Rotating shaft mechanism, folding assembly and foldable electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a rotating shaft mechanism, a folding assembly and foldable electronic equipment, relates to the technical field of foldable electronic equipment, and is used for solving the problem that a damping mechanism cannot give consideration to the light and thin design of the electronic equipment and cannot provide enough damping force. The rotating shaft mechanism comprises a first damping mechanism, and the first damping mechanism comprises a first rotating shaft, a first cam, a first elastic body, a first sliding block and a second sliding block. The first cam is provided with a first matching end face and a second matching end face which are oppositely arranged. The first elastic body is sleeved on the first rotating shaft. The first sliding block is in sliding connection with the first rotating shaft, the first sliding block abuts against the end, away from the first cam, of the first elastic body, and the first sliding block further comprises a third matching end face matched with the first matching end face. The second sliding block is connected with the first rotating shaft in a sliding mode, the second sliding block is arranged between the first cam and the first elastic body, and the second sliding block further comprises a fourth matching end face matched with the second matching end face.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of foldable electronic devices, and in particular to a hinge mechanism, a folding assembly and a foldable electronic device. Background Art

[0002] At present, in order to solve the problems of large size and inconvenience in carrying of traditional tablet terminals, foldable electronic devices have come into being. The foldable electronic device includes a first shell, a second shell and a hinge mechanism. The first shell and the second shell are rotatably arranged on opposite sides of the hinge mechanism between the unfolded position and the folded position. In order to keep the first shell and the second shell in the unfolded position and the folded position, and to ensure the user's feel during the unfolding and folding process, a damping mechanism is usually provided on the hinge mechanism. However, the damping mechanism in the related art cannot take into account the lightweight design of the electronic device and provide sufficient damping force. Summary of the invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present application provide a hinge mechanism, a folding assembly and a foldable electronic device, which are used to solve the problem that the damping mechanism cannot take into account both the lightweight design of the electronic device and the provision of sufficient damping force.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0005] In the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application provides a rotating shaft mechanism, which includes a first damping mechanism, and the first damping mechanism includes a first rotating shaft, a first cam, a first elastic body, a first slider and a second slider. The first cam is coaxially arranged with the first rotating shaft, and the first cam is connected with the first rotating shaft, and the first cam has a first mating end face and a second mating end face arranged oppositely. The first elastic body is sleeved on the first rotating shaft. The first slider is slidably connected with the first rotating shaft, and the first slider abuts against an end of the first elastic body away from the first cam, and the first slider also includes a third mating end face mating with the first mating end face. The second slider is slidably connected with the first rotating shaft, and the second slider is arranged between the first cam and the first elastic body, and the second slider also includes a fourth mating end face mating with the second mating end face. Wherein, in the free state of the first elastic body, the protrusion of the first mating end face abuts against the recessed portion of the third mating end face, and the protrusion of the second mating end face abuts against the recessed portion of the fourth mating end face. In the compressed state of the first elastic body, the protrusion of the first mating end surface abuts against the protrusion of the third mating end surface, and the protrusion of the second mating end surface abuts against the protrusion of the fourth mating end surface.

[0006] The first mating end of the first cam is mated with the third mating end face of the first slider, and the second mating end face of the first cam is mated with the fourth mating end face of the second slider. When the first cam rotates, the first mating end face rotates relative to the third mating end face, and the third mating end face slides relative to the first mating end face in a direction away from the first cam, and the third mating end face drives the first slider to slide in a direction close to the first elastic body, so as to squeeze one end of the first elastic body to cause elastic deformation of the first elastic body. The second mating end face rotates relative to the fourth mating end face, and the fourth mating end face slides relative to the second mating end face in a direction away from the first cam, that is, slides in a direction close to the first elastic body, so as to squeeze the other end of the first elastic body to cause elastic deformation of the first elastic body.

[0007] In this way, the rotation of the first cam can drive the first slider and the second slider to be squeezed from both ends of the first elastomer at the same time. Compared with squeezing from only one end of the first elastomer, squeezing from both ends of the first elastomer at the same time can obtain double the squeezing force, thereby increasing the stroke of elastic deformation of the first elastomer after being squeezed. Therefore, the first elastomer also generates double the reaction force after elastic deformation, which is the damping force that the first damping mechanism needs to overcome during the rotation process.

[0008] To sum up, the effect of increasing the damping force can be achieved through a cam (i.e., the first cam), and the axial space occupied by the rotating shaft mechanism is smaller. Specifically, under the premise that the damping mechanism occupies the same axial space, the damping mechanism can generate a greater damping force; under the premise that the damping mechanism generates the same damping force, the damping mechanism occupies a smaller axial space, which better balances the requirements of the lightweight design of the rotating shaft mechanism and the requirement of providing sufficient damping force.

[0009] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the rotating shaft mechanism further includes a first swing arm, which is located on a side of the second sliding block away from the first elastic body and is connected to the first cam.

[0010] The first cam rotates with the rotation of the first swing arm, and the rotation of the first cam in the first damping mechanism can drive the activities of other parts matched therewith. Therefore, among the parts in the first damping mechanism, only the rotation of the first cam is required to realize the overall activity of the first damping mechanism. In this way, the first swing arm can be connected only to the first cam without being connected to other parts. The width of the first swing arm only needs to meet the connection with the first cam. The width of the first swing arm refers to the axial size of the first swing arm in the first rotating shaft. The width of the first swing arm can be set smaller, and the first swing arm with a smaller width can further reduce the weight of the rotating shaft mechanism, which is beneficial to the lightweight design of the rotating shaft mechanism, thereby improving the user experience. In addition, the first swing arm does not need to be provided with a connecting block (narrow neck) area, and the structural strength of the first swing arm can also be guaranteed, thereby improving the overall structural strength of the rotating shaft mechanism.

[0011] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first slider includes a first cam portion and a first slider portion, the first cam portion is located on the side of the first cam away from the first elastic body, and the end face of the first cam portion facing the first cam forms a third mating end face. The first slider portion is located at the end of the first elastic body away from the first cam, and abuts against the first elastic body. In this way, when the first cam rotates, the first cam portion moves in coordination with the first cam, the first slider portion moves with the movement of the first cam portion, and the first cam portion slides in the same direction as the first slider portion, and in the opposite direction to the movement of the second slider, thereby achieving simultaneous extrusion of both ends of the first elastic body to increase the stroke of elastic deformation of the first elastic body, and after the elastic deformation of the first elastic body, the first slider and the second slider are simultaneously extruded to obtain double damping force during the rotation of the first swing arm, which can improve the damping feel and improve the user experience of the foldable electronic device.

[0012] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first mating end face and the second mating end face are symmetrically arranged about the geometric center of the first cam. The geometric center here refers to the axis of symmetry, which is perpendicular to the axial direction of the first rotating shaft and passes through the midpoint of the first cam on the axial direction of the first rotating shaft. The first mating end face and the second mating end face are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the first cam relative to the axis of symmetry. The first mating end face and the second mating end face are symmetrical in structure, the third mating end face is also arranged to have a surface shape that matches the first mating end face, and the fourth mating end face is also arranged to have a surface shape that matches the second mating end face. Under the premise that the stroke of elastic deformation of the first elastomer after being extruded is certain, the extruded stroke of the first elastomer can be evenly distributed on the first slider and the second slider, that is, the stroke of the first slider extruding the first elastomer is equal to the stroke of the second slider extruding the first elastomer.

[0013] If the first elastic body obtains the above-mentioned elastic deformation stroke only by squeezing one end, the fit between the cam and the slider is relatively steep, that is, the inclined surface between the raised part and the recessed part needs to be designed to be very steep. When the inclined surface is inclined relatively large, the shaft mechanism will have a jamming problem when rotating, which seriously affects the user experience. However, the first cam is set as the above-mentioned double-sided cam to achieve squeezing of both ends of the first elastic body. In this way, the fit between the first mating end face 2341a of the first cam and the second mating end face is relatively gentle, that is, the inclined surface between the raised part and the recessed part can be designed to be relatively gentle, the shaft mechanism is relatively smooth during the rotation process, and the user's hand feeling is better.

[0014] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first mating end face further has a first inclined surface, which connects the protrusion and the recess of the first mating end face. The second mating end face further has a second inclined surface, which connects the protrusion and the recess of the second mating end face, and the absolute value of the slope of the second inclined surface is not equal to the absolute value of the slope of the second inclined surface. In this way, the first mating end face and the second mating end face are set to an asymmetric structure, and the surface design of the first mating end face and the surface design of the second mating end face have more options. The surface shape of the first mating end face and the surface shape of the second mating end face are more flexible in design, and different surface shapes of the first mating end face and the second mating end face can be designed according to different damping requirements and folding mechanical curves.

[0015] It is worth noting that the first mating end surface and the second mating end surface are not completely symmetrical structures, and the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are not completely symmetrical structures, but the protrusion of the first mating end surface is still opposite to the protrusion of the second mating end surface, and the recess of the first mating end surface is still opposite to the recess of the second mating end surface. The difference between the first mating end surface and the second mating end surface is that the second inclined surface includes a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface connected to each other, and the slopes of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are also different.

[0016] In this way, when the first cam rotates, the contact area between the first mating end face and the third mating end face is larger, which can ensure that the rotating shaft mechanism can be more firmly mated when it is in the unfolded state or the folded state, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the rotating shaft mechanism. The second mating end face and the fourth mating end face are provided with more inclined surfaces, and the contact area between them is smaller, which is conducive to reducing the friction force of the rotating shaft mechanism during the rotation process, and thus is conducive to smoother rotation of the rotating shaft mechanism. Therefore, through the above two different surface matching, the stability and reliability of the rotating shaft mechanism during the rotation process can be ensured, and the smoothness of the rotating shaft mechanism during the rotation process can also be ensured.

[0017] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the rotating shaft mechanism further includes a second damping mechanism, the second damping mechanism includes a second rotating shaft, a first slider, a second elastic body, a third slider and a fourth slider, the first slider is coaxially arranged with the second rotating shaft, and the first slider is connected with the second rotating shaft, and the first slider has a fifth mating end face and a sixth mating end face arranged oppositely. The second elastic body is sleeved on the second rotating shaft. The third slider is slidably connected with the second rotating shaft, the third slider abuts against an end of the second elastic body facing away from the first slider, and the third slider also includes a seventh mating end face abutting against the fifth mating end face. The fourth slider is slidably connected with the second rotating shaft, the fourth slider is arranged between the first slider and the second elastic body, the fourth slider abuts against an end of the second elastic body facing the first slider, and the fourth slider also includes an eighth mating end face abutting against the sixth mating end face. In the free state of the second elastomer, the protrusion of the fifth mating end face abuts against the recessed portion of the seventh mating end face, and the protrusion of the sixth mating end face abuts against the recessed portion of the eighth mating end face; in the compressed state of the second elastomer, the protrusion of the fifth mating end face abuts against the protrusion of the seventh mating end face, and the protrusion of the sixth mating end face abuts against the protrusion of the eighth mating end face.

