Folding electronic device

By introducing the latch structure and lock accessories into the folding electronic device, the maintenance difficulties in the prior art are solved, the maintenance capability of the equipment is improved, and the ESG evaluation conditions are met.

CN120045019APending Publication Date: 2025-05-27ACER INC
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202311583917.4
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-11-24
Publication Date
2025-05-27

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing folding electronic devices mostly use screw lock attachment or welding in assembly and component configuration, which leads to difficulties in subsequent maintenance and disassembly, reduces the maintenance (regeneration) ability of the equipment, and is difficult to meet the ESG evaluation conditions.

Method used

By providing a pin structure outside the body, the first body and the second body rotate and open and close each other through the shaft module, and lock or unlock the fixing bolt and the shaft through the lock attachment, thereby achieving assembly or disassembly.

Benefits of technology

The repair (regeneration) capability of folding electronic devices is improved, making it easier to disassemble and assemble, meets the ESG evaluation conditions, and improves the sustainability of the equipment.

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Abstract

The invention provides a folding electronic device. The folding electronic device comprises a first machine body, a second machine body and a rotating shaft module, the rotating shaft module is connected with the first machine body and the second machine body along a pivot shaft, so that the first machine body and the second machine body rotate to open and close mutually through the rotating shaft module. The rotating shaft module comprises a fixing bolt, a shaft piece, a torsion piece and a lock accessory. The fixing bolt is arranged on the second machine body, the shaft piece is positioned on the fixing bolt, and the lock accessory penetrates through the side face of the second machine body from the outside of the second machine body and extends into the second machine body so as to lock the fixing bolt and the shaft piece together. The torsion piece is arranged on the first machine body to move along with the first machine body. The torsion member is pivoted to the shaft member. Friction force generated by relative pivoting of the torsion part and the shaft part forms torsion of the rotating shaft module. A part of the lock accessory is exposed on the side face of the second machine body.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, and more particularly to a foldable electronic device. Background Art

[0002] ESG is an abbreviation of three English words, namely Environment, Social and Governance. The United Nations Global Compact first proposed the concept of ESG in 2004 and it is regarded as an indicator for evaluating the operation of an enterprise. ESG is an indicator for measuring the sustainable development of an enterprise, that is, the carbon reduction and sustainable development goals required by governments of various countries. In the past, when operating an enterprise, only financial data needed to be emphasized. However, if the financial report looks good but the enterprise violates human rights, discharges waste water, infringes on the rights and interests of consumers, and endangers the living environment of the earth's organisms, it will violate the goal of promoting the earth's sustainability internationally, prompting institutional investors to reduce their investment and cooperation with such enterprises, and further affecting the company's reputation. Nowadays, enterprises that attach importance to the ESG concept not only have transparent financial reports, but also include a stable and low-risk operation model, and their long-term performance will be relatively stable. For the above reasons, for the electronic manufacturing industry, whether the products it manufactures can meet the above conditions has become one of the evaluation conditions for the products.

[0003] Taking a notebook computer or a similar foldable electronic device as an example, the evaluation content lies in the amount of energy consumed in the manufacturing process of the product and whether the product has the ability to be repaired (recycled). In order to achieve the above goals, new technologies and measures are required for the component design and assembly configuration of the foldable electronic device.

[0004] Especially for the assembly and component configuration, most of the existing foldable electronic devices use screw locking, welding, etc. to combine and fix the structural parts, which forms a considerable obstacle to subsequent disassembly and assembly for repair, and thus the repairability (recyclability) of the foldable electronic device is questioned and it is difficult to meet the aforementioned sustainable goals. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention is directed to a foldable electronic device, in which two bodies pivotally connected to each other can be smoothly disassembled and assembled through a plug structure exposed outside the body.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a foldable electronic device includes a first body, a second body, and a rotating shaft module. The rotating shaft module connects the first body and the second body along a pivot shaft, so that the first body and the second body can rotate and open / close relative to each other through the rotating shaft module. The rotating shaft module includes a fixing bolt, a shaft member, a torsion member, and a locking accessory. The fixing bolt is disposed on the second body, the shaft member is positioned on the fixing bolt, and the locking accessory passes through the side surface of the second body from outside the second body and extends into the second body to lock the fixing bolt and the shaft member together. The torsion member is disposed on the first body to move with the first body. The torsion member is pivotally connected to the shaft member. The frictional force generated by the relative pivoting of the torsion member and the shaft member forms the torsion of the rotating shaft module. A part of the locking accessory is exposed on the side surface of the second body.

[0007] Based on the above, the rotating shaft module of the foldable electronic device includes a fixing bolt, a shaft member, a torsion member, and a locking accessory, wherein the fixing bolt is disposed on the second body, the shaft member is positioned on the fixing bolt and pivotally connected to the torsion member, and the locking accessory passes through the side surface of the second body from outside the second body and extends into the second body to lock the fixing bolt and the shaft member together, and a part of the locking accessory is exposed on the side surface of the second body.

