Shaft cover, folding screen terminal and manufacturing method of shaft cover

Abstract

The invention provides a shaft cover, a folding screen terminal and a manufacturing method of the shaft cover, and relates to the technical field of folding screen terminals. The shaft cover is used for solving the problem that on the premise of light weight of a shaft cover, marks are easily formed on the outer surface, and overall attractiveness is affected. The shaft cover comprises a shaft cover body and a threaded column. The shaft cover body has an inner surface. The threaded column is arranged on the inner surface of the shaft cover body and used for being connected with a structural part of the folding screen terminal. The yield strength of the material of the shaft cover is larger than 300 MPa. The shaft cover provided by the invention is applied to the folding screen terminal.

Description

Axle cover, folding screen terminal and manufacturing method of shaft cover

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on July 10, 2023, with application number 202310841139.8 and invention name “A shaft cover, a folding screen terminal and a method for manufacturing a shaft cover”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of folding screen terminals, and in particular to a shaft cover, a folding screen terminal, and a method for manufacturing the shaft cover. Background Art

[0003] Foldable screen devices are popular with consumers due to their ability to display large screens (when unfolded). Foldable screen devices use covers to conceal their internal structures, enhancing their overall aesthetics. However, while lightweight covers are often required, the internal structure of foldable screen devices can easily leave marks on the covers, affecting the overall aesthetics and reducing the user experience.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a shaft cover, a folding screen terminal, and a method for manufacturing the shaft cover, which are used to solve the problem that, under the premise of lightweighting the shaft cover, the internal structure of the folding screen terminal forms an imprint on the shaft cover, affecting the overall appearance and reducing the user experience.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, a shaft cover is provided, comprising a shaft cover body and a threaded post. The shaft cover body has an inner surface. The threaded post is disposed on the inner surface of the shaft cover body and is configured to connect to a structural component of a foldable screen terminal. The shaft cover material has a yield strength greater than 300 MPa.

[0008] The shaft cover provided in the first aspect of the present application is made of a material with a yield strength greater than 300 MPa to improve the overall hardness of the shaft cover. Therefore, when the shaft cover is threadedly connected to the structural parts of the folding screen terminal through a threaded column, it can withstand a greater force, thereby reducing the risk of marks appearing on the outer surface of the shaft cover, thereby improving the overall aesthetics and helping to enhance the user experience.

[0009] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the thickness of the shaft cover body is less than 0.8 mm. Because the material strength of the shaft cover is improved, the thickness of the shaft cover can be reduced while still meeting the strength requirements of the overall structure. Furthermore, reducing the thickness of the shaft cover helps reduce weight, thereby contributing to lightweighting of the device.

[0010] In a possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the shaft cover is made of titanium alloy material or high-strength steel material.

[0011] In a possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the threaded column and the shaft cover body are integrally formed. This structure is conducive to further improving the reliability of the overall structure of the shaft cover.

[0012] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the threaded column includes a first column having an outer wall provided with external threads. In this configuration, a second column can be passed through a through hole in the structural member and tightened with a nut, thereby achieving a fixed connection between the structural member and the shaft cover.

[0013] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the threaded stud includes a second column having a threaded hole formed on an end face of the second column away from the inner surface, wherein the threaded hole contains an internal thread. In this configuration, a stud provided on the structural member can be inserted into the threaded hole of the second column to achieve a fixed connection between the two.

[0014] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the shaft cover body is provided with two connecting grooves, one at each end of the shaft cover body along its length. In this configuration, shielding plates can be provided in the connecting grooves. The two shielding plates can prevent the internal structure of the device from being exposed at the ends of the shaft cover along its length, thereby further improving the overall aesthetics.

[0015] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, a limiting groove is provided on the sidewall of the connecting groove. With this structure, further limiting can be formed between the shielding plate and the shaft cover body. Specifically, a limiting protrusion is provided on the shielding plate and inserted into the limiting groove, thereby preventing the shielding plate from falling out of the connecting groove, thereby improving the connection reliability between the shielding plate and the shaft cover.

[0016] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the retaining grooves are formed on sidewalls within the connecting grooves, extending along the length of the shaft cover body, and both the connecting grooves and the retaining grooves extend along the width of the shaft cover body. This structure increases the contact area between the shielding plate and the shaft cover body, thereby increasing the force-bearing area between the two, thereby further improving the reliability of the connection between the two.

[0017] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the shaft cover further includes at least one positioning post disposed on the inner surface of the shaft cover body. This allows the positioning post to be pre-positioned with the structural component to prevent relative movement between the two, thereby reducing assembly difficulty and improving work efficiency.

[0018] In a possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the cross section of the positioning post is circular, elliptical, or regular polygonal.

