Folding device and electronic device

Abstract

A folding device (100) and an electronic device (1000), the folding device (100) is used for supporting a flexible display screen (200), the folding device (100) comprises a first shell (10), a rotating mechanism (20) and a second shell (30). The rotating mechanism (20) comprises a middle shell (1), a first support (2) and a second support (3), one end of the first support (2) is rotatably connected with the middle shell (1), the other end is fixedly connected with the first shell (10), a support surface (21) of the first support (2) is spliced with a support surface (102) of the first shell (10) to form a first support surface (401), one end of the second support (3) is rotatably connected with the middle shell (1), the other end is fixedly connected with the second shell (30), a support surface (31) of the second support (3) is spliced with a support surface (302) of the second shell (30) to form a second support surface (402). When the first shell (10) and the second shell (30) are folded to a closed state, the first support (2) and the second support (3) are away from each other, the first support surface (401) and the second support surface (402) gradually approach in the direction away from the middle shell (1). The rotating mechanism (20) of the folding device (100) has less parts of the main movement mechanism and high control precision.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority from the Chinese patent application No. 202010544417.X filed on June 15, 2020 and entitled "FOLDING DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of foldable electronic products, and in particular to a folding device and an electronic device. BACKGROUND

[0003] In recent years, flexible display screens are widely used in various foldable electronic devices due to their characteristics of being thin, light and not easy to break. The foldable electronic devices also include a folding device for carrying the flexible display screen. The folding device generally includes two housings and a rotating mechanism connected between the two housings. The two housings are relatively folded and unfolded through the deformation of the rotating mechanism, and the flexible display screen is folded and unfolded. At present, the rotating mechanism of the folding device usually adopts a multi-stage hinge structure as a main motion mechanism. The multi-stage hinge structure has a large number of parts, a complex matching relationship, a large cumulative transmission error, and is prone to insufficient control accuracy of the rotating mechanism. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a folding device and an electronic device. The folding device has a main motion mechanism of the rotating mechanism with a small number of parts, a simple matching relationship, a small cumulative transmission error, and high control accuracy.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a folding device for carrying a flexible display screen. The folding device can be applied to an electronic device. The folding device includes a first housing, a rotating mechanism and a second housing connected in sequence. The rotating mechanism can be deformed to relatively fold and unfold the first housing and the second housing.

[0006] The rotating mechanism includes a middle housing, a first support and a second support. One end of the first support is rotatably connected to the middle housing, and the other end is fixedly connected to the first housing. The first support includes a support surface for carrying the flexible display screen. The support surface of the first support and the support surface of the first housing are spliced to form a first support surface. One end of the second support is rotatably connected to the middle housing, and the other end is fixedly connected to the second housing. The second support includes a support surface for carrying the flexible display screen. The support surface of the second support and the support surface of the second housing are spliced to form a second support surface.

[0007] When the first shell and the second shell are unfolded relative to each other to the open state, the first support and the second support are close to each other, and the first support surface and the second support surface are flush. When the first shell and the second shell are folded relative to each other to the closed state, the first support and the second support are away from each other, and the first support surface and the second support surface gradually approach in the direction away from the middle shell. At this time, the flexible display screen is located inside the folding device.

[0008] In the present application, the main motion mechanism of the rotating mechanism of the folding device is a single-stage rotating connection between the first support, the second support and the middle shell, the number of parts is small, the part cooperation relationship is simple, the mechanism degree of freedom is 1, the size chain is short, and the cumulative error is small, so the control accuracy of the main motion mechanism of the rotating mechanism is high, thereby improving the rotating accuracy of the folding device, and the user experience of the electronic equipment using the folding device is improved.

[0009] In addition, when the first shell and the second shell are unfolded relative to each other to the open state, the first support and the second support are close to each other, and the first support surface and the second support surface are flush, so that the first support surface can provide strong support for the flexible display screen, thereby improving the user's touch operation, picture watching and other experiences.

[0010] In the present application, the main motion mechanism of the rotating mechanism of the folding device is a single-stage rotating connection between the first support, the second support and the middle shell, the number of parts is small, the part cooperation relationship is simple, the mechanism degree of freedom is 1, the size chain is short, and the cumulative error is small, so the control accuracy of the main motion mechanism of the rotating mechanism is high, thereby improving the rotating accuracy of the folding device, and the user experience of the electronic equipment using the folding device is improved.

[0011] In the present application, the main motion mechanism of the rotating mechanism of the folding device is a single-stage rotating connection between the first support, the second support and the middle shell, the number of parts is small, the part cooperation relationship is simple, the mechanism degree of freedom is 1, the size chain is short, and the cumulative error is small, so the control accuracy of the main motion mechanism of the rotating mechanism is high, thereby improving the rotating accuracy of the folding device, and the user experience of the electronic equipment using the folding device is improved.

[0012] The first support surface and the second support surface are coplanar, both are flat surfaces, and are coplanar; or both are flat surfaces, are parallel and have a slight misalignment; or include flat surface portions close to each other and arc surface portions away from each other, the two flat surface portions are coplanar or parallel and have a slight misalignment, and the two arc surface portions are used to bend the two side edges of the flexible display screen, thereby having a 3D display effect.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the middle shell includes an outer cover plate, and the outer cover plate is curved to form an inner space of the middle shell. When the first shell and the second shell are in the open state, the first support member covers part of the inner space of the middle shell, and the second support member covers part of the inner space of the middle shell. When the first shell and the second shell are in the closed state, the first support member partially extends into the inner space of the middle shell, and the second support member partially extends into the inner space of the middle shell.

[0014] In the present implementation, when the folding device is in the open state, the first support member and the second support member are close to each other, the distance between the support surface of the first support member and the support surface of the second support member is small, and the rotating mechanism adopts a two-plate structure to provide relatively complete planar support for the bending part of the flexible display screen in the open state.

[0015] In the present implementation, when the folding device is in the closed state, the first support member and the second support member partially extend into the inner space of the middle shell, and the part of the inner space of the middle shell between the first support member and the second support member is released to form a screen containing space. The flexible display screen can partially extend into the inner space of the middle shell, improving the space utilization and making the arrangement of components of the electronic device more compact, which is conducive to the miniaturization of the electronic device.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the middle shell further includes two end cover plates, and the two end cover plates are respectively fixed to two ends of the outer cover plate and together with the outer cover plate enclose the inner space of the middle shell. The two end cover plates can be integrally formed with the outer cover plate, or are fixed to each other by assembly.

[0017] In a possible implementation, when the first shell and the second shell are in the open state, the support surface of the first support member and the support surface of the second support member are spliced to form a bending area support surface.

[0018] In the present implementation, the rotating mechanism of the folding device can fully support the bending part of the flexible display screen through the bending area support surface in the open state, so that the flexible display screen is not prone to problems such as indentation under the pressing of the user, which is conducive to improving the service life and reliability of the flexible display screen.

[0019] The splicing of the support surface of the first support member and the support surface of the second support member can include the connection of the support surface of the first support member and the support surface of the second support member, and no gap therebetween, or the mutual approach of the support surface of the first support member and the support surface of the second support member, and a small gap therebetween. When the small gap exists between the support surface of the first support member and the support surface of the second support member, the user presses the area of the flexible display screen corresponding to the gap, and no obvious pit appears in the corresponding area of the flexible display screen, and the support surface of the bending area can provide strong support for the flexible display screen.

[0020] In a possible implementation, one or more notches can be arranged on the side of the first support member facing the second support member, and one or more notches can be arranged on the side of the second support member facing the first support member. The notches of the first support member correspond to the notches of the second support member, and the notches are used to avoid interference between the first support member and the second support member and other structural members of the rotating mechanism during the movement of the folding device, that is, to achieve avoidance, thereby improving the movement reliability of the rotating mechanism and the folding device.

[0021] The area of the notches is relatively small, and the area of the flexible display screen corresponding to the notches can slightly sag under the pressing of the user, but no obvious pit is generated. In addition, in some implementations, the flexible display screen can be provided with a bendable support plate or reinforcing plate having a certain structural strength on the side facing the folding device, and the support plate or reinforcing plate at least covers the notches of the first support member and the notches of the second support member, so as to improve the pressing resistance of the flexible display screen.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the side of the first housing close to the rotating mechanism is provided with a first mounting groove, and the first support member is mounted in the first mounting groove. The side of the second housing close to the rotating mechanism is provided with a second mounting groove, and the second support member is mounted in the second mounting groove. When the first housing and the second housing are in an open state, the middle housing is located in the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove, and the first housing and the second housing cover the outer cover plate. When the first housing and the second housing are in a closed state, the middle housing partially extends out of the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove, and the outer cover plate is exposed relative to the first housing and the second housing.

[0023] In the present implementation, when the folding device is in the open state, the first shell and the second shell can shield the middle shell, the back side of the folding device is self-shielded, thereby protecting the middle shell, and the appearance of the folding device and the electronic device is complete, the appearance experience is better, and the waterproof and dustproof performance is better. In addition, when the folding device is in the closed state, the first shell, the second shell and the outer cover plate jointly form the appearance of the folding device and the electronic device, so that the folding device and the electronic device can realize back side self-shielding in the closed state, which is beneficial to improve the appearance integrity and the waterproof and dustproof performance. In other words, during the switching of the folding device between the open state and the closed state, the middle shell is gradually exposed or gradually hidden relative to the first shell and the second shell, and the cooperation of the three can realize the back side self-shielding of the folding device and the electronic device, thereby improving the appearance integrity and the waterproof and dustproof performance.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the first mounting groove of the first shell can be designed as a stepped groove, including a first groove part with a relatively shallow depth and a second groove part with a relatively deep depth. The first groove part of the first mounting groove can be used to fix part of the first support, and the second groove part of the first mounting groove can be used to accommodate part of the first support and part of the middle shell. The second mounting groove of the second shell can be designed as a stepped groove, including a first groove part with a relatively shallow depth and a second groove part with a relatively deep depth. The first groove part of the second mounting groove can be used to fix part of the second support, and the second groove part of the second mounting groove can be used to accommodate part of the second support and part of the middle shell.

[0025] In a possible implementation, the outer cover plate includes a first curved part, a flat part and a second curved part, the first curved part and the second curved part are both arc-shaped and are connected to two sides of the flat part respectively; or, the outer cover plate is arc-shaped.

[0026] In the present implementation, the outer cover plate forms an arc shape or a shape similar to an arc, which is helpful to improve the appearance experience and the holding experience of the electronic device in the closed state. In addition, the middle part of the outer cover plate is a flat part, so that the thickness of the outer cover plate is small, and the overall thickness of the folding device in the open state is small, which is beneficial to the thinning of the electronic device. The thickness of the outer cover plate is the dimension of the outer cover plate in the direction perpendicular to the flat part.

[0027] In a possible implementation, when the first shell and the second shell are in the open state, the first support abuts against one side edge of the outer cover plate, and the second support abuts against the other side edge of the outer cover plate.

[0028] In the present implementation, the outer cover plate can stop the first support and the second support when the folding device is in the open state, so as to prevent the folding device from being over-folded when being unfolded, thereby reducing the stress of the flexible display screen and improving the reliability of the flexible display screen and the electronic device.

[0029] In a possible implementation manner, the middle shell further comprises a first protrusion and a second protrusion, and the first protrusion and the second protrusion are located in the inner space of the middle shell and fixed to the outer cover plate. The rotating mechanism further comprises a first rotating shaft and a second rotating shaft, the first rotating shaft is inserted into the first protrusion and the first support, so that the first support is rotatably connected to the first protrusion, and the second rotating shaft is inserted into the second protrusion and the second support, so that the second support is rotatably connected to the second protrusion.

