Foldable electronic equipment and shell assembly thereof

Abstract

The invention provides foldable electronic equipment and a shell assembly thereof. The shell assembly comprises a first supporting plate, a second supporting plate, a rotating shaft, a rotating shaft protection plate and a deformation detection sensor. The first supporting plate and the second supporting plate are fixedly connected with the two opposite sides of the rotating shaft correspondingly, and the first supporting plate and the second supporting plate can be switched between a folded state and an unfolded state. The rotating shaft protection plate covers the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft protection plate is used for protecting the outer side of the rotating shaft when the first supporting plate and the second supporting plate are oppositely folded; the deformation detection sensor is arranged on the rotating shaft protection plate and used for detecting the deformation quantity of the rotating shaft protection plate and judging the environment temperature of the position where the shell assembly is located according to the deformation quantity. According to the shell assembly, the deformation quantity of the rotating shaft protection plate is detected through the deformation detection sensor, the environment temperature of the position where the shell assembly is located is judged according to the deformation quantity, the temperature sensing part of the structure makes direct contact with the external environment, and the environment temperature is measured conveniently and accurately.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of temperature detection of foldable electronic devices, and in particular to a foldable electronic device and a housing assembly thereof. Background Art

[0002] At present, the mainstream temperature measurement scheme for electronic devices such as mobile phones is to measure the temperature through a thermistor, and then obtain the ambient temperature through fitting of multiple thermistors. Currently, mobile phones mainly use NTC resistors to measure temperature.

[0003] NTC is the abbreviation of Negative Temperature Coefficient, which means negative temperature coefficient. It generally refers to semiconductor materials or components with large negative temperature coefficient. Usually, the NTC we mention refers to negative temperature coefficient thermistor, referred to as NTC thermistor. Also known as negative temperature coefficient thermistor, it is a type of sensor resistor whose resistance value decreases as the temperature increases. NTC thermistor is a very simple temperature sensor, which is very common in consumer electronic products. NTC thermistor is a typical temperature-sensitive semiconductor resistor, and its resistance value decreases in a step-like manner as the temperature increases. NTC thermistor is made of metal oxides such as manganese, cobalt, nickel and copper as the main materials, and is made using ceramic technology. These metal oxide materials all have semiconductor properties because they are completely similar to semiconductor materials such as germanium and silicon in terms of conductivity. When the temperature is low, the number of carriers (electrons and holes) of these oxide materials is small, so their resistance value is high; as the temperature increases, the number of carriers increases, so the resistance value decreases.

[0004] The conventional technical solution of using NTC resistors to measure temperature has the following main problems. First, the NTC thermistor is affected by the heat generated by internal devices, which requires complex function fitting and has certain errors. In addition, the measured temperature is located inside the whole machine, and multiple NTCs are required to cooperate in shell temperature fitting to obtain the ambient temperature. The design is complex and difficult, and a large number of NTCs are required to perform temperature tests and obtain the ambient temperature through fitting. This method of measuring ambient temperature is affected by internal heating devices and is not in direct contact with the external environment, so there are certain errors. Summary of the invention

[0005] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a housing assembly, the housing assembly comprising a first support plate, a second support plate, a rotating shaft, a rotating shaft protection plate, and a deformation detection sensor;

[0006] The first support plate and the second support plate are fixedly connected to opposite sides of the rotating shaft respectively, and the first support plate and the second support plate can be rotated under the drive of the rotating shaft to switch between a folded state and an unfolded state; the rotating shaft protection plate is provided on the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft protection plate is used to protect the outer side of the rotating shaft when the first support plate and the second support plate are in a relatively folded state;

[0007] The deformation detection sensor is arranged on the rotating shaft protection plate and is used to detect the deformation amount of the rotating shaft protection plate, and judge the ambient temperature of the position where the shell component is located based on the deformation amount.

[0008] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a foldable electronic device, which includes a flexible display and the shell assembly described in the above embodiment; the flexible display is connected to a first support plate and a second support plate of the shell assembly, and can switch between a folded state and an unfolded state along with the first support plate and the second support plate.