[0018] The fifth mating end face of the second cam is mated with the seventh mating end face of the third slider, and the sixth mating end face of the second cam is mated with the eighth mating end face of the fourth slider. When the second cam rotates, the fifth mating end face rotates relative to the seventh mating end face, and the seventh mating end face slides relative to the fifth mating end face in a direction away from the second cam, and the seventh mating end face drives the third slider to slide in a direction close to the second elastic body, so as to squeeze one end of the second elastic body and cause the second elastic body to undergo elastic deformation. The sixth mating end face rotates relative to the eighth mating end face, and the eighth mating end face slides relative to the sixth mating end face in a direction away from the second cam, that is, slides in a direction close to the second elastic body, so as to squeeze the other end of the second elastic body and cause the second elastic body to undergo elastic deformation.

[0019] In this way, the rotation of the second cam can drive the third slider and the fourth slider to be squeezed from both ends of the second elastomer at the same time. Compared with squeezing from only one end of the second elastomer, squeezing from both ends of the second elastomer at the same time can obtain double the squeezing force, thereby increasing the stroke of elastic deformation of the second elastomer after being squeezed. Therefore, the second elastomer also generates double the reaction force after elastic deformation, which is the damping force that the second damping mechanism needs to overcome during the rotation process.

[0020] To sum up, the effect of increasing the damping force can be achieved through a cam (i.e., the second cam), and the axial space occupied by the rotating shaft mechanism is smaller. Specifically, under the premise that the damping mechanism occupies the same axial space, the damping mechanism can generate a greater damping force; under the premise that the damping mechanism generates the same damping force, the damping mechanism occupies a smaller axial space, which better balances the requirements of the lightweight design of the rotating shaft mechanism and the requirement of providing sufficient damping force.

[0021] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the rotating shaft mechanism further includes a second swing arm, which is located on the side of the fourth slider away from the second elastic body and is connected to the first slider. The second cam rotates with the rotation of the second swing arm, and the rotation of the second cam in the second damping mechanism can drive the activities of other components that cooperate with it. Therefore, among the components in the second damping mechanism, only the rotation of the second cam is required to realize the overall activity of the second damping mechanism. In this way, the second swing arm can be connected only to the second cam without being connected to other components. The width of the second swing arm only needs to meet the connection with the second cam, and the width of the second swing arm refers to the size of the second swing arm in the axial direction of the second rotating shaft. The width of the second swing arm can be set smaller, and the second swing arm with a smaller width can further reduce the weight of the rotating shaft mechanism, which is conducive to the lightweight design of the rotating shaft mechanism, thereby improving the user experience. In addition, the second swing arm does not need to be provided with a connecting block (narrow neck) area, and the structural strength of the second swing arm can also be guaranteed, thereby improving the overall structural strength of the rotating shaft mechanism.

[0022] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the rotating shaft mechanism further includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion, the first connecting portion connecting the first slider and the third slider, and the second connecting portion connecting the second slider and the fourth slider. In this way, when the rotating shaft mechanism rotates, the first damping mechanism extrudes the first elastic body synchronously with the second damping mechanism extrudes the second elastic body, so that the damping force of the first swing arm and the second swing arm when rotating is consistent, thereby improving the user experience during use.

[0023] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the shaft mechanism further includes a third connection portion, which connects the first connection portion and the second connection portion. In this way, the third connection portion can ensure the synchronization of sliding between the first cam portion and the first slider portion, and the synchronization of sliding between the first slider portion and the second slider portion, further ensuring that the first slider squeezes the first elastic body and the second slider squeezes the second elastic body, thereby ensuring that the first damping mechanism and the second damping mechanism generate sufficient damping force.

[0024] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the rotating shaft mechanism also includes a synchronization mechanism, which includes a first drive gear and a second drive gear, the first drive gear is coaxially arranged with the first rotating shaft, and rotates synchronously with the first cam. The first drive gear is meshed with the second drive gear for transmission, and the second drive gear is coaxially arranged with the second rotating shaft, and rotates synchronously with the first slider. When any one of the first swing arm and the second swing arm rotates from the unfolded position to the folded position, the other swing arm can be driven to rotate synchronously from the unfolded position to the folded position with the help of the synchronization mechanism. Similarly, when any one of the first swing arm and the second swing arm rotates from the folded position to the unfolded position, the other swing arm can also be driven to rotate synchronously from the folded position to the unfolded position with the help of the synchronization mechanism, thereby ensuring the synchronization of the rotation of the rotating shaft mechanism.

[0025] When the first swing arm and the second swing arm rotate synchronously, the rotation angles of the first swing arm and the second swing arm are also consistent. It can be understood that due to manufacturing or assembly tolerances, there may be a certain angle deviation between the first swing arm and the second swing arm during the rotation process. Therefore, in general, when the first swing arm and the second swing arm rotate from the unfolded position to the folded position, the deviation range of the rotation angle is between 0 and 20°, which can be regarded as the rotation angle of the two being consistent. In this way, the first swing arm and the second swing arm can be synchronously rotated at the same angle with the help of the synchronization mechanism, so as to reduce the difficulty of folding and unfolding the foldable electronic device.

[0026] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the shaft mechanism also includes a base, and the first shaft and the second shaft are arranged on the base. The synchronization mechanism also includes N transmission gears, which are rotatably connected to the base and are located between the first drive gear and the second drive gear; the N transmission gears are arranged in sequence along the direction from the first drive gear to the second drive gear, and N is an even number. Among them, each adjacent two of the first drive gear, the N transmission gears and the second drive gear are meshed. In this way, by setting two transmission gears, and the two transmission gears are meshed between the first drive gear and the second drive gear, the first drive gear and the second drive gear can be synchronized and rotated in the opposite direction, that is, the first shaft and the second shaft can be synchronized and rotated in the opposite direction, thereby realizing the synchronous and opposite rotation of the first swing arm and the second swing arm. This structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0027] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, there are two first damping mechanisms, the two first damping mechanisms are symmetrically connected to the first swing arm, and the first cam of one first damping mechanism is spaced apart from the first cam of the other first damping mechanism. In this way, the damping mechanism can provide greater expansion force and closing force in the expanded state and the closed state of the rotating shaft mechanism. When the rotating shaft mechanism is rotating, the damping mechanism can provide greater damping force to improve the user's feel.

[0028] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the maximum sliding stroke of the first slider relative to the first cam is a, the distance between the first cam of one first damping mechanism and the first cam of another first damping mechanism is c, and 2a is less than or equal to c. When the two first cams rotate, they drive the first cam portion d that cooperates with them to slide in a direction away from the first cam. In this way, when the shaft mechanism rotates, the two first cam portions d will slide close to each other. In order to avoid interference between the two first cam portions d, the distance between the two first cams needs to be greater than the sliding stroke of the two first cam portions d. In this way, when the shaft mechanism rotates, there will be no interference between the damping mechanisms, and the rotation of the damping mechanism will be smoother, thereby improving the user experience.

[0029] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the second slider has the same structure as the first slider. That is, the second slider includes a third cam portion and a third slider portion, and the first damping mechanism also includes a third elastic body, and the third elastic body is sleeved on the first rotating shaft. The third cam portion is located on a side of the first cam away from the second slider, and the third cam portion abuts against the first cam.

[0030] The third slider is located on the side of the first cam away from the first cam, and the third slider is spaced apart from the first cam. The third elastic body is in contact with the third slider and the first cam, respectively, so that when the shaft mechanism rotates, the first elastic body and the third elastic body in the first damping mechanism can be squeezed twice, and the shaft mechanism can obtain a better damping force, thereby improving the user's use feel.

[0031] Similarly, the structure of the fourth slider in the second damping mechanism may be the same as that of the third slider.

[0032] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a folding 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.

[0033] Since the folding assembly provided in the embodiment of the present application includes the rotating shaft mechanism of any of the above technical solutions, the two can solve the same technical problems and achieve the same effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0034] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a foldable electronic device, comprising: a folding component and a folding screen, the folding component is the folding component in the above technical solution; the folding screen comprises a first display area, a second display area and a third display area, the third display area is connected between the first display area and the second display area, the first display area is arranged on a first shell, the second display area is arranged on a second shell, and the third display area is arranged on a hinge mechanism.

[0035] Since the foldable electronic device provided in the embodiment of the present application includes the hinge mechanism of the above technical solution, the two can solve the same technical problem and achieve the same effect, which will not be described in detail here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state provided by some embodiments of the present application;

[0037] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a partial exploded structure of a foldable electronic device shown;

[0038] Figure 3 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 4 is a schematic diagram of a rotating shaft mechanism in the related art;

[0040] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a damping mechanism in the rotating shaft mechanism shown;

[0041] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a first damping mechanism in the damping mechanism shown;

[0042] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a damping mechanism provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0043] Figure 8 An exploded view of a rotating shaft mechanism provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0044] Fig. 9 for Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of the rotating shaft mechanism shown in the figure between the folded state and the unfolded state;

[0045] Fig.10 for Fig. 9 An exploded view of the damping mechanism in the shaft mechanism shown;

[0046] Fig.11 for Fig.10 The structural schematic diagram of the damping mechanism shown;

[0047] Fig.12 for Fig.11 A schematic diagram of a structure in which the first cam is connected to the first swing arm;

[0048] Fig.13 for Fig.11 A schematic structural diagram of a first slider of the damping mechanism shown;

[0049] Fig.14 for Fig.11 A schematic structural diagram of a second slider in the damping mechanism shown;

[0050] Fig.15 for Fig.11 The structural schematic diagram of the damping mechanism shown is in a hovering state;

[0051] Fig.16 for Fig.15 A schematic diagram of a structure after the first cam in the damping mechanism is unfolded;

[0052] Fig.17 A schematic diagram of the structure after the third mating end face is unfolded is provided for some embodiments of the present application;

[0053] Fig.18 for Fig.16 The schematic diagram of the structure of the first cam matching with the third matching end face and the fourth matching end face shown;

[0054] Fig.19 for Fig.15 A schematic diagram of a structure after the first cam in the damping mechanism is unfolded;

[0055] Fig. 20 for Fig.19 A schematic diagram of the structure after the first cam is matched with the third matching end face and the fourth matching end face;

[0056] Fig.21 A torque diagram of a rotating shaft mechanism during rotation provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0057] Fig. 22 A schematic structural diagram of a damping mechanism provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0058] Fig.23 A simplified structural diagram of a damping mechanism provided in some further embodiments of the present application.