[0030] In the implementation manner, the first support and the middle shell are rotatably connected through the first rotating shaft to form a single-stage physical shaft, and the second support and the middle shell are rotatably connected through the second rotating shaft to form a single-stage physical shaft. The single-stage physical shafts between the first support, the second support and the middle shell form the main movement mechanism of the folding device, so that the main movement mechanism has a small number of parts, a simple part cooperation relationship, one degree of freedom, a short size chain and small cumulative error, and the control accuracy of the main movement mechanism is high, the rotating accuracy of the folding device is improved, and the user experience of the electronic device is improved.

[0031] The first protrusion can be connected to the first curved portion and the straight portion of the outer cover plate to improve the structural strength of the outer cover plate. The second protrusion can be connected to the second curved portion and the straight portion of the outer cover plate to improve the structural strength of the outer cover plate.

[0032] In a possible implementation manner, the top of the first protrusion is embedded in the first support, and the first rotating shaft is inserted into the top of the first protrusion. The first support is provided with a first gap, and the top of the first protrusion is arranged in the first gap to be embedded in the first support. The first support is provided with a rotating shaft hole communicating with the first gap, and the first rotating shaft is inserted into the rotating shaft hole. The top of the first protrusion is provided with a rotating shaft hole, and the first rotating shaft is inserted into the rotating shaft hole.

[0033] The top of the second protrusion is embedded in the second support, and the second rotating shaft is inserted into the top of the second protrusion. The top of the second protrusion is provided with a rotating shaft hole, and the second rotating shaft is inserted into the rotating shaft hole. The second support is provided with a second gap, and the top of the second protrusion is arranged in the second gap to be embedded in the second support. The second support is provided with a rotating shaft hole communicating with the second gap, and the second rotating shaft is inserted into the rotating shaft hole. The top of the second protrusion is provided with a rotating shaft hole, and the second rotating shaft is inserted into the rotating shaft hole.

[0034] In the implementation manner, the rotating shaft hole positions of the middle shell, the first support and the second support are arranged such that the middle shell and the first support are rotatably connected through the first rotating shaft, the middle shell and the second support are rotatably connected through the second rotating shaft, and the middle shell, the first support and the second support are rotatably connected through physical shafts. The connection relationship is reliable, and the rotating action is accurate and stable.

[0035] In addition, the embedded relationship between the first protrusion and the first support member can also limit the two in the direction parallel to the rotation center, thereby improving the reliability of the rotation connection structure. The embedded relationship between the second protrusion and the second support member can also limit the two in the direction parallel to the rotation center, thereby improving the reliability of the rotation connection structure.

[0036] In a possible implementation, the rotation mechanism further includes a synchronization assembly, which is configured to keep the first support member and the second support member in synchronous rotation during the movement of the folding device. In this implementation, the mechanism operation experience of the folding device and the electronic device is good.

[0037] In a possible implementation, the synchronization assembly includes a first synchronization swing arm, a second synchronization swing arm, and a gear set. The first synchronization swing arm includes a rotation end and a movable end, the rotation end of the first synchronization swing arm is rotationally connected to the middle shell, and the movable end of the first synchronization swing arm is movably connected to the first support member. During the relative folding and unfolding of the first shell and the second shell, the movable end of the first synchronization swing arm slides and rotates relative to the first support member. The second synchronization swing arm includes a rotation end and a movable end, the rotation end of the second synchronization swing arm is rotationally connected to the middle shell, and the movable end of the second synchronization swing arm is movably connected to the second support member. During the relative folding and unfolding of the first shell and the second shell, the movable end of the second synchronization swing arm slides and rotates relative to the second support member. The rotation end of the second synchronization swing arm is engaged with the rotation end of the first synchronization swing arm through the gear set.

[0038] In this implementation, during the unfolding and folding of the folding device, the sliding and rotating actions of the first synchronization swing arm relative to the first support member are symmetrical to the sliding and rotating actions of the second synchronization swing arm relative to the second support member, so that the rotating actions of the first support member and the second support member relative to the middle shell are kept in synchronization, that is, the first support member and the second support member approach or move away from each other synchronously. Therefore, the rotating actions of the first shell and the second shell relative to the middle shell are in good synchronization, and the mechanism operation experience of the folding device and the electronic device is improved.

[0039] In a possible implementation, the middle shell further includes a third protrusion, which is located in the inner space of the middle shell and fixed to the outer cover plate. The third protrusion can be provided with a mounting groove, which is substantially arc-shaped, and the middle part of the mounting groove is further recessed relative to the two sides of the mounting groove and towards the flat part of the outer cover plate. When the depth of the mounting groove is relatively deep, the mounting groove can also be partially formed on the flat part of the outer cover plate. The mounting groove can include a plurality of sequentially connected groove portions, the bottom wall of each groove portion is arc-shaped, and the side wall of each groove portion can be provided with a rotating groove. The third protrusion can be connected to the first curved part, the flat part, and the second curved part of the outer cover plate, so as to improve the structural strength of the outer cover plate.

[0040] In a possible implementation, the middle shell further comprises inner cover plates, which are used to be fixed with the third protrusions. The number of the inner cover plates is the same as that of the third protrusions. The inner cover plates have protruding portions, which are substantially arc-shaped and comprise a plurality of arc-shaped concaves that are sequentially connected. The inner cover plates are fixed with the third protrusions, and the protruding portions of the inner cover plates and the third protrusions jointly form arc-shaped activity spaces, which are used to install the synchronous assembly. The activity spaces are substantially arc-shaped.

[0041] In a possible implementation, the gear set comprises a plurality of gear shafts, which are meshed with each other and are rotationally connected with the middle shell. The rotating end of the first synchronous swing arm, the plurality of gear shafts, and the rotating end of the second synchronous swing arm are arranged in an arc shape. The rotating end of the first synchronous swing arm, the plurality of gear shafts, and the rotating end of the second synchronous swing arm are installed in the activity spaces of the middle shell. The rotating shafts of the rotating end of the first synchronous swing arm, the plurality of gear shafts, and the rotating end of the second synchronous swing arm can be installed in different rotating grooves.

[0042] In the implementation, the rotating end of the first synchronous swing arm, the plurality of gear shafts, and the rotating end of the second synchronous swing arm are arranged in an arc shape, that is, the part of the synchronous assembly installed in the middle shell is arranged in an arc shape, so that the bottom space of the inner space of the middle shell can be fully utilized, and the top space of the inner space of the middle shell can be released to form a screen space, which is used to accommodate part of the flexible display screen when the electronic device is closed, thereby facilitating the compactness of the component arrangement of the electronic device and reducing the volume of the electronic device.

[0043] In a possible implementation, the first support member has a first sliding groove and a first limiting groove, and the first limiting groove is communicated with the first sliding groove. The movable end of the first synchronous swing arm is installed in the first sliding groove. The rotating mechanism further comprises a first damping member, which is installed in the first limiting groove and partially extends into the first sliding groove. When the first housing and the second housing are in the open state, the first damping member abuts against the movable end of the first synchronous swing arm.

[0044] The second support member has a second sliding groove and a second limiting groove, and the second limiting groove is communicated with the second sliding groove. The movable end of the second synchronous swing arm is installed in the second sliding groove. The rotating mechanism further comprises a second damping member, which is installed in the second limiting groove and partially extends into the second sliding groove. When the first housing and the second housing are in the open state, the second damping member abuts against the movable end of the second synchronous swing arm.

[0045] In the present implementation, the first damping member and the second damping member are used to limit the synchronous assembly when the folding device is in the open state, thereby limiting the first support member and the second support member, so that the folding device remains in the open state without being subjected to a large external force, thereby improving the user experience. In addition, the cooperation between the plurality of damping members and the synchronous assembly can also provide resistance during the process of unfolding the electronic device to the open state and folding to the contact open state, so that the user can experience a better mechanism operation feeling.

[0046] In a possible implementation, the first damping member includes a bracket and an elastic member, the bracket includes a control portion and an abutting portion, one end of the elastic member is mounted to the control portion of the bracket, and the other end abuts the slot wall of the first limiting slot. When the first housing and the second housing are in the open state, the abutting portion of the bracket is connected to the movable end of the first synchronous swing arm.

[0047] In the present implementation, the elastic member of the first damping member can be deformed under the action of an external force, so that the first damping member can smoothly move between the two sides of the pivot shaft of the movable end of the first synchronous swing arm, thereby improving the limiting reliability of the first damping member and the movable end of the first synchronous swing arm.

[0048] The first damping member can further include a buffer member mounted to the abutting portion of the bracket. The buffer member can be made of a material with low rigidity (such as rubber, etc.), so as to absorb the impact force by deformation when subjected to an external force, thereby achieving buffering. Since the buffer member is sleeved on the abutting portion of the bracket, the first damping member abuts against the movable end of the first synchronous swing arm through the first buffer member with a buffering effect, which is conducive to reducing the risk of wear and tear of the bracket of the first damping member and the movable end of the first synchronous swing arm during long-term relative movement, thereby improving the limiting reliability of the first damping member and making the rotating mechanism more reliable.

[0049] In a possible implementation, the structure of the second damping member is the same as that of the first damping member, so as to simplify the material types of the folding device and reduce the cost of the folding device.

[0050] In a possible implementation, the first support member is an integrally formed structural member, and the second support member is an integrally formed structural member. In the present implementation, since the first support member and the second support member are both integrally formed structural members, the number of parts of the rotating mechanism is reduced, and the movement reliability of the rotating mechanism is improved. In other implementations, the first support member can also be assembled into an integrated structure by a plurality of components, and the second support member can also be assembled into an integrated structure by a plurality of components.

[0051] In a possible implementation, the first support member includes a first support plate, a first protrusion and a second protrusion. The support surface of the first support member is formed on the first support plate. The first support plate further includes a fixing surface, which is arranged opposite to the support surface. The first protrusion and the second protrusion are both fixed to the fixing surface of the first support plate. The height of the first protrusion is less than the height of the second protrusion. The shaft hole of the first support member can be partially formed on the first support plate and partially formed on the first protrusion. The first protrusion can reduce the difficulty of arranging the shaft hole and avoid insufficient structural strength of the part of the first support member around the shaft hole. The first sliding slot and the first limiting slot of the first support member can be formed on the second protrusion.

[0052] In a possible implementation, the second support member includes a second support plate, a third protrusion and a fourth protrusion. The support surface of the second support member is formed on the second support plate. The second support plate further includes a fixing surface, which is arranged opposite to the support surface. The third protrusion and the fourth protrusion are both fixed to the fixing surface of the second support plate. The shaft hole of the second support member can be partially formed on the second support plate and partially formed on the third protrusion. The third protrusion can reduce the difficulty of arranging the shaft hole and avoid insufficient structural strength of the part of the second support member around the shaft hole. The second sliding slot and the second limiting slot of the second support member can be formed on the fourth protrusion.

[0053] In the implementation, the first support member and the second support member are based on the support plates, and the corresponding protrusions are arranged at the positions where the connecting structures are needed to be arranged, so that the structure arrangement is achieved. This can simplify the structures of the first support member and the second support member, reduce the overall weight, and improve the strength of the connecting structures.

[0054] In a possible implementation, the first shell includes a first body and two first baffles. The support surface of the first shell is located on the first body. The two first baffles are fixed to two sides of the first body and protrude relative to the support surface of the first shell. The first mounting slot is located on the first body. The two first baffles can form the slot side walls of the first mounting slot. The first shell further includes a first back surface arranged opposite to the support surface. The first back surface is parallel to the support surface of the first shell. The height of the first baffle increases in the direction close to the rotating mechanism. The height of the first baffle is the size of the first baffle in the direction perpendicular to the first back surface.

