Hinge mechanism and foldable electronic equipment
By using a combination of guide structure and elastic structure in the hinge mechanism of a foldable electronic device, the problem of large thickness of the hinge mechanism in the prior art is solved, and the lightness and damping force of the equipment are achieved, which improves the user experience.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410392616.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-03-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-03
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-03-29
AI Technical Summary
The hinge mechanism of existing foldable electronic devices is relatively thick, which affects the lightweight design of the equipment. The thickness composition of the damping structure leads to an increase in the thickness of the equipment.
Using a hinge mechanism including a shaft seat, a connecting assembly and a damping assembly, the guide structure slides on the second door panel through the design of the guide structure and the elastic structure, and the elastic structure tilts and moves between the guide surface and the guide surface to provide damping force, reducing Thickness of the hinge mechanism.
Effectively reduce the thickness of foldable electronic devices while maintaining damping force, improving user experience, and avoiding the loss of torque feel due to thinning.
Smart Images

Figure CN119244634A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of electronic equipment, and in particular to a hinge mechanism and a foldable electronic device. Background Art
[0002] In recent years, electronic devices have been updated at an increasingly rapid pace. Foldable electronic devices are becoming increasingly popular among users because they can combine a larger display area with better portability.
[0003] A foldable electronic device generally includes a display screen, a base and two housings, the two housings are respectively mounted on both sides of the base through swing arms, and can be rotated relative to the base. The display screen is laid on the two housings and the base. When the two housings are rotated so that the two housings are opposite to each other, the display screen is in a folded state, and the foldable electronic device is easy to carry at this time; when the two housings are rotated so that the two housings are located in the same plane, the display screen is in an unfolded state, and the display area of the foldable electronic device is larger at this time. In the related art, a damping structure and a door panel are connected between the base and the housing, the damping structure is mounted on the door panel, and the door panel is connected to the housing. The damping structure includes a sliding block, a cover plate and a coil spring, the sliding block has a receiving groove, the spring is mounted in the receiving groove, the cover plate covers the opening of the receiving groove, the axis of the coil spring is perpendicular to the axis of the base, one end of the coil spring contacts the base, the sliding block is slidably mounted on the door panel, and one end of the sliding block is rotatably connected to the base. In the process of the housing rotating relative to the base, the coil spring rotates relative to the base and is compressed, thereby generating a damping force.
[0004] However, the thickness of the damping structure and the door panel in the related art is relatively large, so that the thickness of the foldable electronic device is large. Summary of the invention
[0005] The present application provides a hinge mechanism and a foldable electronic device. The thickness of the hinge mechanism is relatively small, thereby reducing the thickness of the foldable electronic device to a certain extent.
[0006] The technical solution is as follows:
[0007] A first aspect of the present application provides a hinge mechanism, comprising: an axle seat, a connecting assembly and a damping assembly;
[0008] The connection components include:
[0009] A first door panel is rotatably connected to the shaft seat;
[0010] A second door panel is rotatably connected to the first door panel, and a receiving groove is provided on the second door panel;
[0011] The damping components include:
[0012] A guide structure, the guide structure is rotatably connected to the shaft seat, and the guide structure is slidably installed on the second door panel, the guide structure can move along a first direction, the first direction is perpendicular to the length direction of the shaft seat, the guide structure has a first guide surface and a second guide surface that are arranged oppositely, and at least a part of the first guide surface is inclined relative to the second guide surface;
[0013] The elastic structure has a compression direction parallel to the length direction of the shaft seat, the elastic structure is slidably assembled in the accommodating groove, and two ends of the elastic structure are respectively in contact with the first guide surface and the second guide surface.
[0014] In the hinge mechanism provided in the present application, the second door panel can rotate relative to the first door panel, and the second door panel can drive the first door panel and the guide structure to rotate relative to the shaft seat. During the rotation of the second door panel relative to the shaft seat, the guide structure rotates relative to the shaft seat and slides relative to the second door panel, so that the elastic structure moves relative to the first guide surface and the second guide surface. When the elastic structure moves in the relatively inclined area between the first guide surface and the second guide surface, the elastic structure is compressed to provide a damping force. Since in the hinge mechanism provided in the present application, the elastic structure is directly mounted on the second door panel, the thickness of the hinge mechanism is relatively small, thereby reducing the thickness of the foldable electronic device using the hinge mechanism.
[0015] In some implementations, the elastic structure has an avoidance gap, the guide structure has a guide rotation portion, and when the hinge mechanism is in a folded state, at least a portion of the structure of the guide rotation portion is located in the avoidance gap.
[0016] In some implementations, the elastic structure includes an elastic portion, a sliding portion, and a rolling portion, at least one end of the elastic portion is connected to the sliding portion, the rolling portion is rotatably mounted on the sliding portion, and the rolling portion can roll along one of the first guide surface and the second guide surface.
[0017] In some implementations, the second door panel is provided with a first sliding groove, and the sliding portion is slidably installed in the first sliding groove.
[0018] In some implementations, sliding parts are installed at both ends of the elastic part, and each sliding part is provided with a rolling part, one rolling part abuts against the first guide surface, and the other rolling part abuts against the second guide surface.
[0019] In some implementations, the first guide surface has a first oblique portion and a first straight portion distributed in sequence along the first direction, the first oblique portion and the first straight portion are arranged to be inclined relative to each other, and the second guide surface has a second oblique portion and a second straight portion distributed in sequence along the first direction, the second oblique portion and the second straight portion are arranged to be inclined relative to each other, the first straight portion and the second straight portion are both parallel to the first direction, and the inclination directions of the first oblique portion and the second oblique portion are opposite.
[0020] In some implementations, the first guide surface also has a third oblique portion, which is located on a side of the first straight portion away from the first oblique portion, the third oblique portion is inclined relative to the first straight portion, and the inclination direction of the third oblique portion is opposite to that of the first oblique portion; the second guide surface also has a fourth oblique portion, which is located on a side of the second straight portion away from the second oblique portion, the fourth oblique portion is inclined relative to the second straight portion, and the inclination direction of the fourth oblique portion is opposite to that of the second oblique portion.
[0021] In some implementations, the axial direction of the rolling portion is the second direction, and the length of the rolling portion in the second direction is smaller than the maximum length of the elastic portion in the second direction.
[0022] In some implementations, the guide structure has a pressure plate having a first pressure surface and a second pressure surface, the first pressure surface is used to limit the elastic portion in the second direction, and the second pressure surface is used to limit the rolling portion in the second direction.
[0023] In some implementations, in the second direction, the length of the sliding portion is greater than the length of the rolling portion, and the length of the sliding portion is less than the length of the elastic portion, and the pressure plate has a third pressure surface, which is located between the first pressure surface and the second pressure surface, and the third pressure surface is used to limit the sliding portion in the second direction.
[0024] In some implementations, the second door panel is provided with a second slide groove, and the guide structure is slidably assembled in the second slide groove.
[0025] In some implementations, the connection assembly further includes a first swing arm, and the second door panel is rotatably connected to the first door panel via the first swing arm.
[0026] In some implementations, the second door panel is connected to the first swing arm, the first swing arm has a first arc-shaped groove, the shaft seat is provided with a second arc-shaped groove, the first door panel is provided with a first arc-shaped rotating part and a second arc-shaped rotating part, the first arc-shaped rotating part is assembled in the first arc-shaped groove, and the second arc-shaped rotating part is assembled in the second arc-shaped groove.
