Protective shell and foldable assembly

Abstract

The invention discloses a protective shell and a foldable assembly, which are used for realizing communication of parts between two shells. The protective shell comprises a first shell body, a second shell body, a connecting piece and a structural piece, the connecting piece is used for connecting the first shell body and the second shell body, the structural piece comprises a first sub-structural piece, a second sub-structural piece and a third sub-structural piece which are sequentially connected, the first sub-structural piece is arranged in the first shell body, and the third sub-structural piece is arranged in the second shell body. The second sub-structural part is at least partially wrapped in the connecting part and penetrates through a first opening hole formed in the first shell and a second opening hole formed in the second shell. Through the structural design of the protective shell, communication of the sub-structural parts between the two shells can be achieved, the second sub-structural part wrapped in the connecting part can be protected through the connecting part, the situation that the second sub-structural part is pulled, deformed and damaged in the relative folding process of the two shells is avoided, and the reliability and durability of the whole structural part can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of mechanical and electronic technology, and in particular to a protective shell and a foldable component. Background Art

[0002] For candy-bar phones, functional shells have become a more common form of protective shells. Compared with protective shells that only have protection and decoration functions, functional shells can have more functions, such as fill light function, heat dissipation function or light language function, etc. The corresponding functional shells can also be called fill light shells, heat dissipation shells or light language shells, etc. The emergence of functional shells has expanded more auxiliary functions for candy-bar phones. For example, by lighting up the ring flash on the fill light shell, the effect of the front camera of the candy-bar phone can be effectively improved, and it has a wide range of selfie and live broadcast applications. For another example, by starting the heat dissipation shell, the candy-bar phone can be dissipated and cooled, effectively protecting the safety of the devices in the candy-bar phone. For another example, by powering the light language shell, the light language shell can be controlled to display different patterns and shapes, effectively improving the fun of users using candy-bar phones.

[0003] However, with the in-depth development of smart terminal technology, foldable terminal devices have been widely used in people's lives due to their good portability and large usage area. It is expected that in the future they may even become a new type of smart terminal that is equally important as or even exceeds the application of candy-bar phones. Although the application of functional shells on candy-bar phones is relatively mature, there is still a lack of research on their application on foldable terminal devices. Compared with the functional shell of a candy-bar phone, the functional shell of a foldable terminal device needs to achieve the connection between the two shells, which is crucial to maintaining the reliability and durability of the functional shell.

[0004] In summary, there is an urgent need for a protective shell to achieve connectivity between two shells. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a protective shell and a foldable assembly for achieving the connection of components between two shells.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a protective shell, comprising a first shell, a second shell, a connecting member and a structural member, wherein the connecting member is located on the outside of the first shell and the second shell, with one end fixed to the first shell and the other end fixed to the second shell; the structural member comprises a first sub-structure member, a second sub-structure member and a third sub-structure member connected in sequence, wherein the first sub-structure member is arranged in the first shell, the third sub-structure member is arranged in the second shell, the second sub-structure member is at least partially wrapped in the connecting member, the first shell has a first opening, the second shell has a second opening, and the second sub-structure member passes through the first opening and the second opening.

[0007] In the above design, by using the connecting member to wrap at least part of the second substructure, passing through the openings opened in the two shells at the connecting position, and connecting the first substructure and the third substructure, not only can the substructures between the two shells be connected, but the connecting member can also be used to protect the second substructure wrapped inside it, which helps to prevent the second substructure from being pulled and deformed and damaged during the relative folding of the two shells, and effectively improves the reliability and durability of the entire structure. Furthermore, the first substructure and the third substructure are both arranged in the shell, and the second substructure is wrapped in the connecting member. These three substructures are basically not exposed outside the protective shell, so that the shape of the entire protective shell is also more beautiful, and it does not affect the use of users.

[0008] It should be noted that the structural member in the present application may include only a loop, only a cable, or both a loop and a cable, without specific limitation.

[0009] In a possible design, the structure may include a loop containing a liquid, and the liquid connects the first substructure, the second substructure, and the third substructure.

[0010] In the above design, by providing a connecting loop on the first shell and the second shell, after the protective shell is put on the foldable terminal device, even if the heat source of the foldable terminal device is concentrated in a certain area, the heat dissipation area can be expanded to the entire protective shell through the liquid in the connecting loop between the two shells of the protective shell, so as to improve the heat dissipation efficiency by increasing the heat dissipation area.

[0011] In a further possible design, a power supply assembly may be provided in the protective shell, and the structural member may further include a power component, which is connected to the power supply assembly and is used to drive the flow of liquid in the loop under the electric energy provided by the power supply assembly.

[0012] Through the above design, the power component can obtain sufficient electrical energy to drive the liquid to flow, so as to cool the area it flows through.

[0013] In one example of the above design, the power supply assembly and the power component can be arranged in the same housing. In this way, the power component can be connected to the power supply assembly also located in the housing without crossing the housing, which helps to improve the convenience of connection.

[0014] In an example of the above design, the power component may include a first motor and a second motor, and the first motor and the second motor are used to drive the liquid in the loop to flow in the same direction. In this way, the flow speed of the liquid can be increased by driving the two motors together, effectively improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0015] In a further possible example, the first motor and the second motor may be located on both sides of any branch of the loop. In this way, the liquid on both sides of the branch can flow, and all the liquid is used to dissipate heat together, further improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0016] In one example of the above design, the protective shell may also be provided with a perspective window, and the orthographic projection of the liquid onto the protective shell is at least partially located in the perspective window, through which the flow of the liquid can be seen. In this way, by allowing the user to see the effect of the liquid flow through the perspective window, the user's sense of use can be improved.

[0017] In a further possible example, the liquid may be presented in color to enhance the effect of the user viewing the flow of the liquid.

[0018] In a further possible example, the liquid may include water and fluorinated liquid, for example, water and colored fluorinated liquid, water is used to transfer heat energy, and the colored fluorinated liquid is used to allow the user to see the effect of liquid flow. This design selects lower-cost water and fluorinated liquid as liquids for cooling, which can achieve low-cost heat dissipation.

[0019] In a further possible example, the protective shell may further include a transparent shell, which is embedded in the perspective window to protect the loop located in the perspective window.

[0020] In a possible design, a functional component may be disposed outside the first shell, and a power supply component may be disposed inside the second shell. The functional component and the power supply component are connected via a structural member.

[0021] Through the above design, the electrical connection between the functional components on the first shell and the power supply components on the second shell can be achieved through the structural parts, thereby realizing the transmission of electric energy between the components on the two shells.

[0022] In a further possible design, the structural member may include a cable, through which the power component supplies power to the functional component, or the functional component supplies power to the power component through the cable. The cable may refer only to a communication line for realizing power transmission; or it may refer to a circuit composed of a communication line and electrical components, which can realize other functions besides power transmission, such as voltage boost, voltage reduction or power amplification.

[0023] In a further possible design, the functional components may include at least one of the following: a ring flash component, a light language component, a camera component, a storage component, a communication component, and a charging component. Among them, when the functional component is a component that needs electricity, the functional component can receive the electric energy provided by the power supply component. At this time, the first shell uses electricity and the second shell draws electricity. Conversely, when the functional component is a component that can provide electricity, the functional component can reverse charge the power supply component. At this time, the first shell draws electricity and the second shell uses electricity. It can be seen that this design can support the setting of various types of functional components on the protective shell, and can be applicable to various different application scenarios.

[0024] In a possible design, a shielding film may be provided on the inner side of at least one of the first shell and the second shell. Optionally, the shielding film may cover the entire inner surface of the shell to maintain the integrity of the appearance of the inner surface of the shell and improve the aesthetics of the protective shell.

[0025] In one possible design, the connecting member may include a first leather, a plastic sheet, and a second leather stacked in sequence, and the second leather is hollowed out at a position corresponding to the first opening or the second opening, and the second substructure is at least partially wrapped between the plastic sheet and the second leather, and is connected to the first substructure or the third substructure through the hollowed-out area.

[0026] In the above design, the first leather and the second leather have a certain elasticity, and the plastic sheet has a certain plasticity. The second substructure is wrapped in a stacked manner of the first leather, the plastic sheet, the second substructure, and the second leather. Not only can the first leather and the second leather protect the second substructure wrapped inside, but the elasticity of the first leather and the second leather can also be used to make the part of the second substructure in the connecting piece bend as the terminal device is folded. Furthermore, the plasticity of the plastic sheet can be used to reduce the risk of the second substructure being pulled longer and broken, and reduce the risk of the second substructure being squeezed by external force and broken.