[0019] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, a boss is formed on the inner surface, and the threaded stud is disposed on the boss. This structure facilitates increasing the thickness of the threaded stud, that is, increasing the thickness of the area corresponding to the threaded stud on the shaft cover body, further improving the strength of this area, enabling it to withstand greater extrusion pressure, thereby further reducing the risk of marks forming on the outer surface of the shaft cover body.

[0020] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the shaft cover body is provided with multiple cavities spaced apart from one another. This structure helps reduce the weight of the shaft cover body, thereby contributing to a slimmer and lighter device. Furthermore, the multiple cavities improve the heat dissipation of the shaft cover.

[0021] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the vertical projections of the multiple cavities on the inner surface are offset from the vertical projections of the threaded studs on the inner surface. This structure prevents the cavities from reducing the thickness of the corresponding areas of the threaded studs on the shaft cover body, thereby ensuring the overall strength of the shaft cover.

[0022] In a possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, at least one groove is provided on the inner surface. In this structure, the provision of the groove is helpful in reducing the weight of the shaft cover and reducing the difficulty of processing.

[0023] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of the present application, the area occupied by the groove on the inner surface is offset from the vertical projection of the threaded column on the inner surface. This structure avoids reducing the thickness of the area corresponding to the threaded column on the shaft cover body, thereby facilitating the maintenance of the overall strength of the shaft cover.

[0024] In a second aspect, a foldable screen terminal is provided, comprising a foldable screen, a first housing, a second housing, and a rotation mechanism, the rotation mechanism comprising a hinge assembly and a shaft cover. The foldable screen is supported by the first housing, the second housing, and the hinge assembly; the first housing and the second housing are respectively fixed to opposite sides of the hinge assembly; the shaft cover is a shaft cover as described in any of the above technical solutions, and the hinge assembly is disposed on the inner surface of the shaft cover body.

[0025] The folding screen terminal provided in the second aspect of the present application, because it includes the shaft cover as described in any of the above technical solutions, can solve the same technical problems and achieve the same technical effects.

[0026] In a third aspect, a method for manufacturing an axle cover is provided, comprising: first, manufacturing an axle cover blank, the axle cover blank comprising a axle cover body blank and a threaded column blank; the axle cover blank having a yield strength greater than 300 MPa; and then, fine-machining the axle cover blank to form the axle cover.

[0027] The manufacturing method provided in the third aspect of this application uses a material with a yield strength greater than 300 MPa to first produce a shaft cover blank, which only forms the basic outline of the shaft cover. The shaft cover blank is then fine-machined to form the shaft cover. This allows the shaft cover blank to be produced using processes that may not require high machining precision but are relatively low-cost, thereby reducing production costs.

[0028] In a possible implementation of the third aspect of the present application, the finish machining of the shaft cover blank includes: tapping the threaded column blank to form the threaded column.

[0029] In a possible implementation of the third aspect of the present application, finishing the shaft cover blank further comprises cutting and polishing the shaft cover blank. In this way, the shaft cover blank can be precisely processed and polished to form a shaft cover with a beautiful appearance.

[0030] In a possible implementation of the third aspect of the present application, the shaft cover body blank is provided with at least one of a cavity, a boss, and a groove. In this way, these weight-reducing structures can be formed during the 3D printing process, which is conducive to further improving production efficiency.

[0031] In one possible implementation of the third aspect of the present application, the method for manufacturing the shaft cover blank includes a 3D printing process. Because the shaft cover is made of a relatively high-strength material, conventional CNC machine tool cutting processes would result in a long processing time and high processing difficulty. Therefore, the use of a 3D printing process can help reduce processing time and production costs.

[0032] In a possible implementation of the third aspect of the present application, the method for fine-machining the shaft cover blank includes a CNC machine tool cutting process. Fine-machining the shaft cover blank only through the CNC machine tool process can significantly reduce working hours and help reduce costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG1 is a structural diagram of a foldable screen terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG2 is a front view of a foldable screen terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG3 is a front view of the folding screen terminal provided by an embodiment of the present application in a folded state;

[0036] FIG4 is a front view of another folding screen terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG5 is a partial structural diagram between the shaft cover and the structural member provided by the related art;

[0038] FIG6 is a structural diagram of a shaft cover provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG7 is an enlarged structural view of region A of the shaft cover provided in FIG6 ;

[0040] FIG8 is a partial connection structure diagram of the shaft cover and the structural member provided in FIG6;

[0041] FIG9 is a structural diagram of a threaded column provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG10 is a structural diagram of another threaded column provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG11 is a structural diagram of another threaded column provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG12 is a diagram showing the connection structure between the positioning column and the structural member provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG13 is a structural diagram of another connecting groove provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG14 is a cross-sectional structural diagram of another shaft cover provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG15 is a cross-sectional structural diagram of another shaft cover provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG16 is a structural diagram of a shaft cover blank provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG17 is an enlarged view of the structure of area B of the shaft cover blank provided in FIG16 .