[0027] In some implementations, a decorative panel is provided on a side of the guide structure away from the second door panel.
[0028] In some implementations, an adapter plate is provided on a side of the guide structure away from the second door panel, and the guide structure is connected to the decorative panel via the adapter plate.
[0029] In some implementations, the guide structure is provided with a third slide groove, the adapter plate has a transfer sliding portion, and the transfer sliding portion is assembled in the third slide groove.
[0030] In some implementations, the adapter plate is connected to the guide structure via a locking member, the adapter plate includes an adapter body and a flange portion connected to the body, the adapter body is located on the side of the guide structure away from the second door panel, the flange portion is located on the side of the guide structure away from the axle seat, the guide structure is provided with a first assembly hole, the flange portion is provided with a second assembly hole, the locking member is passed through the second assembly hole, and is connected to the second assembly hole.
[0031] A second aspect of the present application provides a foldable electronic device, comprising a housing and a hinge mechanism as provided in any of the above technical solutions, wherein the housing and a second door panel in the hinge mechanism are connected.
[0032] Through the above technical solution, since the foldable electronic device includes the above hinge mechanism, it at least has all the beneficial effects of the hinge mechanism, which will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present application in a first state;
[0034] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present application in a second state;
[0035] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present application in a third state;
[0036] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the foldable electronic device shown;
[0037] Figure 5 is an exploded schematic diagram of parts of a hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0038] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of a hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application in a flattened state at a viewing angle;
[0039] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a guide structure in a hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application at a viewing angle;
[0040] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of a guide structure in a hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application from another perspective;
[0041] Fig. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of the hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application in a flattened state at another viewing angle;
[0042] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 Sectional view at the middle BB;
[0043] Fig.11 is a structural schematic diagram of a hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application in a semi-expanded state at a viewing angle;
[0044] Fig.12 is a structural schematic diagram of a hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application when it is in a folded state at a certain viewing angle;
[0045] Fig.13 is a structural schematic diagram of the hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application when it is in a folded state at another viewing angle;
[0046] Fig.14 yes Fig.13 Sectional view at CC;
[0047] Fig.15 It is a schematic diagram of the exploded parts of the central axis seat of the hinge mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application;
[0048] Fig.16 is a structural schematic diagram of the hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application in a flattened state without including a cover plate;
[0049] Fig.17 is a structural schematic diagram of a first swing arm in a hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0050] Fig.18 is a structural schematic diagram of a first door panel in a hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0051] Fig.19 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the first door panel and the center beam in the hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0052] Fig. 20 is a structural schematic diagram of an elastic structure in a hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application at a viewing angle;
[0053] Fig.21 It is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the second door panel, the guide structure and the elastic structure in the hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0054] Fig. 22 yes Fig.13 Sectional view at DD in the middle;
[0055] Fig.23 is a structural schematic diagram of the hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application in a flattened state at another viewing angle;
[0056] Fig.24 yes Fig.23 Sectional view at EE;
[0057] Fig.25It is a schematic diagram of the exploded parts of the elastic structure in the hinge mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application;
[0058] Fig.26 is a structural schematic diagram of a second door panel in a hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application at a viewing angle;
[0059] Fig. 27 is a structural schematic diagram of the elastic structure in the hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application at another viewing angle;
[0060] Fig.28 is a structural schematic diagram of the second door panel in the hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application at another viewing angle;
[0061] Fig.29 is a structural schematic diagram of the elastic structure in the hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application at another viewing angle;
[0062] Fig.30 is a structural schematic diagram of a guide structure in a hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application at another viewing angle;
[0063] Fig.31 yes Figure 6 The enlarged view of point A in the middle;
[0064] Fig.32 It is a structural schematic diagram of the adapter plate in the hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application.
[0065] The meanings of the figures are as follows:
[0066] 1-foldable electronic device; 10-hinge mechanism; 20-first housing; 30-second housing; 40-display screen; 41-first part; 42-second part; 43-foldable part;
[0067] 100-axle seat; 110-middle beam; 120-cover plate; 130-second arc groove; 140-fixing member; 150-third arc groove;
[0068] 200-connecting assembly; 210-first door panel; 211-first arc-shaped rotating part; 212-second arc-shaped rotating part; 220-second door panel; 221-accommodating groove; 222-first slide groove; 223-second slide groove; 224-first guard plate; 225-second guard plate; 230-first swing arm; 231-first arc-shaped groove;
[0069] 300-damping assembly;
[0070] 310-guide structure; 311-first guide surface; 311a-first inclined portion; 311b-first straight portion; 311c-third inclined portion; 312-second guide surface; 312a-second inclined portion; 312b-second straight portion; 312c-fourth inclined portion; 313-guide rotating portion; 314-pressing plate; 314a-first pressing surface; 314b-second pressing surface; 314c-third pressing surface; 315-guide body; 316-sliding matching portion; 317-first assembly hole; 318-third slide groove;
[0071] 320-elastic structure; 321-elastic part; 322-sliding part; 322a-first convex block; 323-rolling part; 324-avoidance gap;
[0072] 400-adapter plate; 410-adapter body; 420-flanged portion; 421-second assembly hole; 430-adapter sliding portion; 440-positioning hole;
[0073] 500-synchronous swing arm; 510-limit sleeve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0074] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the implementation methods of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0075] It should be understood that the "multiple" mentioned in this application refers to two or more. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, " / " means or, for example, A / B can mean A or B; "and / or" in this article is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solution of this application, the words "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between the same items or similar items with basically the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art can understand that the words "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and the words "first" and "second" do not limit them to be different.
[0076] In the related art, in the hinge mechanism of a foldable electronic device, a damping structure and a door panel are connected between the base and the shell, the damping structure is installed on the door panel, and the door panel is connected to the shell. The damping structure includes a sliding block, a cover plate, and a coil spring. The sliding block has a receiving groove, the spring is installed in the receiving groove, the cover plate covers the opening of the receiving groove, the axis of the coil spring is perpendicular to the axis of the base, one end of the coil spring contacts the base, the sliding block is slidably installed on the door panel, and one end of the sliding block is rotatably connected to the base. In the process of the shell rotating relative to the base, the coil spring rotates relative to the base and is compressed, thereby generating a damping force.
[0077] In the hinge mechanism of the related art, in the area where the damping structure is provided, the thickness of the hinge mechanism at least includes the thickness of the cover plate, the thickness of the bottom plate of the sliding block (that is, the thickness of the receiving groove of the sliding block), the thickness of the spring, and the thickness of the door plate. The thickness of the hinge mechanism is at least the sum of the thicknesses of the above four structures, so the thickness of the hinge mechanism is relatively thick, which is not conducive to the lightweight design of the foldable electronic device.
[0078] In order to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned related technologies, the embodiments of the present application provide a hinge mechanism and a foldable electronic device, and the hinge mechanism can be applied in a foldable electronic device. The hinge mechanism and the foldable electronic device provided in the embodiments of the present application are explained in detail below. In the drawings of the present application, the leads with hollow arrows all point to the surface of the device, the leads with dots all point to the spatial area within a certain range such as holes, grooves, cavities, etc., and the leads with solid arrows point to the device itself.
[0079] The foldable electronic device 1 includes but is not limited to a cell phone, a notebook computer, a tablet personal computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, a wearable device or a mobile device, etc. In the embodiment of the present application, the foldable electronic device 1 is taken as an example of a mobile phone.