[0027] In an example of the above design, the connecting piece may further include a third leather, which is stacked between the plastic sheet and the second leather, and the third leather located within the first opening and the second opening is hollowed out to accommodate the second substructure. In this way, the third leather can provide thickness in the stacking direction to support wrapping the second substructure in the connecting piece.

[0028] In a second aspect, the present application provides a foldable component, including a terminal device and the above-mentioned first aspect or any one of the protective shells in the first aspect, the terminal device includes a third shell, a fourth shell and a hinge for connecting the third shell and the fourth shell, the first shell of the protective shell is mounted on the third shell, and the second shell of the protective shell is mounted on the fourth shell.

[0029] In one possible design, the terminal device may include a wireless power module, and the distance between the wireless power module and the power component of the protective shell is within the charging coverage range, so that the terminal device and the protective shell can be powered by wireless charging.

[0030] In one possible design, the terminal device may include a charging interface, and the power supply component of the protective shell is plugged into the charging interface via a cable, so that power can be supplied between the terminal device and the protective shell via wired charging.

[0031] In a further possible design, the charging interface may be a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a PIN interface, a Type-c interface, a Lightning interface, a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIE) interface, etc.

[0032] In a possible design, the terminal device is used to supply power to the protective shell, and the protective shell is used to implement auxiliary functions based on the power supply of the terminal device. With this design, the protective shell can use the power provided by the terminal device to assist the terminal device in implementing more functions.

[0033] In a further possible design, the terminal device is used to supply power to the protective shell when detecting that the first type of auxiliary function is triggered, and the protective shell is used to implement the first type of auxiliary function based on the power supply of the terminal device. The first type of auxiliary function may include at least one of the following: heat dissipation, fill light, light language display, shooting, storage, and communication.

[0034] In a possible design, the protective shell is used to supply power to the terminal device, and the terminal device is used to implement auxiliary functions based on the power supply of the protective shell. With this design, the terminal device can use the power provided by the protective shell to implement more functions.

[0035] In a further possible design, the terminal device is used to receive power from the protective shell when detecting that a second type of auxiliary function on the protective shell is triggered. The second type of auxiliary function may include charging.

[0036] Exemplarily, the terminal device may be a foldable terminal device, such as including but not limited to: a foldable mobile phone, a foldable laptop computer, a foldable tablet computer, a foldable vehicle-mounted device, a foldable smart wearable terminal, etc.

[0037] The beneficial effects of any design in the above-mentioned second aspect can refer to the beneficial effects that can be achieved by the corresponding design in the above-mentioned first aspect, and this application will not repeat them one by one. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a possible application scenario provided by the present application is exemplified;

[0039] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a protective shell provided by the present application is exemplified;

[0040] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a connector provided by the present application is exemplified;

[0041] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a bolt fixing structure of a connecting piece provided by the present application is exemplarily shown;

[0042] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the structure of another protective shell provided by the present application is exemplified;

[0043] Figure 6 An exemplary view of a protective shell provided by the present application viewed from different directions is shown;

[0044] Figure 7a A schematic diagram showing a specific structure of a loop provided by the present application is exemplified;

[0045] Figure 7b A schematic diagram of the structure of a motor provided by the present application is exemplified;

[0046] Figure 7c A schematic diagram showing the working principle of a motor provided by the present application is exemplified;

[0047] Figure 7d A schematic diagram showing an exemplary working mode of a first motor and a second motor provided by the present application;

[0048] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing a connection method between a power component and a power supply component provided by the present application is exemplified;

[0049] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of another protective shell provided by the present application is exemplified;

[0050] Fig.10 An exemplary view of a protective shell provided by the present application viewed from different directions is shown;

[0051] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the structure of another protective shell provided by the present application is exemplified;

[0052] Fig.12 An exemplary view of a protective shell provided by the present application viewed from different directions is shown;

[0053] Fig.13A possible structural schematic diagram of a foldable component provided by the present application is exemplified;

[0054] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a wireless charging circuit provided by the present application is exemplified;

[0055] Fig.15 The following is a schematic diagram showing an architecture of a wired charging circuit provided in the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] The following is an introduction to possible application scenarios of the present application. It should be noted that these introductions are intended to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection claimed by the present application.

[0057] In a possible application scenario, the protective case in the present application can be applied to a foldable device, for example, it can be mounted on the foldable device to form a foldable component. The foldable device can be a terminal device having at least two shells that can be folded relative to each other. For example, see Figure 1 , for example, the foldable device 100 is a foldable mobile phone in an unfolded state. However, it should be understood that the foldable device may also be other foldable terminal devices, such as but not limited to: foldable mobile phones, foldable laptops, foldable tablet computers, foldable point of sale (POS) terminals, foldable vehicle terminals, foldable walkie-talkies, foldable portable audio devices, foldable smart wearable terminals, etc.

[0058] It is understandable that the protective shell 200 may be a detachable protective shell that matches the model of the foldable device 100. In addition to the protective and decorative functions, the protective shell 200 may also have one or more auxiliary functions. For example, some examples of auxiliary functions include: fill light function, light language display function, heat dissipation function, game function, charging function, storage function, shooting function, communication function, etc. It should be understood that these examples do not constitute a limitation on the scope of application of the present application. Any existing protective shell, as well as protective shells that may appear in the future, such as heart rate protective shells, etc., can be applied to the protective shell structure of the present application. In addition, the protective shell 200 usually causes power consumption when providing auxiliary functions, and the power consumption can be provided to the protective shell 200 by the foldable device 100.

[0059] In addition, the possible application scenarios given above are only examples. The protective case provided by the present application can also be applied to other possible scenarios, not limited to the scenarios given in the examples above. For example, it can also be applied to foldable medical equipment. For another example, it can also be applied to foldable industrial equipment. For another example, it can also be applied to foldable smart home devices. For another example, it can also be applied to foldable airborne equipment or shipborne equipment. And so on.

[0060] As described in the background technology, the existing protective shells with auxiliary functions are only suitable for candy-bar phones, and there is still a lack of research on protective shells for foldable devices. Although foldable devices have greater advantages than candy-bar phones, they are more difficult to design in their protective shells. For example, taking a protective shell with a fill light function as an example, unlike a candy-bar phone that can only use the front camera to take selfies, a foldable device can use the main camera to take selfies. The main camera has a higher definition than the front camera. Therefore, a protective shell with a fill light function is more prominent in the use scenarios of foldable devices. However, the upper and lower shells of the protective shell in a foldable device are separated, and the power supply of the protective shell is usually set in the lower half of the protective shell, while the ring flash is usually set in the upper half of the protective shell. To light up the ring flash for fill light, it is inevitable to involve a solution that conducts the power of the lower half of the protective shell to the ring flash of the upper half of the protective shell through a cable. Since cables are used to transmit electrical energy, if they are exposed, there will be certain safety hazards and they are also easy to be pulled apart. Therefore, it is necessary to design a cable connection solution for the upper and lower shells that is highly reliable and not easy to be damaged, while also being compatible with beautiful appearance and not affecting the user experience. For another example, taking a protective shell with a heat dissipation function as an example, at this stage, the heat sources of most foldable devices are concentrated in the motherboard and camera area on the upper part of the foldable device. If only a liquid cooling film is set on the upper half of the protective shell to dissipate the heat of the upper half of the foldable device, then the utilization rate of the protective shell is obviously not high. If the lower half of the protective shell is also used as a heat dissipation area, the heat dissipation area can be effectively increased, and the heat dissipation efficiency of the foldable device can be improved. However, the upper and lower shells of the protective shell of the foldable device are independent shells. If a liquid cooling film is used to conduct the heat source of the upper shell to the lower shell, the liquid cooling film of the upper and lower shells needs to be connected. Since the liquid cooling film itself is not resistant to pulling, it is also necessary to design a liquid cooling film connection solution for the upper and lower shells that is highly reliable and not easy to be damaged, while also being compatible with beautiful appearance and not affecting the user experience.

[0061] In view of this, the present application provides a protective shell, which uses a connector connecting two shells to wrap some structural parts (such as liquid cooling films or cables), and passes them through openings on the two shells to connect other partial structural parts arranged on the two shells. This not only enables the connection between the two shells, but also uses the connector to protect the structural parts wrapped therein, effectively preventing the structural parts from being pulled, deformed and damaged during the relative folding of the two shells, thereby improving the reliability, durability and aesthetics of the structural parts.

[0062] Based on the above content, the following Figure 2 To Attachment Fig.15 , the protective shell and corresponding components in this application are described in detail.

