Rotating shaft mechanism and foldable electronic equipment

Abstract

According to the rotating shaft mechanism and the foldable electronic equipment, the shaft cover serves as a main body supporting structure of the rotating shaft mechanism, the connecting frames are arranged on the two sides of the shaft cover to form the connecting frame set, the connecting frames and the shaft cover are movably connected through the main swing arms and the supporting plate swing arms, and therefore movement of the connecting frames relative to the shaft cover is achieved. The supporting plate capable of generating elastic deformation is arranged on the side, facing the folding screen, of the shaft cover, the supporting plate is used for supporting the foldable part of the folding screen, the supporting plate can be bent or flattened along with the foldable part, a good supporting effect on the foldable part is achieved, the supporting plate is positioned through the supporting plate swing arm, and movement of the supporting plate cannot be limited. Through the design of the integrated supporting plate, the structure of the rotating shaft mechanism can be simplified, the manufacturing and assembling difficulty of the rotating shaft mechanism is reduced, the supporting stability of the foldable part of the folding screen is good, the flatness of the folding screen can be guaranteed, the phenomenon of local stress concentration of the foldable part is prevented, and the risk that the folding screen fails is reduced.

Description

Hinge mechanism and foldable electronic device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on October 27, 2022, with application number 202211330019.3 and application name “Hinge Mechanism and Foldable Electronic Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of electronic devices, and in particular to a hinge mechanism and a foldable electronic device. Background Art

[0003] The bendable nature of foldable screens allows electronic devices equipped with them, also known as foldable electronic devices, to switch between unfolded and folded states. Foldable electronic devices, with their large display area and portability, are increasingly popular with consumers.

[0004] The hinge mechanism, the core functional structure of a foldable electronic device, is used to achieve relative rotation between the two main parts of the foldable electronic device, thereby realizing the expansion or folding of the foldable screen. When the two main parts rotate to be coplanar, the foldable electronic device is in an expanded state, in which the foldable screen is in an expanded state, with a larger display area. When the two main parts rotate to overlap, the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, with a smaller volume and the foldable screen in a folded state.

[0005] However, the structure of the existing hinge mechanism is relatively complex, and the support stability for the folding screen is poor, which affects the use effect and stability of the folding screen.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a hinge mechanism and a foldable electronic device. The hinge mechanism has a simple structure and good support stability for the folding screen, which can improve the use effect of the folding screen and reduce the risk of failure of the folding screen.

[0008] On the one hand, the present application provides a hinge mechanism for use in a foldable electronic device, the hinge mechanism comprising: a hinge cover, a main swing arm, a support plate swing arm, a support plate, and at least one set of connecting frames;

[0009] The connecting frame assembly includes two connecting frames, each of which is located on either side of the shaft cover in a width direction. The main swing arm and the support plate swing arm are both connected between the connecting frames and the shaft cover. The first end of the main swing arm is connected to the connecting frame, and the second end of the main swing arm is slidably and rotatably connected to the shaft cover. The first end of the support plate swing arm is connected to the connecting frame, and the second end of the support plate swing arm is connected to the shaft cover.

[0010] The support plate extends along the length direction of the shaft cover and is arranged on the side of the shaft cover facing the folding screen of the foldable electronic device. The side edge of the support plate extends to the side of the shaft cover and overlaps the connecting frame, and the support plate is connected to the support plate swing arm; wherein, the support plate is a plate-like member that can produce elastic deformation, and the connecting frame moves relative to the shaft cover through the main swing arm and the support plate swing arm to switch between the unfolded state and the folded state, driving the support plate to switch between the unfolded state and the folded state synchronously with the folding screen.

[0011] The hinge mechanism provided in the present application is provided with a shaft cover as the main supporting structure, and a connecting frame is provided on both sides of the shaft cover to form a connecting frame group. The connecting frame and the shaft cover are movably connected by a main swing arm and a support plate swing arm to realize the rotation and displacement of the connecting frame relative to the shaft cover. By providing a support plate that can generate elastic deformation on the side of the shaft cover facing the folding screen, the support plate is used to support the foldable part of the folding screen. The support plate can be bent or flattened along with the foldable part, and plays a good supporting role for the foldable part. The support plate is positioned by the support plate swing arm and does not restrict the movement of the support plate. The design of the integrated support plate can simplify the structure of the hinge mechanism, reduce the difficulty of manufacturing and assembling the hinge mechanism, and has good support stability for the foldable part of the folding screen, which can ensure the flatness of the folding screen, prevent local stress concentration in the foldable part, and reduce the risk of failure of the folding screen.

[0012] In a possible implementation, a middle area of ​​the support plate in the width direction is a hollow portion, and the hollow portion covers the entire area of ​​the support plate in the length direction.

[0013] By creating a hollowed-out section in the middle of the width of the support plate, the plate's bendability is enhanced, ensuring its stability as it moves synchronously with the foldable portion of the foldable screen. Furthermore, by ensuring the hollowed-out section covers the entire length of the support plate, the plate's shape is maintained in a consistent manner when bent, ensuring it stably supports the foldable screen.

[0014] In a possible implementation, a plurality of strip-shaped openings are distributed in the hollow portion, and the strip-shaped openings extend along the length direction of the support plate.

[0015] A hollow portion is formed by opening multiple strip-shaped openings in the middle area of ​​the support plate in the width direction, and the strip-shaped openings are extended along the length direction of the support plate, so that the support plate can be easily bent along its length direction, and the strength of the support plate in the width direction is less affected, thereby ensuring the reliability of the support plate.

[0016] In a possible implementation, along the width direction of the support plate, adjacent strip-shaped openings are staggered in the length direction of the support plate.

[0017] By staggering adjacent strip openings in the width direction of the support plate in the front and back directions of the length direction of the support plate, the strip openings are more evenly distributed in the hollow portion, thereby ensuring that the support plate has good bending performance and preventing excessive strength differences between different areas of the support plate, thereby avoiding affecting the reliability of the support plate.

[0018] In a possible embodiment, the strip-shaped opening includes a first strip-shaped opening and a second strip-shaped opening, the first strip-shaped opening is enclosed in a closed shape, and the second strip-shaped opening is connected to the end surface of the support plate.

[0019] By setting a closed first strip opening completely between the two ends of the support plate in the length direction, the overall playability of the support plate is ensured. By setting a second strip opening connected to the end face of the support plate, so that the two ends of the support plate in the length direction have a disconnected area, the bendability of the two ends of the support plate is ensured, thereby ensuring the consistency of the bendability of the support plate along the length direction and guaranteeing the reliability of the support plate.

[0020] In a possible implementation manner, the support plate is a metal plate.

[0021] In a possible embodiment, one of the support plate and the support plate swing arm is provided with a positioning hole, and the other is provided with a positioning column extending toward the other, and the positioning column is inserted into the positioning hole.

[0022] By setting a positioning hole on one of the support plate and the support plate swing arm, and setting a positioning column extending toward the other side at a position corresponding to the positioning hole on the other, when the support plate and the support plate swing arm are connected, the positioning column is inserted into the positioning hole to achieve the positioning of the support plate.

[0023] In a possible embodiment, both ends of the shaft cover in the longitudinal direction are provided with a stop edge, the stop edge protrudes on the side surface of the shaft cover facing the folding screen, and the two ends of the support plate in the longitudinal direction respectively abut against the corresponding stop edge.

[0024] By setting stop edges at both ends of the shaft cover in the length direction, the stop edges are raised on the side surface of the shaft cover facing the folding screen. The stop edges at both ends of the shaft cover abut against the corresponding two ends of the support plate, so that the support plate is confined between the two ends of the shaft cover and the support plate is preliminarily positioned.

[0025] In one possible embodiment, a first rotating shaft is installed on the connecting frame, a first arc-shaped groove is opened on the shaft cover, and the main swing arm includes a rotating part, a connecting plate part and a first arc-shaped sliding part from the first end to the second end. The rotating part is sleeved on the first rotating shaft, and the first arc-shaped sliding part slides in the first arc-shaped groove.

[0026] By installing the first rotating shaft on the connecting frame and opening the first arc-shaped groove on the shaft cover, the rotating part of the main swing arm can be sleeved on the first rotating shaft and rotate around the first rotating shaft, and the first arc-shaped sliding part of the main swing arm can extend into the first arc-shaped groove and slide along the first arc-shaped groove. The connecting plate part of the main swing arm provides torque for the rotation of the main swing arm, so as to realize the rotation of the connecting frame relative to the shaft cover, and at the same time realize the movement of the connecting frame away from or close to the shaft cover.

[0027] In one possible embodiment, a first sliding groove is provided on the connecting frame, a second arc-shaped groove is provided on the shaft cover, and the support plate swing arm includes a sliding shaft portion, a connecting portion and a second arc-shaped sliding portion from the first end to the second end. The sliding shaft portion slides and rotates in the first sliding groove, and the second arc-shaped sliding portion slides in the second arc-shaped groove.

[0028] By providing a first sliding groove on the connecting frame and a second arc groove on the shaft cover, the sliding shaft portion of the support plate swing arm can slide along the first sliding groove and rotate around its own axis, and the second arc sliding portion of the support plate swing arm can extend into the second arc groove and slide along the second arc groove. The connecting portion of the support plate swing arm provides torque for the rotation of the support plate swing arm to realize the rotation and displacement of the connecting frame relative to the shaft cover, and the support plate swing arm can adjust its own movement state in coordination with the movement of the support plate.

[0029] In a possible embodiment, the connecting frame group includes at least two groups, and the connecting frames of each group are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the shaft cover;

[0030] Among them, the main swing arm and the support plate swing arm are connected between the two connecting frames and the axle cover of each connecting frame group.

[0031] By disposing at least two connecting frame groups spaced apart along the length of the shaft cover, a secure connection between the rotating shaft mechanism and the first and second housings is ensured, ensuring the stability of the movement of the first and second housings driven by the rotating shaft mechanism. Furthermore, each connecting frame group is movably connected to the shaft cover via a main swing arm and a support plate swing arm, ensuring the stability of the connecting frame group's movement relative to the shaft cover.

[0032] In a possible embodiment, the rotating shaft mechanism further includes a synchronous damping swing arm, and the synchronous damping swing arm is connected between the two connecting frames of at least one connecting frame group and the shaft cover;

[0033] Among them, the connecting frame is provided with a second sliding groove, the shaft cover is provided with a synchronous limiting structure, the synchronous damping swing arm includes a slide plate part and a sleeve part, the slide plate part slides in the second sliding groove, the sleeve part is connected to the synchronous limiting structure, and the synchronous limiting structure enables the connecting frames located on both sides of the shaft cover to rotate and slide synchronously relative to the shaft cover.

[0034] A synchronous damping swing arm is connected between the connecting frame and the shaft cover. The synchronous damping swing arm, through its sleeve portion, engages with a synchronous limiting structure provided on the shaft cover, and its slide portion extends into a second slide groove provided on the connecting frame and slides. The sleeve portion rotates and slides relative to the synchronous limiting structure, and the synchronous limiting structure causes the sleeve portions of the synchronous damping swing arms on both sides of the shaft cover to move synchronously. This, in turn, drives the connecting frames on both sides of the shaft cover to move synchronously, achieving synchronized movement of the first and second housings, ensuring smooth and precise movement of the foldable electronic device.

[0035] In one possible embodiment, the synchronous limiting structure includes a sliding seat and two second rotating shafts, the two second rotating shafts are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the shaft cover in the width direction, and the sliding seat has mounting grooves on both sides, and the two second rotating shafts pass through the mounting grooves on both sides respectively;

[0036] The shaft sleeves of the synchronous damping swing arms on both sides are respectively sleeved on the second rotating shafts on both sides and are respectively located in the mounting grooves on both sides. The sliding seat is used to drive the shaft sleeves on both sides to rotate synchronously.

[0037] By symmetrically arranging two second rotating shafts on both sides in the width direction of the shaft cover, a sliding seat that can slide along its axial direction is sleeved on the second rotating shaft, and the shaft sleeve parts of the synchronous damping swing arms on both sides are respectively sleeved on the two second rotating shafts, and the shaft sleeve parts on both sides are respectively located in the mounting grooves on both sides of the sliding seat. The shaft sleeve parts of the synchronous damping swing arms on both sides can transmit power to each other through the sliding seat, so that the shaft sleeve parts on both sides rotate synchronously, thereby realizing the synchronous movement of the synchronous damping swing arms on both sides.

[0038] In one possible embodiment, the groove walls opposite to each other on both sides of the mounting grooves are each provided with at least one guide protrusion, and the guide protrusions in the mounting grooves on both sides are symmetrically arranged, and the shaft sleeves on both sides are each provided with at least one spiral hole, and the spiral holes on the shaft sleeves on both sides are symmetrically arranged, and the guide protrusions extend into the corresponding spiral holes.