[0008] In this way, the fixing bolt and the shaft member can be locked or unlocked by the locking accessory, so that the first body and the second body can be assembled or disassembled accordingly. More importantly, a part of the locking accessory is exposed on the side surface of the second body, and it passes through the side surface of the second body and extends into the second body, so it means that the user can directly disassemble the locking accessory from the outer side surface of the second body to achieve the effect of separating the first body and the second body as described above. Accordingly, the foldable electronic device of the present invention has the characteristic of being easily disassembled and assembled due to the above components, thus improving the maintenance (regeneration) ability of the foldable electronic device and being able to meet the ESG evaluation criteria. Description of the Drawings

[0009] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0010] Figure 1B is Figure 1A a schematic diagram of the foldable electronic device in another state;

[0011] Figure 1C shows the foldable electronic device Figure 1A locally from another perspective;

[0012] Figure 2 is Figure 1A an exploded schematic diagram of the foldable electronic device;

[0013] Figure 3A is Figure 1A a schematic diagram of the rotating shaft module of the foldable electronic device;

[0014] Figure 3B is Figure 3A a schematic exploded view of the rotating shaft module of

[0015] Figures 4A to 4C A schematic diagram showing the components of a detachable folding electronic device Detailed Description of the Invention

[0016] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts

[0017] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of a folding electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1B is Figure 1A a schematic diagram of the folding electronic device of Figure 1C shows, from another perspective, a part of the folding electronic device of Figure 1A At the same time, a rectangular coordinate system X - Y - Z is provided to facilitate the description of the components. Please also refer to Figure 1A and Figure 1B and Figure 1C In this embodiment, the folding electronic device 100, such as a notebook computer or other related electronic device with a foldable body, includes: a first body 110, a second body 120, and a rotating shaft module 130. The rotating shaft module 130 connects the first body 110 and the second body 120 along a pivot axis AX, so that the first body 110 and the second body 120 can pivot and open / close relative to each other along the pivot axis AX through the rotating shaft module 130, as shown in Figure 1A and Figure 2 shown. In this embodiment, the second body 120 is placed on the X - Y plane as a reference benchmark to facilitate the subsequent description of the components, and the pivot axis AX is parallel to the X - axis

[0018] Figure 2 is Figure 1A a schematic exploded view of the folding electronic device of Figure 1C and inherits the perspective shown in Figure 3A is Figure 1A a schematic diagram of the rotating shaft module of the folding electronic device of Figure 3B is Figure 3A a schematic exploded view of the rotating shaft module of Figure 2 and Figure 3A and Figure 3B, in this embodiment, the rotating shaft module 130 includes a fixing bolt 133, a shaft member 131, a torsion member 135 and a locking accessory 134. The fixing bolt 133 is disposed on the second body 120, the shaft member 131 is positioned on the fixing bolt 133, and the locking accessory 134 passes through the side surface S1 of the second body 120 from outside the second body 120 and extends into the second body 120 to lock the fixing bolt 133 and the shaft member 131 together. The torsion member 135 is disposed on the first body 110 to move with the first body 110. The torsion member 135 is pivotally connected to the shaft member 131, and the frictional force generated by the relative pivoting of the torsion member 135 and the shaft member 131 forms the torsion of the rotating shaft module 130. A part of the locking accessory 134 is exposed on the side surface S1 of the second body 120.

[0019] Please also refer to Figure 3A and Figure 3B , specifically, the torsion member 135 of the rotating shaft module 130 has an assembling portion 135b and a torsion portion 135a. The assembling portion 135b is used for assembling to the first body 110, and the torsion portion 135a is a different part of the same metal sheet as the assembling portion 135b, and the metal sheet is wound into a leaf spring structure to form the torsion portion 135a. The fixing bolt 133 is a quasi-cylindrical body and is further divided into a first section 133a, a second section 133b and a third section 133c that are coaxial with each other (same pivot axis AX), and the second section 133b is adjacent between the first section 133a and the third section 133c. The third section 133c of the fixing bolt 133 has a first limiting portion P1, and the second section 133b of the fixing bolt 133 has a third limiting portion P3. Correspondingly, the shaft member 131 has a limiting section 131a and a torsion section 131b that are coaxial with each other (same pivot axis AX), and the limiting section 131a has a second limiting portion P2. The rotating shaft module 130 further includes a base 132, which has an assembling portion 132b and a fourth limiting portion P4, and the base 132 is assembled to the second body 120 through the assembling portion 132b.

