A three-section inner folding hinge

Abstract

This invention relates to a three-section inward folding hinge, comprising a left spring bracket, a right spring bracket, a synchronization mechanism, a locking mechanism, and a screen support and avoidance mechanism. The synchronization mechanism includes a baffle, a torsion plate, a gear set, and a limiting plate. The screen support and avoidance mechanism includes a first rotating block, a second rotating block, a slider, a lifting block, a left cover plate, and a right cover plate. One end of the left spring bracket is connected to the gear set and the first rotating block, and one end of the right spring bracket is connected to the gear set and the second rotating block. The first and second rotating blocks partially abut against the lifting block to achieve the lifting action of the lifting block. Extension posts are provided at both ends of the lifting block, and inclined grooves are provided at the ends of the left and right cover plates, with the extension posts respectively installed in the inclined grooves. The aforementioned three-section inward folding hinge has a small space ratio, a simple and efficient operating mechanism, and can meet the appearance requirements of any three-section folding mobile terminal, effectively improving practicality and usage scenarios.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of hinges, and in particular to a three-section inner folding hinge. Background Art

[0002] Flexible screen is a kind of flexible screen, which refers to flexible OLED. The successful mass production of flexible screen is not only limited to the manufacturing of the new generation of high-end smartphones, but also has a profound impact on the application of wearable devices due to its low power consumption and bendable characteristics. Among them, folding hinges are common accessories for flexible screen folding devices.

[0003] However, the existing three-stage inner folding hinge structure has the problem of multiple and complex hinge action mechanisms, and the structural connection is unstable, the space occupied by the mobile terminal is large, and the hinge cannot match any mobile terminal appearance. Therefore, it is of great significance to study an inner folding hinge with a small space occupation ratio, simple and efficient action mechanism, and can meet the appearance of any three-stage folding mobile terminal. Summary of the invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a three-stage inward folding hinge to address the problem of the existing three-stage inward folding hinge structure having multiple and complex hinge action mechanisms, which greatly simplifies the structural complexity of the hinge, saves space, and can match a three-stage inward folding mobile terminal of any appearance.

[0005] In order to achieve the purpose of the present invention, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A three-stage inner folding hinge comprises a left spring bracket, a right spring bracket, a synchronization mechanism, a locking mechanism and a screen support avoidance mechanism, wherein the synchronization mechanism comprises a baffle, a torsion plate, a gear set and a limit plate, and the screen support avoidance mechanism comprises a first rotating block, a second rotating block, a slider, a lifting block, a left cover plate and a right cover plate, and the locking mechanism is used to generate a locking force to realize the locking action of opening or closing the screen; one end of the left spring bracket is connected to the gear set and the first rotating block, one end of the right spring bracket is connected to the gear set and the second rotating block, and the left spring bracket and the right spring bracket are symmetrically arranged to realize synchronous linkage; the first rotating block and the second rotating block are partially abutted against the lifting block to realize the lifting action of the lifting block, and extension columns are provided at both ends of the lifting block, and inclined grooves are provided at the ends of the left cover plate and the right cover plate, and the extension columns are respectively installed in the inclined grooves to realize the screen support and space avoidance actions of the left cover plate and the right cover plate.

[0007] The three-section inner folding hinge of the present invention occupies a small space ratio, and the action mechanism is simple and efficient, which can meet the appearance of any three-section folding mobile terminal; at the same time, the three-section inner folding hinge has a screen supporting action when unfolded, and the screen has space to bend when closed, which effectively improves the practicality.

[0008] In one embodiment, the gear set includes a left gear, an intermediate gear assembly and a right gear meshed in sequence, the intermediate gear assembly includes a first intermediate gear and a second intermediate gear, and the first intermediate gear is meshed with the second intermediate gear.

[0009] In one of the embodiments, the left spring bracket and the right spring bracket are both provided with a protruding block, and the two ends of the baffle are respectively provided with an angle limiting groove, and the protruding block matches the angle limiting groove; the left spring bracket and the right spring bracket are provided with a cylindrical boss, and the cylindrical boss is interference fit with the torque plate.

[0010] In one embodiment, a support column is provided in the middle section of the limit plate, a sliding groove is provided in the middle section of the lifting block, the slider is installed in the sliding groove, and the support column is connected to the slider; the cylindrical boss of the left spring bracket is connected to the left gear and the first rotating block, the cylindrical boss of the right spring bracket is connected to the right gear and the second rotating block, the first rotating block and the second rotating block are both provided with a rotating boss, and arc grooves are provided on both sides of the lifting block, and the rotating bosses of the first rotating block and the second rotating block are respectively installed in the arc grooves on both sides of the lifting block to realize the lifting action of the lifting block.

