Hinge mechanism, shell assembly and foldable electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a hinge mechanism, a shell assembly and foldable electronic equipment, relates to the technical field of foldable electronic products, and is used for solving the technical problems that the hinge mechanism has many parts and is high in assembly difficulty. The hinge mechanism comprises a first mounting seat, a second mounting seat, a first rotating shaft, a first main swing arm and a first auxiliary swing arm, wherein the two axial ends of the first rotating shaft are connected to the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat respectively; the first main swing arm can rotate relative to the first mounting base, a first shaft sleeve is arranged on the first main swing arm, the first shaft sleeve is arranged on the first rotating shaft in a sleeving mode, the first shaft sleeve is used for being matched with the second mounting base so as to limit the position of the first main swing arm in the first direction through the second mounting base, and the first direction is parallel to the rotating axis of the first main swing arm; the first auxiliary swing arm is rotatably connected to the first mounting base or the second mounting base.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of foldable electronic products, and in particular to a hinge mechanism, a housing assembly, and a foldable electronic device. Background Art

[0002] With the technological updates of electronic equipment products and the growing consumer demand, foldable electronic devices such as foldable screen mobile phones have become a hot direction for the future development of electronic devices. In order to achieve the folding and unfolding of foldable electronic devices, foldable electronic devices are usually provided with hinge mechanisms to achieve the relative rotation of the two side shells of the foldable electronic devices.

[0003] However, the hinge mechanism in the related art has a complex structure, a large number of parts, and high difficulty in assembly, which greatly restricts the production efficiency of foldable electronic devices. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a hinge mechanism, a housing assembly and a foldable electronic device, which are used to solve the technical problems of a large number of parts and high assembly difficulty of the hinge mechanism.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0006] In the first aspect, the present application provides a hinge mechanism, which includes: a first mounting seat, a second mounting seat, a first rotating shaft, a first main swing arm and a first auxiliary swing arm, the axial ends of the first rotating shaft are respectively connected to the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat; the first main swing arm can rotate relative to the first mounting seat, and the first main swing arm is provided with a first shaft sleeve, the first shaft sleeve is sleeved on the first rotating shaft, and the first shaft sleeve is used to cooperate with the second mounting seat to limit the position of the first main swing arm in a first direction through the second mounting seat, and the first direction is parallel to the rotation axis of the first main swing arm; the first auxiliary swing arm is rotatably connected to the first mounting seat or the second mounting seat.

[0007] The foldable electronic device in the present application can reduce the number of parts of the hinge mechanism by installing the first auxiliary swing arm and the first rotating shaft for connecting with the first main swing arm on the first mounting seat or the second mounting seat, and during the assembly process, the first mounting seat or the second mounting seat can be assembled as a whole. Compared with the solution of assembling the first rotating shaft and the first auxiliary swing arm on different mounting seats, the assembly processes such as welding, bonding, and screw connection between different mounting seats can be omitted, thereby simplifying the assembly process of the hinge mechanism, reducing the assembly difficulty, and facilitating the modular design of the hinge mechanism. At the same time, by cooperating with the second mounting seat to limit the position of the first main swing arm in the first direction, it is not necessary to set up other additional limiting structures, which can further simplify the structure of the hinge mechanism and reduce the number of parts of the hinge mechanism.

[0008] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first sleeve is abutted against the second mounting seat, so that no additional limiting structure is required, the structure of the hinge mechanism can be simplified, and the number of parts of the hinge mechanism can be reduced.

[0009] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, a first gasket is provided between the first sleeve and the second mounting seat, and two end surfaces of the first gasket in the first direction are respectively in contact with the first sleeve and the second mounting seat. In this way, the second mounting seat can also cooperate with the first sleeve to limit the position of the first main swing arm in the first direction. In addition, by providing the first gasket between the second mounting seat and the first sleeve, the friction between the first sleeve and the second mounting seat can be reduced, which is conducive to extending the service life of the second mounting seat.

[0010] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the hinge mechanism includes a first damping mechanism, which is disposed between the first main swing arm and the first mounting seat and is used to provide a damping force for the first main swing arm. In this way, by disposing the first damping mechanism between the first main swing arm and the first mounting seat, the disassembly and assembly of the first damping mechanism is facilitated, which can not only further reduce the assembly difficulty of the hinge mechanism and improve the assembly efficiency, but also facilitate the maintenance and replacement of the first damping mechanism, which can improve the maintainability of the hinge mechanism, extend the service life of the foldable electronic device, and reduce the use cost.

[0011] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first damping mechanism includes: a first damping member, a second damping member and a first elastic member, wherein the first damping member is fixedly connected to the first main swing arm; the second damping member is arranged on a side of the first damping member close to the first mounting seat and can move in the axial direction of the first rotating shaft; the first elastic member is arranged between the first mounting seat and the second damping member, and is used to apply a force to the second damping member toward the first damping member so that the first damping member and the second damping member remain in contact. A specific implementation of the first damping mechanism is provided.

[0012] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, two ends of the first elastic member are respectively in contact with the first mounting seat and the second damping member. In this way, the first elastic member can be limited by the first mounting seat without the need to set other additional limiting members, which can reduce the number of parts of the hinge mechanism.

[0013] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the hinge mechanism further includes: a second rotating shaft, a second main swing arm, and a second damping mechanism, the two ends of the second rotating shaft are respectively connected to the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat, and the second rotating shaft is spaced apart from the first rotating shaft; the second main swing arm is connected to the second rotating shaft and can rotate relative to the first mounting seat; the second damping mechanism includes: a third damping member, a fourth damping member, and a second elastic member, the third damping member is fixedly connected to the second main swing arm; the fourth damping member is arranged on a side of the third damping member close to the first mounting seat and can move in the axial direction of the second rotating shaft; the second elastic member is arranged between the first mounting seat and the fourth damping member, and is used to apply a force to the fourth damping member toward the third damping member, so that the third damping member and the fourth damping member remain in contact. In this way, the damping feel of the hinge mechanism can be improved, and the disassembly, assembly and maintenance of the second damping mechanism can be facilitated.

[0014] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the hinge mechanism further includes: a first connecting member and an auxiliary elastic member, wherein the first connecting member is connected between the second damping member and the fourth damping member; and the auxiliary elastic member is located between the first connecting member and the first mounting seat, and is used to apply a force to the first connecting member that is directed away from the first mounting seat. In this way, the damping effect of the hinge mechanism can be improved.

[0015] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, a first guide hole is provided on the first connecting member, and a portion of the auxiliary elastic member is located in the first guide hole. In this way, the compression direction of the auxiliary elastic member can be guided by the first guide hole, and the structure is simple and the processing is convenient.

[0016] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first connecting member includes: a first rod portion and a first protrusion, wherein both ends of the first rod portion are respectively connected to the second damping member and the fourth damping member; the first protrusion is disposed on a side of the first rod portion away from the first mounting seat; and a portion of the first guide hole is formed on the first protrusion. In this way, the overall size of the rotating assembly in the first direction can be reduced while the size of the first guide hole in the first direction is increased, thereby facilitating reduction of the space occupied by the rotating assembly in the first direction.

[0017] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, a second guide hole is provided on the first mounting seat, and a portion of the auxiliary elastic member is located in the second guide hole. In this way, the compression direction of the auxiliary elastic member can be guided by the second guide hole.

[0018] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first mounting seat includes a main body and a protrusion, the first auxiliary swing arm is connected to the main body; the protrusion is arranged on a side surface of the main body facing the second mounting seat, and the protrusion is located between the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, and at least a portion of the second guide hole is formed on the protrusion. In this way, the size of the second guide hole in the first direction can be increased while reducing the overall size of the rotating assembly in the first direction, thereby facilitating reducing the space occupied by the rotating assembly in the first direction.

[0019] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the hinge mechanism further includes a shaft cover and a first limiting assembly, the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat are both fixedly connected to the shaft cover; the first limiting assembly includes a first limiting structure and a second limiting structure, the first limiting structure is arranged on the first main swing arm, the first limiting structure has a first limiting surface, the second limiting structure is arranged on the shaft cover, the second limiting structure has a second limiting surface, the second limiting surface is used to abut against the first limiting surface, and the first limiting surface faces the first mounting seat. In this way, the first limiting assembly can limit the first main swing arm from moving along the first direction toward the first mounting seat.

[0020] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, a second sleeve is provided on the first main swing arm, the second sleeve is sleeved on the first rotating shaft and is spaced apart from the first sleeve in the first direction, and at least a portion of the first limiting structure is located outside the circumferential direction of the second sleeve. In this way, the first limiting structure is convenient for cooperation with the second limiting structure.

[0021] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first limiting structure is located between the first main swing arm and the second main swing arm. In this way, the space between the first main swing arm and the second main swing arm can be fully utilized, making the structure of the hinge mechanism more compact, and reducing the thickness of the hinge mechanism, which is conducive to realizing a thin design of the hinge mechanism.

[0022] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first limiting structure and the second shaft sleeve are integrally formed, so that the number of parts of the hinge mechanism can be further reduced and the assembly process of the hinge mechanism can be simplified.

[0023] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, a first mounting seat is provided with a first mounting groove and a first axial hole, the first mounting groove includes a first groove wall surface and a second groove wall surface that are opposite to each other in a first direction, the first axial hole penetrates the first groove wall surface and the second groove wall surface, and the first rotating shaft is connected to the first axial hole; the hinge mechanism also includes a first clamping member, the first clamping member is arranged in the first mounting groove, the first clamping member includes a first retaining spring, and the first retaining spring is clamped to the outer peripheral surface of the first rotating shaft. In this way, the first rotating shaft can be assembled to the first mounting seat through the first clamping member, the structure is simple, and the assembly and disassembly are convenient, the number of parts of the hinge mechanism can be reduced, and the assembly process of the hinge mechanism can be simplified. In addition, there are no complex assembly processes such as screws and welding in the assembly process, which can greatly reduce the assembly difficulty of the hinge mechanism and improve the assembly efficiency.

[0024] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, a first limiting groove is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating shaft, the first limiting groove extends along the circumferential direction of the first rotating shaft, and the first clamping spring is clamped in the first limiting groove. In this way, the first clamping spring is convenient to cooperate with the first rotating shaft, and the connection reliability between the first clamping spring and the first rotating shaft can be improved.

[0025] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, a second shaft hole is provided on the first mounting seat, the second shaft hole is spaced apart from the first shaft hole, and the second shaft hole penetrates the first groove wall surface and the second groove wall surface; the hinge mechanism also includes a second rotating shaft and a second main swing arm, the second rotating shaft is connected to the second shaft hole, the second main swing arm is connected to the second rotating shaft and can rotate relative to the first mounting seat; the first clamping member includes a second clamping spring, and the second clamping spring is clamped to the second rotating shaft. In this way, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft can be assembled to the first mounting seat through the first clamping member, the structure is simple, the assembly and disassembly are convenient, the number of parts of the hinge mechanism can be reduced, and the assembly process of the hinge mechanism can be simplified.

[0026] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the hinge mechanism further includes: a second rotating shaft, a second main swing arm, and a synchronization mechanism, wherein the second rotating shaft is connected to the first mounting seat, and the second rotating shaft is spaced apart from the first rotating shaft; the second main swing arm is connected to the second rotating shaft and can rotate relative to the first mounting seat; the synchronization mechanism is arranged between the first main swing arm and the second main swing arm, and is used to realize synchronous reverse rotation between the first main swing arm and the second main swing arm. In this way, with the help of the synchronization mechanism, the folding and unfolding speed of the foldable electronic device can be increased, and the user's operation time can be reduced.

[0027] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the synchronization mechanism includes: a first transmission member, a second transmission member and a first synchronization member, the first transmission member is fixedly connected to the first main swing arm; the second transmission member is fixedly connected to the second main swing arm; the first synchronization member is located between the first transmission member and the second transmission member, and can move in a first direction relative to the first mounting seat, the first synchronization member is provided with a first synchronization structure and a second synchronization structure, the first synchronization structure is used to cooperate with the first transmission member, and the second synchronization structure is used to cooperate with the second transmission member. By providing the first synchronization member that can move in the first direction relative to the first mounting seat, the synchronization mechanism can realize a gearless structure design of the synchronization mechanism, has a simple structure, is easy to assemble, and can solve the problems of high difficulty in assembling micro gears and broken teeth.

[0028] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first synchronizer includes a first sleeve, a second sleeve and a connecting piece, the first sleeve is sleeved on the first rotating shaft, and the first synchronizer structure is arranged on the first sleeve; the second sleeve is sleeved on the second rotating shaft, and the second synchronizer structure is arranged on the second sleeve; the connecting piece is connected between the first sleeve and the second sleeve. In this way, the relative sliding connection between the first synchronizer and the first mounting seat can be achieved through the cooperation between the first sleeve and the first rotating shaft and the cooperation between the second sleeve and the second rotating shaft. At the same time, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft can guide the sliding of the first synchronizer, so there is no need to set other additional guiding structures on the hinge mechanism, which can reduce the number and types of parts of the hinge mechanism, and further reduce the structural complexity of the hinge mechanism and the assembly process of the hinge mechanism.

[0029] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first transmission member is a first slider, the first synchronization structure is a first spiral groove; the second transmission member is a second slider, the second synchronization structure is a second spiral groove, and the rotation direction of the second spiral groove is opposite to that of the first spiral groove. In this way, the rotation radius of the first main swing arm and the second main swing arm can be reduced, which is conducive to reducing the volume of the foldable electronic device and the thickness of the foldable electronic device in the folded state, and is conducive to realizing the miniaturization and thinness design of the foldable electronic device.