[0009] The shell assembly provided in the embodiment of the present application utilizes a deformation detection sensor to detect the deformation of the hinge protection plate, and determines the ambient temperature of the location of the shell assembly based on the deformation. The temperature sensing component (hinge protection plate) of this structure is in direct contact with the external environment, and the measurement of the ambient temperature is convenient and accurate. It is away from internal heating devices and is less affected by internal heat interference. Moreover, the hinge protection plate is not easily touched by the user when the folding screen electronic device is unfolded, and is less affected by external influences. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a folded state of an embodiment of an electronic device of the present application;

[0012] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device in the embodiment in the open state;

[0013] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the structure of the electronic device at AA in the embodiment;

[0014] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of the structure of the electronic device at position BB in the embodiment;

[0015] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structural disassembly of the electronic device in the embodiment;

[0016] Figure 6 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of a local structure of an embodiment of the electronic device of the present application;

[0017] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of the deformation detection sensor and the shaft protection plate in the embodiment;

[0018] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the structural composition block diagram of an embodiment of the electronic device of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. It is particularly noted that the following examples are only used to illustrate the present application, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Similarly, the following examples are only some embodiments of the present application rather than all embodiments, and all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0020] The terms "first", "second", and "third" in the embodiments of the present application are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined as "first", "second", and "third" can expressly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. In the embodiments of the present application, all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back...) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication also changes accordingly. The terms "including" and "having" in the embodiments of the present application and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally also includes steps or units that are not listed, or optionally also includes other steps or components inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0021] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0022] As used herein, "electronic devices" (or simply "terminals") include, but are not limited to, devices configured to receive / send communication signals via a wireline connection (e.g., via a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a digital subscriber line (DSL), a digital cable, a direct cable connection, and / or another data connection / network) and / or via a wireless interface (e.g., for a cellular network, a wireless local area network (WLAN), a digital television network such as a DVB-H network, a satellite network, an AM-FM broadcast transmitter, and / or another communication terminal). Communication terminals configured to communicate via a wireless interface may be referred to as "wireless communication terminals", "wireless terminals" or "mobile terminals". Examples of mobile terminals include, but are not limited to, satellite or cellular phones; personal communication system (PCS) terminals that may combine cellular radiotelephones with data processing, fax, and data communication capabilities; PDAs that may include radiotelephones, pagers, Internet / intranet access, web browsers, organizers, calendars, and / or global positioning system (GPS) receivers; and conventional laptop and / or palmtop receivers or other electronic devices that include radiotelephone transceivers. A mobile phone is an electronic device equipped with a cellular communication module.

[0023] The present application embodiment provides a foldable electronic device. The electronic device in the present application embodiment may include a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a wearable device, and other electronic devices with a folding function. This embodiment only takes a foldable mobile phone as an example for explanation. Figures 1 to 5 , Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a folded state of an embodiment of an electronic device of the present application, Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device in the embodiment in the open state, Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the structure of the electronic device at AA in the embodiment, Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of the structure of the electronic device at position BB in the embodiment, Figure 5 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structural disassembly of the electronic device in the embodiment; the electronic device in this embodiment includes a housing assembly 10 , a flexible display screen 20 and a support sheet 30 .

[0024] Specifically, the housing assembly 10 includes a first support plate 11, a second support plate 12, a rotating shaft 13, a rotating shaft protection plate 14, and a deformation detection sensor 15. The first support plate 11 and the second support plate 12 are respectively fixedly connected to opposite sides of the rotating shaft 13, and the first support plate 11 and the second support plate 12 can be rotated under the drive of the rotating shaft 13 to be in a folded state ( Figure 1 medium state) and expanded state ( Figure 2 The middle state, where Figure 4 The direction of the middle arrow indicates the relative folding and rotating direction of the first support plate 11 and the second support plate 12). The flexible display screen 20 is connected to the first support plate 11 and the second support plate 12 of the housing assembly 10, and can be switched between the folded state and the unfolded state along with the first support plate 11 and the second support plate 12. Among them, the rotating shaft 13 may include a gear set and other structures, and the detailed features of this part are within the scope of understanding of those skilled in the art and will not be repeated here.

