Rotating shaft assembly and foldable equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of electronic equipment, aims at solving the problems that a rotating shaft assembly is complex in structure and high in cost, and provides a rotating shaft assembly and foldable equipment. The rotating shaft assembly comprises a middle beam and two door plate assemblies connected to the two sides of the middle beam respectively. The door plate assembly comprises a door plate, a supporting plate and an elastic connecting structure. The door plate is rotationally matched with the middle beam. An interval space is formed between the door plate and the middle beam; the supporting plate is connected between the door plate and the middle beam through an elastic connecting structure and located in the interval space. The distance between the door plate and the middle beam changes in the folding or unfolding process of the rotating shaft assembly, and the elastic connecting structure is constructed to be capable of elastically deforming in the width direction of the interval space. The folding screen has the advantages of being simple in structure and low in cost, and the supporting effect of the rotating shaft assembly on the folding screen is good.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Foldable devices such as foldable phones generally use a hinge assembly to achieve rotational folding and unfolding between two or more bodies and provide support for the folding screen.

[0003] Some known foldable devices, such as outward-folding mobile phones, have inner door panels arranged between the center beam and the outer door panels. The inner door panels are rotationally connected to the door panels or the center beam through real axes or virtual axes in the form of sliding tongues. The connection structure has a large number of parts, resulting in a complex structure and high cost. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a hinge assembly and a foldable device to solve the problems of complex structure and high cost of the hinge assembly.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a hinge assembly for a foldable device, the hinge assembly comprising a center beam and two door panel assemblies connected to either side of the center beam. The door panel assembly comprises a door panel, a support plate, and an elastic connection structure, wherein the door panel is rotatably engaged with the center beam; a space is defined between the door panel and the center beam; the support plate is connected between the door panel and the center beam via the elastic connection structure and is positioned within the space; the spacing between the door panel and the center beam changes during folding or unfolding of the hinge assembly, and the elastic connection structure is configured to elastically deform along the width of the space.

[0006] In the embodiment of the present application, the hinge assembly uses an elastic connection structure to connect the support plate between the center beam and the door panel. Through the elastic deformation of the elastic connection structure, it can adapt to the changes in the spacing between the door panel and the center beam during the folding or unfolding of the hinge assembly, while maintaining reliable support for the folding screen. This reduces the number of components, the structure is simple, and the cost is low. Furthermore, the hinge assembly does not require a solid shaft / sliding tongue or other mating connection structure between the support plate and the center beam or between the support plate and the door panel, which reduces the dimensional accuracy requirements of the hinge assembly components and reduces the difficulty of assembly.

[0007] Furthermore, the elastic connection structure is connected to the space between the door panel and the center beam, spanning the first gap between the center beam and the support plate, and the second gap between the support plate and the door panel. This ensures that the first and second gaps are not continuous gaps along the length of the hinge assembly, but are instead divided into multiple shorter gaps by the elastic connection structure. In other words, the folding screen can still receive support from the elastic connection structure within a portion of the length of the first and second gaps, thereby enhancing the hinge assembly's support for the folding screen.

[0008] In one possible embodiment, the elastic connection structure includes two connectors, one of which is a first connector and the other of which is a second connector. The first connector is connected between the center beam and the support plate, and the second connector is connected between the support plate and the door panel. The first connector is configured to be elastically deformable along the width of the partition space, and / or the second connector is configured to be elastically deformable along the width of the partition space.

[0009] In this embodiment, the first connecting member and the second connecting member can respectively undergo adaptive deformation to keep the support plate connected between the center beam and the door panel, so that the expansion of the distance between the center beam and the door panel during the deployment process can be distributed to both the first gap between the center beam and the support plate and the second gap between the support plate and the door panel, thereby avoiding one of the first gap and the second gap being significantly too large to affect the supporting effect of the rotating shaft assembly.

[0010] In one possible embodiment, the support plate includes a first plate segment and a second plate segment connected along its length. One side of the second plate segment in its width direction is recessed relative to the first plate segment to form a first notch, and the other side of the second plate segment in its width direction is recessed relative to the first plate segment to form a second notch. A first connector is connected between the center beam and the second plate segment and is at least partially accommodated in the first notch. A second connector is connected between the second plate segment and the door panel and is at least partially accommodated in the second notch.

[0011] In this embodiment, by providing the first and second notches, the installation space for the first and second connectors can be increased, allowing the first and second connectors to be configured with a greater width, thereby allowing for greater widthwise deformation. The first and second notches can be symmetrically arranged about the widthwise midplane of the support plate to accommodate the symmetrically arranged first and second connectors.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the first connecting member and the second connecting member are symmetrically arranged with respect to a middle plane in the width direction of the support plate.

[0013] During the folding or unfolding process of the hinge assembly in this embodiment, the change in the distance between the center beam and the door panel (such as the expansion or reduction) is distributed more evenly to the first gap or the second gap, so that the support plate can be basically centered between the center beam and the door panel, further avoiding the occurrence of a significant weak area and ensuring the support effect of the folding screen.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the connecting piece comprises two first side plates and two second side plates, the two first side plates are spaced apart along the width direction of the connecting piece, the two second side plates are spaced apart along the length direction of the connecting piece, and the two first side plates and the two second side plates are connected to form a ring structure. The opposite outer sides of the two first side plates are provided with outer convex connecting portions protruding along the width direction of the connecting piece at positions between the two second side plates. The two outer convex connecting portions of the first connecting piece are connected to the middle beam and the support plate respectively, and the two outer convex connecting portions of the second connecting piece are connected to the support plate and the door plate respectively. The connecting piece is configured to cause the two first side plates to bend and deform towards each other when subjected to extrusion, so as to reduce the distance between the two outer convex connecting portions, and to restore the bending and deformation of the two first side plates when the extrusion force is removed, so as to increase the distance between the two outer convex connecting portions.

[0015] The connecting piece in this implementation can adapt to the changes in the distance between the middle beam and the support plate during folding or unfolding, and the changes in the distance between the door plate and the support plate.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the two outer convex connecting portions have opposite connecting surfaces, the connecting surfaces of the two outer convex connecting portions of the first connecting piece abut against the middle beam and the support plate along the width direction respectively, and the connecting surfaces of the two outer convex connecting portions of the second connecting piece abut against the support plate and the door plate along the width direction respectively.

[0017] In this implementation, the connecting surfaces of the outer convex connecting portions are connected to the middle beam, the support plate or the door plate, which is simple in structure and can accurately determine the sizes of the first gap and the second gap.

[0018] In another possible implementation, the front surface of the middle beam is recessed to form a first connecting groove near the door plate, the groove bottom surface of the first connecting groove is recessed to form at least one first combination hole; the front surface of the door plate is recessed to form a second connecting groove near the middle beam, the groove bottom surface of the second connecting groove is recessed to form at least one second combination hole; the outer convex connecting portion of the first connecting piece near the middle beam is connected to a first connecting piece, the back surface of the first connecting piece is provided with at least one first combination column, the first connecting piece is connected to the first connecting groove, and the first combination column is connected to the first combination hole; the outer convex connecting portion of the second connecting piece near the door plate is connected to a second connecting piece, the back surface of the second connecting piece is provided with at least one second combination column, the second connecting piece is connected to the second connecting groove, and the second combination column is connected to the second combination hole.

[0019] In this implementation, the connection between the first connecting piece and the middle beam and the door plate is more reliable.

[0020] In one possible embodiment, the center beam, support plate, and door panels are all made of metal, and the connectors are made of spring steel. The connectors are connected to the center beam by welding, riveting, or screwing, the connectors are connected to the support plates by welding, riveting, or screwing, and the connectors are connected to the door panels by welding, riveting, or screwing. Alternatively, the center beam, support plates, and door panels are made of metal, and the connectors are made of short-fiber composite materials. The connectors are molded into the center beam and / or door panels using an insert molding process. The center beam, support plates, and door panels are made of plastic, and the connectors are made of plastic. The connectors are integrally molded with the center beam and / or door panels using a two-color injection molding process.

[0021] In this embodiment, the center beam, the support plate and the door panel, and the connecting parts of the elastic connection structure can be prepared using appropriate materials and processes.

[0022] In one possible embodiment, the foldable device is an outward folding device. During the process of the hinge assembly changing from the expanded state to the folded state, the distance between the center beam and the support plate becomes smaller, and the center beam and the support plate squeeze the first side plate of the first connecting member through the outward convex connection portion, so that the two first side plates bend and deform in a direction close to each other; the distance between the support plate and the door panel becomes smaller, and the center beam and the support plate squeeze the first side plate of the second connecting member through the outward convex connection portion, so that the two first side plates bend and deform in a direction close to each other. During the process of the hinge assembly changing from the folded state to the expanded state, the distance between the center beam and the support plate becomes larger, and the bending deformation of the first side plate of the first connecting member is elastically restored; the distance between the support plate and the door panel becomes larger, and the bending deformation of the first side plate of the second connecting member is elastically restored.

[0023] In this embodiment, the rotating shaft assembly is used for the outward folding device and can adapt to the change in the distance between the door panel and the center beam during outward folding.

[0024] In one possible embodiment, the elastic connection structure is made of a flexible material. The elastic connection structure includes a first connection portion, a telescopic portion, and a second connection portion. The telescopic portion is connected between the first and second connection portions and is capable of stretching. The first connection portion is connected to the center beam, the second connection portion is connected to the door panel, and the support plate is connected to the telescopic portion.

[0025] This embodiment provides another elastic connection structure, which is supported by a flexible material and can conveniently adapt to changes in the distance between the center beam and the door panel through the telescopic portion.

[0026] In one possible embodiment, the support plate is provided with a coupling groove, which passes through the support plate along the width direction of the support plate and is located in the middle position of the thickness direction of the support plate. The telescopic portion includes a first section, a second section, and a third section; the second section is connected between the first section and the third section; the first section is connected to the first connecting section via a first transition section, and the first transition section has a smaller dimension than the first section extending along the length direction of the support plate; the second section is connected to the second connecting section via a second transition section, and the second transition section has a smaller dimension than the second section extending along the length direction of the support plate. The second section fits into the coupling groove, and a first step surface is provided between the first section and the second section, and the first step surface is attached to one side surface of the support plate along the width direction; a second step surface is provided between the third section and the second section, and the second step surface is attached to the other side surface of the support plate along the width direction.