[0030] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the hinge mechanism further includes: a third auxiliary swing arm and a first rotating door plate, one of the third auxiliary swing arm and the first auxiliary swing arm is rotatably connected to the first mounting seat, and the other of the third auxiliary swing arm and the first auxiliary swing arm is rotatably connected to the second mounting seat; the first rotating door plate is arranged on the same side of the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat, and can rotate between an unfolded position and a folded position relative to the first mounting seat, the first rotating door plate is rotatably connected to the third auxiliary swing arm and the first auxiliary swing arm respectively, and the first rotating door plate is slidably connected to the first main swing arm. In this way, the first main swing arm can be limited by the connection structure between the first auxiliary swing arm and the first rotating door plate and the connection structure between the third auxiliary swing arm and the first rotating door plate, the first main swing arm can be prevented from slipping out of the first slide slot, the connection reliability of the first main swing arm and the first rotating door plate can be improved, and there is no need to set other limiting structures between the first main swing arm and the first rotating door plate, which can simplify the structure and assembly process of the hinge mechanism. Furthermore, the rotating assembly can be tested as an independent module, which can simplify the performance testing process of the hinge mechanism and help improve the testing efficiency and production efficiency of the hinge mechanism.

[0031] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first auxiliary swing arm is rotatably connected to the first mounting seat, and there are two first mounting seats, first rotating shafts, first main swing arms and first auxiliary swing arms, and the two first mounting seats are respectively located on opposite sides of the second mounting seat in the first direction, and the two first main swing arms are both located between the two first auxiliary swing arms; or, the first auxiliary swing arm is rotatably connected to the second mounting seat, and there are two second mounting seats, first rotating shafts, first main swing arms and first auxiliary swing arms, and the two second mounting seats are respectively located on opposite sides of the first mounting seat in the first direction, and the two first main swing arms are both located between the two first auxiliary swing arms. In this way, the size of the rotating assembly in the first direction can be increased without changing the structure and size of the first mounting seat, the first main swing arm, the first rotating shaft, the first damping mechanism and the first auxiliary swing arm, so that the rotating assembly can be suitable for the hinge mechanism in a vertically foldable electronic device.

[0032] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the hinge mechanism further includes: a first rotating door panel, two first main swing arms respectively slidably connected to the first rotating door panel, and two first auxiliary swing arms respectively rotatably connected to the first rotating door panel. In this way, the two first main swing arms can be limited by the connection structure between the two first auxiliary swing arms and the first rotating door panel to prevent the first main swing arms from being out of engagement with the first rotating door panel.

[0033] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, a first sliding groove is provided on the first rotating door panel, and the first main swing arm is slidably connected to the first sliding groove. The structure is simple and the assembly is convenient.

[0034] In a second aspect, the present application provides a shell assembly, including: a first shell, a second shell and a hinge mechanism, the hinge mechanism is the hinge mechanism in any of the above technical solutions, and the hinge mechanism is connected between the first shell and the second shell.

[0035] In a third aspect, the present application provides a foldable electronic device, comprising: a shell assembly and a folding screen, the shell assembly being the shell assembly in any of the above-mentioned technical solutions; the folding screen comprising a first display part, a second display part and a third display part, the third display part being connected between the first display part and the second display part, the first display part being supported on a first shell, the second display part being supported on a second shell, and the third display part being supported on a hinge mechanism.

[0036] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any design method in the second aspect to the third aspect can refer to the technical effects brought about by different design methods in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state provided by some embodiments of the present application;

[0038] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable electronic device shown in FIG. 1 when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state;

[0039] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the foldable electronic device shown at line AA;

[0040] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A perspective view of a housing assembly of the foldable electronic device;

[0041] Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram of a hinge mechanism is provided for some embodiments of the present application;

[0042] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A perspective view of a rotating assembly in the hinge mechanism shown;

[0043] Figure 7 for Figure 6 An exploded view of the rotating assembly shown;

[0044] Figure 8 for Figure 6 An exploded view of the first rotating shaft, the second rotating shaft, the first mounting seat, the first clamping member, the second mounting seat and the second clamping member in the rotating assembly shown;

[0045] Fig. 9 for Figure 6 A perspective view of a first mounting seat in the rotating assembly;

[0046] Fig.10 for Figure 6 The cross-sectional view of the rotating assembly shown at line BB;

[0047] Fig.11 for Figure 6 An assembly diagram of the first mounting seat, the second mounting seat, the first main swing arm, the second main swing arm and the damping mechanism in the rotating assembly shown;

[0048] Fig.12 for Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of the second damping member, the fourth damping member and the first connecting member in the rotating assembly shown;

[0049] Fig.13 for Figure 5 An assembly diagram of the shaft cover, the first mounting seat, the second mounting seat, the first main swing arm and the second main swing arm in the hinge mechanism shown;

[0050] Fig.14 for Fig.13 An exploded view of the shaft cover, the first main swing arm, and the second main swing arm in the assembly schematic diagram shown;

[0051] Fig.15 for Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the assembly of the first main swing arm, the second main swing arm and the synchronization mechanism in the hinge mechanism shown;

[0052] Fig.16 for Fig.15 an exploded view of the assembly schematic shown;

[0053] Fig.17 for Figure 6 Another exploded view of the rotating assembly shown;

[0054] Fig.18 for Figure 5 The assembly process flow chart of the hinge mechanism shown;

[0055] Fig.19 Schematic diagrams of foldable electronic devices provided for other embodiments of the present application;

[0056] Fig. 20 for Fig.19 A perspective view of a housing assembly in the foldable electronic device shown;

[0057] Fig.21 for Fig. 20 A perspective view of the hinge mechanism in the housing assembly shown;

[0058] Fig. 22 for Fig.21 A perspective view of the rotating assembly of the hinge mechanism shown;

[0059] Fig.23 for Fig. 22 An exploded view of the rotating assembly shown;

[0060] Fig.24 for Fig.21 The assembly process flow chart of the hinge mechanism shown;

[0061] Fig.25 A schematic diagram of a rotating assembly of a hinge mechanism provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0062] Fig.26 Schematic diagram of the rotating assembly of the hinge mechanism provided in some other embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments.

[0064] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly stipulated and limited, the terms "installed", "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a detachable connection or a non-detachable connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Among them, "fixed connection" means that the two are connected to each other and the relative position relationship remains unchanged after the connection. "Rotational connection" means that the two are connected to each other and can rotate relative to each other after the connection. "Sliding connection" means that the two are connected to each other and can slide relative to each other after the connection. "Transmission connection" means that the movement of one of the two connected parts can be transmitted to the other part, and the connection method between the two parts includes but is not limited to at least one of the connection methods such as rotational connection, sliding connection, gear meshing transmission connection, sprocket transmission connection, and cam mechanism transmission connection.

[0065] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the terms "perpendicular", "parallel", and "equal" include the situations described and situations similar to the situations described, and the range of the similar situations is within an acceptable deviation range, wherein the acceptable deviation range is determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurement being discussed and the errors associated with the measurement of a specific quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "parallel" includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate parallelism can be, for example, a deviation within 5°, 8°, or 10°; "perpendicular" includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate perpendicularity can also be, for example, a deviation within 5°, 8°, or 10°. "Equal" includes absolute equality and approximate equality, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate equality can be, for example, the difference between the two equals is less than or equal to 5%, 8%, or 10% of either one.

[0066] An embodiment of the present application provides a foldable electronic device, which may include various electronic devices with a foldable screen and can change the unfolding or folding form of the foldable screen and itself. The foldable electronic device has at least two states, an unfolded state and a folded state. In some cases, the foldable electronic device may further include a third state, that is, an intermediate state between the unfolded state and the folded state. It is understandable that the intermediate state may be any one or more states in which the foldable electronic device is between the unfolded state and the folded state. Under different usage requirements, the foldable electronic device can be switched to different states.

[0067] In order to realize the folding and unfolding of the foldable electronic device, a hinge mechanism is usually provided in the foldable electronic device to realize the relative rotation of the housings on both sides of the foldable electronic device.

[0068] In order to simplify the structure of the hinge mechanism, reduce the number of parts of the hinge mechanism, and reduce the difficulty of assembling the hinge mechanism, the foldable electronic device in the embodiment of the present application can reduce the number of parts of the hinge mechanism by installing the first auxiliary swing arm and the first rotating shaft used to connect with the first main swing arm on the first mounting seat or the second mounting seat, and during the assembly process, the first mounting seat or the second mounting seat can be assembled as a whole. Compared with the solution of assembling the first rotating shaft and the first auxiliary swing arm on different mounting seats, the assembly processes such as welding, bonding, and screw connection between different mounting seats can be omitted, thereby simplifying the assembly process of the hinge mechanism, reducing the difficulty of assembly, and facilitating the modular design of the hinge mechanism. At the same time, by cooperating with the second mounting seat to limit the position of the first main swing arm in the first direction, it is not necessary to set other additional limiting structures, which can further simplify the structure of the hinge mechanism and reduce the number of parts of the hinge mechanism.

[0069] Specifically, the foldable electronic device includes but is not limited to a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, an e-book reader, a camera, a wearable device, a home electronic device, etc. For ease of understanding, in each embodiment of the present application, the foldable electronic device is taken as an example of a foldable screen mobile phone.

[0070] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of a foldable electronic device 1000 in an unfolded state provided in some embodiments of the present application. The foldable electronic device 1000 is approximately in the shape of a rectangular flat plate in the unfolded state. In some other embodiments, the shape of the foldable electronic device 1000 may also be a square flat plate, a circular flat plate, an elliptical flat plate, etc.

[0071] The foldable electronic device 1000 includes a foldable screen 100 and a housing assembly 200 .

[0072] The foldable screen 100 is used to display information such as images and videos. The foldable screen 100 is a flexible screen that can be bent and deformed between a folded state and an unfolded state. Figure 1 The folding screen 100 includes a first display portion 101, a second display portion 102 and a third display portion 103. The third display portion 103 is connected between the first display portion 101 and the second display portion 102.

[0073] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable electronic device 1000 is shown in a folded state, and the foldable screen 100 in the foldable electronic device 1000 is also in a folded state. Specifically, when the foldable screen 100 is in a folded state, the first display portion 101 of the foldable screen 100 is opposite to the second display portion 102, and the third display portion 103 is bent. At this time, the third display portion 103 can be in a water drop shape, a U shape, etc. In this state, the size of the foldable electronic device 1000 is small and easy to carry.

[0074] Understandably, Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, when the foldable electronic device 1000 is in the folded state, the housing assembly 200 is protected outside the folding screen 100, and the folding screen 100 is not visible to the user. That is, the foldable electronic device 1000 is an inner folding electronic device. In other embodiments, when the foldable electronic device 1000 is in the folded state, the folding screen 100 may also be located outside the housing assembly 200, and the folding screen 100 is visible to the user. That is, the foldable electronic device 1000 is an outer folding electronic device.

[0075] The housing assembly 200 is used to carry the folding screen 100. Figure 3-Figure 4 , Figure 3 for Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of the foldable electronic device 1000 is taken along line AA. Figure 4 for Figure 1 3D view of the housing assembly 200 of the foldable electronic device 1000. The housing assembly 200 includes a first housing 201, a second housing 202, and a hinge mechanism 203. The first housing 201 can be used to carry the first display portion 101 of the foldable screen 100. The second housing 202 can be used to carry the second display portion 102 of the foldable screen 100. The hinge mechanism 203 is connected between the first housing 201 and the second housing 202, and can be used to carry the third display portion 103 of the foldable screen 100.

[0076] In this embodiment, the shell assembly 200 includes two shells, a first shell 201 and a second shell 202, and the shell assembly 200 can be folded once. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the shell assembly 200 can also include three, four or more shells. That is, in addition to the above-mentioned first shell 201 and second shell 202, the shell assembly 200 can also include at least one third shell. In this case, the first shell 201, the second shell 202 and at least one third shell can be connected in sequence, and the two adjacent shells can be connected by a hinge mechanism 203. In this way, the shell assembly 200 can be folded multiple times (twice or more).

[0077] See also Figure 3 The first housing 201 may include a first middle frame 2011 and a first back cover 2012, and the first display unit 101 of the folding screen 100 is carried on the first middle frame 2011. The first back cover 2012 is fixedly connected to a side of the first middle frame 2011 away from the first display unit 101, and the first back cover 2012 can be replaced by a display screen. The first housing 201 can be connected to the hinge mechanism 203 by means of the first middle frame 2011 or the first back cover 2012. A first accommodating cavity C1 is formed between the first middle frame 2011 and the first back cover 2012, and the first accommodating cavity C1 can be used to accommodate functional components such as a mainboard and a camera module.

[0078] The second housing 202 may include a second middle frame 2021 and a second back cover 2022, and the second display unit 102 of the folding screen 100 is carried on the second middle frame 2021. The second back cover 2022 is fixedly connected to the side of the second middle frame 2021 away from the second display unit 102, and the second back cover 2022 can be replaced by a display screen. The second housing 202 can be connected to the hinge mechanism 203 by means of the second middle frame 2021 or the second back cover 2022. A second accommodating cavity C2 is formed between the second middle frame 2021 and the second back cover 2022. The second accommodating cavity C2 can be used to accommodate functional devices such as speaker modules, arrays, and batteries.

[0079] The first housing 201 and the second housing 202 can achieve relative rotation through the hinge mechanism 203. Specifically, the hinge mechanism 203 can switch between the unfolded state and the folded state, thereby allowing the entire foldable electronic device 1000 to switch between the unfolded state and the folded state. It can be understood that when the hinge mechanism 203 is in the unfolded state, the housing assembly 200 and the foldable electronic device 1000 including the housing assembly 200 are also in the unfolded state, the angle between the first housing 201 and the second housing 202 is approximately 180°, and the angle between the first display part 101 and the second display part 102 of the folding screen 100 is also approximately 180°. When the hinge mechanism 203 is in the folded state, the housing assembly 200 including the hinge mechanism 203 and the foldable electronic device 1000 including the housing assembly 200 are also in the folded state.

[0080] In order to facilitate the description of the embodiments below, an XYZ coordinate system is established for the foldable electronic device 1000, and the thickness direction of the housing assembly 200 is defined as the Z-axis direction, the extension direction of the rotation axis of the first housing 201 is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the Y-axis and the Z-axis is defined as the X-axis direction. It can be understood that the coordinate system setting of the foldable electronic device 1000 can be flexibly set according to actual needs, and is not specifically limited here.

