A screen folding structure and a mobile terminal having the same

Abstract

The present invention discloses a screen folding structure and a mobile terminal having the same. The screen folding structure includes: two connecting plates connected to the screen, with a preset interval between the two connecting plates; a hinge assembly located within the preset interval; two sliding plates located between the two connecting plates; one side of one of the sliding plates is slidably connected to one connecting plate, and the other side is connected to the hinge assembly and can rotate on the hinge assembly; one side of the other sliding plate is slidably connected to the other connecting plate, and the other side is connected to the hinge assembly and can rotate on the hinge assembly. The screen folding structure of the present invention has a sliding plate and a connecting plate. During the folding and unfolding of the screen, the sliding of the sliding plate on the connecting plate is used to compensate for the positional deviation caused by bending, thereby avoiding the pulling force on the flexible screen during the bending or opening process and ensuring the stability of the screen.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electronic products, and in particular to a screen folding structure and a mobile terminal having the same. Background Art

[0002] With the upgrading of electronic products, the display screens of various electronic equipment terminals, such as mobile phones and tablets, are becoming larger and larger to bring a better user experience. However, as the screen size increases, the size of the electronic device will also increase accordingly, which will cause inconvenience in carrying and storing. At present, flexible folding screen technology has found a good compromise between the miniaturization of electronic devices and the large-screen development of display screens. For example, a folding screen mobile phone is the same size as a regular mobile phone after folding, which can be easily carried; and when the screen is unfolded, a screen with a larger display area can be obtained.

[0003] However, the existing folding screen squeezes the inside of the folding area when it is bent, and stretches the inside of the folding area when it is unfolded, causing the length of the internal structure of the body to change. The internal structure of the body will generate a pulling force on the screen when it is bent or unfolded, affecting the screen performance. Summary of the invention

[0004] The first purpose of the present invention is to provide a screen folding structure to solve the problem that the internal structure of the existing folding screen will generate a pulling force on the screen when it is bent or unfolded, thereby affecting the screen performance.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the technical solution proposed in the present invention is as follows: a screen folding structure, comprising: two connecting plates connected to the screen, a preset interval between the two connecting plates; a hinge assembly located within the preset interval, the hinge assembly comprising two first rotating shafts; two sliding plates located between the two connecting plates; one side of one of the sliding plates is slidably connected to a connecting plate, and the other side is connected to the hinge assembly and can rotate on the hinge assembly; one side of the other sliding plate is slidably connected to the other connecting plate, and the other side is connected to the hinge assembly and can rotate on the hinge assembly.

[0006] According to the screen folding structure provided by the present invention, a sliding plate and a connecting plate are provided. During the folding and unfolding process of the screen, the sliding plate slides on the connecting plate to compensate for the position deviation caused by bending, thereby avoiding the pulling force on the flexible screen during the folding or opening process and ensuring the stability of the screen.

[0007] In addition, a screen folding structure according to the above embodiment of the present invention may also have the following additional technical features:

[0008] According to an example of the present invention, the connecting plate is provided with a limiting portion, and the sliding plate is provided with a sliding rail; or, the sliding plate is provided with a limiting portion, and the connecting plate is provided with a sliding rail; the limiting portion cooperates with the sliding rail in a limiting manner and can slide along a preset direction of the sliding rail.

[0009] According to an example of the present invention, magnetic parts are provided at opposite ends of the slide rail, and when the limiting portion moves to one of the opposite ends of the slide rail, it is attracted to the magnetic part to limit the movement of the limiting portion.

[0010] According to an example of the present invention, the slide rail is provided with a plurality of balls along a preset direction thereof, and the limiting portion is in rolling cooperation with the balls.

[0011] According to an example of the present invention, the connecting plate is provided with a damping wheel, and the sliding plate is provided with a plurality of limiting structures; or, the sliding plate is provided with a damping wheel, and the connecting plate is provided with a plurality of limiting structures; the plurality of limiting structures are arranged along the relative sliding direction of the sliding plate and the connecting plate; the outer edge of the damping wheel is provided with a plurality of teeth along its circumference, and the teeth are interference fit with the limiting structures.

[0012] According to an example of the present invention, the limiting structure is a limiting hole or a limiting groove.