[0011] In one embodiment, the screen support avoidance mechanism also includes a first auxiliary module and a second auxiliary module, the first auxiliary module is connected to the left cover plate, the second auxiliary module is connected to the right cover plate, the first auxiliary module includes a fixed seat, a connecting rod and an elastic member, the fixed seat is installed on the left spring bracket, the connecting rod and the elastic member are installed in the fixed seat, and the end of the connecting rod is connected to the clamping portion of the left cover plate.

[0012] In one embodiment, it also includes a left shell, a right shell and a middle shell, the left shell and the right shell are respectively located on both sides of the middle shell, the left cover plate is movably connected to the two ends of the left shell, the right cover plate is movably connected to the two ends of the right shell, the other end of the left spring bracket is connected to the left shell, and the other end of the right spring bracket is connected to the right shell.

[0013] In one embodiment, the locking mechanism includes a first locking module and a second locking module, the first locking module is installed on the left spring bracket, and the second locking module is installed on the right spring bracket; the first locking module includes a first support rod and a first elastic member, the outer wall of the middle shell is provided with a plurality of abutment grooves, and the first support rod is slidably connected to the outer wall of the middle shell to realize the locking action of opening the screen or closing the screen. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an unfolded state of a three-section inner folding hinge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a closed state of a three-section inner folding hinge;

[0016] Figure 3 for Figure 1 An exploded schematic diagram of a three-section inner folding hinge;

[0017] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an expanded state of the first integrated module;

[0018] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a bending state of the first integrated module;

[0019] Figure 6 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a closed state of the first integrated module;

[0020] Figure 7 for Figure 4 An exploded schematic diagram of the first integrated module;

[0021] Figure 8 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the screen support avoidance mechanism in an expanded state;

[0022] Fig. 9 for Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of a screen support avoidance mechanism in a bent state;

[0023] Fig.10 for Figure 8 A sectional view of a closed state of a screen support avoidance mechanism;

[0024] Fig.11 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the locking mechanism in an expanded state;

[0025] Fig.12 for Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of a locking mechanism in a bent state;

[0026] Fig.13 for Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of a locking mechanism in a closed state;

[0027] Fig.14 for Fig.11 Exploded view of the locking mechanism.

[0028] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0029] 100. A three-section inner folding hinge;

[0030] 11. left housing, 12. right housing, 13. middle housing, 20. first integrated module, 21. left spring bracket, 22. right spring bracket, 23. synchronization mechanism, 231. baffle, 231a. angle limit groove, 232. torque plate, 234. gear set, 234a. left gear, 234b. right gear, 234c. first intermediate gear, 234d. second intermediate gear, 235. limit plate, 24. locking mechanism, 241. first support rod, 242. first elastic member, 25. Screen support avoidance mechanism, 251. First rotating block, 252. Second rotating block, 253. Sliding block, 254. Lifting block, 254a. Sliding groove, 254b. Arc groove, 254c. Extension column, 255. Left cover plate, 256. Right cover plate, 26. Cylindrical boss, 257. Rotating boss, 258. Inclined groove, 27. First auxiliary module, 271. Fixed seat, 272. Connecting rod, 273. Elastic member, 28. Second auxiliary module, 30. Second integrated module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described more fully below. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosure of the present invention more thorough and comprehensive.

[0032] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element at the same time.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used in the specification of the present invention herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0034] See also Figures 1 to 14, which is a three-section inward folding hinge 100 of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, includes a left shell 11, a right shell 12, a middle shell 13, a first integrated module 20 and a second integrated module 30, wherein the first integrated module 20 and the second integrated module 30 are respectively located at two ends of the middle shell 13; the structure of the second integrated module 20 is the same as that of the first integrated module 10, and the modular operation and symmetrical joint design of the hinge are realized by combining the two integrated modules. The first integrated module 20 includes a left spring bracket 21, a right spring bracket 22, a synchronization mechanism 23, a locking mechanism 24 and a screen support avoidance mechanism 25. The synchronization mechanism 23 is fixedly connected to the end of the middle shell 13. The synchronization mechanism 23 includes a baffle 231, a torsion plate 232, a gear set 234 and a limit plate 235. The torsion plate 232 and the gear set 234 are located between the baffle 231 and the limit plate 235. One end of the left spring bracket 21 and the right spring bracket 22 are respectively connected to the left shell 11 and the right shell 12, and the other ends of the left spring bracket 21 and the right spring bracket 22 are respectively movably connected to the synchronization mechanism 23 and the screen support avoidance mechanism 25. The above-mentioned left spring bracket, right spring bracket, synchronization mechanism, locking mechanism, screen support avoidance mechanism and each shell are used to form a motion closed design, thereby realizing a hinge symmetrical joint structure, ensuring that the two ends of the hinge can realize synchronous rotation, and are suitable for mobile terminals with outer flexible screens, such as mobile phones, laptops, etc.

