward-folding hinge mechanism applicable to a display device provided by the present invention;

[0043] Fig.12 yes Fig.11 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of

[0044] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0045] Protective cover plate -1, first outer frame -2, second outer frame -3, inclined surface -4, support plate -5, shell bottom plate -6, gear -7, drive plate -8, drive tooth -9, slide groove -10, first bending plate -11, shell side plate -12, flexible sheet -13, sinking groove -14, first drive plate -15, second drive plate -16, hook -17, hanging groove -18, hinged plate -19, bending chain -20, third drive plate -21, second bending plate -22. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0047] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the invention claimed for protection, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0048] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0049] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, further definition and explanation thereof is not required in subsequent drawings.

[0050] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the indicated orientation or positional relationship is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the invention product is usually placed when in use, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by those skilled in the art, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the invention product is usually placed when in use, which is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0051] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it is also necessary to explain that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "setting" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood in specific circumstances. The drawings in the embodiments of the present invention clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention generally described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0052] Example 1

[0053] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, a folding hinge mechanism suitable for a display device is specifically provided, which includes a protective cover plate 1. The protective cover plate 1 is used to be assembled on a flexible display screen to provide good protection for the flexible display screen, which will not be described in detail here.

[0054] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, a first outer frame 2 and a second outer frame 3 are provided on the same side of the protective cover plate 1. The first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 adopt the same shape and size structure, and a gap is left between the two to ensure that the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 can rotate relative to each other. The first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 are both U-shaped structures, and the opening ends of the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 are arranged opposite to each other. Each arm of the U-shaped structure is provided with an inclined surface 4 on the side facing the protective cover plate 1. In theory, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 4 should be as small as possible, and the bending stress on the protective cover plate 1 is smaller. However, in actual products, the length of the arms of the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 should be considered to reasonably set the inclination angle of the inclined surface 4. The inclination angle of the inclined surface 4 can be limited to between 10° and 20°. Preferably, in this embodiment, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 4 is 15°.

[0055] The present invention also includes a hinge assembly, wherein the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 are connected to form a frame structure through the hinge assembly, and the frame structure forms an assembly space for the display screen, and the hinge assembly drives the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 to rotate around the same axis (causing the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 to be in the same horizontal plane or in a mutually folded state), and during the relative rotation of the two, the protective cover plate 1 can be switched from a flat state to an overlapping state, so as to realize the function of a folding screen; the bending trajectory of the hinge assembly is an arc line, and the bending trajectory of the arc line can be aligned with the bending surface of the protective cover plate 1 It matches well and constrains the bending surface to control the bending radius of the protective cover 1, so as to ultimately reduce the stress of the protective cover 1 during the bending process. The arc line is tangent to the extension line of the inclined surface 4 to ensure that the bending surface of the protective cover 1 can make a good transition during the bending process. From a differential point of view, since there is no too small bending surface segment on the bending surface of the protective cover 1, it is ensured that the transition between the inclined surface 4 of the protective cover 1 and the bending surface has the smallest curvature, so the curvature radius is the largest, the stress is minimized, and the generation of creases is minimized.

[0056] like Figure 3 As shown, a support plate 5 is hinged between the two arms of the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3. The support plate 5 is attached to the surface of the protective cover 1 and rotates with the protective cover 1 to provide a good support effect for the protective cover 1 in real time. The rotation trajectories of the two support plates 5 do not intersect (that is, a gap is left between the opposite sides of the two support plates 5) and are respectively located in the corresponding bending trajectories. When the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 are in a folded state, the end side edges of the two support plates 5 will not extend out of the outer shell bottom plate 6 covering the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 to ensure the overall aesthetics. In this embodiment, the support plate 5 is hinged to the two arms of the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 through a rotating shaft, and a torsion spring (not shown in the drawings) is sleeved on the rotating shaft. The torsion spring provides appropriate restoring force to the support plate 5, so that when the protective cover 1 switches from a folded state to a flat state, the support plate 5 can be reset to a horizontal state and provide good support for the protective cover 1; at the same time, the surface of the support plate 5 should be in contact with the surface of the protective cover 1 in the initial state; the surface of the support plate 5 should be flush with the surface of the inclined surface 4 when it is in the folded state, so that the protective cover 1 can be attached to the surface of the protective cover 1 in real time to provide good support for the protective cover 1.