[0050] Figure markings: 01-folding screen terminal; 10-folding screen; 11-first part; 12-second part; 13-third part; 20-support device; 21-first shell; 22-second shell; 23-rotating mechanism; 100-shaft cover; 100a-shaft cover blank; 101-stud; 110-shaft cover body; 110a-shaft cover body blank; 111-boss; 112-cavity; 113-groove; 121-threaded column; 121a-first column; 121b-second column; 121c-threaded hole; 121d-threaded column blank; 122-positioning column; 122a-positioning hole; 122b-positioning column blank; 123-connecting groove; 124-limiting groove; 200-structural part; 210-nut; 300-shielding plate; 310-limiting protrusion; 40-sub-screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments.

[0052] In the following, the terms "first," "second," etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the quantity of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first," "second," etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0053] In addition, in this application, directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" are defined relative to the orientation of the components in the drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts. They are used for relative description and clarification, and they can change accordingly according to changes in the orientation of the components in the drawings.

[0054] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the term "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium.

[0055] The present application provides a foldable screen terminal, which can be a type of electronic device with a foldable screen. The embodiment of the present application is described by taking a mobile phone as an example. Specifically, please refer to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a structural diagram of the foldable screen terminal 01 provided in the embodiment of the present application, and Figure 2 is a front view of the foldable screen terminal 01 provided in the embodiment of the present application. The foldable screen terminal 01 may include a foldable screen 10 and a support device 20.

[0056] To facilitate the following description, an XYZ coordinate system is established, defining the width direction of the foldable screen terminal 01 as the X-axis direction, the length direction of the foldable screen terminal 01 as the Y-axis direction, and the thickness direction of the foldable screen terminal 01 as the Z-axis direction. It is understood that the XYZ coordinate system can be flexibly transformed according to actual needs, and the embodiment of this application only provides one possible example. In addition, Figure 1 only schematically illustrates some components of the foldable screen terminal 01. The actual shape, actual size, actual position, and actual structure of these components are not limited by Figure 1.

[0057] The above-mentioned folding screen 10 is used to display images, videos, etc. The folding screen 10 may include a first part 11, a second part 12, and a third part 13, and the third part 13 is arranged between the first part 11 and the second part 12. When the folding screen 10 is folded, the third part 13 is bent, and the first part 11 and the second part 12 are arranged relative to each other. At least the third part 13 of the folding screen 10 is made of a flexible material. The first part 11 and the second part 12 of the folding screen 10 can be made of a flexible material, or a rigid material, or partially made of a flexible material and partially made of a rigid material. This application does not make any specific restrictions on this.

[0058] Among them, the above-mentioned folding screen 10 can be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display screen, an active matrix organic light-emitting diode or an active-atrix organic light-emitting diode (AOLED) display screen, a mini light-emitting diode (ini organic light-eitting diode) display screen, a micro light-emitting diode (icro light-eitting diode) display screen, a micro organic light-emitting diode (icro organic light-eitting diode) display screen, a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) display screen, a liquid crystal display (LCD), etc.

[0059] The support device 20 is used to support the foldable screen 10. The support device 20 may include a first shell 21, a second shell 22, and a rotating mechanism 23, with the rotating mechanism 23 connected between the first shell 21 and the second shell 22. The first portion 11 of the foldable screen 10 is supported and attached to the first shell 21. The second portion 12 of the foldable screen 10 is supported and attached to the second shell 22. The third portion 13 of the foldable screen 10 is supported and attached to the rotating mechanism 23. The first shell 21 and the second shell 22 are rotatably connected via the rotating mechanism 23, thereby enabling the foldable screen terminal 01 to rotate between an unfolded state and a folded state.

[0060] Please continue to refer to Figures 1 and 2, which show the structure of the foldable screen terminal 01 in the unfolded state. When the foldable screen terminal 01 is in the unfolded state, the first housing 21, second housing 22, and rotating mechanism 23 of the support device 20 facing the foldable screen 10 are in the same plane, allowing the foldable screen 10 to be fully unfolded while maintaining its flatness. In this state, a large screen display can be achieved, providing a better user experience.

[0061] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a front view of the foldable screen terminal 01 provided by an embodiment of the present application in a folded state. When the foldable screen terminal 01 is in the folded state, the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 are facing each other, and the third portion 13 is in a bent state. The support rotates to protect the foldable screen 10 from the outside, making the foldable screen 10 invisible to the user, thereby preventing the foldable screen 10 from being scratched or damaged, thereby effectively protecting the foldable screen 10.

[0062] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4, which is a front view of another foldable screen terminal 01 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The foldable screen terminal 01 may further include a secondary screen 40 (also referred to as an external screen). The secondary screen 40 is a flat screen and is disposed on the side of the first housing 21 away from the foldable screen 10, or on the side of the second housing 22 away from the foldable screen 10. When the foldable screen terminal 01 is in the folded state, the secondary screen 40 can be used to display images, thereby enabling one-handed operation of the device.