[0080] Figure 1 The foldable electronic device 1 is shown in a folded state. Figure 2 The foldable electronic device 1 is shown in a semi-expanded state. Figure 3 The foldable electronic device 1 is shown in an unfolded state. Figure 2 The unfolding angle α of the foldable electronic device 1 is 90 degrees. Figure 3 The unfolding angle β of the foldable electronic device 1 is shown to be 180 degrees.
[0081] It should be noted that the angles illustrated in the embodiments of the present application are allowed to have slight deviations. Figure 2 The unfolding angle α of the foldable electronic device 1 shown is 90 degrees, which means that α can be 90 degrees, or approximately 90 degrees, such as 80 degrees, 85 degrees, 95 degrees or 100 degrees. Figure 3 The unfolding angle β of the foldable electronic device 1 shown is 180 degrees, which means that β can be 180 degrees, or approximately 180 degrees, such as 170 degrees, 175 degrees, 185 degrees, and 190 degrees. The angles described below can be understood in the same way.
[0082] The foldable electronic device 1 shown in the embodiment of the present application is an electronic device that can be folded once. In some other embodiments, the foldable electronic device 1 can also be an electronic device that can be folded multiple times (more than twice). In this case, the foldable electronic device 1 can include multiple parts, two adjacent parts can be folded relatively close to each other until the foldable electronic device 1 is in a folded state, and two adjacent parts can be unfolded relatively far away from each other until the foldable electronic device 1 is in an unfolded state.
[0083] For the convenience of description, in this embodiment, the width direction of the foldable electronic device 1 is defined as the X-axis direction, the length direction of the foldable electronic device 1 is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the thickness direction of the foldable electronic device 1 is defined as the Z-axis direction. The X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction are mutually perpendicular. It should be noted that the width direction is based on the foldable electronic device 1 when it is in a flattened state. The dimension in the width direction is not necessarily larger than the dimension in the length direction. It is worth noting that the qualifiers of the relevant positional relationships such as parallel and perpendicular mentioned in this embodiment are all for the current process level, rather than an absolute and strict definition in the mathematical sense. A small amount of deviation is allowed, and both approximately parallel and approximately perpendicular are acceptable. For example, A and B are parallel, which means that A and B are parallel or approximately parallel, and the angle between A and B can be between 0 degrees and 10 degrees. For example, A and B are perpendicular, which means that A and B are perpendicular or approximately perpendicular, and the angle between A and B can be between 80 degrees and 100 degrees. This embodiment uses directional terms such as "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "front" and "back" to describe the foldable electronic device 1. The directions are mainly based on the location of the foldable terminal in the surrounding area. Figure 3 The display directions are explained in the figure, with the positive direction of the Y axis being the "top", the negative direction of the Y axis being the "bottom", the positive direction of the X axis being the "left", the negative direction of the X axis being the "right", the positive direction of the Z axis being the "front", and the negative direction of the Z axis being the "back".
[0084] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 yes Figure 3The schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the foldable electronic device 1 is shown. The foldable electronic device 1 includes a first shell 20, a second shell 30, a hinge mechanism 10 and a display screen 40, and the hinge mechanism 10 is connected between the first shell 20 and the second shell 30. Specifically, the first shell 20 and the second shell 30 are respectively installed on both sides of the hinge mechanism 10 in the width direction, that is, the first shell 20 and the second shell 30 are respectively installed on the left and right sides of the hinge mechanism 10. The first shell 20 and the second shell 30 rotate relative to each other through the hinge mechanism 10. The rotation directions of the first shell 20 and the second shell 30 are opposite. The display screen 40 is laid on one side of the first shell 20, the second shell 30 and the hinge mechanism 10, specifically, the display screen 40 is laid on the front side of the first shell 20, the second shell 30 and the hinge mechanism 10. The display screen 40 includes a first part 41, a second part 42 and a foldable part 43. The foldable part 43 is located between the first part 41 and the second part 42, and the foldable part 43 can be bent along the Y-axis direction. The first part 41, the second part 42 and the foldable part 43 together constitute a display screen 40. In the present embodiment, the display screen 40 is a flexible display screen, for example, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display screen, an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode or an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display screen, a mini organic light-emitting diode display screen, a micro organic light-emitting diode display screen, a micro organic light-emitting diode display screen, or a quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED) display screen.
[0085] The first housing 20 and the second housing 30 are relatively close to each other, and the display screen 40 is folded, so that the foldable electronic device 1 is folded. When the foldable electronic device 1 is in the folded state, the foldable portion 43 of the display screen 40 is bent, and the first portion 41 and the second portion 42 are arranged opposite to each other. At this time, the display screen 40 is between the first housing 20 and the second housing 30, which can greatly reduce the probability of the display screen 40 being damaged, and effectively protect the display screen 40.
[0086] Please also read Figure 2 and Figure 4The first housing 20 and the second housing 30 rotate relative to each other through the hinge mechanism 10, and the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 move away from each other to drive the display screen 40 to unfold, so that the foldable electronic device 1 is unfolded to a semi-expanded state. When the foldable electronic device 1 is in the semi-expanded state, the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 are relatively unfolded, the first part 41 and the second part 42 are relatively unfolded, and the foldable part 43 is driven to unfold.
[0087] Please also read Figure 3 and Figure 4 The first housing 20 and the second housing 30 rotate relative to each other through the hinge mechanism 10. The first housing 20 and the second housing 30 can adopt the same structure, and the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 can be arranged in mirror symmetry with respect to the hinge mechanism 10. The first housing 20 and the second housing 30 move away from each other to drive the display screen 40 to further unfold until the foldable electronic device 1 is flattened.
[0088] It should be understood that the foldable electronic device 1 shown in the embodiment of the present application is folded in an outward folding manner, and the display screen 40 of the foldable electronic device 1 in the folded state is located on the outside of the hinge mechanism 10.
[0089] Figure 5 is an exploded view of parts of a hinge mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application, Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of a hinge mechanism provided by this embodiment at a viewing angle, Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the guide structure in the hinge mechanism provided in this embodiment at a certain viewing angle. Figure 5-30 The hinge mechanisms shown in the figures are partial schematic diagrams of the area near the bottom end.
[0090] like Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the hinge mechanism includes an axle seat 100, a connecting assembly 200 and a damping assembly 300, wherein the connecting assembly 200 includes a first door panel 210 and a second door panel 220, wherein the first door panel 210 is rotatably connected to the axle seat 100, and the second door panel 220 is rotatably connected to the first door panel 210, and a receiving groove 221 is provided on the second door panel 220. The damping assembly 300 includes a guide structure 310 and an elastic structure 320, wherein the guide structure 310 is mounted on the axle seat 100 and can rotate relative to the axle seat 100, and the guide structure 310 is slidably mounted on the second door panel 220. The guide structure 310 has a first guide surface 311 and a second guide surface 312 which are arranged opposite to each other, and at least a part of the first guide surface 311 is inclined relative to the second guide surface 312. The elastic structure 320 is slidably assembled in the receiving groove 221, and the two ends of the elastic structure 320 are in contact with the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312 respectively.