[0057] The protective cover plate 1 is made of ultra-thin glass, which has a certain hardness. Therefore, when the protective cover plate 1 spans across the two support plates 5, the gap between the two support plates 5 will not have a significant impact on the actual application of the ultra-thin glass.

[0058] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the hinge assembly includes a bending channel arranged between the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3, that is, the bending channel is a channel path that can generate deformation, and a plurality of gears 7 that mesh with each other are arranged in the bending channel. The size of each gear 7 is determined by the internal space of the bending channel and each gear 7 is a columnar structure, and a driving plate 8 is provided on both sides of the bending channel, and a driving tooth 9 that meshes with the gear 7 is provided at the end of the driving plate 8; the two driving plates 8 are respectively slidably arranged at the ends of the arms of the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3. When the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 rotate relative to each other, the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 will both be linked to their respective driving plates 8 to rotate, and during the rotation of the driving plate 8, the gears 7 will be linked to follow the rotation. At the same time, since the driving plate 8 can also slide inside the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3, after the bending channel is bent, it can be ensured that when the protective cover 1 is in a folded state, the bending curve of the bending channel is in the shape of a circular arc line to prevent the ultra-thin glass from being fragile at the bending position.

[0059] like Figure 2 As shown, the ends of the arms of the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 are both provided with a slide groove 10, in which the drive plate 8 is assembled. When the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 are in a horizontal state, the distance between the bottoms of the two slide grooves should be greater than the distance between the ends of the two drive plates 8, so that during the bending process, the drive plate 8 can slide in the slide groove 10 to adjust and adapt to the bending radius.

[0060] The bending channel includes a first bending plate 11 and a second bending plate 22 which are arranged in parallel. The relative movement of the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 drives the bending movement of the first bending plate 11 and the second bending plate 22. During the bending movement, the gears 7 inside the bending channel mesh with each other to well constrain the bending surface of the bending channel. The first bending plate 11 and the second bending plate 22 are both made of flexible materials, such as: among non-metallic polymer materials, one or more of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonates (PC), polysulfones (PES), polyimide (PI), etc.;

[0061] Metal: one or more of metal polymer materials such as Nickel Titanium, Copper / Zinc / Aluminiumalloy, Copper / Aluminium / Nickel alloy, and stainless steel.

[0062] It also includes a shell bottom plate 6, the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 are connected to the same side of the shell bottom plate 6, and the second bent plate 22 is provided on the shell bottom plate 6, and the second bent plate 22 can be arranged at the bending part of the shell bottom plate 6 by splicing; the two ends of the first bent plate 11 are respectively assembled on the end parts of the arms of the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3. In this embodiment, the two ends of the first bent plate 11 are respectively clamped in the corresponding slide grooves.

[0063] like Fig. 9 As shown, it also includes an outer shell side panel 12, which is configured to be a corrugated strip, and the side surface of the outer shell side panel 12 is connected to the side surface of the frame structure. On the one hand, the outer shell side panel 12 serves to beautify the appearance, and on the other hand, when the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 rotate relative to each other, the outer shell side panel 12 in the shape of a corrugated strip can produce a good deformation effect.