[0063] like Figure 2The figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of a protective shell provided by the present application. Figure 2 (A) shows a view from the outside of the protective shell 200 to the protective shell 200. Figure 2 (B) shows an exploded view of the protective shell 200 disassembled from the outside to the inside. Figure 2 Middle (A) and Figure 2 In (B), the protective shell 200 includes a first shell 210, a second shell 220, a connector 230 and a structural member 240. The connector 230 is located outside the first shell 210 and the second shell 220, with one end fixed to the first shell 210 and the other end fixed to the second shell 220. The structural member 240 includes a first sub-structure 241, a second sub-structure 242 and a third sub-structure 243 connected in sequence. The first sub-structure 241 is arranged in the first shell 210, the third sub-structure 243 is arranged in the second shell 220, and the second sub-structure 242 is at least partially wrapped in the connector 230. The first shell 210 is provided with a first opening A1, and the second sub-structure 242 passes through the first opening A1 and is connected to the first sub-structure 241 arranged in the first shell 210. The second housing 220 defines a second opening A2 , and the second sub-structure 242 passes through the second opening A2 to communicate with the third sub-structure 243 disposed in the second housing 220 .

[0064] In other words, the protective shell 200 can be separated into at least three layers from the outside to the inside. The outermost layer is the connector 230, which encloses part of the structural member 240, that is, at least part of the second sub-structure 242. A layer close to the connector 230 is the first shell 210 and the second shell 220, one end of the connector 230 is fixed on the outer surface of the first shell 210, and the other end of the connector 230 is fixed on the outer surface of the second shell 220, and a first opening A1 is provided on the first shell 210, and a second opening A2 is provided on the second shell 220, and the second sub-structure 242 enclosed in the connector 230 enters the inner surface of the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 from the outer surface side of the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 by passing through the first opening A1 and the second opening A2. A layer adjacent to the inner surfaces of the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 is another part of the structural component 240, including a first sub-structure component 241 and a third sub-structure component 243. The first sub-structure component 241 is tightly attached to the inner surface of the first shell 210 and is connected to the second sub-structure component 242 passing through the first opening A1. The third sub-structure component 243 is tightly attached to the inner surface of the second shell 220 and is connected to the second sub-structure component 242 passing through the second opening A2.

[0065] use Figure 2The structural design of the protective shell 200 shown in the figure is that the second sub-structure 242, under the wrapping protection of the connecting member 230, can form a connected structural member that penetrates the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 with the first sub-structure 241 on the inner surface of the first shell 210 and the third sub-structure 243 on the inner surface of the second shell 220. In this way, not only can the connection of the structural members between the two shells be achieved, but the second sub-structure wrapped inside it can also be protected by the connecting member, which helps to prevent the second sub-structure from being pulled and deformed and damaged during the relative folding of the two shells, and effectively improves the reliability and durability of the entire structural member. Furthermore, the first sub-structure and the third sub-structure are both arranged on the inner surface of the shell, and the second sub-structure is at least partially wrapped in the connecting member, and the other part is also arranged on the inner surface of the shell. Therefore, these three sub-structures are not exposed outside the protective shell, so that the shape of the entire protective shell is also more beautiful, and it does not affect the use of users.

[0066] In an alternative implementation, please continue to refer to Figure 2 In (B), the protective shell 200 may further include a shielding film disposed on the inner side of the shell. For example, the protective shell 200 may further include a first shielding film 251, which is attached to the inner side of the first shell 210 and is used to hide the first sub-structure 241 and part of the second sub-structure 242 disposed on the inner surface of the first shell 210. And / or, the protective shell 200 may further include a second shielding film 252, which is attached to the inner side of the second shell 220 and is used to hide the third sub-structure 243 and part of the second sub-structure 242 disposed on the inner surface of the second shell 220. In this way, by hiding the structural parts disposed on the inner surface of the shell with the shielding film, the integrity of the inner appearance of the shell can be maintained, and the aesthetics of the protective shell can be improved.

[0067] It is understandable that the shielding film may be an opaque or translucent film. For example, the shielding film may be made of an opaque or translucent material, such as an opaque plastic film, polypropylene, rubber sheet or polyethylene (PE) film, etc., or may be achieved by spraying an opaque material on a transparent film, such as spraying paint or ink on an ordinary film, etc., without specific limitation.

[0068] Below Figure 2 The structures of the various components involved are introduced and explained respectively to provide exemplary specific implementation schemes.

[0069] 1. First Shell and Second Shell

[0070] In the present application, the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 can be folded relative to each other. There are many possible implementations of the first shell 210 and the second shell 220. For example, in one possible implementation, the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 are two separate shells, one end of the first shell 210 and one end of the second shell 220 are in close contact, and are connected together by a connector 230. For another example, in another possible implementation, the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 are flexibly spliced ​​into a complete shell, such as the ends of the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 that are in contact are connected by a flexible shell, and the relative folding between the two shells is achieved by the flexible shell. Of course, there are many other possible implementations, which are not listed here one by one.

[0071] It is understandable that the first shell 210 or the second shell 220 can be a plastic shell, a thermoplastic urethane (TPU) shell, a polycarbonate (PC) shell, a leather shell or a metal shell, etc. Among them, the PC shell is also called a plastic shell, which is currently the most commonly used mobile phone shell, and has the advantages of strong impact resistance, good toughness, high transparency, non-toxicity and convenient processing and molding, and can also be electroplated with patterns, transferred patterns or sprayed with hand-feeling rubber oil, etc., making it look more upscale and refined, and increasing the texture and aesthetics.

[0072] 2. Connectors

[0073] In the present application, the connector 230 is used to connect the first shell 210 and the second shell 220, or can also achieve other functions, such as decoration.

[0074] In a possible implementation, the connector 230 may be a hand strap. The hand strap can be considered as a belt-shaped decorative structure that is convenient for people to carry. The user can hold the protective case 200 and the terminal device set in the hand by the hand strap. In some scenarios, the hand strap can also be used as a bracket to tilt the terminal device on the desktop, so that the user can watch videos or chat.

[0075] For example, please refer to Figure 3 , exemplarily showing a structural schematic diagram of a connector provided by the present application. The structure can be understood as follows: 0 The cross-sectional structure obtained by plane cutting the area B on the protective shell 200, S 0 The plane can be understood as a plane drawn at the center of the connecting member 230 and perpendicular to the plane where the protective shell 200 is located. Figure 3As shown, the connecting member 230 may include a first leather 231, a plastic sheet 232 and a second leather 234 stacked in sequence, and the second leather 234 is hollowed out at positions corresponding to the first opening A1 and the second opening A2, and at least a portion of the second sub-structure 242 is wrapped between the plastic sheet 232 and the second leather 234, and is connected to the first sub-structure 241 in the first shell 210 through the hollowed-out area corresponding to the first opening A1, and is connected to the third sub-structure 243 in the second shell 220 through the hollowed-out area corresponding to the second opening A2, so as to realize the connection between the sub-structure wrapped in the connecting member 230 and the sub-structures in the two shells.

[0076] It can be understood that the first leather 231 and the second leather 234 constitute the upper and lower appearance surfaces of the connecting member 230 and have a certain elasticity, so that the connecting member 230 can be bent to support the relative folding of the first shell 210 and the second shell 220, while also protecting the second substructure 242 located therein.

[0077] It is understandable that the plastic sheet 232 has a certain plasticity and can withstand a certain extrusion force without deformation, so that the connector 230 can be bent but not stretched to lengthen, thereby ensuring that the second substructure 242 located in the connector 230 will not be stretched and broken, and at the same time, the risk of the second substructure 242 stacked thereunder being squeezed and broken by external force can be reduced. Exemplarily, the plastic sheet 232 can be made of plastic material, such as PC material, which has the advantages of being environmentally friendly, light weight, high impact strength, high hardness, high refractive index, good mechanical properties, and good thermoplasticity.

[0078] For an example, see Figure 3 As shown, the connecting member 230 may further include a third leather 233, which is stacked between the plastic sheet 232 and the second leather 234, and the third leather 233 located within the first opening A1 and the second opening A2 on the connecting member 230 is hollowed out to wrap the second substructure 242. By arranging the third leather in the connecting member, a certain thickness can be provided in the stacking direction by the third leather, and the thickness can support wrapping the second substructure in the connecting member after the third leather is hollowed out.