[0081] exist Figure 1 In the foldable electronic device 1000 shown, the width direction of the foldable electronic device 1000 is parallel to the X-axis direction, and the length direction is parallel to the Y-axis direction, and the foldable electronic device 1000 can be folded in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the foldable electronic device 1000 in this embodiment is a horizontal foldable electronic device. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the width direction of the foldable electronic device 1000 can also be parallel to the Y-axis direction, and the length direction is parallel to the X-axis direction. In this case, the foldable electronic device 1000 is a vertical foldable electronic device.

[0082] See also Figure 5 , Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram of a hinge mechanism 203 is provided for some embodiments of the present application. The hinge mechanism 203 includes a shaft cover 1 and a rotating assembly 2. Figure 5 Only some components of the hinge mechanism 203 are schematically shown, and the actual shapes, sizes, positions and structures of these components are not affected by the present invention. Figure 5 For example, in other embodiments, the hinge mechanism 203 may not include the shaft cover 1.

[0083] The shaft cover 1 can provide a mounting base for the rotating assembly 2 and can be used as an appearance part (i.e., an externally visible part) of the hinge mechanism 203. The material of the shaft cover 1 includes but is not limited to metal and plastic. Figure 5The shaft cover 1 includes a bottom plate 11 and a side panel 12. The bottom plate 11 is formed into a rectangular plate-like structure. The length direction of the bottom plate 11 is parallel to the Y-axis direction, the width direction of the bottom plate 11 is parallel to the X-axis direction, and the thickness direction of the bottom plate 11 is parallel to the Z-axis direction. The side panel 12 surrounds the outer edge of the bottom plate 11, and a receiving space is defined between the side panel 12 and the bottom plate 11. At least part of the structure of the rotating component 2 can be received in the above-mentioned receiving space. In this way, the components of the rotating component 2 can be hidden inside the shaft cover 1, which can improve the appearance of the foldable electronic device 1000.

[0084] The rotating assembly 2 can be used to realize the rotation of the first shell 201 and the second shell 202. The number of the rotating assembly 2 can be one, or two or more. When the number of the rotating assembly 2 is multiple, the multiple rotating assemblies 2 are spaced apart in the length direction of the bottom plate 11 (that is, the Y-axis direction). For example, Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, there are two rotating components 2 .

[0085] See also Figure 6-Figure 7 , Figure 6 for Figure 5 The three-dimensional diagram of the rotating component 2 in the hinge mechanism 203 is shown. Figure 7 for Figure 6 The exploded view of the rotating assembly 2 is shown. The rotating assembly 2 includes a first mounting seat 211, a second mounting seat 212, a first rotating shaft 221, a second rotating shaft 222, a first main swing arm 231, a second main swing arm 232, a first auxiliary swing arm 241, a second auxiliary swing arm 242, a third auxiliary swing arm 243, a fourth auxiliary swing arm 244, a first rotating door plate 251, a second rotating door plate 252, a damping mechanism 26 and a synchronization mechanism 27.

[0086] The first mounting seat 211 and the second mounting seat 212 are used to provide a mounting base for other parts of the rotating assembly 2. The first mounting seat 211 and the second mounting seat 212 can be spaced apart in a first direction. The first direction is parallel to the Y-axis direction. The rotating assembly 2 can be assembled to the shaft cover 1 by means of the first mounting seat 211 and the second mounting seat 212.

[0087] For example, the first mounting seat 211 and the second mounting seat 212 can be connected to the shaft cover 1 by fasteners such as screws. Figure 7 The first mounting seat 211 is provided with a first assembly hole 2111 for matching with the shaft cover 1, and the second mounting seat 212 is provided with a second assembly hole 2124 for matching with the shaft cover 1. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the first mounting seat 211 and the second mounting seat 212 can also be connected to the shaft cover 1 by means of clamping, welding, etc.

[0088] The axial direction of the first rotating shaft 221 is parallel to the Y-axis direction. One axial end of the first rotating shaft 221 is connected to the first mounting seat 211, and the other axial end of the first rotating shaft 221 is connected to the second mounting seat 212. The first main swing arm 231 is connected to the first rotating shaft 221, and the first main swing arm 231 can rotate relative to the first mounting seat 211 to switch the hinge mechanism 203 between the unfolded state and the folded state. The rotation axis of the first main swing arm 231 is parallel to the first direction.

[0089] See also Figure 6-Figure 7 The first main swing arm 231 is provided with a first sleeve 2311 and a second sleeve 2312, and the first sleeve 2311 and the second sleeve 2312 are spaced apart in the first direction. The first sleeve 2311 and the second sleeve 2312 are both sleeved on the first rotating shaft 221. In this way, the connection between the first main swing arm 231 and the first rotating shaft 221 can be achieved through the first sleeve 2311 and the second sleeve 2312.

[0090] It is understandable that in other embodiments, the second sleeve 2312 may not be provided on the first main swing arm 231 .

[0091] In some embodiments, the first main swing arm 231 is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft 221, and the first rotating shaft 221 is rotatably connected to the first mounting seat 211. In other embodiments, the first main swing arm 231 is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft 221, and the first rotating shaft 221 is fixedly connected to the first mounting seat 211. In this way, the first main swing arm 231 can be rotatably connected to the first mounting seat 211 by means of the first rotating shaft 221. In this embodiment, the first main swing arm 231 is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft 221, and the first rotating shaft 221 is fixedly connected to the first mounting seat 211 as an example for description.

[0092] The axial direction of the second rotating shaft 222 is parallel to the Y-axis direction. One axial end of the second rotating shaft 222 is connected to the first mounting seat 211, and the other axial end of the second rotating shaft 222 is connected to the second mounting seat 212, and the second rotating shaft 222 is spaced apart from the first rotating shaft 221 in the second direction. The second direction is parallel to the X-axis direction.

[0093] The second main swing arm 232 is connected to the second rotating shaft 222, and the second main swing arm 232 can rotate relative to the first mounting seat 211. The rotation axis of the second main swing arm 232 is parallel to the rotation axis of the first main swing arm 231. Specifically, the second main swing arm 232 is rotatably connected to the first mounting seat 211 by means of the second rotating shaft 222. The structure of the second main swing arm 232 can be the same as that of the first main swing arm 231. The connection method between the second main swing arm 232 and the second rotating shaft 222 can be the same as the connection method between the first main swing arm 231 and the first rotating shaft 221. For details, please refer to Figure 7 The second main swing arm 232 is provided with a third shaft sleeve 2321 and a fourth shaft sleeve 2322 , and the second main swing arm 232 is connected to the second rotating shaft 222 by means of the third shaft sleeve 2321 and the fourth shaft sleeve 2322 .

[0094] See also Figure 6-Figure 7 The rotating assembly 2 includes a first clamping member 281 , and the first rotating shaft 221 and the second rotating shaft 222 are connected to the first mounting seat 211 through the first clamping member 281 .

[0095] For details, please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 for Figure 6 The exploded view of the first rotating shaft 221, the second rotating shaft 222, the first mounting seat 211, the first clamping member 281, the second mounting seat 212 and the second clamping member 282 in the rotating assembly 2 is shown. The first mounting seat 211 includes a main body 211a and a protrusion 211b that are fixedly connected. The main body 211a and the protrusion 211b are arranged in the first direction (that is, the Y-axis direction), and the protrusion 211b protrudes from the side surface of the main body 211a facing the second mounting seat 212. The first avoidance space K1 and the second avoidance space K2 are defined between the main body 211a and the protrusion 211b, and the first avoidance space K1 and the second avoidance space K2 are respectively located on opposite sides of the protrusion 211b. At least one first assembly hole 2111 is provided on the main body 211a and the protrusion 211b. In this way, the connection reliability between the first mounting seat 211 and the shaft cover 1 can be improved.

[0096] Please continue reading Figure 8 , the first mounting seat 211 includes a first side surface 2112 and a second side surface 2113 opposite to each other in a first direction, and a first surface 2114 and a second surface 2115 opposite to each other in a third direction. The third direction is perpendicular to the first direction. Exemplarily, the third direction is parallel to the Z-axis direction. The first side surface 2112 and the second side surface 2113 are both connected between the first surface 2114 and the second surface 2115, and the first side surface 2112 can face the second mounting seat 212, and the first surface 2114 can face the shaft cover 1. In this embodiment, the first side surface 2112 includes a surface of the main body portion 211a facing the second mounting seat 212 and a surface of the protrusion portion 211b facing the second mounting seat 212.

[0097] See also Figure 8 The first mounting seat 211 is provided with a first mounting groove 2116, a first shaft hole 2117 and a second shaft hole 2118. The first shaft hole 2117 and the second shaft hole 2118 are both connected to the first mounting groove 2116. Figure 8 Combined with Figure 9-10 , Fig. 9 for Figure 6 The three-dimensional view of the first mounting seat 211 in the rotating assembly 2 is shown. Fig.10 for Figure 6 The cross-sectional view of the rotating assembly 2 at line BB is shown. The first mounting groove 2116 includes a first notch 2116a, a second notch 2116b, a first groove wall 2116c and a second groove wall 2116d, and the first notch 2116a and the second notch 2116b are opposite to each other. Specifically, the first notch 2116a is located on the first surface 2114, and the second notch 2116b is located on the second surface 2115. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the first mounting groove 2116 may not include the second notch 2116b.

[0098] The first groove wall surface 2116c and the second groove wall surface 2116d are opposite to each other in the Y-axis direction (ie, the first direction), the second groove wall surface 2116d faces the first rotating shaft 221, and the first notch 2116a and the second notch 2116b are both located between the first groove wall surface 2116c and the second groove wall surface 2116d.

[0099] The first shaft hole 2117 is used to cooperate with the first rotating shaft 221, and the second shaft hole 2118 is used to cooperate with the second rotating shaft 222. The first shaft hole 2117 and the second shaft hole 2118 can be blind holes. Figure 8 , the first shaft hole 2117 penetrates the first side surface 2112 and the first shaft hole 2117 penetrates the first groove wall surface 2116c and the second groove wall surface 2116d. Similarly, the second shaft hole 2118 penetrates the first side surface 2112 and the second shaft hole 2118 penetrates the first groove wall surface 2116c and the second groove wall surface 2116d. In some embodiments, the first shaft hole 2117 and the second shaft hole 2118 are both disposed on the main body 211a, and the first shaft hole 2117 and the second shaft hole 2118 are respectively located on opposite sides of the protrusion 211b.

[0100] See also Figure 8 A first limiting groove 2211 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating shaft 221, and the first limiting groove 2211 extends along the circumferential direction of the first rotating shaft 221. Exemplarily, the first limiting groove 2211 is annular. The structure of the second rotating shaft 222 is the same as that of the first rotating shaft 221. Specifically, a second limiting groove 2221 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the second rotating shaft 222, and the second limiting groove 2221 extends along the circumferential direction of the second rotating shaft 222.

[0101] See also Fig. 9, the first clamping member 281 is disposed in the first installation groove 2116. Specifically, the first clamping member 281 is located between the first groove wall surface 2116c and the second groove wall surface 2116d. The size of the first clamping member 281 in the first direction may be substantially equal to the size of the first installation groove 2116 in the first direction. In this way, the first groove wall surface 2116c and the second groove wall surface 2116d can limit the first clamping member 281 in the first direction.

[0102] See also Figure 8 The first clamping member 281 includes a first clamping spring 2811 and a second clamping spring 2812. The first clamping member 281 can be clamped with the first limiting groove 2211 of the first rotating shaft 221 by means of the first clamping spring 2811, and can be clamped with the second limiting groove 2221 of the second rotating shaft 222 by means of the second clamping spring 2812.

[0103] Specifically, the first retaining spring 2811 has a first notch 2811a, and the second retaining spring 2812 has a second notch 2812a. Exemplarily, both the first retaining spring 2811 and the second retaining spring 2812 are C-shaped retaining springs. The first retaining spring 2811 can be inserted into the first limiting groove 2211 from the first notch 2811a, and the second retaining spring 2812 can be inserted into the second limiting groove 2221 from the second notch 2812a. In some embodiments, the first retaining spring 2811 and the first rotating shaft 221 can be interference fit, and the second retaining spring 2812 and the second rotating shaft 222 can be interference fit. In this way, the connection reliability between the first retaining spring 2811 and the first rotating shaft 221, and the connection reliability between the second retaining spring 2812 and the second rotating shaft 222 can be improved.

[0104] In some embodiments, the orientation of the first notch 2811a and the orientation of the second notch 2812a are opposite to the orientation of the first surface 2114. Since the first surface 2114 faces the bottom plate 11 of the shaft cover 1, after the rotating assembly 2 is assembled to the hinge mechanism 203, the first clamping member 281 can be limited in the Z-axis direction by the bottom plate 11 and the first rotating shaft 221, and the first clamping member 281 can be prevented from slipping out of the first mounting groove 2116, thereby further improving the connection reliability between the first clamping member 281 and the first rotating shaft 221, and the connection reliability between the first clamping member 281 and the second rotating shaft 222.

[0105] In this embodiment, the first clamping member 281 is an integral part. That is, the first clamping spring 2811 and the second clamping spring 2812 are connected as a whole. Exemplarily, the first clamping spring 2811 and the second clamping spring 2812 can be an integrally formed part, or the first clamping spring 2811 and the second clamping spring 2812 can also be connected as a whole by welding or the like.