[0013] According to an example of the present invention, the connecting plate or the sliding plate is provided with a plurality of second rotating shafts along the relative sliding direction thereof, and a rotating cylinder rotatable therearound is mounted on the second rotating shaft, and two adjacent rotating cylinders form one limiting hole.

[0014] According to an example of the present invention, the hinge assembly includes a first rotating shaft, a sleeve and a connecting piece; the two sleeves are fitted side by side, one of the sleeves is connected to a sliding plate and is sleeved on one of the first rotating shafts; the other sleeve is connected to another sliding plate and is sleeved on another first rotating shaft; the connecting piece is respectively connected to the two first rotating shafts.

[0015] According to an example of the present invention, the sliding plate is provided with a sleeve installation area, and the thickness of the sleeve installation area is smaller than the thickness of other parts of the sliding plate.

[0016] According to an example of the present invention, the connecting plate is provided with a notch for accommodating the sleeve.

[0017] According to an example of the present invention, the side portion of the connecting plate overlaps with the side portion of the sliding plate; the thickness of the overlapping portion of the connecting plate and the sliding plate is smaller than the thickness of other portions.

[0018] According to an example of the present invention, the connecting plate is provided with a rolling wheel, and the rolling wheel and the sliding plate are in rolling cooperation; or the sliding plate is provided with a rolling wheel, and the rolling wheel and the connecting plate are in rolling cooperation.

[0019] According to an example of the present invention, at least one of the two opposite ends of the sliding plate is provided with a supporting portion, and the supporting portion is used to support the screen.

[0020] According to an example of the present invention, it also includes a protection plate, the protection plate is provided with a receiving groove or a receiving hole adapted to the shape and size of the screen, the screen is installed in the receiving groove; the connecting plate is connected to the screen through the protection plate.

[0021] The second object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal having a screen folding structure as described in the above technical solution.

[0022] The advantages of the above additional aspects will be given in part in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the following description, or will be learned through the practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the screen folding structure according to an embodiment of the present invention (I);

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the screen folding structure according to an embodiment of the present invention (II);

[0025] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the screen folding structure of an embodiment of the present invention (III);

[0026] Figure 4 An exploded view of a connecting plate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 An exploded view of a sliding plate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of a sliding plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] In the accompanying drawings, the components represented by the reference numerals are listed as follows:

[0030] 1. Screen; 2. Connecting plate; 3. Sliding plate; 4. Protective plate; 5. First rotating shaft; 6. Sleeve; 7. Connecting piece; 8. Limiting part; 9. Slide rail; 10. Magnetic piece; 11. Ball bearing; 12. Rolling wheel; 13. Damping wheel; 14. Limiting structure; 15. Second rotating shaft; 16. Rotating cylinder; 17. Sleeve installation area; 18. Notch; 19. Support part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The principles and features of the present invention are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The examples given are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0032] Embodiment 1

[0033] Combined with Figure 1-3 As shown (the screen 1 in the figure is in the unfolded state), this embodiment provides a screen folding structure, which includes two connecting plates 2, two sliding plates 3 and a hinge assembly; the screen 1 of this embodiment is a flexible screen with a folding function, and the two connecting plates 2 are both located on the inner side of the flexible screen and are arranged side by side. A certain interval is preset between the two connecting plates 2 to facilitate the installation of the above-mentioned sliding plates 3 and hinge assemblies, etc.

[0034] Preferably, in order to prevent the length of the screen 1 from changing during the folding process, the present embodiment further comprises a protective plate 4, which is provided with a receiving groove or receiving hole that matches the shape and size of the screen 1, and the screen 1 is installed in the receiving groove; the connecting plate 2 is connected to the protective plate 4, and is connected to the screen 1 through the protective plate 4. Specifically, the protective plate 4 can be a frame-shaped structure or a plate-like member with slots, and its material can also be folded and deformed.

[0035] The hinge assembly of this embodiment is located in a preset interval between the two connecting plates 2, and the hinge assembly includes two first rotating shafts 5, two sleeves 6 and a connecting member 7; the two sleeves 6 are fitted side by side, one of the sleeves 6 is connected to a sliding plate 3, and is sleeved on a first rotating shaft, so that the sliding plate 3 can rotate around the first rotating shaft 5 through the sleeve 6; similarly, the other sleeve 6 is connected to the other sliding plate 3, and is sleeved on the other first rotating shaft, so that the sliding plate 3 can rotate around the first rotating shaft 5 through the sleeve 6; and the connecting member 7 is respectively connected to the two first rotating shafts, so that the two rotating shafts are fixed together.