[0055] The second shell comprises a second body and two second baffles, a support surface of the second shell is located on the second body, and the two second baffles are fixed on two sides of the second body and protrude from the support surface of the second shell. The second mounting groove is located on the second body, and the two second baffles can form groove side walls of the second mounting groove. The second shell further comprises a second back surface opposite to the support surface. The second back surface is parallel to the support surface of the second shell. The height of the second baffle increases in the direction close to the rotating mechanism. The height of the second baffle is a size of the second baffle in a direction perpendicular to the second back surface.

[0056] In a possible implementation, when the first shell and the second shell are in the closed state, the first baffle and the second baffle are spliced and jointly shield the gap between the first body and the second body. At this time, the folding device and the electronic device realize self-shielding of the appearance. When the folding device is in the closed state, the side of the first baffle away from the first back surface is spliced with the side of the second baffle away from the second back surface, and the splicing includes the case of abutting against each other, and can also include the case of a small gap between the two.

[0057] In a possible implementation, when the folding device is unfolded to the open state, the first body and the second body are spliced, and the first baffle and the second baffle are spliced, so that the unfolding action of the folding device can be stopped by splicing the first shell and the second shell to prevent the folding device from overfolding when unfolded, thereby reducing the stress on the flexible display screen and improving the reliability of the flexible display screen and the electronic device. In addition, the first back surface is flush with the second back surface, which is conducive to stably placing the electronic device on a desktop or the like, thereby improving the user experience.

[0058] In a second aspect, the present application also provides an electronic device comprising a flexible display screen and the folding device of any one of the above. The flexible display screen comprises a first non-bending part, a bending part, and a second non-bending part arranged in sequence, the first non-bending part is fixedly connected to the support surface of the first shell, the second non-bending part is fixedly connected to the support surface of the second shell, and the bending part deforms in the process of relative folding and relative unfolding of the first shell and the second shell.

[0059] In the present application, the electronic device adopts the folding device to realize screen folding, and the electronic device can be bent. Since the main motion mechanism of the rotating mechanism of the folding device is a single-stage rotary connection between the first support piece, the second support piece, and the middle shell, the control precision of the main motion mechanism is high, and the folding device can drive the flexible display screen to accurately unfold and fold, so that the user experience of the electronic device is better.

[0060] The first non-bent part fixedly connecting the supporting surface of the first shell means that the two are connected to each other, and the first non-bent part is fixed relative to the supporting surface of the first shell after being connected (that is, the positional relationship between the two does not change).

[0061] In a possible implementation, the first non-bent part further fixedly connects a partial region of the supporting surface of the first support, and the second non-bent part further fixedly connects a partial region of the supporting surface of the second support.

[0062] In the implementation, the first non-bent part of the flexible display screen and the first support of the folding device are fixedly connected in a larger area (that is, the area of the region fixed to each other), and the second non-bent part and the second support of the folding device are fixedly connected in a larger area, so that the folding device and the non-deformation part of the flexible display screen are firmly connected, and the flexible display screen can be better unfolded and folded.

[0063] The first non-bent part fixedly connecting a partial region of the supporting surface of the first support means that the first non-bent part is connected to the supporting surface of the first support, and the first non-bent part is fixed relative to the partial region of the supporting surface of the first support after being connected (that is, the positional relationship between the two does not change), and can be movable relative to another partial region (that is, the positional relationship between the two can change).

[0064] The second non-bent part fixedly connecting a partial region of the supporting surface of the second support means that the second non-bent part is connected to the supporting surface of the second support, and the second non-bent part is fixed relative to the partial region of the supporting surface of the second support after being connected (that is, the positional relationship between the two does not change), and can be movable relative to another partial region (that is, the positional relationship between the two can change).

[0065] In a possible implementation, the first non-bent part is adhered to the first shell through a glue layer, and the second non-bent part is adhered to the second shell through a glue layer. The first non-bent part is adhered to the first support through a glue layer, and the second non-bent part is adhered to the second support through a glue layer.

[0066] The glue layer between the first non-bent part and the supporting surface of the first shell, the glue layer between the first non-bent part and the supporting surface of the first support, the glue layer between the second non-bent part and the supporting surface of the second shell, and the glue layer between the second non-bent part and the supporting surface of the second support can be a continuous whole glue layer, a point-discontinuous glue layer, or a glue layer with a hollow region. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0067] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device in the open state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partially exploded view of the folding device of the electronic device shown.

[0069] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the electronic device when it is in a closed state.

[0070] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A partially exploded structural diagram of the folding device shown.

[0071] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the folding device shown from another angle;

[0072] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the folding device shown from another angle;

[0073] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 A partially exploded schematic diagram of the rotating mechanism shown.

[0074] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 An exploded view of part of the rotating mechanism shown.

[0075] Figure 9 yes Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the rotating mechanism shown at another angle;

[0076] Figure 10 yes Figure 8 The diagram shows the exploded structure of the middle shell;

[0077] Figure 11 yes Figure 10 The diagram shows the structure of the middle shell from another angle;

[0078] Figure 12 yes Figure 8 The cross-sectional view of the middle shell along AA is shown.

[0079] Figure 13 yes Figure 8 The diagram shows the structure of the synchronization component.

[0080] Figure 14 yes Figure 9 The diagram shows the structure of the first damping element.

[0081] Figure 15 yes Figure 14An exploded structural schematic view of the first damping member shown in FIG. 1A;

[0082] Figure 16 is Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the electronic device shown in FIG. 1A along a section plane at B-B;

[0083] Figure 17 is Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the electronic device shown in FIG. 1A along a section plane at C-C;

[0084] Figure 18 is Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the electronic device shown in FIG. 1A along a section plane at D-D;

[0085] Figure 19 is Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the electronic device shown in FIG. 1A along a section plane at E-E. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0086] The following describes various embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0087] The embodiments of the present application provide a folding device and an electronic device. The electronic device includes the folding device and a flexible display screen mounted on the folding device. The folding device can be unfolded to an open state, folded to a closed state, or in an intermediate state between the open state and the closed state. The flexible display screen is unfolded and folded along with the folding device. The folding device reduces the number of parts of the main movement mechanism of the rotating mechanism, simplifies the part fitting relationship, thereby reducing the cumulative transmission error, improving the control accuracy of the rotating mechanism, and making the rotating accuracy of the folding device high, which is conducive to improving the user experience of the electronic device.

[0088] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 is a structural schematic view of an electronic device 1000 provided by an embodiment of the present application in an open state, Figure 2 is Figure 1 is a partial exploded structural schematic view of a folding device 100 of the electronic device 1000 shown in FIG. 1A, Figure 3 is Figure 1 is a structural schematic view of the electronic device 1000 shown in FIG. 1A in a closed state. The electronic device 1000 can be a foldable electronic product such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, etc. The embodiments of the present application take the electronic device 1000 as a mobile phone for example.

[0089] The electronic device 1000 comprises a folding device 100 and a flexible display screen 200, the flexible display screen 200 is installed on the folding device 100. The flexible display screen 200 is used for displaying images, and the folding device 100 is used for driving the flexible display screen 200 to move. The folding device 100 comprises a first shell 10, a rotating mechanism 20 and a second shell 30 connected in sequence. The rotating mechanism 20 can be deformed to fold and unfold the first shell 10 and the second shell 30, that is, the folding device 100 can be folded and unfolded.

[0090] As shown in Figure 1 , the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 can be unfolded relative to each other to an open state, that is, the folding device 100 is in an open state, so that the electronic device 1000 is in an open state. At this time, the flexible display screen 200 is unfolded with the folding device 100, and the flexible display screen 200 is flat. For example, when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are in an open state, the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 can be approximately 180°. In other embodiments, when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are in an open state, the angle between them can also deviate from 180° by a small amount, for example, 165°, 177° or 185°, etc.

[0091] As shown in Figure 3 , the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 can be folded relative to each other to a closed state, that is, the folding device 100 is in a closed state, so that the electronic device 1000 is in a closed state. At this time, the flexible display screen 200 Figure 3 is folded with the folding device 100, and the flexible display screen 200 is located inside the folding device 100 and is wrapped by the folding device 100.

[0092] Among them, the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 can also be unfolded or folded relative to each other to an intermediate state, that is, the folding device 100 is in an intermediate state, so that the electronic device 1000 is in an intermediate state, which can be any state between the open state and the closed state. The flexible display screen 200 moves with the folding device 100.

[0093] In this embodiment, the flexible display screen 200 can be unfolded and folded with the folding device 100. When the electronic device 1000 is in an open state, the flexible display screen 200 is in a flat state, and the flexible display screen 200 can be displayed in full screen, so that the electronic device 1000 has a larger display area, to improve the user's viewing experience and operation experience. When the electronic device 1000 is in a closed state, the planar size of the electronic device 1000 is small (has a small width size), which is convenient for users to carry and store.

[0094] It is understood that this embodiment is illustrated using the example of "the rotation center of the electronic device 1000 being parallel to the width direction of the electronic device 1000". In this case, the electronic device 1000 can rotate left and right, and the folding and unfolding of the electronic device 1000 affects its width dimension. In some other embodiments, the rotation center of the electronic device 1000 can also be parallel to its length direction. In this case, the electronic device 1000 can rotate up and down, and the folding and unfolding of the electronic device 1000 affects its length dimension.

[0095] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the flexible display screen 200 includes a first non-bending portion 200a, a bending portion 200b, and a second non-bending portion 200c arranged sequentially. The first non-bending portion 200a is fixedly connected to the first housing 10, and the second non-bending portion 200c is fixedly connected to the second housing 30. During the relative folding and unfolding of the first housing 10 and the second housing 30, the bending portion 200b deforms. For example, the first non-bending portion 200a can be bonded to the first housing 10 with an adhesive layer, and the second non-bending portion 200c can be bonded to the second housing 30 with an adhesive layer.

[0096] In some embodiments, the flexible display screen 200 may be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display screen, an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display screen, a mini organic light-emitting diode (MLED) display screen, a micro organic light-emitting diode (MOLED) display screen, a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) display screen.

[0097] In some embodiments, the electronic device 1000 may further include multiple modules (not shown in the figures), which can be housed inside the folding device 100. The multiple modules of the electronic device 1000 may include, but are not limited to, a motherboard, processor, memory, battery, camera module, speaker module, microphone module, antenna module, sensor module, etc. This application does not specifically limit the number, type, or location of the modules in the electronic device 1000.

[0098] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 , Figure 4 is Figure 2 a partially exploded structural schematic diagram of the folding device 100.

[0099] In some embodiments, the rotating mechanism 20 comprises a middle shell 1, a first support 2 and a second support 3. One end of the first support 2 is connected to the middle shell 1, and the other end is fixedly connected to the first shell 10. One end of the second support 3 is connected to the middle shell 1, and the other end is fixedly connected to the second shell 30. For example, the first shell 10 is provided with a first mounting groove 101 on the side close to the rotating mechanism 20, and the first support 2 is mounted in the first mounting groove 101 to fixedly connect the first shell 10. The second shell 30 is provided with a second mounting groove 301 on the side close to the rotating mechanism 20, and the second support 3 is mounted in the second mounting groove 301 to fixedly connect the second shell 30.