[0091] The length direction of the shaft seat 100 is the Y-axis direction, the first door panel 210 can rotate relative to the shaft seat 100 around the first axis, and the second door panel 220 can rotate relative to the first door panel 210 around the second axis, the first axis and the second axis are parallel, and the first axis and the second axis are parallel to the length direction of the shaft seat 100. The compression direction of the elastic structure 320 is parallel to the length direction of the shaft seat 100. The direction in which the guide structure 310 moves relative to the second door panel 220 is the first direction, the first direction is perpendicular to the length direction of the shaft seat 100, and when the hinge mechanism is in a flattened state, the first direction is parallel to the X-axis direction.
[0092] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in the hinge mechanism, there are two first door panels 210 and two second door panels 220, respectively. The two first door panels 210 are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the shaft seat 100, and the two second door panels 220 are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the shaft seat 100. In the first door panel 210 and the second door panel 220 located on the same side, the second door panel 220 is located on the side of the first door panel 210 away from the shaft seat 100. In a feasible embodiment, a synchronization component is also arranged between the two second door panels 220, and the synchronization component includes two synchronization swing arms 500, one end of the synchronization swing arm 500 has a synchronization shaft, the synchronization shaft is provided with synchronization teeth along the circumferential direction, the synchronization shaft is rotatably mounted on the shaft seat 100, and the other end of the synchronization swing arm 500 is slidably assembled in the second door panel 220, and the synchronization swing arm 500 can move relative to the second door panel 220 along the first direction. The synchronization teeth on the two synchronization swing arms 500 are meshed. The two synchronous swing arms 500 can be connected by a limiting sleeve 510. The limiting sleeve 510 has two limiting holes. The synchronous rotating shafts of the two synchronous swing arms 500 extend into the two limiting holes respectively. The synchronous swing arms 500 can rotate relative to the limiting sleeve 510. The limiting sleeve 510 limits the synchronous swing arms 500 in the first direction. The limiting sleeve 510 is installed on the shaft seat 100. It is worth noting that Figure 5 and Figure 6 Only one synchronization component is shown in the figure, but more synchronization components can be provided in the hinge mechanism. When the hinge mechanism is provided with multiple synchronization components, the multiple synchronization components are distributed at intervals along the length direction of the shaft seat 100.
[0093] like Figure 7As shown, the guide structure 310 has a guide body 315, a guide groove is formed in the guide body 315, the opening of the guide groove faces the second door panel 220, and the inner wall of the guide groove includes a first guide surface 311 and a second guide surface 312, and the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312 are arranged relatively to each other in the length direction of the shaft seat 100. At least part of the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312 are arranged relatively to each other in an inclined manner, and the distances of the areas where the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312 are arranged relatively to each other in an inclined manner in the first direction are not equal. All areas of the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312 are arranged relatively to each other in an inclined manner, and there may be differences in the relative inclination directions, for example, the distance between the parts of the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312 gradually increases along the first direction toward the direction close to the shaft seat 100, while the distance between the other parts of the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312 gradually decreases along the first direction toward the direction close to the shaft seat 100. In other embodiments, the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312 are relatively parallel to the partial area close to the shaft seat 100, and the distance between the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312 and the partial area away from the shaft seat 100 gradually decreases along the first direction toward the direction close to the shaft seat 100. It is worth noting that the distance between the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312 refers to the distance in the length direction of the shaft seat 100.
[0094] In a specific example, Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the first guide surface 311 has a first oblique portion 311a and a first straight portion 311b sequentially distributed along the first direction, the first oblique portion 311a and the first straight portion 311b are arranged to be inclined relative to each other, and the second guide surface 312 has a second oblique portion 312a and a second straight portion 312b sequentially distributed along the first direction, the second oblique portion 312a and the second straight portion 312b are arranged to be inclined relative to each other, the first straight portion 311b and the second straight portion 312b are both parallel to the first direction, and the inclination directions of the first oblique portion 311a and the second oblique portion 312a are opposite. In the first guide surface 311, the first straight portion 311b is located on the side of the first oblique portion 311a close to the shaft seat 100, and the second straight portion 312b is located on the side of the second oblique portion 312a close to the shaft seat 100. The distance between the first inclined portion 311a and the second inclined portion 312a gradually decreases along the first direction toward the direction close to the shaft seat 100, and the distance between the first straight portion 311b and the second straight portion 312b is less than or equal to the minimum distance between the first inclined portion 311a and the second inclined portion 312a. Fig. 9 and Fig.10As shown, in the flattened state, the two ends of the elastic structure 320 are in contact with the area of the first inclined portion 311a away from the first straight portion 311b, and the area of the second inclined portion 312a away from the first straight portion 311b, respectively. The elastic structure 320 is in a compressed state between the first inclined portion 311a and the second inclined portion 312a. Therefore, when folding from the flattened state to the folded state, the elastic structure 320 moves relative to the guide structure 310 toward the direction close to the shaft seat 100. Due to the distance between the first inclined portion 311a and the second inclined portion 312a, the elastic structure 320 is in a compressed state between the first inclined portion 311a and the second inclined portion 312a. The elastic structure 320 gradually decreases, so the compression amount of the elastic structure 320 is greater, and the damping force of the elastic structure 320 on the guide structure 310 is greater. Therefore, if you want to fold from the flat state to the folded state, you need to overcome the damping force of the elastic structure 320 on the guide structure 310, that is, the elastic structure 320 can enable the hinge mechanism to remain in the flat state when there is no external force and the external force is less than the damping force of the elastic structure 320 on the guide structure 310, so as to facilitate the user to use the foldable electronic device with the hinge mechanism in the flat state. The damping force of the elastic structure 320 on the guide structure 310 is the component force of the elastic force of the elastic structure 320 in the first direction. When the user overcomes the damping force of the elastic structure 320 between the first inclined portion 311a and the second inclined portion 312a, so that the elastic structure 320 moves between the first straight portion 311b and the second straight portion 312b, the hinge mechanism is in a semi-expanded state (such as Fig.11 As shown). During the process of the second door panel 220 rotating relative to the shaft seat 100, the elastic structure 320 moves relative to the guide structure 310 toward the direction close to the shaft seat 100. Since the first straight portion 311b and the second straight portion 312b are parallel to the moving direction of the elastic structure 320, the component force of the elastic structure 320 in the first direction is small or zero, so that the user can fold the foldable electronic device using the hinge mechanism more smoothly.
[0095] In some implementations, the first guide surface 311 further has a third oblique portion 311c, which is located on a side of the first straight portion 311b away from the first oblique portion 311a, and is inclined relative to the first straight portion 311b, and the inclination direction of the third oblique portion 311c is opposite to that of the first oblique portion 311a; the second guide surface 312 further has a fourth oblique portion 312c, which is located on a side of the second straight portion 312b away from the second oblique portion 312a, and is inclined relative to the second straight portion 312b, and the inclination direction of the fourth oblique portion 312c is opposite to that of the second oblique portion 312a. The distance between the third oblique portion 311c and the fourth oblique portion 312c gradually increases along the first direction toward the direction close to the shaft seat 100. Fig.12 , Fig.13 and Fig.14As shown, when the hinge mechanism is in the folded state, the two ends of the elastic structure 320 are in contact with the third inclined portion 311c and the fourth inclined portion 312c respectively, and the elastic structure 320 is in a compressed state. If the hinge mechanism is to be unfolded from the folded state to the unfolded state, the compression amount of the elastic structure 320 will increase during the movement of the elastic structure 320 along the third inclined portion 311c and the fourth inclined portion 312c. Since the third inclined portion 311c and the fourth inclined portion 312c are both inclined to the moving direction of the elastic structure 320, the elastic structure 320 has an effect on the moving direction. That is, when the elastic structure 320 is located between the third inclined portion 311c and the fourth inclined portion 312c, a damping force is applied to the guide structure 310. Therefore, if the guide structure 310 is to be unfolded from a folded state to a flattened state, it is necessary to overcome the damping force of the elastic structure 320 acting on the guide structure 310. That is, the elastic structure 320 can enable the hinge mechanism to remain in the folded state when there is no external force and the external force is less than the damping force of the elastic structure 320 acting on the guide structure 310, so as to facilitate the user to use the foldable electronic device using the hinge mechanism in the folded state.