[0035] Furthermore, the left housing 11 and the right housing 12 are respectively located on both sides of the middle housing 13, and the gear set 234 includes a left gear 234a, an intermediate gear assembly and a right gear 234b that are meshed in sequence, and the intermediate gear assembly includes a first intermediate gear 234c and a second intermediate gear 234d, and the first intermediate gear 234c is meshed with the second intermediate gear 234d to provide force transmission, thereby realizing the synchronous linkage of the left gear 234a and the right gear 234b; at the same time, the left gear 234a and the right gear 234b are respectively installed on the flat position of the boss of the left spring bracket 21 and the right spring bracket 22, so that the left spring bracket 21 and the right spring bracket 22 can correspondingly drive the rotation of the left gear 234a and the right gear 234b. It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the number of intermediate gear assemblies is two, that is, the number of the first intermediate gear 234c and the number of the second intermediate gear 234d are each set to one; it can be understood that, in other embodiments, the number and size of the gears of the intermediate gear assembly can be adjusted accordingly according to the actual usage scenario and production requirements, and it should be ensured that the left gear and the right gear can achieve stable synchronous linkage, so the number of intermediate gear assemblies is not excessively limited.

[0036] Furthermore, both the left spring bracket 21 and the right spring bracket 22 are provided with protruding blocks, and angle limiting grooves 231a are respectively provided at both ends of the baffle 231. The protruding blocks match the angle limiting grooves 231a, and the limiting action of the protruding blocks and the angle limiting grooves 231a is used to limit the maximum rotation angle of the rotating shaft. At the same time, the cylindrical bosses 26 of the left spring bracket 21 and the right spring bracket 22 are interference-fitted with the torsion plate 232, so that the left spring bracket 21 and the right spring bracket 22 generate friction when rotating, thereby generating torsion on the rotating shaft.

[0037] The working principle of the synchronization mechanism is as follows: in the process of the rotating shaft from closing to unfolding, the left housing 11 rotates clockwise, driving the left spring bracket 21 to rotate clockwise, thereby driving the left gear 234a to rotate clockwise; secondly, the right gear 234b is driven to rotate counterclockwise through the transmission of the intermediate gear assembly, driving the right spring bracket 22 to move counterclockwise, and then driving the right housing 12 to move counterclockwise, thereby realizing the synchronous closing movement of the rotating shaft. Similarly, in the process of the rotating shaft from unfolding to closing, the left housing 11 rotates counterclockwise, driving the left spring bracket 21 to rotate counterclockwise, thereby driving the left gear 234a to rotate counterclockwise, and driving the right gear 234b to rotate clockwise through the transmission of the intermediate gear assembly, driving the right spring bracket 22 to move clockwise, and driving the right housing 12 to move clockwise, thereby realizing the synchronous unfolding movement of the rotating shaft, and finally realizing the synchronous movement of the rotating shaft.

[0038] Furthermore, the screen support avoidance mechanism 25 includes a first rotating block 251, a second rotating block 252, a slider 253, a lifting block 254, a left cover plate 255 and a right cover plate 256. The middle section of the limit plate 235 is provided with a support column, the middle section of the lifting block 254 is provided with a sliding groove 254a, the slider 253 is installed in the sliding groove 254a, and the support column is connected to the slider 253; the cylindrical boss 26 of the left spring bracket is connected to the first rotating block 251, the cylindrical boss of the right spring bracket is connected to the second rotating block 252, the first rotating block 251 and the second rotating block 252 are both provided with a rotating boss 257, and arc grooves 254b are provided on both sides of the lifting block 254. The rotating bosses of the first rotating block 251 and the second rotating block 252 are respectively installed in the arc grooves 254b on both sides of the lifting block 254 to realize the lifting and lowering action of the lifting block.