[0064] Example 2

[0065] like Figure 6 , Figure 8 As shown, based on the inward folding hinge mechanism disclosed in Example 1, a CPI film can also be used as the protective cover plate 1 to replace the ultra-thin glass. When the protective cover plate 1 is a CPI film, a flexible sheet 13 spans between the two support plates 5, and the two support plates 5 are attached to the surface of the CPI film through the flexible sheet 13. Since the CPI film itself does not have rigidity, it is easy to collapse in the gap between the two support plates 5, and the use of the flexible sheet 13 can provide a good support effect for it. The flexible sheet 13 may be made of one or more of non-metallic polymer materials such as polytetra fluoroethylene (PTFE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonates (PC), polysulfones (PES), and polyimide (PI).

[0066] Metal: one or more of metal polymer materials such as Nickel Titanium, Copper / Zinc / Aluminiumalloy, Copper / Aluminium / Nickel alloy, and stainless steel.

[0067] In specific products, such as Figure 7 As shown, a sinking groove 14 should be preset on the frame structure formed by the first outer frame 2, the second outer frame 3 and the hinge assembly, and the flexible thin sheet 13 should be assembled in the sinking groove 14 so that the flexible thin sheet 13 and the frame structure form a flat surface, and the flexible display screen using the CPI film is assembled on the flat surface.

[0068] Example 3

[0069] like Fig.10 As shown, based on Example 1 and Example 2, in the actual product application process, the hinge assembly can also be implemented using the following structure, the hinge assembly includes a bending channel and a bending chain 20 installed inside the bending channel, the bending chain 20 is configured as a watch strap structure, there are many types of watch strap structures, and the structure adopted in this embodiment is shown in Figure 9 as an example; the end of the arm of the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 is slidably provided with a third drive plate 21, and the end of the third drive plate 21 is hingedly connected to the bending chain 20.

[0070] The bending channel includes a first bending plate 11 and a second bending plate 22 which are arranged in parallel. The relative movement of the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 drives the bending movement of the first bending plate 11 and the second bending plate 22. During the bending movement, the bending chain 20 inside the bending channel is linked under the action of the driving plate to well constrain the bending surface of the bending channel and ensure that the bending surface is in an arc shape. The first bending plate 11 and the second bending plate 22 are both made of flexible materials. The flexible material can be used, for example, in the non-metallic polymer material category, one or more of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonates (PC), polysulfones (PES), polyimide (PI) and other non-metallic polymer materials;

[0071] Metal: one or more of metal polymer materials such as Nickel Titanium, Copper / Zinc / Aluminiumalloy, Copper / Aluminium / Nickel alloy, and stainless steel.

[0072] In the above, the size of the bending chain 20 is designed to be set according to the bending radius of the bending channel. When the bending radius is smaller, the size of the unit chain link in the bending chain 20 should be reduced. When the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 rotate relatively, under the driving action of the driving plates at both ends, each unit chain link in the bending chain 20 can be linked to make a micro-rotation, so as to realize the formation of a bending curved surface of the entire bending chain 20, and the bending curved surface can provide good support for the protective cover 1.

[0073] Example 4

[0074] like Fig.11 , Fig.12 As shown, based on Example 1 and Example 2, in the actual product application process, the hinge assembly can also be implemented by the following structure, the hinge assembly includes a bending channel and a plurality of hinge plates 19 assembled in the bending channel, and the opposite sides of each hinge plate 19 are respectively provided with a hanging groove 18 and a hook 17, and the hanging groove 18 and the hook 17 on each hinge plate 19 are assembled and connected in sequence to form a hinge chain plate; the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 are respectively slidably provided with a first driving plate 15 and a second driving plate 16 at the end of the arm, and the first driving plate 15 and the second driving plate 16 are respectively provided with a hook 17 and a hanging groove 18, and the hook 17 and the hanging groove 18 are respectively assembled and connected with the two ends of the hinge chain plate.