[0059] Reference numerals:

[0060] 100. Foldable electronic devices;

[0061] 10. folding screen; 11. first display area; 12. second display area; 13. third display area; 131. first transition section; 132. second transition section; 133. arc section;

[0062] 20. Folding assembly; 21. First housing; 22. Second housing; 23. Rotating shaft mechanism;

[0063] 231, base; 2311, bottom plate; 2312, side plate; 2314, first bracket; 2315, second bracket;

[0064] 232, first swing arm; 2321, first through hole; 2322, first part; 2323, second part; 2324, connecting block;

[0065] 233, first rotation axis; 2331, first section; 2331a, first plane; 2332, second section;

[0066] 230, damping mechanism; 234, first damping mechanism; 2341, first cam; 2341a, first mating end surface;

[0067] 2341c, a protruding portion of the first mating end surface 2341a; 2341d, a recessed portion of the first mating end surface 2341a; M1, a first inclined surface; M2, a second inclined surface;

[0068] 2341b, second mating end surface; 2341e, protruding portion of the second mating end surface;

[0069] 2341f, a recessed portion of the second mating end surface;

[0070] 2342, first slider; 2342a, third mating end surface; 2342b, protruding portion of the third mating end surface;

[0071] 2342c, a recessed portion of the third mating end surface; 2342d, a first cam portion; 2342e, a first slider portion;

[0072] 2342f, third connecting portion; 2344, second sliding block; 2344a, fourth mating end surface;

[0073] 2344b, a protruding portion of the fourth mating end surface; 2344c, a recessed portion of the fourth mating end surface;

[0074] 2343, first elastic body; 2345, first position-limiting member; 2346, first connecting portion; 2346a, first connecting rod;

[0075] 2346b, second connecting rod; 2347, second connecting portion;

[0076] 235, second damping mechanism; 2351, second cam; 2351a, fifth mating end surface; 2351c, protruding portion of the fifth mating end surface; 2351d, recessed portion of the fifth mating end surface;

[0077] 2351b, sixth mating end surface; 2351e, protruding portion of the sixth mating end surface; 2351f, recessed portion of the sixth mating end surface;

[0078] 2352, third slider; 2352a, seventh mating end surface; 2352b, protruding portion of the seventh mating end surface; 2352c, recessed portion of the seventh mating end surface;

[0079] 2352d, second cam portion; 2352e, second slider portion; 2353, second elastic body;

[0080] 2354, fourth slider; 2354a, eighth mating end surface; 2354b, protruding portion of the eighth mating end surface; 2354c, recessed portion of the eighth mating end surface;

[0081] 250, third damping mechanism; 251, fourth damping mechanism;

[0082] 236. second swing arm; 237. second rotating shaft;

[0083] 2381, first connection block; 2381a, second support surface; 2382, second connection block; 2382a, third support surface;

[0084] 238, rotating shaft bracket; 2381, fixing bracket; 2382, first bracket; 2382a, first shaft sleeve;

[0085] 2383, second bracket; 2383a, second shaft sleeve;

[0086] 239. Synchronous mechanism; 2391. First driving gear; 2392. Second driving gear; 2393. Transmission gear; 240. Connecting piece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0087] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a specific way.

[0088] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0089] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "at least one" refers to one or more, and "plurality" refers to two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0090] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" refers to and covers any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The term "and / or" is a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in the present application generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0091] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connected" can be detachably connected or non-detachably connected; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. Among them, "fixed connection" means that the two are connected to each other and the relative position relationship after connection remains unchanged.

[0092] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified 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. The directional terms mentioned in the embodiments of the present application, such as "inside", "outside", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc., are only referenced to the directions of the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for better and clearer explanation and understanding of the embodiments of the present application, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the terms "comprise", "include" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the statement "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the statement "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element.

[0094] In the embodiment of the present application, the term "transmission connection" means that among the two connected components, the movement of one component can be transmitted to the other component, and the connection method between the two components includes but is not limited to at least one of the connection methods such as rotation connection, sliding connection, gear meshing transmission connection, sprocket transmission connection, and cam mechanism transmission connection.

[0095] An embodiment of the present application provides a foldable electronic device, which may include a foldable screen and various electronic devices that can change the unfolding or folding form of the foldable screen and itself. Under different usage requirements, the foldable electronic device can be unfolded to an unfolded state, or folded to a folded state, or in an intermediate state between the unfolded state and the folded state. In other words, the foldable electronic device has at least two states, namely, an unfolded state and a folded state. In some cases, a third state may be further included, namely, an intermediate state between the unfolded state and the folded state. It can be understood that the intermediate state does not have only a unique state, and may be any one or more states in which the foldable electronic device is in the unfolded state and the folded state.

[0096] The foldable electronic device in the embodiment of the present application may be a user equipment (UE) or a terminal device, for example, the foldable electronic device may be a tablet computer (portable android device, PAD), a personal digital assistant (personal digital assistant, PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, and other mobile terminals or fixed terminals. In the embodiment of the present application, the form of the foldable electronic device is not specifically limited.

[0097] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of a foldable electronic device 100 in an unfolded state provided in some embodiments of the present application, Figure 2 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the partial exploded structure of the foldable electronic device 100 is shown. This embodiment and the following embodiments are exemplified by taking the foldable electronic device 100 as a handheld device with a wireless communication function, and the handheld device with a wireless communication function may be, for example, a mobile phone.

[0098] The foldable electronic device 100 is approximately in the shape of a rectangular flat plate in the unfolded state. In order to facilitate the description of the embodiments below, an XYZ coordinate system is established for the foldable electronic device 100 in the unfolded state, and the length direction of the foldable electronic device 100 is defined as the X-axis direction, the width direction of the foldable electronic device 100 is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the thickness direction of the foldable electronic device 100 is defined as the Z-axis direction. It can be understood that the coordinate system setting of the foldable electronic device 100 can be flexibly set according to actual needs, and no specific limitation is made here. In some other embodiments, the shape of the foldable electronic device 100 can also be a square flat plate, a circular flat plate, an elliptical flat plate, etc.

[0099] The foldable electronic device 100 includes a folding screen 10 and a folding assembly 20 .

[0100] The foldable screen 10 is used to display information such as images and videos. The foldable screen 10 can be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen, a micro organic light-emitting diode (micro organic light-emitting diode) screen, a quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED) screen, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and the like.

[0101] The folding screen 10 has a display area for displaying image information. The display area of ​​the folding screen 10 is exposed to present images, videos and other information to the user. The folding screen 10 includes a first display area 11, a second display area 12 and a third display area 13. The third display area 13 is connected between the first display area 11 and the second display area 12. Figure 1 In the foldable electronic device 100 shown, the foldable screen 10 is in the unfolded state, and the first display area 11, the third display area 13, and the second display area 12 are arranged in sequence along the X-axis direction, so that the foldable electronic device 100 is folded in the horizontal direction. In some other embodiments, when the foldable screen 10 is in the unfolded state, the first display area 11, the third display area 13, and the second display area 12 can also be arranged in sequence along the Y-axis direction. In this way, the foldable electronic device 100 is folded in the longitudinal direction. When the foldable screen 10 is in the unfolded state, a large-screen display can be achieved to provide users with richer information and bring users a better user experience.

[0102] At least the third display area 13 of the folding screen 10 is a flexible screen structure. In this way, the third display area 13 can be bent and deformed after being subjected to external force, so that the folding screen 10 is Figure 1 The first display area 11 and the second display area 12 of the folding screen 10 can be a flexible screen structure, a hard screen structure, or a partially flexible screen structure and a partially hard screen structure, which is not specifically limited here.

[0103] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 for Figure 1The schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable electronic device 100 shown is in a folded state, and the foldable screen 10 in the foldable electronic device 100 is also in a folded state. Specifically, when the foldable screen 10 is in a folded state, the first display area 11 and the second display area 12 of the foldable screen 10 are approximately parallel and opposite. It should be noted that the angle between the first display area 11 and the second display area 12 is within 30°, and the first display area 11 and the second display area 12 can be considered to be approximately parallel. The first display area 11 and the second display area 12 are opposite to each other means that the display surface of the first display area 11 and the display surface of the second display area 12 face each other.

[0104] When the foldable screen 10 is in the folded state, please continue to refer to Figure 3 The third display area 13 is folded into a water drop shape. It can be understood that when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, the third display area 13 of the folding screen 10 can also be folded into other shapes according to actual needs, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0105] When the foldable electronic device 100 is in the folded state, please continue to refer to Figure 3 The folding component 20 is protected outside the folding screen 10, and the folding screen 10 is invisible to the user, which can prevent the folding screen 10 from being scratched by hard objects. The foldable electronic device is an inward-folding foldable electronic device, and the size of the foldable electronic device 100 is reduced, which is convenient to carry.

[0106] The folding assembly 20 is used to carry the folding screen 10. The folding assembly 20 includes a first shell 21, a second shell 22 and a hinge mechanism 23. The first shell 21 carries the first display area 11, and the second shell 22 carries the second display area 12. The hinge mechanism 23 is connected between the first shell 21 and the second shell 22, and carries the third display area 13.

[0107] In the above embodiment, the first shell 21 may include a middle frame and a back cover connected together, the first display area 11 of the folding screen 10 is carried on the middle frame of the first shell 21, the back cover is located on the side of the middle frame away from the first display area 11, and the back cover can be replaced with a display screen (such as an LCD display screen). A accommodating cavity is formed between the middle frame and the back cover, which is used to accommodate electronic components such as a motherboard, a camera module, and a battery. On this basis, the first shell 21 can be connected to the hinge mechanism 23 with the help of the middle frame, and can also be connected to the hinge mechanism 23 with the help of the back cover. The following embodiments are described as an example of the first shell 21 being connected to the hinge mechanism 23 with the help of the middle frame.

[0108] Similarly, the structure of the second housing 22 is the same as that of the first housing 21. The accommodating cavity enclosed by the second housing 22 is used to accommodate electronic components such as the sub-board, the speaker module, the array, and the battery. The second housing 22 can be connected to the rotating shaft mechanism 23 by means of the middle frame, or by means of the back cover. The following embodiments are described by taking the second housing 22 connected to the rotating shaft mechanism 23 by means of the middle frame as an example.

[0109] The hinge mechanism 23 is used to realize the rotation between the second shell 22 and the first shell 21 to support the folding screen 10 to fold between the unfolded state and the folded state. Specifically, the hinge mechanism 23 can switch between the unfolded state and the folded state. When the hinge mechanism 23 is in the unfolded state, the folding screen 10, the folding assembly 20 including the hinge mechanism 23, and the foldable electronic device 100 including the folding assembly 20 are also in the unfolded state, and the angle between the first shell 21 and the second shell 22, and the angle between the first display area 11 and the second display area 12 are approximately 180°.

[0110] When the hinge mechanism 23 is in a folded state, the folding screen 10, the folding assembly 20 including the hinge mechanism 23, and the foldable electronic device 100 including the folding assembly 20 are also in a folded state, and the angle between the first shell 21 and the second shell, and the angle between the first display area 11 and the second display area 12 are approximately 0°.

[0111] See also Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a rotating shaft mechanism 23 in the related art; Figure 5 for Figure 4 The structural diagram of the damping mechanism in the rotating shaft mechanism 23 is shown. The rotating shaft mechanism 23 includes a base 231, a first connecting block 2381, a second connecting block 2382, a first swing arm 232, a first rotating shaft 233, a damping mechanism 230, a second swing arm 236 and a second rotating shaft 237.

[0112] The base 231 is used to realize the assembly of other components in the hinge mechanism 23, and is used to carry a part of the third display area 13 of the folding screen 10. Specifically, the base 231 is in the shape of a long strip. The length direction of the base 231 is parallel to the Y-axis direction, the width direction of the base 231 is parallel to the X-axis direction, and the thickness direction of the base 231 is parallel to the Z-axis direction. The base 231 includes a first supporting surface 2311, and the base 231 supports a part of the third display area 13 by means of the first supporting surface 2311.

[0113] The first connecting block 2381 is located at one side of the base 231 and can rotate between the unfolded position and the folded position relative to the base 231. The first connecting block 2381 is a wedge-shaped block, and the length direction of the first connecting block 2381 is parallel to the Y-axis direction. The rotation axis of the first connecting block 2381 is parallel to the Y-axis. The rotating shaft mechanism 23 can be fixedly connected to the first shell 21 by means of the first connecting block 2381. Exemplarily, the first connecting block 2381 can be fixedly connected to the first shell 21 by bonding, clamping, welding, screw connection, etc. The first connecting block 2381 includes a second supporting surface 2381a, and the first connecting block 2381 supports a part of the third display area 13 by means of the second supporting surface 2381a. In some other embodiments, a first door panel (not shown in the figure) can also be provided on the first connecting block 2381, and the second supporting surface 2381a can be provided on the first door panel.