[0025] Please also read Figure 6 , Figure 6 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the local structure of an embodiment of the electronic device of the present application, wherein a shaft protection plate 14 is provided on the shaft 13, and the shaft protection plate 14 is used to protect the outer side of the shaft 13 when the first support plate 11 and the second support plate 12 are in a relatively folded state.

[0026] Optionally, the deformation detection sensor 15 is provided on the shaft protection plate 14 and is used to detect the deformation of the shaft protection plate 14 and determine the ambient temperature of the location of the housing assembly 10 based on the deformation. The deformation detection sensor 15 can be directly or indirectly fixed on the shaft protection plate 14, and the specific connection form is not specifically limited here.

[0027] Please also read Figure 7 , Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of the deformation detection sensor and the shaft protection plate in the embodiment. Optionally, the shaft protection plate 14 in the present embodiment includes a first material plate 141 and a second material plate 142 which are stacked. The thermal deformation coefficients of the first material plate 141 and the second material plate 142 are different, that is, when the first material plate 141 and the second material plate 142 are in the same temperature environment at the same time, the thermal deformation amounts of the two are different. The first material plate 141 and the second material plate 142 are tightly attached together. When the ambient temperature changes, due to the different thermal expansion coefficients, the lengths of the two are different, so that the shaft protection plate 14 is deformed toward one side, such as Figure 7The middle dotted line indicates that the thermal deformation of the shaft protection plate 14 (the first material plate 141 and the second material plate 142) is positively correlated with the temperature. The higher the temperature, the greater the deformation. The corresponding temperature change can be obtained by measuring the deformation with a deformation detection sensor.

[0028] Optionally, the materials of the first material plate 141 and the second material plate 142 in the embodiment of the present application can be two metal plates with different thermal deformation coefficients, which can be specifically selected from any one of aluminum, copper, iron, nickel, platinum, titanium and their alloys, such as a combination of copper plate and iron plate, a combination of aluminum alloy plate and copper alloy plate, a combination of nickel plate and stainless steel plate, etc. As long as the shaft protection plate 14 is formed by two layers of metal plates of different materials, they will not be listed one by one here.

[0029] Optionally, see Figure 5 The support sheet 30 in this embodiment is disposed between the flexible display screen 20 and the shell assembly 10 to support and protect the flexible display screen 20 .

[0030] Optionally, the support sheet 30 may include a first support portion 31, a second support portion 32 and a bending portion 33, wherein the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32 are respectively connected to opposite sides of the bending portion 33, and transition connection areas 34 are respectively provided on opposite sides where the bending portion 33 is connected to the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32, wherein the transition connection area 34 is provided with a hollow structure to facilitate the bending of the overall structure of the support sheet 30.

[0031] Optionally, the support sheet 30 in this embodiment can be made of stainless steel, carbon fiber or composite materials, or can be made of a plate formed by stacking the above materials. Optionally, the bending strength of the bending portion 33 in this embodiment is less than the bending strength of the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32, so that the bending portion 33 is easier to bend than the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32, while ensuring the supporting strength of the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32 to the flexible display screen 20. Among them, the way in which the bending strength of the bending portion 33 is less than the bending strength of the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32 can include designing the bending portion 33 to be thinner than the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32, or the bending portion 33 is made of a material with lower bending strength.

[0032] Also, please continue to read Figure 3 and Figure 4The electronic device in the embodiment of the present application also includes a battery 40, a control circuit board 50, and devices such as speakers, cameras, and sensors. Among them, the control circuit board 50 can be electrically connected to the flexible display screen 20, the deformation detection sensor 15 of the shell assembly 10, and devices such as speakers, cameras, and sensors to control the working status of the above-mentioned devices. This part of the structure is within the understanding of technicians in this field and will not be repeated here.