[0039] By symmetrically arranging guide protrusions on the groove walls opposite to each other on both sides of the sliding seat, and opening symmetrical spiral holes on the sleeve parts on both sides that cooperate with the corresponding guide protrusions, when the sleeve part of the synchronous damping swing arm on one side rotates around the second rotating shaft, the spiral hole on the sleeve part cooperates with the guide protrusion on the sliding seat, so that the sliding seat slides along the axial direction of the second rotating shaft. The sliding seat then cooperates with the sleeve part of the synchronous damping swing arm on the other side to transmit power to the sleeve part of the synchronous damping swing arm on the other side, thereby realizing synchronous rotation of the sleeve parts of the synchronous damping swing arms on both sides.

[0040] In a possible implementation manner, the shaft sleeve portion is provided with at least two spiral holes, and the spiral holes are spaced apart along the axial direction of the shaft sleeve portion.

[0041] By opening at least two spiral holes on the sleeve portion and correspondingly setting at least two guide protrusions on the groove wall of the mounting groove, the cooperation between each guide protrusion and each spiral hole can improve the accuracy of the synchronous movement of the synchronous damping swing arms on both sides, improve the consistency and stability of the opening and closing between the first shell and the second shell, and decompose the friction force during the rotation of the synchronous damping swing arm, thereby improving the service life of the rotating shaft mechanism.

[0042] In a possible embodiment, the synchronous limiting structure further includes an assembly seat, which is arranged at one end of the sliding seat, and the end of the second rotating shaft corresponding to the assembly seat extends out of the sliding seat and is connected to the assembly seat.

[0043] By arranging an assembly seat at one end of the second shaft extending out of the sliding seat, the assembly seat is connected to the second shaft to limit the sliding range of the sliding seat to the length of the second shaft, thereby preventing the sliding seat from escaping from the second shaft.

[0044] In a possible embodiment, the rotating shaft mechanism further includes a damping member, which is mounted on the connecting frame and arranged corresponding to the synchronous damping swing arm;

[0045] Among them, at least one side of the slide plate portion corresponding to the length direction of the shaft cover is the force transmission side, the damping member is arranged corresponding to the force transmission side and abuts against the force transmission side, and the slide plate portion slides in the second slide groove so that different parts of the force transmission side abut against the damping member to change the elastic deformation generated by the damping member.

[0046] A damping member is mounted on the connecting frame, located lateral to the slide portion of the synchronous damping swing arm, and the sidewall of the slide portion corresponding to the damping member is configured as the force-transmitting side, with the force-transmitting side abutting the damping member. When the connecting frame moves relative to the shaft cover, as the slide portion slides within the connecting frame's second chute, different portions of the slide portion's force-transmitting side abut the damping member. The slide portion exerts varying degrees of pressure on the damping member, causing it to undergo varying degrees of elastic deformation. When the damping member generates a significant elastic force, creating sufficient damping force between the connecting frame and the shaft cover, the housing assembly can be suspended in a semi-expanded state.

[0047] In a possible embodiment, recesses and protrusions are alternately provided on the force transmission side along its extension direction. As the slide plate slides, the damping element abuts against the recesses or the protrusions and generates elastic deformation.

[0048] By setting a concave portion and a convex portion at a lower position on the force transmission side of the slide plate portion of the synchronous damping swing arm, during the sliding process of the slide plate portion, the damping member abuts against the alternately set concave portions and convex portions in sequence, the pressure of the force transmission side of the slide plate portion on the damping member changes, the compression amount generated by the elastic deformation of the damping member changes accordingly, and the elastic force generated by the damping member changes accordingly, which can change the damping force between the connecting frame and the shaft cover.

[0049] In a possible embodiment, both sides of the slide portion corresponding to the shaft cover in the length direction are force transmission sides, and damping elements are provided on both force transmission sides.

[0050] The concave portions and convex portions on the force transmission sides correspond to each other.

[0051] By providing damping elements on both sides of the slide, both sides of the slide are configured as force-transmitting sides. The concave and convex portions on each side correspond to each other, generating forces between both sides of the slide and the damping elements. This improves the stability of the slide movement of the synchronous damping swing arm and enhances the smoothness of the housing assembly's movement. Furthermore, the damping elements on both sides provide damping force for the rotation of the connecting frame relative to the shaft cover, improving the stability of the housing assembly when in a semi-deployed state.

[0052] In a possible embodiment, the damping member includes a fixed end, a deformation section and a movable end connected in sequence, the fixed end is away from the force transmission side and fixed to the connecting frame, the movable end abuts the force transmission side, and the deformation section generates elastic deformation as the movable end moves.

[0053] The damping member is designed to include a fixed end, a deformation section and a movable end in sequence from one end away from the slide portion to the end close to the slide portion, the fixed end is fixed to the connecting frame, the movable end abuts the force transmission side of the slide portion, the movable end moves with the movement of the slide portion, and the force is transmitted to the deformation section. The deformation section then generates elastic deformation to provide elastic force, and the damping force between the connecting frame and the shaft cover is provided by relying on the elastic force of the damping member.

[0054] In a possible embodiment, the shaft cover includes a cover plate and multiple reinforcement parts, each reinforcement part is arranged at intervals on the side surface of the cover plate facing the folding screen, and the main swing arm and the support plate swing arm are both connected to the reinforcement part.

[0055] By providing a reinforcement portion on the surface of the cover plate facing the folding screen, the reinforcement portion and the cover plate together constitute an axle cover. The thickness of the cover plate can be thinner, and the installation of components such as the main swing arm and the support plate swing arm can be achieved through the reinforcement portion to reduce the overall thickness of the axle cover, and ensure the strength of the axle cover to meet the reliability requirements of the axle cover.

[0056] In a possible implementation manner, the cover plate is made of a metal material, the reinforcement portion is made of a polymer material, and the cover plate and the reinforcement portion are an integrally formed structure.

[0057] By using metal materials for the cover plate and polymer materials for the reinforcement, the shaft cover's appearance and strength are enhanced while meeting the requirements for a lightweight and thin shaft cover. Furthermore, the use of an integrated molding process improves the shaft cover's integrity and simplifies its structure.

[0058] In a possible embodiment, a curved groove is provided on a surface of the shaft cover facing the folding screen, and the curved groove is used to support the curved bottom of the support plate when in the folded state;

[0059] The arc-shaped groove is located in the middle area of ​​the shaft cover in the width direction, and the arc-shaped groove extends along the length direction of the shaft cover and covers each reinforcement part.

[0060] By setting an arc groove on the surface of the side of the shaft cover facing the folding screen, the arc groove is formed on each reinforcement part, and the arc groove on each reinforcement part extends along the length direction of the shaft cover. By making the arc groove located in the middle area in the width direction of the shaft cover, the arc groove corresponds to the curved bottom of the support plate. When the support plate is in a bent state, its curved bottom is supported in the arc groove. The arc groove can make the curved bottom of the support plate naturally stretched, protecting the support plate from extrusion.

[0061] On the other hand, the present application provides a foldable electronic device, comprising a first housing, a second housing, a folding screen, and the aforementioned hinge mechanism;

[0062] The connecting frames on both sides of the shaft cover of the hinge mechanism are respectively connected to the first shell and the second shell. The folding screen is located on the side where the support plate of the hinge mechanism is located, and the folding screen is connected to the first shell and the second shell.

[0063] The foldable electronic device provided herein comprises a hinge mechanism connected between a first housing and a second housing to form a housing assembly. The hinge mechanism drives the first and second housings to move relative to each other, and a foldable screen is supported and fixed to the first and second housings. The foldable screen expands or folds with the movement of the housing assembly. The hinge mechanism comprises a shaft cover as the main support structure, and a connecting frame assembly formed by connecting frames provided on both sides of the shaft cover. The connecting frame and the shaft cover are movably connected by a main swing arm and a support plate swing arm to enable rotation and displacement of the connecting frame relative to the shaft cover. An elastically deformable support plate is provided on the side of the shaft cover facing the foldable screen, supporting the foldable portion of the foldable screen. The support plate can bend or flatten with the foldable portion, providing good support for the foldable portion. The support plate is positioned by the support plate swing arm without restricting its movement. The integrated support plate design simplifies the structure of the hinge mechanism, reducing the difficulty of manufacturing and assembly of the hinge mechanism. Furthermore, the support plate provides good support stability for the foldable portion of the foldable screen, ensuring the flatness of the foldable screen, preventing local stress concentration in the foldable portion, and reducing the risk of foldable screen failure.

[0064] In a possible implementation, the folding screen includes a screen body and a reinforcement sheet, wherein the reinforcement sheet is connected to a surface of the screen body facing the hinge mechanism, and the reinforcement sheet corresponds to the hinge mechanism.

[0065] By adding a reinforcing plate on the surface of the screen facing the hinge mechanism and corresponding to the hinge mechanism, the reinforcing plate can increase the strength of the folding screen, provide auxiliary force for the bending and flattening of the screen, and ensure the reliability of the screen during long-term use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0066] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the foldable electronic device shown in FIG1 in a folded state;

[0068] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of the foldable electronic device shown in FIG1 in a semi-expanded state;

[0069] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a foldable electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the housing assembly shown in FIG4 ;

[0071] FIG6 a is an exploded structural diagram of the rotating shaft mechanism shown in FIG5 in an expanded state;

[0072] FIG6 b is an exploded structural diagram of the rotating shaft mechanism shown in FIG5 in a folded state;

[0073] FIG7 a is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the folding screen assembled on the hinge mechanism in the unfolded state;

[0074] FIG7 b is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the folding screen assembled on the hinge mechanism in the folded state;

[0075] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the support plate in FIG8 ;

[0077] FIG10 is a partial enlarged view of point A in FIG8 ;

[0078] FIG11a is a front view of the rotating shaft body provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG11 b is a rear view of the rotating shaft body provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the rotating shaft body provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG13 is a partial enlarged view of point B in FIG11a;

[0082] FIG14 is a partial enlarged view of point C in FIG12;

[0083] FIG15 a is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG13 ;

[0084] FIG15 b is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to the folded state of FIG15 a ;

[0085] FIG16 a is a schematic cross-sectional view of line BB in FIG13 ;

[0086] FIG16b is a cross-sectional schematic diagram corresponding to the folded state of FIG16a;

[0087] FIG17a is a partial enlarged view of point D in FIG11a;

[0088] FIG17b is a partial enlarged view of point E in FIG11b;

[0089] FIG18a is a partial structural diagram of the synchronous damping swing arm and the synchronous limit structure;

[0090] FIG18 b is a partial structural diagram of the synchronous damping swing arm and the damping element;

[0091] FIG19 is a schematic structural diagram of a shaft cover provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0092] Figure 20 is a partial cross-sectional view of the folding screen and support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application installed on the shaft cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0093] The terms used in the implementation section of this application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0094] The present invention provides a foldable electronic device, including but not limited to a mobile phone, a tablet personal computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer, a multimedia player, an e-book reader, an in-vehicle device, or a wearable device. The wearable device includes but is not limited to a smart bracelet, a smart watch, a smart head-mounted display, and smart glasses.

[0095] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a foldable electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application in an unfolded state; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable electronic device shown in Figure 1 in a folded state; and Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable electronic device shown in Figure 1 in a semi-expanded state. Referring to Figures 1 to 3, this embodiment is described using a foldable mobile phone as an example.

[0096] For the foldable electronic device 1, the foldable electronic device 1 can have different usage states in different usage scenarios. Figure 1 shows the foldable electronic device 1 in an unfolded state, where the unfolding angle α of the foldable electronic device 1 is, for example, 180°. In this case, the foldable electronic device 1 can achieve a large screen display; Figure 2 shows the foldable electronic device 1 in a folded state. In this case, the foldable electronic device 1 is small and easy to carry; Figure 3 shows the foldable electronic device 1 in a semi-expanded state. In this case, the foldable electronic device 1 is suspended at an angle between the unfolded state and the folded state. For example, the suspension angle β of the foldable electronic device 1 can be 120°, 130°, 140°, or 150°, etc.

[0097] It should be noted that the angles illustrated in this embodiment are all allowed to have slight deviations. For example, the unfolding angle α of the foldable electronic device 11 shown in Figure 1 is 180°, which means that the unfolding angle α can be 180° or approximately 180°, such as 170°, 175°, 185°, or 190°. The angles illustrated in the following examples should be understood in the same way.

[0098] In addition, it should be understood that the foldable electronic device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is an electronic device that can be folded once, and the electronic device includes two parts that can rotate relative to each other. When the two parts rotate to be coplanar, the foldable electronic device 1 is in an unfolded state (as shown in Figure 1), when the two parts rotate to overlap each other, the foldable electronic device 1 is in a folded state (as shown in Figure 2), and when the two parts rotate to hover at a certain angle between the unfolded state and the folded state, the foldable electronic device 1 is in a semi-expanded state (as shown in Figure 3). In other embodiments, the foldable electronic device 1 can also be an electronic device that can be folded multiple times (more than twice). In this case, the foldable electronic device 1 can include multiple parts that are connected by sequential rotation, and two adjacent parts can also be relatively far apart to unfold to the unfolded state, and two adjacent parts can be relatively close to fold to the folded state.