[0027] In this embodiment, the combining groove facilitates the elastic connection structure to be an integrated structure passing through the support plate, and the step formed by the first step surface and the second step surface can limit the displacement of the support plate relative to the telescopic part in the width direction, ensuring that the support plate is in a certain position on the telescopic part during folding or unfolding.

[0028] In a possible embodiment, the elastic connection structure is made of rubber material and is formed on the center beam, the support plate and the door panel through an insert injection molding process.

[0029] In this embodiment, the elastic connection structure is formed on the center beam, support plate and door panel by insert injection molding of rubber material, which helps to ensure that the elastic connection structure is integrally connected with the center beam, support plate and door panel.

[0030] In one possible embodiment, the front side of the elastic connection structure is used to support the folding screen of the foldable device when the hinge assembly is in the unfolded state, and / or the front side of the elastic connection structure is used to support the folding screen of the foldable device when the hinge assembly is in the folded state.

[0031] In this embodiment, the elastic connection structure can provide additional support for the folding screen, further improving the supporting effect of the hinge assembly on the folding screen.

[0032] In one possible embodiment, the front face of the center beam is arc-shaped, and the arc of the front face of the center beam is concave on both sides to form a receiving groove. The folded state of the hinge assembly includes an outwardly folded state. In the outwardly folded state of the hinge assembly, the support plate is at least partially accommodated in the receiving groove, and the front face of the support plate and the front face of the center beam are on the same circumference.

[0033] In this embodiment, in the outward folded state, the support plate is accommodated in the accommodating groove, so that the support plate can be better engaged with the center beam, ensuring the supporting effect on the folding screen.

[0034] In a possible implementation, when the rotating shaft assembly is in the outwardly folded state, the back surface of the support plate is supported on the bottom surface of the accommodating groove.

[0035] In this embodiment, in the outward folded state, the support plate can be supported by the middle beam, and the support plate can provide more reliable support for the folding screen. At the same time, the support of the support plate by the middle beam can also play a limiting role, thereby preventing the support plate from over-folding and affecting the supporting shape of the folding screen.

[0036] In a possible embodiment, there are multiple elastic connection structures, which are spaced apart along the length of the support plate. Each elastic connection structure connects the support plate to the center beam and the door panel.

[0037] In this embodiment, multiple elastic connection structures can provide a more reliable connection and, in some embodiments, can provide a better support effect for the folding screen.

[0038] In one possible embodiment, the rotating shaft assembly further includes a first elastic member, two swing arms, two first rotating shaft members and two connecting rods. The two first rotating shaft members are respectively connected to the center beam. The two swing arms are respectively located on both sides of the center beam; one end of the swing arm is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft member, and the other end is slidably connected to the door panel; the swing arm has a second helical surface. The sliding seat member is slidably mounted on the two first rotating shaft members along the length direction of the center beam, and the sliding seat member is provided with two first matching holes and two first helical surfaces. The two connecting rods are respectively located on both sides of the center beam; the connecting rod includes a rod body, a first ball head and a second ball head, and the first ball head and the second ball head are respectively connected to the axial ends of the rod body; the door panel is provided with a second matching hole, and the first ball head forms a ball hinge with the first matching hole, and the second ball head forms a ball hinge with the second matching hole. The first elastic member is sleeved on the two first rotating shaft members, and elastically presses the sliding seat member against the swing arm so that the first spiral surface contacts and cooperates with the second spiral surface, so that the rotation of the swing arm around the first rotating shaft member can drive the sliding seat member to slide along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft member, and then drive the door panel to slide relative to the swing arm through the connecting rod.

[0039] In this embodiment, during the folding or unfolding process of the hinge assembly, the door panel rotates with the swing arm around the first hinge member, and the cooperation between the first spiral surface of the sliding seat and the second spiral surface of the swing arm enables the rotation of the swing arm around the first hinge member to drive the sliding seat to slide axially, and then drive the door panel to slide relative to the swing arm towards or away from the center beam through the connecting rod, so as to achieve a constant length of the folding screen when folding or unfolding.

[0040] In one possible embodiment, the sliding seat member includes a base portion and two first sleeves, the two first sleeves are respectively connected to the base portion and are respectively rotatably sleeved on the two first rotating shaft members; the first helical surface is the end surface of the first sleeve away from the base portion; and two first mating holes are recessed on the end surface of the base portion away from the first sleeve. The first elastic member elastically abuts between the base and the center beam. The swing arm includes a swing plate, a sliding mating portion, and a second sleeve; the second sleeve is rotatably sleeved on the first rotating shaft member, and the second helical surface is the end surface of the second sleeve facing the first sleeve. The door panel is provided with a sliding mating groove, and the sliding mating portion is slidably mated with the sliding mating groove.

[0041] In this embodiment, the sliding seat, the door panel and the connecting structure are reasonably designed.

[0042] In one possible embodiment, the first matching hole is a spherical arc hole; the base portion is provided with a first giveway groove, which is connected to the first matching hole to avoid the movement of the rod body; and / or, the door panel is provided with a second giveway groove, which is connected to the second matching hole and is configured to avoid the movement of the rod body relative to the door panel.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first avoidance groove and the second avoidance groove can avoid the rotation of the connecting rod during the folding or unfolding process.

[0044] In one possible embodiment, the door panel defines a front and a back side that are arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction, and the front side of the door panel is used to support a folding screen; the first ball head is located on the back side of the door panel; the door panel has an inner side surface close to the center beam; the second clearance groove is recessed from the back side of the door panel and passes through the inner side surface of the door panel. The second matching hole is a spherical arc hole, and the second clearance groove includes a column hole and an expansion slot. The column hole extends inward from the inner side surface of the door panel and passes through the back side of the door panel; the first matching hole is connected to the end of the column hole away from the inner side surface of the door panel, and the axis of the column hole passes through the spherical center of the first matching hole, and the bottom diameter of the column hole is equal to the diameter of the first matching hole. The expansion slot is connected to the radial side of the column hole and the second matching hole, and is used to expand the rotation range of the rod body relative to the door panel.

[0045] In this embodiment, during the folding or unfolding process, the connecting rod can have a larger rotation range without interfering with the door panel.

[0046] In one possible embodiment, the shaft assembly further includes a sliding pressure member and a second elastic member. The sliding pressure member includes two third sleeves that are slidably engaged with the center beam; the third sleeves have a third helical surface. The swing arm further includes a fourth sleeve that is axially spaced from the second sleeve and has a fourth helical surface. The second elastic member elastically presses the third sleeve of the sliding pressure member against the fourth sleeve, causing the third helical surface to press against the fourth helical surface.

[0047] In this embodiment, through the cooperation of the helical surfaces of the third sleeve and the fourth sleeve, the rotation of the swing arm can drive the sliding pressing member to slide along the axial direction.

[0048] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a foldable device comprising a first housing, a second housing, a folding screen, and the aforementioned hinge assembly. The first and second housings are respectively connected to two door panels; the folding screen is stacked on the first housing, the hinge assembly, and the second housing. The folding screen is supported by a center beam, support plate, and door panels, or alternatively, by the center beam, support plate, elastic connection structure, and door panels.

[0049] In this embodiment, the foldable device adopts the aforementioned hinge assembly, and its folding screen can be reliably supported.

[0050] In one possible embodiment, the foldable device is an outward folding device, and during the process of the shaft assembly changing from the unfolded state to the folded state, the distance between the door panel and the center beam becomes smaller, and the elastic connection structure elastically narrows; during the process of the shaft assembly changing from the folded state to the unfolded state, the distance between the door panel and the center beam becomes larger, and the elastic connection structure elastically widens; or

[0051] The foldable device is an inward folding device. During the process of the rotating shaft assembly changing from the unfolded state to the folded state, the distance between the door panel and the center beam increases, and the elastic connection structure elastically widens; during the process of the rotating shaft assembly changing from the folded state to the unfolded state, the distance between the door panel and the center beam decreases, and the elastic connection structure elastically narrows; or

[0052] Foldable devices are inside-out folding devices.

[0053] In this embodiment, the hinge assembly is provided for different scenarios in which the foldable device is an outward-folding device, an inward-folding device, or an inner- and outer-folding device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0055] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable device provided in an embodiment of the present application when in an unfolded state;

[0056] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable device shown in the folded state;

[0057] Figure 3 for Figure 1 An exploded view of a foldable device;

[0058] Figure 4 A plan view of the front side of a rotating shaft assembly according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0059] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A plan view of the back side of the shaft assembly;

[0060] Figure 6 for Figure 4 A perspective view of the rotating shaft assembly at A;

[0061] Figure 7 for Figure 4 A three-dimensional diagram of the shaft assembly in a folded state;

[0062] Figure 8 for Figure 6 An exploded view of the shaft assembly;

[0063] Figure 9 for Figure 4 An enlarged view of point A of the rotating shaft assembly;

[0064] Figure 10 A plan view of the shaft assembly in an outwardly folded state;

[0065] Figure 11 for Figure 9 Enlarged view of point B;

[0066] Figure 12 for Figure 7 A partial enlarged view of

[0067] Figure 13 A plan view of a single connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] Figure 14 for Figure 9 Cross-sectional view along CC line and Figure 10 Combination of cross-sectional views along line DD;

[0069] Figure 15 for Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of the shaft assembly, wherein the shaft assembly is in an expanded state;

[0070] Figure 16 for Figure 15 A three-dimensional exploded view of the shaft assembly;

[0071] Figure 17 for Figure 9 Cross-sectional view along line EE and Figure 10 Combination of cross-sectional views along line FF;

[0072] Figure 18 is a perspective view of a sliding seat and a connecting rod of an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] Figure 19 is an assembly view of a door panel and a connecting rod of an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] Figure 20 is a plan view of another hinge assembly of an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] Figure 21 is an exploded view of the hinge assembly of Figure 20 ;

[0076] Figure 22 is a close-up view of the hinge assembly of Figure 20 ;

[0077] Figure 23 is a perspective view of an elastic connecting structure of the hinge assembly of Figure 20 ;

[0078] Figure 24 is a sectional view of the hinge assembly of Figure 20 along line H-H;

[0079] Figure 25 is a close-up view of the hinge assembly of Figure 24 ;

[0080] Figure 26 is a plan view of another hinge assembly of an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] Figure 27 is an exploded view of the hinge assembly of Figure 26 ;