[0106] Specifically, during assembly, the first rotating shaft 221 can be assembled in the first shaft hole 2117, and the first limiting groove 2211 and the second limiting groove 2221 are both opposite to the first notch 2116a. That is, the orthographic projections of the first limiting groove 2211 and the second limiting groove 2221 on the first surface 2114 are located within the orthographic projection of the first notch 2116a on the first surface 2114. Then, the first clamping member 281 is assembled from the first notch 2116a to the first mounting groove 2116, and the first clamping member 281 is clamped on the first limiting groove 2211 and the second limiting groove 2221, so that the first rotating shaft 221 and the second rotating shaft 222 can be fixedly connected to the first mounting seat 211 through the first clamping member 281. During disassembly, a force can be applied from the second slot 2116b to the first slot 2116a on the first clamping member 281 to push the first clamping member 281 out of the first mounting slot 2116, so that the first clamping member 281 is disengaged from the first rotating shaft 221 and the second rotating shaft 222, and the first rotating shaft 221 and the second rotating shaft 222 can be removed from the first mounting seat 211.

[0107] In this way, by connecting the first clamping spring 2811 and the second clamping spring 2812 as one body, the first rotating shaft 221 and the second rotating shaft 222 can be assembled to the first mounting seat 211 through the first clamping member 281, which has a simple structure and is easy to assemble and disassemble, can reduce the number of parts of the hinge mechanism 203, and can simplify the assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203. In addition, in the assembly process, there are no complicated assembly processes such as screws and welding, which can greatly reduce the assembly difficulty of the hinge mechanism 203 and improve the assembly efficiency.

[0108] It is understandable that in other embodiments, the first retaining spring 2811 and the second retaining spring 2812 may also be two independent parts. In this case, the first mounting seat 211 may be provided with two first mounting grooves 2116, and the two first mounting grooves 2116 are spaced apart. The first retaining spring 2811 may be installed in one of the first mounting grooves 2116, and the second retaining spring 2812 may be installed in the other first mounting groove 2116.

[0109] The assembly method between the second mounting seat 212 and the first rotating shaft 221 is the same as that between the first mounting seat 211 and the first rotating shaft 221, and the assembly method between the second mounting seat 212 and the second rotating shaft 222 is the same as that between the first mounting seat 211 and the second rotating shaft 222. For details, please refer to Figure 8The second mounting seat 212 is provided with a second mounting groove 2121, a third shaft hole 2122 and a fourth shaft hole 2123, and the first rotating shaft 221 and the second rotating shaft 222 are both fixedly connected to the second mounting seat 212 through the second clamping member 282. In this way, the first rotating shaft 221, the second rotating shaft 222 and the second mounting seat 212 can be easily disassembled and assembled.

[0110] The first auxiliary swing arm 241 is rotatably connected to the first mounting seat 211. The rotation axis of the first auxiliary swing arm 241 is the third rotation axis. The third rotation axis is parallel to the rotation axis of the first main swing arm 231. The first main swing arm 231 and the first auxiliary swing arm 241 can be transmission-connected. Specifically, when the first main swing arm 231 rotates relative to the first mounting seat 211, it can drive the first auxiliary swing arm 241 to rotate relative to the first mounting seat 211. In this way, by assembling the first rotating shaft 221 and the first auxiliary swing arm 241 on the first mounting seat 211, that is, the first main swing arm 231 and the first auxiliary swing arm 241 can share the same mounting seat, the number of parts of the hinge mechanism 203 can be reduced, and during the assembly process, the first mounting seat 211 can be assembled with the shaft cover 1 as a whole. Compared with the solution of assembling the first rotating shaft 221 and the first auxiliary swing arm 241 on different mounting seats, the assembly processes such as welding, bonding, and screw connection between different mounting seats can be omitted, and there is no need to assemble the above-mentioned different mounting seats with the shaft cover 1 respectively, thereby simplifying the assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203, reducing the difficulty of assembly, and facilitating the realization of a modular design of the hinge mechanism 203.

[0111] In order to realize the rotation connection between the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first mounting seat 211, please refer to Figure 7 The first auxiliary swing arm 241 is provided with a first hinged portion 2411, and the first mounting seat 211 is provided with a second hinged portion 2119. The second hinged portion 2119 can be located on a side of the first mounting groove 2116 away from the first rotating shaft 221. The first hinged portion 2411 is slidably connected to the second hinged portion 2119, and the first hinged portion 2411 can rotate relative to the second hinged portion 2119 around the third rotating axis.

[0112] For example, in Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the first hinge portion 2411 is an arc-shaped projection, and the second hinge portion 2119 is an arc-shaped groove. The shape of the arc-shaped projection matches the shape of the arc-shaped groove, and the arc-shaped projection can be slidably disposed in the arc-shaped groove to realize the rotatable connection between the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first mounting seat 211. The center line of the arc-shaped groove is the third rotation axis.

[0113] It is understandable that in other embodiments, the first hinge portion 2411 may be a circular arc groove, and the second hinge portion 2119 may be a circular arc protrusion. In this way, the rotatable connection between the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first mounting seat 211 can also be achieved.

[0114] In some embodiments, the first hinge 2411 and the first auxiliary swing arm 241 are a structural whole, that is, the first hinge 2411 and the first auxiliary swing arm 241 are an integrally formed part. In this way, it is helpful to simplify the processing technology of the first auxiliary swing arm 241, reduce the production cost, and improve the connection strength between the first hinge 2411 and the first main swing arm 231. In another exemplary embodiment, the first hinge 2411 and the first auxiliary swing arm 241 can also be connected by gluing, welding, screw connection or clamping.

[0115] The second auxiliary swing arm 242 is rotatably connected to the first mounting base 211, and the second auxiliary swing arm 242 and the first auxiliary swing arm 241 are respectively located on two opposite sides of the first mounting base 211. For details, please refer to Figure 6-Figure 7 The first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the second auxiliary swing arm 242 are respectively located on both sides of the first mounting seat 211 in the X-axis direction. The second auxiliary swing arm 242 is transmission-connected with the second main swing arm 232. That is, when the second main swing arm 232 rotates relative to the first mounting seat 211, it can drive the second auxiliary swing arm 242 to rotate relative to the first mounting seat 211.

[0116] The structure of the second auxiliary swing arm 242 can be the same as that of the first auxiliary swing arm 241, and the connection method between the second auxiliary swing arm 242 and the first mounting seat 211 can be the same as the connection method between the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first mounting seat 211, which will not be repeated here.

[0117] See also Fig.11 , Fig.11 for Figure 6 The schematic diagram of the assembly of the first mounting seat 211, the second mounting seat 212, the first main swing arm 231, the second main swing arm 232 and the damping mechanism 26 in the rotating assembly 2 is shown. The damping mechanism 26 includes a first damping mechanism 261. Specifically, the first damping mechanism 261 is arranged between the first main swing arm 231 and the first mounting seat 211, and is used to provide a damping force for the first main swing arm 231. In this way, by arranging the first damping mechanism 261 between the first main swing arm 231 and the first mounting seat 211, the disassembly and assembly of the first damping mechanism 261 is facilitated, which can not only further reduce the assembly difficulty of the hinge mechanism 203 and improve the assembly efficiency, but also facilitate the maintenance and replacement of the first damping mechanism 261, which can improve the maintainability of the hinge mechanism 203, extend the service life of the foldable electronic device 1000, and reduce the use cost.

[0118] For details, please refer to Fig.11 The first damping mechanism 261 includes a first damping member 2611, a second damping member 2612 and a first elastic member 2613. The first damping member 2611 is fixedly connected to the first main swing arm 231 and can rotate synchronously with the first main swing arm 231.

[0119] The second damping member 2612 is disposed on one side of the first damping member 2611 close to the first mounting seat 211, and can move along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 221. Specifically, the second damping member 2612 can be sleeved on the first rotating shaft 221. The first damping member 2611 and the second damping member 2612 can rotate relative to each other.

[0120] See also Fig.11 , the first damping member 2611 has a first damping surface 2611a, and the second damping member 2612 has a second damping surface 2612a, and the second damping surface 2612a is used to cooperate with the first damping surface 2611a to provide a damping force. In this embodiment, the first damping surface 2611a is formed on the second sleeve 2312. That is, the second sleeve 2312 is formed as the first damping member 2611. In other embodiments, the first damping member 2611 can also be fixedly connected to the second sleeve 2312.

[0121] In some embodiments, the first damping member 2611 and the first main swing arm 231 are integrally formed. That is, the second sleeve 2312 and the first main swing arm 231 are integrally formed. Exemplarily, the first damping member 2611 and the first main swing arm 231 can be integrally formed by metal powder injection molding technology (MIM), or the first damping member 2611 and the first main swing arm 231 can be integrally formed by injection molding. In this way, the number of parts of the hinge mechanism 203 can be reduced, the assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203 can be simplified, and it is helpful to reduce the difficulty of assembly.

[0122] In some embodiments, see Fig.11 , the first damping surface 2611a and the second damping surface 2612a can both be formed as cam surfaces. That is, the first damping member 2611 and the second damping member 2612 are both cams. It is understandable that, in other embodiments, the first damping surface 2611a and the second damping surface 2612a can also be formed as planes. In this case, the first damping surface 2611a and the second damping surface 2612a can be made of materials with a large friction coefficient. In this way, the friction between the first damping surface 2611a and the second damping surface 2612a can also be ensured.

[0123] See also Figure 10-11, the first elastic member 2613 is arranged on the side of the second damping member 2612 away from the first damping member 2611, and the first elastic member 2613 is always in a compressed energy storage state. In this way, the first elastic member 2613 can apply an elastic force directed to the first damping member 2611 to the second damping member 2612, so that the first damping surface 2611a of the first damping member 2611 and the second damping surface 2612a of the second damping member 2612 can maintain abutment. Here, "abutment" means that the two are in contact and have a certain extrusion force between each other.

[0124] The first elastic member 2613 can be sleeved on the first rotating shaft 221. The first elastic member 2613 can be made of elastic materials such as a coil spring, a disc spring, rubber or silicone. Fig.10 In the embodiment shown, the first elastic member 2613 is a coil spring. The coil spring has greater elasticity, better stability, and longer service life, and can ensure the structural stability of the rotating assembly 2 and extend the service life of the hinge mechanism 203.

[0125] Specifically, when the first main swing arm 231 rotates relative to the first mounting seat 211 under the action of an external force, the first damping member 2611 can rotate synchronously with the first main swing arm 231, so that the first damping member 2611 and the second damping member 2612 rotate relative to each other, and a friction force is generated between the first damping surface 2611a and the second damping surface 2612a, and the friction force can make the first main swing arm 231 generate an expansion force or a closing force, thereby keeping the hinge mechanism 203 in an expanded state, a folded state or an intermediate state. In addition, the above-mentioned friction force can also form a damping feel, which is conducive to improving the user experience.

[0126] It should be noted that the “deployment force” described in the embodiment of the present application refers to the force that can drive the first main swing arm 231 to rotate from the folded position to the deployed position. Correspondingly, the “closing force” described in the embodiment of the present application refers to the force that can drive the first main swing arm 231 to rotate from the deployed position to the folded position.

[0127] In some embodiments, see Figure 10-11, the two ends of the first elastic member 2613 are respectively in contact with the second damping member 2612 and the first mounting seat 211. In this way, the first elastic member 2613 can be limited by the first mounting seat 211, and no other limiting members are required, which can reduce the number of parts of the hinge mechanism 203. In addition, by arranging the first elastic member 2613 between the first mounting seat 211 and the second damping member 2612, during assembly, the first elastic member 2613 can be first assembled on the side of the second damping member 2612 away from the first damping member 2611, and then the first mounting seat 211 is assembled, and by adjusting the relative position between the first mounting seat 211 and the second damping member 2612, the distance between the first mounting seat 211 and the second damping member 2612 is made smaller than the natural extension length of the first elastic member 2613, so that the first elastic member 2613 is in a compressed energy storage state, which can reduce the assembly difficulty of the hinge mechanism 203. At the same time, in the later maintenance stage or debugging stage, after the first mounting seat 211 is removed from the first rotating shaft 221, the first elastic member 2613, the second damping member 2612, the first main swing arm 231 and other parts can be disassembled, which facilitates the replacement or repair of the first elastic member 2613, the second damping member 2612 and other parts, and can improve the maintainability of the hinge mechanism 203.

[0128] For example, see Fig.11 The first elastic member 2613 can abut against the main body 211a of the first mounting seat 211. In this way, at least a part of the structure of the first elastic member 2613 can be disposed in the first avoidance space K1, which can make the structure of the hinge mechanism 203 more compact.

[0129] For further information, please refer to Fig.11 The damping mechanism 26 further includes a second damping mechanism 262, which is disposed between the second main swing arm 232 and the first mounting seat 211 and is used to provide a damping force for the second main swing arm 232. For details, please refer to Fig.11 The second damping mechanism 262 includes a third damping member 2621, a fourth damping member 2622, and a second elastic member 2623. The structure of the third damping member 2621 may be the same as that of the first damping member 2611, the structure of the fourth damping member 2622 may be the same as that of the second damping member 2612, and the structure of the second elastic member 2623 may be the same as that of the first elastic member 2613. Meanwhile, the working principle of the second damping mechanism 26 is the same as that of the first damping mechanism 26, and will not be described in detail herein.

[0130] In some embodiments, see Fig.11The second damping member 2612 in the first damping mechanism 261 and the fourth damping member 2622 in the second damping mechanism 262 are connected as a whole through the first connecting member 265. In this way, the damping symmetry of the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 can be achieved, and the second damping member 2612 can be prevented from rotating around the central axis of the first rotating shaft 221, and the fourth damping member 2622 can be prevented from rotating around the central axis of the second rotating shaft 222.

[0131] On this basis, see Fig.11 The hinge mechanism 203 further includes an auxiliary elastic member 267. The auxiliary elastic member 267 may be an elastic material such as a coil spring, a disc spring, rubber or silicone. The auxiliary elastic member 267 is located between the first connecting member 265 and the first mounting seat 211, and is used to apply a force to the first connecting member 265 that is directed away from the first mounting seat 211. In this way, the damping effect of the hinge mechanism 203 can be improved. The number of the auxiliary elastic member 267 may be one or more.