[0114] The second connecting block 2382 is located on the other side of the base 231 and can rotate between the unfolded position and the folded position relative to the base 231. The second connecting block 2382 is a wedge-shaped block, and the length direction of the second connecting block 2382 is parallel to the Y-axis direction. The rotation axis of the second connecting block 2382 is parallel to the Y-axis. Specifically, the first connecting block 2381 and the second connecting block 2382 can be relatively arranged on both sides of the width direction (that is, the X-axis direction) of the base 231. The rotating shaft mechanism 23 can be fixedly connected to the second shell 22 by means of the second connecting block 2382. Exemplarily, the second connecting block 2382 can be fixedly connected to the second shell 22 by bonding, clamping, welding, screw connection, etc. The second connecting block 2382 includes a third supporting surface 2382a. The second connecting block 2382 supports a part of the third display area 13 by means of the third supporting surface 2382a. In some other embodiments, a second door panel (not shown in the figure) may be further provided on the second connecting block 2382, and the third supporting surface 2382a may be provided on the second door panel.

[0115] In some embodiments, the third display area 13 may be fixedly connected to the first supporting surface 2311 , the second supporting surface 2381 a , and the third supporting surface 2382 a by gluing.

[0116] The first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 are disposed on opposite sides of the base 231. One end of the first swing arm 232 is rotatably connected to the base 231 by means of the first rotating shaft 233, and the other end of the first swing arm 232 is connected to the first connecting block 2381. In order to ensure the flatness of the second supporting surface 2381a of the first connecting block 2381, a through hole is usually provided on the first connecting block 2381 for the first swing arm 232 to extend into and connect, so as to prevent the first swing arm 232 from protruding from the surface of the first connecting block 2381.

[0117] Similarly, one end of the second swing arm 236 is rotatably connected to the base 231 by means of the second rotating shaft 237, and the other end of the second swing arm 236 is connected to the second connecting block 2382. A through hole is also provided on the second connecting block 2382 for the second swing arm 236 to extend into and connect to ensure the flatness of the third supporting surface 2382a of the second connecting block 2382.

[0118] When the first shell 21 rotates under the action of external force, the first connecting block 2381 rotates with the first shell 21 , and the first swing arm 232 rotates with the first connecting block 2381 , and then the first swing arm 232 can drive the first rotating shaft 233 to rotate relative to the base 231 .

[0119] Similarly, when the second shell 22 rotates under the action of external force, the second connecting block 2382 rotates with the second shell 22, and the second swing arm 236 rotates with the second connecting block 2382. Then, the second swing arm 236 can drive the second rotating shaft 237 to rotate relative to the base 231, so as to realize the relative rotation between the first shell 21 and the second shell 22, so that the foldable electronic device 100 can switch between the unfolded state and the folded state.

[0120] The number of the first swing arms 232 may be one or more, and similarly, the number of the second swing arms 236 may be one or more.

[0121] Please continue reading Figure 4 The shaft mechanism 23 further includes a synchronization mechanism 239. The synchronization mechanism 239 is in transmission connection with the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236, and is used to drive the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 to rotate in opposite directions, so that the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 rotate synchronously between the unfolded position and the folded position.

[0122] The function of the synchronization mechanism 239 is that when any one of the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 rotates from the unfolded position to the folded position, the other swing arm can be driven to rotate synchronously from the unfolded position to the folded position by means of the synchronization mechanism 239. Similarly, when any one of the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 rotates from the folded position to the unfolded position, the other swing arm can also be driven to rotate synchronously from the folded position to the unfolded position by means of the synchronization mechanism 239.

[0123] In some embodiments, when the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 rotate synchronously, the rotation angles of the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 are also consistent. It can be understood that due to manufacturing or assembly tolerances, there may be a certain angle deviation between the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 during the rotation process. Therefore, in general, the deviation range of the rotation angle of the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 when rotating from the unfolded position to the folded position is between 0 and 20°, and both can be regarded as the rotation angles of the two being consistent. In this way, the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 can be synchronously rotated at the same angle with the help of the synchronization mechanism 239, so as to reduce the difficulty of folding and unfolding the foldable electronic device 100.

[0124] See also Figure 5 , the synchronization mechanism 239 includes a first drive gear 2391, a second drive gear 2392 and two transmission gears 2393. Exemplarily, there are two transmission gears 2393. In other embodiments, there may be four, six, etc. transmission gears 2393, and the number of the transmission mechanism 2393 is an even number. The first drive gear 2391 is fixed on the first rotating shaft 233 and is coaxially arranged with the first rotating shaft 233. That is, the central axis of the first drive gear 2391 is collinear with the central axis of the first rotating shaft 233. The second drive gear 2392 is fixed on the second rotating shaft 237 and is coaxially arranged with the second rotating shaft 237. That is, the central axis of the second drive gear 2392 is collinear with the central axis of the second rotating shaft 237.

[0125] The two transmission gears 2393 mesh with each other, and one transmission gear 2393 meshes with the first drive gear 2391, and the other transmission gear 2393 meshes with the second drive gear 2392. Optionally, the diameter and number of teeth of the transmission gear 2393, the first drive gear 2391, and the second drive gear 2392 are the same. In this way, by setting two transmission gears 2393, and the two transmission gears 2393 mesh between the first drive gear 2391 and the second drive gear 2392, the first drive gear 2391 and the second drive gear 2392 can be rotated synchronously and in the opposite direction, that is, the first rotating shaft 233 and the second rotating shaft 237 can be rotated synchronously and in the opposite direction, thereby realizing the synchronous opposite rotation of the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236. This structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0126] It is understandable that in other embodiments, the synchronization mechanism 239 may also include only two gears, the first drive gear 2391 and the second drive gear 2392, and the synchronous reverse rotation of the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 is achieved by directly meshing the first drive gear 2391 with the second drive gear 2392.

[0127] In order to ensure that the foldable electronic device 100 can be maintained in the unfolded state and the folded state to improve the user experience, please continue to refer to Figure 4 The hinge mechanism 23 also includes a damping mechanism 230. The damping mechanism 230 is used to apply an unfolding force to the first shell 21 and the second shell 22 when the foldable electronic device 100 is in the unfolded state, so that the foldable electronic device 100 remains in the unfolded state. At the same time, the damping mechanism 230 is also used to apply a closing force to the first shell 21 and the second shell 22 when the foldable electronic device 100 is in the folded state, so that the foldable electronic device 100 remains in the folded state, and ensures the user's hand feeling during the unfolding and folding process.

[0128] Please refer to Figure 5 The damping mechanism 230 in this embodiment includes a first damping mechanism 234, a second damping mechanism 235, a third damping mechanism 2351 and a fourth damping mechanism 2352. In the length direction of the rotating shaft mechanism 23, that is, Figure 5 In the X-axis direction, the first damping mechanism 234 , the third damping mechanism 2351 , the fourth damping mechanism 2352 and the second damping mechanism 235 are sequentially arranged in the base 231 .

[0129] The first damping mechanism 234 is used to apply damping to the first shell 21, and the second damping mechanism 235 is used to apply damping to the second shell 22. In order to increase the damping force of the damping mechanism 230 in the folded state, the unfolded state, and the folding and unfolding process, the third damping mechanism 2351 moves synchronously with the first damping mechanism 234 to generate damping force, and the fourth damping mechanism 2352 moves synchronously with the second damping mechanism 235 to generate damping force.

[0130] The structures of the first damping mechanism 234, the second damping mechanism 235, the third damping mechanism 2351 and the fourth damping mechanism 2352 are the same, and the components thereof are explained below taking the first damping mechanism 234 as an example.

[0131] The first damping mechanism 234 can be arranged between the first swing arm 232 and the first rotating shaft 233. When the first swing arm 232 drives the first rotating shaft 233 to rotate relative to the base 231, the first damping mechanism 234 is used to apply damping to the first swing arm 232. Because the first shell 21 is relatively fixed to the first swing arm 232 by means of the first connecting block 2381, when the foldable electronic device 100 is in the unfolded state, the first damping mechanism 234 applies an unfolding force to the first swing arm 232, so that the foldable electronic device 100 can be kept in the unfolded state.

[0132] When the foldable electronic device 100 is in the folded state, the first damping mechanism 234 applies a closing force to the first swing arm 232, so that the foldable electronic device 100 can be kept in the folded state. When the first damping mechanism 234 switches between the folded state and the unfolded state of the foldable electronic device 100, a damping force is applied to the first swing arm 232 to improve the user's hand feeling of driving the foldable electronic device 100 to switch between the folded state and the unfolded state.

[0133] Please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 for Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the structure of the first damping mechanism 234 in the damping mechanism 230 is shown. The first damping mechanism 234 includes a first cam 2341, a first slider 2342, a first elastic body 2343 and a first stopper 2344. The first cam 2341 is sleeved on the first rotating shaft 233 and fixed relative to the first rotating shaft 233, and the first slider 2342 is movably sleeved on the first rotating shaft 233. The first cam 2341 has a first mating end face 2341a facing the first slider 2342, and the first slider 2342 has a second mating end face facing the first cam 2341, and the second mating end face is suitable for mating with the first mating end face 2341a. The first stopper 2344 is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft 233 and is located on the side of the first slider 2342 away from the first cam 2341. The first elastic body 2343 is sleeved on the first rotating shaft 233 and is located between the first cam 2341 and the first slider 2342 . One end of the first elastic body 2343 abuts against the first slider 2342 , and the other end of the first elastic body 2343 abuts against the first stopper 2344 .

[0134] When the pivot mechanism 23 is in the expanded state or the folded state, the raised portion of the first mating end face 2341a cooperates with the recessed portion of the second mating end face, and the first elastomer 2343 is in a compressed energy storage state. At this time, the first elastomer 2343 can apply an extrusion force toward the first cam 2341 to the first slider 2342, and the extrusion force can cause the first swing arm 232 to generate an expanding force or a closing force, thereby keeping the pivot mechanism 23 in the expanded state or the folded state.

[0135] When the first swing arm 232 rotates, the first rotating shaft 233 rotates with the first swing arm 232. Since the first cam 2341 is relatively fixed to the first rotating shaft 233, the first cam 2341 and the first rotating shaft 233 rotate synchronously, while the first slider 2342 does not rotate with the first rotating shaft 233. Therefore, when the first swing arm 232 rotates, the first cam 2341 and the first slider 2342 rotate relative to each other, that is, the first mating end face 2341a and the second mating end face rotate relative to each other, so that the first slider 2342 can move along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 233, thereby driving the first elastic body 2343 to deform to change the damping force during the rotation of the first swing arm 232, thereby increasing the damping feel and improving the user experience of the foldable electronic device 100.

[0136] Please continue reading Figure 5 When the foldable electronic device 100 is in the folded state, the overall width of the hinge mechanism 23 is a key factor affecting the thickness (X-axis thickness) of the foldable electronic device 100. The overall width of the damping mechanism 230 is a key factor affecting the width of the hinge mechanism 23. The overall width of the damping mechanism 230 is the sum of the width w1 of the first damping mechanism 234, the width w2 of the second damping mechanism 235, the width w3 of the third damping mechanism 250, and the width w4 of the fourth damping mechanism 251, as well as the sum of the spacing w5 from the first damping mechanism 234 to the second damping mechanism 235, the spacing w6 from the second damping mechanism 235 to the third damping mechanism 250, and the spacing w7 from the third damping mechanism 250 to the fourth damping mechanism 251.