[0099] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the foldable electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to Figure 4, the foldable electronic device 1 includes a foldable screen 10 and a shell assembly 20. The foldable screen 10 is supported and connected to one side surface of the shell assembly 20. The side surface of the foldable screen 10 facing away from the shell assembly 20 is its display surface (not shown in the figure). The display surface is used to display information and provide an interactive interface for the user. In this embodiment, the display surface of the foldable screen 10 is defined as its front surface, and the other side surface of the foldable screen 10 opposite to the front surface is defined as its back surface. That is, the front surface of the foldable screen 10 is exposed outside the shell assembly 20, and the back surface of the foldable screen 10 faces the shell assembly 20 and is connected to the shell assembly 20.

[0100] In this embodiment, the folding screen 10 can be, but is not limited to, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode or an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display, a mini organic light-emitting diode (MID) display, a micro organic light-emitting diode (MID) display, a micro organic light-emitting diode (MID) display, or a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) display, etc.

[0101] The foldable screen 10 may include a first part 10a, a second part 10b and a foldable part 10c, and the foldable part 10c is located between the first part 10a and the second part 10b. During use of the foldable electronic device 1, the first part 10a and the second part 10b always maintain a planar state, and the foldable part 10c can be bent to change the angle between the first part 10a and the second part 10b, so that the foldable screen 10 folds or unfolds with the movement of the shell assembly 20, so as to enable the foldable electronic device 1 to switch between the folded state and the unfolded state. Exemplarily, in the foldable screen 10, at least the foldable part 10c is made of a flexible material, and the first part 10a and the second part 10b can be made of a flexible material, or a rigid material, or partially made of a rigid material and partially made of a flexible material, and this embodiment does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0102] Driven by the shell assembly 20, the folding screen 10 can switch between the unfolded state and the folded state. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, when the folding screen 10 is in the unfolded state, the first part 10a and the second part 10b are in a relatively distant unfolded state, the foldable part 10c is in a flattened state without bending, and the first part 10a, the second part 10b and the foldable part 10c are oriented in the same direction and are in a coplanar state. At this time, the angle between the first part 10a and the second part 10b is 180°. The folding screen 10 can achieve a large-screen display, provide users with richer information, and bring users a better user experience.

[0103] As shown in Figures 2 and 4 , when the foldable screen 10 is in the folded state, the first portion 10a and the second portion 10b are stacked relative to each other, and the foldable portion 10c is in a bent state, which can be, for example, in the shape of a teardrop. At this point, the foldable screen 10 is invisible to the user, and the housing assembly 20 protects the foldable screen 10 from scratches. This foldable electronic device 1 is an inward-folding electronic device.

[0104] Of course, in other examples, the foldable electronic device 1 can also be an outward-folding electronic device. When in the folded state, the first portion 10a and the second portion 10b of the foldable screen 10 face each other, the housing assembly 20 is located between the first portion 10a and the second portion 10b, and the foldable screen 10 is disposed outside the housing assembly 20 and is visible to the user. It will be understood that, whether it is an inward-folding electronic device or an outward-folding electronic device, the foldable electronic device 1 is compact in size when in the folded state, making it easy to carry and store.

[0105] As shown in Figures 3 and 4 , the housing assembly 20 can also utilize its own damping force to hover in a semi-expanded state between the folded and expanded states, and the foldable screen 10 remains in the semi-expanded state along with the housing assembly 20. At this time, the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10 is also in a bent state, and the degree of bending is less than that in the folded state. The first portion 10a and the second portion 10b of the foldable screen 10 are relatively inclined, and the angle between the first portion 10a and the second portion 10b is, for example, 120°, 130°, 140°, or 150°.

[0106] The housing assembly 20 is used to support and fix the folding screen 10, and to drive the folding screen 10 to switch between the folded state and the unfolded state. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the housing assembly shown in Figure 4. Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the housing assembly 20 includes a first housing 100, a second housing 200 and a hinge mechanism 300. The hinge mechanism 300 is connected between the first housing 100 and the second housing 200. The first housing 100 and the second housing 200 are rotatably connected through the hinge mechanism 300, thereby realizing relative rotation between the first housing 100 and the second housing 200.

[0107] The first housing 100 supports and fixes the first portion 10a of the foldable screen 10, and the second housing 200 supports and fixes the second portion 10b of the foldable screen 10. In other words, the first portion 10a of the foldable screen 10 is fixedly connected to the first housing 100, and the second portion 10b of the foldable screen 10 is fixedly connected to the second housing 200. The foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10 is arranged corresponding to the hinge mechanism 300. When the hinge mechanism 300 drives the first housing 100 and the second housing 200 to rotate relative to each other, the first portion 10a and the second portion 10b of the foldable screen 10 change their orientation accordingly, and the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10 bends or flattens as the states of the first portion 10a and the second portion 10b change.

[0108] The first shell 100 and the second shell 200 are driven to rotate relative to each other by the hinge mechanism 300, so that the foldable electronic device 1 is switched between the folded state and the unfolded state. Among them, the second shell 200 and the second shell 200 can also rotate in the direction away from each other until the two are coplanar. At this time, the shell assembly 20 is in the expanded state, and the folding screen 10 is in the expanded state as the shell assembly 20 is expanded, as shown in Figure 1; the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 can rotate in the direction close to each other until the two are relatively stacked. At this time, the shell assembly 20 is in the folded state, and the folding screen 10 is in the folded state as the shell assembly 20 is folded, as shown in Figure 2; the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 can also rotate relative to each other until the two stay between the folded state and the expanded state. At this time, the shell assembly 20 is in a semi-expanded state (hovering state), and the angle between the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 is, for example, 120°, 130°, 140° or 150°, etc. The folding screen 10 is in the semi-expanded state with the shell assembly 20, and the angle between the first part 10a and the second part 10b of the folding screen 10 is determined by the angle between the first shell 100 and the second shell 200.

[0109] Exemplarily, the first shell 100 may have a support surface facing the first part 10a of the folding screen 10, and the first part 10a of the folding screen 10 is attached to the support surface of the first shell 100, for example, the first part 10a of the folding screen 10 is bonded to the support surface of the first shell 100; similarly, the second shell 200 may have a support surface facing the second part 10b of the folding screen 10, and the second part 10b of the folding screen 10 is attached to the support surface of the second shell 200, for example, the second part 10b of the folding screen 10 is bonded to the support surface of the second shell 200.

[0110] In addition, the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 may both have a storage space, and the storage space is used to install some functional components of the foldable electronic device 1 (not shown in the figure), for example, the storage space is used to install some components such as circuit boards, batteries, camera modules, microphones, speakers, etc. Exemplarily, circuit boards may be provided in both the first shell 100 and the second shell 200, and electrical connections between other components are achieved through the circuit boards in the two shells; the battery for powering the components may be provided only in the first shell 100 or the second shell 200, or batteries may be provided in both the first shell 100 and the second shell 200; as for other components such as camera modules, microphones, speakers, etc., they may be concentrated in the first shell 100 or the second shell 200, or some components may be provided in the first shell 100 and some components may be provided in the second shell 200.

[0111] Both the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 may include a middle frame (not shown in the figure) and a back cover (not shown in the figure). The middle frame is connected between the folding screen 10 and the back cover. The side surface of the middle frame facing the folding screen 10 forms the above-mentioned support surface. The side surface of the middle frame is used to support and fix the folding screen 10. The back cover is connected to the side surface of the middle frame facing away from the folding screen 10. The middle frame and the back cover together enclose a storage space for installing devices.

[0112] In related art, the hinge mechanism usually has pressure plates on both sides of the shaft cover. The pressure plates on both sides are respectively provided on both sides of the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10. The pressure plates on both sides face the two sides of the foldable portion 10c and are fixedly connected to the foldable portion 10c. The pressure plates support the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10 and control the folding state of the foldable portion 10c to be a teardrop shape. In addition, the hinge mechanism usually also has a floating plate on the side of the shaft cover facing the foldable screen 10. The floating plate floats up and down as the hinge mechanism is unfolded and folded to support the foldable portion 10c in different states (for example, flattened state and bent state).

[0113] However, the provision of the pressure plate and the floating plate increases the complexity of the hinge mechanism, and the manufacture and assembly of the various components of the hinge mechanism are relatively difficult and costly. In addition, the pressure plate will limit the freedom of movement of the folding screen 10. There is usually a large gap between the pressure plates on both sides, and there will inevitably be a step difference between the pressure plate and the floating plate. These will affect the stability of the support for the folding screen 10. During the long-term use of the foldable electronic device 1, the folding screen 10 is repeatedly folded and unfolded, which can easily cause creases on the folding screen 10. In addition, in scenarios such as collision or falling of the foldable electronic device 1, there is a local stress concentration phenomenon between the foldable part 10c of the folding screen 10 and the floating plate of the foldable electronic device 1 in the folded state, which increases the risk of failure of the folding screen 10.

[0114] To improve the stability of the hinge mechanism supporting the folding screen 10, in some scenarios, a protective sheet (e.g., a steel sheet) is added between the folding screen 10 and the pressure plate. This sheet can improve the problem of excessive gaps between the pressure plates and compensate for the step difference between the pressure plate and the floating plate, thereby improving the flatness of the folding screen 10. However, the protective sheet further increases the complexity of the hinge mechanism, hindering its manufacture and assembly. Furthermore, the protective sheet increases the overall thickness of the hinge mechanism, reducing its flexibility.

[0115] In view of this, the embodiment of the present application improves the hinge mechanism 300 used to rotatably connect the first shell 100 and the second shell 200. The hinge mechanism 300 is provided with an elastically deformable support plate on the side of the shaft cover 310 facing the folding screen 10. The support plate supports the foldable portion 10c of the folding screen 10. The support plate can bend or flatten with the foldable portion 10c, providing good support for the foldable portion 10c. The use of a support plate instead of a pressure plate and a floating plate can simplify the structure of the hinge mechanism 300, making the hinge mechanism 300 easier to manufacture and assemble, thereby improving the production and assembly efficiency of the hinge mechanism 300. In addition, the integrated support plate design provides good support stability for the foldable portion 10c of the folding screen 10, ensuring the flatness of the folding screen 10. When in the folded state, the support plate wraps around the foldable portion 10c of the folding screen 10, preventing local stress concentration in the foldable portion 10c in scenarios such as collisions or falls, thereby reducing the risk of failure of the folding screen 10.

[0116] The following is a detailed description of the rotating shaft mechanism 300 of this embodiment.

[0117] Figure 6a is an exploded view of the hinge mechanism shown in Figure 5 in the expanded state; Figure 6b is an exploded view of the hinge mechanism shown in Figure 5 in the folded state. Referring to Figures 6a and 6b, the hinge mechanism 300 comprises a hinge body and a support plate 340. The hinge body is used to connect between the first housing 100 and the second housing 200, and the support plate 340 is connected to the side of the hinge body facing the foldable screen 10. The hinge body is primarily used to drive the first housing 100 and the second housing 200 to rotate relative to each other, thereby switching the foldable electronic device 1 between the folded and expanded states. Furthermore, the damping force provided by the hinge body allows the first housing 100 and the second housing 200 to remain in the semi-expanded state. The support plate 340 is primarily used to support the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10. The support plate 340 is an elastically deformable plate-like member that, driven by the hinge body, can bend or flatten synchronously with the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10.

[0118] The shaft body includes a shaft cover 310, a connecting frame assembly 320, and a connecting assembly. The shaft cover 310 is the main supporting structure of the shaft body. The shaft cover 310 is located between the first shell 100 and the second shell 200, and the shaft cover 310 extends along the side edges of the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 on opposite sides. The shaft cover 310 acts as the rotation axis of the first shell 100 and the second shell 200, and the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 rotate around the length of the shaft cover 310. The shaft body is connected to the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 via the connecting frame assembly 320. The connecting assembly is movably connected between the connecting frame assembly 320 and the shaft cover 310. The connecting assembly enables the connecting frame assembly 320 to move relative to the shaft cover 310, so that the shaft body drives the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 to move relative to each other, realizing the switching of the housing assembly 20 between the folded state and the unfolded state.

[0119] Depending on factors such as the size and performance requirements of the foldable electronic device 1, the hinge body may include one group of connecting frame groups 320 or more than two groups of connecting frame groups 320. In the case where the hinge body is provided with more than two groups of connecting frame groups 320, each group of connecting frame groups 320 may be arranged at intervals along the length direction of the shaft cover 310. The first shell 100, the second shell 200 and the shaft cover 310 are connected through each group of connecting frame groups 320. Different connecting frame groups 320 correspond to different parts of the first shell 100 and the second shell 200, which can ensure that the hinge mechanism 300 is firmly connected to the first shell 100 and the second shell 200, and ensure the stability of the movement of the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 driven by the hinge mechanism 300.