[0039] Furthermore, the left cover plate 255 is movably connected to the two ends of the left shell body 11, the right cover plate 256 is movably connected to the two ends of the right shell body 12, and extension columns 254c are provided at both ends of the lifting block 254. Inclined grooves 258 are provided at the ends of the left cover plate 255 and the right cover plate 256. The extension columns 254c are respectively installed in the inclined grooves 258 to realize the screen support and space avoidance actions of the left cover plate and the right cover plate.

[0040] Furthermore, the screen support avoidance mechanism 25 also includes a first auxiliary module 27 and a second auxiliary module 28. The first auxiliary module 27 is connected to the left cover 255, and the second auxiliary module 28 is connected to the right cover 256. The first auxiliary module 27 includes a fixed seat 271, a connecting rod 272 and an elastic member 273. The fixed seat 271 is installed on the left spring bracket 21, and the connecting rod 272 and the elastic member 273 are installed in the fixed seat 271. The end of the connecting rod 272 is connected to the clamping portion of the left cover 255.

[0041] The working principle of the screen support avoidance mechanism 25 is as follows: when the rotating shaft is in the process of being expanded to being closed, the left shell 11 rotates clockwise to drive the left spring bracket 21 to rotate clockwise, thereby driving the first rotating block 251 to rotate clockwise; at the same time, the right shell 12 produces a counterclockwise movement, driving the right spring bracket 22 to rotate counterclockwise, and driving the second rotating block 252 to move counterclockwise; the clockwise rotation of the first rotating block 251 and the counterclockwise rotation of the second rotating block 252 cause their respective rotating bosses 257 to rotate downward, thereby pressing the lifting block 254 downward, so that the lifting block 254 drives the left cover plate 255 and the right cover plate 256 to move downward, and at the same time, the left cover plate 255 and the right cover plate 256 rotate to both sides around their respective rotation centers movably connected to the left shell 11 and the right shell 12, thereby making room for the screen to bend. Similarly, when the shaft is in the process of closing and unfolding, the lifting block 254 will produce an opposite movement to move the left cover plate 255 and the right cover plate 256 upward, thereby supporting the screen. At the same time, during the process of unfolding and closing, the first auxiliary module and the second auxiliary module will continue to pull the left cover plate 255 and the right cover plate 266, providing a part of the force for the rotation avoidance of each cover plate, and also providing a part of the support force for the corresponding cover plate to support the screen.

[0042] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 24 includes a first locking module and a second locking module. The second locking module has the same structure as the first locking module and is used to provide a locking feel for the rotating shaft; the first locking module is installed on the left spring bracket, and the second locking module is installed on the right spring bracket; the first locking module includes a first support rod 241 and a first elastic member 242, and the outer wall of the middle shell 13 is provided with a plurality of abutment grooves. The first support rod 241 is slidably connected to the outer wall of the middle shell 13 to realize the locking action of opening the screen or closing the screen.

[0043] The working principle of the locking mechanism 24 is as follows: in the process of the rotating shaft from unfolding to closing, the support rods of the first locking module and the second locking module slide upward from the positions of the left and right abutting grooves of the middle shell 13 respectively. In this process, the first support rod 241 continuously compresses the first elastic member 242, and the first elastic member 242 provides a locking force, which causes the rotating shaft to have a locking feel; after the ends of the first support rod 241 completely slide out of the abutting grooves at the left and right ends, the left and right abutting grooves continue to slide along the middle shell, at this time, the left and right abutting grooves do not continue to compress the first elastic member 242, the spring force remains unchanged, and the rotating shaft rotates smoothly; when the first support rod 241 rotates to the top of the abutting groove above the middle shell, the support rod automatically slides to the bottom of the abutting groove under the action of the spring force, and the spring force gradually decreases, at this time the rotating shaft automatically closes, and a locking feel is generated when closed; similarly, the movement principle of the rotating shaft opening is the same, in the process of the rotating shaft from closing to unfolding, the first elastic member 242 slides from the upper abutting groove of the middle shell 13 to the abutting grooves at both ends of the middle shell 13, thereby realizing the automatic unfolding of the rotating shaft.

[0044] It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the elastic member of the first auxiliary module and the first elastic member of the first locking module are springs for realizing and generating corresponding spring forces; it can be understood that, in other embodiments, the elastic member and the first elastic member may be other elastic members with good elasticity, such as elastic sheets, etc. Therefore, the types of the elastic member and the first elastic member may be adjusted and used according to the actual production status, and are not excessively limited in the present application.