[0137] Therefore, the width of the hinge mechanism 23 can be reduced by reducing the width of the damping mechanism 230, thereby reducing the thickness of the foldable electronic device 100 in the folded state. The width of the damping mechanism 230 can be achieved by reducing the number of damping mechanisms 230 and reducing the spacing between adjacent damping mechanisms 230. In order to avoid interference between adjacent damping mechanisms 230 during activity, the spacing between adjacent damping mechanisms 230 needs to meet the minimum spacing and cannot be further reduced. Therefore, the width of the damping mechanism 230 can be reduced by reducing the number of damping mechanisms 230. For example, only the first damping mechanism 234 and the second damping mechanism 235 are provided in the above-mentioned hinge mechanism 23, and the third damping mechanism 250 and the fourth damping mechanism 251 are not provided. However, in this way, the damping mechanism 230 cannot provide sufficient damping force to maintain the folding force when the hinge mechanism 23 is in the folded state, and the unfolding force when the hinge mechanism 23 is in the unfolded state.

[0138] On the premise of reducing the thickness of the rotating shaft, it is also necessary to ensure that the damping mechanism 230 can provide sufficient damping force, and the compressible stroke of the elastic body in the damping mechanism 230 can be increased to meet the requirement of increasing the damping force.

[0139] The present application also provides a rotating shaft mechanism 23, which is different from the above-mentioned rotating shaft mechanism 23 in that the rotating shaft mechanism 23 of the present embodiment only includes a first damping mechanism 234 and a second damping mechanism 235, and the first damping mechanism 234 and the second damping mechanism 235 can be compressed to a greater stroke, so as to ensure that a greater damping force is obtained with fewer damping mechanisms 230. The first damping mechanism 234 and the second damping mechanism 235 have the same structure, and the first damping mechanism 234 is taken as an example for description.

[0140] See also Figure 7 , Figure 7 The first damping mechanism 234 in this embodiment includes a first cam 2341 , a second cam 2351 , a first slider 2342 , a second slider 2344 and a first elastic body 2343 .

[0141] The first cam 2341 and the second cam 2351 are arranged on the first rotating shaft 233 at intervals along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 233, and the first cam 2341 and the second cam 2351 are sleeved on the first rotating shaft 233 and fixed relatively to the first rotating shaft 233. The first slider 2342 is located on the side of the first cam 2341 facing the second cam 2351, and the first slider 2342 is also adapted to the first cam 2341, and the "adaptation" here means that the first slider 2342 slides with the rotation of the first cam 2341. The second slider 2344 is located on the side of the second cam 2351 facing the first cam 2341, and the second slider 2344 is also adapted to the second cam 2351, and the "adaptation" here means that the second slider 2344 slides with the rotation of the second cam 2351, and the "adaptation" in the following text can also be understood as the rotation of one component can drive the sliding of another component. The first sliding block 2342 and the second sliding block 2344 are movably mounted on the first rotating shaft 233 .

[0142] The first cam 2341 has a first mating end face 2341a facing the first slider 2342, and the first slider 2342 has a second mating end face facing the first cam 2341, and the second mating end face is suitable for mating with the first mating end face 2341a. The second cam 2351 has a third mating end face facing the second slider 2344, and the second slider 2344 has a fourth mating end face facing the second cam 2351. The fourth mating end face is suitable for mating with the third mating end face. The first elastic body 2343 is located between the first slider 2342 and the second slider 2344, and one end of the first elastic body 2343 abuts against the first slider 2342, and the other end of the first elastic body 2343 abuts against the second slider 2344.

[0143] When the pivot mechanism 23 is in the expanded state or the folded state, the raised portion of the first mating end face 2341a cooperates with the recessed portion of the second mating end face, and the raised portion of the third mating end face cooperates with the recessed portion of the fourth mating end face. The first elastomer 2343 is in a compressed energy storage state. At this time, the first elastomer 2343 can apply an extrusion pressure toward the first cam 2341 to the first slider 2342, and the first elastomer 2343 can apply an extrusion pressure toward the second cam 2351 to the second slider 2344. The extrusion pressure can cause the first swing arm 232 to generate an expanding force or a closing force, thereby allowing the pivot mechanism 23 to remain in the expanded state or the folded state.

[0144] When the first swing arm 232 rotates, the first rotating shaft 233 rotates with the first swing arm 232. Since the first cam 2341 and the second cam 2351 are relatively fixed to the first rotating shaft 233, the first cam 2341 and the second cam 2351 rotate synchronously with the first rotating shaft 233, while the first slider 2342 and the second slider 2344 do not rotate with the first rotating shaft 233. Therefore, when the first swing arm 232 rotates, the first cam 2341 and the first slider 2342 rotate relative to each other, that is, the first mating end face 2341a and the second mating end face rotate relative to each other, so that the first slider 2342 can move axially along the first rotating shaft 233; the second cam 2351 and the second slider 2344 rotate relative to each other, that is, the third mating end face and the fourth mating end face rotate relative to each other, so that the second slider 2344 can move axially along the first rotating shaft 233. In this way, one end of the first elastic body 2343 is squeezed by the first slider 2342, and the other end of the first elastic body 2343 is squeezed by the second slider 2344, so that the compression stroke of the first elastic body 2343 is increased to ensure that the damping mechanism 230 generates sufficient damping force.

[0145] In order to ensure the synchronization of the rotation of the first cam 2341 and the second cam 2351, the first cam 2341 and the second cam 2351 are both connected to the first swing arm 232. The width d1 of the first swing arm 232 needs to be greater than the spacing between the first cam 2341 and the second cam 2351 to ensure that the first swing arm 232 is connected to both the first cam 2341 and the second cam 2351. In this way, the width d1 of the first swing arm 232 will be too large. The connection area between the first connecting block 2381 and the first swing arm 232 is the overlapping area of ​​the first connecting block 2381 and the first swing arm 232 in the width direction (i.e., the X-axis direction). When the width d1 of the first swing arm 232 is larger, the connection area between the first swing arm 232 and the first connecting block 2381 is also larger, and the through hole on the first connecting block 2381 for accommodating the connection of the first swing arm 232 is also larger. Providing a larger through hole on the first connecting block 2381 will inevitably reduce the structural strength of the first connecting block 2381 , thereby affecting the reliability and stability of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 .

[0146] In order to reduce the area of ​​the through hole on the first connection block 2381, the first through hole 2321 can be provided on the first swing arm 232 to reduce the overlapping area between the first swing arm 232 and the first connection block 2381, thereby reducing the digging area on the first connection block 2381. In this way, the first swing arm 232 has a first part 2322 and a second part 2323 separated by the first through hole 2321. The first connection block 2381 only needs to be provided with a through hole that can accommodate the first part 2322 and the second part 2323, and the width of the through hole is suitable for accommodating the width d3 of the first part 2322 and the width d2 of the second part 2323. Compared with the above embodiment, the width of the through hole on the first connection block 2381 can be reduced by a part, which is the area opposite to the width d3 of the first through hole 2321. In this way, the structural strength of the first connection block 2381 is guaranteed.

[0147] However, in order to ensure the synchronization of the rotation of the first cam 2341 and the second cam 2351, the first part 2322 and the second part 2323 need to be set as an integral structural member that rotates synchronously. Therefore, there is also a connecting block 2324 (also called a narrow neck structure) arranged opposite to the first through hole 2321 between the first part 2322 and the second part 2323. The first part 2322 and the second part 2323 are connected to form an integral structural member through the connecting block 2324 to ensure the synchronization of the rotation of the first cam 2341 and the second cam 2351. However, as a result, the structural strength of the first swing arm 232 is reduced, and the risk of cracks and breakage will appear in the connecting block 2324 area of ​​the first swing arm 232 after long-term use.

[0148] In addition, the damping mechanism 230 comprises two cams, namely the first cam 2341 and the second cam 2351. The damping mechanism 230 occupies a large space in the length direction of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 (that is, the Y-axis direction). The available space in the Y-axis direction becomes smaller and smaller, and the designability of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 is reduced.

[0149] In summary, the design of the damping mechanism 230 needs to meet the following three requirements: first, the number of the damping mechanism 230 should be as small as possible to reduce the impact on the thickness of the pivot mechanism 23; second, the damping mechanism 230 needs to provide sufficient damping force to provide sufficient folding force and unfolding force; third, the setting of the damping mechanism 230 cannot affect the structural strength of the pivot mechanism 23.

[0150] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application also provides a rotating shaft mechanism 23. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 , Figure 8 An exploded view of the shaft mechanism 23 provided in some embodiments of the present application; Fig. 9 for Figure 8 The structure diagram of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 shown is between the folded state and the unfolded state.

[0151] The shaft mechanism 23 includes a base 231, a first swing arm 232, a first shaft 233, a first damping mechanism 234, a second shaft 237, a second swing arm 236 and a second damping mechanism 235. It can be understood that Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Only some components of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 are schematically shown, and the actual shape, size, position and structure of these components are not subject to the present invention. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 For example, in other embodiments, the rotating shaft mechanism 23 may not include the second swing arm 236, the second rotating shaft 237 and the second damping mechanism 235.

[0152] The base 231 is used to realize the assembly of other parts in the rotating shaft mechanism 23. For details, please refer to Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The base 231 includes a bottom plate 2311 and a side plate 2312. The bottom plate 2311 is formed into a rectangular plate-like structure. The length direction of the bottom plate 2311 is parallel to the Y-axis direction, the width direction of the bottom plate 2311 is parallel to the X-axis direction, and the thickness direction of the bottom plate 2311 is parallel to the Z-axis direction. The side plate 2312 surrounds the outer edge of the bottom plate 2311, and a storage space is defined between the side plate 2312 and the bottom plate 2311. At least part of the structure of the hinge mechanism 23 can be accommodated in the above-mentioned storage space. In this way, the components of the hinge mechanism 23 can be hidden inside the base 231, which can improve the appearance of the foldable electronic device 100.

[0153] Please continue reading Figure 8 , the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 are arranged on opposite sides of the base 231. Specifically, the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 are arranged on both sides of the width direction (that is, the X-axis direction) of the base 231. Optionally, the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the base 231.

[0154] The first swing arm 232 is rotatably connected to the base 231 by means of the first rotating shaft 233, and the second swing arm 236 is rotatably connected to the base 231 by means of the second rotating shaft 237. In some embodiments, the first swing arm 232 is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft 233, and the first rotating shaft 233 is rotatably connected to the base 231. In other embodiments, the first swing arm 232 is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft 233, and the first rotating shaft 233 is fixedly connected to the base 231. The manner and structure of the connection between the second swing arm 236 and the second rotating shaft 237 are the same as the manner and structure of the connection between the first swing arm 232 and the first rotating shaft 233, and the manner and structure of the connection between the second rotating shaft 237 and the base 231 are the same as the manner and structure of the connection between the first rotating shaft 233 and the base 231, which will not be described in detail. In this embodiment, the first swing arm 232 is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft 233, and the first rotating shaft 233 is rotatably connected to the base 231 as an example for description.