[0120] In Figures 6a and 6b, three groups of connecting rack groups 320 are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the shaft cover 310 as an example. Of course, in other examples, two groups of connecting rack groups 320, four groups of connecting rack groups 320, five groups of connecting rack groups 320 or more groups of connecting rack groups 320 may also be arranged at intervals along the length direction of the shaft cover 310, and the embodiments of the present application do not impose specific limitations.

[0121] Each connecting frame group 320 includes two connecting frames 321, which are respectively located on either side of the shaft cover 310 in the width direction. The two connecting frames 321 are respectively fixedly connected to the housing on the corresponding side. In other words, one connecting frame 321 is located on the side where the first housing 100 is located and is fixedly connected to the first housing 100, and the other connecting frame 321 is located on the side where the second housing 200 is located and is fixedly connected to the second housing 200. For example, the two connecting frames 321 of each connecting frame group 320 can be symmetrically arranged, and the connecting frames 321 and the corresponding housing can be locked together, for example, using screws, rivets, or other fasteners.

[0122] Referring to Figure 6a, the figure shows that the two connecting frames 321 of the connecting frame group 320 are unfolded on both sides of the shaft cover 310, and the two connecting frames 321 are coplanar with the shaft cover 310. At this time, the hinge mechanism 300 is in the unfolded state, and the foldable electronic device 1 is also in the unfolded state; as shown in Figure 6b, the figure shows that the two connecting frames 321 of the connecting frame group 320 are close to and folded above the shaft cover 310, and the two connecting frames 321 are almost perpendicular to the shaft cover 310 and are arranged opposite to each other. At this time, the hinge mechanism 300 is in the folded state, and the foldable electronic device 1 is also in the folded state.

[0123] Continuing with Figures 6a and 6b , the support plate 340 is located on the side of the shaft cover 310 facing the foldable screen 10. The support plate 340 extends along the length of the shaft cover 310. That is, the length of the support plate 340 corresponds to the length of the shaft cover 310. The support plate 340 corresponds to the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10 and supports the foldable portion 10c. Under the driving action of the hinge body, the support plate 340 flattens or bends synchronously with the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10. Figure 6a shows that the hinge body is in the unfolded state, with the support plate 340 in the flattened state. At this time, the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10 is also in the flattened state, that is, the foldable screen 10 is in the unfolded state. Figure 6b shows that the hinge body is in the folded state, with the support plate 340 in the bent state. At this time, the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10 is also in the bent state, that is, the foldable screen 10 is in the folded state.

[0124] As for the positioning of the support plate 340, as shown in Figure 6a, both ends of the shaft cover 310 in the longitudinal direction can be provided with a stop edge 311, and the stop edge 311 protrudes on the side surface of the shaft cover 310 facing the folding screen 10. When the support plate 340 is installed on the shaft body, the support plate 340 is supported on the shaft cover 310 and the connecting frame 321 located on both sides of the shaft cover 310. The two ends of the support plate 340 in the longitudinal direction respectively abut against the stop edges 311 at the corresponding ends of the shaft cover 310 to limit the displacement of the support plate 340 in the longitudinal direction, so as to limit the support plate 340 within the length range of the shaft cover 310 to prevent the support plate 340 from deviating from or falling off the two ends of the shaft cover 310, and to perform a preliminary positioning of the support plate 340.

[0125] In addition, on the basis of limiting the support plate 340 by the retaining edges 311 at both ends of the shaft cover 310, a positioning structure is matched between the support plate 340 and the connecting component, and the support plate 340 is connected to the connecting component through the positioning structure to position the support plate 340, and the displacement of the support plate 340 in the length direction and the width direction are both limited. In the process of the support plate 340 being bent and flattened by the rotating shaft body, the accuracy of the position of the support plate 340 is guaranteed, so that the support plate 340 is always aligned with the foldable part 10c of the folding screen 10, so as to ensure that the support plate 340 plays a good supporting and protective role on the foldable part 10c.

[0126] It should be noted that the support plate 340 is positioned by a connecting assembly, and the connecting assembly drives the connecting frame 321 to rotate and shift relative to the shaft cover 310. The support plate 340 moves with the rotation of the connecting frame 321. The connecting assembly is movably connected between the shaft cover 310 and the connecting frame 321, and the connecting assembly will not restrict the movement of the support plate 340. It can ensure that the support plate 340 can be smoothly unfolded or bent, and will not affect the reliability of the support plate 340.

[0127] As shown in conjunction with Figures 6a and 6b, as an example, the positioning structure provided between the support plate 340 and the connecting assembly may include a positioning hole 3322a and a positioning post 3421. That is, one of the support plate 340 and the connecting assembly is provided with a positioning hole 3322a, and the other is provided with a positioning post 3421 extending toward the other. When the support plate 340 and the connecting assembly are mated, the positioning post 3421 is inserted into the positioning hole 3322a. The positioning post 3421 and the positioning hole 3322a cooperate to position the support plate 340. The figure uses the example of a support plate 340 having a positioning post 3421 extending from a side surface facing the shaft body and a connecting assembly having a positioning hole 3322a. Of course, in other examples, the positioning hole 3322a may be provided on the support plate 340, while the positioning post 3421 is provided on a side surface of the connecting assembly facing the support plate 340. This is not a limitation of the present embodiment.

[0128] Figure 7a is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the folding screen assembled to the hinge mechanism in the unfolded state; Figure 7b is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the folding screen assembled to the hinge mechanism in the folded state. Referring to Figures 7a and 7b, both sides of the support plate 340 in the width direction extend to the sides of the shaft cover 310, and the support plate 340 is overlapped on the connecting frame 321. In this way, the support plate 340 can completely cover the area where the foldable part 10c of the folding screen 10 is located, and can provide good support for the foldable part 10c. In addition, the support plate 340 can be positioned by connecting the portion of the support plate 340 that extends outside the shaft cover 310 to the connecting assembly.

[0129] As shown in Figure 7a, when the hinge mechanism 300 is in the unfolded state, that is, when the foldable electronic device 1 is in the unfolded state, the support plate 340 is in the flattened state as the hinge body unfolds. The support plate 340 supports the lower side of the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10 in the flattened state. The foldable portion 10c is flat against the support plate 340, and the support plate 340 can play a good supporting role. The integrated design of the support plate 340 can stably support the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10. Compared with the method of relying on the pressure plate and the floating plate to jointly support the foldable portion 10c in the related art, the support plate 340 does not have large gaps and step differences, which can improve the stability of the support for the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10. During the long-term use of the foldable electronic device 1, it can effectively reduce the risk of creases on the foldable screen 10.

[0130] As shown in FIG7b , when the hinge mechanism 300 is in the folded state, that is, when the foldable electronic device 1 is in the folded state, the support plate 340 bends synchronously with the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10, and the support plate 340 wraps around the outside of the foldable portion 10c. For the teardrop-shaped foldable portion 10c, the support plate 340 forms a teardrop-shaped structure that wraps around the outside of the foldable portion 10c. In other words, the foldable portion 10c and the support plate 340 together form a double teardrop-shaped structure stacked inside and outside. The complete wrapping of the foldable portion 10c by the support plate 340 provides good protection for the foldable portion 10c. In risk scenarios such as collisions or falls, the forces acting on the foldable portion 10c are evenly distributed and transmitted to various parts of the support plate 340. There are no localized stress-bearing areas on the foldable portion 10c, and stress concentration does not occur on the foldable portion 10c. This effectively reduces the risk of failure of the foldable screen 10 and improves its reliability.

[0131] The support plate 340 is positioned by a connecting assembly to provide stable support for the folding screen 10 (especially the foldable portion 10c). The connecting assembly does not restrict the movement of the support plate 340, ensuring that the support plate 340 can be flattened or bent synchronously with the folding screen 10, providing reliable support for the folding screen 10. There is no connection between the support plate 340 and the folding screen 10, and the support plate 340 does not restrict the movement space of the folding screen 10. Taking the folding screen 10 in the folded state as an example, there is a protective gap between the support plate 340 and the folding screen 10, and the protective gap is, for example, 0.3mm or greater. The folding screen 10 has a large degree of freedom of movement, which can prevent the folding screen 10 (especially the foldable portion 10c) from being pulled during the folding process or from forming pits (convex bumps) in the unfolded state, thereby extending the service life of the folding screen 10 and improving the flatness of the folding screen 10.

[0132] In addition, as shown in FIG7b , in some embodiments, in order to improve the strength of the folding screen 10 itself, the folding screen 10 may include a screen body 11 and a reinforcing sheet 12. The reinforcing sheet 12 is connected to the surface of the screen body 11 on the side facing the hinge mechanism 300, and the reinforcing sheet 12 is provided corresponding to the foldable portion 10c. During the long-term use of the folding screen 10, the foldable portion 10c needs to be repeatedly bent and flattened. By adding the reinforcing sheet 12 in the area where the foldable portion 10c is located, the reinforcing sheet 12 can generate elastic deformation, providing auxiliary force for the bending and flattening of the screen body 11, thereby enhancing the strength of the foldable portion 10c and ensuring the reliability of the foldable portion 10c during long-term use.

[0133] For example, a positioning groove (not shown in the figure) can be provided on the screen body 11 in the area corresponding to the foldable portion 10c, with the notch of the positioning groove facing the hinge mechanism 300. The reinforcement sheet 12 can be attached to the positioning groove by gluing or other means. The depth of the positioning groove can, for example, match the thickness of the reinforcement sheet 12 so that the surface of the reinforcement sheet 12 is flush with the surfaces of other areas of the screen body 11, thereby improving the flatness of the folding screen 10. The reinforcement sheet 12 can be made of a metal sheet with good elasticity. Notches can be distributed on the metal sheet to reduce the rigidity of the metal sheet and ensure that the metal sheet can be flattened and bent synchronously with the screen body 11.

[0134] In addition to the reinforcement sheet 12 provided on the folding screen 10, the support plate 340 further enhances the stability and reliability of the folding screen 10. The elasticity of the support plate 340 allows it to move synchronously with the folding screen 10. While ensuring support for the support plate 340, the support plate 340 wraps around the foldable portion 10c of the folding screen 10 in the folded state. Through the dual action of the reinforcement sheet 12 and the support plate 340, the teardrop-shaped structure of the screen body 11 is maintained.

[0135] This embodiment replaces the pressure plate and floating plate used in related art with a support plate 340, simplifying the structure of the hinge mechanism 300, reducing the number of components, lowering the manufacturing cost of the hinge mechanism 300, and making assembly of the hinge mechanism 300 easier. Furthermore, by employing an integrated support plate 340 that can be flattened or bent synchronously with the foldable portion 10c of the foldable screen 10, the reliability of the support provided to the foldable screen 10 is enhanced, improving the flatness of the foldable screen 10. This can improve or even eliminate creases on the foldable screen 10 after repeated use, reducing the risk of failure.

[0136] In addition, the support plate 340 is a plate-like member with good elasticity, and its thickness is usually thin. Compared with the pressure plate and floating plate in the related technology, the use of the support plate 340 helps to reduce the overall thickness of the hinge mechanism 300 and improve the flexibility of the hinge mechanism 300, which is in line with the development trend of lighter and thinner electronic devices.

[0137] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the support plate structure provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to Figure 8 , to ensure that the support plate 340 has good elasticity and can unfold or bend with the foldable portion 10c of the folding screen 10 under the drive of the hinge body, as an embodiment, the middle area of ​​the width direction of the support plate 340 can be configured as a hollow portion 341, with solid portions 342 on both sides of the hollow portion 341. That is to say, the area on the support plate 340 corresponding to the curved top (with the greatest degree of bending deformation) of the foldable part 10c is the hollow part 341, and a plurality of openings are evenly distributed in the hollow part 341. In this way, the hollow part 341 can reduce the rigidity of the support plate 340 and improve the bending performance of the support plate 340. The solid parts 342 on both sides can ensure that the support plate 340 has sufficient strength to enable the support plate 340 to stably move synchronously with the foldable part 10c of the folding screen 10, ensuring that the support plate 340 can be bent and wrapped around the folding screen 10 in a folded state, and the support plate 340 can smoothly restore to its natural state and stably support the folding screen 10 in an unfolded state.

[0138] Among them, the hollow portion 341 can cover the entire area of ​​the support plate 340 in the length direction, so that the entire area of ​​the support plate 340 in the length direction has consistent bending performance, ensuring the shape consistency of the support plate 340 in the bent state, and ensuring the stability of the support plate 340 supporting the folding screen 10, so as to avoid the local area of ​​the support plate 340 squeezing the folding screen 10 or a large gap between the support plate 340 and the folding screen 10 due to the unevenness of the support plate 340 in the bent state, thereby avoiding local deformation or even failure of the folding screen 10.