[0132] In order to facilitate the control of the compression direction of the auxiliary elastic member 267, please refer to Fig.11 , a first guide hole 2651 is provided on the first connecting member 265. For details, please refer to Fig.12 , Fig.12 for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second damping member 2612, the fourth damping member 2622 and the first connecting member 265 in the rotating assembly shown. The first guide hole 2651 includes a first orifice 2651a and a first hole bottom wall 2651b, and the first orifice 2651a and the first hole bottom wall 2651b are opposite to each other in the first direction (that is, the Y-axis direction). The first orifice 2651a is located on the surface of the first connecting member 265 facing the first mounting seat 211. A part of the auxiliary elastic member 267 is located in the first guide hole 2651, and the auxiliary elastic member 267 abuts against the first hole bottom wall 2651b. In this way, the compression direction of the auxiliary elastic member 267 can be guided by the first guide hole 2651, and the structure is simple and the processing is convenient.

[0133] In some embodiments, see Fig.12 The first connecting member 265 includes a first rod portion 265a and a first protruding portion 265b. The two ends of the first rod portion 265a are respectively connected to the second damping member 2612 and the fourth damping member 2622. The first protruding portion 265b is disposed on a side of the first rod portion 265a away from the first mounting seat 211. Fig.11 Combined with Fig.12, the first protrusion 265b is located between the first rotating shaft 221 and the second rotating shaft 222. The first guide hole 2651 passes through the end surface of the first rod portion 265a facing the first mounting seat 211, and extends to the first protrusion 265b. Specifically, the first orifice 2651a is located on the end surface of the first rod portion 265a facing the first mounting seat 211, and the first hole bottom wall 2651b is located on the first protrusion 265b. That is, a part of the first guide hole 2651 is formed on the first protrusion 265b. In this way, the overall size of the rotating assembly 2 in the first direction can be reduced while increasing the size of the first guide hole 2651 in the first direction, which is conducive to reducing the occupied space of the rotating assembly 2 in the first direction.

[0134] In some embodiments, the second damping member 2612, the fourth damping member 2622 and the first connecting member 265 are integrally formed. In this way, the assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203 can be simplified, and the number and types of parts of the hinge mechanism 203 can be reduced.

[0135] For further information, see Figure 10-11 , a second guide hole 211c is provided on the first mounting seat 211. In some embodiments, the second guide hole 211c can be provided on the protrusion portion 211b. Specifically, the second guide hole 211c includes a second orifice 211c1 and a second hole bottom wall 211c2 that are opposite in the first direction. The second orifice 211c1 is located on the first side surface 2112 of the first mounting seat 211. A portion of the auxiliary elastic member 267 is located in the second guide hole 211c, and the auxiliary elastic member 267 abuts against the second hole bottom wall 211c2. In this way, the compression direction of the auxiliary elastic member 267 can be guided by the second guide hole 211c, and the structure is simple and the processing is convenient.

[0136] It is understandable that in other embodiments, the hinge mechanism 203 may also include only one of the first guide hole 2651 and the second guide hole 211c.

[0137] On the basis of any of the above embodiments, in order to realize the limiting of the first main swing arm 231 in the first direction, please refer to Fig.13 , Fig.13 for Figure 5The assembly diagram of the shaft cover 1, the first mounting seat 211, the second mounting seat 212, the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 in the hinge mechanism 203 is shown. The hinge mechanism 203 also includes a first limiting component 291, and the first limiting component 291 includes a first limiting structure 2911 and a second limiting structure 2912. The first limiting structure 2911 is arranged on the second shaft sleeve, and the first limiting structure 2911 has a first limiting surface 2911a. The second limiting structure 2912 is arranged on the shaft cover 1, and the second limiting structure 2912 has a second limiting surface 2912a. The second limiting surface 2912a is used to abut against the first limiting surface 2911a, and the first limiting surface 2911a faces the first mounting seat 211. In this way, the first limiting component 291 can limit the first main swing arm 231 from moving along the first direction toward the first mounting seat 211.

[0138] In some embodiments, the first limiting structure 2911 is arranged on a side of the second sleeve 2312 close to the first mounting seat 211, and a part of the first limiting structure 2911 is located on the circumferential outer side of the second sleeve 2312. That is, a part of the first limiting structure 2911 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the second sleeve 2312. In this way, it is convenient for the first limiting structure 2911 to cooperate with the second limiting structure 2912. In other embodiments, the first limiting structure 2911 can also be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the second sleeve 2312. In this case, the first limiting structure 2911 as a whole protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the second sleeve 2312. That is, the first limiting structure 2911 as a whole is located on the circumferential outer side of the second sleeve 2312. In this way, it is also convenient for the first limiting structure 2911 to cooperate with the second limiting structure 2912. It is sufficient to ensure that at least a part of the first limiting structure 2911 is located on the circumferential outer side of the second sleeve 2312.

[0139] Further, in order to reduce the overlapped dimension of the first limiting structure 2911 and the shaft cover 1 in the Z-axis direction, please continue to refer to Fig.13 , the first limiting structure 2911 is disposed on the side of the second sleeve 2312 away from the first main swing arm 231. That is, the first limiting structure 2911 is located between the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232. In this way, the space between the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 can be fully utilized, making the structure of the hinge mechanism 203 more compact, and reducing the thickness of the hinge mechanism 203, which is conducive to realizing a thin design of the hinge mechanism 203.

[0140] On the basis of any of the above embodiments, in order to further reduce the number of parts of the hinge mechanism 203 and simplify the assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203, the first limiting structure 2911 and the second shaft sleeve 2312 are integrally formed.

[0141] See also Fig.14, Fig.14 for Fig.13 The exploded view of the shaft cover 1, the first main swing arm 231, and the second main swing arm 232 in the assembly schematic diagram shown. The second limiting structure 2912 is a convex rib protruding from the bottom plate 11. Exemplarily, the second limiting structure 2912 is integrally formed with the bottom plate 11. The side of the convex rib facing the first mounting seat 211 is formed as a second limiting surface 2912a. In this way, not only is it easy to achieve the coordination between the first limiting structure 2911 and the second limiting structure 2912, but the convex rib can also play a role in strengthening the structural strength of the shaft cover 1, which can improve the overall structural strength of the shaft cover 1.

[0142] In some embodiments, see Fig.11 The hinge mechanism 203 further includes a second limiting assembly 292, the second limiting assembly 292 includes a third limiting structure 2921 and a fourth limiting structure 2922, the third limiting structure 2921 is arranged on the fourth shaft sleeve 2322, the third limiting structure 2921 has a third limiting surface 2921a, the fourth limiting structure 2922 is arranged on the shaft cover 1, the fourth limiting structure 2922 has a fourth limiting surface 2922a, the fourth limiting surface 2922a is used to abut against the third limiting surface 2921a, and the third limiting surface 2921a faces the first mounting seat 211. In this way, the second limiting assembly 292 can limit the second main swing arm 232 from moving along the first direction toward the first mounting seat 211.

[0143] The structure of the third limiting structure 2921 may be the same as that of the first limiting structure 2911, and the connection mode between the third limiting structure 2921 and the second main swing arm 232 may be the same as that between the first limiting structure 2911 and the first main swing arm 231. The structure of the fourth limiting structure 2922 may be the same as that of the second limiting structure 2912, and will not be described in detail here.

[0144] In this embodiment, the second limiting structure 2912 is spaced apart from the fourth limiting structure 2922. In other embodiments, the second limiting structure 2912 and the fourth limiting structure 2922 may also be connected as one body.

[0145] In some embodiments, in order to limit the first main swing arm 231 from moving in the first direction away from the first mounting base 211, please continue to refer to Fig.11 , the second mounting seat 212 abuts against the first shaft sleeve 2311. In this way, the movement of the first main swing arm 231 in the first direction can be limited by the cooperation between the second mounting seat 212 and the first shaft sleeve 2311, and the position of the first main swing arm 231 in the first direction can be limited by the second mounting seat 212, without the need to set other additional limiting structures, which can simplify the structure of the hinge mechanism 203 and reduce the number of parts of the hinge mechanism 203.

[0146] On this basis, in order to achieve the abutment and cooperation between the first sleeve 2311 and the second mounting seat 212 while avoiding the interference between the second mounting seat 212 and other structures of the hinge mechanism 203, please refer to Fig.13 The second assembly holes 2124 on the second mounting seat 212 for connecting with the shaft cover 1 are all arranged on the side of the second mounting groove 2121 away from the first mounting seat 211 .

[0147] Furthermore, in order to limit the second main swing arm 232 from moving in the first direction away from the first mounting seat 211, the second mounting seat 212 abuts against the third sleeve 2321. In this way, the structure of the hinge mechanism 203 can be further simplified and the number of parts of the hinge mechanism 203 can be reduced.

[0148] The synchronization mechanism 27 is disposed between the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232, and is used to realize the synchronous reverse rotation between the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232, and further realize the synchronous reverse rotation between the first shell 201 and the second shell 202. Specifically, when one of the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 rotates from the unfolded position to the folded position, with the help of the synchronization mechanism 27, the other of the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 can be driven to rotate synchronously from the unfolded position to the folded position (that is, the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 rotate in opposite directions). Similarly, when one of the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 rotates from the folded position to the unfolded position, with the help of the synchronization mechanism 27, the other of the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 can be driven to rotate synchronously from the folded position to the unfolded position (that is, the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 rotate away from each other).

[0149] In some embodiments, when the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 rotate synchronously in opposite directions, the rotation angles of the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 are also consistent. It can be understood that due to manufacturing or assembly tolerances, there may be a certain angle deviation between the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 during the rotation process. Therefore, in general, the deviation range of the rotation angle of the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 is between 0 and 10°, and both can be regarded as the rotation angles of the two being consistent. In this way, with the help of the synchronization mechanism 27, the speed of folding and unfolding of the foldable electronic device 1000 can be increased, and the operation time of the user can be reduced. In addition, the user only needs to operate on either side of the first shell 201 and the second shell 202 to realize the folding and unfolding of the foldable electronic device 1000, without having to operate on both sides of the first shell 201 and the second shell 202, thereby simplifying the operation and improving the user experience.

[0150] For details, please refer to Figure 15-16 , Fig.15 for Figure 5 The assembly diagram of the first main swing arm 231, the second main swing arm 232 and the synchronization mechanism 27 in the hinge mechanism 203 is shown in FIG. Fig.16 for Fig.15 The exploded view of the assembly schematic diagram is shown. The synchronization mechanism 27 includes a first transmission member 271, a second transmission member 272 and a first synchronization member 273. The first transmission member 271 is fixedly connected to the first main swing arm 231, and the second transmission member 272 is fixedly connected to the second main swing arm 232. The first synchronization member 273 is located between the first transmission member 271 and the second transmission member 272, and can move along the first direction relative to the first mounting seat 211. The first synchronization member 273 is provided with a first synchronization structure 2731a and a second synchronization structure 2732a, the first synchronization structure 2731a is used to cooperate with the first transmission member 271, and the second synchronization structure 2732a is used to cooperate with the second transmission member 272.

[0151] In some embodiments, see Fig.16 The first synchronous member 273 includes a first sleeve 2731, a second sleeve 2732 and a connecting piece 2733. The first sleeve 2731 is sleeved on the first rotating shaft 221 and can slide along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 221. The second sleeve 2732 is sleeved on the second rotating shaft 222 and can slide along the axial direction of the second rotating shaft 222. The connecting piece 2733 is connected between the first sleeve 2731 and the second sleeve 2732. In this way, the relative sliding connection between the first synchronous member 273 and the first mounting seat 211 can be achieved through the cooperation between the first sleeve 2731 and the first rotating shaft 221 as well as the cooperation between the second sleeve 2732 and the second rotating shaft 222. At the same time, the first rotating shaft 221 and the second rotating shaft 222 can guide the sliding of the first synchronous member 273. Therefore, there is no need to set other additional guiding structures on the hinge mechanism 203, which can reduce the number and types of parts of the hinge mechanism 203, and thus reduce the structural complexity of the hinge mechanism 203 and the assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203. In addition, the first sleeve 2731 and the second sleeve 2732 can be connected as a whole with the help of the connecting plate 2733, which is convenient for the overall assembly of the first synchronous component 273, can further simplify the assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203, and can also limit the relative rotation between the first sleeve 2731 and the first rotating shaft 221 and the relative rotation between the second sleeve 2732 and the second rotating shaft 222 through the connecting plate 2733, which can improve the sliding smoothness of the first synchronous component 273.

[0152] In some embodiments, see Fig.16, the first transmission member 271 is a first slider, and the first synchronization structure 2731a is a first spiral groove. The first slider is slidably matched with the first spiral groove. Specifically, the first slider can be a spiral slider. The first slider is arranged in the first spiral groove, and the first slider can slide along the extension path of the first spiral groove. Among them, the center line of the spiral extension path of the first spiral groove is parallel to the sliding direction of the first synchronization member 273 (that is, the Y-axis direction).

[0153] Please continue reading Fig.16 The second transmission member 272 is a second slider, and the second synchronization structure 2732a is a second spiral slide. The second slider is slidably matched with the second spiral slide. The spiral direction of the second spiral slide is opposite to that of the first spiral slide.

[0154] In this way, when the first main swing arm 231 rotates between the unfolded position and the folded position, it can drive the first synchronous member 273 to slide in the first direction with the help of the cooperation between the first slider (that is, the first transmission member 271) and the first spiral groove (that is, the first synchronization structure 2731a), and drive the second main swing arm 232 to rotate synchronously with the first main swing arm 231 in the opposite direction with the help of the cooperation between the second spiral groove (that is, the second synchronization structure 2732a) on the first synchronous member 273 and the second slider (that is, the second transmission member 272). In addition, the hinge mechanism 203 in this embodiment, by setting the first synchronization structure 2731a and the second synchronization structure 2732a as the first spiral groove and the second spiral groove respectively, the first synchronization structure 2731a does not need to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the first sleeve 2731, and the second synchronization structure 2732a does not need to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the second sleeve 2732, which can reduce the rotation radius of the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232, thereby reducing the size of the hinge mechanism 203 in the X-axis direction, thereby facilitating the reduction of the volume of the foldable electronic device 1000 and the thickness of the foldable electronic device 1000 in the folded state, and facilitating the miniaturization and thinning design of the foldable electronic device 1000. In addition, the gearless structure design of the synchronization mechanism 27 is simple in structure and easy to assemble, which can solve the problems of high difficulty in assembling micro gears and broken teeth.