[0063] The above-mentioned rotating mechanism 23 may include a hinge assembly (not shown in the figure) and a shaft cover 100. The hinge assembly is used to connect to the first shell 21 and the second shell 22 shown in Figures 1 to 4 respectively, so that the first shell 21 and the second shell 22 can rotate relative to each other. The hinge assembly is arranged on the inner side of the shaft cover 100, that is, the shaft cover 100 forms an appearance part. When the folding screen terminal 01 is in the folded state, the shaft cover 100 is exposed to the outside to avoid the hinge assembly being exposed, which is beneficial to the overall aesthetics.

[0064] The shaft cover 100 and the hinge assembly need to be fixedly connected to improve the reliability of the overall structure. It should be noted that the shaft cover 100 is fixedly connected to the hinge assembly, and the shaft cover 100 is fixedly connected to some structural members 200 included in the hinge assembly (for example, the middle beam of the hinge assembly, the two sides of the middle beam are rotatably connected to the first shell 21 and the second shell 22 respectively through swing arms), so that the movable parts in the hinge assembly can drive the first shell 21 and the second shell 22 to rotate relative to the shaft cover 100. Therefore, this application does not make any special restrictions on the specific structure of the hinge assembly. The following description will be made using the structural member 200 as an example.

[0065] To meet the need for thinner and lighter devices, the shaft cover 100 has a relatively small thickness. Furthermore, the shaft cover 100 can be made of an aluminum alloy. Aluminum alloys offer advantages such as low density, light weight, strong corrosion resistance, and excellent mechanical properties. Therefore, using an aluminum alloy shaft cover 100 contributes to the overall thinness and lightness of the device.

[0066] However, since aluminum alloy is light, its yield strength is 100-300MPa and its density is 2.7g / cm 3 , and when the thickness of the shaft cover 100 is small, the overall structural strength of the shaft cover 100 is low. Therefore, when the shaft cover 100 is fixedly connected to the structural member 200, it is easy to form a mark on the outer surface of the shaft cover 100.

[0067] For example, please refer to Figure 5, which is a partial structural diagram between the shaft cover 100 and the structural member 200 provided by the related art. A stud 101 is provided on the shaft cover 100, and a through hole is provided on the structural member 200. The stud 101 is inserted into the through hole and is locked by a nut 210 to achieve a threaded connection. When the two are fastened to each other, the nut 210 and the stud 101 on the shaft cover 100 are subjected to mutual force. At this time, the nut 210 will cause the structural member 200 and the inner surface of the shaft cover 100 to be subjected to force. Therefore, it is easy to cause the area on the shaft cover 100 corresponding to the stud 101 to deform in the direction away from the structural member 200, that is, a protruding mark is formed on the outer surface of the shaft cover 100, which affects the flatness of the outer surface of the shaft cover 100 and affects the overall appearance.

[0068] To solve the above problems, please refer to Figures 6, 7 and 8. Figure 6 is a structural diagram of a shaft cover 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application, Figure 7 is an enlarged structural diagram of the A area of ​​the shaft cover 100 provided in Figure 6, and Figure 8 is a partial connection structural diagram of the shaft cover 100 and the structural member 200 provided in Figure 6. The shaft cover 100 includes a shaft cover body 110 and a threaded column 121, and the shaft cover body 110 has an inner surface. The threaded column 121 is provided on the inner surface of the shaft cover body 110, and the threaded column 121 is used to connect with the above-mentioned structural member 200. In addition, the material yield strength of the shaft cover 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application is greater than 300 MPa.

[0069] For example, the shaft cover 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application can be made of titanium alloy material. Titanium alloy is an alloy composed of titanium element and other elements. The yield strength of titanium alloy material is 800-1000MPa and the density is 4.43g / cm 3 , titanium alloy has the advantages of high strength, high thermal strength, good corrosion resistance and good low temperature performance.

[0070] Alternatively, the shaft cover 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application may also be made of high-strength steel. The yield strength of high-strength steel is 550-680 MPa and the density is 7.85 g / cm 3 , which has higher material strength.

[0071] Thus, the shaft cover 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application is made of a material with a relatively high yield strength, thereby improving the overall strength of the shaft cover 100. When the shaft cover 100 and the structural member 200 are connected and subjected to force, the risk of the structural member 200 causing local deformation of the shaft cover 100 is reduced, thereby reducing the risk of protruding marks on the outer surface of the shaft cover 100, thereby improving the overall aesthetics and, in turn, enhancing the user experience.