[0082] Figure 28 is a close-up view of the hinge assembly of Figure 26 ;

[0083] Figure 29 is a perspective view of an elastic connecting structure of the hinge assembly of Figure 26 ;

[0084] Figure 30 is a sectional view of the hinge assembly of Figure 26 along line K-K;

[0085] Figure 31 is a close-up view of the hinge assembly of Figure 30 ;

[0086] Figure 32 is a plan view of another hinge assembly of an embodiment of the present application;

[0087] Figure 33 is a plan view of another hinge assembly of an embodiment of the present application;

[0088] Figure 34 A plan view of another connecting member according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0089] Figure 35 A plan view of another connecting member according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0090] Figure 36 This is a cross-sectional view of another rotating shaft assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0091] Description of main component symbols:

[0092] 100 - foldable device; 1 - housing assembly; 1a - first housing; 1b - second housing; 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, 1h - hinge assembly; 2 - folding screen; 110 - door plate assembly; 10 - middle beam; 11 - convex part; 20 - door plate; 30 - support plate; 31 - first plate segment; 32 - second plate segment; 40, 40d, 40e - elastic connection structure; 41, 44, 45 - connecting piece; 41a - first connecting piece; 41b - second connecting piece; 411 - first side plate; 412 - second side plate; 413, 44b, 45b - outer convex connecting part; 421 - first connecting piece; 422 - first combination column; 423 - second connecting piece; 424 - second combination column; 431 - third connecting piece; 432 - third combination column; 433 - fourth connecting piece; 434 - fourth combination column; 435 - first connecting part; 436 - second connecting part; 437 - telescopic part; 437a - first segment; 437b - second segment; 437c - third segment; 438 - first transition segment; 439 - second transition segment; 44a - rhombus frame structure; 45a - 8-shaped frame structure; 50a - first hinge piece; 50b - second hinge piece; 50c - first elastic piece; 50d - second elastic piece; 60 - swing arm; 61 - swing plate; 63 - sliding fit part; 62 - second sleeve; 64 - fourth sleeve; 65 - gear; 70 - sliding seat piece; 71 - first sleeve; 72 - base part; 80 - connecting rod; 81 - first ball head; 82 - second ball head; 83 - rod body; 90 - sliding pressure piece; 93 - third sleeve; f1 - interval space; f2 - first gap; f3 - second gap; K11 - first cutout; K12 - second cutout; K21 - first fit hole; K22 - second fit hole; K31 - first combination hole; K32 - second combination hole; K4 - column hole; C1 - containing groove; C21 - first groove; C22 - second groove; C31 - first connection groove; C32 - second connection groove; C4 - combination groove; C51 - first let go groove; C52 - second let go groove; C6 - expansion groove; C7 - sliding fit groove; P1 - connecting face; P21 - first step face; P22 - second step face; P31 - first helical face; P32 - second helical face; P33 - third helical face; P34 - fourth helical face; P41 - first outer side face; P42 - second outer side face; X - width direction; Y - length direction; Z - thickness direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0093] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, not all the embodiments.

[0094] It is to be understood that when an element such as a layer, region or substrate is referred to as being "on" or "connected to" another element, it can be directly on or connected to the other element or intervening elements can be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or "directly connected to" another element, there are no intervening elements present. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms since such elements are commonly known to have temporal meanings as well. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0095] Some embodiments of the present application are described in detail. The following embodiments and features of the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0096] Embodiments

[0097] Embodiments of the present application provide a foldable device, which includes but is not limited to foldable electronic products such as mobile phones, tablet personal computers, laptop computers, notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal computers, multimedia players, smart screens, e-book readers, vehicle-mounted devices or wearable devices, etc. The wearable device includes but is not limited to smart bracelets, smart watches, smart head-mounted displays, smart glasses, etc.

[0098] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of the foldable device 100 in an unfolded state is provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of the foldable device 100 in a folded state is provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG. 1B, the foldable device 100 is in a folded state. Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of the foldable device 100 in a folded state is provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG. 1B, the foldable device 100 is in a folded state. Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of the foldable device 100 in a folded state is provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG. 1B, the foldable device 100 is in a folded state. Figure 2 The present embodiment takes the foldable device 100 as a folding mobile phone for example.

[0099] For the foldable device 100, in different use scenarios, the foldable device 100 can have different use states. Among them, Figure 1 FIG. 1A shows the foldable device 100 in an unfolded state. The unfolding angle of the foldable device 100 is for example 180°. At this time, the foldable device 100 can realize large-screen display. Figure 2 FIG. 1B shows the foldable device 100 in a folded state. At this time, the foldable device 100 occupies a smaller panel area (referring to the area perpendicular to the thickness direction of the foldable device 100), which is convenient for carrying.

[0100] It should be noted that the angles exemplified in the present embodiment are allowed to have a little deviation. For example, Figure 1 The unfolding angle of the foldable device 100 shown as 180° means that the unfolding angle can be 180°, or approximately 180°, such as 170°, 175°, 185°, or 190°. The angles described below as examples can be understood in the same way.

[0101] in addition, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The foldable device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an electronic device that can be folded once. The electronic device includes two parts that can rotate relative to each other. When the two parts rotate to be coplanar, the foldable device 100 is in an unfolded state (eg, Figure 1 As shown), when the two parts are rotated to overlap each other, the foldable device 100 is in a folded state (as shown Figure 2 In other embodiments, the foldable device 100 may also be an electronic device that can be folded more times (three or more times). In this case, the foldable device 100 may include multiple parts that are sequentially connected and rotated. Two adjacent parts can be relatively separated to be unfolded to the unfolded state, and two adjacent parts can be relatively close to each other to be folded to the folded state.

[0102] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the foldable device 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the foldable device 100 includes a shell assembly 1 and a folding screen 2. The folding screen 2 is supported and connected to a side surface of the shell assembly 1. The side surface of the folding screen 2 facing away from the shell assembly 1 is used to display information and / or provide an interactive interface for the user.

[0103] In this embodiment, the surface of the housing assembly 1 facing the folding screen 2 is defined as the front surface of the housing assembly 1, and the surface of the housing assembly 1 facing away from the folding screen 2 is defined as the back surface of the housing assembly 1. To simplify the description, the front and back surfaces of the various components of the housing assembly 1 that appear later also use this definition.

[0104] In this embodiment, the folding screen 2 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.

[0105] The foldable screen 2 may include a first portion 2a, a second portion 2b, and a foldable portion 2c, with the foldable portion 2c connected between the first portion 2a and the second portion 2b. During use of the foldable device 100, the first portion 2a and the second portion 2b may remain superimposed on the housing assembly 1, while the foldable portion 2c may bend and deform to change the angle between the first portion 2a and the second portion 2b, allowing the foldable screen 2 to fold or unfold with the movement of the housing assembly 1, thereby enabling the foldable device 100 to switch between a folded state and an unfolded state.

[0106] For example, in the foldable screen 2, at least the foldable portion 2c is made of a flexible material to enable the foldable portion 2c to be bent. The first portion 2a and the second portion 2b can be made of a flexible material, a rigid material, or partially rigid and partially flexible, without limitation in this embodiment.

[0107] Driven by the housing assembly 1, the folding screen 2 can switch between the unfolded state and the folded state. Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, when the foldable screen 2 is in the unfolded state, the first portion 2a and the second portion 2b are relatively far apart, the foldable portion 2c is in an unbent, flattened state, and the first portion 2a, second portion 2b, and foldable portion 2c are oriented in the same direction and are coplanar. At this point, the angle between the first portion 2a and the second portion 2b is 180°, allowing the foldable screen 2 to achieve a large display, providing users with richer information and a better user experience.

[0108] Combine Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, when the folding screen 2 is in the folded state, the first part 2a and the second part 2b are relatively stacked, and the foldable part 2c is in a folded state, for example, the folding angle of the foldable part 2c is 180°. At this time, the foldable device 100 occupies a smaller area of the board, which is convenient for carrying and storage.

[0109] It should be noted that the foldable device 100 shown in the figure is an outer folding electronic device, which is in a folded state, the first part 2a and the second part 2b of the folding screen 2 are opposite, the housing assembly 1 is located between the first part 2a and the second part 2b, the folding screen 2 is located outside the housing assembly 1, and the user can see and realize two-way display, such as the first part 2a displays information to the holder of the foldable device 100, and the second part 2b displays information to another audience. When the outer folding electronic device is in the folded state, the folding screen 2 is exposed, and the display function can be realized by using the folding screen 2, so that it is not necessary to additionally increase the display screen on the back of the housing in order to realize the display function of the foldable device 100 in the folded state.

[0110] In some embodiments, the foldable device 100 can be suspended at an angle between the unfolded state and the folded state, for example, the suspension angle of the foldable device 100 can be 90°, 120°, 135°, 150°, etc. Among them, the housing assembly 1 can be suspended in a partially unfolded state between the folded state and the unfolded state by the damping force provided by the housing assembly 1, and the folding screen 2 stays in the partially unfolded state with the housing assembly 1. At this time, the foldable part 2c of the folding screen 2 is also in a folded state, and the folding degree of the foldable part 2c is smaller than that in the folded state, and the first part 2a and the second part 2b of the folding screen 2 are relatively inclined, and the included angle between the first part 2a and the second part 2b is, for example, 90°, 120°, 135°, 150°, etc.

[0111] The housing assembly 1 is used to support and install the folding screen 2, and drive the folding screen 2 to switch between the folded state and the unfolded state. Referring to Figure 3 As shown, the housing assembly 1 includes a first housing 1a, a second housing 1b, and a hinge assembly 1c, the hinge assembly 1c is connected between the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b, and the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b are rotatably connected through the hinge assembly 1c, so as to realize the relative rotation between the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b.

[0112] The first housing 1a supports and connects the first portion 2a of the foldable screen 2, the second housing 1b supports and connects the second portion 2b of the foldable screen 2, and the hinge assembly 1c corresponds to the foldable portion 2c of the foldable screen 2. When the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b rotate relative to each other via the hinge assembly 1c, the first portion 2a and the second portion 2b of the foldable screen 2 change their orientation accordingly, and the foldable portion 2c of the foldable screen 2 bends or flattens as the orientation of the first portion 2a and the second portion 2b changes.