[0079] In one example, both ends of the connector 230 may be fixed to the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 respectively, and the fixing methods may include but are not limited to: bonding, welding, bolting, magnetic attraction, steel structure, tensioning, or friction. Figure 4 , exemplarily shows a schematic diagram of a bolt fixing structure of a connecting member provided by the present application, and the figure takes the bolt fixing structure of the connecting member 230 on the second housing 220 as an example. This figure can be understood as follows: 1The cross-sectional structure obtained by plane cutting the local area C of the connecting member 230, S 1 The plane can be understood as a plane drawn from a non-central position of the connecting member 230 and perpendicular to the plane where the protective shell 200 is located. In other words, S 1 Plane relative to S 0 The plane has an offset that is exactly where the bolt is fixed. Figure 4 As shown, the protective shell 200 may also include a metal piece 261 and a bolt 262. The metal piece 261 includes a metal pressing sheet and a protruding structure with a threaded hole. A through hole C is opened at one end of the connector 230 attached to the second shell 220. The metal piece 261 is crimped on the outside of the connector 230, and its protruding structure passes through the through hole C and cooperates with the bolt 262 arranged on the inside of the second shell 220 to fix the connector 230 on the second shell 220. In this example, by crimping the metal piece on the outside of the connector, the appearance of the connector looks more textured, and by fixing it with bolts inside, the internal fixing structure of the protective shell cannot be seen from the outside, which helps to improve the aesthetics.

[0080] 3. Structural parts

[0081] It can be understood that the structural member 240 may refer to a component used to realize an auxiliary function on the protective shell 200, and the auxiliary function needs to connect the components on the upper and lower shells of the protective shell 200 to be realized. Among them, the auxiliary functions may include but are not limited to: heat dissipation function, fill light function, light language display function, shooting function, storage function, communication function, charging function, etc. The heat dissipation function requires the pipes containing liquids on the upper and lower shells to be connected, while the fill light function, light language display function, shooting function, storage function, communication function and charging function require the functional parts on a certain shell to be connected to the power supply component on the other shell to realize the electrical connection between the upper and lower shells. Therefore, three possible implementation schemes of the structural member are introduced below from the perspectives of heat dissipation and electrical connection respectively. The following implementation scheme one corresponds to a structural member that realizes the heat dissipation function, the following implementation scheme two corresponds to a structural member that realizes the electrical connection function, and the following implementation scheme three corresponds to a structural member that realizes both the heat dissipation function and the electrical connection function.

[0082] Implementation Plan 1

[0083] To achieve cross-shell cooling, please refer to Figure 5 , exemplarily shows a structural schematic diagram of another protective shell provided by the present application. Figure 5 (A) shows a view from the outside of the protective shell 200 to the protective shell 200. Figure 5 (B) shows an exploded view of the protective shell 200 disassembled from the outside to the inside. It should be noted that: Figure 5In (B), except for the layer where the structural member 240 is located, Figure 2 Except for (B), all other layers are the same as Figure 2 Same as (B). Please refer to Figure 5 Middle (B) and Figure 2 In (B), in this example, the structural member 240 is a loop 2401, and the loop 2401 contains a liquid (not shown in the figure, please refer to the following for details). Figure 7a ), the liquid communicates with the first substructure 241, the second substructure 242 and the third substructure 243. In some scenarios, the loop 2401 and the liquid contained therein are also collectively referred to as a liquid cooling film.

[0084] Optionally, see Figure 5 In (B), when the structure 240 is a loop 2401, the substructure may be a pipeline. For example, the first substructure 241 is a first pipeline 2411, the second substructure 242 is a second pipeline 2421, and the third substructure 243 is a third pipeline 2431. The first pipeline 2411, the second pipeline 2421 and the third pipeline 2431 constitute the loop 2401.

[0085] It can be understood that the first pipeline 2411 is arranged on the first shell 210, the third pipeline 2431 is arranged on the second shell 220, and the second pipeline 2421 passes through the position where the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 are connected, and is respectively connected to the first pipeline 2411 and the third pipeline 2431. Therefore, the loop 2401 formed by the first pipeline 2411, the second pipeline 2421 and the third pipeline 2431 can realize the connection of the liquid on the first shell 210 and the second shell 220. Optionally, in order to ensure the heat dissipation effect, the loop 2401 can also cover most of the area on the protective shell, such as covering most of the area except for the groove for embedding the camera. In this way, after the protective shell is set on the foldable device, even if the heat source of the foldable device is concentrated in a certain area (such as the camera and motherboard area of ​​the first shell) when the foldable device is used, the heat dissipation area can be expanded to the entire protective shell through the liquid in the loop connected between the two shells of the protective shell, so as to improve the heat dissipation efficiency by increasing the heat dissipation area.

[0086] For further explanation of the structure of loop 2401, see Figure 6 , exemplarily showing a protective shell view provided by the present application viewed from different directions. Figure 6 (A) shows a view from the outside of the protective shell 200 to the protective shell 200. Figure 6 (B) shows a view of the protective shell 200 from the inner side of the protective shell 200 after the shielding films (including the first shielding films 251 and the second shielding films 252) of the protective shell 200 are removed. Figure 6Middle (A) and Figure 6 In (B), in the loop 2401, one end of the second pipeline 2421 is connected to the first pipeline 2411 located in the first shell 210, and the other end passes through the first opening A1 on the first shell 210, and is led out to the outside of the first shell 210, and then wrapped in the connector 230, passes through the position where the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 are connected, reaches the outside of the second shell 220, and then passes through the second opening A2 on the second shell 220, and is introduced into the inside of the second shell 220, and is connected to the third pipeline 2431 in the second shell 220. In this way, the first pipeline in the first shell and the third pipeline in the second shell can be connected together through the second pipeline, forming a loop that runs through the entire protective shell.

[0087] Understandable, see Figure 5 or Figure 6 , the second pipeline 2421 needs to pass through the first opening A1 on the first shell 210 and the second opening A2 on the second shell 220. Therefore, when the second pipeline 2421 is a strip-shaped pipeline, the first opening A1 and the second opening A2 can be presented as rectangular openings as shown in the figure, and the length and width of the rectangular opening can match the width and thickness of the second pipeline 2421 respectively. For example, the length of the rectangular opening can be slightly larger than the width of the second pipeline 2421, and the width of the rectangular opening can be slightly larger than the thickness of the second pipeline 2421, so that the size of the first opening A1 and the second opening A2 can support the second pipeline 2421 to pass through. It should be understood that the first opening A1 and the second opening A2 can also be presented as openings of any other shape, such as a circular opening, an elliptical opening or a polygonal opening, etc., without specific limitation.

[0088] For further information, see Figure 7a , a schematic diagram of the specific structure of a loop provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown as an example. The loop 2401 may be a loop composed of a diaphragm 2451 with a complete channel in the middle, and the liquid 2452 is wrapped in the loop. In this way, through the flow of the liquid 2452 in the loop 2401, the heat at the concentrated location of the heat source can be driven to other locations to achieve heat exchange. It should be noted that the figure takes the loop 2401 as a hook-like loop with the hook tip flush as an example, but it should be understood that the loop 2401 may also be presented in any other shape, such as a ring, a U-shaped, a zigzag, a spoon-shaped or an irregular shape, etc., and the present application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0089] Optionally, the liquid 2452 may be composed of a liquid with good thermal conductivity, such as water, or may also include other liquids, such as fluorinated liquid.

[0090] For an example, see Figure 5 or Figure 6, the protective shell 200 may also be provided with a perspective window 261, and the orthographic projection of the liquid onto the protective shell 200 is at least partially located in the perspective window 261, and the flow of the liquid can be seen through the perspective window 261. Optionally, the perspective window 261 may be provided on the protective shell 200 at a position directly opposite to the part of the loop 2401. In this way, when the liquid in the loop 2401 flows, the user can see the effect of the internal liquid flow through the perspective window, which helps to improve the user experience.

[0091] Understandably, Figure 5 or Figure 6 The perspective window 261 is set in the area where the third pipeline 2431 is located for example, but it should be understood that the perspective window 261 can also be set in any one or more positions of any one or more pipelines in the first pipeline 2411 or the third pipeline 2431, without specific limitation.

[0092] Further, optionally, in order to improve the effect of the user viewing the flow of the liquid, the liquid can be presented in color. For example, in one example, the main component of the liquid is water, and it can also contain a small amount of colored fluoride liquid or other colored liquid. The purpose of water is to transfer heat energy, while the colored fluoride liquid or other liquid allows the user to better see the effect of the liquid flow through the perspective window on the protective shell. In addition, the cost of water and fluoride liquid is low, which also helps to achieve low-cost heat dissipation. It should be understood that colored liquid is only an example. In another example, the liquid can also be colorless. For example, by filling part of the liquid in the loop but not filling it up, the user can also better see the effect of the liquid flow.

[0093] For further examples, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 7a In order to prevent the diaphragm 2451 in the area where the perspective window 261 is located from being directly exposed to the outside, a transparent shell 262 may be provided in the area where the perspective window 261 is located on the protective shell 200. The transparent shell 262 may be embedded in the perspective window 261 to provide protection for the diaphragm 2451 located inside the perspective window 261, while keeping the shell clean and beautiful. The transparent shell 262 may be made of a transparent material, such as a transparent plastic shell, so as to provide protection for the internal diaphragm while not affecting the effect of the user watching the flow of liquid.