[0072] On this basis, the thickness dimension of the above-mentioned shaft cover 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application can be less than 0.8mm. That is, the thickness dimension of the shaft cover body 110 can be less than 0.8mm. For example, the thickness of the shaft cover body 110 provided in the embodiment of the present application can be 0.7mm, 0.6mm, 0.5mm, etc. Since it is made of a material with a higher yield strength, the strength requirement of the shaft cover 100 can still be met when the thickness of the shaft cover body 110 is relatively small, that is, the probability of deformation of the shaft cover 100 can still be reduced. Moreover, since the thickness dimension of the shaft cover body is reduced, it is beneficial to reduce the overall weight of the shaft cover 100, thereby facilitating the lightweighting of the shaft cover 100.

[0073] Please refer to Figure 9, which illustrates the structure of a threaded column 121 provided in an embodiment of the present application. This threaded column 121 is used to achieve a threaded connection with the structural member 200 shown in Figure 5 . For example, the threaded column 121 may include a first column 121a having external threads disposed on its outer wall. This allows the first column 121a to achieve a threaded connection with a screw hole defined in the structural member 200.

[0074] Alternatively, please refer to Figure 10, which is a structural diagram of another threaded column 121 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The threaded column 121 may also include a second column 121b, with a threaded hole 121c defined on the end face of the second column 121b facing away from the shaft cover body 110. The threaded hole 121c is internally threaded. Correspondingly, the structural member 200 may be provided with a column structure having external threads (not shown), thereby enabling the second column 121b to be threadedly connected to the column structure provided on the structural member 200.

[0075] Based on this, since the shaft cover 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application is made of titanium alloy, the overall strength of the shaft cover 100 is improved. When the structural member 200 abuts the inner surface of the shaft cover body 110, the shaft cover body 110 can withstand greater forces, thereby reducing the risk of marks on the outer surface of the shaft cover 100 and improving the overall aesthetics.

[0076] In order to further improve the force strength at the connection point between the shaft cover 100 and the structural member 200, please refer to Figure 11, which is a structural diagram of another threaded column 121 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The shaft cover 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application also includes a boss 111, which is arranged on the inner surface of the shaft cover body 110, and the above-mentioned threaded column 121 is arranged on the boss 111. In this way, the thickness dimension of the area corresponding to the threaded connection point on the shaft cover body 110 can be increased, that is, the thickness D1 of the shaft cover body 110 plus the thickness D2 of the boss 111, thereby further improving the force that the shaft cover body 110 can withstand, so as to further reduce the risk of imprints on the outer surface of the shaft cover 100.

[0077] In other embodiments, please refer to Figure 12, which is a diagram illustrating the connection structure between the positioning post 122 and the structural member 200 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The shaft cover 100 further includes a positioning post 122 disposed on the inner surface of the shaft cover body 110. The positioning post 122 is configured to engage with the socket on the structural member 200, thereby achieving pre-positioning during the production and installation process, thereby improving installation accuracy and reducing installation difficulty.

[0078] For example, the positioning post 122 may be cylindrical, that is, the cross section of the positioning post 122 is circular. Alternatively, the cross section of the positioning post 122 may be elliptical, regular polygonal, etc. Therefore, this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0079] Alternatively, a positioning hole 122a may be formed on the end surface of the positioning column 122 away from the shaft cover body 110, and the columnar positioning structure on the structural member 200 may be inserted into the positioning hole 122a, which can also achieve the pre-positioning effect. Therefore, this application does not make any special restrictions on this.

[0080] Furthermore, the positioning post 122 can be fixed to the inner surface of the shaft cover body 110 by bonding, welding, etc. Alternatively, the positioning post 122 can also be integrally formed with the shaft cover body 110. Therefore, this application does not impose any special limitation on this.

[0081] On this basis, in order to further reduce the risk of the hinge assembly being exposed and to enhance the overall aesthetics, please continue to refer to Figure 12. The shaft cover body 110 is further provided with connecting grooves 123 at both ends along the length direction. The rotating mechanism 23 also includes a shielding plate 300 (also known as a T-shaped block or T-shaped plate), which is inserted into the connecting groove 123. By providing the shielding plates 300 at both ends along the length direction of the shaft cover body 110, the hinge assembly can be shielded at both ends of the device, thereby further preventing the internal structure of the device from being exposed, and further enhancing the overall aesthetics.

[0082] To further improve the connection reliability between the shielding plate 300 and the shaft cover body 110. Please refer to Figure 13, which is a structural diagram of another connection groove 123 provided in an embodiment of the present application. A limiting groove 124 can also be provided on the side wall of the connection groove 123. Accordingly, a limiting protrusion 310 can be provided on the shielding plate 300, so that the limiting protrusion 310 is inserted into the limiting groove 124 to form a limit between the shielding plate 300 and the shaft cover body 110 along the thickness direction of the shaft cover 100, so as to prevent the shielding plate 300 from moving out of the connection groove 123. This is conducive to improving the reliability of the overall structure.