[0113] For example, the first housing 1a may have a connection surface facing the first portion 2a of the folding screen 2, and the first portion 2a of the folding screen 2 is attached to the connection surface of the first housing 1a, for example, the first portion 2a of the folding screen 2 is bonded to the connection surface of the first housing 1a. Similarly, the second housing 1b may have a connection surface facing the second portion 2b of the folding screen 2, and the second portion 2b of the folding screen 2 is attached to the connection surface of the second housing 1b, for example, the second portion 2b of the folding screen 2 is bonded to the connection surface of the second housing 1b.

[0114] In addition, both the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b may have a storage space for mounting some functional components of the foldable device 100 (not shown in the figure), such as a circuit board, a battery, a camera module, a microphone, a speaker, etc. For example, a circuit board may be provided in both the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b, and the electrical connection between the components in the two shells is achieved through the circuit boards in the two shells; the battery for powering the components may be provided only in the first shell 1a or the second shell 1b, or the battery may be provided in both the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b; as for other components such as the camera module, the microphone, and the speaker, they may be centrally provided in the first shell 1a or the second shell 1b, or some components may be provided in the first shell 1a and some components may be provided in the second shell 1b.

[0115] Both the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b 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 2 and the back cover. The side surface of the middle frame facing the folding screen 2 forms the above-mentioned connecting surface. The folding screen 2 can be mounted on this side surface of the middle frame. The back cover is connected to the side of the middle frame facing away from the folding screen 2. The middle frame and the back cover together enclose a storage space for installing devices.

[0116] It should be noted that Figure 1-Figure 3 The foldable device 100 shown is a schematic diagram with simplified details of its structure and / or appearance, and does not represent its actual appearance or structure.

[0117] Some outward-folding devices with known technologies (or outward-folding foldable devices), such as outward-folding mobile phones, have inner door panels arranged between the center beam and the outer door panels. The inner door panels are rotationally connected to the door panels or the center beam through real axes or virtual axes in the form of sliding tongues. The connection structure is complex, and there is a problem of excessive gap between the inner door panel and the center beam, or excessive gap between the inner door panel and the outer door panel, resulting in obvious weak areas in the support effect of the folding screen.

[0118] In view of this, this embodiment provides a hinge assembly 1c that can effectively control the width of the gap in the folded state and the unfolded state, thereby improving the support effect for the folding screen 2. The following will be described exemplarily with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0119] For the convenience of description, the front of the hinge assembly 1c is defined as the hinge assembly 1c used to support the folding screen 2 (which can be seen in Figure 4 ), and the back side of the hinge assembly 1c is the side of the hinge assembly 1c facing away from the folding screen 2. Correspondingly, the front sides of the components of the hinge assembly 1c (such as the center beam 10, support plate 30, door panel 20, etc. described below) are the same side surfaces as the front side of the hinge assembly 1c, and the back sides of the components of the hinge assembly 1c (such as the center beam 10, support plate 30, door panel 20, etc. described below) are the same side surfaces as the back side of the hinge assembly 1c.

[0120] Figure 4 A shaft assembly 1c according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 4 In the embodiment, the shaft assembly 1c is in an expanded state. Figure 5 for Figure 4 At this time, the hinge assembly 1c can support the foldable device 100 in the unfolded state. Figure 6 for Figure 4 A three-dimensional view of the shaft assembly 1c at A. Figure 7 for Figure 4 A three-dimensional diagram of the rotating shaft assembly 1c in a folded state (specifically, an outward folded state).

[0121] In this embodiment, the shaft assembly 1c includes a center beam 10 and two door panel assemblies 110 respectively connected to both sides of the center beam 10. The center beam 10 and the door panel assemblies 110 together support the folding screen 2.

[0122] For example, when the shaft assembly 1c is in the unfolded state (eg Figure 4-Figure 6 ), the front of the door panel assembly 110 and the front of the center beam 10 are relatively flat, so that the folding screen 2 can be supported as shown in FIG. Figure 1 When the shaft assembly 1c is in the folded state (such as Figure 7), the door panel assembly 110 is folded at a certain angle relative to the center beam 10, so that the front of the door panel assembly 110 and the front of the center beam 10 form a U-shaped support surface, the middle part of the support surface is roughly a semi-cylindrical surface, and the two side parts are roughly planes tangent to the semi-cylindrical surface, so that the folding screen 2 can be supported as follows Figure 2 The outward folding state in the middle.

[0123] Figure 8 for Figure 6 An exploded view of the shaft assembly 1c; Figure 9 for Figure 4 An enlarged view of the shaft assembly 1c at point A, Figure 10 It is a plan view of the shaft assembly 1c in the folded-out state.

[0124] See also Figure 7 and Figure 8 In this embodiment, the door panel assembly 110 includes a door panel 20, a support plate 30, and an elastic connection structure 40. The door panel 20 is rotatably coupled to the center beam 10, and a spacing space f1 is defined between the door panel 20 and the center beam 10.

[0125] When the hinge assembly 1c is used in a foldable device 100, the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b of the foldable device 100 are respectively connected to the two door panels 20 on either side of the center beam 10. In this way, the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b can be folded or unfolded together with the two door panels 20. In addition, the center beam 10, the door panel assembly 110, the first housing 1a, and the second housing 1b jointly support the foldable screen 2.

[0126] See also Figure 9 and Figure 10 The support plate 30 is connected between the door panel 20 and the center beam 10 via an elastic connection structure 40 and is located within the spacing space f1. The spacing between the door panel 20 and the center beam 10 changes during the folding or unfolding of the hinge assembly 1c. The elastic connection structure 40 is configured to elastically deform along the width direction X of the spacing space f1. The spacing between the door panel 20 and the center beam 10 can be represented by the distance between the opposing side surfaces of the door panel 20 and the center beam 10.

[0127] In this embodiment, the support plate 30 is connected between the middle beam 10 and the door plate 20 through the elastic connecting structure 40. Through the elastic deformation of the elastic connecting structure 40, the change of the distance between the door plate 20 and the middle beam 10 during the folding or unfolding process of the rotating shaft assembly 1c can be adapted, and reliable support for the folding screen 2 can be maintained. Moreover, no matching connecting structure such as a solid shaft or a sliding tongue needs to be arranged between the support plate 30 and the middle beam 10 or between the support plate 30 and the door plate 20, which reduces the size precision requirement of each component of the rotating shaft assembly 1c and reduces the assembly difficulty of the rotating shaft assembly 1c. That is, in the known technology, rigid connection is usually adopted between the middle beam and each support door plate, and the matching precision requirement between each component is very high, otherwise it may cause jamming during the folding or unfolding process. In this embodiment, the connection between the middle beam 10, the support plate 30 and the door plate 20 is realized through the elastic connecting structure 40, which greatly reduces the matching precision requirement of each component, which is beneficial to save cost and reduce assembly time and cost. In addition, the elastic connecting structure 40 is connected in the interval space f1 between the door plate 20 and the middle beam 10, and spans the first gap f2 between the middle beam 10 and the support plate 30 and the second gap f3 between the support plate 30 and the door plate 20, so that the first gap f2 and the second gap f3 are not gaps along the length direction Y of the rotating shaft assembly 1c, but are multiple shorter gaps disconnected by the elastic connecting structure 40. Or, in part of the length of the first gap f2 and the second gap f3, the folding screen 2 can be supported by the elastic connecting structure 40, so that the support effect of the rotating shaft assembly 1c on the folding screen 2 is improved.

[0128] In this embodiment, the elastic connecting structure 40 refers to a connecting structure capable of elastic deformation, which can be composed of a rigid material (such as spring steel, hard plastic, short fiber composite material, etc.) or a flexible material (such as rubber, flexible plastic material, etc.).

[0129] In the rotating shaft assembly 1c of this embodiment, there can be multiple elastic connecting structures 40, and the multiple elastic connecting structures 40 are distributed at intervals along the length direction Y of the support plate 30, and each elastic connecting structure 40 connects the support plate 30 between the middle beam 10 and the door plate 20. For example Figure 4 As shown in the middle, four elastic connecting structures 40 are arranged on each side of the middle beam 10.

[0130] Figure 11 For Figure 9 the enlarged view of B of Figure 12 the partial enlarged view of Figure 7 .

[0131] Referring to Figure 11 or Figure 12Each elastic connection structure 40 includes two connecting members 41, one of which is defined as a first connecting member 41a and the other as a second connecting member 41b. The first connecting member 41a is connected between the center beam 10 and the support plate 30, and the second connecting member 41b is connected between the support plate 30 and the door panel 20.

[0132] The connecting member 41 (such as the first connecting member 41a or the second connecting member 41b) is constructed to be able to undergo elastic deformation along the width direction X of the spacing space f1. In this way, during the folding or unfolding process of the hinge assembly 1c, the connecting member 41 can adaptively deform to keep the support plate connected between the center beam 10 and the door panel 20, so that the expansion of the distance between the center beam 10 and the door panel 20 during the unfolding process can be distributed to both the first gap f2 between the center beam 10 and the support plate 30 and the second gap f3 between the support plate 30 and the door panel 20, thereby avoiding that one of the first gap f2 and the second gap f3 is significantly too large.

[0133] In comparison, some known hinge assemblies 1c (such as the aforementioned hinge assemblies 1c in which the inner door panel 20, the center beam 10 and the outer door panel 20 are connected by a real axis or a virtual axis) have an expansion in the distance between the center beam 10 and the outer door panel 20 that is basically distributed to the gap between the two that are rotated together by the virtual axis during the unfolding process, resulting in the width of the gap being too large, resulting in a significant weak area in the support of the folding screen 2 by the hinge assembly 1c, thereby affecting the support effect.

[0134] In this embodiment, the first connecting member 41a and the second connecting member 41b are optionally arranged symmetrically with respect to the middle plane of the support plate 30 in the width direction X. In this way, during the folding or unfolding process, the change in the spacing between the center beam 10 and the door panel 20 (such as the expansion or reduction) is distributed relatively evenly to the first gap f2 or the second gap f3, so that the support plate 30 can be substantially centered between the center beam 10 and the door panel 20, further avoiding the occurrence of a significant weak area and ensuring the support effect of the folding screen 2.

[0135] Of course, in other embodiments, the support plate 30 may be supported toward the side of the center beam 10 or toward the side of the door panel 20 as needed.