[0155] The first swing arm 232 is connected to the first housing 21, and the second swing arm 236 is connected to the second housing 22. In this way, when the first housing 21 rotates under the action of an external force, the first swing arm 232 can rotate with the first housing 21, and then drive the first rotating shaft 233 to rotate, so as to achieve relative rotation between the first housing 21 and the base 231. When the second housing 22 rotates under the action of an external force, the second swing arm 236 can rotate with the second housing 22, and then drive the second rotating shaft 237 to rotate, so as to achieve relative rotation between the second housing 22 and the base 231, so as to achieve relative rotation between the first housing 21 and the second housing 22, so as to switch the foldable electronic device 100 between the unfolded state and the folded state.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first rotating shaft 233 and the second rotating shaft 237 are rotatably connected to the base 231 through the rotating shaft bracket 238. Figure 8 and Fig. 9, the shaft bracket 238 is fixedly connected in the base 231. Exemplarily, the shaft bracket 238 is fixedly connected to the side plate 2312 of the base 231. Exemplarily, the shaft bracket 238 can be fixedly connected to the base 231 by screw connection, clamping, bonding, welding, etc. The shaft bracket 238 includes a first bracket 2382 and a second bracket 2383, and the first bracket 2382 and the second bracket 2383 are respectively connected to opposite sides of the base 231. The first bracket 2382 is provided with a first shaft sleeve 2382a, and the second bracket 2383 is provided with a second shaft sleeve 2383a. The first shaft 233 is penetrated by the first shaft sleeve 2382a and rotatably matched with the first shaft sleeve 2382a, and the second shaft 237 is penetrated by the second shaft sleeve 2383a and rotatably matched with the second shaft sleeve 2383a.

[0157] The first damping mechanism 234 is described in detail below. Fig.10 and Fig.11 , Fig.10 for Fig. 9 An exploded view of the damping mechanism 230 in the rotating shaft mechanism 23 is shown; Fig.11 for Fig.10 The structure of the first damping mechanism 234 is the same as that of the second damping mechanism 235 , and the first damping mechanism 234 is used as an example for description. The first damping mechanism 234 includes a first cam 2341 , a first slider 2342 , a second slider 2344 and a first elastic body 2343 .

[0158] The first cam 2341 is coaxially disposed with the first rotating shaft 233 and connected to the first rotating shaft 233. The first cam 2341 rotates with the rotation of the first rotating shaft 233. Fig.12 , Fig.12 for Fig.11 Schematic diagram of the structure in which the first cam 2341 is connected to the first swing arm 232. The first cam 2341 has a first mating end face 2341a and a second mating end face 2341b that are arranged opposite to each other, and the first mating end face 2341a and the second mating end face 2341b are arranged along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 233. The first mating end face 2341a has a plurality of protrusions 2341c arranged at intervals along its circumference, and recesses 2344c are formed between adjacent protrusions 2341c. Similarly, the second mating end face 2341b also has a plurality of protrusions 2341c arranged at intervals along its circumference, and recesses 2344c are formed between adjacent protrusions 2341c. Fig.12The first cam 2341 has three protrusions 2341c and three recessed portions 2344c, which is merely an exemplary description of the present application and does not represent a special limitation on the present application. That is, in some other embodiments, the first cam 2341 may also include one, two, or four protrusions 2341c, and the number of recessed portions 2344c is the same as the number of protrusions 2341c.

[0159] Please continue reading Fig.11 The first elastic body 2343 and the first cam 2341 are arranged on the first rotating shaft 233 at intervals. The first elastic body 2343 can be a spring, and the spring is sleeved on the first rotating shaft 233.

[0160] Please also read Fig.11 and Fig.13 , Fig.13 for Fig.11 The first slider 2342 of the damping mechanism 230 is shown in the figure. The first slider 2342 is slidably connected to the first rotating shaft 233. The first slider 2342 includes a first slider portion 2342e and a first cam portion 2342d that slide synchronously, wherein the first slider portion 2342e is located on the side of the first elastic body 2343 away from the first cam 2341, and the first slider portion 2342e is also in contact with the first elastic body 2343. The first slider 2342 has a through hole for the first rotating shaft 233 to pass through, and the first slider 2342 can be in a block or plate shape. Fig.11 The first slider 2342 is in a plate shape as an example for illustration. In this way, the thickness of the plate-shaped first slider 2342 is smaller, further reducing the axial space occupied by the first damping mechanism 234 on the base 231. However, this is not a special limitation of the present application.

[0161] The first cam portion 2342d is located on the side of the first cam 2341 away from the first elastic body 2343, and the end face of the first cam portion 2342d facing the first cam 2341 forms a third mating end face 2342a. The third mating end face 2342a has a plurality of protrusions arranged at intervals along its circumference, and recessed portions are formed between adjacent protrusions. The third mating end face 2342a is adapted to the first mating end face 2341a. Fig.13 The example in which the number of protrusions 2342b and recessed portions 2342c is three is used for illustration, but this does not represent a special limitation on the present application, and the protrusions 2342b and recessed portions 2342c in the mating end faces appearing in the following embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations of the present application, and the number of protrusions 2342b and recessed portions 2342c in each mating end face can be determined based on actual applications.

[0162] Please also read Fig.11 and Fig.14 , Fig.14for Fig.11 The schematic diagram of the structure of the second slider 2344 in the damping mechanism 230 is shown. The second slider 2344 is slidably connected with the first rotating shaft 233, and the second slider 2344 is arranged between the first cam 2341 and the first elastic body 2343, and the second slider 2344 is also in contact with the first elastic body 2343, and the second slider 2344 also includes a fourth mating end face 2344a mating with the second mating end face 2341b, and the fourth mating end face 2344a has a plurality of protrusions 2344b arranged at intervals along the circumference thereof, and recesses 2344c are formed between adjacent protrusions.

[0163] Please return to Fig.11 , Fig.11 The damping mechanism 230 in FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 in the unfolded state. When the rotating shaft mechanism 23 is in the unfolded state or the folded state, the protrusion of the first mating end face 2341a abuts and fits with the recessed portion of the third mating end face 2342a, and the protrusion of the second mating end face 2341b abuts and fits with the recessed portion of the fourth mating end face 2344a. The first elastic body 2343 is in the initial stage of compression energy storage, which is also called the first elastic body 2343 is in a free state. At this time, the first elastic body 2343 can apply an extrusion force toward the first cam 2341 to the first slider 2342 and the second slider 2344. Specifically, the extrusion force of the first elastic body 2343 directly acts on the first slider portion 2342e and the second slider 2344, and the extrusion force on the first slider portion 2342e is transmitted to the first cam portion 2342d. The extrusion force can cause the first swing arm 232 to generate an unfolding force or a closing force, thereby keeping the rotating shaft mechanism 23 in the unfolded state or the unfolded state.

[0164] See also Fig.15 , Fig.15 for Fig.11The structure diagram of the damping mechanism 230 shown is in a suspended state. When the first swing arm 232 rotates, the first rotating shaft 233 rotates with the first swing arm 232. Since the first cam 2341 is relatively fixed to the first rotating shaft 233, the first cam 2341 rotates synchronously with the first rotating shaft 233, while the first slider 2342 and the second slider 2344 do not rotate with the first rotating shaft 233. Therefore, when the first swing arm 232 rotates, the first cam 2341 rotates relatively with the first cam portion 2342d, and the first cam 2341 rotates relatively with the second slider 2344. That is, relative rotation occurs between the first mating end face 2341a and the third mating end face 2342a, so that the first cam portion 2342d can move along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 233 in the direction away from the first cam 2341. The movement of the first cam portion 2342d drives the synchronous movement of the first slider portion 2342e. The first slider portion 2342e moves toward the direction close to the first elastomer 2343, thereby squeezing the first elastomer 2343. The first elastomer 2343 is deformed to change the damping force during the rotation of the first swing arm 232, which can increase the damping feel and improve the user experience of the foldable electronic device 100.

[0165] At the same time, the second mating end face 2341b and the fourth mating end face 2344a rotate relative to each other, so that the second slider 2344 can move along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 233 in a direction away from the first cam 2341, thereby squeezing the first elastic body 2343, and the first elastic body 2343 deforms to further change the damping force during the rotation of the first swing arm 232, which can increase the damping feel and improve the user experience of the foldable electronic device 100. When the protrusion of the first mating end face 2341a abuts against the protrusion of the third mating end face 2342a, and the protrusion 2341e of the second mating end face 2341b abuts against the protrusion of the fourth mating end face 2344a, the elastic deformation of the first elastic body 2343 reaches the maximum, and the first elastic body 2343 is in a compressed state.

[0166] In summary, compared with the damping mechanism 230 described above, when the first swing arm 232 rotates, the damping mechanism 230 of this embodiment can be provided with only one cam (i.e., the first cam 2341) to achieve simultaneous squeezing of both ends of the first elastic body 2343, so as to increase the stroke of elastic deformation of the first elastic body 2343. After elastic deformation, the first elastic body 2343 simultaneously generates squeezing force on the first slider 2342 and the second slider 2344, so as to obtain double damping force during the rotation of the first swing arm 232, which can enhance the damping feel and improve the user experience of the foldable electronic device 100. Moreover, under the premise that the damping mechanism 230 occupies the same axial space, the damping mechanism 230 can generate a greater damping force; under the premise that the damping mechanism 230 generates the same damping force, the damping mechanism 230 occupies a smaller axial space, which better balances the requirements of the thin and light design of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 and the requirements of providing sufficient damping force.

[0167] It is worth noting that the "free state" in the above content does not refer to the state where the first elastic body 2343 is not subjected to force and does not undergo elastic deformation. The "free state" is compared to the state of the first elastic body 2343 other than the unfolded state and the folded state of the rotating shaft mechanism 23, that is, compared to the "compressed state". The elastic deformation of the first elastic body 2343 in the "free state" is smaller than the elastic deformation in the "compressed state", and the extrusion force generated when the first elastic body 2343 is in the "free state" is also the smallest.

[0168] In addition, it should be noted that the "abutment" described in the present application refers to the contact between two mutually abutting parts and a certain extrusion force between them. Specifically, the abutment between the first elastic body 2343 and the first slider 2342e means that the first elastic body 2343 is in contact with the first slider 2342e, and there is a certain extrusion force between the first elastic body 2343 and the first slider 2342e.

[0169] In addition, the "deployment force" mentioned in the present application refers to the force that can drive the first swing arm 232 to rotate from the folded position to the deployed position. Correspondingly, the "closing force" mentioned in the present application refers to the force that can drive the first swing arm 232 to rotate from the deployed position to the folded position.

[0170] The rotating shaft mechanism 23 in this embodiment includes only one cam (i.e., the first cam 2341), and the first swing arm 232 only needs to be connected to the first cam 2341, and the first swing arm 232 is located on the side of the second slider 2344 away from the first elastic body 2343. The width of the first swing arm 232 only needs to meet the width that can be connected to the first cam 2341, and the first swing arm 232 does not need to be set with a larger width for other parts to connect. Therefore, the width of the first swing arm 232 can be set smaller, and the area overlapping with the first swing arm 232 on the first connecting block 2381 is also smaller, and the through hole on the first connecting block 2381 for accommodating the first swing arm 232 can also be reduced. In this way, the digging area on the first connecting block 2381 is further reduced, the structural strength of the first connecting block 2381 is guaranteed, and the reliability and stability of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 are improved. In addition, the reduction in the width of the first swing arm 232 can also further reduce the weight of the rotating shaft mechanism 23, which is conducive to the lightweight design of the rotating shaft mechanism 23, thereby improving the user experience. In addition, the first swing arm 232 does not need to be provided with a connecting block 2324 area, and the structural strength of the first swing arm 232 can also be guaranteed, thereby improving the overall structural strength of the rotating shaft mechanism 23.