[0155] Of course, it is understandable that in other embodiments, the first transmission member 271 may also include a first spiral groove, and the first synchronization structure 2731a is a first slider. Similarly, the second transmission member 272 may include a second spiral groove, and the second synchronization structure 2732a may be a second slider.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first transmission member 271 and the first main swing arm 231 are an integrated structure. That is, the first transmission member 271 and the first main swing arm 231 are an integrated molded part. In this way, the number of parts of the hinge mechanism 203 can be reduced, the assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203 can be simplified, and the assembly difficulty of the hinge mechanism 203 can be reduced.

[0157] On the basis of the above embodiment, the first main swing arm 231, the first damping member 2611 (that is, the second sleeve 2312), the first sleeve 2311, the first transmission member 271, and the first position-limiting structure 2911 are an integrated structure. In this way, the five parts of the first main swing arm 231, the first damping member 2611, the first sleeve 2311, the first transmission member 271, and the first position-limiting structure 2911 can be integrated into one part, which can further reduce the number of parts of the hinge mechanism 203, simplify the assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203, and help improve the structural strength of the first main swing arm 231.

[0158] In some embodiments, see Figure 15-16 , the first transmission member 271 is located between the first sleeve 2311 and the second sleeve 2312. That is, the first sleeve 2311, the first transmission member 271, and the second sleeve 2312 are sequentially arranged in the first direction at intervals. In this way, the space between the first sleeve 2311 and the second sleeve 2312 can be fully utilized, making the structure of the hinge mechanism 203 more compact.

[0159] It is understandable that, in other embodiments, the synchronization mechanism 27 may also be a gear transmission structure. In this case, the synchronization mechanism 27 may include an even number of transmission gears meshed in sequence. Specifically, the number of the transmission gears may be 2, 4, 6, and so on. The even number of transmission gears includes a first transmission gear and a second transmission gear located at the head and tail positions, respectively, and the first transmission gear may be fixedly connected to the first main swing arm 231, and the central axis of the first transmission gear is collinear with the rotation axis of the first main swing arm 231. The second transmission gear may be fixedly connected to the second main swing arm 232, and the central axis of the second transmission gear is collinear with the rotation axis of the second main swing arm 232. Thus, through the meshing transmission of the even number of transmission gears, the synchronous swinging of the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232 can be achieved. This structure is simple and easy to implement. The more transmission gears are designed, the smaller the height of the transmission gears can be designed to be, which is more conducive to achieving the thinning of the shaft mechanism. However, the more transmission gears there are, the more complex the structure is, the smaller the volume of the transmission gears is, and the more difficult the processing is. Therefore, according to different design requirements, a different number of transmission gears can be selected by comprehensively considering the thinness of the shaft mechanism, the structural complexity and the processing difficulty.

[0160] In some embodiments, please refer back to Figure 6-Figure 7The rotating assembly 2 further includes a first rotating door plate 251 and a second rotating door plate 252. The first rotating door plate 251 and the second rotating door plate 252 are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the first mounting seat 211, and the first rotating door plate 251 and the second rotating door plate 252 can rotate between an unfolded position and a folded position relative to the first mounting seat 211. The first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first rotating door plate 251 are both located on the same side of the first mounting seat 211. The second auxiliary swing arm 242 and the second rotating door plate 252 are located on the same side of the first mounting seat 211. The first main swing arm 231 is slidably connected to the first rotating door plate 251, and the first auxiliary swing arm 241 is rotatably connected to the first rotating door plate 251. The second main swing arm 232 is slidably connected to the second rotating door plate 252, and the second auxiliary swing arm 242 is rotatably connected to the second rotating door plate 252.

[0161] The hinge mechanism 203 can be connected to the first housing 201 by means of the first rotating door plate 251, and can be connected to the second housing 202 by means of the second rotating door plate 252. Exemplarily, the first rotating door plate 251 can be fixedly connected to the first middle frame 2011 by means of screw connection, clamping, bonding, etc. The connection method between the second rotating door plate 252 and the second housing 202 and the connection method between the first rotating door plate 251 and the first housing 201 are not described in detail here. In this way, when the first shell 201 rotates under the action of external force, the first rotating door plate 251 can rotate with the first shell 201, thereby driving the first main swing arm 231 and the first auxiliary swing arm 241 to rotate relative to the shaft cover 1, so as to achieve relative rotation between the first shell 201 and the shaft cover 1; when the second shell 202 rotates under the action of external force, the second rotating door plate 252 can rotate with the second shell 202, thereby driving the second main swing arm 232 and the second auxiliary swing arm 242 to rotate relative to the shaft cover 1, so as to achieve relative rotation between the second shell 202 and the shaft cover 1, so that the foldable electronic device 1000 can switch between the unfolded state and the folded state.

[0162] See also Fig.17 , Fig.17 for Figure 6 Another exploded view of the rotating assembly 2 shown. The first rotating door plate 251 is in the shape of a long strip. When the hinge mechanism 203 is in the unfolded state, the length direction of the first rotating door plate 251 is parallel to the Y-axis direction, the width direction of the first rotating door plate 251 is parallel to the X-axis direction, and the thickness direction of the first rotating door plate 251 is parallel to the Z-axis direction. The first rotating door plate 251 includes a first supporting surface 251a, and the first supporting surface 251a faces the folding screen 100. When the hinge mechanism 203 is in the unfolded state, part of the third display unit 103 can be supported by the first supporting surface 251a. In this way, it is beneficial to improve the flatness of the folding screen 100 in the unfolded state.

[0163] The first rotating door plate 251 includes a first bottom surface 251b, a first end surface 251c, a second end surface 251d, a third end surface 251e and a fourth end surface 251f. The first bottom surface 251b and the first supporting surface 251a are opposite to each other in the thickness direction of the first rotating door plate 251. The first end surface 251c and the second end surface 251d are opposite to each other in the first direction, and the first end surface 251c and the first auxiliary swing arm 241 are located on the same side of the first main swing arm 231. The third end surface 251e and the fourth end surface 251f are opposite to each other, and the third end surface 251e faces the first main swing arm 231 and the first auxiliary swing arm 241. The first end surface 251c, the second end surface 251d, the third end surface 251e and the fourth end surface 251f are all connected between the first supporting surface 251a and the first bottom surface 251b.

[0164] In some embodiments, in order to realize the rotatable connection between the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first rotating door plate 251, please refer to Fig.17 , a first fixing ear 2412 is provided on the first auxiliary swing arm 241. The first fixing ear 2412 can be provided at an end of the first auxiliary swing arm 241 away from the first mounting seat 211. A first fixing hole 2412a is provided on the first fixing ear 2412. The central axis of the first fixing hole 2412a is parallel to the first direction. The number of the first fixing ears 2412 can be one or more. Wherein, when the number of the first fixing ears 2412 is multiple, the multiple first fixing ears 2412 are spaced apart and arranged in the first direction.

[0165] Please continue reading Fig.17 The first rotating door plate 251 is provided with a first fixing groove 2512 and a second fixing hole 2513. The first fixing groove 2512 is located between the first end surface 251c and the second end surface 251d. The first fixing groove 2512 includes a third groove wall surface 2512a and a fourth groove wall surface 2512b opposite to each other in the first direction.

[0166] The second fixing hole 2513 may be a blind hole. The second fixing hole 2513 extends along the first direction and penetrates the first end surface 251c, the third groove wall surface 2512a and the fourth groove wall surface 2512b. It is understood that when there are multiple first fixing grooves 2512, the third groove wall surface 2512a and the fourth groove wall surface 2512b of each first fixing groove 2512 are penetrated by the second fixing hole 2513.

[0167] The first fixing ear 2412 is disposed in the first fixing slot 2512, and the first fixing hole 2412a is directly opposite to the second fixing hole 2513. The shape of the first fixing ear 2412 can be adapted to the shape of the first fixing slot 2512, and the number of the first fixing ears 2412 is the same as the number of the first fixing slots 2512. Exemplarily, in this embodiment, there are two first fixing ears 2412 and two first fixing slots 2512, and the two first fixing ears 2412 correspond to the two first fixing slots 2512 one by one.

[0168] In some embodiments, see Fig.17 The first fixing groove 2512 can penetrate the first supporting surface 251a and the third end surface 251e. In this way, it is convenient to assemble the first fixing ear 2412 in the first fixing groove 2512, and it is beneficial to reduce the thickness of the first rotating door panel 251, thereby helping to reduce the thickness of the hinge mechanism 203.

[0169] Based on the above examples, please refer to Fig.17 The hinge mechanism 203 further includes a first pin 290a, which is inserted into the first fixing hole 2412a and the second fixing hole 2513, and the first fixing ear 2412 is rotatably matched with the first pin 290a. Thus, the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first rotating door plate 251 can be rotatably connected by the first pin 290a, and the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first rotating door plate 251 can be limited by the first pin 290a, so as to avoid the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first rotating door plate 251 from being disengaged.

[0170] In order to realize the slidable connection between the first main swing arm 231 and the first rotating door plate 251, please refer to Fig.17 The first rotating door plate 251 is provided with a first slide groove 2511, and the first slide groove 2511 has a first opening 2511a, and the first opening 2511a is located at the third end surface 251e. The first main swing arm 231 is slidably disposed in the first slide groove 2511. The sliding direction of the first main swing arm 231 relative to the first rotating door plate 251 is the same as the arrangement direction of the third end surface 251e and the fourth end surface 251f.

[0171] Furthermore, the first slide groove 2511 also has a second opening, which is opposite to and connected to the first opening 2511a. The second opening can be arranged on the fourth end surface 251f. In this case, the first slide groove 2511 is a through groove.

[0172] It is understandable that, in other embodiments, a sliding block may be provided on the first bottom surface 251 b of the first rotating door panel 251 , and the first sliding groove 2511 may be provided on the sliding block.

[0173] The second rotating door plate 252 and the first rotating door plate 251 are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the first mounting base 211. The connection mode between the second auxiliary swing arm 242 and the second rotating door plate 252 is the same as the connection mode between the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first rotating door plate 251. Specifically, the second auxiliary swing arm 242 and the second rotating door plate 252 are rotatably connected through the second pin shaft 290b. The connection mode between the second main swing arm 232 and the second rotating door plate 252 is the same as the connection mode between the first main swing arm 231 and the first rotating door plate 251. For details, please refer to Fig.17 A second sliding groove 2521 is provided on the second rotating door plate 252, and the second main swing arm 232 is slidably connected to the second sliding groove 2521.

[0174] Based on any of the above embodiments, please refer to Fig.17 The rotating assembly 2 also includes a third auxiliary swing arm 243 and a fourth auxiliary swing arm 244, which are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the second mounting base 212, and the third auxiliary swing arm 243 and the fourth auxiliary swing arm 244 are both rotatably connected to the second mounting base 212.

[0175] The structures of the third auxiliary swing arm 243 and the fourth auxiliary swing arm 244 are the same as those of the first auxiliary swing arm 241. The connection mode between the third auxiliary swing arm 243 and the second mounting seat 212 is the same as that between the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first mounting seat 211. The connection mode between the fourth auxiliary swing arm 244 and the second mounting seat 212 is the same as that between the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first mounting seat 211.

[0176] It is understandable that in other embodiments, the first auxiliary swing arm 241 may be rotatably connected to the second mounting seat 212, and the third auxiliary swing arm 243 may be rotatably connected to the first mounting seat 211. As long as one of the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the third auxiliary swing arm 243 is rotatably connected to the first mounting seat 211, and the other of the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the third auxiliary swing arm 243 is rotatably connected to the second mounting seat 212.

[0177] The third auxiliary swing arm 243 is rotatably connected to the first rotating door plate 251. The connection method between the third auxiliary swing arm 243 and the first rotating door plate 251 is the same as the connection method between the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first rotating door plate 251. For details, please refer to Figure 6-Figure 7 The third auxiliary swing arm 243 is rotatably connected to the first rotating door plate 251 through the third pin 290c. The fourth auxiliary swing arm 244 is rotatably connected to the second rotating door plate 252. The connection method between the fourth auxiliary swing arm 244 and the second rotating door plate 252 is the same as the connection method between the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first rotating door plate 251. For details, please refer to Fig.17 The fourth auxiliary swing arm 244 is rotatably connected to the first rotating door plate 251 through the fourth pin shaft 290d.

[0178] In this way, by respectively arranging the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the third auxiliary swing arm 243 on both sides of the first main swing arm 231 along the first direction, and making the first main swing arm 231 and the third auxiliary swing arm 243 both rotatably connected to the first rotating door plate 251, when the hinge mechanism 203 switches between the unfolded state and the folded state, the force uniformity of the first rotating door plate 251 can be improved, which is conducive to improving the stability of the folding process of the hinge mechanism 203. At the same time, the first main swing arm 231 can be limited by the connection structure between the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the first rotating door plate 251 and the connection structure between the third auxiliary swing arm 243 and the first rotating door plate 251, which can prevent the first main swing arm 231 from slipping out of the first slide groove 2511, improve the connection reliability between the first main swing arm 231 and the first rotating door plate 251, and no other limiting structure is required to be additionally arranged between the first main swing arm 231 and the first rotating door plate 251, which can simplify the structure and assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203. Furthermore, the rotating assembly 2 can be tested as an independent module, without assembling the rotating assembly 2 to the shaft cover 1, and without assembling the hinge mechanism 203 to the first shell 201 and the second shell 202 to form the shell assembly 200, so as to realize the testing of the damping of the rotating assembly 2, the synchronization of the relative rotation of the first main swing arm 231 and the second main swing arm 232, etc. In this way, even if the damping test and the synchronization test are unsuccessful, there is no need to disassemble the entire shell assembly 200, which can simplify the performance testing process of the hinge mechanism 203, and is conducive to improving the testing efficiency and production efficiency of the hinge mechanism 203.