[0094] For example, the flow of liquid 2452 is usually driven by a power component. Figure 7a and Figure 5 A power component 244 may be provided in the loop 2401, and a power supply component 270 may be provided in the protective shell 200. The power component 244 is connected to the power supply component 270 ( Figure 7a This is not indicated in the Figure 8), which is used to drive the liquid in the loop 2401 to flow under the power provided by the power supply component 270 to achieve the heat dissipation function.

[0095] It is understandable that the power component 244 can be any component that can drive the flow of liquid, such as a motor. The motor can also be called a hydraulic motor or a hydraulic pump, and can be made into a patch form by miniaturization means, so it can also be called a micro motor or a patch motor. The micro motor or patch motor is usually provided with a piezoelectric vibrator inside, which can receive the alternating current provided by the power supply component 270 and generate high-frequency vibration, thereby driving the liquid to flow in the loop 2401. For example, please refer to Figure 7b , exemplarily showing a schematic diagram of the structure of a motor provided by the present application, the motor includes a piezoelectric vibrator 710, an elastic shell 720, a rigid shell 730, a first switch K1 and a second switch K2. The piezoelectric vibrator 710 is arranged on the outside (or inside) of the elastic shell 720 and is in contact with the elastic shell 720. The elastic shell 720 and the rigid shell 730 are connected to form a first cavity 740. The first switch K1 and the second switch K2 are arranged on one or more sides of the first cavity 740 where the rigid shell 730 is located (the figure takes one side as an example). The rotation range of the first switch K1 is limited to the first cavity 740, and the rotation range of the second switch K2 is limited to the outside of the first cavity 740. Based on this motor structure, please refer to Figure 7c When the motor is working, the piezoelectric vibrator 710 can receive alternating current and generate high-frequency vibration under the action of the alternating current, such as Figure 7c As shown in (A), in the first half cycle of the alternating current, the high-frequency vibration of the piezoelectric vibrator 710 drives the elastic shell 720 to expand outward, thereby generating an upward force in the first cavity 740 as shown in the figure, which causes the first switch K1 to open and the second switch K2 to close, so that the liquid can flow into the first cavity 710 through the opened first switch K1 and be stored in the first cavity 710; afterwards, as shown in Figure 7c As shown in (B), in the second half of the cycle of the alternating current, the high-frequency vibration of the piezoelectric vibrator 710 drives the elastic shell 720 to retract, thereby generating a downward force in the first cavity 740, which causes the first switch K1 to close and the second switch K2 to open, so that the liquid stored in the first cavity 740 can flow out through the opened second switch K2; in this way, under the action of the alternating current, the piezoelectric vibrator 710 continuously drives the elastic shell 720 to expand and compress, so that the liquid moves from left to right along the diagram (corresponding to Figure 7a The flow direction is from bottom to top.

[0096] Further, optionally, the power component 244 may include only one motor or multiple motors. Figure 7aFor example, the power component 244 includes a first motor 2441 and a second motor 2442, and the first motor 2441 and the second motor 2442 are located on both sides of a branch. Figure 7d , exemplarily illustrates a possible working mode of the first motor and the second motor, which is based on the example that the timing of the AC power received by the first motor 2441 and the second motor 2442 are synchronized and the working mode is synchronized. For details, please refer to Figure 7d In (A), in the first half cycle of the alternating current, the high-frequency vibration of the piezoelectric vibrator 24411 in the first motor 2441 drives its elastic shell 24412 to expand outward, so that its first switch K11 is opened and its second switch K12 is closed, and the liquid flows into the first motor 2441 through the opened first switch K11, and the high-frequency vibration of the piezoelectric vibrator 24421 in the second motor 2442 also drives its elastic shell 24422 to expand outward, so that its first switch K21 is opened and its second switch K22 is closed, and the liquid flows into the second motor 2442 through the opened first switch K21; afterwards, please refer to Figure 7d In (B), in the second half cycle of the alternating current, the high-frequency vibration of the piezoelectric vibrator 24411 in the first motor 2441 drives its elastic shell 24412 to retract, so that its first switch K11 is closed and its second switch K12 is opened, and the liquid stored in the first motor 2441 flows out through the opened second switch K12, and the high-frequency vibration of the piezoelectric vibrator 24421 in the second motor 2442 drives its elastic shell 24422 to retract, so that its first switch K21 is closed and its second switch K22 is opened, and the liquid stored in the second motor 2442 flows out through the opened second switch K22. In this way, referring to this design, the first motor 2441 and the second motor 2442 can both drive the liquid on their respective branches to move from left to right along the diagram (corresponding to Figure 7a The liquid on both sides of the branch flows in the same direction, and all the liquid is used to dissipate heat together, effectively improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0097] It should be noted that Figure 7dThe scheme shown is only one possible implementation. In another possible implementation, the working modes of the first motor 2441 and the second motor 2442 may also be asynchronous, for example, in the first half cycle of the alternating current, the first motor 2441 stores liquid and the second motor 2442 releases liquid, and in the second half cycle of the alternating current, the first motor 2441 releases liquid and the second motor 2442 stores liquid; or, in the first half cycle of the alternating current, the first motor 2441 releases liquid and the second motor 2442 stores liquid, and in the second half cycle of the alternating current, the first motor 2441 stores liquid and the second motor 2442 releases liquid. Alternatively, in another possible implementation, the timing of the first motor 2441 and the second motor 2442 may also be asynchronous, for example, the first motor 2441 and the second motor 2442 may also have their own working cycles, and the cycle lengths of the two working cycles are different, so that the time period when the first motor 2441 releases liquid or stores liquid is different from the time period when the second motor 2442 releases liquid or stores liquid. However, it should be understood that no matter which implementation method is used, the first motor 2441 and the second motor 2442 can make the liquid move along the Figure 7d From left to right (corresponding to Figure 7a The liquid flows in the direction of from bottom to top so that the flow direction of the liquid remains consistent.

[0098] Further illustratively, the power component 244 and the power supply assembly 270 may be located in the same housing area. Figure 5 , when the power supply assembly 270 is located in the second housing 220, refer to Figure 7a , the power component 244 can be located in the third pipeline 2431. In this way, since the third pipeline 2431 is also located in the second shell 220, the power component 244 located in the third pipeline 2431 can be connected to the power supply component 270 also located in the second shell 220 without crossing the shell, which helps to improve the convenience of connection.

[0099] Further illustratively, the connection between the power component 244 and the power supply assembly 270 may refer to the power component 244 being directly connected to the power supply assembly 270, or may refer to the power component 244 being indirectly connected to the power supply assembly 270 via other components. Figure 8 , exemplarily showing a schematic diagram of a connection method between a power component and a power supply component provided by the present application. Among them, Figure 8 (A) shows a view of the protective shell 200 from the inner side thereof after the shielding films (including the first shielding films 251 and the second shielding films 252) and the structural member 240 of the protective shell 200 are removed at the same time. Figure 8 (B) shows a view of the protective shell 200 from the inner side of the protective shell 200 after only the shielding film of the protective shell 200 is removed. In other words, Figure 8 (B) is equivalent to Figure 8 The view obtained by superimposing the loop 2401 on the view shown in (A). In addition, in order to more clearly introduce the connection relationship between the power component 244 and the power supply component 270, Figure 8 Middle (B) also shows the power supply assembly 270, power component 244 and their connection relationship which are blocked by the loop 2401 in a perspective view.

[0100] First, see Figure 8 In (A), the power supply assembly 270 may be located in the second housing 220. At the same time, a circuit board 280 may also be provided in the second housing 220. The power supply assembly 270 is connected to the circuit board 280 via a cable. In this way, after the protective shell 200 is placed on the foldable device, the power supply assembly 270 can draw power from the power module of the foldable device, and can transmit the obtained power to the circuit board 280 via a cable, so as to uniformly supply power to the components in the protective shell 200 that need power through the circuit board 280.

[0101] Then, see Figure 8 In (B), the power component 244 may be located in the third conduit 2431 in the second housing 220, and may be connected to the circuit board 280 in the second housing 220 via a cable. For example, in the case where the power component 244 includes a first motor 2441 and a second motor 2442, the first motor 2441 and the second motor 2442 may both include a power supply input terminal and a ground power supply input terminal, the power supply input terminal of the first motor 2441 and the power supply input terminal of the second motor 2442 are connected to the power supply output terminal in the circuit board 280 via a cable, and the ground power supply input terminal of the first motor 2441 and the ground power supply input terminal of the second motor 2442 are connected to the ground power supply output terminal in the circuit board 280 via a cable. In this way, the circuit board 280 can convert the electric energy transmitted from the power supply component 270 into power supply and ground power, and then provide it to the first motor 2441 and the second motor 2442 through the cable between the first motor 2441 and the second motor 2442, so as to drive the first motor 2441 and the second motor 2442 to drive the liquid in the third pipeline 2431 to flow.