[0139] FIG9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the support plate in FIG8 . Referring to FIG6 b and FIG9 , and taking the positioning posts 3421 provided on the support plate 340 as an example, the positioning posts 3421 can be located on the solid portions 342 on either side of the hollow portion 341 of the support plate 340. On one hand, the hollow portion 341 corresponds to the shaft cover 310, while the solid portions 342 on either side of the hollow portion 341 extend outward from the shaft cover 310, corresponding to the connecting components on either side. The positioning posts 3421 provided on the solid portions 342 facilitate the mating and insertion of the positioning posts 3421 with the positioning holes 3322a located on the connecting components. On the other hand, the solid portions 342 on either side of the hollow portion 341 have a complete plate surface, facilitating the placement of the positioning posts 3421 and ensuring that the positioning posts 3421 have a sufficient cross-sectional area (diameter), thereby ensuring the reliability of the positioning of the support plate 340 relative to the connecting components.

[0140] FIG10 is a partial enlarged view of point A in FIG8 . As shown in FIG8 and FIG10 , the openings distributed within the hollow portion 341 can be strip-shaped openings 3411, and the strip-shaped openings 3411 extend along the length of the support plate 340. In other words, the hollow portion 341 is formed by providing a plurality of strip-shaped openings 3411 extending along the length of the support plate 340, with the strip-shaped openings 3411 distributed in the middle region of the width of the support plate 340. The strip-shaped openings 3411 are narrow and long, providing directionally selective control over the bending properties of the support plate 340. By extending the strip-shaped openings 3411 along the length of the support plate 340, the strip-shaped openings 3411 have sufficient opening area, making it easy for the support plate 340 to bend along its length, consistent with the folding method of the hinge mechanism 300. Furthermore, the strength of the support plate 340 in the width direction is minimally affected, making the support plate 340 less likely to bend in the width direction, thereby ensuring the reliability of the support plate 340 in supporting the folding screen 10.

[0141] 10 , for the strip-shaped openings 3411 spaced apart along the width direction of the support plate 340, adjacent strip-shaped openings 3411 may be staggered front to back, that is, adjacent strip-shaped openings 3411 are staggered along the length direction of the support plate 340. This allows for a more even distribution of the strip-shaped openings 3411 within the hollow portion 341, preventing uneven density of the strip-shaped openings 3411 within the hollow portion 341, such as excessively large openings in some areas and excessively small or even no openings in other areas. This ensures good bending performance of the support plate 340 and prevents excessive strength differences between different areas of the support plate 340, which could affect the reliability of the support plate 340.

[0142] For example, the strip-shaped openings 3411 staggered along the length of the support plate 340 may include a first strip-shaped opening 3411a and a second strip-shaped opening 3411b. The first strip-shaped opening 3411a may be a closed opening completely located between the two ends of the support plate 340 in the length direction. In other words, the first strip-shaped opening 3411a is a closed strip-shaped hole. The second strip-shaped opening 3411b may also extend to the end of the length direction of the support plate 340, communicate with the end surface of the support plate 340, and be an open structure.

[0143] By setting a first strip opening 3411a in the area between the two ends of the support plate 340 in the longitudinal direction, the overall bendability of the support plate 340 is guaranteed. On this basis, by setting a second strip opening 3411b connected to the end face of the support plate 340, it is ensured that the two ends of the support plate 340 in the longitudinal direction also have disconnected areas, ensuring that the two ends of the support plate 340 have good bendability, thereby ensuring the consistency of the bendability of the support plate 340 along the longitudinal direction, and ensuring the reliability of the support plate 340 bending synchronously with the folding screen 10.

[0144] Furthermore, along the width of the support plate 340, each adjacent pair of strip-shaped openings 3411 are staggered front-to-back along the length of the support plate 340, and the strip-shaped openings 3411 are regularly staggered overall. Adjacent strip-shaped openings 3411 may have overlapping regions along the length of the support plate 340. In other words, the adjacent end regions of adjacent strip-shaped openings 3411 overlap and lie within the same length range. This prevents the support plate 340 from having a completely open section or sections of its length, ensuring that each section of the support plate 340 has good bending properties, allowing the support plate 340 to be smoothly bent and flattened under the drive of the rotating shaft body.

[0145] For example, the support plate 340 may be a metal plate, for example, made of an alloy material such as titanium alloy, aluminum alloy, or copper alloy. The metal support plate 340 has sufficient strength to meet the requirements for use of the support plate 340. A hollow portion 341 is provided in the middle region of the width direction of the metal plate, and an opening (such as the aforementioned strip-shaped opening 3411) can be provided in the hollow portion 341 to ensure that the metal plate has the required bending properties.

[0146] In other examples, the support plate 340 may also be made of other materials with good elastic properties. For example, the support plate 340 is made of highly elastic polymer materials, composite materials, carbon fiber materials, etc. According to the elastic deformation ability of the material used to make the support plate 340, an opening may be opened in the middle area in the width direction of the support plate 340 to form a hollow portion 341, or the support plate 340 may also be a complete plate-like member without an opening. This embodiment does not impose any specific restrictions.

[0147] The following is a detailed description of the rotating shaft body in the rotating shaft mechanism 300.

[0148] Figure 11a is a front view of the rotating shaft body provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 11b is a rear view of the rotating shaft body provided in an embodiment of the present application; and Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the decomposed structure of the rotating shaft body provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0149] 11a and 11b , in the rotating shaft body, the connecting frame 321 is connected to the shaft cover 310 via a connecting assembly. The connecting assembly can be rotatably and slidably connected between the shaft cover 310 and the connecting frame 321 to enable the connecting frame 321 to rotate and shift (move away from or move closer to) relative to the shaft cover 310. Taking the rotating shaft body shown in the figure as an example, in the case where the rotating shaft body is provided with three sets of connecting frame assemblies 320, if the rotating shaft body is provided with two or more sets of connecting frame assemblies 320, the extension lengths of the connecting frames 321 of different connecting frame assemblies 320 may be different. The connecting frame 321 of each connecting frame assemblies 320 is movably connected to the rotating shaft body by a connecting assembly. At least the connecting frames 321 of some connecting frame assemblies 320 may also be connected to the rotating shaft body by other components, such as the synchronous damping assembly 350 described below.

[0150] As shown in FIG11a , the mounting structures on the shaft cover 310 used to connect or install components such as the connecting assembly and the synchronous damping assembly 350 can be set on the side surface of the shaft cover 310 facing the folding screen 10. The support plate 340 and the folding screen 10 cover this side surface of the shaft cover 310, which can shield the mounting structures on the shaft cover 310. As shown in FIG11b , the side surface of the shaft cover 310 facing away from the folding screen 10 is a smooth and flat surface. For an inward-folding electronic device, this side surface of the shaft cover 310 may always be exposed to the outside world when the foldable electronic device 1 is in a folded state. In this way, the connecting assembly, the synchronous damping swing arm 351, and the mounting structures set on the shaft cover 310 can be protected, and it is beneficial to improve the appearance of the foldable electronic device 1.

[0151] It should be noted that, with reference to Figures 11a to 12, the connecting assemblies, synchronous damping assemblies 350, and the like, provided on the connecting brackets 321 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 are shown as being symmetrically arranged. In other examples, the connecting assemblies, synchronous damping assemblies 350, and the like, respectively connected to the connecting brackets 321 on both sides may also have an asymmetrical structure. Furthermore, depending on design requirements such as the position and length of each connecting bracket 321, the number and position of the connecting assemblies, synchronous damping assemblies 350, and other components connected between different connecting brackets 321 and the shaft cover 310 may be arranged in different ways, and this embodiment does not impose any specific limitations thereon.

[0152] As shown in Figure 12, the connecting component connected between the shaft cover 310 and the connecting frame 321 includes a main swing arm 331. The main swing arm 331 serves as the main transmission component between the shaft cover 310 and the connecting frame 321. Through the transmission action of the main swing arm 331, the connecting frame 321 can be rotated and shifted (away from or closer) relative to the shaft cover 310 to realize the switching of the shell assembly 20 between the unfolded state and the folded state.

[0153] Taking an inward-folding electronic device as an example, when the foldable electronic device 1 switches from an unfolded state to a folded state, the main swing arm 331 drives the connecting frame 321 to rotate relative to the shaft cover 310 toward the side where the folding screen 10 is located, and the connecting frames 321 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 approach each other to be arranged oppositely. At the same time, the main swing arm 331 drives the connecting frame 321 to move away from the shaft cover 310, thereby increasing the gap between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310, so that the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 can be smoothly converted to a mutually stacked state through the movement of the connecting frame 321; when the foldable electronic device 1 switches from a folded state to a folded state, the main swing arm 331 drives the connecting frame 321 to rotate relative to the shaft cover 310, and the connecting frames 321 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 can be moved away from the shaft cover 310, thereby increasing the gap between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310. During the process of switching the state to the expanded state, the main swing arm 331 drives the connecting frame 321 to rotate relative to the shaft cover 310 toward the side away from the folding screen 10, and the connecting frames 321 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 move away from each other to be coplanar. At the same time, the main swing arm 331 drives the connecting frame 321 to move toward the direction close to the shaft cover 310, reducing the gap between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310, so that the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 located on both sides of the shaft cover 310 can be smoothly converted to a coplanar state through the movement of the connecting frame 321, and the connecting frame 321 can abut the shaft cover 310 to maintain the stability of the shell assembly 20 when it is in the expanded state.

[0154] Figure 13 is a partial enlarged view of point B in Figure 11a; Figure 14 is a partial enlarged view of point C in Figure 12; Figure 15a is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 13; and Figure 15b is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to the folded state shown in Figure 15a. As shown in Figure 13, as an example, the first end of the main swing arm 331 is rotatably connected to the connecting frame 321, and the second end of the main swing arm 331 is slidably and rotatably connected to the shaft cover 310. The connecting frame 321 rotates relative to the shaft cover 310 by rotating about the first end of the main swing arm 331 and the second end of the main swing arm 331 rotates about the shaft cover 310. The second end of the main swing arm 331 slides relative to the shaft cover 310, allowing the connecting frame 321 to move away from or toward the shaft cover 310, changing the gap between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310, thereby enabling smooth transition of the housing assembly 20 between the deployed and folded states.

[0155] Since the second end of the main swing arm 331 is connected to the shaft cover 310 in a sliding and rotational manner, the connecting frame 321 can be rotated relative to the shaft cover 310, and the connecting frame 321 can be moved closer to or away from the shaft cover 310. In other examples, the first end of the main swing arm 331 and the connecting frame 321 can also be fixedly connected. For example, the main swing arm 331 and the connecting frame 321 are welded, bonded, or connected by screws, rivets, or other locking parts. This embodiment does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0156] Referring to Figure 14, taking the example of the first end of the main swing arm 331 being rotatably connected to the connecting frame 321 and the second end of the main swing arm 331 being slidably and rotatably connected to the shaft cover 310, a first arc-shaped groove 312 can be opened on the shaft cover 310. Referring to Figure 15a or 15b, a first rotating shaft 3211 can be installed on the connecting frame 321, and the main swing arm 331 can include a rotating part 3311, a connecting plate part 3312 and a first arc-shaped sliding part 3313 from its first end to its second end. The rotating part 3311 of the main swing arm 331 is sleeved on the first rotating shaft 3211 of the connecting frame 321, and the main swing arm 331 rotates around the first rotating shaft 3211 through the rotating part 3311. The first arc-shaped sliding part 3313 of the main swing arm 331 extends into the first arc-shaped groove 312. During the sliding of the first arc-shaped sliding part 3313 in the first arc-shaped groove 312, the connecting frame 321 can be rotated around the shaft cover 310, and the connecting frame 321 can be moved away from or close to the shaft cover 310 at the same time. The connecting plate part 3312 of the main swing arm 331 is located between the rotating part 3311 and the first arc-shaped sliding part 3313, providing a certain torque between the rotating part 3311 and the first arc-shaped sliding part 3313.

[0157] As shown in FIG15 a , when the hinge body is in the unfolded state, the first arcuate sliding portion 3313 of the main swing arm 331 extends the greatest distance into the first arcuate slot 312 on the shaft cover 310, and the first arcuate sliding portions 3313 of the main swing arms 331 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 are in a state of proximity. At this point, the connecting brackets 321 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 can, for example, be in close contact with the sidewalls of the shaft cover 310 to ensure the stability of the foldable electronic device 1 when in the unfolded state. As shown in FIG15 b , when the hinge body is in the folded state, the first arcuate sliding portion 3313 of the main swing arm 331 extends the least distance into the first arcuate slot 312, and the first arcuate sliding portions 3313 of the main swing arms 331 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 are in a state of separation. At this point, a certain gap can be provided between the connecting brackets 321 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 and the shaft cover 310 to ensure smooth folding of the foldable electronic device 1.