[0045] The synchronization mechanism and the screen support avoidance mechanism are installed as follows: one end of the left spring bracket 21 and the right spring bracket 22 are fixed to the left shell 11 and the right shell 12 respectively, and the other end of the left spring bracket 21 and the right spring bracket 22 respectively connect the baffle 231, the torque plate 232, the gear, the limit plate 235, the first rotating block and the second rotating block in series through the cylindrical boss 26 to form a whole; the intermediate gear assembly is respectively engaged with the left gear 234a and the right gear 234b, and is installed on the corresponding hole positions of the torque plate 232 and the limit plate 235; the lifting block 254 is installed on the support column of the limit plate so that the slider is installed in the sliding groove; the rotating bosses of the first rotating block 251 and the second rotating block 252 respectively pass through the arc grooves on both sides of the lifting block 254, so that they can slide in the arc grooves.

[0046] The three-section inner folding hinge of the present invention has a small space occupancy rate, a simple and efficient action mechanism, and can meet the appearance of any three-section folding mobile terminal.

[0047] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0048] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A three-section inner folding hinge, characterized in that: It includes a left spring bracket, a right spring bracket, a synchronization mechanism, a locking mechanism and a screen support avoidance mechanism, the synchronization mechanism includes a baffle, a torsion plate, a gear set and a limit plate, the screen support avoidance mechanism includes a first rotating block, a second rotating block, a slider, a lifting block, a left cover plate and a right cover plate, and the locking mechanism is used to generate a locking force to realize the locking action of opening or closing the screen; one end of the left spring bracket is connected to the gear set and the first rotating block, one end of the right spring bracket is connected to the gear set and the second rotating block, the left spring bracket and the right spring bracket are symmetrically arranged to realize synchronous linkage through the gear set; the first rotating block and the second rotating block are partially abutted against the lifting block to realize the lifting action of the lifting block, the two ends of the lifting block are provided with extension columns, the ends of the left cover plate and the right cover plate are provided with inclined grooves, and the extension columns are respectively installed in the inclined grooves to realize the screen support and space avoidance actions of the left cover plate and the right cover plate; The gear set comprises a left gear, an intermediate gear assembly and a right gear meshed in sequence, the intermediate gear assembly comprises a first intermediate gear and a second intermediate gear, the first intermediate gear meshes with the second intermediate gear; The left spring bracket and the right spring bracket are both provided with a protruding block, and the two ends of the baffle are respectively provided with an angle limiting groove, and the protruding block matches the angle limiting groove; the left spring bracket and the right spring bracket are provided with a cylindrical boss, and the cylindrical boss is interference-fitted with the torsion plate; The screen support avoidance mechanism also includes a first auxiliary module and a second auxiliary module, the first auxiliary module is connected to the left cover plate, the second auxiliary module is connected to the right cover plate, the first auxiliary module includes a fixed seat, a connecting rod and an elastic member, the fixed seat is installed on the left spring bracket, the connecting rod and the elastic member are installed in the fixed seat, and the end of the connecting rod is connected to the clamping part of the left cover plate.

2. A three-section inward folding hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: A support column is provided in the middle section of the limit plate, a sliding groove is provided in the middle section of the lifting block, the slider is installed in the sliding groove, and the support column is connected to the slider; the cylindrical boss of the left spring bracket is connected to the left gear and the first rotating block, the cylindrical boss of the right spring bracket is connected to the right gear and the second rotating block, the first rotating block and the second rotating block are both provided with a rotating boss, and arc grooves are provided on both sides of the lifting block, and the rotating bosses of the first rotating block and the second rotating block are respectively installed in the arc grooves on both sides of the lifting block to realize the lifting action of the lifting block.

3. The three-section inner folding hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a left shell, a right shell and a middle shell, wherein the left shell and the right shell are respectively located on both sides of the middle shell, the left cover plate is movably connected to the two ends of the left shell, the right cover plate is movably connected to the two ends of the right shell, the other end of the left spring bracket is connected to the left shell, and the other end of the right spring bracket is connected to the right shell.

4. A three-section inner folding hinge according to claim 3, characterized in that: The locking mechanism includes a first locking module and a second locking module, the first locking module is installed on the left spring bracket, and the second locking module is installed on the right spring bracket; the first locking module includes a first support rod and a first elastic member, and the outer wall of the middle shell is provided with a plurality of abutment grooves, and the first support rod is slidably connected to the outer wall of the middle shell to realize the locking action of opening the screen or closing the screen.

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