[0100] In some embodiments, the first shell 10 comprises a support surface 102 for bearing the flexible display 200, and the first support 2 comprises a support surface 21 for the flexible display 200. The support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the support surface 102 of the first shell 10 are spliced to form a first support surface 401. It can be understood that the splicing of the support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the support surface 102 of the first shell 10 can include the case that the support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the support surface 102 of the first shell 10 are connected, seamless, or the case that the support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the support surface 102 of the first shell 10 are close to each other with a small gap. When there is a small gap between the support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the support surface 102 of the first shell 10, the user presses the area of the flexible display 200 corresponding to the gap, and the corresponding area of the flexible display 200 will not appear obvious pits, and the first support surface 401 can provide strong support for the flexible display 200.

[0101] The second shell 30 comprises a support surface 302 for bearing the flexible display screen 200, and the second support member 3 comprises a support surface 31 for the flexible display screen 200. The support surface 31 of the second support member 3 and the support surface 302 of the second shell 30 are spliced to form a second support surface 402. It can be understood that the splicing of the support surface 31 of the second support member 3 and the support surface 302 of the second shell 30 can include the following cases: the support surface 31 of the second support member 3 is connected to the support surface 302 of the second shell 30, and there is no gap between the two; or the support surface 31 of the second support member 3 is close to the support surface 302 of the second shell 30, and there is a small gap between the two. When there is a small gap between the support surface 31 of the second support member 3 and the support surface 302 of the second shell 30, the user presses the area of the flexible display screen 200 corresponding to the small gap, and the area of the flexible display screen 200 will not have a noticeable dent, and the second support surface 402 can provide strong support for the flexible display screen 200.

[0102] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 2 , the first non-bending part 200a of the flexible display screen 200 is fixedly connected to the support surface 102 of the first shell 10, and can also be fixedly connected to part of the support surface 21 of the first support member 2. For example, the first non-bending part 200a can be bonded to the first shell 10 and the first support member 2 by a glue layer. The fixed connection of the first non-bending part 200a to the support surface 102 of the first shell 10 means that the two are connected to each other, and the position relationship between the two is fixed (i.e., the position relationship between the two does not change) after the connection. The fixed connection of the first non-bending part 200a to part of the support surface 21 of the first support member 2 means that the first non-bending part 200a is connected to part of the support surface 21 of the first support member 2, and the position relationship between the two is fixed (i.e., the position relationship between the two does not change) after the connection. The first non-bending part 200a can move relative to the other part of the support surface 21 of the first support member 2 (i.e., the position relationship between the two can change).

[0103] The second non-bending portion 200c of the flexible display screen 200 is fixedly connected to the support surface 302 of the second housing 30, and can also be fixedly connected to a portion of the support surface 31 of the second support member 3. For example, the second non-bending portion 200c can be bonded to the second housing 30 and to the second support member 3 using an adhesive layer. Specifically, the second non-bending portion 200c being fixedly connected to the support surface 302 of the second housing 30 means that the two are connected to each other, and after connection, the second non-bending portion 200c is fixed relative to the support surface 302 of the second housing 30 (i.e., the positional relationship between the two remains unchanged). The second non-bending portion 200c being fixedly connected to a portion of the support surface 31 of the second support member 3 means that the second non-bending portion 200c is connected to the support surface 31 of the second support member 3, and after connection, the second non-bending portion 200c is fixed relative to a portion of the support surface 31 of the second support member 3 (i.e., the positional relationship between the two remains unchanged), while it can move relative to another portion (i.e., the positional relationship between the two can change).

[0104] In this embodiment, the fixed connection area (i.e. the area of ​​the regions that are fixed to each other) between the first non-bending portion 200a of the flexible display screen 200 and the first support surface 401 of the folding device 100 is relatively large, and the fixed connection area between the second non-bending portion 200c and the second support surface 402 of the folding device 100 is relatively large. Therefore, the connection between the folding device 100 and the non-deformable portion of the flexible display screen 200 is firm, which can better drive the flexible display screen 200 to unfold and fold.

[0105] The adhesive layer located between the first non-bending portion 200a and the support surface 102 of the first housing 10, the adhesive layer located between the first non-bending portion 200a and the support surface 21 of the first support member 2, the adhesive layer located between the second non-bending portion 200c and the support surface 302 of the second housing 30, and the adhesive layer located between the second non-bending portion 200c and the support surface 31 of the second support member 3 can be a continuous full-surface adhesive layer, a point-discontinuous adhesive layer, or an adhesive layer with a hollow area. The specific design of the adhesive layer is not strictly limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0106] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the support surface 21 of the first support member 2 and the support surface 102 of the first housing 10 are flush, so that the first support surface 401 can provide a flat and strong support for the flexible display screen 200, thereby improving the user's touch operation and screen viewing experience. For example, both the support surface 21 of the first support member 2 and the support surface 102 of the first housing 10 are planar and coplanar, and the first support surface 401 is planar, thus better supporting the flexible display screen 200. In this case, the adhesive layer between the flexible display screen 200 and the support surface 21 of the first support member 2 can be of the same thickness as the adhesive layer between the flexible display screen 200 and the support surface 102 of the first housing 10.

[0107] It can be understood that when the support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the support surface 102 of the first shell 10 are parallel to each other but slightly misaligned, a slight difference in thickness of the adhesive layer between the flexible display 200 and the support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the adhesive layer between the flexible display 200 and the support surface 102 of the first shell 10 can be used to fix the flexible display 200 to the first support surface 401, and the corresponding area of the flexible display 200 is still a planar area. In this case, the support surface 21 of the first support 2 is considered to be flush with the support surface 102 of the first shell 10.

[0108] In some other embodiments, the first non-bent part 200a of the flexible display 200 and the support surface 21 of the first support 2 can also have no fixed connection relationship, i.e., there is no connecting adhesive layer therebetween, and the two can be in direct contact. At this time, the support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the support surface 102 of the first shell 10 are parallel to each other, and the support surface 21 of the first support 2 is slightly convex relative to the support surface 102 of the first shell 10, so that the flexible display 200 can still obtain planar support. In this case, the support surface 21 of the first support 2 is considered to be flush with the support surface 102 of the first shell 10.

[0109] In some other embodiments, the support surface 102 of the first shell 10 can include a planar part close to the first support 2 and an arc surface part away from the first support 2, the support surface 21 of the first support 2 is planar, and the support surface 21 of the first support 2 is coplanar with or parallel to and slightly misaligned with the planar part of the support surface 102 of the first shell 10. In this case, the support surface 21 of the first support 2 is considered to be flush with the support surface 102 of the first shell 10. In this embodiment, the first support surface 401 can support the flexible display 200 to present a 3D display effect.

[0110] The relevant designs of the connection relationship between the support surface 31 of the second support 3, the support surface 302 of the second shell 30, and the second non-bent part 200c of the flexible display 200, etc. can refer to the technical solutions of the connection relationship between the support surface 21 of the first support 2, the support surface 102 of the first shell 10, and the first non-bent part 200a of the flexible display 200, etc. described above, and the present application will not repeat them here.

[0111] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are relatively unfolded to an open state, the first support 2 and the second support 3 are close to each other, and the first support surface 401 and the second support surface 402 are flush. At this time, the first support surface 401 and the second support surface 402 can provide planar support for the flexible display 200, so that the flexible display 200 is flat and can perform large-area display. Figure 2 In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are relatively unfolded to an open state, the first support 2 and the second support 3 are close to each other, and the first support surface 401 and the second support surface 402 are flush. At this time, the first support surface 401 and the second support surface 402 can provide planar support for the flexible display 200, so that the flexible display 200 is flat and can perform large-area display.

[0112] The cases in which the first support surface 401 and the second support surface 402 are flush include: both the first support surface 401 and the second support surface 402 are planes and coplanar; both the first support surface 401 and the second support surface 402 are planes, parallel and slightly misaligned; the first support surface 401 and the second support surface 402 include planar portions that are close to each other and curved portions that are far apart from each other, the two planar portions are coplanar or parallel and slightly misaligned, and the two curved portions are used to bend the two side edges of the flexible display screen 200, thereby achieving a 3D display effect.

[0113] Please refer to the following: Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The folding device 100 shown is illustrated from another angle. Figure 5 The folding device 100 shown is located at a relative angle. Figure 4 The viewpoint of the folding device 100 shown has been flipped.

[0114] In some embodiments, the middle shell 1 includes an outer cover plate 11, which is bent to form an inner space 12 of the middle shell 1. The middle shell 1 may also include two end cover plates 13, which are respectively fixed to both ends of the outer cover plate 11, together forming the inner space 12 of the middle shell 1. Exemplarily, the two end cover plates 13 may be integrally formed with the outer cover plate 11, or they may be fixed to each other by assembly.

[0115] like Figure 4 As shown, when the first housing 10 and the second housing 30 are in the open state, the first support member 2 covers part of the inner space 12 of the middle housing 1, and the second support member 3 covers part of the inner space 12 of the middle housing 1. At this time, the first support member 2 and the second support member 3 are close to each other, and the distance between the support surface 21 of the first support member 2 and the support surface 31 of the second support member 3 is small. The rotating mechanism 20 adopts a two-plate structure, which can provide relatively complete planar support for the bending part 200b of the flexible display screen 200 in the open state.

[0116] For example, when the first housing 10 and the second housing 30 are in the open state, the support surface 21 of the first support member 2 and the support surface 31 of the second support member 3 are joined to form the bending area support surface (21, 31). At this time, the rotation mechanism 20 of the folding device 100 can fully support the bent portion 200b of the flexible display screen 200 through the bending area support surface (21, 31) in the open state, so that the flexible display screen 200 is less likely to dent under the user's pressure, which is beneficial to improving the service life and reliability of the flexible display screen 200.

[0117] It can be understood that the splicing of the support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the support surface 31 of the second support 3 can include the case that the support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the support surface 31 of the second support 3 are connected and seamless, or the case that the support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the support surface 31 of the second support 3 are close to each other and there is a small gap between them. When there is a small gap between the support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the support surface 31 of the second support 3, the user presses the area of the flexible display 200 corresponding to the gap, and the corresponding area of the flexible display 200 will not appear obvious pits, and the bending area support surface (21, 31) can provide strong support for the flexible display 200.

[0118] The side of the first support 2 facing the second support 3 can be provided with one or more notches (see the detailed description below), and the side of the second support 3 facing the first support 2 can be provided with one or more notches (see the detailed description below). The notches of the first support 2 correspond to the notches of the second support 3, and the notches are used to avoid interference between the first support 2 and the second support 3 and other structural parts of the rotating mechanism 20 during the movement of the folding device 100, that is, to achieve avoidance, thereby improving the movement reliability of the rotating mechanism 20 and the folding device 100.

[0119] It can be understood that the area of the notches is also relatively small, and the area of the flexible display 200 corresponding to the notches can be slightly depressed under the user's pressing, but still will not produce obvious pits. In addition, in some embodiments, the flexible display 200 can be provided with a bendable support plate or reinforcing plate with a certain structural strength on the side facing the folding device 100, and the support plate or reinforcing plate covers at least the notches of the first support 2 and the notches of the second support 3, so as to improve the anti-pressing strength of the flexible display 200.

[0120] As Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are in the open state, the first support 2 partially extends out of the middle shell 1, and this part is used to fixedly connect the first shell 10. The second support 3 partially extends out of the middle shell 1, and this part is used to connect the second shell 30. As an example, the part of the first support 2 extending out of the middle shell 1 is provided with a fastening hole 22, the slot wall of the first mounting slot 101 of the first shell 10 is provided with a fastening hole 103, and the first support 2 and the first shell 10 can be fixedly connected to each other by fasteners. The part of the second support 3 extending out of the middle shell 1 is provided with a fastening hole 32, the slot wall of the second mounting slot 301 of the second shell 30 is provided with a fastening hole 303, and the second support 3 and the second shell 30 can be fixedly connected to each other by fasteners. In other embodiments, the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 and the second support 3 and the second shell 30 can also be fixed to each other by welding or bonding.