[0020] Accordingly, the assembly and corresponding relationship can be further understood based on the structural features of the shaft member 131, the base 132, the fixing bolt 133 and the torsion member 135 as described above. Here, as Figure 2 shown, the fixing bolt 133 passes through the side surface S1 from outside the second body 120 and extends into the second body 120, so that the third section 133c of the fixing bolt 133 passing through the base 132 is coupled to the shaft member 131 and is mutually limited, wherein the first limiting portion P1 of the fixing bolt 133 and the second limiting portion P2 of the shaft member 131 are mutually engaged and limited. At the same time, the second section 133b of the fixing bolt 133 falls into the groove structure of the base 132 and is mutually engaged, and the third limiting portion P3 of the fixing bolt 133 and the fourth limiting portion P4 of the base 132 are mutually engaged and limited. In this way, the shaft member 131, the base 132 and the fixing bolt 133 can be mutually limited to reduce their degrees of freedom of movement.

[0021] Here, the first limiting portion P1 is a limiting groove, and the second limiting portion P2 is a limiting block. Therefore, the groove wall of the limiting groove will abut against the outer wall of the limiting block to produce a limiting effect. Similarly, the third limiting portion P3 is a limiting block, and the fourth limiting portion P4 is a limiting groove, so the same limiting effect can also be produced. It should also be mentioned that on the premise of producing a limiting effect in accordance with the above corresponding relationship, in other embodiments not shown, the second limiting portion can also be changed to a limiting groove to correspond to the first limiting portion being a limiting block. The third limiting portion can be a limiting groove to correspond to the fourth limiting portion being a limiting block.

[0022] In addition, there is a step difference ST between the first section 133a and the second section 133b of the fixing bolt 133. When the second section 133b is fitted into the limiting groove (i.e., the fourth limiting portion P4) of the base 132, the step difference ST will be stuck on the side wall of the limiting groove, thereby preventing the fixing bolt 133 from falling into the second body 120, as Figure 1C shown in Figure 3A Since the step difference ST causes a part of the first section 133a of the fixing bolt 133 to be locally exposed on the side surface S1 of the second body 120.

[0023] On the other hand, as Figure 2 , Figure 3A shown in Figure 3B The torsion portion 135a of the aforementioned torsion member 135 is pivotally connected to the torsion section 131b of the shaft member 131. Under the influence of the elastic force of the torsion portion 135a, the torsion member 135 is arranged on the first body 110 to move with the first body 110. Therefore, the frictional force generated by the relative pivoting of the torsion member 1351 and the shaft member 131 forms the torsion of the rotating shaft module 130.

[0024] Based on the above-mentioned components, that is, the corresponding assembly relationship of the torsion member 135, the shaft member 131, the base 132 and the fixing bolt 133, these components already have a relationship of limiting each other, but still have the ability to move along the axial direction of the pivot axis AX. Therefore, it is necessary to use the locking accessory 134 of the rotating shaft module 130 to correspond to the above-mentioned components to achieve a further locking and fixing relationship. In this embodiment, the locking accessory 134 is, for example, a screw and has a fourth section 134a and a fifth section 134b. The surface threads are omitted here. As Figure 2 shown in

[0025] As Figure 2 shown, since the side surface S1 of the second body 120 is not shielded by other components, a part of the driving portion 134c of the locking attachment 134 and the fixing bolt 133 is exposed from the side surface S1. That is to say, when the user removes the locking attachment 134 and the fixing bolt 133, it is equivalent to releasing the connection relationship between the rotating shaft module 130 and the first body 110 and the second body 120, so that the first body 110 and the second body 120 can be smoothly separated.

[0026] Figures 4A to 4C Schematic diagram showing the components of the detachable folding electronic device. Please refer to Figures 4A to 4C , from which the disassembly process of the folding electronic device 100 can be clearly understood. First, please refer to Figure 4A and compare with Figure 3B . Similar to Figure 2 described, the locking attachment 134 and the fixing bolt 133 are sequentially separated from the side surface S1 of the second body 120. At this time, the shaft member 131 remaining in the second body 120 has lost the support of the fixing bolt 133 and can be separated from the base 132.

[0027] Next, please refer to Figure 4B and compare with Figure 2 . The folding electronic device 100 of this embodiment further includes a cable assembly 140, which is composed of a cable 141 and a connector 142, and is electrically connected between the display module 111 of the first body 110 and the main board module 124 of the second body 120. One end of the cable 141 is electrically connected to the display module 111, the connector 142 is located at the other end of the cable 141 and is docked with the main board module 124, and the cable 141 passes by the rotating shaft module 130. As Figure 4B shown, the second body 120 can be further divided into a main body (composed of a side plate 121 and a bottom plate 122) and a lid 123, where the lid 123 is assembled to the bottom plate 122 of the main body to cover the docking portion of the connector 142 and the main board module 124 (here, the connector 142 of the cable assembly 140 is used to dock with the connecting portion 124a of the main board module 124). On the contrary, when the lid 123 is detached from the bottom plate 122 of the main body, the main board module 124 and its docking portion with the connector 142 will be exposed. In this way, Figure 4B in the process of

[0028] Finally, as Figure 4CAs shown, after the user pulls out the cable 141 separated from the main board module 124 and the connector 142 from the second body 120, the first body 110 can be moved away from the second body 120 to complete the required disassembly operation.