[0102] It should be noted that Figure 8 The connection method between the power component 244 and the power supply component 270 is described by taking indirect connection as an example. If it is a direct connection, Figure 8 The circuit board 280 in the second shell 220 is removed, so that the power component 244 can be directly connected to the power supply assembly 270 in the second shell 220 through a cable, and this application will not repeat this.

[0103] In the above-mentioned embodiment 1, by wrapping part of the pipeline of the loop in the connecting piece and passing through the position where the two shells are connected, the liquid in the loop connected to the two shells can be combined to increase the heat dissipation area to improve the heat dissipation efficiency. At the same time, the internal pipeline can be protected by the connecting piece to reduce the risk of the pipeline being pulled apart during the folding process of the shell, thereby effectively improving the durability of the loop and maintaining the aesthetics.

[0104] Implementation Plan 2

[0105] To achieve cross-shell electrical connection function, please refer to Fig. 9 , exemplarily shows a structural schematic diagram of another protective shell provided by the present application. Fig. 9 (A) shows a view from the outside of the protective shell 200 to the protective shell 200. Fig. 9 (B) shows an exploded view of the protective shell 200 disassembled from the outside to the inside. Fig. 9 and Figure 2 In (B), in this example, the protective shell 200 may also include a functional component 290 and a power component 270. The functional component 290 is arranged on the outside of the first shell 210, and the power component 270 is arranged in the second shell 220. The structural member 240 is a cable 2402. The functional component 290 and the power component 270 are connected through the cable 2402. The cable 2402 is used to realize the power transmission between the functional component 290 and the power component 270. Among them, the cable 2402 can only refer to a communication line for realizing power transmission, or it can also refer to a circuit composed of a communication line and electrical components. In addition to realizing power transmission, it can also realize other functions, such as boosting, bucking or power amplification.

[0106] It can be understood that the functional component 290 and the power component 270 are connected via the cable 2402, which may refer to being directly connected via the cable 2402 or being indirectly connected via the cable 2402 and other components. Fig. 9 The protective shell 200 may further include a circuit board 280, which is disposed in the second shell 220 and connected to the power supply assembly 270 in the second shell 220 via a cable. In this way, the functional component 290 is connected to the circuit board 280 via the cable 2402, and can obtain the power transmitted to the circuit board 280 by the power supply assembly 270, or can transmit the power to the power supply assembly 270 via the circuit board 280.

[0107] For further explanation of the structure of cable 2402, see Fig.10 , exemplarily showing a protective shell view provided by the present application viewed from different directions. Fig.10 (A) shows a view from the outside of the protective shell 200 to the protective shell 200. Fig.10 (B) shows a view of the protective shell 200 from the inner side of the protective shell 200 after the shielding films (including the first shielding films 251 and the second shielding films 252) of the protective shell 200 are removed. Fig.10 Middle (A) and Fig.10 In (B), the cable 2402 is connected to the functional component 290 located outside the first shell 210, and after passing through the first opening A1 on the first shell 210, it is led out to the outside of the first shell 210, and then wrapped in the connector 230, passes through the position where the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 meet, reaches the outside of the second shell 220, and then passes through the second opening A2 on the second shell 220, and is introduced into the inside of the second shell 220, and then connected to the circuit board 280 in the second shell 220, and the circuit board 280 is connected to the power supply component 270 through the cable. In this way, through this cable connection relationship, the electrical connection between the functional component 290 outside the first shell 210 and the power supply component 270 in the second shell 220 can be achieved.

[0108] Understandable, please continue reading Fig.10 , the cable 2402 needs to pass through the first opening A1 on the first shell 210 and the second opening A2 on the second shell 220. Therefore, when the cable 2402 is a slender communication line, the first opening A1 and the second opening A2 can be relatively small circular holes, square holes or other holes, and the size of the holes can match the diameter of the cable 2402. For example, the minimum diameter of the hole can be slightly larger than the diameter of the cable 2402, so that the size of the first opening A1 and the second opening A2 can support the cable 2402 to pass through.

[0109] It should be noted that Fig. 9 and Fig.10 In the figure, the functional component 290 is a ring flash component as an example, but it should be understood that the functional component 290 can also be other components that need electricity or can provide electricity, such as but not limited to: a ring flash component, a light language component, a camera component, a storage component, a communication component, a charging component, etc. When the functional component 290 is a component that needs electricity, such as a ring flash component, a light language component, a camera component, a storage component, a communication component, or a charging component, the functional component 290 can receive the electric energy provided by the power component 270 through the cable 2402, and the electric energy can be obtained by the power component 270 from the power supply of the foldable device mounted on the protective shell 200. On the contrary, when the functional component 290 is a component that can provide electricity, such as a charging component, the functional component 290 can provide electric energy to the power component 270 through the cable 2402, and the electric energy can be provided to the power supply of the foldable device mounted on the protective shell 200. It can be seen that this design can support the setting of various types of functional components on the protective shell, thereby making the protective shell suitable for various different application scenarios.

[0110] In the above-mentioned second embodiment, by wrapping part of the cable in the connector and passing it through the position where the two shells are connected, the two shell components can be electrically connected through the cable, while the internal cable can be protected by the connector, reducing the risk of the cable being worn and broken during the folding of the shells, effectively improving the durability and safety of the cable while maintaining its aesthetics.

[0111] Implementation Plan 3

[0112] To achieve cross-shell heat dissipation and cross-shell electrical connection functions, please refer to Fig.11 , exemplarily shows a structural schematic diagram of another protective shell provided by the present application. Fig.11 (A) shows a view from the outside of the protective shell 200 to the protective shell 200. Fig.11 (B) shows an exploded view of the protective shell 200 disassembled from the outside to the inside. Fig.11 Middle (A) and Fig.11 In (B), in this example, the protective shell 200 may also include a functional component 290 and a power component 270, the functional component 290 is arranged on the outside of the first shell 210, the power component 270 is arranged in the second shell 220, and the structural member 240 includes both a loop 2401 and a cable 2402. Among them, the loop 2401 contains liquid, including a first pipeline 2411, a second pipeline 2421 and a third pipeline 2431, the first pipeline 2411 is located in the first shell 210, the third pipeline 2431 is located in the second shell 220, and the second pipeline 2421 is at least partially wrapped in the connector 230, and is connected to the first pipeline 2411 and the third pipeline 2431 respectively, so as to realize the connection of the pipelines in the first shell 210 and the second shell 220. Furthermore, the functional component 290 and the power component 270 are connected via a cable 2402 to achieve power transmission between the power component 270 in the second shell 220 and the functional component 290 outside the first shell 210 .

[0113] To further explain the structure of the structural member 240, see Fig.12 , exemplarily showing a protective shell view provided by the present application viewed from different directions. Fig.12 (A) shows a view from the outside of the protective shell 200 to the protective shell 200. Fig.12 (B) shows a view of the protective shell 200 from the inner side of the protective shell 200 after the shielding film (including the first shielding film 251 and the second shielding film 252) of the protective shell 200 is removed. In addition, in order to more clearly introduce the connection relationship between the cable 2402 and the power supply assembly 270, Fig.12In (B), the power supply assembly 270 and the circuit board 280 which are blocked by the loop 2401 are also shown in a perspective view. Fig.12 Middle (A) and Fig.12 In (B), on the one hand, one end of the second pipeline 2421 is connected to the first pipeline 2411 located in the first shell 210, and the other end passes through the first opening A1 on the first shell 210, is led out to the outside of the first shell 210, and then is wrapped in the connecting piece 230, passes through the position where the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 are connected, reaches the outside of the second shell 220, and then passes through the second opening A2 on the second shell 220, is introduced into the inside of the second shell 220, and is connected to the third pipeline 2431 in the second shell 220, thereby realizing the connection between the pipelines in the first shell 210 and the second shell 220. On the other hand, the cable 2402 is connected to the functional component 290 located on the outside of the first shell 210, and after passing through the first opening A1 on the first shell 210, it is led out to the outside of the first shell 210, and then wrapped in the connecting piece 230, passes through the position where the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 are connected, reaches the outside of the second shell 220, and then passes through the second opening A2 on the second shell 220, and is introduced into the inside of the second shell 220, and then connected to the circuit board 280 in the second shell 220, and is conducted to the power supply component 270 through the cable between the circuit board 280 and the power supply component 270, so as to realize the electrical connection between the functional component 290 on the outside of the first shell 210 and the power supply component 270 in the second shell 220.