[0171] Based on any of the above embodiments, please refer to Fig.10 and Fig.11 The rotating shaft mechanism 23 further includes a second damping mechanism 235. Optionally, the second damping mechanism 235 and the first damping mechanism 234 are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the base 231. In some embodiments, the second damping mechanism 235 includes a second rotating shaft 237, a first slider 2342, a second elastic body 2353, a third slider 2352 and a fourth slider 2354. The first slider 2342 is coaxially arranged with the second rotating shaft 237, and the first slider 2342 is connected to the second rotating shaft 237, and the first slider 2342 has a fifth mating end face and a sixth mating end face arranged oppositely. The first elastic body 2343 is sleeved on the second rotating shaft 237.

[0172] Please also read Fig.13 and Fig.14 The third slider 2352 is slidably connected to the second rotating shaft 237, and the third slider 2352 abuts against the end of the second elastic body 2353 that faces away from the first slider 2342. The third slider 2352 also includes a seventh mating end face abutting against the fifth mating end face. The fourth slider 2354 is slidably connected to the second rotating shaft 237, and the fourth slider 2354 is disposed between the first slider 2342 and the second elastic body 2353. The fourth slider 2354 abuts against the end of the second elastic body 2353 that faces the first slider 2342, and the fourth slider 2354 also includes an eighth mating end face abutting against the sixth mating end face.

[0173] When the second elastic body 2353 is in a free state, the protrusion of the fifth mating end face abuts against the recessed portion of the seventh mating end face, and the protrusion of the sixth mating end face abuts against the recessed portion of the eighth mating end face; when the second elastic body 2353 is in a compressed state, the protrusion of the fifth mating end face abuts against the protrusion of the seventh mating end face, and the protrusion of the sixth mating end face abuts against the protrusion of the eighth mating end face.

[0174] The structure of the second damping mechanism 235 is the same as that of the first damping mechanism 234. Specifically, the structure of the first cam 2341 is the same as that of the second cam 2351, the structure of the third slider 2352 is the same as that of the first slider 2342, and the structure of the fourth slider 2354 is the same as that of the second slider 2344. Meanwhile, the working principle of the second damping mechanism 235 is the same as that of the first damping mechanism 234, which will not be described in detail.

[0175] Based on the above examples, please refer to Fig.15 The rotating shaft mechanism 23 further includes a second swing arm 236, which is located on the side of the fourth slider 2354 away from the second elastic body 2353 and connected to the first slider 2342. The second swing arm 236 only needs to be connected to the first cam 2341, and the width of the first swing arm 232 can meet the width that can be connected to the first cam 2341. Therefore, the width of the second swing arm 236 can be set smaller, the area on the second connecting block 2382 that overlaps with the second swing arm 236 is also smaller, and the through hole on the second connecting block 2382 for accommodating the second swing arm 236 can also be reduced. In this way, the digging area on the second connecting block 2382 is further reduced, the structural strength of the second connecting block 2382 is guaranteed, and the reliability and stability of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 are improved. In addition, the reduction in the width of the second swing arm 236 can also further reduce the weight of the rotating shaft mechanism 23, which is conducive to the lightweight design of the rotating shaft mechanism 23, thereby improving the user experience. In addition, the second swing arm 236 does not need to be provided with a connecting block 2324 area, and the structural strength of the second swing arm 236 can also be guaranteed, thereby improving the overall structural strength of the rotating shaft mechanism 23.

[0176] Please continue reading Fig.15In some embodiments, in order to ensure the synchronization of the first damping mechanism 234 and the second damping mechanism 235 when rotating, the rotating mechanism 23 further includes a first connecting part 2346 and a second connecting part 2347, the first connecting member connects the first slider 2342 and the third slider 2352, and the second connecting member connects the second slider 2344 and the fourth slider 2354. Specifically, the first connecting part 2346 includes a first connecting rod 2346a and a second connecting rod 2346b, the first connecting rod 2346a is connected between the first cam part 2342d and the second cam part 2351, and the first connecting rod 2346a is connected between the first slider part 2342e and the second slider part 2344. The second connecting part 2347 is connected between the first slider 2342 and the second slider 2344. In this way, when the rotating shaft mechanism 23 rotates, the synchronization of the squeezing of the first elastic body 2343 by the first damping mechanism 234 and the squeezing of the second elastic body 2353 by the second damping mechanism 235 is ensured, so that the damping force of the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 during rotation remains consistent, thereby improving the user experience during use.

[0177] In some embodiments, the rotating shaft mechanism 23 further includes a third connecting portion 2342f, which connects the first connecting rod 2346a and the second connecting rod 2346b. The third connecting portion 2342f can be rod-shaped, plate-shaped, etc. In this embodiment, the third connecting portion 2342f is rod-shaped as an example for explanation, but this does not represent a special limitation of the present application. One end of the third connecting portion 2342f is connected to the first connecting rod 2346a, and the other end of the third connecting portion 2342f is connected to the second connecting rod 2346b. The first connecting rod 2346a is connected between the first cam portion 2342d and the second cam portion 2351, and the second connecting rod 2346b is connected between the first slider portion 2342e and the second slider portion 2344. In this way, the third connecting portion 2342f can ensure the synchronization of sliding between the first cam portion 2342d and the first slider portion 2342e, and the synchronization of sliding between the first slider portion 2342e and the second slider portion 2344, further ensuring the extrusion of the first elastic body 2343 by the first slider 2342 and the extrusion of the second elastic body 2353 by the second slider 2344, thereby ensuring that the first damping mechanism 234 and the second damping mechanism 235 generate sufficient damping force.

[0178] See also Fig.16 , Fig.16 for Fig.15A schematic diagram of a structure after the first cam 2341 in the damping mechanism 230 is unfolded. The unfolding here refers to the structure after the first cam 2341 is unfolded into a plane. In some embodiments, the first mating end face 2341a and the second mating end face 2341b are symmetrically arranged about the geometric center of the first cam 2341. The geometric center here refers to the straight line L3 on the first cam 2341 that passes through the midpoint of the first cam 2341 in the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 233 and is perpendicular to the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 233. The straight line L3 is defined as the symmetry axis L3 of the first cam 2341. The first mating end face 2341a and the second mating end face 2341b are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the first cam 2341 relative to the symmetry axis L3.

[0179] The first mating end surface 2341a includes protrusions 2341c arranged at intervals along the circumference of the first cam 2341, and recessed portions 2341d connected between adjacent protrusions 2341c. In this embodiment, the protrusions 2341c and the recessed portions 2341d are approximately horizontal planes, so the first mating end surface 2341a also includes a connecting surface connected between the protrusions 2341c and the recessed portions 2341d, and the connecting surface is inclined. When the connecting surface is more inclined, the user needs to use more force to drive the rotating shaft mechanism 23 to fold or unfold. Similarly, when the connecting surface is less inclined, the user can use less force to drive the rotating shaft mechanism 23 to fold or unfold. However, when the inclination angle of the connecting surface is small, the stroke of the first cam 2341 pushing the first slider 2342 and the second slider 2344 will be reduced, and then the stroke of the first slider 2342 and the second slider 2344 pushing the elastic deformation of the first elastic body 2343 will become smaller. However, the first cam 2341 can simultaneously squeeze the two ends of the first elastic body 2343 through the first mating end face 2341a and the second mating end face 2341b to obtain a larger elastic deformation stroke of the first elastic body 2343.

[0180] The first mating end face 2341a and the second mating end face 2341b have a symmetrical structure, that is, the recessed portion 2341d of the first mating end face 2341a is opposite to the recessed portion 2341f of the second mating end face 2344a, and the protruding portion 2341c of the first mating end face 2341a is opposite to the protruding portion 2341e of the second mating end face 2344a.

[0181] Please also read Fig.17 and Fig.18 , Fig.17 A schematic diagram of the structure after the third mating end surface 2342a is unfolded is provided for some embodiments of the present application; Fig.18 for Fig.16 The first cam 2341 is shown as a schematic diagram of the structure of the cooperation with the third cooperation end face 2342a and the fourth cooperation end face 2344a. Fig.18The first cam 2341 cooperates with the second slider 2344 .

[0182] The third mating end face 2342a is also configured to be a face shape that matches the first mating end face 2341a, and the fourth mating end face 2344a is also configured to be a face shape that matches the second mating end face 2341b. In this way, the first elastic body 2343 is extruded by the first cam 2341 and the first slider 2342 that match the first mating end face 2341a and the third mating end face 2342a, and the extrusion stroke is l1. The first elastic body 2343 is extruded by the first cam 2341 and the second slider 2344 that match the second mating end face 2341b and the fourth mating end face 2344a, and the extrusion stroke is l2. Finally, the first elastic body 2343 is extruded by a stroke of l3, which is the sum of l1 and l2.

[0183] If the first elastic body 2343 obtains the elastic deformation stroke of l3 only by squeezing one end, the inclined surface between the raised part and the recessed part of the mating end surface between the cam and the slider needs to be designed to be very steep. When the inclined surface is large, the rotating shaft mechanism 23 will be stuck when rotating, which seriously affects the user experience. However, the first cam 2341 is set as a double-sided cam to achieve squeezing of both ends of the first elastic body 2343. In this way, the inclined surface between the raised part and the recessed part of the first mating end surface 2341a and the second mating end surface 2341b of the first cam 2341 can be designed to be relatively gentle, so that the rotating shaft mechanism 23 is smoother during the rotation process, and the user's hand feeling is better.

[0184] In some other embodiments, see Fig.19 and Fig. 20 , Fig.19 for Fig.15 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first cam 2341 in the damping mechanism 230 after being unfolded; Fig. 20 for Fig.19 The diagram is a schematic structural diagram of the first cam after mating with the third mating end face 2342a and the fourth mating end face 2344a.

[0185] The first mating end surface 2341a also has a first inclined surface, which connects the protrusion and the recess of the first mating end surface 2341a. The second mating end surface 2341b also has a second inclined surface, which connects the protrusion 2341e and the recess of the second mating end surface 2341b, and the absolute value of the slope of the second inclined surface is not equal to the absolute value of the slope of the second inclined surface.

[0186] Specifically, the structure of the first mating end surface 2341a may refer to the structure of the first mating end surface 2341a in the above embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0187] It is worth noting that the first mating end surface 2341a and the second mating end surface 2341b are not completely symmetrical structures, and the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are not completely symmetrical structures, but the protrusion of the first mating end surface 2341a is still opposite to the protrusion of the second mating end surface, and the recess of the first mating end surface 2341a is still opposite to the recess of the second mating end surface 2341b. The difference between the first mating end surface 2341a and the second mating end surface 2341b is that the second inclined surface includes a first inclined surface M1 and a second inclined surface M2 connected to each other, and the slopes of the first inclined surface M1 and the second inclined surface M2 are also different.