[0158] During the process of the shaft body changing from the unfolded state to the folded state, the rotating part 3311 of the main swing arm 331 rotates around the first rotating shaft 3211 of the connecting frame 321, and the first arc-shaped sliding part 3313 of the main swing arm 331 slides along the first arc-shaped groove 312 in the direction of exiting the first arc-shaped groove 312, so that the connecting frames 321 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 gradually rotate in the direction of approaching each other until the two are relative. At the same time, the gap between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310 gradually increases, thereby realizing the folding of the shell assembly 20. On the contrary, in the process of the shaft body changing from a folded state to an unfolded state, the rotating part 3311 of the main swing arm 331 rotates around the first rotating shaft 3211 of the connecting frame 321, and the first arc-shaped sliding part 3313 of the main swing arm 331 slides along the first arc-shaped groove 312 toward the direction of extending into the first arc-shaped groove 312, so that the connecting frames 321 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 gradually rotate in a direction away from each other until they are coplanar with the shaft cover 310. At the same time, the gap between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310 gradually decreases, thereby realizing the unfolding of the shell assembly 20.

[0159] Continuing with FIG. 12 , the connecting assembly connected between the shaft cover 310 and the connecting frame 321 further includes a support plate swing arm 332. The support plate swing arm 332 cooperates with the main swing arm 331 to achieve a transmission function between the shaft cover 310 and the connecting frame 321, thereby improving the stability of the connecting frame 321's movement relative to the shaft cover 310. Furthermore, the support plate swing arm 332 also serves as a mounting base for the aforementioned support plate 340, which can be positioned via the support plate swing arm 332. As a transmission member between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310, similar to the main swing arm 331, the support plate swing arm 332 can drive the connecting frame 321 to rotate relative to the shaft cover 310. Furthermore, the support plate swing arm 332 can drive the connecting frame 321 away from or closer to the shaft cover 310, thereby changing the gap between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310. This will not be further described here.

[0160] As the installation base of the support plate 340, in order to avoid the support plate swing arm 332 from restricting the movement of the support plate 340, as shown in Figure 13, in some embodiments, the first end of the support plate swing arm 332 and the connecting frame 321 can be connected in a sliding manner, and the second end of the support plate swing arm 332 and the shaft cover 310 can be connected in a sliding and rotating manner. In this way, the support plate swing arm 332 has sufficient degrees of freedom between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310, and the support plate swing arm 332 can adjust its own movement state in coordination with the movement of the support plate 340.

[0161] Figure 16a is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Figure 13; Figure 16b is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to the folded state shown in Figure 16a. Referring to Figure 14, as an example, the shaft cover 310 may be provided with a second arcuate groove 313. Referring to Figure 16a or 16b, the connecting frame 321 may be provided with a first sliding groove 3212. The support plate swing arm 332 may include, from its first end to its second end, a sliding shaft portion 3321, a connecting portion 3322, and a second arcuate sliding portion 3323. When the cam 331 is in the unlock state, the cam 332 is in the unlock state, and the second end 3321 of the cam 332 is unlocked, so that the cam 332 is unlocked.

[0162] Similar to the main swing arm 331, as shown in FIG16a , when the shaft body is in the unfolded state, the second arcuate sliding portion 3323 of the support plate swing arm 332 extends the greatest distance into the second arcuate slot 313 on the shaft cover 310, and the second arcuate sliding portions 3323 of the support plate swing arms 332 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 are in a mutually approaching state. As shown in FIG16b , when the shaft body is in the folded state, the second arcuate sliding portion 3323 of the support plate swing arm 332 extends the least distance into the second arcuate slot 313, and the second arcuate sliding portions 3323 of the support plate swing arms 332 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 are in a mutually separated state.

[0163] During the conversion of the rotating shaft body between the unfolded state and the folded state, as the support plate 340 moves, the sliding shaft portion 3321 of the support plate swing arm 332 slides and rotates in the first sliding groove 3212 of the connecting frame 321. The sliding process of the second arc-shaped sliding portion 3323 of the support plate swing arm 332 in the second arc-shaped groove 313 is similar to the sliding process of the first arc-shaped sliding portion 3313 of the main swing arm 331 in the first arc-shaped groove 312, and will not be repeated here. 16a or 16b , taking the example of a support plate 340 using the aforementioned positioning structure to cooperate with the connecting assembly, positioning posts 3421 are provided on the solid portions 342 on both sides of the support plate 340. Accordingly, positioning holes 3322a may be provided on the support plate swing arm 332. The positioning holes 3322a may be provided, for example, on the connecting portion 3322 of the support plate swing arm 332. The positioning posts 3421 on the support plate 340 are inserted into the positioning holes 3322a on the support plate swing arm 332, thereby positioning the support plate 340 through the support plate swing arm 332. Driven by the support plate swing arm 332, the support plate 340 is thereby flattened or bent.

[0164] It should be noted that this embodiment uses the sliding and rotational connection between the support plate swing arm 332 and the connecting frame 321 as an example for description. The sliding shaft portion 3321 of the support plate swing arm 332 can also rotate about its own axis while sliding along the first sliding groove 3212. In other examples, the support plate swing arm 332 can also be only slidably connected to the connecting frame 321. In other words, the portion of the support plate swing arm 332 extending into the first sliding groove 3212 of the connecting frame 321 only slides along the first sliding groove 3212 and does not rotate about its own axis. The entire support plate swing arm 332 can be rotated by the second arcuate sliding portion 3323 of the support plate swing arm 332 rotating about the shaft cover 310. Moreover, the support plate swing arm 332 and the shaft cover 310 and the support plate swing arm 332 and the connecting frame 321 are both slidably connected. The support plate swing arm 332 has sufficient degrees of freedom to achieve rotation and displacement of the connecting frame 321 relative to the shaft cover 310, and also to drive the support plate 340 to move smoothly.

[0165] In addition, in other embodiments, based on the fact that the support plate swing arm 332 can realize the support plate 340 flattening or wrapping the foldable part 10c of the folding screen 10, the first end of the support plate swing arm 332 can be rotatably connected to the connecting frame 321, and the second end can be slidably and rotatably connected to the shaft cover 310, or the first end of the support plate swing arm 321 can be slidably and rotatably connected to the connecting frame 321, and the second end can be slidably connected to the shaft cover 310, or the first end of the support plate swing arm 321 can be rotatably connected to the connecting frame 321, and the second end can be slidably connected to the shaft cover 310, or the first end of the support plate swing arm 321 can be rotatably connected to the connecting frame 321, and the second end can be slidably connected to the shaft cover 310, etc.

[0166] As shown in FIG12 , in addition to the main swing arm 331 and the support plate swing arm 332, at least one of the connecting frame groups 320 further has an auxiliary swing arm 333 connected between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310. The auxiliary swing arm 333, in conjunction with the main swing arm 331, enhances the stability of the connection between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310, and improves the smoothness of the movement of the connecting frame 321 relative to the shaft cover 310. In the figure, one of the three connecting frame groups 320 is shown with the auxiliary swing arm 333 connected between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310. However, in other examples, if space is sufficient, auxiliary swing arms 333 may also be connected between the connecting frames 321 and the shaft cover 310 of the other connecting frame groups 320, and this is not a limitation of the present embodiment. In contrast to the main swing arm 331, the auxiliary swing arm 333 has a first end that is slidably and rotationally connected to the connecting frame 321, and a second end that is rotationally connected to the shaft cover 310.

[0167] As mentioned above, a synchronous damping assembly 350 is further connected between the connecting frames 321 of at least some of the connecting frame groups 320 and the shaft cover 310. Referring to Figures 11a to 12, the figures show that the synchronous damping assembly 350 is connected between the connecting frames 321 of two of the three connecting frame groups 320 and the shaft cover 310. Of course, in other examples, only the connecting frames 321 of one of the three connecting frame groups 320 may be connected to the synchronous damping assembly 350 between the shaft cover 310, or the connecting frames 321 of all three connecting frame groups 320 may be connected to the shaft cover 310.

[0168] The synchronous damping assembly 350 is used to synchronize the movement of the two connecting frames 321 located on either side of the shaft cover 310 in the connecting frame assembly 320. This allows the connecting frames 321 on either side of the shaft cover 310 to drive the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 to move synchronously, ensuring the accuracy of the movement of the shell assembly 20, thereby ensuring that the foldable electronic device 1 switches smoothly and accurately between the unfolded state and the folded state. Simultaneously, the synchronous damping assembly 350 is also used to generate a damping force during the movement of the connecting frames 321 relative to the shaft cover 310. This damping force can help the connecting frames 321 drive the first shell 100 and the second shell 200 to remain at a certain angle between the unfolded state and the folded state. In other words, it can enable the foldable electronic device 1 to remain in the semi-expanded state as shown in Figure 3.

[0169] As shown in Figure 12, the synchronous damping assembly 350 may include a synchronous damping swing arm 351, a synchronous limiting structure 352 and a damping member 353. Figure 17a is a partial enlarged view of point D in Figure 11a, and Figure 17b is a partial enlarged view of point E in Figure 11b. In combination with Figure 12 and Figure 17a, the synchronous limiting structure 352 is installed on the shaft cover 310. In combination with Figure 12 and Figure 17b, the damping member 353 is installed on the connecting frame 321. The synchronous damping swing arm 351 is connected between the shaft cover 310 and the connecting frame 321. The synchronous damping swing arm 351 and the synchronous limiting structure 352 cooperate with each other to achieve synchronous movement of the two connecting frames 321 located on both sides of the shaft cover 310, and the synchronous damping swing arm 351 and the damping member 353 cooperate with each other to generate damping force during the movement of the connecting frame 321 relative to the shaft cover 310, so as to keep the shell assembly 20 in a semi-expanded state.

[0170] As shown in FIG12 , the synchronous damping swing arm 351 includes a sleeve portion 3511 and a slide portion 3512. The sleeve portion 3511 faces the side where the shaft cover 310 is located, and the slide portion 3512 extends toward the connecting frame 321. As shown in FIG17 a , the sleeve portion 3511 is coupled to a synchronous limiting structure 352 provided on the shaft cover 310. As shown in FIG17 b , a second sliding groove 3213 is defined on the connecting frame 321 corresponding to the slide portion 3512. The slide portion 3512 extends into and slides along the second sliding groove 3213. As the connecting frame 321 moves relative to the shaft cover 310, the sleeve portion 3511 can rotate relative to the synchronous limiting structure 352. The synchronous limiting structure 352 enables the sleeve portions 3511 of the synchronous damping swing arms 351 on both sides of the shaft cover 310 to move synchronously, thereby driving the synchronous damping swing arms 351 to move synchronously with the connecting frames 321 on both sides of the shaft cover 310. The slide portion 3512 slides in the second slide groove 3213 as the connecting frame 321 moves away from or closer to the shaft cover 310, and in the process of the slide portion 3512 sliding in the second slide groove 3213, different parts of the slide portion 3512 contact the damping member 353 provided on the connecting frame 321. The slide portion 3512 acts on the damping member 353 to generate a damping force, thereby providing a force for the shell assembly 20 to remain in a semi-expanded state.

[0171] Figure 18a is a partial structural diagram of the synchronous damping swing arm and the synchronous limiting structure. As shown in conjunction with Figures 12 and 18a, the synchronous limiting structure 352 provided on the shaft cover 310 may include a sliding seat 3522 and two second rotating shafts 3521. The two second rotating shafts 3521 are both mounted on the shaft cover 310 and symmetrically arranged on either side of the shaft cover 310 in the width direction. The sliding seat 3522 is sleeved around the two second rotating shafts 3521 and can slide axially along the second rotating shafts 3521. The sliding seat 3522 has mounting slots 35221 on either side, and the two second rotating shafts 3521 extend through the mounting slots 35221 on either side. The shaft sleeves 3511 of the synchronous damping swing arms 351 on either side of the shaft cover 310 are sleeved around the corresponding second rotating shafts 3521 and located within the mounting slots 35221.

[0172] During the movement of the connecting frame 321 relative to the shaft cover 310, the sleeve portion 3511 can rotate around the second rotating shaft 3521. During the rotation, the sleeve portion 3511 can drive the sliding seat 3522 to slide axially along the second rotating shaft 3521. The sliding of the sliding seat 3522 transmits power between the sleeve portions 3511 on both sides, thereby realizing the synchronous movement of the connecting frame 321 on both sides of the shaft cover 310.

[0173] Since the shaft sleeve portion 3511 needs to be sleeved on the portion of the second rotating shaft 3521 located between the two side groove walls of the mounting groove 35221 of the fixed seat, when designing the second rotating shaft 3521, one end of the two second rotating shafts 3521 set on the same side can be fixedly connected to the shaft cover 310, and the other end of the two second rotating shafts 3521 is a free end, so as to facilitate the sleeve portion 3511 of the sliding seat 3522 and the synchronous damping swing arm 351 to be sleeved on the second rotating shaft 3521 from the side where the free end is located. During assembly, the sleeve portion 3511 of the synchronous damping swing arm 351 can be positioned in the mounting groove 35221 of the sliding seat 3522 first, and then one end of the sliding seat 3522, the sleeve portion 3511 and the other end of the sliding seat 3522 can be sequentially mounted on the second rotating shaft 3521 to install the sliding seat 3522 and the sleeve portion 3511 of the synchronous damping swing arm 351 on the shaft cover 310 through the second rotating shaft 3521.