[0096] In the hinge mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application, the second door plate 220 can rotate relative to the first door plate 210, and the second door plate 220 can drive the first door plate 210 and the guide structure 310 to rotate relative to the shaft seat 100. In the process of the second door plate 220 rotating relative to the shaft seat 100, the guide structure 310 rotates relative to the shaft seat 100 and slides relative to the second door plate 220, so that the elastic structure 320 moves relative to the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312. When the elastic structure 320 moves in the area where the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312 are relatively inclined, the elastic structure 320 is compressed to provide a damping force. Since in the hinge mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application, the elastic structure 320 is directly mounted on the second door plate 220, the thickness of the hinge mechanism includes the sum of the thickness of the second door plate 220 and the thickness of the elastic structure 320, so that the thickness of the hinge mechanism is relatively small, thereby reducing the thickness of the foldable electronic device to which the hinge mechanism is applied. In addition, since the elastic structure 320 is directly mounted on the second door panel 220, the elastic structure 320 is mounted relatively further back in the hinge mechanism, so that the distance between the elastic structure 320 and the rotation axis of the guide structure 310 is larger, so that the torque exerted by the elastic structure 320 on the guide structure 310 is larger, which is conducive to increasing the torque, that is, the torque feel will not be lost due to the thinning of the hinge mechanism. In the case where the hinge mechanism is not thinned, the thickness of the elastic structure 320 can be increased to increase the torque feel and improve the user experience.
[0097] In some embodiments, Fig.15As shown, the axle seat 100 includes a center beam 110 and a cover plate 120. The cover plate 120 is connected to the front side of the center beam 110. The center beam 110 and the cover plate 120 can be connected by welding, clamping, bonding, bolting, etc. Fig.15 In the embodiment, the cover plate 120 is connected to the middle beam 110 through a plurality of fixing members 140. In a specific example, the fixing members 140 are bolts, a plurality of threaded holes are provided on the middle beam 110 along the length direction, a through hole is provided on the cover plate 120 at a position opposite to the threaded hole, and the bolt passes through the through hole and is screwed into the threaded hole, thereby fixing the middle beam 110 to the cover plate 120. The through hole on the cover plate 120 may be a countersunk hole.
[0098] In some implementations, such as Fig.16 As shown, the connecting assembly 200 further includes a first swing arm 230, and the second door panel 220 is rotatably connected to the first door panel 210 via the first swing arm 230. The second door panel 220 is fixedly connected to the first swing arm 230, and the first swing arm 230 is rotatably connected to the first door panel 210. The provision of the first swing arm 230 reduces the complexity of the structure of the second door panel 220 itself, facilitates the production and processing of the second door panel 220, and realizes the rotatable connection between the second door panel 220 and the first door panel 210.
[0099] like Figures 15 to 19 As shown, in some implementations, the second door panel 220 is connected to the first swing arm 230, the first swing arm 230 has a first arc-shaped groove 231, the shaft seat 100 is provided with a second arc-shaped groove 130, and the first door panel 210 is provided with a first arc-shaped rotating portion 211 and a second arc-shaped rotating portion 212, the first arc-shaped rotating portion 211 is assembled in the first arc-shaped groove 231, and the second arc-shaped rotating portion 212 is assembled in the second arc-shaped groove 130. In this arrangement, the first arc-shaped rotating portion 211 of the first door panel 210 extends into the first arc-shaped groove 231, so that the first door panel 210 can rotate relative to the shaft seat 100, and during the rotation of the first door panel 210 relative to the shaft seat 100, the first arc-shaped rotating portion 211 slides relative to the first arc-shaped groove 231. The second arc-shaped rotating portion 212 of the first door panel 210 extends into the second arc-shaped groove 130 so that the first door panel 210 can rotate relative to the second door panel 220 . During the rotation of the first door panel 210 relative to the second door panel 220 , the second arc-shaped rotating portion 212 slides relative to the second arc-shaped groove 130 .
[0100] In a specific embodiment, Fig.16 and Fig.17As shown, the first swing arm 230 may be provided with a through hole for a bolt to pass through, so that the first swing arm 230 can be connected to the second door panel 220 by the bolt. A threaded hole is provided on the second door panel 220 at a position opposite to the through hole of the first swing arm 230. The rod of the bolt passes through the through hole of the first swing arm 230 and is screwed into the threaded hole of the second door panel 220, thereby fixing the first swing arm 230 to the second door panel 220. Of course, in other embodiments, the first swing arm 230 may also be fixedly connected to the second door panel 220 by welding, bonding, interference fit connection, clamping, or other connection methods. Fig.16 and Fig.17 In the embodiment, a through hole is provided at one end of the first swing arm 230 away from the shaft seat 100. Fig.17 In the embodiment, a first arc groove 231 is provided at one end of the first swing arm 230 close to the shaft seat 100. The first arc groove 231 has two arc surfaces that are relatively spaced apart, and the first arc rotating portion 211 is an arc plate-shaped structure, and the first arc rotating portion 211 is in contact with at least one of the two arc surfaces in the first arc groove 231. Exemplarily, the opposite sides of the first arc rotating portion 211 are respectively in contact with the two arc surfaces in the first arc groove 231, and the first arc groove 231 plays a role of guiding and limiting the first arc rotating portion 211.
[0101] The second arc groove 130 on the axle seat 100 is formed between the center beam 110 and the cover plate 120, and the second arc groove 130 includes two opposite arc surfaces, one of which is located on the front side of the center beam 110, and the other is located on the rear side of the cover plate 120. After the cover plate 120 is connected to the center beam 110, the arc surface on the cover plate 120 is spaced apart from the arc surface on the center beam 110, thereby forming the second arc groove 130. The adapter body 410 of the second arc groove 130 can be arranged on the center beam 110, that is, the center beam 110 has an arc groove with a bottom surface protruding toward the rear side, and the front side of the cover plate 120 has a protrusion protruding toward the rear side, and the surface of the protrusion is an arc surface. When the cover plate 120 is installed on the center beam 110, the protrusion extends into the arc groove, and the second arc groove 130 is formed between the arc surface of the protrusion and the bottom surface of the arc groove. With such an arrangement, Fig.19 As shown, during the assembly process of the first door panel 210, the second arc-shaped rotating portion 212 of the first door panel 210 can be placed in the arc-shaped groove on the center beam 110 to limit the first door panel 210 to a certain extent, and then the cover plate 120 is installed so that the first arc-shaped rotating rod portion is slidably assembled in the second arc-shaped groove 130. Fig.18 and Fig.19As shown, the second arc-shaped rotating portion 212 is an arc-shaped plate-shaped structure, and the second arc-shaped rotating portion 212 is at least in contact with one of the two arc-shaped surfaces in the second arc-shaped groove 130. Exemplarily, the opposite sides of the second arc-shaped rotating portion 212 are respectively in contact with the two arc-shaped surfaces in the second arc-shaped groove 130, and the second arc-shaped groove 130 plays a role in guiding and limiting the second arc-shaped rotating portion 212.