[0083] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figures 12 and 13. The above-mentioned limiting grooves 124 can be opened on the side walls distributed along the length direction of the shaft cover body 110 (i.e., the Y-axis direction) within the connecting groove 123, and both the connecting groove 123 and the limiting grooves 124 extend along the width direction of the shaft cover body 110 (i.e., the X-axis direction). In this way, the space within the connecting groove 123 and the limiting grooves 124 can be increased. Accordingly, the portion of the shielding plate 300 inserted into the connecting groove 123 and the limiting protrusion 310 can be increased in volume, that is, the contact area between the shielding plate 300 and the plate body of the shaft cover 100 is increased, which is conducive to improving the connection and limiting strength between the shielding plate 300 and the shaft cover body 110.

[0084] Furthermore, when the shielding plate 300 is inserted into the connection groove 123 on the shaft cover body 110, the shielding plate 300 and the shaft cover body 110 can be fixedly connected. For example, the shielding plate 300 and the shaft cover body 110 can be further fixed together by gluing, threading, or other methods, thereby further improving the reliability of the connection between the shielding plate 300 and the shaft cover body 110. Therefore, this application does not specifically limit the specific method of fixing the shielding plate 300 to the shaft cover body 110.

[0085] On this basis, by using a material with higher hardness to make the shaft cover 100, the overall weight of the device is further reduced. Please refer to Figure 14, which is a cross-sectional structural diagram of another shaft cover 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application, and Figure 14 shows a cross-sectional diagram perpendicular to the Y-axis direction of the shaft cover 100. The shaft cover body 110 provided in the embodiment of the present application can be provided with a cavity 112 inside. In addition, a plurality of cavities 112 are provided, and the plurality of cavities 112 are spaced apart inside the shaft cover body 110.

[0086] Exemplarily, each cavity 112 can extend along the length direction of the shaft cover body 110, and multiple cavities 112 can be distributed in multiple groups at intervals along the length direction of the shaft cover body 110, each group of cavities 112 includes multiple cavities, and the multiple cavities 112 in each group of cavities 112 can be distributed at intervals along the width direction of the shaft cover body 110.

[0087] Furthermore, the cross-sections of the multiple cavities 112 can be of the same shape, for example, all of them are circular as shown in FIG14 . They can also be of different shapes, for example, the cross-sections of some cavities 112 are circular, while the cross-sections of other cavities 112 are regular polygons, etc. The cross-sectional areas of the multiple cavities 112 can all be of the same size, or they can be of different sizes, i.e., some cavities 112 have larger cross-sectional areas, while other cavities 112 have smaller cross-sectional areas, etc. The lengths of the multiple cavities 112 can be of the same length, or they can be of different lengths. Therefore, this application does not impose any special restrictions on the specific structure of the cavity 112.

[0088] For example, the cavity 112 located in the area of ​​the shaft cover body 110 that needs to withstand less force can be configured with a larger cross-sectional area and a longer length. Meanwhile, the cavity 112 located in the area that needs to withstand greater force (e.g., the connection point between the shaft cover 100 and the structural member 200) can be configured with a smaller cross-sectional area and a shorter length. This helps reduce the weight of the shaft cover 100 while ensuring the overall strength of the shaft cover 100.

[0089] To further ensure the inherent strength of the shaft cover 100. The vertical projection of the above-mentioned cavity 112 provided in the embodiment of the present application on the inner surface of the shaft cover body 110 is misaligned with the vertical projection of the above-mentioned threaded column 121 on the inner surface of the shaft cover body 110. That is, the projection of the cavity 112 on the inner surface and the vertical projection of the threaded column 121 on the inner surface do not overlap with each other. In this way, in the area where the threaded column 121 is provided on the shaft cover body 110, since the cavity 112 is not provided, the overall strength of the area corresponding to the threaded column 121 will not be reduced, which is more conducive to improving the overall strength of the shaft cover 100.

[0090] It should be noted that, since the inner surface of the shaft cover body 110 is not necessarily a plane, the plane where the threaded column 121 is located is used as the projection plane, that is, in the XY plane, the cavity 112 and the threaded column 121 are offset from each other.

[0091] In other possible embodiments, please refer to Figure 15, which is a cross-sectional structural diagram of another shaft cover 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The shaft cover 100 can also be reduced in weight by providing at least one groove 113 on the inner surface of the shaft cover body 110. That is, multiple grooves 113 are provided in different areas on the inner surface of the shaft cover body 110 to reduce the weight of the shaft cover 100. In this way, on the one hand, the weight reduction of the shaft cover 100 can be reduced. On the other hand, it is conducive to reducing the process difficulty during processing, thereby reducing processing costs.