[0174] Since the length of the second rotating shaft 3521 is longer than the length of the sliding seat 3522, the second rotating shaft 3521 passes through the sliding seat 3522, and one end of the second rotating shaft 3521 is a free end, which makes it possible for the sliding seat 3522 to fall off the second rotating shaft 3521 when sliding along the second rotating shaft 3521, and the sliding seat 3522 cannot be completely confined to the range where the second rotating shaft 3521 is located. Therefore, an assembly seat 3523 can be set to limit the sliding seat 3522. That is to say, the synchronous limiting structure 352 can also include an assembly seat 3523, which is arranged at the end of the sliding seat 3522 that is passed through by the second rotating shaft 3521, and the assembly seat 3523 is connected to the end of the second rotating shaft 3521 that passes through the sliding seat 3522. In other words, the assembly seat 3523 is located on the side where the free end of the second rotating shaft 3521 is located and is connected to the free end of the second rotating shaft 3521, and the sliding seat 3522 is limited on the second rotating shaft 3521 through the assembly seat 3523.

[0175] As for how to achieve the synchronous movement of the synchronous damping swing arms 351 on both sides through the sliding seat 3522, as shown in Figure 18a, guide protrusions 35222 are provided on the opposite walls of the mounting grooves 35221 on both sides of the sliding seat 3522. The guide protrusions 35222 extend toward the shaft sleeve portion 3511. Corresponding to the guide protrusions 35222, a spiral hole 35111 is provided on the shaft sleeve portion 3511. The spiral hole 35111 extends spirally along the side wall of the shaft sleeve portion 3511. The guide protrusion 35222 extends into the spiral hole 35111 and can slide along the spiral hole 35111. Among them, the guide protrusions 35222 on the groove walls of the mounting grooves 35221 on both sides are symmetrically arranged, and the spiral holes 35111 on the shaft sleeve parts 3511 of the synchronous damping swing arms 351 on both sides are also completely symmetrically arranged. Therefore, the shaft sleeve parts 3511 of the synchronous damping swing arms 351 on both sides can achieve synchronous rotation and synchronous axial sliding along the second rotating shaft 3521 under the sliding guiding action of their respective spiral holes 35111 and the corresponding guide protrusions 35222, thereby realizing the synchronous movement of the two connecting frames 321 on both sides of the shaft cover 310.

[0176] The synchronous damping swing arm 351 is restricted by the slide portion 3512 extending into the second slide groove 3213 of the connecting frame 321. During the movement, the synchronous damping swing arm 351 will not move axially along the shaft cover 310. That is to say, the sleeve portion 3511 of the synchronous damping swing arm 351 only rotates around the second rotating shaft 3521 and will not move axially along the second rotating shaft 3521. When the connecting frame 321 on one side of the shaft cover 310 is subjected to external force and rotates relative to the shaft cover 310, the sleeve portion 3511 of the synchronous damping swing arm 351 on this side rotates around the second rotating shaft 3521 accordingly. Under the guiding action of the spiral hole 35111 of the sleeve portion 3511 on the guide protrusion 35222 of the sliding seat 3522, the coaxial sleeve portion 3511 transmits the power of its own rotation to the sliding seat 3522, so that the sliding seat 3522 slides axially along the second rotating shaft 3521. The sliding seat 3522 transmits power to the sleeve portion 3511 of the synchronous damping swing arm 351 on the other side through the cooperation of the guide protrusion 35222 set on the other side and the spiral hole 35111 on the sleeve portion 3511 of the synchronous damping swing arm 351 on the other side, so that the synchronous damping swing arm 351 on the other side moves synchronously.

[0177] In some examples, two guide protrusions 35222 can be provided within the mounting grooves 35221 on either side of the sliding seat 3522. The two guide protrusions 35222 are spaced axially along the second rotating shaft 3521. Correspondingly, two spiral holes 35111 can be provided in the shaft sleeves 3511 of the synchronous damping swing arms 351 on either side. By having the two guide protrusions 35222 cooperate with the two spiral holes 35111, the precision of the synchronous motion of the synchronous damping swing arms 351 on either side can be improved. This, in turn, improves the consistency of the motion of the connecting brackets 321 on either side of the shaft cover 310, enhancing the consistency and stability of the opening and closing between the first housing 100 and the second housing 200. Furthermore, the coordination of the two guide protrusions 35222 and the two spiral holes 35111 can also reduce friction during the rotation of the synchronous damping swing arms 351, thereby increasing the service life of the rotating shaft mechanism 300.

[0178] Of course, in scenarios where higher synchronous motion accuracy is required, or where there is sufficient installation space for the synchronous damping swing arm 351 and the sliding seat 3522, three or more guide protrusions 35222 can be arranged at intervals in the mounting grooves 35221 on both sides of the sliding seat 3522, and three or more spiral holes 35111 can be opened on the shaft sleeves 3511 of the synchronous damping swing arms 351 on both sides accordingly. This embodiment does not impose any specific restrictions on this.

[0179] Figure 18b is a partial structural diagram of the synchronous damping swing arm and the damping member. Referring to Figure 18b, regarding the coordination between the synchronous damping swing arm 351 and the damping member 353, the damping member 353 is mounted on the connecting frame 321 and is located to the side of the slide portion 3512 of the synchronous damping swing arm 351 in the longitudinal direction of the corresponding shaft cover 310. For ease of description, in this embodiment, the side wall of the slide portion 3512 corresponding to the damping member 353 is defined as the force transmission side 35121, and the damping member 353 abuts against the force transmission side 35121 of the slide portion 3512. During the movement of the connecting frame 321 relative to the shaft cover 310, the slide portion 3512 slides in the second slide groove 3213 of the connecting frame 321. As the slide portion 3512 moves, different parts of the force transmission side 35121 of the slide portion 3512 abut against the damping element 353, generating different amounts of pressure on the damping element 353, causing the damping element 353 to produce different degrees of elastic deformation.

[0180] It should be noted that the force-transmitting side 35121 of the slide plate 3512 compresses the damping member 353. During the sliding movement of the slide plate 3512, different portions of the slide plate 3512 compress the damping member 353, exerting varying pressures on the damping member 353 and causing the damping member 353 to be compressed to varying degrees. Specifically, when the damping member 353 is not compressed or is slightly compressed, it generates no elastic force or a relatively small elastic force, resulting in a relatively small damping force between the connecting bracket 321 and the shaft cover 310, allowing easy rotation of the first and second housings 100 and 200. When the damping member 353 is significantly compressed, it generates a relatively large elastic force, resulting in a relatively large damping force between the connecting bracket 321 and the shaft cover 310. This damping force allows the first and second housings 100 and 200 to remain in their current positions, allowing the housing assembly 20 to hover in a semi-expanded state.

[0181] Regarding the installation of the damping member 353 on the connecting frame 321, for example, a fixing groove (not shown in the figure) can be opened on the connecting frame 321, and the fixing groove is located on the side of the second slide groove 3213 where the slide plate portion 3512 is located, and the fixing groove can be connected to the second slide groove 3213. The damping member 353 is installed in the fixing groove, and the damping member 353 extends to the slide plate portion 3512 through the portion of the fixing groove that is connected to the second slide groove 3213, and abuts against the force transmission side 35121 of the slide plate portion 3512.

[0182] Compared to the conventional method of installing the damping member 353 on the shaft cover 310, installing the damping member 353 on the connecting frame 321 reduces the number of components required on the shaft cover 310, provides more installation space for other components on the shaft cover 310, and can reduce the thickness of the shaft cover 310. Moreover, the damping member 353 is installed in the fixing groove on the connecting frame 321, which does not increase the thickness of the connecting frame 321, making the hinge mechanism 300 lighter and more flexible. In addition, the connecting frame 321 fixes the damping member 353 more reliably, and the fit between the damping member 353 and the slide portion 3512 is more stable, which can reduce abnormal movement noise of the hinge mechanism 300 and improve the performance of the foldable electronic device 1.

[0183] Exemplarily, the damping member 353 can always be in a compressed state in the fixed groove. Even if the force transmission side 35121 of the slide plate portion 3512 does not squeeze the damping member 353 or the pressure on the damping member 353 is at the minimum state, the elastic force generated by the damping member 353 in the compressed state can also provide a certain damping force between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310 to ensure the stability of the movement of the connecting frame 321 relative to the shaft cover 310, ensure the smooth movement of the shell assembly 20, and improve the reliability of the foldable electronic device 1.

[0184] In one embodiment, the damping member 353 may include a fixed end 3531, a deformable section 3532, and a movable end 3533, which are connected in sequence. The fixed end 3531 is the end of the damping member 353 that is away from the slide portion 3512, that is, the fixed end 3531 is away from the force transmission side 35121 of the slide portion 3512, and the fixed end 3531 is fixed to the connecting frame 321. For example, the fixed end 3531 abuts against the groove wall of the fixing groove that is away from the second slide groove 3213. For the damping member 353 that is always in a compressed state, the fixed end 3531 of the damping member 353 can be supported against the groove wall of the fixing groove solely by elastic force. Alternatively, the fixed end 3531 of the damping member 353 can be fixed in the fixing groove by bonding, locking, welding, etc., so that the damping member 353 is firmly fixed. The movable end 3533 is the end of the damping member 353 that faces the slide portion 3512. It is positioned corresponding to the connection between the fixed slot and the second slide slot 3213. The movable end 3533 passes through the sidewall of the second slide slot 3213 and abuts against the slide portion 3512. The deformable segment 3532 is connected between the movable end 3533 and the fixed end 3531. The force-transmitting side 35121 of the slide portion 3512 compresses the movable end 3533 of the damping member 353. The movable end 3533 transmits the applied force to the deformable segment 3532, which then elastically deforms and provides an elastic force.

[0185] As for the specific structure and shape of the deformation segment 3532, the deformation segment 3532 may include multiple elastic arms connected in sequence. As shown in Figure 18b, the elastic arms may be connected end to end in sequence, and the deformation segment 3532 as a whole may extend in an "S" shape. In other examples, the elastic arms may also be in the form of closed oblongs, strip rings, etc., and the elastic arms may be connected in sequence. Alternatively, the elastic arms may also be in other shapes that can produce elastic deformation, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0186] As for how the force transmission side 35121 of the slide portion 3512 generates different amounts of pressure on the damping member 353 during the sliding process, as shown in Figure 18a, in some embodiments, the force transmission side 35121 of the slide portion 3512 can be alternately provided with recesses 35111a and convex portions 35111b along its extension direction, with the recess 35111a being recessed toward the middle of the slide portion 3512, and the convex portion 35111b being protruding toward the damping member 353. In the process of the slide plate portion 3512 gradually moving from the bottom end of the recessed portion 35111a to the top end of the raised portion 35111b to abut against the damping member 353, the pressure on the damping member 353 changes from small to large, the compression of the damping member 353 gradually increases, the damping force between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310 gradually increases, and the resistance to the movement of the shell assembly 20 gradually increases until the slide plate portion 3512 moves to the top end of the raised portion 35111b to abut against the damping member 353. At this time, the compression of the damping member 353 reaches the maximum, and the damping force between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310 is the maximum. The damping force can support the shell assembly 20 to hover in a semi-expanded state. On the contrary, when the slide portion 3512 gradually moves from the top end of the convex portion 35111b to the bottom end of the concave portion 35111a, the pressure on the damping member 353 changes from large to small, the compression amount of the damping member 353 gradually decreases, the damping force between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310 gradually becomes smaller, and the resistance to the movement of the shell assembly 20 gradually decreases.

[0187] As shown in FIG18a and FIG18b, as an example, the force transmission side 35121 of the slide portion 3512 of the synchronous damping swing arm 351 is sequentially provided with a recess 35111a, a convex portion 35111b and a recess 35111a from one end connected to the shaft sleeve portion 3511 to the other end. When the housing assembly 20 is in the expanded state, the movable end 3533 of the damping member 353 can abut against the force transmission side 35121 of the slide portion 3512 near the shaft sleeve portion 3511. 511, when the shell assembly 20 is in a semi-expanded state, the movable end 3533 of the damping member 353 can abut against the top of the convex portion 35111b on the force transmission side 35121 of the slide plate portion 3512; when the shell assembly 20 is in a folded state, the movable end 3533 of the damping member 353 can abut against the bottom of the recess 35111a on the force transmission side 35121 of the slide plate portion 3512 away from the shaft sleeve portion 3511.

[0188] As shown in Figure 18b, in order to improve the stability of the cooperation between the synchronous damping swing arm 351 and the damping member 353, damping members 353 can be arranged on both sides of the slide portion 3512 of the synchronous damping swing arm 351. At this time, both sides of the length direction of the corresponding shaft cover 310 of the slide portion 3512 are force transmission sides 35121, and the damping members 353 located on both sides of the slide portion 3512 are respectively abutted against the force transmission sides 35121 on both sides, wherein the recesses 35111a and the convex portions 35111b arranged on the force transmission sides 35121 on both sides correspond to each other, and the convex portions 35111b also correspond to each other. For example, the force transmission sides 35121 on both sides are sequentially provided with corresponding recesses 35111a, convex portions 35111b and recesses 35111a from one end close to the shaft sleeve portion 3511 to the other end.