[0029] In summary, in the above embodiments of the present invention, the rotating shaft module of the foldable electronic device includes a fixing bolt, a shaft member, a torsion member, a base, and a locking accessory. The torsion member is disposed on the first body, the fixing bolt is disposed on the second body along with the base, the shaft member is positioned on the fixing bolt, and the locking accessory passes through the side surface of the second body from outside the second body and extends into the second body to lock the fixing bolt and the shaft member together, wherein a part of the locking accessory is exposed on the side surface of the second body. The torsion member is pivotally connected to the shaft member and moves with the first body.

[0030] Furthermore, both the locking accessory and the fixing bolt are assembled by passing through the side surface of the second body, and the side surface of the second body is exposed outside and not shielded by components. Therefore, the user can clearly understand and directly disassemble and assemble the locking accessory and the fixing bolt relative to the second body. In this way, by providing or releasing the fixing bolt and the shaft member through the locking accessory, the first body and the second body can be assembled or disassembled accordingly.

[0031] Accordingly, the foldable electronic device of the present invention has the characteristic of being easily disassembled and assembled due to the above components, that is, it avoids causing complex and difficult disassembly and assembly processes, enables the user to clearly recognize the location of the key components (the locking accessory and the fixing bolt), and thus can improve the maintenance (regeneration) ability of the foldable electronic device, and can therefore meet the ESG evaluation criteria.

[0032] Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that: they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that, it includes: a first body; a second body; and a rotating shaft module that connects the first body and the second body along a pivot shaft, so that the first body and the second body can rotate and open / close relative to each other through the rotating shaft module. The rotating shaft module includes a fixing bolt, a shaft member, a torsion member and a locking accessory. The fixing bolt is arranged on the second body, the shaft member is positioned on the fixing bolt, the locking accessory passes through the side surface of the second body from outside the second body and extends into the second body to lock the fixing bolt and the shaft member together. The torsion member is arranged on the first body to move with the first body, the torsion member is pivotally connected to the shaft member, and the frictional force generated by the relative pivoting of the torsion member and the shaft member forms the torsion of the rotating shaft module, wherein a part of the locking accessory is exposed on the side surface of the second body.

2. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the fixing bolt passes through the side surface from outside the second body and extends into the second body to be coupled with the shaft member and limit each other.

3. The foldable electronic device according to claim 2, characterized in that, the fixing bolt has a first limiting portion, and the shaft member has a second limiting portion, and the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are fitted with each other.

4. The foldable electronic device according to claim 3, characterized in that, one of the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion is a limiting groove, and the other of the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion is a limiting block, and the groove wall of the limiting groove and the outer wall of the limiting block are abutted against each other for limiting.

5. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the fixing bolt has a third limiting portion, and the foldable electronic device further includes a base arranged in the second body, and the base has a fourth limiting portion, and the third limiting portion and the fourth limiting portion are fitted with each other.

6. The foldable electronic device according to claim 5, characterized in that, one of the third limiting portion and the fourth limiting portion is a limiting groove, and the other of the third limiting portion and the fourth limiting portion is a limiting block, and the groove wall of the limiting groove and the outer wall of the limiting block are abutted against each other for limiting.

7. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the fixing bolt has a first section, a second section and a third section that are coaxial with each other. The second section is connected between the first section and the third section. The shaft member has a limiting section and a torsion section that are coaxial with each other. The locking accessory penetrates into the fixing bolt from the first section and penetrates out of the fixing bolt from the third section. The limiting section is fitted into the third section, the torsion member is pivotally connected to the torsion section, and the part of the locking accessory that penetrates out of the third section is locked into the limiting section.

8. The foldable electronic device according to claim 7, characterized in that, There is a step difference between the first section and the second section. The foldable electronic device further includes a base disposed within the second body. The base has a limiting groove, the second section is fitted within the limiting groove, and the step difference is clamped on the side wall of the limiting groove.

9. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, a part of the fixing bolt exposes the second body from the side.

10. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, it further includes a cable assembly electrically connected between the display module of the first body and the main board module of the second body, and the cable assembly passes by the rotation shaft module.

11. The foldable electronic device according to claim 10, wherein, the cable assembly includes a cable and a connector. One end of the cable is electrically connected to the display module, and the connector is located at the other end of the cable and docks with the main board module.

12. The foldable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein, the second body includes a main body and a lid. The lid is assembled to the main body to cover the docking portion of the connector and the main board module, or the lid is detached from the main body to expose the docking portion.