[0136] Optionally, the support plate 30 includes a first plate segment 31 and a second plate segment 32 connected along the length direction Y. One side of the second plate segment 32 in the width direction X is concave relative to the first plate segment 31 to form a first notch K11, and the other side of the second plate segment 32 in the width direction X is concave relative to the first plate segment 31 to form a second notch K12. The number of the second plate segments 32 can be set according to the number of the elastic connection structures 40 (e.g., Figure 4 As shown, the number of the second plate segments 32 and the number of the elastic connection structures 40 on one side of the center beam 10 are both 4).

[0137] The first connector 41a is connected between the center beam 10 and the second plate segment 32 and is at least partially accommodated in the first notch K11. The second connector 41b is connected between the second plate segment 32 and the door panel 20 and is at least partially accommodated in the second notch K12. The provision of the first and second notches K11 and K12 increases the installation space for the first and second connectors 41a and 41b, allowing them to have a greater width, thereby allowing for greater deformation in the width direction X. The first and second notches K11 and K12 can be symmetrically arranged about the midplane of the support plate 30 in the width direction X to accommodate the symmetrically arranged first and second connectors 41a and 41b.

[0138] Figure 13 is a plan view of a single connecting member 41 (which may be the first connecting member 41a or the second connecting member 41b) of this embodiment, wherein: Figure 13 The left side of FIG is a schematic structural diagram of the connecting member 41 in the initial state (ie, when not squeezed) in this embodiment. Figure 13 The right side portion is a schematic structural diagram of the connecting member 41 in the compressed and contracted state in this embodiment.

[0139] See also Figure 13 The connector 41 includes two first side panels 411 and two second side panels 412. The two first side panels 411 are spaced apart along the width direction X of the connector 41, and the two second side panels 412 are spaced apart along the length direction Y of the connector 41. The two first side panels 411 and the two second side panels 412 are connected to form a ring structure. The first side panels 411 and the second side panels 412 can have straight or curved edges, which is not limited here.

[0140] The two outer sides (defined as the first outer sides P41) of the two first side plates 411 are located between the two second side plates 412 (e.g., at the midpoint) and are provided with protruding connecting portions 413 protruding along the width direction X of the connecting member 41. The two protruding connecting portions 413 of the first connecting member 41a are respectively connected to the center beam 10 and the support plate 30 (see FIG. Figure 11 ), the two outer protruding connecting parts 413 of the second connecting member 41b are respectively connected to the support plate 30 and the door panel 20 (see Figure 11 ).

[0141] Optionally, the two convex connecting portions 413 have opposite connecting surfaces P1, and the connecting surfaces P1 of the two convex connecting portions 413 of the first connecting member 41a respectively abut against the center beam 10 and the support plate 30 along the width direction X (as can be seen in FIG. Figure 11 ), the connecting surfaces P1 of the two protruding connecting portions 413 of the second connecting member 41b respectively abut against the support plate 30 and the door panel 20 along the width direction X.

[0142] When the shaft assembly 1c is in the expanded state, the connecting member 41 is in the natural state without being compressed (see Figure 13 The left side portion of the connector 41 is shown in FIG2 , and the distance d2 between the opposite outer sides (defined as the second outer side surface P42, which coincides with the connecting surface P1 in this embodiment) of the two protruding connecting portions 413 of the connector 41 is greater than the distance d1 between the first outer side surfaces P41 of the two first side panels 411. In this way, the connector 41 is fitted with the supporting plate 30 and the center beam 10 or the supporting plate 30 and the door panel 20 with the protruding connecting portions 413 on both sides, while the first outer side surface P41 of the first side panel 411 is spaced apart from the supporting plate 30 and the center beam 10 or the supporting plate 30 and the door panel 20.

[0143] Continue to see Figure 13 The foldable device 100 is an outward folding device. During the process of the hinge assembly 1c changing from the unfolded state to the folded state, the distance between the center beam 10 and the support plate 30 becomes smaller, and the center beam 10 and the support plate 30 squeeze the first side plate 411 of the first connecting member 41a through the convex connecting portion 413, so that the two first side plates 411 are bent and deformed in the direction of approaching each other; at the same time, the distance between the support plate 30 and the door panel 20 becomes smaller, and the center beam 10 and the support plate 30 squeeze the first side plate 411 of the second connecting member 41b through the convex connecting portion 413, so that the convex connecting portions 413 of the two first side plates 411 are close to each other, and the first side plates 411 are bent and deformed towards each other.

[0144] On the contrary, during the process of the hinge assembly 1c changing from the folded state to the unfolded state, the distance between the center beam 10 and the support plate 30 increases, and the bending deformation of the first side plate 411 of the first connecting member 41a elastically returns to a natural state; the distance between the support plate 30 and the door panel 20 increases, and the bending deformation of the first side plate 411 of the second connecting member 41b elastically returns to a natural state.

[0145] In this embodiment, for example, the center beam 10, the support plate 30, and the door panel 20 are all made of metal materials (such as titanium alloy, aluminum alloy, steel, etc.), and the connector 41 is made of spring steel. The connection between the connector 41 and the center beam 10 is welded, riveted, or screwed, the connection between the connector 41 and the support plate 30 is welded, riveted, or screwed, and the connection between the connector 41 and the door panel 20 is welded, riveted, or screwed.

[0146] Figure 14 for Figure 9 Cross-sectional view along CC line and Figure 10 The combination of cross-sectional views along line DD is used to illustrate the changes of the hinge assembly 1c when it is folded or unfolded, wherein the hinge assembly 1c in the unfolded state is represented by a dotted line. For clarity, some lines are hidden and not shown.

[0147] See also Figure 14 In this embodiment, the front surface of the elastic connection structure 40 is used to support the folding screen 2 of the foldable device 100 when the hinge assembly 1c is in the folded state. That is, in the folded state, the front surface of the elastic connection structure 40 transitions between the front surface of the center beam 10 and the front surface of the door panel 20, thereby supporting the folding screen 2.

[0148] The front face of the elastic connection structure 40 is also used to support the folding screen 2 of the foldable device 100 when the hinge assembly 1c is in the unfolded state. That is, in the unfolded state, the front face of the elastic connection structure 40 is transitionally connected between the front face of the center beam 10 and the front face of the door panel 20, thereby supporting the folding screen 2.

[0149] Continue to see Figure 14 Optionally, the front of the center beam 10 is arc-shaped, and the arc of the front of the center beam 10 is concave on both sides to form a receiving groove C1. When the shaft assembly 1c is folded outward, the support plate 30 is at least partially accommodated in the receiving groove C1 (see also Figure 12 ), and the front of the support plate 30 and the front of the center beam 10 are on the same circumference, and the back of the support plate 30 is supported by the bottom surface of the accommodating groove C1. In this way, when folded, the support plate 30 can be supported by the center beam 10, providing more reliable support for the folding screen 2. At the same time, the support provided by the center beam 10 to the support plate 30 can also act as a limiter, thereby preventing the support plate 30 from over-folding and affecting the support shape of the folding screen 2.

[0150] Figure 15 for Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of the shaft assembly 1c, wherein the shaft assembly 1c is in an expanded state; Figure 16 for Figure 15 Exploded view of the shaft assembly 1c.

[0151] See also Figure 15 and Figure 16 In this embodiment, the rotating shaft assembly 1c also includes a sliding seat member 70, two first rotating shaft members 50a, two swing arms 60, two connecting rods 80 and two first elastic members 50c, as well as a sliding pressing member 90, two second rotating shaft members 50b and two second elastic members 50d.

[0152] The two first rotating shafts 50a are connected to the center beam 10. For example, as shown in the figure, the two first rotating shafts 50a are connected to the center beam 10 at intervals along the width direction X of the center beam 10. The back of the center beam 10 has a first recessed groove C21. The two first rotating shafts 50a fit into the first groove C21, and the axial ends of the first rotating shafts 50a are connected to the center beam 10 at the ends of the first groove C21.

[0153] The two second rotating shafts 50b are connected to the center beam 10. For example, as shown in the figure, the two second rotating shafts 50b are connected to the center beam 10 at intervals along the width direction X of the center beam 10. The back of the center beam 10 has a second recessed groove C22. The two second rotating shafts 50b fit into the second groove C22, and the axial ends of the second rotating shafts 50b are connected to the center beam 10 at the ends of the second groove C22.

[0154] In this embodiment, the first groove C21 and the second groove C22 are spaced apart along the length direction Y of the center beam 10, and the two first rotating shafts 50a and the two second rotating shafts 50b are coaxially arranged. The center beam 10 includes a raised portion 11 located between the first groove C21 and the second groove C22.

[0155] Two swing arms 60 are located on either side of the center beam 10. One end of the swing arm 60 is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft 50a, and the other end is slidably connected to the door panel 20. In other words, the door panel 20 can rotate relative to the center beam 10 via the swing arms 60. During this rotation, the door panel 20 can also slide relative to the center beam 10, moving closer to or farther from the center beam 10 in a radial direction (perpendicular to the axis of the first rotating shaft 50a).

[0156] The swing arm 60 includes a swing plate 61, a sliding engagement portion 63, a second sleeve 62, and a fourth sleeve 64. The second sleeve 62 and the fourth sleeve 64 are connected to the same end of the swing plate 61, while the sliding engagement portion 63 is connected to the other end of the swing plate 61. The second sleeve 62 is rotatably mounted on the first rotating shaft 50a, and the fourth sleeve 64 is rotatably mounted on the second rotating shaft 50b. The second sleeve 62 and the fourth sleeve 64 are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction Y of the center beam 10 and are clamped on either side of the raised portion 11 of the center beam 10 to axially constrain the center beam 10.

[0157] The door panel 20 defines a sliding engagement groove C7, into which the sliding engagement portion 63 slidably engages. The sliding engagement groove C7 extends perpendicular to the length direction Y of the center beam 10. This allows the door panel 20 to not only rotate relative to the center beam 10 but also slide toward or away from the center beam 10 when folded or unfolded, thereby ensuring that the folding screen 2 maintains a constant length when folded or unfolded.

[0158] The end surface of the second sleeve 62 of the swing arm 60 that is away from the fourth sleeve 64 is defined as a second helical surface P32, and the end surface of the fourth sleeve 64 that is away from the second sleeve 62 is defined as a fourth helical surface P34. A helical surface refers to a surface extending along a helical line. In this embodiment, the central axis of the second helical surface P32 coincides with the central axis of the second sleeve 62, and the central axis of the fourth helical surface P34 coincides with the central axis of the fourth sleeve 64.