[0189] In this way, forces are generated between both sides of the slide portion 3512 of the synchronous damping swing arm 351 and the damping members 353 on both sides, which improves the stability of the movement of the slide portion 3512 of the synchronous damping swing arm 351, making the synchronous damping swing arm 351 and the damping member 353 cooperate more stably and reliably, thereby making the movement of the housing assembly 20 smoother and improving the reliability of the housing assembly 20. Furthermore, when the housing assembly 20 is suspended in the semi-deployed state, the topmost portions of the protrusions 35111b on the force-transmitting sides 35121 of the slide portion 3512 respectively squeeze the damping members 353 on both sides, causing the compression of the damping members 353 on both sides to reach maximum. The damping members 353 provide a greater damping force between the connecting frame 321 and the shaft cover 310, thereby helping to improve the stability of the housing assembly 20 in the semi-deployed state.

[0190] FIG19 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shaft cover provided in an embodiment of the present application. In combination with FIG11a and FIG19 , for the structural design of the shaft cover 310, in some embodiments, the shaft cover 310 may include a cover plate 310a and a plurality of reinforcing portions 310b. The cover plate 310a serves as the main supporting structure of the shaft cover 310. It may be a long, plate-like structure. The cover plate 310a is relatively thin. In order to achieve the connection between the main swing arm 331, the support plate swing arm 332, and the auxiliary swing arm 333 and the shaft cover 310, a plurality of reinforcing portions 310b are provided on the side surface of the thinner shaft cover 310 facing the folding screen 10. In other words, the reinforcing portion 310b can serve as the mounting structure for these components. The thickness of the reinforcing portion 310b can be slightly larger to facilitate the processing of the first arc groove 312, the second arc groove 313 and other structures in the reinforcing portion 310b. In this way, the overall thickness of the shaft cover 310 can be reduced, achieving a lighter and thinner shaft structure. In addition, the reinforcement portion 310 b also ensures that the shaft cover 310 has sufficient strength to meet the reliability requirements of the shaft cover 310 .

[0191] Among them, the aforementioned retaining edges 311 can be formed at both ends of the cover plate 310a in the longitudinal direction. The retaining edges 311 extend above the surface of the reinforcement part 310b. The support plate 340 is limited by the retaining edges 311, and the retaining edges 311 also help to position the reinforcement part 310b.

[0192] For example, the cover plate 310a can be made of a high-strength metal material to enhance the appearance and texture of the shaft cover 310. For example, the cover plate 310a can be made of titanium, steel, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, etc. The reinforcement portion 310b can be made of a high-strength polymer material to facilitate the formation of structures such as the first arcuate groove 312 and the second arcuate groove 313 within the reinforcement portion 310b. For example, the reinforcement portion 310b can be made of a material such as polyphenylene sulfide resin, polyphenylene ether ketone resin, polyimide resin, or polysulfone resin to ensure the strength of the shaft cover 310 while meeting the requirements for a lightweight and thin shaft cover 310.

[0193] Furthermore, the shaft cover 310 can be formed using an integrated molding process, that is, the cover plate 310a and the reinforcement portion 310b are an integrated structure. This improves the integrity of the shaft cover 310 and avoids the need to install other structures on the cover plate 310a to connect the aforementioned components. This simplifies the structure of the shaft cover 310 and improves the processing efficiency of the shaft cover 310. For example, the integrated shaft cover 310 can be manufactured using a nanomolding process (NMT), in which the surface of the metal cover plate 310a is nano-processed and a polymer material is directly injection-molded onto the surface of the metal cover plate 310a to form the reinforcement portion 310b, thereby forming an integrated shaft cover 310.

[0194] Figure 20 is a partial cross-sectional view of the folding screen and support plate installed on the shaft cover according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to Figure 20 , the folding screen 10 is shown in a folded state, with the support plate 340 wrapped around the outside of the foldable portion 10c of the folding screen 10. The support plate 340 and the folding screen 10 together form a double teardrop structure, and the figure also shows the aforementioned protective gap between the support plate 340 and the folding screen 10. Among them, in order to enable the shaft cover 310 to stably support the folding screen 10 and the support plate 340 in the folded state, an arc-shaped groove 314 can be provided on the side surface of the shaft cover 310 facing the folding screen 10. The arc-shaped groove 314 is located in the middle area of ​​the width direction of the shaft cover 310 and extends along the length direction of the shaft cover 310. The arc-shaped groove 314 matches the shape of the curved bottom of the support plate 340. The curved bottom of the support plate 340 is located in the arc-shaped groove 314 and supported by the groove wall of the arc-shaped groove 314. The curved bottom of the support plate 340 can be stretched and attached to the arc-shaped groove 314 to protect the support plate 340 from being squeezed and maintain the shape of the support plate 340.

[0195] As shown in Figures 11a and 20, since the reinforcing parts 310b are provided on the side of the shaft cover 310 facing the folding screen 10, an arc-shaped groove 314 can be processed on each reinforcing part 310b. For the reinforcing part 310b mainly used to provide the installation structure of components such as the main swing arm 331 and the support plate swing arm 332, adjacent reinforcing parts 310b can be in contact or have a gap depending on the positions of these components. To this end, an arc-shaped groove 314 can be processed on each reinforcing part 310b, and the arc-shaped groove 314 on each reinforcing part 310b extends along the length direction of the shaft cover 310.

[0196] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to a fixed connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, internal communication between two components, or an interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of this application based on specific circumstances.

[0197] The terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. (if any) in the description and claims of the embodiments of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

Claims

1. A hinge mechanism, applied to a foldable electronic device, characterized in that: include: Axle cover, main swing arm, support plate swing arm, support plate and at least one set of connecting frame group; The connecting frame group includes two connecting frames, the two connecting frames are respectively located on both sides of the shaft cover in the width direction, the main swing arm and the support plate swing arm are both connected between the connecting frames and the shaft cover; the first end of the main swing arm is connected to the connecting frame, and the second end of the main swing arm is slidably and rotatably connected to the shaft cover; the first end of the support plate swing arm is connected to the connecting frame, and the second end of the support plate swing arm is connected to the shaft cover; The support plate extends along the length direction of the shaft cover and is arranged on the side of the shaft cover facing the folding screen of the foldable electronic device. The side edge of the support plate extends to the side of the shaft cover and overlaps the connecting frame, and the support plate is connected to the support plate swing arm; wherein, the support plate is a plate-like member that can produce elastic deformation, and the connecting frame moves relative to the shaft cover through the main swing arm and the support plate swing arm to switch between the unfolded state and the folded state, driving the support plate to switch between the unfolded state and the folded state synchronously with the folding screen.

2. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A middle area in the width direction of the support plate is a hollow portion, and the hollow portion covers the entire area in the length direction of the support plate.

3. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of strip-shaped openings are distributed in the hollow portion, and the strip-shaped openings extend along the length direction of the support plate.

4. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: Along the width direction of the support plate, adjacent strip-shaped openings are staggered in the length direction of the support plate.

5. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The strip-shaped opening includes a first strip-shaped opening and a second strip-shaped opening, the first strip-shaped opening is enclosed in a closed shape, and the second strip-shaped opening is connected to the end surface of the support plate.

6. The rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The support plate is a metal plate.

7. The rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: One of the support plate and the support plate swing arm is provided with a positioning hole, and the other is provided with a positioning column extending toward the other, and the positioning column is inserted into the positioning hole.

8. The rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: Both ends of the shaft cover in the length direction are provided with a stop edge, and the stop edge protrudes on the side surface of the shaft cover facing the folding screen, and the two ends of the support plate in the length direction are respectively in contact with the corresponding stop edge.

9. The rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: A first rotating shaft is installed on the connecting frame, and a first arc-shaped groove is opened on the shaft cover. The main swing arm includes a rotating part, a connecting plate part and a first arc-shaped sliding part from the first end to the second end. The rotating part is sleeved on the first rotating shaft, and the first arc-shaped sliding part slides in the first arc-shaped groove.

10. The rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: A first sliding groove is provided on the connecting frame, a second arc-shaped groove is provided on the shaft cover, and the support plate swing arm includes a sliding shaft portion, a connecting portion and a second arc-shaped sliding portion from the first end to the second end. The sliding shaft portion slides and rotates in the first sliding groove, and the second arc-shaped sliding portion slides in the second arc-shaped groove.

11. The rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The connecting frame group includes at least two groups, and the connecting frames of each group are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the shaft cover; Wherein, the main swing arm and the support plate swing arm are connected between the two connecting frames of each group of the connecting frames and the shaft cover.

12. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 11, characterized in that: It also includes a synchronous damping swing arm, wherein the synchronous damping swing arm is connected between the two connecting frames of at least one group of the connecting frames and the shaft cover; In which, the connecting frame is provided with a second sliding groove, the shaft cover is provided with a synchronous limiting structure, the synchronous damping swing arm includes a slide portion and a sleeve portion, the slide portion slides in the second sliding groove, and the sleeve portion is connected to the synchronous limiting structure. The synchronous limiting structure enables the connecting frames located on both sides of the shaft cover to rotate and slide synchronously relative to the shaft cover.

13. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 12, characterized in that: The synchronous limiting structure includes a sliding seat and two second rotating shafts, the two second rotating shafts are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the width direction of the shaft cover, and the two sides of the sliding seat have mounting grooves, and the two second rotating shafts pass through the mounting grooves on both sides respectively; The shaft sleeve parts of the synchronous damping swing arms on both sides are respectively sleeved on the second rotating shafts on both sides and are respectively located in the mounting grooves on both sides. The sliding seat is used to drive the shaft sleeve parts on both sides to rotate synchronously.

14. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 13, wherein: The groove walls opposite to each other on both sides of the mounting groove are each provided with at least one guide protrusion, and the guide protrusions in the mounting grooves on both sides are symmetrically arranged, the shaft sleeve parts on both sides are each provided with at least one spiral hole, and the spiral holes on the shaft sleeve parts on both sides are symmetrically arranged, and the guide protrusions extend into the corresponding spiral holes.

15. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 14, characterized in that: The shaft sleeve portion is provided with at least two spiral holes, and the spiral holes are spaced apart along the axial direction of the shaft sleeve portion.

16. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 13, characterized in that: The synchronous limiting structure further includes an assembly seat, which is arranged at one end of the sliding seat. The second rotating shaft extends out of the sliding seat at one end corresponding to the assembly seat and is connected to the assembly seat.

17. The rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that: It also includes a damping member, which is mounted on the connecting frame and arranged corresponding to the synchronous damping swing arm; In which, at least one side of the slide portion corresponding to the length direction of the shaft cover is the force transmission side, the damping member is arranged corresponding to the force transmission side and abuts against the force transmission side, and the slide portion slides in the second slide groove so that different parts of the force transmission side abut against the damping member to change the elastic deformation generated by the damping member.

18. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 17, wherein: The force transmission side is alternately provided with concave portions and convex portions along its extension direction. As the slide plate portion slides, the damping member abuts against the concave portions or the convex portions and generates elastic deformation.

19. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 18, wherein: Both sides of the slide portion corresponding to the length direction of the shaft cover are the force transmission sides, and the force transmission sides on both sides are correspondingly provided with the damping member; The concave portions and the convex portions on the force transmission sides on both sides correspond to each other.

20. The rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that: The damping member includes a fixed end, a deformation section and a movable end connected in sequence, the fixed end is away from the force transmission side and fixed to the connecting frame, the movable end abuts against the force transmission side, and the deformation section generates elastic deformation as the movable end moves.

21. The rotating shaft mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that: The shaft cover includes a cover plate and multiple reinforcement parts, and the reinforcement parts are arranged at intervals on the side surface of the cover plate facing the folding screen, and the main swing arm and the support plate swing arm are both connected to the reinforcement parts.

22. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 21, characterized in that: The cover plate is made of metal material, the reinforcement part is made of polymer material, and the cover plate and the reinforcement part are an integrally formed structure.

23. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 21, characterized in that: An arc-shaped groove is provided on a surface of the shaft cover facing the folding screen, and the arc-shaped groove is used to support the curved bottom of the support plate when in the folded state; The arc-shaped groove is located in a middle area of ​​the shaft cover in a width direction, and the arc-shaped groove extends along a length direction of the shaft cover and covers each of the reinforcement parts.

24. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that: It comprises a first shell, a second shell, a folding screen and the hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 23; The connecting frames on both sides of the shaft cover of the hinge mechanism are respectively connected to the first shell and the second shell. The folding screen is located on the side where the support plate of the hinge mechanism is located, and the folding screen is connected to the first shell and the second shell.

25. The foldable electronic device according to claim 24, wherein: The folding screen includes a screen body and a reinforcement sheet. The reinforcement sheet is connected to a surface of the screen body on one side facing the rotating shaft mechanism, and the reinforcement sheet corresponds to the rotating shaft mechanism.

Images