[0075] The bending channel includes a first bending plate 11 and a second bending plate 22 which are arranged in parallel. The relative movement of the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 drives the bending movement of the first bending plate 11 and the second bending plate 22. During the bending movement, the hinged plates 19 inside the bending channel are linked to each other to well constrain the bending surface of the bending channel and ensure that the bending surface is in an arc shape. The first bending plate 11 and the second bending plate 22 are both made of flexible materials, such as: among non-metallic polymer materials, one or more of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonates (PC), polysulfones (PES), polyimide (PI), etc.

[0076] Metal: one or more of metal polymer materials such as Nickel Titanium, Copper / Zinc / Aluminiumalloy, Copper / Aluminium / Nickel alloy, and stainless steel.

[0077] In the above, the size of the hinge plate 19 is designed to be set according to the bending radius of the bending channel. When the bending radius is smaller, the width of the hinge plate 19 should be reduced. When the first outer frame 2 and the second outer frame 3 rotate relative to each other, under the driving action of the first driving plate 15 and the second driving plate 16, each hinge plate 19 can be linked to make a slight rotation, so as to realize bending the entire hinge chain plate to form a bending surface, and the bending surface can provide good support for the protective cover 1.

[0078] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned optional implementation modes. Anyone can derive other various forms of products under the inspiration of the present invention. However, no matter what changes are made in the shape or structure, all technical solutions that fall within the scope defined by the claims of the present invention fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An inward folding hinge mechanism suitable for a display device, comprising a protective cover plate, wherein a first outer frame and a second outer frame are provided on the same side of the protective cover plate, wherein: The first outer frame and the second outer frame are both in a U-shaped structure, and each arm of the U-shaped structure is provided with an inclined surface on one side facing the protective cover plate; the hinge assembly is also included, and the first outer frame and the second outer frame are connected to form a frame structure through the hinge assembly, and the hinge assembly drives the first outer frame and the second outer frame to rotate around the same axis and switches the protective cover plate from a flat shape to an overlapping shape; the bending trajectory of the hinge assembly is an arc line, and the arc line is tangent to the extension line of the inclined surface; In the folded state, the inclined surface is attached to the protective cover for support; the bending trajectory of the arc line can be well matched with the bending surface of the protective cover and play a restraining role on its bending surface; The hinge assembly includes a bending channel disposed between a first outer frame and a second outer frame, the bending channel includes a first bending plate and a second bending plate disposed in parallel, and the relative movement of the first outer frame and the second outer frame drives the bending movement of the first bending plate and the second bending plate; A support plate is hinged between the two arms of the first outer frame and the second outer frame. The support plate is attached to the surface of the protective cover plate and rotates with the protective cover plate. The rotation tracks of the two support plates do not intersect and are respectively located in the corresponding bending tracks. It also includes a shell bottom plate, the first outer frame and the second outer frame are connected to the same side of the shell bottom plate, and the second bending plate is provided on the shell bottom plate; the two ends of the first bending plate are respectively assembled on the end portions of the support arms of the first outer frame and the second outer frame.

2. The inward-folding hinge mechanism suitable for a display device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protective cover is made of ultra-thin glass.

3. The inward-folding hinge mechanism suitable for a display device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protective cover plate is a CPI film, a flexible sheet is spanned between the two support plates, and the two support plates are attached to the surface of the CPI film through the flexible sheet.

4. The inward-folding hinge mechanism suitable for a display device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of gears are arranged in the bending channel, and driving plates are arranged on both sides of the bending channel, and driving teeth meshing with the gears are arranged at the ends of the driving plates; the two driving plates are respectively slidably arranged at the ends of the arms of the first outer frame and the second outer frame.

5. The inward-folding hinge mechanism suitable for a display device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The ends of the supporting arms of the first outer frame and the second outer frame are both provided with sliding grooves, in which the driving plate is installed.

6. The inward-folding hinge mechanism suitable for a display device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first bending plate and the second bending plate are both made of flexible materials.

7. The inward-folding hinge mechanism suitable for a display device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a shell side plate, which is configured as a corrugated strip, and the side surface of the shell side plate is connected to the side surface of the frame structure.

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