[0159] The sliding seat 70 is slidably mounted on the two first rotating shafts 50a along the longitudinal direction Y of the center beam 10. Optionally, the sliding seat 70 includes a base portion 72 and two first sleeves 71. The two first sleeves 71 are respectively connected to the base portion 72 and rotatably mounted on the two first rotating shafts 50a. Of course, the base portion 72 and the first sleeves 71 may have coaxial openings, thereby also being slidably mounted on the two first rotating shafts 50a. Two first elastic members 50c are respectively mounted on the two first rotating shafts 50a and elastically abut between the base and the center beam 10, thereby elastically pressing the sliding seat 70 against the swing arm 60.

[0160] In the sliding seat 70, the first sleeve 71 has a first helical surface P31 on the end surface away from the base portion 72. When the first elastic member 50c elastically presses the sliding seat 70 against the swing arm 60, the first helical surface P31 and the second helical surface P32 come into contact and cooperate, so that the rotation of the second sleeve 62 of the swing arm 60 around the first rotating shaft 50a can drive the sliding seat 70 to slide along the axis direction of the first rotating shaft 50a (parallel to the length direction Y of the center beam 10). For example Figure 17 As shown in FIG, in the unfolded state, the door panel 20 slides relative to the swing arm 60 to a position farther away from the center beam 10 ; in the folded state, the door panel 20 slides relative to the swing arm 60 to a position closer to the center beam 10 .

[0161] See again Figure 15 and Figure 16 In this embodiment, optionally, there may be friction between the first helical surface P31 and the second helical surface P32. In this way, through the elastic pressure of the first elastic member 50c, there may be rotational damping in the rotation of the swing arm 60 relative to the first rotating shaft member 50a, thereby providing damping for the rotation of the rotating shaft assembly 1c.

[0162] The sliding pressure member 90 includes two third sleeves 93, which are slidably mounted on the two second rotating shafts 50b to slidably engage the center beam 10. The two second elastic members 50d are respectively mounted on the two second rotating shafts 50b and elastically press the third sleeves 93 of the sliding pressure member 90 against the swing arm 60.

[0163] In the sliding pressure member 90, the third sleeve 93 has a third helical surface P33. When the second elastic member 50d elastically presses the sliding pressure member 90 against the swing arm 60, the third helical surface P33 and the fourth helical surface P34 contact and cooperate, so that the rotation of the fourth sleeve 64 of the swing arm 60 around the second rotating shaft member 50b can drive the sliding pressure member 90 to slide along the axial direction of the second rotating shaft member 50b (parallel to the length direction Y of the center beam 10).

[0164] Friction can exist between the third helical surface P33 and the fourth helical surface P34, so that the rotation of the swing arm 60 relative to the third rotating shaft component can exist rotation damping through the elastic pressing of the third elastic component, thereby providing damping for the rotation of the rotating shaft assembly 1c.

[0165] When the rotating shaft assembly 1c is folded or unfolded, the rotation of the door panel 20 on one side of the middle beam 10 drives the swing arm 60 on the side to rotate relative to the middle beam 10, which makes the second sleeve 62 and the fourth sleeve 64 of the swing arm 60 on the side drive the sliding seat component 70 and the sliding abutting component 90 to move axially through the cooperation of the helical surfaces, which will drive the swing arm 60 and the door panel 20 on the other side of the middle beam 10 to rotate synchronously, so that the structures on both sides of the middle beam 10 can be folded or unfolded synchronously.

[0166] Again referring to Figures 15 and 16 , two connecting rods 80 are located on both sides of the middle beam 10, one end of the connecting rod 80 forms a ball hinge cooperation with the sliding seat component 70, and one end of the connecting rod 80 forms a ball hinge cooperation with the door panel 20.

[0167] Among them, the connecting rod 80 includes a rod body 83, a first ball head 81 and a second ball head 82. The first ball head 81 and the second ball head 82 are respectively connected to the axial ends of the rod body 83. The diameter of the rod body 83 is smaller than the diameter of the first ball head 81 and the second ball head 82.

[0168] The base 72 of the sliding seat component 70 is provided with two first cooperation holes K21 away from the end face of the first sleeve 71, and the door panel 20 is provided with a second cooperation hole K22. The first ball head 81 forms a ball hinge cooperation with the first cooperation hole K21, and the second ball head 82 forms a ball hinge cooperation with the second cooperation hole K22.

[0169] In this way, in the process of folding or unfolding the rotating shaft assembly 1c, the door panel 20 can also slide relative to the swing arm 60 under the pulling of the connecting rod 80 while rotating relative to the middle beam 10 to approach or move away from the middle beam 10. For example, Figure 17 The relative distance between the surface of the door panel 20 away from one side of the middle beam 10 and the position of the swing arm 60 away from one end of the middle beam 10 is used to represent the position of the door panel 20 relative to the middle beam 10. As can be seen from the figure, the relative distance s1 in the unfolded state is greater than the relative distance s2 in the folded state, that is, from the unfolded state to the folded state, the door panel 20 is closer to the middle beam 10.

[0170] Optionally, the door panel 20 is further provided with a second clearance groove C52, which is connected to the second matching hole K22 and is configured to avoid movement of the rod body 83 relative to the door panel 20. The front of the door panel 20 is used to support a folding screen 2, and the first ball head 81 is located on the back side of the door panel 20. The door panel 20 has an inner side surface close to the side of the center beam 10; the second clearance groove C52 is concave from the back side of the door panel 20 and passes through the inner side surface of the door panel 20. The second matching hole K22 is a spherical arc hole, and the second clearance groove C52 includes a column hole K4 and an expansion slot C6. The column hole K4 extends inward from the inner side surface of the door panel 20, and the column hole K4 passes through the back side of the door panel 20; the first matching hole K21 is connected to the end of the column hole K4 away from the inner side surface of the door panel 20, and the axis of the column hole K4 passes through the center of the sphere of the first matching hole K21, and the bottom diameter of the column hole K4 is equal to the diameter of the first matching hole K21. The expansion slot C6 is connected to one radial side of the post hole K4 and the second matching hole K22 , and is used to expand the rotation range of the rod body 83 relative to the door panel 20 .

[0171] See also Figure 18 The first matching hole K21 is a roughly hemispherical arc hole. The base portion 72 of the sliding seat 70 is further provided with a first paving groove C51. The first paving groove C51 is connected to the first matching hole K21 for avoiding the movement of the rod body 83.

[0172] For example Figure 19 As shown in FIG, during the folding or unfolding of the hinge assembly 1c, the connecting rod 80 rotates relative to the door panel 20, and the second clearance groove C52 can prevent the rotation of the connecting rod 80. Of course, in this embodiment, the rotation of the connecting rod 80 relative to the sliding seat 70 and the door panel 20 is a ball-joint rotation, that is, a rotation with two degrees of freedom.

[0173] Therefore, when the hinge assembly 1c of this embodiment is folded or unfolded, the door panel 20 rotates relative to the center beam 10 and slides relative to the swing arm 60, moving closer to or farther from the center beam 10. This causes the spacing between the support plate 30 and the door panel 20 and the center beam 10 to change. The elastic connection structure 40 of this embodiment can adapt to this change in spacing by elastically deforming.

[0174] Figure 20-25 Another rotating shaft assembly 1d is shown, wherein the connection structure between the elastic connection structure 40d and the center beam 10 and the connection structure between the elastic connection structure 40d and the door panel 20 are different from the elastic connection structure 40 of the aforementioned rotating shaft assembly 1c.

[0175] See also Figure 20 and Figure 21 The elastic connection structure 40d in this embodiment also includes two connection members 41, one of which is a first connection member 41a, and the other is a second connection member 41b.

[0176] See also Figure 22 and Figure 23 The first connecting member 41a is connected to a first connecting piece 421 near the protruding connecting portion 413 of the center beam 10 , and at least one first combining column 422 (three as shown) is provided on the back of the first connecting piece 421 .

[0177] The second connecting member 41 b is connected to a second connecting piece 423 near the outwardly protruding connecting portion 413 of the door panel 20 . At least one second combining column 424 (three as shown) is provided on the back side of the second connecting piece 423 .

[0178] See also Figure 24 and Figure 25 The front side of the center beam 10 near the door panel 20 is concave to form a first connecting groove C31 (also seen in Figure 21 ), the bottom surface of the first connecting groove C31 is recessed with at least one first engaging hole K31 (e.g., three). The front side of the door panel 20, near the center beam 10, is recessed to form a second connecting groove C32. The bottom surface of the second connecting groove C32 is recessed with at least one second engaging hole K32 (e.g., three). The first connecting piece 421 is fitted and connected within the first connecting groove C31, and the first engaging post 422 is fitted and connected within the first engaging hole K31. The second connecting piece 423 is fitted and connected within the second connecting groove C32, and the second engaging post 424 is fitted and connected within the second engaging hole K32.

[0179] In the hinge assembly 1d, the center beam 10, support plate 30, and door panel 20 may be constructed of metal, while the connector 41 may be constructed of a short-fiber composite material. Connector 41 is molded into the center beam 10 and / or door panel 20 via insert injection molding. Alternatively, the center beam 10, support plate 30, and door panel 20 may be constructed of plastic, while connector 41 may be constructed of plastic; connector 41 is integrally formed with the center beam 10 and / or door panel 20 via two-color injection molding.

[0180] In this hinge assembly 1d, the aforementioned structural design and insert injection molding ensure a secure connection between the elastic connection structure 40d and the center beam 10, support plate 30, and door panel 20. Furthermore, by replacing metal with a short-fiber composite material or plastic to form the elastic connection structure 40d, the weight of the hinge assembly 1d can be reduced.

[0181] Figures 26-31 Another rotating shaft assembly 1e is shown, and its elastic connection structure 40e is different from the elastic connection structure 40 of the aforementioned rotating shaft assembly 1c.

[0182] In the rotating shaft assembly 1e, the elastic connection structure 40e is made of a flexible material (such as rubber), while the center beam 10, support plate 30, and door panel 20 can be made of metal or hard non-metallic materials (such as hard plastic). The elastic connection structure 40e can be formed into the center beam 10, support plate 30, and door panel 20 through an insert injection molding process.