[0102] The first door panel 210 and the second door panel 220 are both in the form of a strip-shaped plate structure. At least one first arc-shaped rotating portion 211 and at least one second arc-shaped rotating portion 212 are provided on the first door panel 210. The first arc-shaped rotating portion 211 and the second arc-shaped rotating portion 212 are spaced apart along the length direction on the first door panel 210. A first arc-shaped rotating portion 211 and a second arc-shaped rotating portion 212 form a group of rotating portions. At least one group of rotating portions is provided on the first door panel 210. In a group of rotating portions, the first arc-shaped rotating portion 211 and the second arc-shaped rotating portion 212 are spaced apart, and the spacing is relatively close. In some examples, a plurality of groups of rotating portions may be provided on the first door panel 210. The plurality of groups of rotating portions are spaced apart along the length direction on the first door panel 210. The distance between two adjacent groups of rotating portions is greater than the distance between the first arc-shaped rotating portion 211 and the second arc-shaped rotating portion 212 in the same group. Fig.18 In the embodiment, two sets of rotating parts are arranged on the first door panel 210 . Correspondingly, the first door panel 210 is rotatably connected with the second door panel 220 via two first swing arms 230 , and two first arc grooves 231 are arranged on the shaft seat 100 .
[0103] like Fig. 20 and Fig.21 As shown, in some implementations, the elastic structure 320 has an avoidance gap 324, and the guide structure 310 has a guide rotating portion 313, such as Fig. 22 As shown, when the hinge mechanism is in the folded state, at least a portion of the structure of the guide rotating portion 313 is located in the avoidance gap 324 .
[0104] The guide structure 310 is rotatably connected to the shaft seat 100 via the guide rotating portion 313. In a specific example, Fig.21 As shown, the guide rotating part 313 is an arc-shaped plate structure. Fig.15 As shown, the middle beam 110 of the shaft seat 100 is provided with a third arc groove 150, and the guide rotating part 313 is slidably assembled in the third arc groove 150. Fig. 20 As shown, the bottom surface of the avoidance gap 324 is an arc surface matching the guide rotating portion 313. Fig.23 and Fig.24 As shown, when the hinge mechanism is in the unfolded state, the guide rotating portion 313 is completely located outside the avoidance notch 324, as shown in FIG. Fig. 22As shown, when the hinge mechanism is in the folded state, the guide rotating part 313 extends into the avoidance gap 324, the bottom surface of the avoidance gap 324 matches the bottom surface of the guide rotating part 313, and the bottom surface of the avoidance gap 324 is adjacent to the bottom surface of the wire rotating part and is arranged at a distance. In this arrangement, since the avoidance gap 324 is arranged on the elastic structure 320, it is not necessary to reduce the size of the elastic structure 320 in the first direction in order to avoid the guide rotating part 313, so that the size of the elastic structure 320 in the first direction can be relatively larger, so that even if the thickness of the elastic structure 320 is further reduced to further thin the hinge mechanism, the elastic structure 320 can provide a relatively large damping force.
[0105] like Fig.25 As shown, in some implementations, the elastic structure 320 includes an elastic portion 321, a sliding portion 322 and a rolling portion 323, at least one end of the elastic portion 321 is connected to the sliding portion 322, the rolling portion 323 is rotatably mounted on the sliding portion 322, and the rolling portion 323 can roll along one of the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312. That is, the elastic portion 321 may be connected to the sliding portion 322 at only one end, the rolling portion 323 is mounted on the sliding portion 322, and the other end of the elastic portion 321 is fixedly mounted on the second door panel 220. In this arrangement, the first guide surface 311 is parallel to the first direction, the second guide surface 312 has a surface inclined relative to the first guide surface 311, and the rolling portion 323 is in contact with the second guide surface 312. During the rotation of the second door panel 220 relative to the shaft seat 100, the position of the end of the elastic portion 321 in contact with the first guide surface 311 in the length direction of the shaft seat 100 remains unchanged. When the rolling portion 323 provided at the other end of the elastic portion 321 moves along the second guide surface 312 to the inclined surface, the rolling portion 323 rolls along the second guide surface 312 and drives the sliding portion 322 to move in the length direction of the shaft seat 100 to approach or move away from the other end of the elastic portion 321, thereby increasing or decreasing the compression amount of the elastic portion 321. Alternatively, in some other configurations, such as Fig.25As shown, sliding parts 322 are respectively provided at both ends of the elastic part 321, and rolling parts 323 are provided on both sliding parts 322, wherein one rolling part 323 abuts against the first guide surface 311, and the other rolling part 323 abuts against the second guide surface 312. In this arrangement, only one of the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312 may be provided with an inclined surface, or both may be provided with an inclined surface. Exemplarily, when the first guide surface 311 includes a first oblique portion 311a, a first straight portion 311b and a third oblique portion 311c, and the second guide surface 312 includes a second oblique portion 312a, a second straight portion 312b and a fourth oblique portion 312c, when the elastic structure 320 moves relative to the guide structure 310 along the first direction, the two ends of the elastic portion 321 are respectively squeezed by the first guide surface 311 and the second guide surface 312, so that at the same rotation angle, the elastic portion 321 in this arrangement is squeezed by both ends at the same time, the compression amount is larger, and a larger elastic force can be provided to apply a larger damping force on the guide structure 310 in the folded state and the flattened state. Exemplarily, the elastic portion 321 can adopt a spring structure formed by bending a plate-like structure multiple times.
[0106] like Fig. 20 As shown, part of the avoidance notch is located on the elastic part 321, and part of it is located on the sliding part 322. In other words, both the elastic part 321 and the sliding part 322 are provided with notches, and the notch of the elastic part 321 and the notch of the sliding part 322 together constitute the avoidance notch.
[0107] The sliding part 322 is slidably connected to the second door panel 220 . For example, a protrusion may be provided on one of the sliding part 322 and the second door panel 220 , and a sliding groove may be provided on the other. The protrusion is slidably assembled in the sliding groove, so that the sliding part 322 is slidably assembled in the second door panel 220 .
[0108] like Fig.26 As shown, in some implementations, the second door panel 220 is provided with a first slide groove 222, and the sliding portion 322 is slidably installed in the first slide groove 222. The extension direction of the first slide groove 222 is the length direction of the shaft seat 100, and one or more first slide grooves 222 may be provided corresponding to one sliding portion 322. Fig. 27 As shown, a first protrusion 322a is provided at the bottom of the sliding portion 322, and the length of the first protrusion 322a in the length direction of the shaft seat 100 is smaller than the length of the first sliding groove 222, so that the first protrusion 322a can slide along the first sliding groove 222 in the length direction of the shaft seat 100 after extending into the first sliding groove 222.