[0121] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the first shell 10 includes a first body 104 and two first baffles 105, the support surface 102 of the first shell 10 is located on the first body 104, and the two first baffles 105 are fixed on the two sides of the first body 104 and protrude relative to the support surface 102 of the first shell 10. Among them, the first mounting slot 101 is located on the first body 104, and the two first baffles 105 can form the slot side wall of the first mounting slot 101. Among them, the first shell 10 further includes a first back surface 106 opposite to the support surface 102. As an example, the first back surface 106 is parallel to the support surface 102. In an embodiment, the height of the first baffle 105 increases in the direction close to the rotating mechanism 20. The height of the first baffle 105 is the size of the first baffle 105 in the direction perpendicular to the first back surface 106.

[0122] The second shell 30 includes a second body 304 and two second baffles 305, the support surface 302 of the second shell 30 is located on the second body 304, and the two second baffles 305 are fixed on the two sides of the second body 304 and protrude relative to the support surface 302 of the second shell 30. Among them, the second mounting slot 301 is located on the second body 304, and the two second baffles 305 can form the slot side wall of the second mounting slot 301. Among them, the second shell 30 further includes a second back surface 306 opposite to the support surface 302. As an example, the second back surface 306 is parallel to the support surface 302. In an embodiment, the height of the second baffle 305 increases in the direction close to the rotating mechanism 20. The height of the second baffle 305 is the size of the second baffle 305 in the direction perpendicular to the second back surface 306.

[0123] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 6 , Figure 6 is Figure 2Structure schematic diagram of the folding device 100 from another angle. Figure 6 Structure schematic diagram of the folding device 100 from another angle. Figure 2 Structure schematic diagram of the folding device 100 from another angle.

[0124] In some embodiments, when the first housing 10 and the second housing 30 are in the open state, the middle shell 1 is located in the first mounting groove 101 and the second mounting groove 301, and the first housing 10 and the second housing 30 cover the outer cover plate 11. The first body 104 is spliced with one end of the first mounting groove 101, and the second body 304 is spliced with one end of the second mounting groove 301. The two first baffles 105 are spliced with the two second baffles 305 respectively, and the first baffle 105 is spliced with the second baffle 305 near one end of the first mounting groove 101. The first back 106 is flush with and spliced with the second back 306. The first body 104 and the second body 304 shield the middle shell 1 at the back side of the folding device 100 (the front side of the folding device 100 is the side supporting the flexible display screen 200), and the pair of first baffles 105 and second baffles 305 shield the middle shell 1 at the top side of the folding device 100, and the other pair of first baffles 105 and second baffles 305 shield the middle shell 1 at the bottom side of the folding device 100.

[0125] In this embodiment, the first housing 10 and the second housing 30 can shield the middle shell 1 when in the open state, and the back side of the folding device 100 is self-shielded, thereby protecting the middle shell 1, and the appearance of the folding device 100 and the electronic device 1000 is complete, the appearance experience is better, and the waterproof and dustproof performance is better. In addition, when the folding device 100 is unfolded to the open state, the first body 104 is spliced with the second body 304, and the first baffle 105 is spliced with the second baffle 305, so that the folding action of the folding device 100 can be stopped by splicing the first housing 10 and the second housing 30 to prevent the folding device 100 from being overfolded when unfolded, thereby reducing the stress on the flexible display screen 200 and improving the reliability of the flexible display screen 200 and the electronic device 1000. In addition, the first back 106 is flush with the second back 306, which is conducive to the stable placement of the electronic device 1000 on the desktop or other positions, and improves the user's experience.

[0126] The splicing of the first body 104 and the second body 304 includes the case where they abut against each other, and can also include the case where there is a small gap between them. The splicing of the first baffle 105 and the second baffle 305 includes the case where they abut against each other, and can also include the case where there is a small gap between them. The splicing of the first back 106 and the second back 306 includes the case where they are connected, and can also include the case where there is a small gap between them.

[0127] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the first housing 10 and the second housing 30 can shield the middle shell 1 when in the open state, and the back side of the folding device 100 is self-shielded, thereby protecting the middle shell 1, and the appearance of the folding device 100 and the electronic device 1000 is complete, the appearance experience is better, and the waterproof and dustproof performance is better. Figure 4As shown, the first mounting groove 101 of the first shell 10 can be designed as a stepped groove, including a first groove part with a shallow depth and a second groove part with a deep depth. The first groove part of the first mounting groove 101 can be used to fix the partial first support 2, and the second groove part of the first mounting groove 101 can be used to accommodate the partial first support 2 and the partial middle shell 1. The second mounting groove 301 of the second shell 30 can be designed as a stepped groove, including a first groove part with a shallow depth and a second groove part with a deep depth. The first groove part of the second mounting groove 301 can be used to fix the partial second support 3, and the second groove part of the second mounting groove 301 can be used to accommodate the partial second support 3 and the partial middle shell 1.

[0128] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are in the closed state, the middle shell 1 partially protrudes from the first mounting groove 101 and the second mounting groove 301, and the outer cover plate 11 is exposed relative to the first shell 10 and the second shell 30. In this embodiment, the first shell 10, the second shell 30, and the outer cover plate 11 collectively form the appearance part of the folding device 100 and the electronic device 1000, so that the folding device 100 and the electronic device 1000 can realize backside self-shielding in the closed state, which is beneficial to improve the appearance integrity and has good waterproof and dustproof performance. Among them, as shown in Figure 3 When the folding device 100 and the electronic device 1000 are in the closed state, the thickness increases in the direction close to the rotating mechanism 20.

[0129] For example, when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are in the closed state, the first baffle 105 and the second baffle 305 are spliced and jointly shield the gap between the first body 104 and the second body 304. At this time, the folding device 100 and the electronic device 1000 in the closed state can be completely folded, which not only improves the appearance experience, but also improves the waterproof and dustproof performance.

[0130] When the folding device 100 is in the closed state, the side of the first baffle 105 away from the first back surface 106 is spliced with the side of the second baffle 305 away from the second back surface 306, and the splicing of the two includes the case of abutting against each other, and can also include the case of having a small gap between the two.

[0131] It can be understood that the plurality of components of the first shell 10 can be integrally formed or fixed to each other by assembly. The plurality of components of the second shell 30 can be integrally formed or fixed to each other by assembly. The specific components and processing methods of the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are not strictly limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0132] Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8, Figure 7 is Figure 4 is a partial exploded view of the rotating mechanism 20 shown in Figure 8 is Figure 7 is an exploded view of the partial structure of the rotating mechanism 20 shown in.

[0133] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8 The rotating mechanism 20 further comprises a first rotating shaft 41 and a second rotating shaft 42. In combination with reference to Figure 2 and Figure 7 , the first rotating shaft 41 is inserted into the middle shell 1 and the first support 2, and the second rotating shaft 42 is inserted into the middle shell 1 and the second support 3. At this time, one end of the first support 2 is rotatably connected to the middle shell 1 through the first rotating shaft 41, and the other end of the first support 2 is fixedly connected to the first shell 10. One end of the second support 3 is rotatably connected to the middle shell 1 through the second rotating shaft 42, and the other end of the second support 3 is fixedly connected to the second shell 30. The single-stage solid shaft rotating mechanism 20 between the first support 2, the second support 3 and the middle shell 1 forms the main motion mechanism of the folding device 100, so that the number of parts of the main motion mechanism is small, the part cooperation relationship is simple, the mechanism degree of freedom is 1, the size chain is short, and the cumulative error is small. Therefore, the control accuracy of the main motion mechanism is high, the rotating accuracy of the folding device 100 is improved, and the user experience of the electronic equipment 1000 is improved.

[0134] For example, the number of first rotating shafts 41 is two, and the number of second rotating shafts 42 is two, and the two first rotating shafts 41 and the two second rotating shafts 42 are correspondingly arranged. In other embodiments, the number of first rotating shafts 41 can be one or more than three, and the number of second rotating shafts 42 can be one or more than three. The number of first rotating shafts 41 can be equal to the number of second rotating shafts 42, and correspondingly arranged, or staggered with each other. The number of first rotating shafts 41 can also be different from the number of second rotating shafts 42. The number, position, etc. of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 are not strictly limited in the embodiments of the application.

[0135] Among them, the first support 2 is provided with a rotating shaft hole 23 for inserting the first rotating shaft 41, the second support 3 is provided with a rotating shaft hole 33 for inserting the second rotating shaft 42, and the middle shell 1 is provided with a rotating shaft hole 141 for inserting the first rotating shaft 41 and a rotating shaft hole 151 for inserting the second rotating shaft 42. The specific settings (such as number, position, shape, size, etc.) of the rotating shaft holes (23, 33, 141, 151) of the first support 2, the second support 3 and the middle shell 1 are adapted to the insertion requirements of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42.

[0136] It can be understood that in other embodiments, the first support 2 and the middle shell 1 can also be connected through a virtual shaft, and the second support 3 and the middle shell 1 can also be connected through a virtual shaft. For example, the first support 2 can be provided with an arc-shaped arm, and the middle shell 1 can be provided with an arc-shaped slot, the arc-shaped arm being installed in the arc-shaped slot, and the first support 2 and the middle shell 1 being connected through a virtual shaft through the relative movement of the two. The second support 3 can be provided with an arc-shaped arm, and the middle shell 1 can be provided with an arc-shaped slot, the arc-shaped arm being installed in the arc-shaped slot, and the second support 3 and the middle shell 1 being connected through a virtual shaft through the relative movement of the two.

[0137] Please refer to Figures 7 to 9 , Figure 9 is Figure 7 is a structural schematic view of the rotating mechanism 20 at another angle. In the figure, Figure 9 is a view of the rotating mechanism 20 from a different angle than Figure 7 is a view of the rotating mechanism 20 from a different angle than

[0138] In some embodiments, the rotating mechanism 20 further includes a synchronization assembly 5. The synchronization assembly 5 is installed on the middle shell 1, and two ends of the synchronization assembly 5 are respectively used to connect the first support 2 and the second support 3. The synchronization assembly 5 is used to keep the first support 2 and the second support 3 in synchronous rotation during the movement of the folding device 100. At this time, the mechanism operation experience of the folding device 100 and the electronic device 1000 is good.

[0139] For example, the number of the synchronization assembly 5 is two. In other embodiments, the number of the synchronization assembly 5 can also be one or more than three. The number and position of the synchronization assembly 5 are not strictly limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0140] In some embodiments, the rotating mechanism 20 further includes a plurality of damping members. The plurality of damping members can include a first damping member 6 installed on the first support 2 and a second damping member 7 installed on the second support 3. The plurality of damping members are used to limit the synchronization assembly 5 when the folding device 100 is in an open state, so as to limit the first support 2 and the second support 3, so that the folding device 100 remains in the open state without being subjected to a large external force, thereby improving the user experience. In addition, the cooperation between the plurality of damping members and the synchronization assembly 5 can also provide resistance during the process of unfolding the electronic device 1000 to the open state and folding to the contact open state, so that the user can experience a better mechanism operation feeling.