[0183] See also Figure 28 and Figure 29 In the shaft assembly 1e, the elastic connection structure 40e includes a first connection portion 435, a telescopic portion 437, and a second connection portion 436. The telescopic portion 437 is connected between the first connection portion 435 and the second connection portion 436, and can be stretched or shortened to restore to its original shape after the tension is removed.

[0184] The first connection portion 435 is connected to the center beam 10 , the second connection portion 436 is connected to the door panel 20 , and the support plate 30 is connected to the telescopic portion 437 .

[0185] Among them, the first connecting part 435 includes a third connecting piece 431 and at least one third combining column 432, and the second connecting part 436 includes a fourth connecting piece 433 and at least one fourth combining column 434, wherein the third connecting piece 431 and the fourth connecting piece 433 are respectively connected to the two sides of the telescopic part 437.

[0186] Optionally, the telescopic portion 437 includes a first section 437a, a second section 437b, and a third section 437c. The second section 437b connects between the first and third sections 437a, 437c. The first section 437a is connected to the first connecting portion 435 via a first transition section 438. The first transition section 438 has a smaller dimension along the longitudinal direction Y of the support plate 30 than the first section 437a. The second section 437b is connected to the second connecting portion 436 via a second transition section 439. The second transition section 439 has a smaller dimension along the longitudinal direction Y of the support plate 30 than the second section 437b. The second section 437b fits within the coupling groove C4. A first step surface P21 is defined between the first and second sections 437a, 437b, and is aligned with one side surface of the support plate 30 along the width direction X. A second step surface P22 is defined between the third and second sections 437c, 437b, and is aligned with the other side surface of the support plate 30 along the width direction X. The first step surface P21 and the second step surface P22 can be seen Figure 31 .

[0187] See also Figure 30 and Figure 31 In this embodiment, optionally, the support plate 30 is provided with a coupling groove C4, which penetrates the support plate 30 along the width direction of the support plate 30 and is located in the middle position Z of the support plate 30 in the thickness direction.

[0188] The combination of the groove C4 facilitates the elastic connecting structure 40e to be an integral structure passing through the support plate 30, and the step cooperation formed by the first step surface P21 and the second step surface P22 can limit the support plate 30 from deviating in the width direction X relative to the telescopic part 437, and ensure that the support plate 30 is in a certain position on the telescopic part 437 during folding or unfolding.

[0189] The front side of the middle beam 10 is recessed near the side close to the door plate 20 to form a first connecting groove C31, and the groove bottom surface of the first connecting groove C31 is recessed to form at least one first combination hole K31 (for example, three combination holes are provided). The front side of the door plate 20 is recessed near the side close to the middle beam 10 to form a second connecting groove C32, and the groove bottom surface of the second connecting groove C32 is recessed to form at least one second combination hole K32 (for example, three combination holes are provided).

[0190] The third connecting piece 431 is cooperatively connected in the first connecting groove C31, and the third combination column 432 is cooperatively connected in the first combination hole K31. The fourth connecting piece 433 is cooperatively connected in the second connecting groove C32, and the fourth combination column 434 is cooperatively connected in the second combination hole K32. In this way, the elastic connecting structure 40e can be reliably combined with the middle beam 10 and the door plate 20, respectively.

[0191] During processing, the door plate 20, the middle beam 10, and the support plate 30 can be processed first, and then the elastic connecting structure 40e is formed in the door plate 20, the middle beam 10, and the support plate 30 by insert injection molding, so as to obtain a door plate assembly 110 with high integrity.

[0192] In other embodiments, the cooperation between the swing arm 60 and the sliding seat 70 can be replaced by synchronous gears, mortise gears, etc., so that the door plate 20 can be pushed and pulled by the connecting rod 80 to realize the sliding of the door plate 20 relative to the swing arm 60 during rotation.

[0193] In addition to the above-mentioned elastic connecting structure 40, the elastic connecting structure 40d, and the elastic connecting structure 40e, the elastic connecting structure in the present embodiment can also adopt other structures capable of producing bending elastic deformation, such as a hollow structure. For the hollow structure, the shape of the hollow hole includes but is not limited to a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon, or other shapes, which are not limited herein.

[0194] Figure 32 Another pivot assembly 1f is shown; Figure 33 Another pivot assembly 1g is shown.

[0195] Referring to Figure 32 and Figure 33 the pivot assembly 1f or the pivot assembly 1g is combined with Figure 4The difference between the pivot assembly 1c and the pivot assembly 1f or the pivot assembly 1g is that the support plate 30 and the door plate 20 of the pivot assembly 1f or the pivot assembly 1g are not in a full-length structure but are broken into multiple segments (for example, Figure 32 two segments, Figure 33 three segments) in the length direction. At this time, the space where the door plate 20 and the support plate 30 are broken can be used to arrange other structures of the foldable device 100, and the space utilization is high. While Figure 4 the full-length middle beam 10, the support plate 30, and the door plate 20 are adopted, the better support effect can be provided for the folding screen 2.

[0196] Referring to Figure 34 and Figure 35 , the embodiment further provides another connecting piece which mainly replaces the rectangular frame structure surrounded by the two first side plates 411 and the two second side plates 412 of the connecting piece 41 in Figure 13 or Figure 23 with other ring frame structures.

[0197] For example Figure 34 the connecting piece 44 provided by the embodiment is used to replace the rectangular frame structure in Figure 13 with a diamond frame structure 44a, and the outer convex connecting parts 44b are respectively protruded on both sides of the diamond frame structure 44a to connect the middle beam 10, the support plate 30, or the door plate 20. Similarly, the elastic deformation in the width direction X can be realized, so that the change in the distance between the middle beam 10 and the door plate 20 during folding or unfolding can be adapted.

[0198] For another example Figure 35 the connecting piece 45 provided by the embodiment is used to replace the rectangular frame structure in Figure 13 with an 8-shaped frame structure 45a, and the outer convex connecting parts 45b are respectively protruded on both sides of the 8-shaped frame structure 45a to connect the middle beam 10, the support plate 30, or the door plate 20. Similarly, the elastic deformation in the width direction X can be realized, so that the change in the distance between the middle beam 10 and the door plate 20 during folding or unfolding can be adapted.

[0199] In addition to the scheme of the spiral surface cooperation of the swing arm 60, the sliding seat 70, and the sliding abutting piece 90 to realize the synchronization function, other forms such as the gear set form and the parallelogram connecting rod form can also be used in the pivot assembly in the embodiment, which are not limited here. For example Figure 36 an embodiment for realizing the synchronization folding or unfolding function of the two sides of the pivot assembly 1h through the gear set form is shown.

[0200] Referring to Figure 36In the rotating shaft assembly 1h, gears 65 are respectively provided on the two swing arms 60, and the gears 65 of the two swing arms 60 are engaged with each other. In this way, when the swing arm 60 on one side rotates, the rotation will be transmitted to the other swing arm 60 through the engagement of the two gears 65, thereby driving the other swing arm 60 to rotate synchronously, so that the synchronization function of the two sides of the rotating shaft assembly 1h can be realized.

[0201] In the aforementioned embodiment, the foldable device 100 is described as an outward-folding device. During the transition of the hinge assemblies 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h from the unfolded state to the folded state, the spacing between the door panel 20 and the center beam 10 decreases, and the elastic connection structures 40, 40d, and 40e elastically narrow. During the transition of the hinge assemblies 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h from the folded state to the unfolded state, the spacing between the door panel 20 and the center beam 10 increases, and the elastic connection structures 40, 40d, and 40e elastically widen.

[0202] In other embodiments, the foldable device 100 can also be an inward-folding device. In this case, when the rotating shaft assembly 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, 1h changes from the unfolded state to the folded state, the distance between the door panel 20 and the center beam 10 increases, and the elastic connection structure 40, 40d, 40e elastically widens; when the rotating shaft assembly 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, 1h changes from the folded state to the unfolded state, the distance between the door panel 20 and the center beam 10 decreases, and the elastic connection structure 40, 40d, 40e elastically narrows. In this way, the elastic connection structure 40, 40d, 40e can adapt to the change in the distance between the support plate 30 and the center beam 10 or the door panel 20 through elastic deformation, and can also play a technical role in assisting in supporting the folding screen 2.

[0203] In other embodiments, the foldable device 100 can also be an inward-outward folding device, that is, a foldable device 100 that can fold inward and outward. In this case, the elastic connection structures 40, 40d, and 40e can also adapt to changes in the distance between the support plate 30 and the center beam 10 or door panel 20 through elastic deformation, and can also provide technical support for the foldable screen 2.

[0204] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent replacements of the technical solutions of the present application should not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present application.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly for a foldable device, characterized in that: The rotating shaft assembly comprises: middle beam; Two door panel assemblies are respectively connected to both sides of the center beam; the door panel assembly includes a door panel, a support plate and an elastic connection structure, and the door panel can be rotatably matched with the center beam; there is a spacing space between the door panel and the center beam; the support plate is connected between the door panel and the center beam through the elastic connection structure and is located in the spacing space; the distance between the door panel and the center beam changes during the folding or unfolding of the shaft assembly, and the elastic connection structure is constructed to be able to undergo elastic deformation along the width direction of the spacing space.

2. The shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The elastic connection structure includes two connecting members, one of the two connecting members is a first connecting member, and the other of the two connecting members is a second connecting member; The first connecting member is connected between the center beam and the support plate, and the second connecting member is connected between the support plate and the door panel; The first connecting member is configured to be elastically deformable along a width direction of the partition space, and / or the second connecting member is configured to be elastically deformable along a width direction of the partition space.

3. The shaft assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The support plate includes a first plate segment and a second plate segment connected along the length direction, one side of the second plate segment in the width direction is concave relative to the first plate segment to form a first notch, and the other side of the second plate segment in the width direction is concave relative to the first plate segment to form a second notch; The first connecting member is connected between the center beam and the second plate segment and is at least partially accommodated in the first cutout; the second connecting member is connected between the second plate segment and the door panel and is at least partially accommodated in the second cutout.

4. The shaft assembly according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The first connecting member and the second connecting member are symmetrically arranged with respect to a middle plane in a width direction of the support plate.