[0109] In a specific example, Fig.28As shown, the second door panel 220 is provided with a first guard plate 224 and a second guard plate 225, which are spaced apart in the first direction, and a receiving groove 221 is formed between the first guard plate 224 and the second guard plate 225. Four first slide grooves 222 are provided at the bottom of the receiving groove 221, of which two first slide grooves 222 are located at one end of the length direction of the shaft seat 100 in the receiving groove 221, and the other two first slide grooves 222 are located at the other end of the length direction of the shaft seat 100 in the receiving groove 221, and each first slide groove 222 runs through the second door panel 220. Fig. 27 As shown, two sliding parts 322 are provided in the elastic structure 320, and two first protrusions 322a are provided on each sliding part 322. The two first protrusions 322a are spaced apart in the first direction, and the two first protrusions 322a extend into the two first sliding grooves 222 located at the same end of the accommodating groove 221 respectively.
[0110] like Fig.29 As shown, in some implementations, the axial direction of the rolling portion 323 is the second direction, and the length H1 of the rolling portion 323 in the second direction is less than the maximum length H3 of the elastic portion 321 in the second direction. When the hinge mechanism is in a flattened state, the second direction is the thickness direction of the hinge mechanism, which is also the front-to-back direction. The bottom surface of the accommodating groove 221 is a plane. Since the length of the rolling portion 323 in the second direction is smaller than that of the elastic portion 321, the center of gravity of the rolling portion 323 is located closer to the bottom surface of the accommodating groove 221, or in other words, the center of gravity of the rolling portion 323 is further back. Since the rolling portion 323 abuts against the guide structure 310, the elastic force of the elastic portion 321 is transmitted to the guide structure 310 via the rolling portion 323, and the center of gravity of the rolling portion 323 is further back, which is further away from the rotation axis of the guide structure 310, so that the elastic structure 320 acts on the guide structure 310. The force arm is longer and the torque is greater.
[0111] like Fig.30As shown, in some implementations, the guide structure 310 has a pressing plate 314, and the pressing plate 314 has a first pressing surface 314a and a second pressing surface 314b. The first pressing surface 314a is used to limit the elastic part 321 in the second direction, and the second pressing surface 314b is used to limit the rolling part 323 in the second direction. In a feasible implementation, the first pressing surface 314a can be in contact with or opposite to the side of the elastic part 321 away from the second door plate 220 in the second direction with a small gap, and the second pressing surface 314b can be in contact with or opposite to the side of the rolling part 323 away from the second door plate 220 in the second direction with a small gap. The gap can be 0.1mm-0.5mm. Taking the bottom surface of the accommodating groove 221 on the second door plate 220 as a plane as an example, the distance between the first pressing surface 314a and the bottom surface of the accommodating groove 221 is greater than the distance between the second pressing surface 314b and the bottom surface of the accommodating groove 221. In this arrangement, the pressure plate 314 limits the elastic portion 321 and the rolling portion 323 of different sizes in the second direction through the first pressure surface 314a and the second pressure surface 314b of different heights, thereby improving the stability of the elastic portion 321 and the rolling portion 323 during movement. Fig.30 In the embodiment, the guide structure 310 has two pressing plates 314, which are respectively used to limit the two ends of the elastic structure 320.
[0112] In some implementations, in the second direction, the length H2 of the sliding portion 322 is greater than the length H1 of the rolling portion 323, and the length of the sliding portion 322 is less than the length H3 of the elastic portion 321, and the pressing plate 314 has a third pressing surface 314c, the third pressing surface 314c is located between the first pressing surface 314a and the second pressing surface 314b, and the third pressing surface 314c is used to limit the sliding portion 322 in the second direction. The third pressing surface 314c may be in contact with or opposite to the side of the sliding portion 322 away from the second door panel 220 in the second direction, and there is a small gap between them. The gap may be 0.1mm-0.5mm. Taking the bottom surface of the accommodating groove 221 on the second door panel 220 as a plane as an example, the distance between the third pressing surface 314c and the bottom surface of the accommodating groove 221 is between the distance between the first pressing surface 314a and the bottom surface of the accommodating groove 221 and the distance between the second pressing surface 314b and the bottom surface of the accommodating groove 221. In this arrangement, the pressure plate 314 limits the elastic portion 321, the rolling portion 323 and the sliding portion 322 of different sizes in the second direction through the first pressure surface 314a, the second pressure surface 314b and the third pressure surface 314c of different heights, respectively, thereby improving the stability of the elastic structure 320 during movement.
[0113] In some implementations, the second door panel 220 is provided with a second slide slot 223 (eg Fig.28 As shown), the guide structure 310 is slidably assembled in the second slide groove 223. In some examples, such as Fig.30As shown, the guide structure 310 includes a guide body 315, the guide body 315 is provided with a guide rotating part 313 on one side of the first direction, and a pressure plate 314 is provided on the other side of the first direction. The guide structure 310 is provided with sliding matching parts 316 at both ends of the length direction of the shaft seat 100, and two second slide grooves 223 are provided in the second door panel 220. The two second slide grooves 223 are arranged in parallel and at intervals, and the length direction of the second slide grooves 223 is the first direction. The two sliding matching parts 316 of the guide structure 310 are slidably assembled in the two second slide grooves 223 in a one-to-one correspondence.
[0114] In some implementations, a decorative panel (not shown) is provided on one side of the guide structure 310 away from the second door panel 220. The decorative panel is fixedly connected to the guide structure 310, and the decorative panel plays a decorative role. The length of the decorative panel in the length direction of the shaft seat 100 is similar to that of the shaft seat 100. The decorative panel can cover part of the structure installed on the second door panel 220, and the decorative panel can protect the structure covered by it. The decorative panel and the guide structure 310 can be fixedly connected by bonding, welding, clamping, etc.
[0115] like Fig.31 As shown, in some implementations, an adapter plate 400 is provided on one side of the guide structure 310 away from the second door panel 220, and the guide structure 310 is connected to the decorative panel through the adapter plate 400. The adapter plate 400 is used to fill the gap between the decorative panel and the guide structure 310 when the decorative panel has been overlapped on the second door panel 220 or other structures installed on the second door panel 220, so as to provide a stronger support for the decorative panel and facilitate the connection between the decorative panel and the guide structure 310.
[0116] like Fig.30 , Fig.31 and Fig.32 As shown, in some implementations, the guide structure 310 is provided with a third slide groove 318, and the adapter plate 400 has a transfer sliding portion 430, and the transfer sliding portion 430 is assembled in the third slide groove 318. The provision of the third slide groove 318 and the transfer sliding portion 430 facilitates the assembly of the adapter plate 400 on the guide structure 310. During the assembly process, the transfer sliding portion 430 of the adapter plate 400 is slid along the third slide groove 318, so that the adapter plate 400 can be moved to a relative position on the guide structure 310, which facilitates the positioning of the adapter plate 400.
[0117] like Fig.30 As shown, in the guide structure 310, the guide body 315 is provided with third slide grooves 318 on both sides of the shaft seat 100 in the length direction, and the third slide grooves 318 extend along the first direction. Fig.31 and Fig.32As shown, bending parts are formed on both sides of the adapter plate 400 along the length direction of the shaft seat 100. The bending direction of the bending parts is from front to back and then bends along the length direction of the shaft seat 100. The ends of the bending parts form the adapter sliding parts 430.