[0114] In the above-mentioned implementation scheme three, by wrapping part of the pipes and part of the cables together in the connector and passing through the position where the two shells are connected, the two shells can be combined to increase the heat dissipation area to improve the heat dissipation efficiency, and the electrical connection between the two shell components can be achieved. At the same time, the risk of damage to the pipes and cables during the folding process of the shell can be reduced, thereby effectively improving the reliability of the heat dissipation function and the electrical connection function, while maintaining the aesthetics.

[0115] It can be understood that the above-mentioned implementation plan three is equivalent to a combination of the above-mentioned implementation plan one and the above-mentioned implementation plan two. Therefore, the components, component structures and connection relationships between the components involved in the above-mentioned implementation plan three can all refer to the relevant introduction in the above-mentioned implementation plan one or the above-mentioned implementation plan two, and will not be repeated here one by one.

[0116] Based on the structure and principle of the protective shell described above, the present application can also provide a foldable component. Fig.13 , is a possible structural diagram of a foldable component provided by the present application, the foldable component may include a terminal device 1310 and a protective shell 200 introduced in any of the aforementioned embodiments, such as Figures 2 to 12The protective shell 200 in any of the figures. The protective shell 200 can be sleeved on the terminal device 1310. For example, the terminal device 1310 may include a third shell 1311, a fourth shell 1312 and a rotating shaft 1313 for connecting the third shell 1311 and the fourth shell 1312, the first shell 210 of the protective shell 200 is sleeved on the third shell 1311, and the second shell 220 of the protective shell 200 is sleeved on the fourth shell 1312.

[0117] Optionally, the terminal device 1310 may be a foldable device, such as including but not limited to: a foldable mobile phone, a foldable laptop computer, a foldable tablet computer, a foldable vehicle-mounted device, a foldable smart wearable terminal, etc.

[0118] In one possible implementation, see Fig.13 The terminal device 1310 may further include a power module 1314, and the protective shell 200 may further include a power component 270. The power module 1314 is connected to the power component 270. The power component 270 realizes the auxiliary function of the protective shell 200 by receiving power provided by the power module 1314 or providing power to the power module 1314.

[0119] It should be noted that Fig.13 Taking the example that the power module 1314 is located in the fourth housing 1312 and the power assembly 270 is located in the second housing 220, by placing the power module 1314 and the power assembly 270 on the housings corresponding to the terminal device 1310 and the protective shell 200, the connection distance between the two can be shortened. However, it should be understood that the power module 1314 can also be located on any one or more of the third housing 1311 or the fourth housing 1312, and the power assembly 270 can be located on any one or more of the first housing 210 or the second housing 220, without specific limitation.

[0120] Optionally, the auxiliary functions of the protective shell 200 may include one or more of the following functions:

[0121] The heat dissipation function refers to setting a loop connecting the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 on the protective shell 200, and setting a power component 244 in the loop (for related content, please refer to the above-mentioned embodiment 1), and supplying power to the power component 244 through the power supply component 270 to drive the flow of liquid in the loop, thereby dispersing the heat generated by the camera and the mainboard area concentrated in the third shell 1311 of the terminal device 1310 to the entire protective shell 200;

[0122] The fill light function refers to providing a ring flash light on the first shell 210 of the protective shell 200, powering the ring flash light through the power supply assembly 270, and using the light emitted by the ring flash light to compensate for the ambient light, so that the terminal device 1310 can capture higher quality images in sufficient light conditions;

[0123] The light language display function refers to setting an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) outside the first shell 210 or the second shell 220 of the protective shell 200, and supplying power to one or more of these LEDs through the power supply component 270, so that the display shell 200 can present different patterns or shapes, increasing the fun of the user using the protective shell 200;

[0124] The shooting function refers to setting a large focal length lens on the first shell 210 or the second shell 220 of the protective shell 200, powering the large focal length lens through the power supply component 270, and using the large focal length lens to shoot images or videos that exceed the shooting capability of the terminal device 1310 itself;

[0125] The storage function refers to setting an external memory in the first shell 210 or the second shell 220 of the protective shell 200, supplying power to the external memory through the power supply assembly 270, and expanding the storage capacity of the terminal device 1310;

[0126] The communication function refers to setting a subscriber identity module (SIM) card outside the first shell 210 or the second shell 220 of the protective shell 200, and supplying power to the SIM card through the power supply assembly 270, so as to expand an additional communication secondary card for the terminal device 1310 to meet the communication needs of the user;

[0127] The charging function refers to setting an external battery in the first shell 210 or the second shell 220 of the protective shell 200. When the terminal device 1310 is low on power, the external battery is used to supply power to the power module 1314 in the terminal device 1310 to extend the use time of the terminal device 1310.

[0128] In summary, among the many auxiliary functions, the realization of the heat dissipation function, fill light function, light language display function, shooting function, storage function and communication function all require electricity. In other words, the power supply component 270 in the protective shell 200 needs to take power from the power module 1314 of the terminal device 1310 and provide it to the corresponding functional component 290. The functional module 290 here can be, for example, the aforementioned power component 244, ring flash, LED, large focal length lens, external memory or SIM card. Based on this, in an example, the terminal device 1310 can supply power to the protective shell 200, and the protective shell 200 can realize the auxiliary function based on the power supply of the terminal device 1310. For example, when the terminal device 1310 detects that a certain auxiliary function (referred to as the first type of auxiliary function) on the protective shell 200 that requires electricity is triggered, it can supply power to the functional component 290 corresponding to the first type of auxiliary function on the protective shell 200, so that the functional component 290 can realize the first type of auxiliary function based on the power supply of the terminal device 1310. For example, taking the heat dissipation function as an example, when the terminal device 1310 detects that the heat dissipation function on the protective shell 200 is triggered, it can supply power to the power component 244 on the protective shell 200, so that the power component 244 can drive the liquid in the loop to flow, thereby achieving heat dissipation of the terminal device 1310. For another example, taking the fill light function as an example, when the terminal device 1310 detects that the fill light function on the protective shell 200 is triggered, it can supply power to the ring flash on the protective shell 200, so that the ring flash is lit and the light emitted can be used to supplement the ambient light.

[0129] On the contrary, among many auxiliary functions, the charging function or other functions that can provide electrical energy need to be discharged. In other words, the power supply component 270 in the protective shell 200 needs to take power from the corresponding functional component 290 and provide it to the power module 1314 of the terminal device 1310. The functional component 290 here can be, for example, the external battery mentioned above. Based on this, in one example, the protective shell 200 can supply power to the terminal device 1310, and the terminal device 1310 can implement auxiliary functions based on the power supply of the protective shell 200. Further, optionally, when the terminal device 1310 detects that a certain auxiliary function (referred to as the second type of auxiliary function) on the protective shell 200 that needs to be discharged is triggered, it can receive power from the protective shell 200. For example, when the terminal device 1310 determines that it is low on power, it can receive power from the external battery on the protective shell 200 transmitted by the power supply component 270 on the protective shell 200 to increase the use time of the terminal device 1310.

[0130] Through the design of the foldable component, the terminal device can discharge the power to the functional component on the protective shell to achieve the first type of auxiliary function of the protective shell, and can also receive the discharge of the functional component on the protective shell to achieve the second type of auxiliary function of the protective shell. It can be seen that this design can make the foldable component suitable for various scenarios, which helps to improve the functional flexibility of the foldable component.

[0131] The above content introduces the power flow relationship between the terminal device and the protective shell when implementing different auxiliary functions. The following further introduces the possible power supply circuit architecture for realizing this power flow relationship in different power supply scenarios.

[0132] Wireless power supply scenario

[0133] In one example, the power module 1314 of the terminal device 1310 may be a wireless power module, and the power component 270 in the protective shell 200 corresponds to a wireless power component. After the terminal device 1310 is mounted in the protective shell 200, the distance between the power module 1314 and the power component 270 is within the wireless charging coverage range, so that power can be transmitted wirelessly between the power module 1314 and the power component 270.

[0134] For example, see Fig.14 , showing a schematic diagram of the architecture of a wireless charging circuit provided by the present application. In this example, the power module 1314 in the terminal device 1310 may include a terminal battery 13141, an inverter 13142, a transformer 13143 and a transmitting coil 13144 connected in sequence, and the power component 270 in the protective shell 200 may include a connected receiving coil 271 and a rectifier circuit 272, wherein the rectifier circuit 272 is connected to the functional component 290 in the protective shell 200. When the terminal device 1310 is mounted on the protective shell 200, the distance between the transmitting coil 13144 in the power module 1314 of the terminal device 1310 and the receiving coil 271 in the power component 270 of the protective shell 200 is within the wireless charging range.