[0036] It can be seen from the above structure that the screen folding structure provided in this embodiment has a sliding plate 3 and a connecting plate 2. During the folding and unfolding process of the screen 1, the sliding of the sliding plate 3 on the connecting plate 2 is used to compensate for the position deviation caused by bending, thereby avoiding the pulling force on the flexible screen during the folding or opening process and ensuring the stability of the screen 1.

[0037] In this embodiment, there are many ways for the sliding plate 3 and the connecting plate 2 to slide together, for example: Figure 4-5As shown, in this embodiment, a limiting portion 8 is provided on one end of each connecting plate 2, and a slide rail 9 is provided on one end of each sliding plate 3; the limiting portion 8 and the slide rail 9 are limitedly matched to realize the connection between the connecting plate 2 and the sliding plate 3, preventing the sliding plate 3 from slipping out of the connecting plate 2, and the limiting portion 8 can slide along the preset direction of the slide rail 9. When the screen 1 is unfolded, the relative sliding of the two is realized through the cooperation of the limiting portion 8 and the slide rail 9. Of course, it is also possible to provide a limiting portion 8 on the sliding plate 3 and a slide rail 9 on the connecting plate 2. The principle of this structural form is the same as the above structure, and this embodiment will not be repeated.

[0038] Based on the above-mentioned sliding cooperation method, in order to achieve the stability of the screen 1 in the fully folded state and the fully unfolded state, the present embodiment also has magnetic parts 10 at the opposite ends of the slide rail 9, and the material of the limiting part 8 is a magnet or metal that magnetically cooperates with the magnetic part 10. When the limiting part 8 moves to one of the opposite ends of the slide rail 9, the limiting part 8 and the magnetic part 10 are attracted to each other to limit the movement of the limiting part 8, thereby limiting the bending of the screen 1.

[0039] Preferably, in order to further reduce the sliding friction between the limiting portion 8 and the slide rail 9, the present embodiment further provides a plurality of balls 11 on the slide rail 9 along its preset direction. The limiting portion 8 rolls with the balls 11 during the sliding process, which greatly reduces the friction between the limiting portion 8 and the slide rail 9 and extends the service life of the limiting portion 8.

[0040] In addition, since the sliding fit between the connecting plate 2 and the sliding plate 3 of this embodiment is at the ends of both, a rolling wheel 12 is also provided in the middle upper part or the middle part of the connecting plate 2 in this embodiment, and the rolling wheel 12 and the sliding plate 3 are rolling fit to prevent other parts of the sliding plate 3 from rubbing against the connecting plate 2, further reducing the friction force of the relative sliding between the two, and facilitating the unfolding of the screen 1. Of course, the sliding plate 3 can also be provided with a rolling wheel 12, and the rolling wheel 12 and the connecting plate 2 are rolling fit; the principle of this structural form is the same as the above structure, and this embodiment will not be repeated.

[0041] Based on the above structure, the inventors found that although the screen 1 can be stable in the folded state and the fully unfolded state, with the continuous improvement of user needs, it is necessary to have a relatively stable usage state when the screen 1 is folded to various positions. Therefore, the inventors also made further improvements to the folding structure.

[0042] Combined with Figure 4-6As shown, the connecting plate 2 of this embodiment is provided with a damping wheel 13, which means that the wheel body will be subjected to a certain damping force during the rotation process, and an external force is required to make it rotate. In coordination, the sliding plate 3 of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of limiting structures 14; the plurality of limiting structures 14 are arranged along the relative sliding direction of the sliding plate 3 and the connecting plate 2, and a plurality of teeth are arranged along the circumference of the outer edge of the damping wheel 13, and the teeth and the limiting structures 14 are interference fit, and the "interference fit" referred to here means that the size of the teeth is larger than the accommodation size of the limiting structure 14, and the two are squeezed together by assembly, and during the rotation of the screen 1, the teeth of the damping wheel 13 always maintain this matching state with the limiting structure 14, so that the screen 1 can maintain the status quo when it rotates to any angle, and will not return to the original state under the restoring force of the screen 1. Specifically, the limiting structure 14 of this embodiment can be a limiting hole or a limiting groove.