[0033] See also Figure 8 , Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the structural composition block diagram of an embodiment of an electronic device of the present application. The electronic device can be a foldable device such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, and a wearable device. The diagram of this embodiment takes a mobile phone as an example. The structure of the electronic device may include an RF circuit 910, a memory 920, an input unit 930, a display unit 940 (which may be the flexible display screen 20 in the above embodiment), a sensor 950, an audio circuit 960, a wifi module 970, a processor 980, and a power supply 990. Among them, the RF circuit 910, the memory 920, the input unit 930, the display unit 940, the sensor 950, the audio circuit 960, and the wifi module 970 are respectively connected to the processor 980; the power supply 990 is used to provide power to the entire electronic device.

[0034] Specifically, the RF circuit 910 is used to receive and send signals; the memory 920 is used to store data instruction information; the input unit 930 is used to input information, which may specifically include a touch panel 931 and other input devices 932 such as operation buttons; the display unit 940 may include a display panel 941, etc.; the sensor 950 includes an infrared sensor, a laser sensor, etc., for detecting user approach signals, distance signals, etc.; the speaker 961 and the microphone (or microphone) 962 are connected to the processor 980 through the audio circuit 960 for receiving and sending sound signals; the wifi module 970 is used to receive and transmit wifi signals, and the processor 980 is used to process data information of the electronic device. For the specific structural features of the electronic device, please refer to the relevant description of the above embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0035] The electronic device in the embodiment of the present application, its shell component uses a deformation detection sensor to detect the deformation of the hinge protection plate, and judges the ambient temperature of the location of the shell component based on the deformation. The temperature sensing component (hinge protection plate) of this structure is in direct contact with the external environment, and the measurement of the ambient temperature is convenient and accurate; it is away from internal heating devices and is less affected by internal heat interference; and the hinge protection plate of the folding screen electronic device is not easily touched by the user when the folding screen electronic device is unfolded, and is less affected by external influences.

[0036] The above descriptions are only some embodiments of the present application, and do not limit the protection scope of the present application. Any equivalent device or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly used in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A housing assembly, characterized in that: The housing assembly includes a first support plate, a second support plate, a rotating shaft, a rotating shaft protection plate, and a deformation detection sensor; The first support plate and the second support plate are fixedly connected to opposite sides of the rotating shaft respectively, and the first support plate and the second support plate can be rotated under the drive of the rotating shaft to switch between a folded state and an unfolded state; the rotating shaft protection plate is provided on the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft protection plate is used to protect the outer side of the rotating shaft when the first support plate and the second support plate are in a relatively folded state; The deformation detection sensor is arranged on the rotating shaft protection plate and is used to detect the deformation amount of the rotating shaft protection plate, and judge the ambient temperature of the position where the shell component is located based on the deformation amount.

2. The housing assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating shaft protection plate includes a first material plate and a second material plate which are stacked, and the first material plate and the second material plate have different thermal deformation coefficients.

3. The housing assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The materials of the first material plate and the second material plate are respectively two metal plates with different thermal deformation coefficients.

4. The housing assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The thermal deformation amount of the rotating shaft protection plate is positively correlated with the temperature.

5. The housing assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The materials of the first material plate and the second material plate are respectively selected from any one of aluminum, copper, iron, nickel, platinum, titanium and alloys thereof.

6. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device includes a flexible display and a shell assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5; the flexible display is connected to a first support plate and a second support plate of the shell assembly, and can be switched between a folded state and an unfolded state along with the first support plate and the second support plate.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The electronic device further comprises a control circuit board, and the control circuit board is electrically connected to the flexible display screen and the deformation detection sensor of the housing assembly.

8. The electronic device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The electronic device further comprises a supporting sheet, which is arranged between the flexible display screen and the housing assembly and is used for supporting and protecting the flexible display screen.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The support sheet includes a first support portion, a second support portion and a bending portion, the first support portion and the second support portion are respectively connected to opposite sides of the bending portion, transition connection areas are respectively provided on opposite sides where the bending portion is connected to the first support portion and the second support, and the transition connection areas are provided with a hollow structure.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The bending strength of the bent portion is smaller than the bending strength of the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion.

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