[0179] Please return to Figure 7The rotating assembly 2 in this embodiment includes 23 parts, among which parts with the same structure are the same kind of parts. Therefore, the 23 parts may include the following 14 parts: the first kind (1): the first mounting seat 211; the second kind (2): the second mounting seat 212; the third kind (3): including the first clamping member 281 and the second clamping member 282; the fourth kind (4): including the first auxiliary swing arm 241, the second auxiliary swing arm 242, the third auxiliary swing arm 243 and the fourth auxiliary swing arm 244; the fifth kind (5): including the first pin 290a, the second pin 290b, the third pin 290c and the fourth pin 290d; the sixth kind (6): including the first elastic member 2613 and the second elastic member 2623; the seventh kind (7): including the first rotating shaft 221 and the second rotating shaft 222 ; The eighth type (8): a structural member including the second damping member 2612, the fourth damping member 2622 and the first connecting member 265; the ninth type (9): the first synchronous member 273; the tenth type (10): a structural member including the first main swing arm 231, the first damping member 2611, the first shaft sleeve 2311 and the first transmission member 271; the eleventh type (11): a structural member including the second auxiliary swing arm 242, the third damping member 2621, the third shaft sleeve 2321 and the second transmission member 272; the twelfth type (11): including the first rotating door plate 251; the thirteenth type (12): the second rotating door plate 252; the fourteenth type (13): the auxiliary elastic member 267. The types and quantities of parts of the rotating assembly 2 in this embodiment are relatively small.

[0180] The following describes the assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203 in the embodiment of the present application. Fig.18 , Fig.18 for Figure 5 The assembly process flow chart of the hinge mechanism 203 is shown. The assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203 includes:

[0181] Step S100a: Assemble the damping mechanism 26, the auxiliary elastic member 267, the synchronization mechanism 27, the first main swing arm 231, the second main swing arm 232, the first rotating shaft 221 and the second rotating shaft 222 together to form the first tooling 203a.

[0182] Specifically, during assembly, the first transmission member 271 (i.e., the first slider) can be first assembled to the first synchronization structure 2731a (i.e., the first spiral slide), the second transmission member 272 (i.e., the second slider) can be assembled to the second synchronization structure 2732a (i.e., the second spiral slide), and then the first rotating shaft 221 can be sequentially inserted into the first elastic member 2613, the second damping member 2612, the first damping member 2611 on the first main swing arm 231, the first sleeve of the first synchronization member 273, and the first sleeve of the first synchronization member 273. The second rotating shaft 222 is sequentially passed through the third elastic member 2633, the sixth damping member 2632, the fifth damping member 2631 on the second main swing arm 232, the second sleeve 2732 of the first synchronous member 273, the seventh damping member 2641, the eighth damping member 2642, and the fourth elastic member 2643 on the second main swing arm 232 to form the first tooling 203a.

[0183] Step S200a: Assemble the first mounting seat 211 and the second mounting seat 212 at two ends of the first tooling 203a along the first direction respectively to obtain the second tooling 203b.

[0184] Specifically, during assembly, the two ends of the first rotating shaft 221 can be respectively inserted into the first shaft hole 2117 and the third shaft hole 2122, and the two ends of the second rotating shaft 222 can be respectively inserted into the second shaft hole 2118 and the fourth shaft hole 2123, and at least one of the first mounting seat 211 and the second mounting seat 212 can be moved along the first direction to reduce the distance between the first mounting seat 211 and the second mounting seat 212 to compress the elastic member in the damping mechanism 26, and then the first clamping member 281 can be assembled to the first mounting groove 2116 to clamp the first rotating shaft 221 and the second rotating shaft 222; the second clamping member 282 can be assembled to the second mounting groove 2121 to clamp the second clamping member 282 to the first rotating shaft 221 and the second rotating shaft 222 to form the second tooling 203b;

[0185] Step S300a: Assemble the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the second auxiliary swing arm 242 on the first mounting seat 211, assemble the third auxiliary swing arm 243 and the fourth auxiliary swing arm 244 on the second mounting seat 212, and connect the first rotating door plate 251 to the first main swing arm 231, the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the third auxiliary swing arm 243, and connect the second rotating door plate 252 to the second main swing arm 232, the second auxiliary swing arm 242 and the fourth auxiliary swing arm 244 to obtain a rotating component 2.

[0186] Specifically, during assembly, the first main swing arm 231 can be first inserted into the first slide groove 2511 of the first rotating door panel 251, and then the first auxiliary swing arm 241 can be connected to the first rotating door panel 251 through the first pin shaft 290a, and the third auxiliary swing arm 243 can be connected to the second rotating door panel 252 through the second pin shaft 290b; after the second main swing arm 232 is connected to the second rotating door panel 252, the second auxiliary swing arm 242 can be connected to the first rotating door panel 251 through the third pin shaft 290c, and the fourth auxiliary swing arm 244 can be connected to the second rotating door panel 252 through the fourth pin shaft 290d to obtain the rotating component 2.

[0187] Step S400a: Assemble the rotating assembly 2 as a whole on the shaft cover 1 to obtain the hinge mechanism 203.

[0188] Specifically, the first mounting seat 211 and the second mounting seat 212 may be fixedly connected to the shaft cover 1 respectively, so as to assemble the rotating assembly 2 to the shaft cover 1 .

[0189] It is understandable that in some embodiments, before the rotating assembly 2 is integrally assembled to the shaft cover 1, the rotating assembly 2 may be subjected to a damping test, a synchronization test, etc., and after the above tests are passed, the rotating assembly 2 may be integrally assembled to the shaft cover 1.

[0190] Therefore, in the assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203 in this embodiment, the assembly of the rotating component 2 can be completed without complicated assembly actions such as screw connection, welding, gear meshing, etc., and the assembly difficulty is small and maintenance is convenient.

[0191] In summary, the hinge mechanism 203 in the above embodiment realizes the modular design of the rotating assembly 2, with fewer parts and fewer types of parts, reducing the module volume and weight of the rotating assembly 2. In addition, there are no screws or gears in the parts of the rotating assembly 2, and there are no complicated assembly actions such as screw connection, welding, and gear meshing during assembly, which not only reduces the assembly difficulty of the rotating assembly 2, improves assembly efficiency, and facilitates maintenance, but also solves the problem of easy tooth breakage of gears.

[0192] In some other embodiments, see Figure 19-20 , Fig.19 Schematic diagram of a foldable electronic device 1000 provided for some other embodiments of the present application. Fig. 20 for Fig.19 The 3D view of the housing assembly 200 in the foldable electronic device 1000 is shown. The foldable electronic device 1000 in this embodiment is a vertically foldable electronic device.

[0193] Since the lengths of the hinge mechanisms 203 of the vertically foldable electronic device and the horizontally foldable electronic device are quite different, in order to make the rotating assembly 2 adapt to the size of the hinge mechanism 203 in the vertically foldable electronic device, please refer to Figure 21-22 , Fig.21 for Fig. 20 A perspective view of the hinge mechanism 203 in the housing assembly 200 is shown. Fig. 22 for Fig.21 A three-dimensional view of the rotating assembly 2 of the hinge mechanism 203 is shown.

[0194] The hinge mechanism 203 in this embodiment includes a rotating assembly 2. Specifically, the rotating assembly 2 includes a first mounting seat 211, a first main swing arm 231, a second main swing arm 232, a first rotating shaft 221, a second rotating shaft 222, a first damping mechanism 261, a second damping mechanism 262, a first auxiliary swing arm 241, a second auxiliary swing arm 242, a synchronization mechanism 27, a first rotating door plate 251, and a second rotating door plate 252. The rotating assembly 2 in this embodiment and Figure 6 The difference of the rotating assembly 2 shown is that in the rotating assembly 2 of this embodiment, the number of the first mounting seat 211, the first main swing arm 231, the second main swing arm 232, the first rotating shaft 221, the second rotating shaft 222, the first auxiliary swing arm 241, the second auxiliary swing arm 242, and the synchronization mechanism 27 are all two, and the two first mounting seats 211 are respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the second mounting seat 212. Further, there are also two first damping mechanisms 261 and second damping mechanisms 262. The two first damping mechanisms 261 are respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the second mounting seat 212 in the first direction, and the two second damping mechanisms 262 are respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the second mounting seat 212 in the first direction.

[0195] In this way, the types of parts of the rotating assembly 2 can be reduced, and the size of the rotating assembly 2 in the first direction can be increased without changing the structure and size of the first mounting base 211, the first main swing arm 231, the first rotating shaft 221, the first damping mechanism 261, and the first auxiliary swing arm 241, so that the rotating assembly 2 can be suitable for the hinge mechanism 203 in a vertically foldable electronic device.

[0196] The rotating assembly 2 of this embodiment has the same structure as the first rotating door plate 251, the second rotating door plate 252 and the second mounting seat 212. Figure 6 Except for the structures of the first rotating door plate 251, the second rotating door plate 252, and the second mounting seat 212 in the rotating assembly 2 shown in FIG. 1 , the structures of the remaining parts and the connection methods between the parts are the same as those in FIG. Figure 6 The rotating assembly 2 shown is identical.

[0197] In addition, in this embodiment, since the two first main swing arms 231 are located between the two first auxiliary swing arms 241, the two first main swing arms 231 can be limited by the connection structure between the two first auxiliary swing arms 241 and the first rotating door plate 251 to prevent the first main swing arm 231 from being disengaged from the first rotating door plate 251. Similarly, since the two second main swing arms 232 are located between the two second auxiliary swing arms 242, the two second main swing arms 232 can be limited by the connection structure between the two second auxiliary swing arms 242 and the second rotating door plate 252 to prevent the second main swing arm 232 from being disengaged from the second rotating door plate 252. On this basis, the third auxiliary swing arm 243 and the fourth auxiliary swing arm 244 may not be provided on the second mounting seat 212. Of course, it is understandable that in other embodiments, the third auxiliary swing arm 243 and the fourth auxiliary swing arm 244 may also be provided on the second mounting seat 212.

[0198] In some embodiments, in order to improve the damping symmetry of the rotating assembly 2, the two first damping mechanisms 261 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the second mounting seat 212 in the first direction. On this basis, the two first main swing arms 231 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the second mounting seat 212 in the first direction, and the two second main swing arms 232 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the second mounting seat 212 in the first direction. In this way, the structure of the first main swing arm 231 located on one side of the second mounting seat 212 can be the same as the structure of the second main swing arm 232 located on the other side of the second mounting seat 212, which can reduce the number of parts of the hinge mechanism 203.

[0199] For details, please refer to Fig.23 , Fig.23 for Fig. 22The exploded view of the rotating assembly 2 is shown. The rotating assembly 2 in this embodiment includes 35 parts, among which parts with the same structure are the same kind of parts. Therefore, the 35 parts may include the following 13 kinds of parts: the first kind (1): the first mounting seat 211; the second kind (2): including the first clamping member 281 and the second clamping member 282; the third kind (3): including the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the second auxiliary swing arm 242; the fourth kind (4): including the first pin shaft 290a and the second pin shaft 290b; the fifth kind (5): including the first elastic member 2613 and the second elastic member 2623; the sixth kind (6): including the first rotating shaft 221 and the second rotating shaft 222; the seventh kind (7): including the second damping member 2612, the fourth damping member 2622 and the first The first connecting member 265 is composed of a structural member as a whole; the eighth type (8): the first synchronous member 273; the ninth type (9): the first main swing arm 231, the first damping member 2611, the first sleeve 2311 and the first transmission member 271 are composed of a structural member as a whole; the tenth type (10): the second main swing arm 232, the third damping member 2621, the third sleeve 2321 and the second transmission member 272 are composed of a structural member as a whole; the eleventh type (10): including the first rotating door plate 251 and the second rotating door plate 252; the twelfth type (10): the second mounting seat 212; the thirteenth type (10): the auxiliary elastic member 267. The types and number of parts of the rotating assembly 2 in this embodiment are relatively small, and can be used together with Figure 6 The rotating assembly 2 shown has eleven common parts.

[0200] Therefore, the number and types of parts of the rotating assembly 2 in this embodiment are also relatively small, and there are many reusable parts between different rotating assemblies 2, which is conducive to the mass production of parts in the rotating assembly 2, and thus is conducive to the normalized design of the hinge mechanism 203 in different models of foldable electronic devices 1000 such as horizontal folding and vertical folding, which can reduce the production cost of the hinge mechanism 203 and the foldable electronic device 1000.

[0201] See also Fig.24 , Fig.24 for Fig.21 The assembly process flow chart of the hinge mechanism 203 is shown.

[0202] Step S100b: Assemble a first damping mechanism 261, a second damping mechanism 262, a synchronization mechanism 27, a first main swing arm 231, a second main swing arm 232, a first rotating shaft 221, a second rotating shaft 222, and an auxiliary elastic member 267 together to form a first tooling 203a; wherein the first tooling 203a is two.

[0203] Step S200b: assemble one of the first mounting seat 211 and the second mounting seat 212 at two ends of the first tooling 203a along the first direction respectively to obtain the second tooling 203b.

[0204] Step S300b: Assemble another first tool 203a between the second mounting seat 212 and another first mounting seat 211 to obtain a third tool 203c.

[0205] Step S400b: Assemble the first auxiliary swing arm 241 and the second auxiliary swing arm 242 on the first mounting seat 211, and connect the first rotating door plate 251 to the first main swing arm 231 and the two first auxiliary swing arms 241, and connect the second rotating door plate 252 to the second main swing arm 232 and the two second auxiliary swing arms 242 to obtain a rotating assembly 2.

[0206] Step S500b: Assemble the rotating assembly 2 as a whole on the shaft cover 1 to obtain the hinge mechanism 203.

[0207] Specifically, the rotating assembly 2 can be fixedly connected to the shaft cover 1 by means of two first mounting seats 211 .