[0043] Based on the above-mentioned limiting structure 14, the inventor discovered that since the teeth of the damping wheel 13 and the limiting structure 14 are interference fit, when a tooth needs to detach from the previous limiting structure 14 and enter the next limiting structure 14, the teeth of the damping wheel 13 need to overcome a larger friction force and undergo a larger deformation, which can easily damage the tooth structure of the damping wheel 13 and reduce its service life. Therefore, in this embodiment, a plurality of second rotating shafts 15 are provided in the relative sliding direction of the sliding plate 3 and the connecting plate 2. A smaller rotating cylinder 16 that can rotate around the second rotating shaft 15 is installed. Two adjacent rotating cylinders 16 form a limiting hole, so that when the tooth detaches from one limiting hole and enters the next limiting hole, it is easy to detach and enter, thereby extending the service life of the limiting tooth.

[0044] Since the screen folding structure of this embodiment is used in electronic products such as mobile phones or tablet computers, its thickness size is subject to certain restrictions. Therefore, this embodiment also improves the connection method and structural form of the connecting plate 2 and the sliding plate 3.

[0045] Combined with Figure 4-6 As shown, one side portion of the connecting plate 2 on the opposite sides of this embodiment overlaps one side portion of the sliding plate 3 on the opposite sides, and the thickness of the overlapping portion of the connecting plate 2 and the sliding plate 3 is smaller than the thickness of other portions to reduce the structural size of the electronic product.

[0046] In addition, a sleeve installation area 17 is provided on the sliding plate 3 , and the thickness of the sleeve installation area 17 is smaller than the thickness of other parts of the sliding plate 3 .

[0047] Since the sleeve 6 has a certain height and is located at the overlap of the two, this embodiment also provides a notch 18 for accommodating the sleeve 6 on the side of the connecting plate 2. The notch 18 avoids the sleeve 6, further reducing the thickness of the structure.

[0048] In addition, the inventors have found that the existing folding structure does not provide good support for the screen 1 during the folding and unfolding process of the screen 1. Therefore, this embodiment also provides a support portion 19 at least one of the two opposite ends of the sliding plate 3. The support portion 19 is used to support the screen 1 to prevent the folding area from shifting, thereby improving the stability of the screen 1 during the folding and unfolding process.

[0049] Next, the movement and structural coordination relationship of the screen folding structure of this embodiment when folding and unfolding are further described:

[0050] Taking the cooperation between one of the connecting plates 2 and one of the sliding plates 3 as an example, when the screen 1 is in a fully unfolded state, the limiting portions 8 of the two connecting plates 2 are located at one end of the slide rail 9 and are limited by the magnetic member 10 at this end. At the same time, the teeth of the damping wheel 13 are located in the limiting structure 14 at the initial end (the left end of 2 in the figure). At this time, due to the action of the limiting portion 8 and the damping wheel 13, the screen 1 maintains a stable unfolded state.

[0051] When the screen 1 is gradually unfolded to a fully open state, the sliding plate 3 rotates around the first rotating shaft 5 through the sleeve 6, and the limiting portion 8 slides along the preset direction of the slide rail 9 and rolls with the ball 11 in the slide rail 9 until the limiting portion 8 moves to the other end of the slide rail 9 and is limited by the magnetic part 10 at this end. During this process, the teeth of the damping wheel 13 pass through multiple limiting structures 14 and are interference fit with each limiting structure 14 to achieve the temperature of the screen 1 at various folding angles.

[0052] Similarly, during this process, the scroll wheel 12 always maintains rolling cooperation with the connecting plate 2, reducing the friction between the connecting plate 2 and the sliding plate 3, and the supporting part 19 of the sliding plate 3 always maintains a supporting state for the screen 1, improving the stability of the folding of the screen 1.

[0053] Embodiment 2

[0054] This embodiment provides a mobile terminal having a screen folding structure as described in Embodiment 1. The mobile terminal may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, etc. Since the improvement of the mobile terminal in this embodiment is only in the screen folding structure, and other components of electronic products such as mobile phones or tablet computers are common knowledge that can be known to those skilled in the art, this embodiment will not be described here. Similarly, since the structural features and structural advantages of the screen folding structure have been described in detail in Embodiment 1, this embodiment will not be repeated.