[0141] For example, the rotation mechanism 20 includes two sets of damping elements, each corresponding to one of the two sets of synchronization components 5. Each set of damping elements includes a first damping element 6 and a second damping element 7. The first damping element 6 abuts or engages with the portion of the synchronization component 5 connected to the first support member 2, and the second damping element 7 abuts or engages with the portion of the synchronization component 5 connected to the second support member 3, thereby achieving a limiting effect. In some other embodiments, the rotation mechanism 20 may also include one or more sets of damping elements, and each set of damping elements may include one or more damping elements. This application does not strictly limit the number of damping elements or the correspondence between the damping elements and the synchronization components 5.

[0142] In some other embodiments, the damping element can also be installed on the middle shell 1, and the first support 2 and the second support 3 can be limited by the limiting action of the portion of the synchronization component 5 installed on the middle shell 1. In some other embodiments, some damping elements can also be installed on the middle shell 1, some on the first support 2, and some on the second support 3 to limit multiple parts of the synchronization component 5, thereby improving the reliability of the limiting action of the first support 2 and the second support 3. It is understood that the limiting method, structure, etc., of the damping element installed on the middle shell 1 and the damping element installed on the first support 2 and the second support 3 may be different, and this application does not impose strict limitations on this.

[0143] Please refer to the following: Figure 10 and Figure 11 , Figure 10 yes Figure 8 The diagram shows the exploded structure of shell 1. Figure 11 yes Figure 10 The diagram shows the structure of the middle shell 1 from another angle. Figure 11 The viewpoint of the middle shell 1 shown is compared to Figure 10 The viewpoint of the middle shell 1 shown is flipped.

[0144] In some embodiments, the outer cover plate 11 includes a first curved portion 111, a straight portion 112, and a second curved portion 113. Both the first curved portion 111 and the second curved portion 113 are arc-shaped and are respectively connected to both sides of the straight portion 112. That is, the first curved portion 111, the straight portion 112, and the second curved portion 113 are connected in sequence, and the first curved portion 111 and the second curved portion 113 are curved toward the same side of the straight portion 112.

[0145] In this embodiment, the outer cover 11 is formed into an arc-like shape, which helps to improve the appearance and grip experience of the electronic device 1000 when it is in the closed state. In addition, the middle part of the outer cover 11 is a flat part 112, which makes the thickness of the outer cover 11 (the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the flat part 112) smaller, and the overall thickness of the folding device 100 when it is in the open state is smaller, which is beneficial to the thinning and lightening of the electronic device 1000.

[0146] In some other embodiments, the outer cover plate 11 can also be arc-shaped. In some other embodiments, the outer cover plate 11 can also be semi-circular, semi-elliptical or other shapes.

[0147] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 10 , the middle shell 1 further comprises a first protrusion 14 and a second protrusion 15, both of which are located in the inner space 12 of the middle shell 1 and fixed to the outer cover plate 11. For example, the first protrusion 14 and the second protrusion 15 are spaced apart from each other, the first protrusion 14 is arranged close to the first curved portion 111, and the second protrusion 15 is arranged close to the second curved portion 113. The first protrusion 14 can be connected to the first curved portion 111 and the straight portion 112 of the outer cover plate 11, and the second protrusion 15 can be connected to the second curved portion 113 and the straight portion 112 of the outer cover plate 11, so as to improve the structural strength of the outer cover plate 11. In some other embodiments, the first protrusion 14 and the second protrusion 15 can also be connected as an integral structure. At this time, the first protrusion 14 and the second protrusion 15 can be connected to the first curved portion 111, the straight portion 112 and the second curved portion 113 of the outer cover plate 11, so as to improve the structural strength of the outer cover plate 11.

[0148] The shaft hole 141 is formed in the first protrusion 14, and the shaft hole 151 is formed in the second protrusion 15. In combination with reference to Figure 7 , the first shaft 41 is inserted into the shaft hole 141 of the first protrusion 14 and the shaft hole 23 of the first support 2, so as to rotatably connect the first support 2 to the first protrusion 14. The second shaft 42 is inserted into the shaft hole 151 of the second protrusion 15 and the shaft hole 33 of the second support 3, so as to rotatably connect the second support 3 to the second protrusion 15.

[0149] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 10 , the top 142 of the first protrusion 14 is away from the straight portion 112 of the outer cover plate 11, and the shaft hole 141 is arranged at the top 142 of the first protrusion 14. The top 152 of the second protrusion 15 is away from the straight portion 112 of the outer cover plate 11, and the shaft hole 151 is arranged at the top 152 of the second protrusion 15. In combination with reference to Figure 7 and Figure 10The first support 2 has a first gap 24 which is communicated with the rotation shaft hole 23 of the first support 2. The top 142 of the first protrusion 14 can be installed in the first gap 24 to be embedded in the first support 2. The first rotation shaft 41 is inserted into the top 142 of the first protrusion 14 and is also inserted into the first support 2 through the rotation shaft hole 23 which is communicated with the first gap 24. The second support 3 has a second gap 34 which is communicated with the rotation shaft hole 33 of the second support 3. The top 152 of the second protrusion 15 can be installed in the second gap 34 to be embedded in the second support 3. The second rotation shaft 42 is inserted into the top 152 of the second protrusion 15 and is also inserted into the second support 3 through the rotation shaft hole 33 which is communicated with the second gap 34. The assembled schematic diagram of the first support 2, the second support 3 and the middle shell 1 can be referred to Figure 4 .

[0150] In the embodiment, the positions of the rotation shaft holes (141, 151) of the middle shell 1, the rotation shaft hole 23 of the first support 2 and the rotation shaft hole 33 of the second support 3 are set so that the middle shell 1 and the first support 2 can be rotationally connected through the first rotation shaft 41, the middle shell 1 and the second support 3 can be rotationally connected through the second rotation shaft 42, that is, the middle shell 1, the first support 2 and the second support 3 can be rotationally connected through the physical shafts. The connection relationship is reliable, and the rotation action is accurate and stable. In addition, the embedded relationship between the first protrusion 14 and the first support 2 can also limit them to each other in the direction parallel to the rotation center, thereby improving the reliability of the rotation connection structure. The embedded relationship between the second protrusion 15 and the second support 3 can also limit them to each other in the direction parallel to the rotation center, thereby improving the reliability of the rotation connection structure.

[0151] For example, as shown in Figure 10 , one first protrusion 14 and one second protrusion 15 form a group of rotation shaft protrusions. The middle shell 1 can be provided with a group of rotation shaft protrusions at the top and the bottom, respectively. The two groups of rotation shaft protrusions are rotationally connected with the first support 2 and the second support 3 through the rotation shafts, so that the rotation action of the first support 2 and the second support 3 relative to the middle shell 1 is uniform and stable.

[0152] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 10As shown, the middle shell 1 also includes a third protrusion 16, which is located in the inner space 12 of the middle shell 1 and fixed to the outer cover plate 11. The third protrusion 16 may be provided with a mounting groove 161, which is generally arc-shaped, and the middle part of the mounting groove 161 is further recessed towards the straight portion 112 of the outer cover plate 11 relative to the two sides of the mounting groove 161. It can be understood that when the depth of the mounting groove 161 is relatively deep, the mounting groove 161 may also be partially formed in the straight portion 112 of the outer cover plate 11. For example, the mounting groove 161 may include a plurality of sequentially connected grooves, the bottom wall of each groove is arc-shaped, and the side wall of each groove may be provided with a rotating groove 162. The third protrusion 16 may also be provided with fastening holes 163, and the number of fastening holes 163 may be multiple and arranged on both sides of the mounting groove 161. The third protrusion 16 can connect the first curved portion 111, the straight portion 112 and the second curved portion 113 of the outer cover plate 11 to improve the structural strength of the outer cover plate 11.

[0153] In some embodiments, such as Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the middle shell 1 also includes an inner cover plate 17, which is used to fix to the third protrusion 16. For example, the inner cover plate 17 may be provided with fastening holes 171, and fasteners can be used to connect the fastening holes 171 of the inner cover plate 17 and the fastening holes 163 of the third protrusion 16, so that the inner cover plate 17 is fixed to the third protrusion 16. The number of inner cover plates 17 is the same as the number of third protrusions 16. Figure 11 As shown, the inner cover plate 17 has a protrusion 172, which is generally arc-shaped and includes a plurality of sequentially connected arc-shaped concave surfaces.

[0154] Please see Figure 12 , Figure 12 yes Figure 8 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the inner shell 1 cut along AA. The inner cover plate 17 is fixed to the third protrusion 16. The protruding portion 172 of the inner cover plate 17 and the third protrusion 16 together form an arc-shaped movable space 18, which is used to install the synchronization component 5. The movable space 18 is generally arc-shaped.

[0155] Please see Figure 13 , Figure 13 yes Figure 8 The diagram shows the structure of the synchronization component 5.

[0156] In some embodiments, the synchronization component 5 of the rotating mechanism 20 includes a first synchronization swing arm 51, a second synchronization swing arm 52, and a gear set 53. The first synchronization swing arm 51 includes a rotating end 511 and a movable end 512, and the second synchronization swing arm 52 includes a rotating end 521 and a movable end 522. The rotating end 521 of the second synchronization swing arm 52 meshes with the rotating end 511 of the first synchronization swing arm 51 through the gear set 53.

[0157] Exemplarily, the rotating end 511 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 comprises a rotating body 511a, a rotating shaft 511b and a gear 511c, the rotating shaft 511b is fixed to the front and / or back of the rotating body 511a, and the gear 511c is fixed to the circumferential side of the rotating body 511a. The rotating end 521 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 comprises a rotating body 521a, a rotating shaft 521b and a gear 521c, the rotating shaft 521b is fixed to the front and / or back of the rotating body 521a, and the gear 521c is fixed to the circumferential side of the rotating body 521a.

[0158] The gear 511c of the rotating end 511 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 and the gear 521c of the rotating end 521 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 are engaged through the gear set 53. The gear set 53 can comprise a plurality of gear shafts 531, and the plurality of gear shafts 531 are engaged with each other. The gear 511c of the rotating end 511 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 engages the gear shaft 531 of the gear set 53 close to the first synchronous swing arm 51, and the gear 521c of the rotating end 521 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 engages the gear shaft 531 of the gear set 53 close to the second synchronous swing arm 52. Exemplarily, each gear shaft 531 comprises a body 531a, a rotating shaft 531b and a gear 531c, the rotating shaft 531b is fixed to the front and / or back of the body 531a, and the gear 531c is fixed to the circumferential side of the body 531a.

[0159] In combination with Figure 12 and Figure 13 , the rotating end 511 of the first synchronous swing arm 51, the gear set 53 and the rotating end 521 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 can be installed in the activity space 18 of the middle shell 1. The rotating end 511 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 is rotatably connected to the middle shell 1. The rotating shaft 511b of the rotating end 511 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 can extend into a part of the rotating groove 162 of the activity space 18. The rotating end 521 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 is rotatably connected to the middle shell 1. The rotating shaft 521b of the rotating end 521 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 can extend into another part of the rotating groove 162 of the activity space 18. The plurality of gear shafts 531 of the gear set 53 can be sequentially installed in the activity space 18, and each gear shaft 531 is rotatably connected to the middle shell 1. The rotating shaft 531b of each gear shaft 531 can extend into another part of the rotating groove 162 of the activity space 18.

[0160] Exemplarily, the rotating end 511 of the first synchronous swing arm 51, the plurality of gear shafts 531, and the rotating end 521 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 are arranged in an arc shape. In the embodiment, the part of the synchronous assembly 5 mounted on the middle shell 1 is arranged in an arc shape, so that the bottom space of the inner side space 12 of the middle shell 1 can be fully utilized, and the top space of the inner side space 12 of the middle shell 1 can be released to form a screen accommodating space for accommodating part of the flexible display screen 200 when the electronic device 1000 is closed, thereby facilitating the compactness of the component arrangement of the electronic device 1000 and reducing the volume of the electronic device 1000.