[0092] In addition, multiple grooves 113 can be opened in an area where no threaded column 121 is provided, and the threaded column 121 is all provided outside the groove 113, that is, the area occupied by the groove 113 is staggered with the vertical projection of the above-mentioned threaded column 121 on the inner surface, thereby reducing the overall weight of the shaft cover 100 without affecting the threaded column 121.

[0093] In addition, the cross-sectional shape of each groove body 113 along the inner surface parallel to the shaft cover body 110 (a cross-sectional shape parallel to the XY plane) can be the same, for example, all are set to a circular structure. They can also be different, for example, part is circular and part is polygonal. Moreover, each groove body 113 can be a regular shape (for example, a circle or a regular polygon) or an irregular shape (for example, a polygon connected end to end and with unequal side lengths). Therefore, the present application does not specifically limit the specific structure of the groove body 113.

[0094] Based on this, by providing multiple cavities 112 within shaft cover body 110 or grooves 113 on the inner surface of shaft cover body 110, the overall weight of shaft cover 100 is reduced, thereby contributing to a lighter and thinner device. Furthermore, in a plane parallel to the inner surface of shaft cover body 110, cavities 112 and grooves 113 are offset from 120, thereby reducing the weight of shaft cover 100 while ensuring the strength of 120, thereby reducing the risk of marks on the outer surface of shaft cover 100.

[0095] In some embodiments, the threaded column 121, the positioning column 122, and the connecting groove 123 form a connecting structure. This connecting structure includes but is not limited to the above-mentioned structures. The connecting structure can also be other forms of structures and is used to connect with the above-mentioned structural member 200 or other components. Therefore, this application does not specifically limit this.

[0096] Based on the above description of the structure of the shaft cover 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application, the manufacturing method of the shaft cover 100 is described below.

[0097] First, a shaft cover blank 100a is produced. Referring to FIG16 , FIG16 is a structural diagram of the shaft cover blank 100a provided in an embodiment of the present application, and FIG17 is an enlarged structural diagram of region B of the shaft cover blank 100a provided in FIG16 .

[0098] For example, the shaft cover blank 100a can be manufactured using a 3D printing process. 3D printing, also known as rapid prototyping technology or additive manufacturing, is a technique that uses a digital model as a foundation and uses bondable materials such as powdered metal or plastic to construct an object layer by layer. Specifically, a 3D printer builds up layers of different printing materials, such as metal, ceramic, and plastic, ultimately transforming the computer model into a physical object.

[0099] In an embodiment of the present application, the titanium alloy powder can be added to a 3D printer and stacked layer by layer through 3D printing to form the shaft cover blank 100a. Due to the high hardness of titanium alloy metal, the use of traditional CNC machine tool cutting technology for processing will result in long processing time, low efficiency, and high material consumption (for example, tool bits), resulting in increased processing costs. The use of 3D printing technology can improve processing efficiency on the one hand and reduce costs on the other.

[0100] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figures 16 and 17. The above-mentioned shaft cover blank 100a may include a shaft cover body blank 110a and a threaded column blank 121d, which are formed into an integrally formed structure through a 3D printing process, thereby facilitating the improvement of the overall structural strength.

[0101] In addition, the shaft cover body blank 110a may also include a positioning post blank 122b. It is understandable that the blank 120a formed by the 3D printing process is a basic structure and does not meet the precise design requirements. For example, the threaded post blank 121d and the positioning post blank 122b are merely protruding structures formed on the shaft cover body blank 110a and have not undergone high-precision processing. However, forming this protruding structure through the 3D printing process is conducive to reducing production difficulty and production costs compared to conventional cutting processes.

[0102] Moreover, when processing the limit groove 124 shown in FIG13 , since the limit groove 124 is provided on the inner wall of the connecting groove 123 and the connecting groove 123 is relatively small in size, when a CNC machine tool is used for processing, the general cutter head cannot be inserted into the connecting groove 123. If a smaller cutter head is used, the strength of the cutter head cannot be guaranteed, resulting in increased processing difficulty.

[0103] Based on this, a 3D printing process is adopted. Since the process is to stack layers one by one, the limiting groove 124 can be formed in the process of manufacturing the shaft cover blank 100a without any processing difficulties.

[0104] Furthermore, during the 3D printing process, the cavity 112 shown in FIG14, the boss 111 shown in FIG11, and the groove 113 shown in FIG15 can be formed in the shaft cover body blank 110a. Thus, during the 3D printing process for manufacturing the shaft cover blank 100a, structures such as the cavity 112, the boss 111, and the groove 113 can be formed, thereby further improving production efficiency.

[0105] Next, the blank is finished to form the shaft cover 100 .

[0106] For example, the shaft cover blank 100a can be fine-machined using a cutting process using a CNC machine tool. Since the basic structure of the shaft cover 100 (i.e., the shaft cover blank 100a) has already been formed using the aforementioned 3D printing technology, the time required for fine-machining using a CNC machine tool can be significantly shortened, thereby saving costs.