[0055] In the description of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that the terms "inside", "outside", etc. indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0056] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0057] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, etc. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0058] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and vary the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A screen folding structure, characterized in that: include: Two connecting plates (2) connected to the screen (1), with a preset interval between the two connecting plates (2); a hinge assembly located within the preset interval; Two sliding plates (3) are located between the two connecting plates (2); one side of one of the sliding plates (3) is slidably connected to one connecting plate (2), and the other side is connected to the hinge assembly and can rotate on the hinge assembly; one side of the other sliding plate (3) is slidably connected to the other connecting plate (2), and the other side is connected to the hinge assembly and can rotate on the hinge assembly; The connecting plate (2) is provided with a damping wheel (13), and the sliding plate (3) is provided with a plurality of limiting structures (14); or, the sliding plate (3) is provided with a damping wheel (13), and the connecting plate (2) is provided with a plurality of limiting structures (14); the plurality of limiting structures (14) are arranged along the relative sliding direction of the sliding plate (3) and the connecting plate (2); the outer edge of the damping wheel (13) is provided with a plurality of teeth along its circumference, and the teeth are interference-fitted with the limiting structures (14).

2. The screen folding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting plate (2) is provided with a limiting portion (8), and the sliding plate (3) is provided with a sliding rail (9); or, the sliding plate (3) is provided with a limiting portion (8), and the connecting plate (2) is provided with a sliding rail (9); the limiting portion (8) cooperates with the sliding rail (9) in limiting manner, and can slide along a preset direction of the sliding rail (9).

3. The screen folding structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: Magnetic parts (10) are provided at opposite ends of the slide rail (9), and when the limiting part (8) moves to one of the opposite ends of the slide rail (9), it attracts the magnetic part (10) to limit the movement of the limiting part (8).

4. The screen folding structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The slide rail (9) is provided with a plurality of balls (11) along a preset direction thereof, and the limiting portion (8) is in rolling cooperation with the balls (11).

5. The screen folding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting structure (14) is a limiting hole or a limiting groove.

6. The screen folding structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The connecting plate (2) or the sliding plate (3) is provided with a plurality of second rotating shafts (15) along the relative sliding direction thereof, and a rotating cylinder (16) is mounted on the second rotating shaft (15) so as to rotate around the second rotating shaft, and two adjacent rotating cylinders (16) form a limiting hole.

7. The screen folding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hinge assembly comprises a first rotating shaft (5), a sleeve (6) and a connecting piece (7); the two sleeves (6) are fitted side by side, one of the sleeves (6) is connected to a sliding plate (3) and sleeved on one of the first rotating shafts; the other sleeve (6) is connected to another sliding plate (3) and sleeved on another of the first rotating shafts; the connecting piece (7) is respectively connected to the two first rotating shafts.

8. The screen folding structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The sliding plate (3) is provided with a sleeve installation area (17), and the thickness of the sleeve installation area (17) is smaller than the thickness of other parts of the sliding plate (3).

9. The screen folding structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The connecting plate (2) is provided with a notch (18) for accommodating the sleeve (6).

10. The screen folding structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The side portion of the connecting plate (2) overlaps with the side portion of the sliding plate (3); the thickness of the overlapping portion of the connecting plate (2) and the sliding plate (3) is smaller than the thickness of other portions.

11. The screen folding structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The connecting plate (2) is provided with a rolling wheel (12), and the rolling wheel (12) and the sliding plate (3) are in rolling cooperation; or the sliding plate (3) is provided with a rolling wheel (12), and the rolling wheel (12) and the connecting plate (2) are in rolling cooperation.

12. The screen folding structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: At least one of the two opposite ends of the sliding plate (3) is provided with a supporting portion (19), and the supporting portion (19) is used to support the screen (1).

13. The screen folding structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: It also comprises a protective plate (4), wherein the protective plate (4) is provided with a receiving groove or a receiving hole that is adapted to the shape and size of the screen (1), and the screen (1) is installed in the receiving groove; and the connecting plate (2) is connected to the screen (1) via the protective plate (4).

14. A mobile terminal, characterized in that: It has a screen folding structure as described in any one of claims 1-13.

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