[0208] Among them, the specific assembly process of step S100b may be the same as the specific assembly process of step S100a, the specific assembly process of step S200b may be the same as the specific assembly process of step S200a, the specific assembly process of step S300b may be the same as the specific assembly process of step S200b, and the specific assembly process of step S500b may be the same as the specific assembly process of step S400a, which will not be described in detail here.

[0209] Therefore, in the assembly process of the hinge mechanism 203 in this embodiment, the assembly of the rotating component 2 can be completed without complicated assembly actions such as screw connection, welding, gear meshing, etc., and the assembly difficulty is small and maintenance is convenient.

[0210] In some other embodiments, see Fig.25 , Fig.25 Schematic diagram of the rotating assembly 2 of the hinge mechanism 203 provided in some other embodiments of the present application. The rotating assembly 2 in this embodiment is Figure 6 The difference of the rotating assembly 2 in the embodiment shown is that Figure 6In the rotating assembly 2 shown, the first sleeve 2311 of the first main swing arm 231 is in abutment with the second mounting seat 212, and in the present embodiment, a first gasket 2681 is provided between the first sleeve 2311 and the second mounting seat 212. Specifically, the first gasket 2681 is sleeved on the first rotating shaft 221. The two end faces of the first gasket 2681 in the first direction are in abutment with the second mounting seat 212 and the first sleeve 2311, respectively. In this way, the position of the first main swing arm 231 in the first direction can also be limited by the cooperation between the second mounting seat 212 and the first sleeve 2311. In addition, by providing the first gasket 2681 between the second mounting seat 212 and the first sleeve 2311, the friction between the first sleeve 2311 and the second mounting seat 212 can also be reduced, which is conducive to extending the service life of the second mounting seat 212.

[0211] Similarly, in order to reduce the friction between the third sleeve 2321 and the second mounting seat 212, please continue to refer to Fig.25 A second gasket 2682 is disposed between the second mounting seat 212 and the third shaft sleeve 2321. The second gasket 2682 can be sleeved on the second rotating shaft 222. Two end surfaces of the second gasket 2682 in the first direction abut against the second mounting seat 212 and the third shaft sleeve 2321, respectively.

[0212] In some designs, the first gasket 2681 and the second gasket 2682 are connected as one body. In this way, the first gasket 2681 can be prevented from rotating around the central axis of the first rotating shaft 221, and the second gasket 2682 can be prevented from rotating around the central axis of the second rotating shaft 222.

[0213] The first gasket 2681 in this embodiment can be combined with the hinge mechanism 203 in any embodiment of the present application.

[0214] In some other embodiments, see Fig.26 , Fig.26 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotating assembly 2 of the hinge mechanism 203 provided in some embodiments of the present application. Fig. 22 The difference of the rotating assembly 2 shown is that Fig. 22 In the rotating assembly 2 of the illustrated embodiment, the first auxiliary swing arm 241 is rotatably connected to the first mounting seat 211, and the number of the first mounting seats 211 is two. In this embodiment, the first auxiliary swing arm 241 is rotatably connected to the second mounting seat 212, and the number of the second mounting seats 212 can be two, and the two second mounting seats 212 are respectively located on opposite sides of the first mounting seat 211 in the first direction.

[0215] According to the description of the above embodiments, the hinge mechanism 203 in the embodiment of the present application can realize the modular design of the rotating component 2, so that the rotating component 2 has damping, synchronization and swing arm functions, and the rotating component 2 can be tested as an independent module. There is no need to assemble the rotating component 2 to the shaft cover 1, and there is no need to assemble the hinge mechanism 203 to the first shell 201 and the second shell 202 to form the shell assembly 200, so as to realize the testing of the damping, synchronization, etc. of the rotating component 2, which can simplify the performance testing process of the hinge mechanism 203, and is conducive to improving the testing efficiency and production efficiency of the hinge mechanism 203.

[0216] In addition, whether it is the hinge mechanism 203 of the horizontally foldable electronic device or the hinge mechanism 203 of the vertically foldable electronic device, the number and types of parts of the rotating assembly 2 are relatively small. Specifically, in the horizontally foldable electronic device, the hinge mechanism 203 includes two rotating assemblies 2, and the two rotating assemblies 2 include 14 types of parts and 46 parts. In the vertically foldable electronic device, the hinge mechanism 203 includes one rotating assembly 2, and the rotating assembly 2 includes 13 types of parts and 35 parts. In addition, there are no screws or gears in the parts of the rotating assembly 2, and there are no complex assembly actions such as screw connection, welding, and gear meshing during assembly. This not only reduces the difficulty of assembling the rotating assembly 2, improves assembly efficiency, and facilitates maintenance, but also solves the problem of easy tooth breakage of the gear.

[0217] In addition, the rotating assembly 2 in the horizontally foldable electronic device and the vertically foldable electronic device has many reusable parts, which is conducive to the mass production of the parts in the rotating assembly 2, and thus is conducive to the normalized design of the hinge mechanism 203 in the horizontally foldable and vertically foldable electronic devices, which can reduce the production cost of the hinge mechanism 203 and the foldable electronic device 1000.

[0218] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be combined in an appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0219] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit it. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A hinge mechanism, characterized in that: include: a first mounting seat and a second mounting seat; A first rotating shaft, wherein two axial ends of the first rotating shaft are respectively connected to the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat; a first main swing arm, the first main swing arm being rotatable relative to the first mounting seat, the first main swing arm being provided with a first shaft sleeve, the first shaft sleeve being sleeved on the first rotating shaft, the first shaft sleeve being used to cooperate with the second mounting seat to limit the position of the first main swing arm in a first direction through the second mounting seat, the first direction being parallel to the rotation axis of the first main swing arm; A first auxiliary swing arm, wherein the first auxiliary swing arm is rotatably connected to the first mounting seat or the second mounting seat.

2. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first shaft sleeve is in abutment with the second mounting seat.

3. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first gasket is provided between the first sleeve and the second mounting seat, and two end surfaces of the first gasket in the first direction are respectively in contact with the first sleeve and the second mounting seat.

4. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first damping mechanism is provided between the first main swing arm and the first mounting seat, and the first damping mechanism comprises: A first damping member, wherein the first damping member is fixedly connected to the first main swing arm; a second damping member, which is disposed on a side of the first damping member close to the first mounting seat and is movable in an axial direction of the first rotating shaft; A first elastic member is disposed between the first mounting seat and the second damping member, and is used to apply a force to the second damping member toward the first damping member, so that the first damping member and the second damping member maintain contact.

5. The hinge mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: Two ends of the first elastic member are respectively in contact with the first mounting seat and the second damping member.

6. The hinge mechanism according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: Also includes: a second rotating shaft, two ends of which are respectively connected to the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat, and the second rotating shaft is spaced apart from the first rotating shaft; A second main swing arm, the second main swing arm is connected to the second rotating shaft and can rotate relative to the first mounting seat; The second damping mechanism comprises: a third damping member, the third damping member being fixedly connected to the second main swing arm; a fourth damping member, the fourth damping member being arranged on a side of the third damping member close to the first mounting seat and being movable in an axial direction of the second rotating shaft; A second elastic member, wherein the second elastic member is disposed between the first mounting seat and the fourth damping member, and is used for applying a force to the fourth damping member toward the third damping member, so that the third damping member and the fourth damping member maintain contact.

7. The hinge mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: Also includes: a first connecting member, wherein the first connecting member is connected between the second damping member and the fourth damping member; An auxiliary elastic member, wherein the auxiliary elastic member is located between the first connecting member and the first mounting seat, and is used to apply a force to the first connecting member toward and away from the first mounting seat.

8. The hinge mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first connecting member is provided with a first guide hole, and a portion of the auxiliary elastic member is located in the first guide hole.

9. The hinge mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first connecting member comprises: A first rod portion, two ends of which are respectively connected to the second damping member and the fourth damping member; a first protrusion, the first protrusion being arranged on a side of the first rod portion away from the first mounting seat; A portion of the first guide hole is formed on the first protrusion.

10. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The first mounting seat is provided with a second guide hole, and a part of the auxiliary elastic member is located in the second guide hole.

11. The hinge mechanism according to claim 10, characterized in that: The first mounting base comprises: a main body, wherein the first auxiliary swing arm is connected to the main body; A convex block portion is arranged on a side surface of the main body portion facing the second mounting seat, and the convex block portion is located between the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, and at least a portion of the second guide hole is formed on the convex block portion.

12. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: Also includes: A shaft cover, the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat are both fixedly connected to the shaft cover; A first limiting assembly, the first limiting assembly includes a first limiting structure and a second limiting structure, the first limiting structure is arranged on the first main swing arm, the first limiting structure has a first limiting surface, the second limiting structure is arranged on the shaft cover, the second limiting structure has a second limiting surface, the second limiting surface is used to abut against the first limiting surface, and the first limiting surface faces the first mounting seat.

13. The hinge mechanism according to claim 12, characterized in that: A second sleeve is provided on the first main swing arm. The second sleeve is sleeved on the first rotating shaft and is spaced apart from the first sleeve in the first direction. At least a portion of the first limiting structure is located on the circumferential outer side of the second sleeve.

14. The hinge mechanism according to claim 13, characterized in that: The first limiting structure and the second shaft sleeve are integrally formed.

15. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that: The first mounting seat is provided with a first mounting groove and a first axial hole, the first mounting groove includes a first groove wall surface and a second groove wall surface opposite to each other in the first direction, the first axial hole penetrates the first groove wall surface and the second groove wall surface, and the first rotating shaft is connected to the first axial hole; The hinge mechanism further includes a first clamping member, which is disposed in the first mounting groove. The first clamping member includes a first clamping spring, which is clamped to the outer peripheral surface of the first rotating shaft.

16. The hinge mechanism according to claim 15, characterized in that: A second axial hole is provided on the first mounting seat, the second axial hole is spaced apart from the first axial hole, and the second axial hole passes through the first groove wall surface and the second groove wall surface; The hinge mechanism further includes a second rotating shaft and a second main swing arm, the second rotating shaft is connected to the second shaft hole, and the second main swing arm is connected to the second rotating shaft and can rotate relative to the first mounting seat; The first clamping member includes a second clamping spring, and the second clamping spring is clamped to the second rotating shaft.

17. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that: Also includes: a second rotating shaft, the second rotating shaft being connected to the first mounting seat and spaced apart from the first rotating shaft; A second main swing arm, the second main swing arm is connected to the second rotating shaft and can rotate relative to the first mounting seat; A synchronization mechanism is arranged between the first main swing arm and the second main swing arm, and is used to achieve synchronous reverse rotation between the first main swing arm and the second main swing arm.

18. The hinge mechanism according to claim 17, characterized in that: The synchronization mechanism comprises: a first transmission member, the first transmission member being fixedly connected to the first main swing arm; a second transmission member, the second transmission member being fixedly connected to the second main swing arm; A first synchronizer, wherein the first synchronizer is located between the first transmission member and the second transmission member and can move along the first direction relative to the first mounting seat, the first synchronizer is provided with a first synchronizer structure and a second synchronizer structure, the first synchronizer structure is used to cooperate with the first transmission member, and the second synchronizer structure is used to cooperate with the second transmission member.

19. The hinge mechanism according to claim 18, characterized in that: The first synchronization element comprises: A first sleeve, wherein the first sleeve is sleeved on the first rotating shaft, and the first synchronization structure is arranged on the first sleeve; a second sleeve, wherein the second sleeve is sleeved on the second rotating shaft, and the second synchronization structure is arranged on the second sleeve; A connecting piece is connected between the first sleeve and the second sleeve.

20. The hinge mechanism according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that: The first transmission member is a first slider, and the first synchronization structure is a first spiral groove; The second transmission member is a second sliding block, the second synchronous structure is a second spiral groove, and the rotation direction of the second spiral groove is opposite to that of the first spiral groove.

21. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that: Also includes: a third auxiliary swing arm, wherein one of the third auxiliary swing arm and the first auxiliary swing arm is rotatably connected to the first mounting seat, and the other of the third auxiliary swing arm and the first auxiliary swing arm is rotatably connected to the second mounting seat; A first rotating door panel, which is arranged on the same side of the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat and can be rotated between an unfolded position and a folded position relative to the first mounting seat. The first rotating door panel is rotatably connected to the third auxiliary swing arm and the first auxiliary swing arm respectively, and the first rotating door panel is slidably connected to the first main swing arm.

22. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that: The first auxiliary swing arm is rotatably connected to the first mounting seat, the first mounting seat, the first rotating shaft, the first main swing arm and the first auxiliary swing arm are all two, the two first mounting seats are respectively located on the opposite sides of the second mounting seat in the first direction, and the two first main swing arms are both located between the two first auxiliary swing arms; or The first auxiliary swing arm is rotatably connected to the second mounting seat, and there are two second mounting seats, two first rotating shafts, two first main swing arms and two first auxiliary swing arms. The two second mounting seats are respectively located on both sides of the first mounting seat in the first direction, and the two first main swing arms are located between the two first auxiliary swing arms.

23. The hinge mechanism according to claim 22, characterized in that: Also includes: The first rotating door panel, the two first main swing arms are respectively slidably connected to the first rotating door panel, and the two first auxiliary swing arms are respectively rotatably connected to the first rotating door panel.

24. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that: The first rotating door panel is provided with a first sliding groove, and the first main swing arm is slidably connected to the first sliding groove.

25. A housing assembly, characterized in that: include: a first shell; a second shell; and A hinge mechanism, wherein the hinge mechanism is the hinge mechanism described in any one of claims 1 to 24, and the hinge mechanism is connected between the first shell and the second shell.

26. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that: include: A housing assembly, wherein the housing assembly is the housing assembly described in claim 25; A folding screen, the folding screen includes a first display part, a second display part and a third display part, the third display part is connected between the first display part and the second display part, the first display part is supported on the first shell, the second display part is supported on the second shell, and the third display part is supported on the hinge mechanism.

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