[0188] In this way, when the first cam 2341 rotates, the first mating end face 2341a and the third mating end face 2341a have a larger contact area, which can ensure that the rotating shaft mechanism 23 can be more firmly mated when it is in the unfolded state or the folded state, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the rotating shaft mechanism 23. The second mating end face 2341b and the fourth mating end face 2344a are provided with more inclined surfaces, and the contact area between them is smaller, which is conducive to reducing the friction force of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 during the rotation process, and thus is conducive to smoother rotation of the rotating shaft mechanism 23. Therefore, through the above two different surface types, the stability and reliability of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 during the rotation process can be ensured, and the smoothness of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 during the rotation process can also be ensured.

[0189] See also Fig.21 , Fig.21 The torque diagram of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 during rotation provided in some embodiments of the present application. Curve 1 refers to the torque diagram of the unfolding force of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 during the unfolding of the rotating shaft mechanism 23, and curve 2 refers to the torque diagram of the folding force of the rotating shaft mechanism 23 during the closing of the rotating shaft mechanism 23. Regardless of the surface shape of the first mating end face 2341a and the second mating end face, the unfolding force and folding force finally generated by the first mating end face 2341a and the second mating end face meet the following conditions: Fig.21 Therefore, the first mating end face 2341a and the second mating end face 2341b are set to an asymmetric structure, and the surface design of the first mating end face 2341a and the surface design of the second mating end face 2341b have more design options. The surface shape of the first mating end face 2341a and the surface shape of the second mating end face 2341b are better, which has design flexibility. Different surface shapes of the first mating end face 2341a and the second mating end face 2341b can be designed according to different damping requirements and folding mechanical curves.

[0190] Of course, the above Fig.21The torque diagram is only for schematic illustration, that is, in some other embodiments, the rotating shaft mechanism 23 can also generate different folding forces and unfolding forces, and the first mating end face 2341a and the second mating end face 2341b can be designed with different surface shapes according to different folding forces and unfolding forces, and then the two end faces, namely the first mating end face 2341a and the second mating end face 2341b, are used together to squeeze the first elastic body 2343, and the surface design of the first cam 2341 has more options.

[0191] Please return to Fig.15 In some embodiments, the rotating shaft mechanism 23 further includes a synchronization mechanism 239, which has the same structure as the synchronization mechanism 239 described above, and will not be described in detail here. The first driving gear 2391 in the synchronization mechanism 239 is connected to the first swing arm 232 together with the first cam 2341. In this way, it is not necessary to separately set other swing arm structures for the synchronization mechanism 239, which is conducive to the simplification of the parts of the rotating shaft mechanism 23. In addition, the synchronization mechanism 239 can be used to achieve synchronous rotation of the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 at the same angle, so as to reduce the difficulty of folding and unfolding the foldable electronic device 100. In addition, the setting of the synchronization mechanism 239 can also enable the synchronous rotation of the first damping mechanism 234 and the second damping mechanism 235 to provide the first swing arm 232 and the second swing arm 236 with the same damping force, thereby improving the user's feel.

[0192] See also Fig. 22 , Fig. 22 The following is a simplified structural diagram of the damping mechanism 230 provided in some embodiments of the present application. The simplified diagram here is only a schematic diagram of the features of the aforementioned damping mechanism 230. Fig.18 The structural features in are the same as the characteristic structures in the damping mechanism 230 mentioned above, which are only simplified schematically, and the schematics appearing in the following text are also consistent with the definitions here. In some embodiments, the difference between this embodiment and the above embodiment is that the synchronization mechanism 239 of the above embodiment is replaced by a second group of first damping mechanisms 234 in this embodiment. That is to say, the number of first damping mechanisms 234 is two, and the two first damping mechanisms 234 are symmetrically connected to the first swing arm 232, and the first cam 2341 of one first damping mechanism 234 is spaced from the first cam 2341 of another first damping mechanism 234. In this way, the damping mechanism 230 can provide greater unfolding force and closing force in the unfolded state and closed state of the rotating shaft mechanism 23. When the rotating shaft mechanism 23 rotates, the damping mechanism 230 can provide greater damping force to enhance the user's feel.

[0193] Please continue reading Fig. 22In some embodiments, the maximum sliding stroke of the first slider 2342 relative to the first cam 2341 is a, the distance between the first cam 2341 of one first damping mechanism 234 and the first cam 2341 of another first damping mechanism 234 is c, and 2a is less than or equal to c. When the two first cams 2341 rotate, they drive the first cam portion 2342d matched therewith to slide in a direction away from the first cam 2341. In this way, when the shaft mechanism 23 rotates, the two first cam portions 2342d will slide close to each other. In order to avoid interference between the two first cam portions 2342d, the distance between the two first cams 2341 needs to be greater than the sliding stroke of the two first cam portions 2342d. In this way, when the shaft mechanism 23 rotates, there will be no interference between the damping mechanisms 230, and the damping mechanism 230 rotates more smoothly, thereby improving the user experience.

[0194] Similarly, there are two second damping mechanisms 235 , which are symmetrically arranged on the base 231 with the first damping mechanism 234 . The structure of the second damping mechanism 235 is the same as that of the first damping mechanism 234 , and will not be described again here.

[0195] See also Fig.23 , Fig.23 A structural diagram of the damping mechanism 230 provided for some other embodiments of the present application. In some embodiments, the second slider 2344 has the same structure as the first slider 2342. That is, the second slider 2344 includes a third cam portion and a third slider portion, and the first damping mechanism 234 also includes a third elastic body, and the third elastic body is sleeved on the first rotating shaft 233. The third cam portion is located on the side of the first cam 2341 away from the second slider 2344, and the third cam portion abuts against the first cam 2341. The third slider portion is located on the side of the first cam portion 2342d away from the first cam 2341, and the third slider portion is spaced from the first cam portion 2342d. The third elastic body abuts against the third slider portion and the first cam portion 2342d respectively, so that when the rotating shaft mechanism 23 rotates, the first elastic body 2343 and the third elastic body in the first damping mechanism 234 can be double squeezed, and the rotating shaft mechanism 23 can obtain a better damping force, thereby improving the user's feel.

[0196] Similarly, the structure of the fourth slider 2354 in the second damping mechanism 235 and the structure of the third slider 2352 may also be set to the same structure, which will not be described again here.

[0197] 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.

[0198] 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 rotating shaft mechanism, characterized in that: A first damping mechanism is included, wherein the first damping mechanism comprises: The first rotating shaft; a first cam, wherein the first cam is coaxially arranged with the first rotating shaft and the first cam is connected with the first rotating shaft, and the first cam has a first mating end surface and a second mating end surface which are arranged opposite to each other; A first elastic body, sleeved on the first rotating shaft; a first sliding block, slidably connected to the first rotating shaft, the first sliding block abutting against an end of the first elastic body away from the first cam, the first sliding block further comprising a third mating end surface mating with the first mating end surface; A second slider is slidably connected to the first rotating shaft, the second slider is arranged between the first cam and the first elastic body, and the second slider further includes a fourth mating end surface mating with the second mating end surface; Among them, in the free state of the first elastomer, the protrusion of the first mating end surface abuts against the recessed portion of the third mating end surface, and the protrusion of the second mating end surface abuts against the recessed portion of the fourth mating end surface; in the compressed state of the first elastomer, the protrusion of the first mating end surface abuts against the protrusion of the third mating end surface, and the protrusion of the second mating end surface abuts against the protrusion of the fourth mating end surface.

2. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating shaft mechanism further includes a first swing arm, which is located on a side of the second sliding block away from the first elastic body and is connected to the first cam.

3. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first slider includes a first cam portion and a first slider portion, the first cam portion is located on a side of the first cam away from the first elastic body, and an end surface of the first cam portion facing the first cam forms a third mating end surface; The first sliding block is located at an end of the first elastic body away from the first cam and is in contact with the first elastic body.

4. The rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first mating end surface and the second mating end surface are symmetrically arranged about the geometric center of the first cam.

5. The rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first mating end surface also has a first inclined surface, and the first inclined surface connects the protruding portion and the recessed portion of the first mating end surface; The second mating end surface also has a second inclined surface, which connects the protruding portion and the recessed portion of the second mating end surface, and the absolute value of the slope of the second inclined surface is not equal to the absolute value of the slope of the second inclined surface.

6. The rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The rotating shaft mechanism further includes a second damping mechanism, and the second damping mechanism includes: The second rotating shaft; A first slider, wherein the first slider is coaxially arranged with the second rotating shaft and connected with the second rotating shaft, and the first slider has a fifth mating end face and a sixth mating end face which are arranged opposite to each other; A second elastic body, sleeved on the second rotating shaft; a third slider, slidably connected to the second rotating shaft, the third slider abutting against an end of the second elastic body away from the first slider, the third slider further comprising a seventh mating end surface abutting against the fifth mating end surface; a fourth slider, slidably connected to the second rotating shaft, the fourth slider being disposed between the first slider and the second elastic body, the fourth slider abutting against one end of the second elastic body facing the first slider, and the fourth slider further comprising an eighth mating end surface abutting against the sixth mating end surface; In the free state of the second elastomer, the protrusion of the fifth mating end face abuts against the recessed portion of the seventh mating end face, and the protrusion of the sixth mating end face abuts against the recessed portion of the eighth mating end face; in the compressed state of the second elastomer, the protrusion of the fifth mating end face abuts against the protrusion of the seventh mating end face, and the protrusion of the sixth mating end face abuts against the protrusion of the eighth mating end face.

7. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The rotating shaft mechanism further includes a second swing arm, which is located at a side of the fourth sliding block away from the second elastic body and is connected to the first sliding block.

8. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The rotating shaft mechanism further includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion, wherein the first connecting portion connects the first slider and the third slider, and the second connecting portion connects the second slider and the fourth slider.

9. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: The rotating shaft mechanism further includes a third connecting portion, and the third connecting portion connects the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion.

10. The rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that: The rotating shaft mechanism further includes a synchronization mechanism, and the synchronization mechanism includes: A first driving gear, the first driving gear is coaxially arranged with the first rotating shaft and rotates synchronously with the first cam; The second driving gear is meshed with the first driving gear for transmission, and the second driving gear is coaxially arranged with the second rotating shaft and rotates synchronously with the first sliding block.

11. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 10, characterized in that: The rotating shaft mechanism further includes a base, and the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are arranged on the base; The synchronization mechanism further includes N transmission gears, which are rotatably connected to the base and are located between the first driving gear and the second driving gear; the N transmission gears are arranged in sequence along the direction from the first driving gear to the second driving gear, and N is an even number; Wherein, each adjacent two of the first driving gear, the N transmission gears and the second driving gear are meshed.

12. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the first damping mechanisms is two, the two first damping mechanisms are symmetrically connected to the first swing arm, and the first cam of one first damping mechanism is spaced apart from the first cam of another first damping mechanism.

13. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 12, characterized in that: The maximum sliding stroke of the first sliding block relative to the first cam is a, the distance between the first cam of one first damping mechanism and the first cam of another first damping mechanism is c, and 2a is less than or equal to c.

14. A folding assembly, characterized in that: include: a first shell; a second shell; A rotating shaft mechanism, wherein the rotating shaft mechanism is the rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 13, and the rotating shaft mechanism is connected between the first shell and the second shell.

15. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that: include: A folding assembly, wherein the folding assembly is the folding assembly according to claim 14; A folding screen, the folding screen includes a first display area, a second display area and a third display area, the third display area is connected between the first display area and the second display area, the first display area is arranged on the first shell, the second display area is arranged on the second shell, and the third display area is arranged on the hinge mechanism.

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