[0161] It can be understood that the number and size of the gear shafts 531 in the gear set 53 can be designed according to the specific shape, size, and other models of the product, and the present application does not strictly limit this. The more the number of gear shafts 531 is, the smaller the size of the gear shaft 531 is, and the more space can be released. The fewer the number of gear sets 53 is, the larger the size of the gear shaft 531 is, and the smaller the cumulative transmission error of the gear set 53 is, which is beneficial to improve the motion accuracy.

[0162] Please refer again to Figure 9 , the synchronous assembly 5 is mounted on the middle shell 1, the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 is located outside the middle shell 1, and the movable end 522 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 is located outside the middle shell 1. The movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 is used to movably connect the first support 2, and in the process of relative folding and relative unfolding of the first shell 10 and the second shell 30, the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 slides and rotates relative to the first support 2. The movable end 522 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 movably connects the second support 3, and in the process of relative folding and relative unfolding of the first shell 10 and the second shell 30, the movable end 522 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 slides and rotates relative to the second support 3.

[0163] Exemplarily, the first support 2 is provided with a first sliding groove 25, and the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 is mounted on the first sliding groove 25. The groove wall of the first sliding groove 25 is recessed in the middle to form a guide space 251 of the first sliding groove 25. The movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 has a rotating shaft 512a, which can be mounted in the guide space 251 of the first sliding groove 25 and can slide and rotate in the guide space 251 of the first sliding groove 25. Through the cooperation between the guide space 251 of the first sliding groove 25 and the rotating shaft 512a of the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51, the sliding direction of the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 in the first sliding groove 25 can be guided, so that the relative sliding action between the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 and the first support 2 is more easily realized and has higher control precision.

[0164] The second support 3 is provided with a second sliding groove 35, and the movable end 522 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 is installed on the second sliding groove 35. The middle part of the groove wall of the second sliding groove 35 is recessed to form a guide space 351 of the second sliding groove 35. The movable end 522 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 has a rotating shaft 522a, which can be installed in the guide space 351 of the second sliding groove 35 and can slide and rotate in the guide space 251 of the first sliding groove 25. Through the cooperation between the guide space 351 of the second sliding groove 35 and the rotating shaft 522a of the movable end 522 of the second synchronous swing arm 52, the sliding direction of the movable end 522 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 in the second sliding groove 35 can be guided, so that the relative sliding action between the movable end 522 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 and the first support 2 is more easily realized and the control precision is higher.

[0165] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 9 The first support 2 is also provided with a first limiting groove 26, and the first limiting groove 26 is communicated with the first sliding groove 25. The first damping member 6 can be installed in the first limiting groove 26 and partially extend into the first sliding groove 25. When the first housing 10 and the second housing 30 are in the open state, the first damping member 6 abuts against the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51. Specifically, the first limiting groove 26 is communicated with the guide space 251 of the first sliding groove 25, and the first damping member 6 can abut against the rotating shaft 512a of the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51.

[0166] The second support 3 is also provided with a second limiting groove 36, and the second limiting groove 36 is communicated with the second sliding groove 35. The second damping member 7 can be installed in the second limiting groove 36 and partially extend into the second sliding groove 35. When the first housing 10 and the second housing 30 are in the open state, the second damping member 7 abuts against the movable end 522 of the second synchronous swing arm 52. Specifically, the second limiting groove 36 is communicated with the guide space 351 of the second sliding groove 35, and the second damping member 7 can abut against the rotating shaft 522a of the movable end 522 of the second synchronous swing arm 52.

[0167] Please refer to Figure 14 and Figure 15 , Figure 14 is Figure 9 the structural schematic view of the first damping member 6, Figure 15 is Figure 14 the exploded structural schematic view of the first damping member 6.

[0168] In some embodiments, the first damping member 6 can be an elastic damping. The first damping member 6 includes a bracket 61 and an elastic member 62. The bracket 61 is a rigid structure and is not easy to deform under external force. The elastic member 62 is an elastic structure and is easy to deform under external force. The bracket 61 includes a control portion 611 and an abutting portion 612, one end of the elastic member 62 is installed on the control portion 611 of the bracket 61, and the other end abuts the slot wall of the first limiting slot 26. At this time, the abutting portion 612 of the bracket 61 can abut the other side slot wall of the first limiting slot 26 under the elastic force of the elastic member 62. When the first housing 10 and the second housing 30 are in the open state, the abutting portion 612 of the bracket 61 is clamped to the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51.

[0169] In the embodiment, the elastic member 62 of the first damping member 6 can deform under external force, so that the first damping member 6 can smoothly move between the two sides of the pivot shaft of the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51, and the limiting reliability of the first damping member 6 and the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 is improved.

[0170] The first damping member 6 can further include a buffer member 63 installed on the abutting portion 612 of the bracket 61. The buffer member 63 can be made of a material with small rigidity (such as rubber), so as to absorb impact force by deformation when subjected to external force, thereby achieving buffering. Since the buffer member 63 is sleeved on the abutting portion 612 of the bracket 61, the first damping member 6 abuts the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 through the first buffer member 63 with buffering effect, which is conducive to reducing the risk of wear of the bracket 61 of the first damping member 6 and the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 during long-term relative movement, improving the limiting reliability of the first damping member 6, and making the rotating mechanism 20 more reliable.

[0171] The structure of the second damping member 7 can be the same as that of the first damping member 6, so as to simplify the material types of the folding device 100 and reduce the cost. The structure of the second damping member 7 will not be described again in the embodiment.

[0172] It can be understood that the above embodiment illustrates the structure of a damping member by way of example, and the damping member of the embodiment can also have other structures, such as an elastic rubber block. The damping member of the above embodiment limits the synchronous assembly 5 when the folding device 100 is in the open state, and in some other embodiments, the folding device 100 can also include a damping member for limiting the synchronous assembly 5 in the closed state, and the limiting mode and the structure of the damping member can refer to the above embodiment.

[0173] Please refer again to Figure 9In some embodiments, the first support 2 comprises a first support plate 27, a first protrusion 28 and a second protrusion 29. The support surface 21 of the first support 2 is formed on the first support plate 27. The first support plate 27 further comprises a fixing surface 271 opposite to the support surface 21. The first protrusion 28 and the second protrusion 29 are both fixed on the fixing surface 271 of the first support plate 27. The height of the first protrusion 28 is less than the height of the second protrusion 29. The rotation shaft hole 23 of the first support 2 can be partially formed on the first support plate 27 and partially formed on the first protrusion 28. The first protrusion 28 can reduce the difficulty of arranging the rotation shaft hole 23 and avoid the insufficient structural strength of the part of the first support 2 around the rotation shaft hole 23. The first sliding slot 25 and the first limiting slot 26 of the first support 2 can be formed on the second protrusion 29. The fastening hole 22 of the first support 2 can also be formed on the second protrusion 29.

[0174] The second support 3 comprises a second support plate 37, a third protrusion 38 and a fourth protrusion 39. The support surface 31 of the second support 3 is formed on the second support plate 37. The second support plate 37 further comprises a fixing surface 371 opposite to the support surface 31. The third protrusion 38 and the fourth protrusion 39 are both fixed on the fixing surface 371 of the second support plate 37. The rotation shaft hole 33 of the second support 3 can be partially formed on the second support plate 37 and partially formed on the third protrusion 38. The third protrusion 38 can reduce the difficulty of arranging the rotation shaft hole 33 and avoid the insufficient structural strength of the part of the second support 3 around the rotation shaft hole 33. The second sliding slot 35 and the second limiting slot 36 of the second support 3 can be formed on the fourth protrusion 39. The fastening hole 32 of the second support 3 can also be formed on the fourth protrusion 39.

[0175] It can be understood that the first support 2 and the second support 3 take the support plate as the base, and the corresponding protrusions are arranged at the positions where the connecting structures are needed to be arranged to realize the structural arrangement. This mode can simplify the structure of the first support 2 and the second support 3 and reduce the overall weight.

[0176] The first notch 24 of the first support 2 penetrates the first protrusion 28 and the first support plate 27. The first support 2 can further be provided with a third notch 210 formed on the first support plate 27, and the third notch 210 is used to avoid the first synchronous swing arm 51 of the synchronous assembly 5. The second notch 34 of the second support 3 penetrates the third protrusion 38 and the second support plate 37. The second support 3 can further be provided with a fourth notch 310 formed on the second support plate 37, and the fourth notch 310 is used to avoid the second synchronous swing arm 52 of the synchronous assembly 5.

[0177] In this embodiment, both the first support member 2 and the second support member 3 can be integrally formed structural components. In this embodiment, since both the first support member 2 and the second support member 3 are integrally formed structural components, it is beneficial to reduce the number of parts in the rotating mechanism 20 and improve the operational reliability of the rotating mechanism 20. In other embodiments, the first support member 2 can also be assembled from multiple components to form an integral structure, and the second support member 3 can also be assembled from multiple components to form an integral structure. This application does not strictly limit the specific structure, processing method, etc., of the first support member 2 and the second support member 3.

[0178] The structure of the electronic device 1000 will be explained below, mainly by referring to several cross-sectional views of the electronic device 1000.

[0179] Please refer to the following: Figure 16 and Figure 17 , Figure 16 yes Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of the electronic device 1000 along section BB is shown. Figure 17 yes Figure 3 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the electronic device 1000 taken along point CC. That is, Figure 16 The electronic device 1000 shown is in the open state. Figure 17 The electronic device 1000 shown is in a folded state.

[0180] One end of the first support member 2 is rotatably connected to the middle shell 1 via a first rotating shaft 41, and the other end of the first support member 2 is fixedly installed in the first mounting groove 101 of the first housing 10. That is, one end of the first support member 2 is rotatably connected to the middle shell 1, and the other end is fixedly connected to the first housing 10. The support surface 21 of the first support member 2 and the support surface 102 of the first housing 10 are joined to form the first support surface 401. One end of the second support member 3 is rotatably connected to the middle shell 1 via a second rotating shaft 42, and the other end of the second support member 3 is fixedly installed in the second mounting groove 301 of the second housing 30. That is, one end of the second support member 3 is rotatably connected to the middle shell 1, and the other end is fixedly connected to the second housing 30. The support surface 31 of the second support member 3 and the support surface 302 of the second housing 30 are joined to form the second support surface 402.

[0181] like Figure 16 As shown, when the first housing 10 and the second housing 30 are unfolded to the open state, the first support member 2 and the second support member 3 approach each other, and the first support surface 401 and the second support surface 402 are flush. The first support surface 401 and the second support surface 402 together support the flexible display screen 200, and the flexible display screen 200 is flattened.

[0182] like Figure 17As shown, when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are folded relative to each other to the closed state, the first support 2 and the second support 3 are away from each other, and the first support surface 401 and the second support surface 402 gradually approach in the direction away from the middle shell 1. The first support surface 401 supports part of the flexible display screen 200, and the second support surface 402 supports part of the flexible display screen 200. The part of the flexible display screen 200 is bent and separated from the first support surface 401 and the second support surface 402, and the cross-sectional shape of the flexible display screen 200 presents a shape similar to a baseball.