[0135] According to the circuit architecture, when implementing the first type of auxiliary function, the power module 1314 of the terminal device 1310 can be understood as the transmitting end of the wireless charger, and the power component 270 in the protective shell 200 can be understood as the receiving end of the wireless charger. The DC signal output by the terminal battery 13141 is converted into an AC signal by the inverter 13142 and then input into the transformer 13143. The transformer 13143 converts the AC signal into a high-frequency AC signal, and can emit a corresponding alternating magnetic field through the first coil 13144. Since the power module 1314 and the power component 270 are located within the wireless charging range, the alternating magnetic field can be induced by the second coil 271 and can be converted into an AC signal. After the AC signal is converted into a DC signal by the rectifier circuit 272, it can be provided to the functional component 290. In this way, the power component 270 in the protective shell 200 can take power from the power module 1314 of the terminal device 1310 and provide it to the functional component 290 in the protective shell 200.

[0136] On the contrary, according to the circuit architecture, when implementing the second type of auxiliary function, the power module 1314 of the terminal device 1310 can be understood as the receiving end of the wireless charger, and the power component 270 in the protective shell 200 can be understood as the transmitting end of the wireless charger. Among them, the functional component 290 can be, for example, an external battery. After the DC signal output by the external battery is rectified into an AC signal by the rectifier circuit 272, a corresponding alternating magnetic field can be emitted through the second coil 271. Since the power module 1314 and the power component 270 are located within the wireless charging range, the alternating magnetic field can be induced by the first coil 13144 and can be converted into an AC signal. The AC signal is converted into a DC signal by the transformer 13143 and the inverter 13142 and provided to the terminal battery 13141. In this way, the power component 270 in the protective shell 200 can take power from the functional component 290 in the protective shell 200 and provide it to the power module 1314 of the terminal device 1310.

[0137] It should be noted that Fig.14The architecture of the wireless power supply circuit given is only a functional framework. The wireless power supply circuit may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or split certain components, or arrange different components. For example, in some scenarios, the power module 1314 may also include a power amplifier, which is used to amplify and stabilize the AC power converted by the inverter 13142. Or, in other scenarios, the power module 1314 may also include a main control chip, which is responsible for controlling the working state and output power of the power module 1314. Or, in some other scenarios, the power supply component 270 may also include a filter circuit, which is used to filter and stabilize the DC signal rectified by the rectifier circuit 272. Or, in some other scenarios, the power supply component 270 may also include a protective shell battery, which can be used to store part of the electrical energy from the terminal battery 13141, so as to power the functional component 290 when the terminal battery 13141 is insufficient. There are many possible implementation methods, and this application will not list them one by one.

[0138] Wired power supply scenario

[0139] In one example, the power module 1314 of the terminal device 1310 may be a wired power module, and the power component 270 in the protective shell 200 corresponds to a wired power component. After the terminal device 1310 is mounted in the protective shell 200, the power module 1314 and the power component 270 are connected by a cable so that electric energy can be transmitted between the power module 1314 and the power component 270 in a wired manner.

[0140] For example, see Fig.15 , showing a schematic diagram of the architecture of a wired charging circuit provided by the present application. In this example, the terminal device 1310 may also include a charging interface 1315, and the power module 1314 in the terminal device 1310 is connected to the local cable (such as Fig.15 The terminal device 1310 is connected to the charging interface 1315 through the dashed line cable 1320 (including the power supply component 270 in the protective shell 200). Fig.15 The dashed line cable inside the protective shell 200 and the solid line cable between the protective shell 200 and the terminal device 1310 are plugged into the charging interface 1315 of the terminal device 1310.

[0141] According to the circuit architecture, power can be transmitted between the power component 270 in the protective shell 200 and the power module 1314 in the terminal device 1310 through the cable 1320. For example, when implementing the first type of auxiliary function, the power component 270 in the protective shell 200 can receive the power transmitted from the power module 1314 in the terminal device 1310 through the cable 1320, and can provide it to the corresponding functional component 290. When implementing the second type of auxiliary function, the power component 270 in the protective shell 200 can transmit the power provided by the functional component 290 to the power module 1314 in the terminal device 1310 through the cable 1320.

[0142] It can be understood that the charging interface 1315 can be any interface that can realize power transmission, such as including but not limited to: serial communication bus (universal serial bus, USB) interface, PIN interface, Type-c interface, Lightning interface, peripheral component interconnect express (peripheral component interconnect express, PCIE) interface, etc.

[0143] It should be noted that Fig.15 The architecture diagram shown does not constitute a specific limitation on the wired charging circuit. In other embodiments of the present application, the wired charging circuit may include more or fewer components than shown in the diagram, or combine certain components, or split certain components, or arrange the components differently, or arrange them in different positions, without specific limitation. The components shown in the diagram may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0144] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or provided for in any logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between the different embodiments are consistent and may be referenced to each other, and the technical features in the different embodiments may be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0145] In the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there may 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, where A and B can be singular or plural. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, c can be single or multiple. In the text description of the present application, the character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. In the formula of the present application, the character " / " indicates that the associated objects before and after are in a "divided" relationship. In addition, in the present application, the word "exemplarily" is used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as an "example" in this application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Alternatively, it can be understood that the use of the word "example" is intended to present concepts in a specific way and does not limit this application.

[0146] It is to be understood that the various digital numbers involved in the present application are only for the convenience of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. The size of the sequence number of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution, and the order of execution of each process should be determined by its function and inherent logic. The terms "first", "second" and similar expressions are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, including a series of steps or units. Methods, systems, products or equipment are not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or equipment.

Claims

1. A protective shell, characterized in that: include: A first shell, a second shell, a connecting member and a structural member; The connecting member is located outside the first shell and the second shell, with one end fixed to the first shell and the other end fixed to the second shell; The structural member includes a first sub-structure member, a second sub-structure member and a third sub-structure member connected in sequence, the first sub-structure member is arranged in the first shell, the third sub-structure member is arranged in the second shell, the second sub-structure member is at least partially wrapped in the connecting member, the first shell has a first opening, the second shell has a second opening, and the second sub-structure member passes through the first opening and the second opening.

2. The protective case according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structural member includes a loop, in which a liquid is contained, and the liquid communicates with the first sub-structure member, the second sub-structure member, and the third sub-structure member.

3. The protective case according to claim 2, characterized in that: A power supply assembly is also arranged in the protective shell, and the structural member further comprises a power component, and the power component is connected to the power supply assembly; The power component is used to drive the liquid in the loop to flow under the electrical energy provided by the power supply assembly.

4. The protective case according to claim 3, characterized in that: The power supply assembly and the power component are arranged in the same housing.

5. The protective case according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The power component includes a first motor and a second motor, and the first motor and the second motor are used to drive the liquid in the loop to flow in the same direction.

6. The protective case according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The protective shell is further provided with a perspective window, and the orthographic projection of the liquid onto the protective shell is at least partially located in the perspective window.

7. The protective case according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that: The liquid includes water and fluorinated liquid.

8. The protective case according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: A functional component is also arranged outside the first shell, and a power supply component is also arranged inside the second shell. The functional component and the power supply component are connected via the structural member.

9. The protective case according to claim 8, characterized in that: The structural component includes a cable, and the power supply component supplies power to the functional component through the cable.

10. The protective case according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The functional components include at least one of the following: a ring flash component, a light language component, a camera component, a storage component, a communication component, and a charging component.

11. The protective case according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The connecting piece includes a first leather, a plastic sheet, and a second leather stacked in sequence, and the second leather is hollowed out at a position corresponding to the first opening or the second opening; The second substructure is wrapped between the plastic sheet and the second leather, and passes through the hollowed-out area to communicate with the first substructure or the third substructure.

12. The protective case according to claim 11, characterized in that: The connecting member further comprises a third leather, wherein the third leather is laminated between the plastic sheet and the second leather; The third leather in the connecting member located within the first opening and the second opening is hollowed out to accommodate the second sub-structure.

13. The protective case according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: A shielding film is also arranged on the inner side of any shell.

14. A foldable component, characterized in that: A terminal device and a protective shell as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13; The terminal device comprises a third housing, a fourth housing and a rotating shaft for connecting the third housing and the fourth housing; The first shell of the protective shell is sleeved on the third shell, and the second shell of the protective shell is sleeved on the fourth shell.

15. The assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that The terminal device includes a wireless power module, and the distance between the wireless power module and the power component of the protective shell is within the charging coverage range.

16. The assembly of claim 14, wherein: The terminal device includes a charging interface, and the power supply component of the protective shell is plugged into the charging interface via a cable.

17. An assembly according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that The terminal device is used to supply power to the protective shell; The protective shell is used to realize auxiliary functions based on the power supply of the terminal device.

18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein: The auxiliary functions include at least one of the following: heat dissipation, fill light, light language display, shooting, storage, and communication.

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