[0107] The above-mentioned finishing process may include cutting, polishing and tapping the shaft cover blank 100a.

[0108] For example, the threaded column blank 121 d is subjected to a tapping process to process threads (internal threads or external threads, etc.) to form the threaded column 121 .

[0109] In addition, the shaft cover body blank 110a is further cut to form the shaft cover body 110 that meets the design size requirements (e.g., the thickness of the shaft cover body 110). In addition, the positioning post blank 122b can be further cut to form the positioning post 122 that meets the size requirements (e.g., the diameter and height of the positioning post 122).

[0110] In order to further improve the aesthetics of the shaft cover body 110 , the surface of the shaft cover body 110 may be polished by a CNC machine tool, thereby improving the overall aesthetics of the shaft cover 100 to form the shaft cover 100 shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 .

[0111] Finally, the shaft cover 100 can be further installed, that is, it can be installed and matched with the structural member 200 in the hinge assembly. Since the shaft cover 100 is made of a relatively hard titanium alloy material, the tight fit between the shaft cover 100 and the structural member 200 can reduce the risk of deformation of the shaft cover 100 caused by the structural member 200, thereby reducing the risk of marks on the outer surface of the shaft cover 100 and improving the overall aesthetics.

[0112] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be combined in an appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0113] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A shaft cover, characterized in that: include: A shaft cover body having an inner surface; A threaded column, disposed on the inner surface of the shaft cover body, the threaded column being used to connect with a structural member of the folding screen terminal; Wherein, the material yield strength of the shaft cover is greater than 300 MPa.

2. The shaft cover according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the shaft cover body is less than 0.8 mm.

3. The shaft cover according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The shaft cover is made of titanium alloy material or high-strength steel material.

4. The shaft cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The threaded column and the shaft cover body are integrally formed.

5. The shaft cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The threaded column comprises a first column body, and an outer wall of the first column body is provided with an external thread.

6. The shaft cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The threaded column comprises a second column body, a threaded hole is formed on the end surface of the second column body away from the inner surface, and an internal thread is formed in the threaded hole.

7. The shaft cover according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The shaft cover body is provided with two connection grooves, and the two connection grooves are respectively provided at two ends of the shaft cover body along the length direction.

8. The shaft cover according to claim 7, characterized in that: A limiting groove is provided on the side wall of the connecting groove.

9. The shaft cover according to claim 8, characterized in that: The limiting groove is arranged on a side wall distributed in the connecting groove along the length direction of the shaft cover body, and both the connecting groove and the limiting groove extend along the width direction of the shaft cover body.

10. The shaft cover according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The shaft cover further comprises at least one positioning column, and the positioning column is arranged on the inner surface of the shaft cover body.

11. The shaft cover according to claim 10, characterized in that: The cross section of the positioning column is circular, elliptical or regular polygonal.

12. The shaft cover according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: A boss is formed on the inner surface, and the threaded column is disposed on the boss.

13. The shaft cover according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that: A plurality of cavities are arranged inside the shaft cover body, and the plurality of cavities are distributed at intervals.

14. The shaft cover according to claim 13, characterized in that: The vertical projections of the plurality of cavities on the inner surface and the vertical projections of the threaded column on the inner surface are arranged in a staggered manner.

15. The shaft cover according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that: At least one groove is formed on the inner surface.

16. The shaft cover according to claim 15, characterized in that: The area occupied by the groove body on the inner surface is staggered with the vertical projection of the threaded column on the inner surface.

17. A folding screen terminal, characterized in that: It includes a folding screen, a first shell, a second shell and a rotating mechanism, wherein the rotating mechanism includes a hinge assembly and a shaft cover; the folding screen is supported on the first shell, the second shell and the hinge assembly; the first shell and the second shell are respectively fixed on both sides of the hinge assembly; the shaft cover is the shaft cover according to any one of claims 1 to 16, and the hinge assembly is arranged on the inner surface of the shaft cover body of the shaft cover.

18. A method for manufacturing a shaft cover, characterized in that: include: Making a shaft cover blank; the shaft cover blank comprises a shaft cover body blank and a threaded column blank; the material yield strength of the shaft cover blank is greater than 300MPa; The shaft cover blank is finely processed to form a shaft cover.

19. The manufacturing method according to claim 18, characterized in that: The finishing of the shaft cover blank includes: tapping the threaded column blank.

20. The manufacturing method according to claim 19, characterized in that: The finishing of the shaft cover blank further includes: cutting and polishing the shaft cover blank.

21. The production method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that: The shaft cover body blank is provided with at least one of a cavity, a boss and a groove.

22. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 21, characterized in that: The method for making the shaft cover blank includes a 3D printing process.

23. The production method according to any one of claims 18 to 22, characterized in that: The method for finishing the shaft cover blank includes a CNC machine tool cutting process.

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