[0183] In the embodiment, the electronic device 1000 adopts the folding device 100 to realize screen-in folding, and the electronic device 1000 can be bent. The main motion mechanism of the rotating mechanism 20 of the folding device 100 is a single-stage solid shaft rotation between the first support 2, the second support 3 and the middle shell 1. The number of parts is small, the part cooperation relationship is simple, the mechanism degree of freedom is 1, the size chain is short, and the cumulative error is small. Therefore, the control precision of the main motion mechanism of the rotating mechanism 20 is high, thereby improving the rotation precision of the folding device 100, and the user experience of the electronic device 1000 is improved.

[0184] As shown in FIG. 1, Figure 16 As shown, when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are in the open state, the first support 2 covers part of the inner space 12 of the middle shell 1, and the second support 3 covers part of the inner space 12 of the middle shell 1. At this time, the first support 2 and the second support 3 are close to each other, the distance between the support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the support surface 31 of the second support 3 is small, and the rotating mechanism 20 adopts a two-plate structure to provide relatively complete planar support for the bending part 200b of the flexible display screen 200 in the open state. For example, when the folding device 100 is in the open state, the first support 2 and the second support 3 are spliced to better provide strong support for the flexible display screen 200.

[0185] As shown in FIG. 1, Figure 17 As shown, when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are in the open state, the first support 2 covers part of the inner space 12 of the middle shell 1, and the second support 3 covers part of the inner space 12 of the middle shell 1. At this time, the first support 2 and the second support 3 are close to each other, the distance between the support surface 21 of the first support 2 and the support surface 31 of the second support 3 is small, and the rotating mechanism 20 adopts a two-plate structure to provide relatively complete planar support for the bending part 200b of the flexible display screen 200 in the open state. For example, when the folding device 100 is in the open state, the first support 2 and the second support 3 are spliced to better provide strong support for the flexible display screen 200.

[0186] As shown in FIG. 1, Figure 16As shown in

[0187] As shown in Figure 16 , when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are in the open state, the first support 2 abuts against one side edge of the outer cover plate 11 of the middle shell 1, and the second support 3 abuts against the other side edge of the outer cover plate 11. The outer cover plate 11 can stop the first support 2 and the second support 3 when the folding device 100 is in the open state, so as to prevent the folding device 100 from being over-folded when unfolded, thereby reducing the stress on the flexible display screen 200 and improving the reliability of the flexible display screen 200 and the electronic device 1000.

[0187] As shown in Figure 16 , when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are in the open state, the middle shell 1 is located in the first mounting groove 101 and the second mounting groove 301, and the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 cover the outer cover plate 11. As shown in Figure 17 , when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are in the closed state, the middle shell 1 partially protrudes from the first mounting groove 101 and the second mounting groove 301, and the outer cover plate 11 is exposed relative to the first shell 10 and the second shell 30. In this embodiment, during switching between the open state and the closed state of the folding device 100, the middle shell 1 is gradually exposed or gradually hidden relative to the first shell 10 and the second shell 30, and the three cooperate to achieve self-shielding of the back side of the folding device 100 and the electronic device 1000, thereby improving the appearance integrity and waterproof and dustproof performance.

[0188] As shown in Figure 17 , when the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 are in the closed state, the first baffle 105 of the first shell 10 and the second baffle 305 of the second shell 30 are spliced and jointly shield the gap between the first body 104 of the first shell 10 and the second body 304 of the second shell 30. At this time, the folding device 100 and the electronic device 1000 achieve self-shielding of the appearance.

[0189] Please refer to Figure 18 and Figure 19 , Figure 18 is Figure 1 the cross-sectional view of the electronic device 1000 along the D-D section, Figure 19 is Figure 3 the cross-sectional view of the electronic device 1000 along the E-E section.

[0190] The rotating end 511 of the first synchronous swing arm 51, the gear set 53, and the rotating end 521 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 are installed in the movable space 18 of the middle shell 1. The rotating end 511 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 is rotatably connected to the middle shell 1, and the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 is movably connected to the first support member 2. During the relative folding and unfolding of the first shell 10 and the second shell 30, the movable end 512 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 slides and rotates relative to the first support member 2. The rotating end 521 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 is rotatably connected to the middle shell 1, and the movable end 522 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 is movably connected to the second support member 3. During the relative folding and unfolding of the first shell 10 and the second shell 30, the movable end 522 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 slides and rotates relative to the second support member 3. The rotating end 521 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 meshes with the rotating end 511 of the first synchronous swing arm 51 through the gear set 53.

[0191] In this embodiment, during the unfolding and folding process of the folding device 100, the sliding and rotating actions of the first synchronous swing arm 51 relative to the first support member 2 are symmetrical with the sliding and rotating actions of the second synchronous swing arm 52 relative to the second support member 3. This makes the rotation actions of the first support member 2 and the second support member 3 relative to the middle shell 1 synchronized, that is, synchronously approaching or moving away from each other. Therefore, the rotation actions of the first shell 10 and the second shell 30 relative to the middle shell 1 are well synchronized, which improves the mechanical operation experience of the folding device 100 and the electronic device 1000.

[0192] like Figure 18 As shown, since the rotating end 511 of the first synchronous swing arm 51, the gear set 53 and the rotating end 521 of the second synchronous swing arm 52 are arranged in an arc shape, the bottom space of the inner space 12 of the middle shell 1 is fully utilized, thereby releasing the top space of the inner space 12 of the middle shell 1 to form a screen-accommodating space. The flexible display screen 200 can be partially housed in the inner space of the middle shell 1 when closed, which is beneficial to improving the compactness of the component arrangement of the electronic device 1000 and reducing the volume of the electronic device 1000.

[0193] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Where there is no conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A folding device for supporting a flexible display screen, characterized in that, It includes a first housing, a rotating mechanism, and a second housing connected in sequence. The rotating mechanism is deformable to allow the first housing and the second housing to fold and unfold relative to each other. The rotating mechanism includes a middle shell, a first support member, and a second support member. One end of the first support member is rotatably connected to the middle shell, and the other end is fixedly connected to the first shell. The support surface of the first support member is spliced ​​with the support surface of the first shell to form a first support surface. One end of the second support member is rotatably connected to the middle shell, and the other end is fixedly connected to the second shell. The support surface of the second support member is spliced ​​with the support surface of the second shell to form a second support surface. When the first shell and the second shell are unfolded to the open state, the first support member and the second support member approach each other, and the first support surface and the second support surface are flush; when the first shell and the second shell are folded to the closed state, the first support member and the second support member move away from each other, and the first support surface and the second support surface gradually move closer to each other in the direction away from the middle shell. The middle shell includes an outer cover plate, which is bent to form an inner space of the middle shell; When the first housing and the second housing are in the open state, the first support member covers part of the inner space of the middle housing, and the second support member covers part of the inner space of the middle housing; When the first shell and the second shell are in a closed state, the first support member extends into the inner space of the middle shell, and the second support member extends into the inner space of the middle shell. The first support member has one or more notches on the side facing the second support member, and the second support member has one or more notches on the side facing the first support member.

2. The folding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the first housing and the second housing are in the open state, the support surface of the first support member and the support surface of the second support member are spliced ​​together to form a bending area support surface.

3. The folding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first housing has a first mounting groove on the side near the rotating mechanism, and the first support member is mounted in the first mounting groove. The second housing has a second mounting groove on the side near the rotating mechanism, and the second support member is mounted in the second mounting groove. When the first housing and the second housing are in the open state, the middle housing is located in the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove, and the first housing and the second housing cover the outer cover plate; When the first housing and the second housing are in a closed state, the middle housing portion extends out of the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove, and the outer cover plate is exposed relative to the first housing and the second housing.

4. The folding device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer cover plate includes a first curved portion, a straight portion, and a second curved portion. Both the first curved portion and the second curved portion are arc-shaped and are respectively connected to both sides of the straight portion; or, the outer cover plate is arc-shaped.

5. The folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, When the first housing and the second housing are in the open state, the first support abuts against one edge of the outer cover plate, and the second support abuts against the other edge of the outer cover plate.

6. The folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The middle shell also includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion, both of which are located in the inner space of the middle shell and fixed to the outer cover plate; The rotating mechanism further includes a first rotating shaft and a second rotating shaft. The first rotating shaft is inserted into the first support member and the first protrusion so that the first support member is rotatably connected to the first protrusion. The second rotating shaft is inserted into the second support member and the second protrusion so that the second support member is rotatably connected to the second protrusion.

7. The folding device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The top of the first protrusion is embedded in the first support member, the first rotating shaft is inserted into the top of the first protrusion, the top of the second protrusion is embedded in the second support member, and the second rotating shaft is inserted into the top of the second protrusion.

8. The folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The rotating mechanism also includes a first synchronous swing arm, a second synchronous swing arm, and a gear set; The first synchronous swing arm includes a rotating end and a movable end. The rotating end of the first synchronous swing arm is rotatably connected to the middle shell, and the movable end of the first synchronous swing arm is movably connected to the first support member. During the process of the first shell and the second shell folding and unfolding relative to each other, the movable end of the first synchronous swing arm slides and rotates relative to the first support member. The second synchronous swing arm includes a rotating end and a movable end. The rotating end of the second synchronous swing arm is rotatably connected to the middle shell, and the movable end of the second synchronous swing arm is movably connected to the second support member. During the process of the first shell and the second shell folding and unfolding relative to each other, the movable end of the second synchronous swing arm slides and rotates relative to the second support member. The rotating end of the second synchronous swing arm meshes with the rotating end of the first synchronous swing arm through the gear set.

9. The folding device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The gear set includes multiple gear shafts that mesh with each other, and each gear shaft is rotatably connected to the middle shell. The rotating end of the first synchronous swing arm, the multiple gear shafts, and the rotating end of the second synchronous swing arm are arranged in an arc shape.

10. The folding device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first support member has a first sliding groove and a first limiting groove. The first limiting groove is connected to the first sliding groove. The movable end of the first synchronous swing arm is installed in the first sliding groove. The rotating mechanism also includes a first damping member. The first damping member is installed in the first limiting groove and partially extends into the first sliding groove. When the first housing and the second housing are in the open state, the first damping member abuts against the movable end of the first synchronous swing arm.

11. The folding device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first damping element includes a bracket and an elastic element. The bracket includes a control part and a supporting part. One end of the elastic element is installed on the control part of the bracket, and the other end abuts against the groove wall of the first limiting groove. When the first housing and the second housing are in the open state, the supporting part of the bracket engages with the movable end of the first synchronous swing arm.

12. The folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first support member is a one-piece molded structural component, and the second support member is a one-piece molded structural component.

13. The folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first housing includes a first body and two first baffles. The supporting surface of the first housing is located on the first body. The two first baffles are respectively fixed on both sides of the first body and protrude relative to the supporting surface of the first housing. The height of the first baffles increases in the direction close to the rotating mechanism. The second housing includes a second body and two second baffles. The support surface of the second housing is located on the second body. The two second baffles are respectively fixed to both sides of the second body and protrude relative to the support surface of the second housing. The height of the second baffles increases in the direction close to the rotating mechanism. When the first housing and the second housing are in a closed state, the first baffle and the second baffle are spliced ​​together and together cover the gap between the first body and the second body.

14. An electronic device, characterized in that, The device includes a flexible display screen and a folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 13. The flexible display screen includes a first non-bending portion, a bending portion, and a second non-bending portion arranged in sequence. The first non-bending portion is fixedly connected to the support surface of the first housing, and the second non-bending portion is fixedly connected to the support surface of the second housing. During the relative folding and relative unfolding of the first housing and the second housing, the bending portion undergoes deformation.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The first non-bending portion is also fixedly connected to a portion of the support surface of the first support member, and the second non-bending portion is also fixedly connected to a portion of the support surface of the second support member.

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