[0118] In some implementations, such as Fig.30 and Fig.31 As shown, the adapter plate 400 is connected to the guide structure 310 through a locking member (not shown), and the adapter plate 400 includes an adapter body 410 and a flange portion 420 connected to the body, the adapter body 410 is located on the side of the guide structure 310 away from the second door panel 220, the flange portion 420 is located on the side of the guide structure 310 away from the shaft seat 100, the guide structure 310 is provided with a first assembly hole 317, the flange portion 420 is provided with a second assembly hole 421, and the locking member is penetrated through the second assembly hole 421 and connected to the second assembly hole 421. The provision of the flange portion 420 increases the area of the adapter plate 400 for connecting with the guide structure 310, which facilitates the connection between the adapter plate 400 and the guide structure 310.
[0119] In a specific example, the locking member is a bolt, the first assembly hole 317 is a plain hole, and the second assembly hole 421 is a threaded hole. The first assembly hole 317 is a through hole, and the second assembly hole 421 can be a through hole or a blind hole.
[0120] like Fig.32 As shown, in a specific embodiment, a positioning hole 440 is provided on the adapter plate 400, and a positioning column is provided on the decorative plate. During the process of connecting the decorative plate with the adapter plate 400, the positioning column can be inserted into the positioning hole 440 to align the adapter plate 400 with the decorative plate.
[0121] The embodiment of the present application also provides a foldable electronic device, including a housing and a hinge mechanism as provided in any of the above technical solutions, wherein the housing is connected to a second door panel in the hinge mechanism. Since the foldable electronic device includes the above hinge mechanism, it at least has all the beneficial effects of the hinge mechanism, which will not be described in detail here.
[0122] Specifically, the housing includes a first housing and a second housing, the hinge mechanism includes two second door panels, the first housing is connected to one of the first housings, and the second housing is connected to the other second door panel. The first housing and the second door panel, and the second housing and the second door panel are fixedly connected, for example, by bolts.
[0123] During the folding or unfolding of the foldable electronic device, the shell drives the second door panel to rotate, and the second door panel rotates synchronously under the action of the synchronization component, and the second door panel drives the first door panel and the guide structure to rotate. During the rotation of the second door panel and the guide structure, the second door panel is parallel to the rotation axis of the guide structure and does not overlap, so that the guide structure slides relative to the second door panel, thereby compressing the elastic structure installed on the second door panel, and the elastic structure applies a damping force to the guide structure, thereby providing a damping force for the folded state or the flattened state, so that the foldable electronic device can be maintained in the folded state or the flattened state without external force or with little external force.
[0124] The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, a person skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments may still be modified, or some of the technical features may be replaced by equivalents. Such modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should all be included in the protection scope of the present application.
Claims
1. A hinge mechanism, characterized in that: include: Shaft seats, connection components and damping components; The connection component comprises: A first door panel, rotatably connected to the shaft seat; A second door panel is rotatably connected to the first door panel, and a receiving groove is provided on the second door panel; The damping assembly comprises: A guide structure, wherein the guide structure is rotatably connected to the shaft seat and slidably mounted on the second door panel, the guide structure can move along a first direction, the first direction is perpendicular to the length direction of the shaft seat, the guide structure has a first guide surface and a second guide surface that are arranged opposite to each other, and at least a part of the first guide surface is inclined relative to the second guide surface; An elastic structure, wherein the compression direction of the elastic structure is parallel to the length direction of the shaft seat, the elastic structure is slidably assembled in the accommodating groove, and the two ends of the elastic structure are respectively in contact with the first guide surface and the second guide surface.
2. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic structure has an avoidance gap, the guide structure has a guide rotating part, and when the hinge mechanism is in a folded state, at least a part of the structure of the guide rotating part is located in the avoidance gap.
3. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The elastic structure includes an elastic part, a sliding part and a rolling part. At least one end of the elastic part is connected to the sliding part. The rolling part is rotatably mounted on the sliding part. The rolling part can roll along one of the first guide surface and the second guide surface.
4. The hinge mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second door panel is provided with a first sliding groove, and the sliding portion is slidably installed in the first sliding groove.
5. The hinge mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sliding parts are installed at both ends of the elastic part, and the rolling parts are arranged on each of the sliding parts. One of the rolling parts abuts against the first guide surface, and the other rolling part abuts against the second guide surface.
6. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The first guide surface has a first oblique portion and a first straight portion distributed in sequence along the first direction, and the first oblique portion is inclined relative to the first straight portion. The second guide surface has a second oblique portion and a second straight portion distributed in sequence along the first direction, and the second oblique portion is inclined relative to the second straight portion. The first straight portion and the second straight portion are both parallel to the first direction, and the inclination directions of the first oblique portion and the second oblique portion are opposite.
7. The hinge mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first guide surface also has a third inclined portion, which is located on a side of the first straight portion away from the first inclined portion, the third inclined portion is inclined relative to the first straight portion, and the inclination direction of the third inclined portion is opposite to that of the first inclined portion; the second guide surface also has a fourth inclined portion, which is located on a side of the second straight portion away from the second inclined portion, the fourth inclined portion is inclined relative to the second straight portion, and the inclination direction of the fourth inclined portion is opposite to that of the second inclined portion.
8. The hinge mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The axial direction of the rolling portion is a second direction, and the length of the rolling portion in the second direction is smaller than the maximum length of the elastic portion in the second direction.
9. The hinge mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: The guide structure comprises a pressing plate, wherein the pressing plate comprises a first pressing surface and a second pressing surface, wherein the first pressing surface is used for limiting the elastic portion in the second direction, and the second pressing surface is used for limiting the rolling portion in the second direction.
10. The hinge mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that: In the second direction, the length of the sliding portion is greater than the length of the rolling portion, and the length of the sliding portion is less than the length of the elastic portion. The pressure plate has a third pressure surface, which is located between the first pressure surface and the second pressure surface. The third pressure surface is used to limit the sliding portion in the second direction.
11. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The second door panel is provided with a second sliding groove, and the guide structure is slidably assembled in the second sliding groove.
12. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The connecting assembly also includes a first swing arm, and the second door panel is rotatably connected to the first door panel via the first swing arm.
13. The hinge mechanism according to claim 12, characterized in that: The second door panel is connected to the first swing arm, the first swing arm has a first arc-shaped groove, the shaft seat is provided with a second arc-shaped groove, the first door panel is provided with a first arc-shaped rotating part and a second arc-shaped rotating part, the first arc-shaped rotating part is assembled in the first arc-shaped groove, and the second arc-shaped rotating part is assembled in the second arc-shaped groove.
14. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: A decorative panel is arranged on a side of the guide structure away from the second door panel.
15. The hinge mechanism according to claim 14, characterized in that: An adapter plate is provided on a side of the guide structure away from the second door panel, and the guide structure is connected to the decorative panel via the adapter plate.
16. The hinge mechanism according to claim 15, characterized in that: The guide structure is provided with a third slide groove, and the adapter plate has a transfer sliding portion, and the transfer sliding portion is assembled in the third slide groove.
17. The hinge mechanism according to claim 15, characterized in that: The adapter plate is connected to the guide structure via a locking piece, and the adapter plate includes an adapter body and a flange portion connected to the adapter body, the adapter body is located on the side of the guide structure away from the second door panel, and the flange portion is located on the side of the guide structure away from the axle seat, the guide structure is provided with a first assembly hole, the flange portion is provided with a second assembly hole, and the locking piece is passed through the second assembly hole and connected to the second assembly hole.
18. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that: It comprises a shell and a hinge mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the shell is connected to a second door panel in the hinge mechanism.
Citation Information
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