5. The shaft assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The connecting member includes two first side plates and two second side plates, the two first side plates are spaced apart along the width direction of the connecting member, the two second side plates are spaced apart along the length direction of the connecting member, and the two first side plates and the two second side plates are connected to form a ring structure; The outer side surfaces of the two first side plates facing away from each other and located between the two second side plates are respectively provided with outwardly convex connecting portions protruding along the width direction of the connecting member; Wherein, the two outwardly protruding connecting portions of the first connecting member are respectively connected to the center beam and the support plate, and the two outwardly protruding connecting portions of the second connecting member are respectively connected to the support plate and the door panel; The connecting member is configured to cause the two first side plates to bend and deform closer to each other when squeezed, thereby reducing the distance between the two convex connecting parts, and to restore the bending deformation of the two first side plates when the squeezing force is eliminated, thereby increasing the distance between the two convex connecting parts.

6. The shaft assembly according to claim 5, wherein: The two outwardly protruding connecting parts have connecting surfaces facing each other, and the connecting surfaces of the two outwardly protruding connecting parts of the first connecting member respectively abut against the center beam and the support plate along the width direction; the connecting surfaces of the two outwardly protruding connecting parts of the second connecting member respectively abut against the support plate and the door panel along the width direction; or, The front side of the center beam close to the door panel is concave to form a first connecting groove, and the bottom surface of the first connecting groove is concavely provided with at least one first coupling hole; The front side of the door panel is concavely formed with a second connecting groove near the side of the center beam, and the bottom surface of the second connecting groove is concavely provided with at least one second combining hole; the outwardly protruding connecting portion of the first connecting member near the side of the center beam is connected to a first connecting piece, and the back side of the first connecting piece is convexly provided with at least one first combining column, the first connecting piece is fitted and connected in the first connecting groove, and the first combining column is fitted and connected in the first combining hole; the outwardly protruding connecting portion of the second connecting member near the side of the door panel is connected to a second connecting piece, and the back side of the second connecting piece is convexly provided with at least one second combining column, the second connecting piece is fitted and connected in the second connecting groove, and the second combining column is fitted and connected in the second combining hole.

7. The shaft assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The center beam, the support plate and the door panel are all made of metal materials, and the connecting piece is made of spring steel; the connection between the connecting piece and the center beam is welded, riveted or screwed, the connection between the connecting piece and the support plate is welded, riveted or screwed, and the connection between the connecting piece and the door panel is welded, riveted or screwed; or, The center beam, the support plate, and the door panel are made of metal materials, and the connecting member is made of short fiber composite material; the connecting member is formed on the center beam and / or the door panel by an insert injection molding process; The center beam, the support plate and the door panel are made of plastic material, and the connecting member is made of plastic material; the connecting member is integrally formed with the center beam and / or the door panel through a two-color injection molding process.

8. The shaft assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The foldable device is an outward-folding device; During the process of the rotating shaft assembly changing from the unfolded state to the folded state, the distance between the center beam and the support plate decreases, and the center beam and the support plate squeeze the first side plate of the first connecting member through the convex connecting portion, so that the two first side plates are bent and deformed in a direction approaching each other; the distance between the support plate and the door panel decreases, and the center beam and the support plate squeeze the first side plate of the second connecting member through the convex connecting portion, so that the two first side plates are bent and deformed in a direction approaching each other; During the process of the rotating shaft assembly changing from a folded state to an unfolded state, the distance between the center beam and the support plate increases, and the bending deformation of the first side plate of the first connecting member is elastically restored; the distance between the support plate and the door panel increases, and the bending deformation of the first side plate of the second connecting member is elastically restored.

9. The shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The elastic connection structure is made of flexible material; The elastic connection structure includes a first connection part, a telescopic part and a second connection part; the telescopic part is connected between the first connection part and the second connection part and can be stretched; The first connecting portion is connected to the center beam, the second connecting portion is connected to the door panel, and the supporting plate is connected to the telescopic portion.

10. The shaft assembly according to claim 9, wherein: The support plate is provided with a coupling groove, which passes through the support plate along the width direction of the support plate and is located in the middle position of the support plate in the thickness direction; The telescopic portion includes a first section, a second section, and a third section; the second section is connected between the first section and the third section; the first section is connected to the first connecting portion via a first transition section, and the first transition section has a smaller dimension along the length of the support plate than the first section; the second section is connected to the second connecting portion via a second transition section, and the second transition section has a smaller dimension along the length of the support plate than the second section; The second section is fitted into the coupling groove, and there is a first step surface between the first section and the second section, and the first step surface is attached to one side surface of the support plate along the width direction; there is a second step surface between the third section and the second section, and the second step surface is attached to the other side surface of the support plate along the width direction.

11. The shaft assembly according to claim 9, wherein: The elastic connection structure is made of rubber material; The elastic connection structure is formed on the center beam, the support plate and the door panel through an insert injection molding process.

12. The shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The front side of the elastic connection structure is used to support the folding screen of the foldable device in the unfolded state of the hinge assembly, and / or the front side of the elastic connection structure is used to support the folding screen of the foldable device in the folded state of the hinge assembly.

13. The shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The front side of the middle beam is in an arc shape, and the arc of the front side of the middle beam is concave on both sides to form an accommodating groove; The folded state of the rotating shaft assembly includes an outward folded state. In the outward folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, the support plate is at least partially accommodated in the accommodating groove, and the front surface of the support plate and the front surface of the center beam are on the same circumference.

14. The shaft assembly according to claim 13, wherein: When the rotating shaft assembly is in an outwardly folded state, the back surface of the support plate is supported on the bottom surface of the accommodating groove.

15. The shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein: There are multiple elastic connection structures, and the multiple elastic connection structures are spaced apart along the length direction of the support plate; Each of the elastic connection structures connects the support plate between the center beam and the door panel respectively.

16. The shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The rotating shaft assembly further includes: Two first rotating shaft members are respectively connected to the middle beam; Two swing arms are respectively located on both sides of the center beam; one end of the swing arm is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft, and the other end is slidably connected to the door panel; the swing arm has a second helical surface; a sliding seat, slidably mounted on the two first rotating shafts along the length direction of the center beam, the sliding seat being provided with two first matching holes and two first helical surfaces; Two connecting rods are respectively located on both sides of the center beam; the connecting rod includes a rod body, a first ball head and a second ball head, the first ball head and the second ball head are respectively connected to the axial ends of the rod body; the door panel is provided with a second matching hole, the first ball head and the first matching hole form a ball hinge, and the second ball head and the second matching hole form a ball hinge; The first elastic member is sleeved on the two first rotating shaft members, and elastically presses the sliding seat member against the swing arm so that the first spiral surface contacts and cooperates with the second spiral surface, so that the rotation of the swing arm around the first rotating shaft member can drive the sliding seat member to slide along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft member, and then drive the door panel to slide relative to the swing arm through the connecting rod.

17. The shaft assembly according to claim 16, wherein: The sliding seat comprises a base portion and two first sleeves, the two first sleeves being respectively connected to the base portion and rotatably sleeved on the two first rotating shafts; the first helical surface is an end surface of the first sleeve away from the base portion; and two first matching holes are recessed in an end surface of the base portion away from the first sleeve. The first elastic member elastically presses against between the base and the middle beam; The swing arm includes a swing plate, a sliding fitting portion, and a second sleeve; the second sleeve is rotatably sleeved on the first rotating shaft, and the second helical surface is the end surface of the second sleeve facing the first sleeve; The door panel is provided with a sliding fitting groove, and the sliding fitting portion can be slidably fitted in the sliding fitting groove.

18. The shaft assembly according to claim 17, wherein: The first matching hole is a spherical arc hole; the base portion is provided with a first paving groove, the first paving groove is connected to the first matching hole to avoid the movement of the rod body; and / or, The door panel is provided with a second paving groove, which is connected to the second matching hole and is configured to prevent the rod from moving relative to the door panel.

19. The shaft assembly according to claim 18, wherein: The door panel defines a front surface and a back surface disposed opposite to each other in a thickness direction, the front surface of the door panel being used to support a folding screen; the first ball head is located on the back surface of the door panel; the door panel has an inner side surface close to the center beam; The second clearance groove is concave from the back side of the door panel and passes through the inner side surface of the door panel; The second matching hole is a spherical arc hole, and the second giving way slot includes a column hole and an expansion slot; The post hole extends inward from the inner side surface of the door panel and passes through the back surface of the door panel; the first matching hole is connected to the end of the post hole away from the inner side surface of the door panel, and the axis of the post hole passes through the center of the first matching hole, and the bottom diameter of the post hole is equal to the diameter of the first matching hole; The expansion slot is connected to one radial side of the column hole and the second matching hole, and is used to expand the rotation range of the rod body relative to the door panel.

20. The shaft assembly according to claim 17, wherein: The rotating shaft assembly further includes a sliding pressing member and a second elastic member, wherein the sliding pressing member includes two third sleeves, and the two third sleeves are slidably engaged with the center beam; the third sleeves have a third helical surface; The swing arm further includes a fourth sleeve, the fourth sleeve and the second sleeve are spaced apart in the axial direction, and the fourth sleeve has a fourth helical surface; The second elastic member elastically presses the third sleeve of the sliding and pressing member against the fourth sleeve, so that the third helical surface is pressed against the fourth helical surface.

21. A foldable device, characterized in that: include: The shaft assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 20; a first shell and a second shell, wherein the first shell and the second shell are respectively connected to the two door panels; as well as, a folding screen, the folding screen being stacked on the first housing, the rotating shaft assembly, and the second housing; The center beam, the support plate and the door panel jointly support the folding screen, or the center beam, the support plate, the elastic connection structure and the door panel jointly support the folding screen.

22. The foldable device according to claim 21, wherein: The foldable device is an outward folding device. When the rotating shaft assembly changes from an unfolded state to a folded state, the distance between the door panel and the center beam decreases, and the elastic connection structure elastically narrows. When the rotating shaft assembly changes from a folded state to an unfolded state, the distance between the door panel and the center beam increases, and the elastic connection structure elastically widens. or, The foldable device is an inward-folding device. When the rotating shaft assembly changes from an unfolded state to a folded state, the distance between the door panel and the center beam increases, and the elastic connection structure elastically widens. When the rotating shaft assembly changes from a folded state to an unfolded state, the distance between the door panel and the center beam decreases, and the elastic connection structure elastically narrows. or, The foldable device is an inside-out folding device.

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